Broken, But Not Broken Down

How do you handle a workout, or a situation for that matter, that is more than you expected? More difficult? More mentally challenging? More painful? Do you get angry? Frustrated? Overwhelmed? More importantly, how do you handle yourself afterwards? Do you walk away, never to return? Do you feel shameful? Do you quit?

We are all challenged with workouts that push us to our limits – to our breaking points – to the point where we feel… broken. We go through the gamut of emotions – anger, frustration, embarrassment, shame, maybe even loss and sorrow. But how do you handle your emotions? Or maybe the better question is, do you handle your emotions or do your emotions handle you?

Everyone has a choice. You have a choice, I have a choice, and we all have choices. And we determine or choose how we handle our emotions during that workout that is more than we expected -- during that moment in time. We also choose how we handle our emotions after that workout. So the workout can break you, or me, or us, but did the workout break us down??? That is our choice. Our decision.

Last Friday’s workout broke me. It was a reality check of the most “in your face” type. “Stand up Linda” broke me. But she did not break me down.

Reality… I was not able to do prescribed weights. My hands were torn. I DID NOT FINISH. I have never not finished a workout. I was frustrated. I was upset. I was embarrassed. I was shamed. I was broken. But I could not walk away, and I could not quit. Because amidst all those emotions, I made a choice to not be broken down. “Stand up Linda” broke me. But she did not break me down.

Reality… It was one workout, one day, one moment in time. And one day I will meet “Stand up Linda” again, and I will be able to do more weight, I will not tear my hands, and I WILL FINISH. I will one day get LINDA off my back! And I will be stronger for it. I am not broken down.

Thanks to CrossFit Phoenix for pushing me to my limit so that I could see what could be possible. Looking forward to the next time that chick “Linda” comes knocking.

"Stand up Linda"

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:

1.5x bodyweight deadlift
3/4 bodyweight push press
3/4 bodyweight squat clean