Signs. Pay Attention.
My word for the year is compassion. In a time when folks judge how many steps we take, write our lifts down on the board and post our vacation pics for all the world to see, this is harder than it sounds. Luckily, I started that before the New year, and was able to give myself a break when an old injury reared its ugly head. Or it’s butt, I guess I should say.
Being injured is tough. Normally my body responds to what I am asking it to do. This is where compassion comes into play.
I have covered the compassion for myself when it comes to my home. I have been known to say “My house will never be on the cover of Better Homes & Gardens, and I am okay with that.” Even better, I actually mean it every time I say it. The laundry on the coffee table means that I get to spend time relaxing at the end of the day chatting about new memes or weird body parts with my family. Did you know there are twice as many nipples as humans in this world? Well, a quick internet search discounted that fact, but it is pretty close. That was discussed over the coffee table full of laundry last night after dinner…
For me personally, I have happily resigned myself to the fact that people are (seem to be) happily surprised that I can get fancied up, proving I am not always in stretchy clothes, a layered hobo chic if you will, every once in awhile. Seriously – there are photos. I swear.
But not being able to stand up, walk properly, or carry a grocery bag knocked me down a bit. My mantra at the time was “it will pop back in, and everything will be fine.” I have a Sacroiliac joint that doesn’t like to stay in place. While that mantra is positive, the negative thoughts of “you should have known it was coming, all the warning signs were there,” were playing like the ticker tape in Times Square. I was like an unappetizing M&M – positive shell on the outside and full of blame inside.
I tell you this because injuries happen. Not because CrossFit is unsafe. It was my 13th dumbbell snatch at 35#. Not exactly the final rep at the CrossFit Games or a PR deadlift. It could have happened bending over to pick up a kettlebell, or picking up a bag of dog food.
It doesn’t matter how it happened. In the 4 weeks leading up to it I noticed (looking back of course) – “Hmmm. Weird that I can’t jump rope. Is it too cold? Did I eat too many Christmas cookies?” The last four weeks gave me warnings like: Tight hamstrings, literally tripping over my left foot, uncomfortable tug in my left leg EVERY TIME I squat with weight. All these thoughts passed as I lay on the couch.
I shouldn’t have been surprised. I wasn’t listening.
I am now. We push ourselves beyond our limits, and as humans that is fucking amazing. Go harder. YES. Faster. I WANT TO DO THAT. Make ME better. HELL YEAH I CAN. But we don’t always account for the maintenance, the training, the recovery.
I will be preaching compassion (if you haven’t heard me yet) around every corner. We are parents, we have jobs, classes, and we have Uber routes. We volunteer, we have events to attend, people to care for and fun to be had. In order to do these things, we need to attend to ourselves first. If our minds are wild, we are multitasking, grabbing food at the AMPM – if we are in shambles or tatters, we cannot grow, get stronger, move faster.
As coaches (I am speaking for all of us) we want to give you an hour a day to shed your multitasking, listen to your bodies, make them move gracefully around the barbell, fly high above the pull-up rig, and sweat hard – leaving it all on the floor.
So I have an injury. I have to modify. In all honesty, my abs were ridiculously sore from more of a strict-ish knees up than I could have imagined.
I will slow down. I will keep moving and build back up. Progressions don’t shame me. Modifications will only make me stronger right now. I got my toes to the bar yesterday and was DAMN PROUD.
Give yourself some love for what you did today. I can’t wait to see what you will do tomorrow.
Workout of the Day
Strength
Shoulder Press
5 Sets of 5 @ 70%
Conditioning
AMRAP 12
36 Double Unders
12 Kettlebell Swings 53/35