Do Something That Scares You

Do something every day that scares you".  Every day?  Really?  Every day.  Hmmmm.... Do I try to find massive spiders in my kid’s rooms every day?  Spiders that I have to gently pick up and put outside so that I appear to be a good role model to my boy and girl? (Even though everything inside of me is screaming in sheer, primal terror to just squash it)  I think I've only seen one spider in the last year so scaring myself every day with spiders is probably going to be a bit tough. (Phew because I really get wigged out from spiders).

Crossfit wods make me nervous every day but do they scare me?  Sometimes.  I do take rest days so being afraid of WODs every day is out.  This is a problem.  How do I do something every day that scares me?  Solution: do something that REALLY scares me and consider it a reprieve from finding spiders for at least a couple of weeks.  

I know!  I’ll enter an Olympic Weightlifting Competition. Eeeeeek!!!

Last year Crossfit Pure Athletics put on a great Olympic Weightlifting Competition for Crossfitters.  I was signed up to go but a shoulder tear a couple of weeks prior to the event left me out of it.  I went over to watch and I remember seeing a sign that read, "Athletes Only". It tore at my heart to see that sign because it made me feel like I didn’t belong.  I hated that feeling.  Fast forward a year - my shoulder is healed - Olympic Weightlifting Competition is on and I am soooo excited to partake....ummm, yes, sooooo excited..... super pumped..... okay, okay, I'm SCARED to pieces to enter.  

Photo by Caragh Camera

Talking about it prior with peeps who had done it before only had positive things to say.  

"It's so fun! Its a total rush, you'll love it!” they said. 

My coach and I talked about it and he felt like it would be a good experience to practice lifting under pressure.  Ahhh!  Pressure!!  And before I know it - I'm in the warm up pit with a bunch of other girls - some old pro's and some brand new faces; all of us a little bit scared.  

What a huge difference it is to be in an Oly Comp compared to a Crossfit comp.  For starters there is no music and anyone that has ever seen me warm up/wod knows that I am a music ADDICT!  Another major difference is that all eyes are on me: not 8 or so other peeps wodding along side me?  Nope, just a platform, the bar and me.  Not to mention the really intense man sitting RIGHT in front of me.  Judging me.  Literally.  Judging me.  I think I might throw up.  

The intensity of the first snatch and the adrenaline flowing through my body after the first snatch was crazy.  Instead of being able to “wod it out”, (like I normally would do with that much energy) I had to just sit there and keep all that craziness and adrenaline in and then double it with my next lift.  Then again with the last lift.  Woooooeeeee - that's a rush all right!  I still think I might throw up.  

Warming up for the Clean and Jerk was way more fun.  Maybe because the snatch plays with my mind - so fickle - or maybe just the confidence of now having experienced that platform, the silence and that intense man judging me.  Whatever it was, I was able to really start enjoying myself and understand why peeps put themselves through this.   My last c&j I think I was finally able to utilize all that adrenaline and nervousness because man, that bar felt light!   

My first Olympic Weightlifting Competition - done.  Doing something that scares me every day?  Done.  

So spiders - don't even bother coming around.  I'm good for a few months.