My CrossFit Paleo Adventure Year 1

Well, I don’t think it’s any secret to my family and friends, I LOVE CrossFit!  I love pushing myself past these limits I’ve set, I love lifting heavy (well, it’s getting heavier) weight, I love running (something I’ve avoided all my life unless being chased), and I love the community at CrossFit Indestri. 

Did I ever think I would say those things?  Heck no!

I’ve always been active.  Raised in a family of skaters, I spent many hours on the ice but I would never have used the term “athletic” to describe me.  After skating, I decided I would try out for the Varsity Ski team in college.  I spent some time on the slopes representing Seneca.  However, again, College Skiing was more about the party then the actual training and racing.  I used to “workout”.  I was at the Y every morning at 6am, figuring out what I was going to do that day.  I started doing a Couch to 5k program because running just wasn’t my “thing” but thought it was time I made it my “thing”.  Still, I would say I was active but not overly active.  As I said to Tyson after my first month “I would say what I was doing before was little more than lying on the couch compared to what I’m doing now”.

I first heard about CrossFit Indestri through the rumour mill.  “Did you hear Scott Thornton opened a gym?  Sounds intense!”  My thought was, “ya, professional athlete + me = YA RIGHT!”  Needless to say I didn’t give it another thought.

When I met Scott during the Ontario Winter Games last March, I made the “mistake” of mentioning that I was interested in checking out his gym.  I say “mistake” when really I think it was more of a cry for help.  Work was crazy busy with the games, I had gotten frustrated with what I was doing on my own and stopped working out, my self esteem was at an all time low due to some personal battles I was facing, it was a tough time for me.  So next thing I know, Jen Nichol and I are being “called out” on Twitter with the famous quote that hangs just inside the door of our box.  Well, Jen and I immediately fired back that we were girls that “make it happen”.  Next thing you know, we’re signed up for the next Foundations class. 

I’ll never forget that feeling.  Jen came to pick me up that night.  I opened the door and said “I’m so nervous.  What are we doing?”  LOL.  She was nervous too.  When we arrived, I don’t think we were the only ones with that feeling.  Well, we survived that first class, barely, and came back for more 2 days later, sore legs and all.  From that point forward I was hooked.

I’m a “need to see results” kind of a person typically.  So before I headed to my first official WOD, I took my measurements and a before picture.  I then took measurements and a picture on the 25^th of every month following for the next 4 months.  I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.  When I started in March, my weight was 140 (for 5’ a little high), I had rolls where I didn’t want rolls, flabby arms, and I hated looking at myself in a mirror in a 2 piece bathing suit.  I never wore a bikini unless I was hidden on my deck at home behind the fence.

I had 2 goals written on the whiteboard beside my name, MetCon Blue and Pull-Up.

In May, I met with Bill and started to look at my nutrition.  We started with some small changes (which hardly seemed small for me).  Cut out grains (but I love bread and pasta!).  Cut out dairy (well that’s easy, I’m lactose intolerant).  Cut out sugar (WHAT!!!!  But that’s my lifeline).  SO, I began tracking my meals.  It wasn’t easy and it took a lot of time to get where I am today with a very strong Paleo lifestyle.  I wouldn’t say I’m strict (still like my wine every once in a while) but definitely picky about my food intake.

Once I started eating real food, my results in the mirror were drastic.  By June, I had lost a total of 25lbs.  Amazingly, I’ve been the same weight ever since (so my body had found it’s happy point)!  But, more importantly, I stopped going for my weekly allergy shots.  Better yet, I wasn’t even taking an allergy pill!  My health is the best it has been for as long as I can remember and I’ll be turning 40 this September!  So, it no longer became about the results in the mirror.

In June, I successfully completed my first pull-up!  Goal #1 down with only a matter of days before I met my next goal.  I participated in my first ever race.  Yep that’s right, first race.  Which one?  Well, MetCon Blue.  Go big or go home!  I managed to tackle every obstacle on that course!  I kicked the monkey bars a$$!  In my head I was yelling “CROSSFIT!”  I had a helping hand come from nowhere to give me a last little push up so I could get over the wall.  It took me an hour and 25 minutes but I didn’t care.  I was flying high when I crossed that finish line. Goal #2 accomplished!  I was so emotional about my accomplishments, my team mates and friends’ accomplishments; I was on the verge of tears.  I had so much fun; I immediately signed up again for September and crushed my time from June.  It was even tougher than the first go!

In September I had to deal face to face with someone who fed on my insecurities and low self-esteem.  I was nervous.  I was up early that morning.  It wasn’t a WOD day for me so I decided to go for a run.  I had worked my way up to 5k but hadn’t made it past that.  That morning was a gorgeous day and I pulled a Forrest Gump.  I took a new route and just ran.  I ran and ran.  As I started to make my way home, I thought, “Wow, Michelle, you’ve come a long way.  You couldn’t even run the 400m buy-ins when you started”.  When I got home I looked at my “MapMyRun” app, I ran 10k!!  I was so happy that when I had to face my” demon”, I had all the confidence in the world.  No one was ever going to put me down again J  Or to quote Patrick Swayze “no one puts Baby in the corner” LOL Sorry, had to.

Fast forward to today: so first year in CrossFit and I sign up for the Open.  Why not right?  Get my Box some points.  See what happens.  Well, here’s what has happened so far.  Open WOD 13.1, PR my Snatch by 10lbs!  What???  And managed to get 7 reps!  Open WOD 13.2, do multiple reps of shoulder to overhead at a weight just 5lbs less than my 1RM.  Again, what???  Every day I walk into CFI I surprise myself.  Sure I have off days, but I look at those off days and think “I’m still way ahead of where I was when I walked through the door”.

So much has happened this past year.  So many things I just never imagined possible.  The amount of weight I’m lifting (which I was afraid to touch a bar in the past) to loving myself more to being a better parent and partner to being a better friend.  Has CrossFit changed my life?  You bet.  Do I preach the word of CrossFit?  You bet!  It is such an amazing part of my life that I really don’t know what I would do without it or the people that I’ve connected with through it.

PS - I can't thank the great coaches and athletes at CrossFit Indestri enough!  You are truly wonderful people that help make it easy to get up at 5am to come in and bust out a WOD!!  xoxo

Me crushing those Monkey Bars over a cold pool of water :)

My boyfriend and I crossing the finish line in September.