Jillian is done with essentials.....

Today I am following up on Jillian, she has made it through her essentials classes and I believe as I sit here typing this Friday morning that Jillian is attending her first "real CrossFit class" with Jim!

Let me just start with this, we have had MANY laughs in our three essentials classes.  The thing I like most about Jillian is her ability to laugh at herself.  Some of us could use a little more of that.  It's great to know that you're not perfect...but as long as you give it a good shot you can work towards being better.  Isn't that why we're all here?  To be better?

After reading Jillian's blog you will probably see many similarities to your first week at CrossFit.  I know I did.  In fact, I tried to call Jim and get out of my very first day of bootcamp, of course he didn't let me, and I wouldn't have let Jillian either.  

My favorite part of Jillian's story is how she had to walk down the stairs at school because she couldn't find the elevator.  We all know that going DOWN stairs is the absolute worst when you have a good squat workout.  Imagine your first day of doing squats and running around Goshen College as a 43 year old (so you're already behind the 8 ball) and you have to tell some 18 year old to go around you because you are walking down the stairs SIDEWAYS!!!  LOL What do you think that boy was thinking?  

WHO CARES - Jillian is an ATHLETE!!  You wait and see 18 year old boy...she'll be running laps around you in NO TIME!!

In Jillian's words:

Who Knew 20 Minutes Could Do That?

I am at the end of my first week of CrossFit!  My first day of training was actually on my first day of nursing school. Start the year with a bang, right?  I mean, I need to do this.  So, I jumped right in. I was really nervous and excited.  I find that as I get older I have more trouble sleeping at night if there is a lot going on.  So, as you could imagine, the night before my first day of school and CrossFit, I didn’t get very much sleep.  Three minutes before the alarm rang however, my eyes flew open.  With some black coffee and my new exercise outfit (that I was hoping didn’t make me look like an idiot) off to the box I went.  Carole was really encouraging and after assuring me that my outfit did not make me look foolish, we began.  The training was great.  All the moves are modifiable, so in other words, I started off at what I really could do and will build from there.  I found that although it was hard, I was able to do everything that Carole showed me!  I think I even surprised myself a few times.  After some training, Carole set me up with a 20 minute workout where I would utilize all the movements that she had just showed me.  At first I was surprised; I thought we had just had the workout!  But, I agreed and the timer started.  I am learning, so I really don’t know if there is a 20 minute timed high intensity workout everywhere, or if that is how we do it here, but I have done enough reading to know that the quick, high intensity component is one of the wonders of CrossFit.  I had a list to work through and once I was done the workout was finished. I did it! In about 10 minutes I was done. Carole congratulated me, warned me I’d be sore, especially my lower body, and sent me on my way.    

I was pretty proud of myself. You know how after a really good workout, you feel kinda rubbery and shaky, but after a couple of hours that goes away?  Well, off to my first day of classes I went, and was I rubbery and shaky! And it never really went away. That was okay. By the end of the day I was starting to get sore and I was relieved to hit the pillow by nights end.  Okay, you know that moment when you are just starting to come to consciousness, but you really aren’t awake yet, and sometimes a thought drifts through your mind? Yeah, well the thought that I awoke to was, “Oh my gosh, how could 20 minutes have done this?!”  I can honestly say I have never felt anything quite like the pain I felt in MY THIGHS! I texted Carole immediately and told her that I could barely move, OUCH!!  She responded just as quickly and told me that I could, eat well, take fish oil, and NO ibuprofen.  What?  Well, into my day I headed and off to school I went. Or should I say hobbled. I really can’t describe the feeling in my legs. The whole day I moved at a turtles pace. The highlight of my day was when I couldn’t find the elevator in one building so I had to go down the stairs. Holding onto the railing, turned sidewise so as to bend my legs as little as possible, there I was navigating the stairs. Of course, some 18 year old guy came down behind me, and I had to tell him to go around!  Wow.  Let’s just say it was a long day! By that evening when I realized that in a few hours I would have to go do CrossFit again, I started to panic. I thought about calling Carole and telling her I was sick with a fever (which I really was sick with a head cold probably brought on by my lack of sleep). But, I just couldn’t do it. I made a commitment to myself! I was going to do it! 

The next morning Carole knew exactly how I felt (along with many other CrossFitters) and the workout was planned accordingly. I was scared. When Carole asked me to trust her, I decided that I would.  And I made it. I finished the week with another training session and now I am ready to hit the box with the rest of the class. 

It has been a week filled with fears and triumphs. And a week of firsts.  I have a long way to go, but I am excited about what I am accomplishing. I am seeing changes in my body. Last night I took my son to see a play at Notre Dame University. We walked for at least 20 minutes from the car to the theatre. The campus is huge. A year ago I would have dreaded that walk. That walk would have hurt. But, as I walked beside my son last night, I realized that the walk felt good. I had an energy and vitality that I haven’t felt in a long time. I still got tired, and my back still hurt a little, but I had a glimpse.  A glimpse of what I will feel like in the future if I continue my journey towards health and healing.  So, at the risk of those bad thigh aches again, or falling down during a move, or whatever else CrossFit has in store for me, I am going to continue!