Friday Tri: Trying Something New

I thought about
hiring a coach, but ended up not being able to find anyone
live-coaching near me at the moment, so after hearing some real
stories from friends about how great Cross-Fit is, I decided to give
it a try. I did a free session, liked it, and then signed up for a 4
month commitment. I started last week, and did 3 sessions of
“Foundations,” which means, as an idiot beginner.

Turns out I really
dislike being an idiot beginner. But the only way to learn something:
be an idiot beginner for as long as it takes to stop being an idiot
beginner.

I hate walking
into the new Cross-Fit gym. Not because anyone there is rude to me.
It's just not a space I am used to. I don't know where to go. I don't
know where the things are. I don't know who the people are. I don't
know who I am going to be here. I don't like asking questions.

So I do stupid
things and do them wrong, and wait until someone is patient enough to
come over and explain to me how to do them right. Doing things right
is the reason I am coming in the first place. You'd think I'd be more
eager to ask about it. But I'm not.

I've never done a
pull-up successfully without assistance in my life before. There
seems to be a hidden promise here that I will, at some point, master
this skill. I have done weight lifting for years, and even hired a
personal trainer for a couple of months. But we are doing serious
Olympic weight-lifting here. No machines. No little barbells.
Kettlebells and motions that look ominously dangerous with that kind
of weight are the everyday expectations here.

I can do the
running. I'm not great on a rower, but at least it's the same motion
over and over again. How hard can that be. I can do stretching
(though the IT band stretch with the foam roller is pure torture
since I've got an IT band injury on my right side at the moment).

I am trying to
make small, achievable goals. I want to give myself enough
satisfaction that I keep going back, that I enjoy this. But another
part of me wants to push-push-push so I can do it faster, and not be
the idiot beginner EVER AGAIN.