My LiveFit 310 experience…so far.
by Koach Kris
You know what I love about CrossFit? I love that we are constantly under the microscope. I love the transparency of our weaknesses. I love that the difficulty of the movements, and the variety of exercises will inevitably distill whatever weaknesses you have. I love that the nature of the culture pushes people to become better through those weaknesses. It is evident to me in my years of training, that confronting vulnerability yields the greatest results. I don’t want to blow your mind or anything, but I believe the same thing is true both emotionally and spiritually.
Four weeks ago I began the LiveFit 310 challenge with everyone else. I had no chance to win (can’t have the owner taking people’s money) but felt an obligation to participate with everyone. So I grabbed a sheet and started my week.
If you’re in our gym, you know that I confess to be the worst hydrated coach on earth, walking around with a gaping hole on my shin for hours after the Kelly Starrett hydration test. Needless to say, my first week was absolutely consumed with getting my water in. But I had a piece of paper and I was playing a game. It became fun and I wanted those points.
I’m a busy guy these days (just like everyone else), so honestly, week to week, I’m scratching and clawing to get my workouts in before or after classes. With no accountability other than myself, I was averaging only a couple workouts a week, and I did not feel good. However, for the last three weeks I’ve been in Saturday classes and having a blast with Graham and Tom and Chris and Jen and Paul, Fuji, Ryan and others. Not that I wasn’t interested in playing around in classes before, there was just no accountability. But now I had a piece of paper and I was playing a game. It became fun and I wanted those points.
Two weeks into this thing, I realized LiveFit 310 was giving me what I had hoped it would give to so many others. It was designed to help attack our Lives the way that we attack our WODs. I wanted it to be Functional, Communal and infinitely scalable.
For most of us, our workouts are a communal experience. There is friendship and accountability and a healthy sense of competition to push us to new realms athletically. And then we walk out the door and we’re on our own with our diet demons for 23 more hours. The awful struggle of Thrusters and Pullups is a shared discomfort, but the struggle with Trader Joes Peanut Butter cups is all ours.
Oh yeah, and who keeps us accountable for sleep, isn’t that important too? Sleep is literally one third of our lives. But wait, what about our water intake? We are virtually made of water. Do you even know how much you should be drinking? Who asks you these questions. No one had ever really asked me, but now for the first time, I was charting how much water I was taking in. Just cause it was a game and it was fun.
So here’s the transparent and vulnerable part. I didn’t do very well, according to the scoring. I OWN the gym, and two out of the four weeks I missed my fourth workout and lost huge chunks of points. So why am I so encouraged? Becuase I know my Life. I’m getting a little better all of the time. No joke, I feel better than I did when I started. I lost body fat. I’m stronger because I’ve been consistent with WODs, I’m better rested and more organized. I feel a tremendous sense of hope as I slowly move towards the Rx on this thing—whatever that will look like—and I feel connected to a bunch of people. My wife is starting her own LiveFit challenge with some of her friends outside the gym!
Also, I just took the hydration test righ now, and for the first time EVER, that thumbprint filled back in!
This is worth the journey. Try to figure out how you can LiveFit. Who cares if you look good, but don’t feel good. We think you can have both. I’d love to hear about your experience. What happened with some of you?
