Crossfit is for everyone

After an 8 month sabbatical from Crossfit, I bravely decided to return to Crossfit Tipperary. I had more excuses for not going than I knew what to do with; In my new job my hours were incompatible, I couldn't afford to join a Crossfit gym closer to home, I was tired, I was lazy , I was scared of returning. Funnily enough it wasn't the weight gain that prompted me to return, although it certainly helped nudge me in the right direction, but it was that overwhelming feeling of being constantly exhausted and in my many months of doing very little I was missing that post workout feeling. 

To physically prepare myself, I had the genius idea of dusting off my kettlebell and doing a small workout at home the day before. I was hoping it might help prepare me for the ordeal that lay ahead but instead it just alerted me to how terribly unfit I had become and sent me to the gym with legs of doom. It seems I had picked a bad night to return given that the workout was a nightmare combination of burpee/box jumps and double unders. I cannot skip for toffee, and I'm guessing my technique will not have improved after many months of ahem resting, so I was given kettlebell swings to do instead. I'd say I was about 5 burpee/box jumps in when the dizziness started. By 17 the room started to spin in an ominous manner and I started to be concerned that perhaps jumping might not be the best movement for me so I let my coach know, obviously I looked as good as I felt because he told me to sit for a few minutes and then I was given something a bit easier/less life threatening to do. Admittedly I was a little embarrassed to be sitting out most of a workout but I was glad to be back and doing something.

In the hours that followed my body protested. Muscles that had grown cobwebs (probably) had been called into action and my body did not know what the hell was going on. Later that evening I realised that I had previously thought were legs of doom were clearly just a twinge and I found once simple tasks like getting out of a chair or sitting on the loo had become a bit of an ordeal. I was a bit annoyed at my dismal performance at the gym so I vowed to return in the morning and make a better effort and then I prayed to some deity that the morning workout would not involve burpees in any shape or form. By the morning most of my body had seized up. I had somehow morphed into an 80 year old woman over night or at least that's what it felt like. It took a fair bit of manoeuvring to get myself out of bed and into clothes and I imagine had I an audience it would have been mildly hilarious. Later that morning I discovered that dropping something on the ground was about the worst thing I could do and retrieving said item was slow and painful. I did still make it into the gym ready for whatever lay ahead. I did have to do a modified version of what was on the board but I can happily say I completed the workout I was given and I did not die. I feel that's very important to note that part. And even though tomorrow I might struggle to dress myself, I think getting back to the gym was the hardest step of all and it will only get easier from here. I've gotten the bug back and hopefully will starting getting fitter,stronger and less incapacitated with every workout from here.