Recipe for Awesomesauce: Add Carrots

People are motivated in different ways. Take my husband as an example. He is most motivated when he’s pissed off – or what he calls “The Red Ass”. When he is frustrated, he has unlimited strength and power that I stand back in awe of. I’ve watched this man physically push an entire set of kitchen cabinets up a huge staircase. I’ve witnessed him be so focused on a goal that he literally repaired a car on the side of the interstate with a Pitching Wedge. It was a moment that would've made MacGyver himself proud. Over the years I’ve seen him push through adversity, pain and injury to accomplish physical goals – to the point it is a given that he’ll finish. And while I really admire his ability to convert negative energy into positive motion, I cannot do that. In the carrot vs stick scenario – I’m a total carrot girl. "Red Ass" breaks me down, a drill sergeant could put me in a fetal rocking position with one glare. I attended a kickboxing class a few years ago – the trainer was known for his brute approach. I completely crumbled and failed to thrive in that environment. However, others around me – loved it. I have always absorbed my energy from those who surround me. If I’m around cold, negative or mean people – it affects me. Perhaps that is why I’m loving CrossFit. It is a dynamic like no other I’ve been a part of. It is an intense atmosphere, there are hard core athletes doing amazing things yet it is a very supportive and welcoming environment. CrossFitters encourage your efforts, acknowledge your accomplishments and celebrate with you. That is the awesomesauce for me. I’m a few months in at this point, and I’m seeing newer people come in from the On Ramp cycles, and I get so excited for them because I understand the accomplishments they are going to soon start experiencing. Then I look over and see the people that are more experienced – and they are so strong, so calm, so determined – yet still smiling. Then I look over at “the cool kids” (this is what I call the people that can do the muscle-ups and the handstand pushups and the double-unders with ease) and I’m excited about the many accomplishments that still lie ahead for me.