When you join a Crossfit box, inevitably you will earn a nickname. To this day, mine is Jury Duty Wendy. Whenever the box owner, Steve, introduces the “old-timers” to the newbies, my name comes with a story…and it’s a good one too.
A little over 2 years ago, I was called for the oh so exciting task of jury duty. As much as I dreaded sitting for two days in that crowded, musty room waiting to see if my name would be picked for a trial, it would turn out to be the catalyst for one of the most life-changing decisions I would ever make.
During the second day of jury duty, having finished two books at that point, I warmed up to the idea of actual conversation with a real person. Next to me sat a fit, 30 something woman who in the Crossfit world is known as Pistol. To this day, I can’t remember her real name despite the fact that we are Facebook friends. Pistol had what I would later learn to be a WOD book open and a complicated chart. She must have picked up on my confused vibe because she looked up from her book, introduced herself, and explained that outside of her daytime job she was a Crossfit instructor. She was creating a specialized program and diet for a member.
I was in awe of this woman. She radiated positivity, had the physique of a gymnast, and understood how exercise and nutrition worked on a level that went light years beyond the articles in my Shape and Women’s Health magazines ever touched on. I needed a heavy dose of what she was taking.
At that point in my life, I was newly divorced, at the heaviest I had ever been, and felt lost. A cocktail of anti-depressants and sleep meds were steering me but through that haze I saw a glimmer of hope as I listened to Pistol talk about Crossfit and how it helped her. Opponents to Crossfit would say that I was “drinking the koolaid” but what sweet, refreshing koolaide it turned out to be.
You are probably wondering when the sales pitch was coming. I was too but rather than point me toward her box, Pistol told me about her friend, Steve Horrigan, who had just opened his own box earlier that week called Stone Forge Crossfit. It was closer to where I lived and reasonably priced.
I walked into the Crossfit box on a Saturday morning to take a free foundations class. At that point, outside of immediate family, Steve had only 1 other member. By the end of that foundations class I became his second.
During the foundations class, Steve taught us the importance of correct posture while lifting. Despite my lack of experience and mobility, Steve patiently worked with me to get into position. To this day, 2 years later, Steve patiently corrects all his members on their form, reminding us that even experienced lifters will fall into bad form once the weight increases and exhaustion kicks in.
What makes Crossfit different than other gyms? You aren’t just a body that goes to their gym, you are family. We hang out as a box and celebrate each other’s victories whether that be a personal record on a named WOD, a job promotion, or a marriage. We also share in each other’s pain.
Bigger gyms can offer a variety of classes but you won’t get personalized training unless you pay extra. No matter what Crossfit box you go to, you will receive personalized training each and every WOD. Contrary to what you hear in the exercise community, Crossfit coaches put proper form over a heavier load. It doesn’t help their business or the Crossfit reputation if you can’t come back to work out the next day. As such, your coach will gently or not so gently let you know when your form is bad, when you need to lower the weight you are lifting or push yourself harder.
Speaking of variety, while most boxes only offer a set workout regardless of what time you come in the day, the workout will tax every muscle in your body. You won’t ever get bored. Each workout is a unique combination of cardio, Olympic weight lifting, and gymnastics. You are always working against the clock so you push yourself much harder than you normally would. AMRAPS, AMREPS, TABATAS, and PRs will be a mainstay of your vocabulary.
What makes me keep coming back morning after morning? Simply put…it works. I’m not just fit in the way that you would expect of someone who lifts. I’m functionally fit. This means that at the drop of a hat I can enter a spartan race and not only survive but thrive. It also means that I can put in a 12 hour day on my friend’s oyster farm and wake up without pain. When the zombie apocalypse arrives, and it will, I want crossfitters on my squad.
Case in point, when I went on my 15 mile trek with Ben through the roads of PA, I pushed his stroller, Charles, every step. That journey included 3 loooong hills. When we reached Breezewood, I took a selfie with Ben and sent it to a friend. My friend remarked that I looked way less tired than Ben and he was right. Ben admitted as much too. I felt fine, better than fine.
More importantly, it not only works on my physical readiness, it keeps me sane. Remember that pharmaceutical cocktail I was on before? Gone. After my second or third month of starting Crossfit, I noticed it was getting easier to sleep.
Of course, exercise has been proven to improve sleep. Yes, I know this but prior to joining Crossfit I had been exercising. I had a gym membership that I actually used. Despite that, I was still gaining weight and reliant on sleep meds.
Roughly a month after coming off of the sleep meds, I noticed that my anti-depressants were working a little too well. Yes, it’s possible. After consulting my doctor, we decided to start lowering my dosage. By my 8th month of Crossfit I was med free and have remained that way. I’m not saying that I don’t have tough days. Depression is not something that can be cured, it can be managed though.
After doing a little research I found that Crossfit has helped a lot of people just like me who cope with anxiety, depression and an addictive personality. I got the lucky draw of all 3 characteristics. They seem to feed off each other in my case. While I don’t know the exact science behind it, I do know that for about 24 hours after a WOD, my brain feels stabilized. Also, I don’t crave foods with seratonin nearly as much. Even if I didn’t lose weight or reshape my body, gaining my sanity back would be enough to keep me coming back.
There’s an expression in the Crossfit community-“I’m on my own journey.” When people ask me, and they do, why I do Crossfit, I smile and tell them the story of Pistol and Jury Duty Wendy. After 30 seconds their eyes start to glaze over and I simply say, “because it works.” If they are curious enough and drink the koolaide, they will embark their own journey.
