Did you think it would be easy?

A couple months in to starting CrossFit, my gym did an in-house version of the Open (which they do every fall).  We did workouts that counted towards the competition on a weekly basis for a handful of weeks.  My only goal for those weeks was to not be last on the final rankings. I actually figured I would be last since I had just started, but I figured shooting for “not last” was a good goal.  When the final rankings came out, I was second to the last and I was ecstatic.  Following that Open, the gym had a one-day competition to mirror the “Regionals” level for the top athletes from the Open.  I knew there was no way I would get to compete in that unless a ton of people wouldn’t be able to make it that day, but I was just excited I would get to cheer for Adam, so I was happy. 

But then I got an e-mail.

 

Four months in to CrossFit.  *Gulp* I was terrified, but I figured it would be fun.  So Adam and I both signed up to compete that day at our gym.

 

When we got to the gym for the competition, the head coach announced the workouts to complete in the next few hours.  They would be tough, but I figured I would probably survive… hopefully. One particular workout, however, scared me.  I don’t remember the exact workout, but I do remember it had 30 power cleans in it to start it out.  I had done power cleans before. (Not well, but I had done them).  However, I had never done the weight that the workout called for.  And the workout called for 30 reps at that weight! I don’t remember what the weight was.  It may have been 60 lbs. or it could have been 70 lbs. I honestly don’t remember the exact weight now, but I knew one thing… I had never cleaned that amount and I was terrified.   

 

After it was announced, I remember walking to the back of the gym and sitting on a bench.  I began to talk to a friend.  I was complaining how heavy it was and how I had never done that before, much less done 30 reps at that weight.  A coach who is an incredible athlete overheard me.  She proceeded to say one question that has stuck with me for years.  She said with what seemed like a twinkle in her eye, “Did you think it would be easy?”  I have no idea what my response was when she said that.  I may have sighed or gave a sheepish “no” or maybe I gave another complaint about how it was just heavy.  I don’t remember at all.  But I have never forgotten that question she asked. 

 

It’s nice to be comfortable.  It’s nice to do things you know you’re good at and be able to succeed as expected.  But if you never push yourself to things that challenge you, you’ll never do new things.  And when you try to do those new things, chances are, it might take multiple times to succeed. It is okay to fail.  But it is not okay to not try. 

 

Push yourself.  Put yourself in situations that will challenge you and cause you to grow as a person.  Whatever your hobby is, whatever is important to you, give yourself space to grow even if it means that you may fail in the process. Do things that are difficult. 

 

I power cleaned that amount of weight 30 times that day.  It was so difficult.  It was in no way easy.  It took me so long to do and it was not pretty at all.  But I did it.  I had a new PR for power cleans and I did it 30 times.  Sometimes you just need people to push you.  Surround yourself with people to push you to do things you never thought you could.  And next time you are thinking to yourself how difficult something is, you can think of the same question I do, “Did you think it would be easy?”