crossfit--not for everyone

Like most people interested in fitness, I have been hearing, seeing, and reading about Crossfit in vast abundance over the last few years. I've stumbled upon the Crossfit Games on TV, seen the crossfitters running short distances down the street just to go back into the gym to perform some seemingly crazy maneuvers, and I've clicked on links posted on Facebook warning people of the dangers of Crossfit and how it will most definitely ultimately end in serious injury or death. So, what's a girl to do? Try it out, of course!

This past Saturday I joined my new pal Lindsay at her gym for "Share the Pain."  Crossfit North Marin welcomed newbies with open arms to sweat and grunt and Burpee their way to a healthier place. I thought about coming home straight after the experience and writing about it, but decided I needed to let the workout settle in and give myself time to digest it all before judging it. 

I had a blast during the workout and the coach (I want to say Travis) was wonderful! All of the people at CFNM were welcoming and super helpful, eager to show the new weakling how to decipher the code on the white board. I gathered that people are encouraged to test and push themselves to reach new personal records, but do so safely. It was a far cry from all of the preconceived notions I went in to the class with. I wanted to lift heavier like the other ladies (who, by the way, are phenomenal she-women who manage to look incredibly beautiful while lifting weights that would make the average man look like a total pussy), but because my heavy weight-lifting days have long passed, I was the small girl in the back using a bar with no weight plates. I felt like an idiot. Nobody else noticed, so I eventually got over it \and got a killer workout in. 

I guess the point to all my rambling is to go ahead and give it a try! Don't go in expecting to keep up with the rest of them, go in with an open mind, and bring water, a lot of it!