Skip to main content

Work in progress


#respecttheoldseekoutthenew2022

"All progress takes place outside your comfort zone." 

Over the last few years, it’s been no secret that my passion for CrossFit has increased. However, my level of interest in the CrossFit Open (An inclusive worldwide competition) has interestingly decreased. I think participating in the CrossFit Open can be an amazing experience for various reasons (e.g. community building, personal goal setting, taste of competition, pushing yourself just a little more because you paid to participate…), but for me personally, it's really not been the driving force behind what I do inside the gym on a daily basis. Though I absolutely love competing, I am also quite selective on when I “turn it on” and when I choose to focus on different elements of my training.

That said, I have been doing the CF Open workouts for several years now and again this year, I have every intention on testing them out, whether I am a paying participant or not. I expect every workout to have something that will challenge me and that will push me to reflect further on my strengths and weaknesses. This last week, when the first of 3 workouts was announced (22.1), I actually felt a tad annoyed with myself. I was upset that I had somewhat avoided working on wallwalks (1 of 3 movements in the workout) over the last 12 months; this movement came out in last years’s CF Open and was highlighted as one of my weaknesses back then. Seeing wallwalks come up again this year was a brutal reminder that I really need to stop avoiding certain movements that I dislike and rather work on improving them. 

Now, CrossFit is an interesting sport that requires you to learn a variety of movements and skills, so it can be quite challenging to work on everything simultaneously. At the same time, one of the reasons I love CrossFit is in fact because I enjoy constantly being challenged and learning new things. This last year, I was committed most of all to improving my Weightlifting technique and the progress has been evident. My dedication to training, along with the support of a knowledgeable coach, most definitely has led to great success. 


Moving forward, I want to continue progressing with my Weightlifiting, but I recognize that I must also step out of my comfort zone and focus on other things I don't like as much and/or find difficult; mostly my gymnastics skills which unfortunately have taken a backseat for far too long (e.g. toes-to-bar, handstand push-ups, bar and ring muscle-ups, handstand walks, butterfly pull-ups, rope climbs…). 


I am, like everyone else, a work in progress, both inside and outside of the gym. I know that to develop, grow and experience success, I must of course put in some effort by stepping out of my comfort zone, but also by being open to struggle and change, being intentional, being patient, being dedicated, being consistent, being hardworking, being persistent, being and constantly being reflective. 

"All growth depends upon activity.
There is no development without effort and effort means work."


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Locked in.

“ The successful warrior is the average (wo)man , with laser-like focus. ” Life’s been feeling a little dull lately, but there’s one thing keeping me fired up; the experience of a lifetime is just around the corner. In just four weeks, I’ll be heading to Chicago to compete in the Hyrox World Championships, and I’m locked in. For many competitive and athletic kids, the dream is to make it to the Olympics or stand on a world championship stage in their sport. While Hyrox may not be the Olympics, for me, this is kind of that moment. This is my ‘world stage’; I can’t wait to soak it all in and add it to the list of things I’m proud of. This idea sort of started on my 40th birthday this year. While most people celebrate with a party and cake or a getaway, I made a wild choice: I booked my place in the Hyrox World Championships with my doubles partner. Bold? Definitely. Crazy? Probably. Worth it? Without a doubt. The last time I pushed myself this hard was back in 2019 when I trained for a C...
Post a Comment
Read more

In a World Full of Noise, Let’s Show Understanding

“Not everyone processes uncertainty the same way, and that’s okay.” The past few days have been unexpected. What started as a normal Saturday - coaching at the gym, breakfast with a friend, catching up on work with the TV on in the background - quickly changed when I heard a loud “boom” coming from outside my apartment. At first, many of us in the community assumed it came from one of the many nearby construction sites. But, within the next few hours, the loud sounds came again and again, and word spread that these were missiles and drones being intercepted in the sky. I’ve always felt safe here in the UAE, and believe it or not, to a certain extent, I still do. Like many other residents here, I have a lot of trust in the country I’ve chosen to call home for over 11 years. I’ve seen it overcome challenges in the past, such as COVID and floods, and I’ve witnessed how much the leadership cares for the residents, particularly over the last few days.  That said, it’s no secret that I a...
Post a Comment
Read more

Momentum Reset

"Momentum doesn’t just return; you rebuild it, one choice at a time." Before summer began, I was feeling a little low. The tipping point came when I found out my HYROX competition partner’s visa had been denied, meaning we wouldn’t be able to compete at the HYROX World Championships in Chicago. Deep down, I knew it wasn’t the end of the world, but I was still pretty bummed. I thrive when I have a goal, something to work toward, and for nearly two months, I’d been all-in. That training gave me momentum, purpose and energy. When that goal disappeared, so did my drive. Suddenly, my energy shifted in the wrong direction. I slipped into autopilot, stuck in the routine of daily life, work, and thought patterns that were becoming more and more negative. Social media didn’t help. It felt like everyone else was out there doing so much, and I had nothing exciting happening. I would catch myself comparing and as my thoughts spiraled, my body started responding, and not in a good way. Th...
Post a Comment
Read more