With a new apartment and new gym a
lot has been going through my mind. Where I came from, a typical 3 bedroom
house with a garage and a simple weight set, flashes through my head. Lifting
weights in the small garage with 1 lightbulb after a 10 hour work day, the ups
and downs of training, having easy access to a bed, a couch, a good TV show, a
beautiful wife waiting for me to finish, are just a few of the hardships of
lifting by yourself in your own home.
Every morning I wake up excited
about my training and the workout for the day. I give myself a pep talk and set
some training goals for day. I go all day anxious to begin my training,
watching weightlifting videos, and of course teaching high school students
math. When 4:20 hits and the last student leaves my classroom,
something enters my body that is hard to explain. My energy levels plunge,
negative thoughts go through my head, and the entire drive home my attitude
towards training is negative. I believe these feelings comes from the
expectations of what is to come.
I see an image of a weightlifter, a
weightlifter sitting by himself in a metal chair waiting to complete his next
set. Lights super dim coming from a single lightbulb, the same hardcore rap
music playing in the background, and a lifter contemplating his decision to
lift. The same weightlifter questioning is it all worth it? Why be a
weightlifter when sports like CrossFit are built around community? Athletes
struggling together, helping each other through the rollercoaster of training,
encouraging each other to finish faster and stronger.
When you hit a milestone, a
lifetime PR, a personal goal alone in your garage, who is there to celebrate it
with? Who is there to share the excitement with? No one, just yourself. Why be
a weightlifter, alone in a garage, when the only person cheering you on is your
own mind, conscience and will power? No teammates, No community, No
Encouragement.
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