Because my Beloved Gym has Closed Down

Leave a comment October 27, 2015 drworobec

Over the years, you’ve heard me write about my gym many, many times. Okay, many, many, many times. And that’s what I’m going to do again today, but this time there’s a twist:

Because my beloved gym has closed down.

There was a member’s meeting last week and we were told that the gym was closing and we were being transferred to another CrossFit gym nearby. Everyone’s making the switch; coaches, therapists, and members alike. We are all moving over. So the reality is, while the four walls of our gym have ceased to be, the important parts remain.

Some of you may be reading this and thinking “what’s the big deal?” But, you see, my gym is not just a gym- it’s my safe place and my stress relief. My friendships and my sweat, my inspiration and my accomplishments. If you’re a member, you’ll agree. If you’re a CrossFitter, you’ll agree. Because that’s what makes CrossFit great….. the community.

I’ve been a member at CrossFit Altitude from its very beginnings, back when five people was a busy class and no one had yet mastered double-unders or pullups. I joined in January 2010, anxious to feel like myself again after the birth of my first child. After a couple weeks of ranting and raving about what an amazing thing I’d found, my husband tried it out and was also hooked from the start.

So what is it that has kept me coming back, usually in the dark, cold morning hours before 6:00am, year after year? Well, the getting in shape and enjoying newfound strength and skills certainly help. But that’s not it. Not really. It’s the people.

This is the place that rallies around battles with cancer, losses of loved ones, of families broken apart and families rebuilt. This is the place where I have sobbed silently, mid-workout, as my worries and stresses melt away with my efforts. This is the place where I went after my miscarriage, in the depths of my sadness, to start to heal. This is the place that I brought my new baby girl, barbells crashing and music blaring, to get back to being me. This is the place where I’ve met some of the most wonderful people, the most wonderful friends, the most wonderful parts of my life. And while this place is no longer, what it stands for still is. What it is capable of, still is. What it does, still is.

Change is tricky and tough, but familiarity only comes with time. And so we will give it time. We will find our new normals, our new routines, and new ways to challenge ourselves daily, just as we always have. And in the process, we will expand our community, grow our community, and continue to rally and support and comfort and nurture and improve. Our community has doubled, and so too have our opportunities.

Thank you, Jen.

3-2-1 Go.

Oh Boy, I Hate That

2 Comments August 4, 2015 drworobec

It was the annual CrossFit Games a couple of weeks ago. Kind of like the “Olympics of CrossFit,” this annual competition is held in California every year, and hosts the best CrossFitters from around the world to determine the title of “Fittest on Earth” through several days of grueling events. For the average CrossFitter like myself, it’s a chance to marvel at the athleticism involved; competitors performing movements that we do day in and day out at the gym, but doing it far faster and far heavier than we can ever hope to do. But we hope anyways. And we cheer. And we dream.

CrossFit has a big presence on Social Media, so there’s lots of public opinion on display. And I’ve been shocked and saddened at some of the comments about the appearance of the female competitors. “Too muscular,” “too manly,” “not feminine.” Predictably, I did not come across one negative comment about the bodies of the male athletes. Oh boy, I hate that.

Brooke Ence, a 25-year-old rookie CrossFit Games competitor, won the one-rep-max clean and jerk event. She cleaned a 242lb barbell up to her shoulders and jerked it over her head. 242 pounds. My max deadlift is 226 lbs and I have been doing CrossFit for more than five years- and she took 242lbs and put it over her head. This is a display of athletic power that few people can ever hope to achieve. It was also a 12-pound personal best for her; a testament to her training and the influence of an energetic stadium crowd.

brooke ence

I think she looks like Barbie. But not a Barbie that is so disproportionate that she would tip over if she were a real person- rather, a Barbie that has worked hard to make herself into an incredible athlete and reach her goals doing something she loves. Yes, she has more muscle than the average woman. And it’s that muscle that allows her to do these amazing things. She has trained for years for that muscle and I wish that the naysayers would look at it from another side. I’m looking at it from the eating disorder side.

It’s no secret that I’ve battled eating disorders and body image issues throughout much of my life. I’ve also been successfully fighting this battle since I began CrossFit in 2010. I no longer view my body as a series of measurements and numbers on a scale- I view it as capacity in the gym and in my life. I look at how fast I can run, how much I can lift, how high I can jump. I look at how my fitness transfers into living a healthier life.

I strive to be strong instead of striving be skinny. This is a big shift for me. Imagine if we could make this shift happen for the thousands upon thousands of teenage girls and adult women watching the CrossFit Games. Could we change the world? Well, we could change their worlds.

I’m excited for the sport

Leave a comment July 20, 2015 drworobec

“What should I blog about this week?” I asked my husband. He’s my editor, my second opinion, my sounding board. He’s got a BA in English and can spell any word you throw at him. We disagree on my use of short sentences, the redundancy of my verbage, and my overuse of adjectives. But. I. Love. Short. Sentences.

“The Pan Am Games,” he answered, “you haven’t shut your pie hole about it all week.” Okay then. Apparently I’ve made my excitement known.

I bought our Pan Am tickets way back in December, as the heart of Winter approached and the sun of July seemed to be in the far-off future. Well, here we are. TO2015 has descended upon Southern Ontario and the buzz is in full swing. My Facebook feed is bombarded with pictures of friends at events, Pan Am highlights are on our TV every night, and Pan Ams are my main conversation topic with patients these days. Add to that, the fact that I got to run with the Pan Am flame in June (the torch is now proudly displayed at Burlington Sports & Spine Clinic and has been a frequent photo op for passerby), and life is #panamazing.

I’m excited for the crowds and the noise and the sun and the cheers. I’m excited for the patriotism and the wave and the ‘Oh Canada’ and the photo ops. I’m excited for the fitness and the competitors and the athleticism and the impressions on my kids.

This afternoon we are watching the Women’s bronze medal and gold medal Beach Volleyball matches at Pan Am Park; Team Canada is battling for the bronze. On Thursday, we’re heading to York University to take in the morning session of track & field.

I’m excited for the sport.

Go Canada Go.