New Directions

I let my CrossFit membership end as of December 31st.  I really enjoy CrossFit, but the test of time shows that it didn't always love me.  Over the course of 10 months in 2015, I lost 41 days of training due to tweaks/injuries.  These were not due to CrossFit or even my technique.  Some were being clumsy.  Some were pushing too hard without a good warm up.  Some were being more aggressive than a beginner should be with 1RM, etc.

I also got the perception that this would not necessarily get better over time.  Kind of like when you drive a certain car, you notice every other similar model on the roads, my shoulder aches, lower back pain, etc got me to realize that I could spot lots of CrossFit enthusiasts who had gone through a shoulder surgery, had one planned, had a knee surgery, etc.  CrossFit caters to this and the movements can scale to accommodate everyone from those without limbs to those with very low muscle mass or very low strength relative to body weight.

I still believe in the model of high intensity training.  I still believe in the 100 words and never lost my excitement in regards to Olympic lifts and traditional gymnastics movements.

While I never did a cartwheel and the technique on my snatch can be argued, I did have some incredible firsts like a rope climb, a forward roll, and I now have the vernacular to begin barbell training.  I worked towards a handstand, but that has not yet materialized.  I can do a lot more pull-ups than I ever could before, but I never got a chest to bar or a muscle up.  My kip progressed nicely, but not to the point that I could do a toes to bar or knees to elbow.

I visited a couple of boxes around the country and appreciate the power of the CrossFit community.

In 2016, I am going to focus on mobility and core strength while keeping a toe hold in CrossFit.