My Return to CrossFit after a Year Break
The year 2021 brought quite a bit of change to my life. I wasn’t exactly expecting it, but I knew something had to give. I have been living in my first home (a condo I bought in my early 20s) for 25 years! Fifteen of those years were with my husband and a wonderful dog and ten of them were with our two kids and our next dog. When our dog passed away old and happy, I vowed “no more dogs.” Then I met the cutest little rescue puppy at my friend’s house. She was fostering him along with his brother and sister. He kept on walking over to me, would sit at my feet and stare up at me with those puppy eyes. That was it, I had found my dog I didn’t know I wanted, and we adopted him three days later.
We were crammed in our two-bedroom condo 2 miles from the beach, and I have to admit I was happy and comfortable. Probably too comfortable, and you know what that means! It’s time to mix things up. I really didn’t want to because life was good; however, I knew there was more out there for us to explore and experience. The kids needed their own room and the dog needed a yard to run around in. As much as I loved my CrossFit gym that was my second home for 10 years, the beach, my friends, and my circle of being (where I hung out). It was time to leap!
We moved an hour away when we finally found our dream house that we all loved. It was a big adjustment for me, and I knew I need to find a new CrossFit community to hold me strong so I began my search. I had two choices plus a bunch of other gyms. I thought I had found my new family and I did but to my surprise I wasn’t ready for them. Instead of feeling at home I felt like a fish out of water who didn’t know what to do. Everything was just so new. It was too much change all at once.
The map on my phone was my biggest support. I got lost almost every time I got in my car to go anywhere. After a month of discomfort, feeling like I didn’t belong I left CrossFit to explore other lands, other gyms, other disciplines, and workouts. Gone was my quest to get stronger, no matter what. My body and my mind wanted to just BE. I set up a home gym without quite enough weights to set goals with. That was OK! Don’t get me wrong, I still get my workouts in. My goal had changed to simply move my body. Keep it low-key, stop keeping score. I know, crazy, right? Who was I? I am known for sneaking up behind you and beating you at the last minute by 1 rep. LOL
The one thing I couldn’t let go of was counting my reps. If I got 16 or 18 this set, I would do my best to match the rest of my sets and rounds. I joined F45 which is a combination of Bootcamp and HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workouts. At least that’s how I describe it. One of the things that threw me at first was the increments of the dumbbells. No 10 pounders, 15 pounders, eights, or twenties. F45 has 9 pounds, 11 pounds, 13 pounds, 22 pounds, etc. Then there are Y-bells and Revo bars that have no weights on them. Seriously, how do you lift small, medium, and large?! Lol, it can be done – it takes letting go of expectations and having to have things a certain way which was tougher than I thought. I felt like “someone had moved my cheese.” (Great book: Who Moved My Cheese by Spencer Johnson). In other words, you need to just be, even if it’s uncomfortable! I learned to take things as they came and embraced the suck.
I continued on with F45 for a full year and got great workouts, made new friends, travelled outside my comfort zone. Throughout the year I kept thinking about how much I missed CrossFit. I couldn’t shake that feeling. That is why I still participated in the CrossFit Open, Festivus Games and the Deer Games that year. I missed the community, my friends who knew what to expect from me, the challenging workouts, my quest to find out what more I was capable of. I even missed competing. I did not miss getting up at 4:45 am each day to train. I gave myself some much-needed rest and recovery. I started doing yoga again which led me to get certified to teach yoga for flexibility. My hips are happy I made that change. My body is feeling good even though I get older every day. I think I am better at listening to it and don’t go all out every time I walk in the gym.
Change is good! If you find yourself in a similar situation where perhaps you have stopped working out or mixed up your workout routine like I did read below for my tips to keep your body healthy and injury-free.
Returning to CrossFit after a break is an exciting, yet intimidating experience. It is important to take things slow and ease back into your training program, as your body may need time to recover and adapt to the rigors of CrossFit. Start with light weights and gradually increase the intensity as you get more comfortable. Don’t worry about what anyone else is doing or what they can lift or do. Focus on proper form and technique to minimize the risk of injury and maximize the benefits of each workout. Be sure to check in with your coach and let them know where you’re at in terms of fitness and experience. This will allow them to provide more tailored coaching and support to help you reach your goals. It’s about you and your body. Finally, remember to be patient with yourself and have fun. CrossFit is a great way to challenge yourself and push your boundaries, so enjoy the process of getting back into shape.
Reach out to me or comment below if you have any questions or have had a similar experience.
