Sue Voss

I asked Sue to write me a blog because I think her experience here at CFR is a very typical one . For someone who does not come from a strong fitness backround  and enters our gym her fears about ability and acceptance are shared by a lot of people. Her story is one of inspiration and I hope it spurs those who are curious to seek us out and take the chance to change their lives.

On a personal note,Sue Voss has been a pleasure to have in our gym. She always has a smile on her face, she supports her classmates and her efforts /humor  are always fun to be around. Thanks Sue…you rock!

For all the fat kids.

Entering the fifth month of my CrossFit journey this week, I’ve done a lot of reminiscing  about the change that has overtaken me since my first day.

Let’s rewind to my first CFR experience, that first tragic night, just to get a taste of what I started with:

261lbs, plantar fasciitis, a ‘lose hip’ and nothing else.

My ‘try-out’ class was one of the most sobering experiences of my life to say the least. It was downright frightening. The workout (I’ll never forget it) consisted of:

30 wallballs, 750m rowing, 20 wallballs, 500m rowing, 10 wallballs, 250m rowing.

Needless to say, it nearly killed me. I couldn’t squat to save my life. Coach Tony kept reassuring me I’d ‘get there with time’ and all I could think was ‘get me the hell out of here’. After he put the third 45 lb plate under the ball, my derrière could still barely touch it while I tried to keep that 8 lb ball under my chin.

Tears of frustration started rolling midway through the workout and didn’t cease until I’d been home for almost thirty minutes. “I can’t show my face there again, they must think ‘what a loser!’ ”

The following weeks weren’t any prettier. 400m warm-up runs? Right. I had to stop three or four times just to catch my breath; I think the first mile took me twenty minutes.

Push-ups? Bench presses? Deadlifts? Clean and whats??? You’ve got to be kidding me. You want me to jump what???

The WODs scared me unlike anything had ever scared me before…I was afraid of failure, tears, yelling by the coaches, ridicule, judgement – you know, all the things a totally out-of-shape girl is afraid of. Needless to say, I experienced none of it.

My 7pm class had become a refuge; A place where hard work and achievement is shared by peers and coaches alike. Coach Tony’s passion for technique and success is contagious. He supports his athletes as much as he pushes them, knows our capabilities better than we do ourselves. His blogs prove that he cares about our personal achievements as much as we do, no matter how small they may be.

Coach Rick’s observations and findings of new ways to sub exercises help steer us toward what is expected. “Complete the movement” has become the measuring point for all things CrossFit.

Coach Seth, a.k.a. ZDM (Zombie Death Machine) has been nothing but supportive from the very beginning. How can someone so fit be this non-judgemental and cheer me on?

Coaches Merle and Glenn both live what they preach, and they live CrossFit. Both have an unbelievable knowledge of technique, body mechanics and nutrition. Proper movement has always been stressed above anything else. “Just do it right. The weight will come.”

If I need an open ear and problem solving, Glenn will have it. If I need a kick in the behind and some honest analysis, Merle will give it to me.

There have been corrections, but never criticism; Support, but never empty praise; Pushing, but never judgement.

There were many sleepless nights, many nervous pees, but the encouragement from my CF peers and the nudging and support from the coaches kept me coming back for more.

The “I can’t” -s turned to “I’m not sure” to “I might” to “I got this”.

CrossFit Relentless became such a huge part of my life even outside the gym, that my mind was reset to what is possible.

I’ve seen success and improvement on a physical level, something that had eluded me since I learned how to crawl. The most amazing thing about it: It’s fun.

I’ve since learned how to squat. I can hold that squat for five minutes and get out of it.

I can do ‘Helen’ without breaking any of the runs.

My deadlifts have seen four PRs and I’ve learned how to clean and jerk.

With the help of the mega purple band I’ve moved from ring rows to pull-ups and I’m using 12 lb medballs instead of 8 lb.

I’ve done a 6k row in 33minutes and I have jumped 16” onto a box, something that was impossible even three months ago.

It may be slow and painful, but I haven’t quit a WOD yet.

I’m down to 233 lbs, my plantar fasciitis is gone and my hair stylist sees me more often than my chiropractor.

We are all different animals at CrossFit, our achievements are varied, but they are all personal. I’ve learned to look up at other’s, while appreciating my own and pushing further.

Above everything else, I’ve started recognizing my own values, to take care of me, physically and mentally.

If I can make it through ‘The Twelve Pains of Christmas’, ‘Hellweek’, ‘Angie’, ‘Kelly’ or ‘Fight Gone Bad’ – what else can I do? WODs are no longer met with just nervousness, they’re met with excitement and drive. I can’t wait for tomorrow’s achievements and I wonder how things will have changed in another five months…

Hopefully all the newbies and people too scared to try CrossFit take a leap of faith and trust that a little hard work will propel them to never-thought-possible new heights…because it IS possible.

Take it from a fat kid.