My alarm goes off at 4:00am and there could be a million reasons why I do not get up, but there is one reason why I do and it’s for me…..and this is my reason.
Going to crossfit and conquering the WOD or a lacing up my shoes and hitting the trail is my time to truly do something selfish for myself. I absolutely have no-guilt over this and in fact relish every minute of it. Fitness for me wasn’t always a healthy thing and was a lonely isolating activity. I would run to “burn off” what I had consumed, if I wasn’t in the gym for over an hour then I wasn’t working hard enough, mad if I missed a workout, etc. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I walked through the door into crossfit that I starting looking at fitness in a totally different light. I am the strongest, fastest that I have ever been and having a lot more more fun. I now workout for sometimes only 15 minutes a day (and even give myself a rest day) with a group of amazing men and women who we sweat (and swear) through burpees and box jumps together, who genuinely care for each other and celebrate each other’s achievements and birthdays (WODs and wine), and a once stranger turned now bff who we go on long runs and solve the world’s (or mainly our own) problems and pair up in crossfit competitions (Go Chubby Unicorns!). Fitness now is my social hour, my time to reconnect with my mind and body to see how far I can push myself, and simply focus on being the best me.
The reason I value and place such importance on “me” time is because of the ripple effect it creates. See I have this little girl squad at home where two pairs of little eyes are always watching me and I want to be a positive strong role model. They see their mommy crossing the finish line or throwing up a barbell at a competition all while working hard but more importantly having fun and they want to do that too (I now have discovered where all of my missing Junk Headbands have been). More importantly they see their mommy sitting at the picnic table indulging in ice cream down to the very last drop with them too. I want my girls to know that life is meant to be enjoyed, so find some form of activity that makes you happy, find a friend or group that will support you, push you, and laugh with you along the way, and lastly find the spoon for the ice cream!
