Just Another Amazing Day
A pretty typical Saturday for me, Crossfit in the morning and aerials at Joe’s in the afternoon. And all of it just so much fun. I really lead a charmed life.
Of course, it was Saturday in the Summer at CFSS, which almost always means sleds. Sleds are always grueling, but today’s full-on DC heat and humidity added to the challenge. Coupling sleds with heavy kettlebell swings took it up a notch further. As we set up, everyone grumbles light-heartedly about how much this will suck. Then we begin, and it is really hard and it sucks worse than might have been imagined. But there is a group determination that sets in. As we have breath to spare (not often), we crack jokes and give encouragement. Or, when the breath is gone, we just exchange silent looks of acknowledgement, attesting to how truly mother-fucking hard this is. We push on, just wanting to get done. And then we are done. We collapse inside in the a/c. Slowly we become able to speak again, and then, recovering, just shoot the breeze, recount what was hardest, what was unexpected, what other work-outs this week were hard, what we are doing for the rest of the weekend, our current life events, and so forth. It is as if the conversation moves out in concentric circles from this day’s workout into the rest of our lives. It happens like that often.
Come home, eat, shower, pack up my aerial gear, and go.
Roll into the studio at Joe’s Movement Emporium. Warming-up, talking current events and who is coming today. Start noodling around on the silks, and almost instantly the sharing begins. “Oh, that’s a cool move.” “Yeah, I like it. I use it in my warm-up now. Just put your foot there, and grab the other ankle . . .” So on. I saw Abby do a drop last week that I would like to learn. So I ask her to show it to me. “Of course.” And five minutes later, I have done the drop for the first time (and it was painful, but I know that will likely fade in time). More sharing of information. “I found this move on the web, pretty simple, but cool. You just climb, do a hip-key, slide through the fabrics to come to sitting, then . . .” Sharing moves, somehow moves easily into sharing about the week, sharing life stressors, sharing fears and hopes.
I am introverted by nature. I often feel socially awkward. I never played team sports growing up, so I don’t know what that feels like. But I find that I am now experiencing camaraderie on a regular basis. Not what I was seeking, but so clearly what I need.
