I first fell into the hype of CrossFit back in 2012. Will and I had just gotten engaged, I was finishing grad school, and we were planning our wedding. It all began with a simple Living social coupon that Dadjogger suggested we try out for a discounted rate. The workouts looked intense, but also fun! So we walked into the gym, excited but nervous, and began our first session. It was a mix of sprinting, heavy lifting, and new moves that I had never encountered before—things like split squats, jerks, and deadlifts. These were all so different from the simple bicep curls I’d done in the past. I remember leaving that first class feeling invigorated, but also a little intimidated, especially since everyone else at the gym seemed to know exactly what they were doing. Despite that, I was hooked. I signed up for a membership and started coming five days a week at 5am.
At the time, I was teaching first grade, so the 5am class was perfect. I’d get my workout in, finish by 6am, and then be ready for work by 7:30am. I was in the best shape of my life. I was lifting more than I ever thought I could, though I was also in pain a lot of the time. A big reason for that was an injury I had sustained in 2010. As a dive coach that summer, I had to lift a diving board to adjust the fulcrum for one of my divers, and I felt a sharp crack in my back—not the good kind. I’d herniated a disk. Thankfully, it didn’t require surgery, but my back was never quite the same after that.
At first, I was a nervous newbie, too afraid to ask for help with the moves, so I would just do them the best I could to get through the workout. That’s when the problems started. CrossFit demands proper technique while also moving very fast to get your best time, but I was rushing through the moves and not focusing on quality. Sometimes the coaches would stop me to correct my form, but other times, they just pushed me to go faster, even if my form was all wrong. I didn’t care much, as long as I was sweating and pushing myself hard. The 5am crew was intense, but I felt amazing leaving after each class! Talk about endorphins! I even competed in a crossfit competition with one of my great friends and her brother as a team.
I kept going with CrossFit all the way up until my wedding in August 2013. Since I was off for the summer, I was really pushing myself to get in the best shape I could for the big day. But I was pushing too hard. I remember one workout just three days before the wedding—I did a split jerk with what I believe was 135 lbs. I lifted the weight, and suddenly, I felt my lower back give out. I could hear and feel everything go wrong, and I was completely immobilized. The pain was paralyzing, and I just lay on the floor, wondering how I would even make it to my wedding day. I’ll never forget the coach saying, “Maybe you’re going a little too hard?” And in that moment, I knew he was right. I’d been swept up in the culture of pushing myself to the limit, but the quality of my movements was sacrificed. For the next three days, I couldn’t work out. I had to stick to foam rolling and light walking, just hoping that I’d be able to walk down the aisle.
Luckily, after several chiropractor visits, I was able to make it through the wedding day pain free. My chiropractor pleaded with me to stop doing CrossFit, warning me that I wouldn’t feel the consequences so much now, but I’d definitely regret it when I was 50 and struggling to get out of bed. It took me another year to really understand this lesson. My body just couldn’t take the strain anymore, especially given my previous injury. I knew it was time to stop in 2014.
Although I loved my CrossFit experience and truly enjoyed the workouts, it was too much for my body. I transitioned to a more balanced approach, lifting weights at the gym but without the high-speed intensity. I learned a lot about weight training, my body, and the importance of listening to what my body was telling me. I still experience back pain from time to time, but now it feels more like a mind over matter challenge. I carry stress and tension in my back, and learning to release it has been a transformative journey—for both my mindset and my body.
