At the gym, I hear so many fellow Crossfitters laugh about how they are addicted to the workouts. We take active rest days only because our muscles scream and threaten mutiny after several consecutive workouts.
It's been about a week since I last wiped the sweat off my face at the box . . .I am an addict who's come down has left me feeling tired, lethargic, and a little grumpy.
My coach told me that during this frustrating time off, I should focus on my diet. It makes a lot of sense. At least, this is one realm that I have control over. I also committed to going for walks and doing some push-ups (10 at a time) and jump-roping at home.
Well, it's been 2 days now. I have really been focusing on my diet and feel good in that way (you know that clean feeling you get, like your insides are clean?! Your tummy doesn't make funny noises as it tries to digest the crap you ingested. Your poop is healthy).
Actually, both days have been Paleo. (Except for the cream in my coffee and my low-fat salad dressing). Don't get me wrong, I'm not going full Paleo because I have to eat pasta at least once a week. And I tried gluten-free pasta. YUCK. About 80% Paleo diet is my goal.
As far as the mild exercise goes . . .that's still waiting to happen. Going for walks and jump-roping in the cold outside doesn't sound anywhere near as thrilling as the workout at CFMG. Besides, the easy part is showing up at the gym and the motivation just follows. Going outside requires me to part with my warm home first. So far, it hasn't happened. But I know by posting this blog I will be motivated.
For now, I'm taking baby steps in this recovery process and am really missing the grunts, smiles, hugs, and family at Crossfit Mission Gorge.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Kick-ass or Dumb-ass?
Today, through a haze of tears in my doctor's office, I realized that I am an athlete. You see, up until now, I saw myself as a gym-goer. Or a Crossfitter. Nothing more.
Athletes regularly exercise and push themselves to exceed their own limits. Athletes strive to maintain a balance between health and wellness. I did not see myself as an athlete because I'm continuously striving for this balance and I pictured an athlete as someone who has achieved it. But after a year of spending time with fellow athletes, I have come to realize that even the more sophisticated athletes wish they could eat better, perform better, and generally be better at everything. This lack of satisfaction combined with our inner drive is what keeps us striving to achieve better Fran times and lift heavier weight.
Back to the tears. My doctor told me that I had made an injury worse during a little competition at our gym. I would not be able to run my first 5k tomorrow unless I was willing to face a significantly worse injury. This is the third time since July that I've been told I'm making my injury worse. Each time I end up more restricted in what I can do (dumb-ass).
So I found myself with a decision to make. Do I forge ahead, as the kick-ass athlete that I am? I mean, it's not going to kill me to run a 5k! Or do I finally learn a lesson that has been nagging me since July? And that's when I found myself thinking about real athletes. What do they do when they are injured? Well some rest, heal, and return to kick-ass when they are well again. We miss them when they are healing, but look forward to their great comeback. Others push through their injury but never fully allow themselves to heal. They are always reminding themselves and others about the injury that lingers, which keeps them from achieving their true potential. And we admire them for being such kick-ass athletes. But truly, are they kick-ass or dumb-asses?
I am tired of being a dumb-ass. So I will finally listen to the lesson in front of me. I am not just a gym-goer. I am an athlete. Being an athlete means I push myself to the point of injury sometimes. And when this happens, I will need to rest and recover so that I can come back to kick-ass another day. I am lucky because I know that I am still part of the team, and I have the most supportive coaches and team-members who will help me overcome this obstacle.
I am looking forward to walking in my first 5k tomorrow.
Athletes regularly exercise and push themselves to exceed their own limits. Athletes strive to maintain a balance between health and wellness. I did not see myself as an athlete because I'm continuously striving for this balance and I pictured an athlete as someone who has achieved it. But after a year of spending time with fellow athletes, I have come to realize that even the more sophisticated athletes wish they could eat better, perform better, and generally be better at everything. This lack of satisfaction combined with our inner drive is what keeps us striving to achieve better Fran times and lift heavier weight.
Back to the tears. My doctor told me that I had made an injury worse during a little competition at our gym. I would not be able to run my first 5k tomorrow unless I was willing to face a significantly worse injury. This is the third time since July that I've been told I'm making my injury worse. Each time I end up more restricted in what I can do (dumb-ass).
So I found myself with a decision to make. Do I forge ahead, as the kick-ass athlete that I am? I mean, it's not going to kill me to run a 5k! Or do I finally learn a lesson that has been nagging me since July? And that's when I found myself thinking about real athletes. What do they do when they are injured? Well some rest, heal, and return to kick-ass when they are well again. We miss them when they are healing, but look forward to their great comeback. Others push through their injury but never fully allow themselves to heal. They are always reminding themselves and others about the injury that lingers, which keeps them from achieving their true potential. And we admire them for being such kick-ass athletes. But truly, are they kick-ass or dumb-asses?
I am tired of being a dumb-ass. So I will finally listen to the lesson in front of me. I am not just a gym-goer. I am an athlete. Being an athlete means I push myself to the point of injury sometimes. And when this happens, I will need to rest and recover so that I can come back to kick-ass another day. I am lucky because I know that I am still part of the team, and I have the most supportive coaches and team-members who will help me overcome this obstacle.
I am looking forward to walking in my first 5k tomorrow.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)