Don't Tell me. show me.

Don’t tell me. Show me.

These are words I have echoed countless times to my children. This sentiment isn’t only held for others, I hold this mindset for myself and it has unfolded over the years in my fitness journey. I’ll be the first to tell you I’m more active at 50 than I was at 25. While I participated in basketball and track in junior high and high school, moving my body was not the priority during college and early married years. Like many people, losing weight (baby weight to be exact) was the catalyst for prioritizing movement and health. My kids had a front row seat to the process. At first it was running…mom’s a runner. It morphed into 5:00am Beachbody workouts at home…mom has dumbbells and resistance bands scattered in the living room. Then CrossFit entered the picture…mom takes an hour a day to do new, hard things and now has a shoe addiction:-) 

While the type of exercise varied over the years, the mindset to keep moving did not. Fitness provides a foundation and a wall to help combat sickness and promote longevity. Each workout, each opportunity to move my body is a chance to lay a brick in that foundation.  You often don’t realize what you’re building when you’re in the middle of it, but as the years progress you can look back and see the wall you’ve built. Life throws obstacles to being able to get in workouts (enter shuffling kids to school/activities, basketball season, helping care for a sick family member, work demands, etc). I frame these setbacks as a few bricks being knocked down…the whole wall doesn’t crumble when a season of challenge rolls around. Looking back, I don’t think I ever set out to be a role model of health and fitness for my children…it just morphed into one of those non-negotiotables for me and they in turn followed suit with their own athletic interests. I was, however, intentional to be a role model for characteristics of things such as perseverance, consistency, commitment, passion. 

The Work of a Wildcatter.

 Fitness and being active has always been a part of my life.  My parents were a perfect example for me.  Fitness is just as much mental, as it is physical for me personally. 

I was introduced to CrossFit in 2010 and immediately loved it. I became more serious about the sport in 2013-14 and started participating in competitions in 2014.  I've always considered my kids as "gym rats" because they have been drug there since a very early age in rain, snow, or sleet. It was just part of our daily routine.  

Now that they are older they know that staying active and being healthy is a part of their life and they too have the same desire.  My daughter, Jackie, competed in her first CrossFit competition this past year. This was a very happy and proud moment for me! 

The people at Wildcatter are very welcoming and we all bond together and keep each other accountable.  We finish work outs that are physically and mentally challenging.  Some of these workouts I'd never start or finish by myself.   It can be as competitive as you want it to be. I've been through the many stages of fitness as well.  From being a beginner and just learning the gymnastics and lifting movements, to competing at the RX (prescribed weight/workout) daily, putting in two a days, or to just hoping to make it at least 3 days for the week.  I have always said that CrossFit helps build self esteem and it gave me confidence that I couldn't find elsewhere.  Plus, who doesn't want to feel good and look better!

People ask me often how I stay in shape and I respond with my CrossFit family, consistency, and  healthy eating. 

 I'm not worried about how much I can necessarily back squat or power clean anymore, but showing up is the key!!
Balancing work, home life, kids activities/sports is always a challenge, but it's been my choice of drug and gives me that high for the day.  Thirty minutes a day is better than nothing at all. 

A few months short of turning 50, my body does not feel the same as it used to.  Naturally I'm not as flexible, as fast, or as strong, and don't recover as quickly, but I'm still doing it.  It's very humbling to sit back now and watch the "younger" people excel.  This has been an adjustment for me, but have accepted it and it's part of life.  I'm so thankful to be fit and healthy and can appreciate me at this stage.