It didn't take me long when I got the request to write my goals...I knew right away what I needed to work on and where I wanted to be in my CrossFit journey. You see, I have been struggling with the same weaknesses for some time now.
In fact, for so long that many of you could recite them right now and my blog would be over!
But, this time was different - I had to dig deeper and answer questions like why I couldn't get them, what I could do to get them, who could help me get them and make a plan with a purpose. I had to open up to a complete stranger and let him know exactly what I was going to do.
Here are the 3 goals I proclaimed in January of 2015:
My first goal was and always had been the elusive double under. Never so frustrated with myself and typically brought about fits of anger when it was time to practice...that is, if I practiced at all. I will never forget that Wednesday February 4th when I finally figured it out.
Jim in his typical fashion tried to help me that day and I was so upset that I turned my back on him and he walked away. While he was in with Dr. L and I was in the gym by myself loathing in self pity and still deep in my hissy fit, I was out to prove him wrong. That I can't never butt...do double unders!!!
And then like magic they came...I did 3, then 6, as I figured it out and my hands and feet moved in unison I was knocking out 30 consecutively before I knew it. Each time I would get more and more I would run into the room with Jim and Dr. L - amazed and astonished that I was doing double unders.
I had set a goal of February 25th - my dad's 81st birthday - I met my goal 21 days earlier and only 22 days before the open began!
My second goal was the muscle up. I will admit that I wanted this one googleplex and beyond more than I wanted those silly double unders;0)
So, I emailed my coaches and asked for help, asked for advice. Joe gave me a book to read on muscle up instruction. I bought a gymnastics program for adding strength in the muscle up. I visited CF South Bend for a seminar on gymnastics and the muscle up. I hired a gymnastics coach and had him come in the gym and help me with my muscle up. This one was one of those if it doesn't kill you it will make you stronger movements that I was determined to get.
But as you can see from the form above that my goal was to get these by April 1. The reason I chose that date was because I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that there would be muscle ups in the regionals qualifier. I started getting this little voice in my head about 2 weeks ago...I had this nagging feeling that something was going to be different this year. I talked to Jim about it and I told him, I have got to do something about my muscle up...I keep having this weird feeling in my gut.
TRUST YOUR GUT...IT's USUALLY RIGHT!!!
I sent a Facebook chat to Nick on Wednesday March 4th asking him to help me with my muscle up. I can coach others when it comes to this move but could not for the life of me figure out how to fix my problem. Nick was out of town and didn't get back with me until Monday the 9th...we made a date for Thursday March 12th at 2:30 pm. 5.5 hours before the release of WOD 15.3.
When I got to see Nick I wanted to bombard him with questions. My biggest question for him was, "do you get nervous on Thursday's before they release the WOD?" and his answer was, "I find that the only reason people get nervous is because they are afraid that something they cannot do is going to come up!"
BINGO! Lightbulb moment...
He was right. I was PETRIFIED they were going to put muscle ups in a WOD, and then what would I do? Stand there with my thumb up my arse?!?! Not this time, this time I was going to do something about it.
We all know what happened when I met with Nick, he was able to see right through me. I'm kind of an open book like that. I had some minor flaws in my swing that we worked out and he had me work on my transitions. But what he saw was something much deeper. He saw my fear. He not only saw my fear...but he called me out on it too.
Nick and I don't know each other very well. We've talked and chatted here and there...but at that point he had me in a very uncomfortable situation. I thought I better warn him that I'm a cryer as I felt the tears welling up in the back of my eyes. He said, "you're afraid, the only reason you aren't getting these is because you're scared!"
Scared to death is more like it. Instantly my mind flashed back to the 2014 open when I hurt my neck. Each and every day I spent in the gym when I returned, I faced a mental battle. I couldn't do a push-up a pull-up a dip...I lost EVERYTHING! This was my last mountain to conquer. If I made it to the top of this one, I was 100% completely back to where I needed to be.
With this newfound freedom and a sense of determination I've never felt before, I got up on the rings and landed my first muscle up of 2015. I was back. Confidence growing with each and every rep that made it through the rings.
5 hours after I got my first muscle up...WOD 15.3 was announced.
I can't wait to walk you guys through what happened after that.
1. Set goals.
2. Put them where you can see them.
3. Every day, do something to work towards your goals.
4. When you reach your goal, set new goals.
5. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
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