At the trailhead of Mount Sherman- before the climb
Jeff and I climbed a "14-er" (translation: a mountain that is 14,000 feet +) on Monday. Just the two of us. Jeff was kind enough to inform me that one year ago he would not have asked me to do that with him because he knew I never would have been able to do it. Not this year. I am one sleek, muscle packed mama.
Why, you ask? What has changed in me this last year? The answer would be:
Crossfit. It is a ridiculously hard, amazing, gratifying, intense way to work out. If you've never heard of it and are looking to better yourself, I beg you, look into it. It will change you.
It changed me. I realized that the key to working hard has a lot to do with my mind. In the middle of a WOD (workout of the day), my muscles can be aching, my heart pounding, my stomach threatening to give up it's contents, and, somehow, if I just keep focused and stay the course, I can finish.
It reminds me a lot of marriage, actually. Jeff and I struggle sometimes. It's really not that bad. But, we have rocky patches now and then. Sometimes, in the middle of a bad time, my head aches, my heart pounds, my stomach churns and threatens to give up it's contents, and I wonder why we got married in the first place. But, somehow, if we keep focused and stay the course, we get through it.
When I'm finished with a WOD and think about what I've just accomplished, it is pretty gratifying. I've started to see the results in my body. My muscle tone has increased, I can lift more weight, and I feel better than I have maybe in my whole life.
When Jeff and I get through a hard time and I think about what we've accomplished, it's pretty gratifying. We see how our hearts are changed. Our character builds, our integrity grows, and it feels good that we stuck with it.
That mountain we climbed on Monday, it wasn't just a physical mountain. It was a bit spiritual for us. You see, we've been having one of those hard times. Nothing major, but we just had a big valley to walk through. And, then we had a big mountain to climb.
At the top of Mount Sherman
Because of Crossfit, I was able to climb it. I loved every moment. I loved hearing my heart pound and breathing the thin air. I loved that the climb was slow, but steady. I loved the conversation (between catching our breath) on the way up and, then, the way down.
I love Crossfit. I love that it gave me the stamina to climb a mountain that I didn't just want to climb, but I needed to climb. With Jeff.
Mostly, I love Jeff. I love being married to him. And I love that we got to climb a 14-er together. I'm sure it won't be the last metaphorical 14-er and I sure hope it's not the last physical one, either.
