Now More Than Ever

The task of writing a blog post has been sitting on my “To Do” list for too many days now. I love writing to you guys and there is never a shortage of thoughts that I want to share with you. Sometimes though, motivation is in short supply or I let perfection get in the way of progress. Let’s remedy that today. Because even though our doors are closed, we need each other now more than ever.

The newness of this world in which we find ourselves has begun to wear off. For the first couple of weeks, I found myself having to reorient to this new reality every morning when I woke up. Those days were some of the busiest I can remember as we scrambled to put a structure in place. It was never an option to go silent and wait this thing out but the landscape was changing daily and the rules around how we could and should operate kept changing. Daily calls with the coaches, revamping plans, member communications, financial models—it was all enough to keep my brain occupied in problem solving mode. There is a part of me that thrives in those situations.

As we start a new week that feels a little bit like Groundhog Day, I find myself adjusting again to another new reality. This time it feels a bit more like a waiting game with less emphasis on urgency and a noticeable shift toward patient resolve. Historically, I choose frenetic busyness over the waiting game every single time but I know that we don’t always get to choose. So, it looks like I get to work on a weakness. I don’t know about you, but I find it harder to focus when the outcome is fuzzy. The good news is that I’ve been prioritizing structure, work ethic, and focus for many years now, so even though I don’t have a lot of clarity around exactly what I’m working toward, I know the importance of putting my head down and going to work. And I have a fair amount of confidence that we are on the right track.

The practice of exercise and fitness are not that different from the practice of work. Maybe you are feeling a little less motivated than usual to get after your workouts or even to just get moving. It’s okay…we all go through that. I want to remind you though that while there definitely will be an “After This”, the opportunity that we have is for right now. This is the new normal for as far as we can see. While I’m not encouraging you to embark on a PhD program, train for a marathon, and pursue inner peace all at once, I am encouraging you to double down on the things that are important to you—right now. Yes, I’m talking about your family and values, but I’m also talking about your health, your fitness, and your community. If you are like me and it took you a couple of weeks to find your bearings, you might be all kinds of out of sorts right now. Consider this your invitation to find your way back to the practices that ground you.

If you never missed a beat and are crushing life right now, good on you. I know there are a lot of you out there and I’m really proud of your consistency. Thank you for showing the way. But if you stumbled a little bit and found yourself in unfamiliar territory, we’ve got you—and you are in good company. Here are your next steps:

• Workout Today: We are posting At Home Workouts every single day complete with video instruction, warm-ups and sometimes even jokes. Go to SugarWOD or the Facebook page to get the workout and instructions then DO. THE. WORKOUT. Bonus points if you jump on the Zoom workout at 6 AM, noon, or 6 PM. I promise that you will get a better workout.
• Connect: Post your workout time or score in SugarWOD so we can connect with you. Our coaches are there multiple times a day waiting to hear from you. If you need more accountability, reach out to your primary coach. They would love to connect in whatever way you need. Not sure who your primary coach is? Send an email to info@crossfitcatacombs.com and we will take it from there.
• Go Outside: Get outside for a walk, run, or bike ride today. Bonus points if you do it without screens or earbuds. We are all getting plenty of that.

I know this seems so simple and it is nothing that you haven’t heard from us a thousand times. But I also know that there are a lot of you—a lot of us—that need to hear it again. If you are off the back, start again today. We want to help so please let us know what you need.

And finally, for those of you that have chosen to continue supporting Catacombs and the coaching staff financially, thank you. There are no words for how much your loyalty and generosity mean to us. We cannot wait to be back in the gym with you.