Finding Community

Last week, I took a big step and decided to start CrossFit - an intense group workout, consisting mostly of max, high-repetition strength and/or aerobic exercises. If you know me at all, you know that working out is not something I do - at least not with any consistency in the last 20 years or so! In fact, recently, I’ve been taking A.C.E. - which basically allows me to do nothing but still lose weight! (And, it’s worked - I’ve lost about 15 pounds in the last 6 months or so!)

A good friend of mine has been involved with CrossFit for a few years, and he’s pushed me to get into it for some time now. He’s always said that my gymnastics background would make me perfect for CrossFit. I avoided it for many reasons. 

One of the reasons I avoided it was because the whole “group workout” thing was just never something that appealed to me. I thought it was a bit cheesy, and for someone who hasn’t worked out consistently in so many years, I thought I’d just make a fool of myself! 

Last Friday was my third day, and it was incredibly tough - after a few initial exercises, we moved into the WOD (workout of the day) which was basically 40 minutes of pure hell! We started by running 400 meters around the outside of the building (did I mention I have’t run AT ALL in about 8 years!), then we had to do 30 box jumps, followed by 30 squats with a medicine ball (throwing the ball up against a wall, catching it, dropping to a full squat, then pushing up and throwing the ball against the wall again). Then, we’d start all over, running, jumping, squatting, throwing, repeat. And we had to do that 5 times through! (Are you feeling my pain yet??)

What happened was exactly what I predicted - I was the slowest of the bunch, struggling through even the first set of box jumps! But, what happened next is what I hadn’t predicted…

Fast-forward through four rounds for me. Everyone else was done with all five, and I still had one more round to go! As I headed out the door to run around the building one last time, I heard, “who’s running with Matt?” and the next thing I know, 5 or 6 others come along to join me for my 400 meter lap! It still sucked, ‘cause I hate running and it was hard! But, it didn’t suck as much, because it wasn’t just me trying to eek my way through my final lap; instead it was several of us running together, getting through it together. A few of them even joined me for box jumps and squats/throws! 

At that moment, I realized why everyone talks about CrossFit the way they do. I realized that it’s about more than working out or getting in shape or pushing your personal limits. What makes it different from running on the treadmill in your basement or lifting weights by yourself at the gym is COMMUNITY. Community makes the difference.

It’s true in CrossFit. It’s true in business. It’s true with your employees. It’s true with your customers. It’s true in your neighborhood.

Community makes “difficult” a little easier. Community allows for mistakes to happen and forgiveness to be offered. Community digs deeper, beyond just a company/customer relationship; community makes it personal. Community builds us up - in work and in life.

Have you found COMMUNITY?