So I Drank the Juice

I will say this first:

CROSSFIT is NOT for everyone. 

That being said, it works for me. Here are some things I have learned:

Crossfit has its own terminology:
I was reading other blogs for a while and they had all these acronyms for crossfit. Most times I was like "what?!!" But when you participate in crossfit, you learn the terms. Soon you are talking about PRs, 1 Max reps and WODs. I will try to explain terminology as I go along. But a few things now:

WOD: workout of the day
RX'd: prescribed, doing the workout as it is stated on the board (not me, I still do 99% of all workouts modified)
PR: personal record
Girls: a workout named after a girl
Heros: a workout named after a hero, often they lost their life

Crossfit is not a gym
It is called a "box." When you walk into a box, it looks like a bigger version of someone's garage gym. There are no machines except for rowers. There are weights, ropes to climb and bars to hang from. One thing I love about crossfit, there are no mirrors. It is very basic.

Crossfit is not all about paleo and bacon
Some places are all about the bacon and eating paleo but they do not preach it. They might do some sort of "eating clean" challenge but it is not like they judge you for eating a carb or a ice cream cone. I met with my coach, we talked about eating better and then he told me, "I hate it when people say they can eat all the bacon they want. Bacon might be paleo but it needs to be eaten in moderation."

Crossfit is a community
Our box is more about family. Kids are hanging out in the stretching area, the owner's son is running around. There are monthly bowling nights, happy hours and get togethers. I attend different class times, depending on the time of year, and I have met some awesome people that I call friends. We laugh together, we get strong together....like the saying, the family that pray together, stays together. Often, after a hard workout, you are closer to those around you because you just suffered together.

Crossfit is being an athlete
The one thing I love about crossfit is that you are considered an athlete no matter what you look like. There is an unwritten rule that everyone cheers each other on and no one cleans up until everyone is done. While I am never the first one done, I am still sitting on the ground catching my breath while cheering on someone next to me.

Crossfit is intimidating, it is overwhelming but like any sport, the hardest thing to do is to show up. From there, it is easy.