Last week I mentioned that I was taking some time off from the intensity of CrossFit to reassess my future in regards to health and fitness. Perhaps I shouldn’t have written that post so soon after my tombstone story.
Since that time, it has become clear that many people are concerned for my health and well-being. I am touched, but I am not dying.
While it is obvious to me that I have been stagnant or regressing in some areas of strength and fitness, I am not at risk of dropping dead anytime soon (though in reality, God only knows).
So as I have tried to explain this to my friends and family, it is simply this…
…when I stepped into the gym in August 2012, I was a physical wreck. CrossFit and a clean diet, rich in whole foods, transformed my body, mind and spirit. I was rejuvenated.
But when you are in such bad condition, and you commit to change your ways, the results come quickly and somewhat easily. Here I am two years later, and that weak old man is no longer here. A stronger and healthier version of me is here. But all the things that fixed the “broken me”, are no longer working the same on the “newer me”. That’s the problem I am trying to address.
I am not “sick”, I’m just not as great as I was a year ago. I am taking time to reestablish a new baseline, so I can best determine what foods I need to consume now. And I need to determine what strength and fitness methods best serve the needs of the “new me”. And I am still working on getting off meds that are affecting my ability to perform (Beta Blockers, Calcium Channel Blockers, ACE inhibitors). Simply stated, I am experimenting, studying and mapping out the course to the “new improved me”.
I am also taking time to assess what level of vigor is reasonable for a “Master” who has not been a lifelong athlete, and who has his heart rate artificially suppressed with medication. To that end, I have recently found myself connected with several groups of Masters from CrossFit, Weightlifting and Strongman backgrounds.
No matter how I struggle and strive
I’ll never get out of this world alive
– Hank Williams
Not having been a lifelong athlete, I still consider myself to be a newbie, even after 18 months of CrossFit. I am learning more about my body, my heart, lifting progressions, volume, etc. I have never been a competitor in my adult life, and I find myself competing with myself. I find myself challenged everyday with fighting the effects of age and physical decay. The fact of the matter is, I like this daily battle. I’ll participate in it as long as I am able.
Right now, I am willing to humble myself to start from scratch if need be, to grow from where I am presently. God willing, I’ll be around a while. Thanks for asking.
Be Defiant! Be Well!
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