What I dreaded most about joining CrossFit was the atmosphere. Before my first class, I was haunted by memories of high school sports' conditioning seasons: falling behind, coaches yelling, and comparing myself to teammates more athletic that I was. I liked to exercise at my own pace (leisurely and gracefully) in a quiet and intimate setting. In the past, satisfying this preference required me to work out early in the morning when the gym was mostly empty and the TVs and music were silent. 

Well on my first day of CrossFit (Lite), a lot of people showed up to exercise, and as an introvert I did not enjoy being surrounded by them. But as it turned out, their presence did not factor into my performance level. With the clock winding, the sweat dripping, and the coaches shouting times, it seemed physically and mentally inefficient to dwell on how my results (for example, the total number of push-ups I could perform in three, 50-second intervals) would compare to others'. I suspect that the human body understands this--that when it senses the urgency and stress to perform, the externals don't matter. Thankfully I was able to focus on completing the exercise routines. My first day was really fun. I felt so tired at the end of each circuit, but I didn't feel exhausted. Somehow I did not get sore the next day. I did feel a little bit of soreness in my abs--probably from the Russian twists--but I was still able to go about my day normally and without discomfort or inconvenience. 

Our CrossFit "box" is such a friendly place. People say hello to strangers, and people are willing to laugh amid the workout's demands. I'm happy to be accompanied by five of my friends from church. It all started with my discovery of a great deal on LivingSocial ($49 for three months of CrossFit Lite classes), so I began deliberating in a previous post. Jamie read that post and invited herself! Eventually Kevin, Leigh Ann, Jeremy, and Thomas purchased the deal too, and now it's such a wonderful, sweaty time full of gasping for air and water breaks together. I'm pretty excited for the physical changes that will occur in the next dozen weeks. My goal is actually to make a new Facebook friend at this box. I will be disappointed in myself if I don't succeed.