“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” -Proverbs 27:17
Not speaking hyperbolically when I say I could write a standalone series on the woman featured below and how awesome it’s been getting to know her! I only just met her in January, but it’s been one of those few-in-a-lifetime friendships that feels like it began decades ago (at least, to me, ha)! She “sharpens” me with such godly love, wisdom, kindness, and a heckuva lot of laughter!
Suffice it to say I could get all mushy here, but without further ado, allow me to introduce you to Colleen and her first-ever experience with CrossFit!
Suffice it also to say that “sharpening,” in my opinion, should include encouraging your friends to get active, be fit, and keep at it. I strongly feel that we as believers should be concerned and care about the health and physical wellbeing of our brothers and sisters! (stepping off soap box now…)
Behold, the Community WOD (Workout of the Day) Through the Eyes of Colleen…
Men and women of all ages and fitness levels showed up at 8am ready to jump, lunge, run, and row their way through an incredible workout. For one Premier member, the event kicked off her CrossFit journey…
PREMIER CROSSFIT (PCF): Did you want to try CrossFit in the past?
Colleen: Two of the coaches, Chris and Cune, have talked with me about checking it out for an entire year! I think mentally, it was intimidating. I would see the WOD (workout of the day) pictures on the Premier CrossFit facebook page, and I would think, “There is no way I would even last ten minutes!” I’m glad I went Saturday morning because not only did I survive, but I was reminded that our bodies are a lot more capable than we think they are. I think sometimes it’s more mental than physical.
PCF: Did you have any anxiety or reluctance before the WOD began on Saturday?
Colleen: Uhhh…yeah!!!
PCF: Honest answer! How did you motivate yourself to stick it out?
Colleen: Well, to be honest, after a year of friends asking and suggesting that I try it out, and me procrastinating, I made up my mind it was time for me to put some action behind my words.
PCF: What were your expectations?
Colleen: I was excited because I’ve heard so many good things about CrossFit, and at the same time, I heard how challenging it is. When I heard a description of CrossFit, it immediately brought back memories of doing three-a-days during preseason soccer in college and all the training I did during the summer to get ready for the upcoming season. So, my feelings were mixed, to be honest!
PCF: What was your favorite part of your very first WOD?
Colleen: My favorite part was being out there training with a group of people, the community. A lot of times when you’re doing a work out, it’s so helpful to have others out there doing the same thing and pushing themselves as hard, or harder, than yourself. Everyone is in it together striving for the same goal. Made me feel like I was on a team again!
PCF: And now for your least favorite part…
Colleen: I don’t have a least favorite part right now, but check back with me after I’ve done it for a month or two and maybe I’ll tell you which workout I liked the least because it owned me!
PCF: Will do! Okay, how about the toughest part?
Colleen: The rowing was tough. I haven’t rowed that much in the past, and I didn’t realize how difficult that was. And the sit-ups! Doing all those sit-ups in the middle of the routine made me feel like I was trying to get the Presidential Award back in elementary school! I didn’t think the sit-ups would be hard, but they got me!
PCF: Was there anything you did better than you expected?
Colleen: I think the fact that I finished and completed the WOD without falling out was something that was better than I expected! Seriously, I didn’t know how I was going to do and if I was going to finish! I think doing a WOD is a good fitness litmus test; it definitely lets you know where you stand physically and what type of shape you’re in!
PCF: Congratulations! I think everyone surprised themselves with how well they did and hard they worked. So were your expectations met?
Colleen: Yes, it was a lot of fun…and it was challenging. It definitely pushed me to do more than I thought I could do, and I liked that a lot! I want to join CrossFit to see if it will meet my goals, and to see the type of results it will bring. The cool thing, though, is that I see CrossFit as an all-encompassing health advantage – physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.
Thank you to Colleen and everyone who showed up on Saturday and gave it their all; the energy and enthusiasm was incredible!
Stay fit, stay faithful ~<3 Di