Thursday 11.27.2014
To all of our Full Rangers, Friends, and Family,We would like to wish all of you a safe, healthy, and happy Thanksgiving. We hope that you all take some time today to consider that which you are grateful for, and spend some quality time with those that you love.For the last two and a half years, Alecia and I have been fortunate enough to be allowed to touch the lives of hundreds of people through our work at the gym. Not by coincidence, we have developed a daily (or nightly) tradition of giving thanks before eating dinner. We choose one moment from the day, no matter how small or fleeting, and express how thankful we are to have had it. Most nights, the act of doing so is enough to elevate us, and to overwhelm any negativity that may have been lingering from earlier in the day.We wanted to share with you, this Thanksgiving, something that was our focus of gratitude just a couple of days ago. One of our members, Tara Steeves, posted the following piece on Facebook after completing her first CrossFit Total. We invite you to reflect on its message, and try to keep its sentiment in mind as you enjoy your holiday.Thankfully yours,Adam, Alecia, and the Full Range Family
HEAVY IS RELATIVEIn January I walked into Full Range CrossFit for the first time, having never lifted a barbell in my life. I joined the gym while recovering from a stress fracture in my foot (in part as an antidote to feeling restless and agitated about not being able to dance for a few months while it healed).Over these 10 or so months, I have consistently felt utterly intimidated and simultaneously inspired by what I see others doing in "the box". Out of my element in soooo many ways, I have made it my own by bringing my outside-the-box self to the workouts: limboing under a racked barbell ... attempting to one-up the fist bump by initiating a "hip bump" (that oddly, has yet to really catch on) ... doing a back squat while wearing my turquoise, thrice-wrapped infinity scarf, diva-style, to cushion my spine ... making music requests for Fat Bottomed Girls ... just to name a few.I just keep showing up. Mostly because I promised myself that I would. I made the commitment that *No Matter What* I would go 3-5 times per week - and I have, averaging 4x/week since January. And since my foot healed, I added dancing at least once a week back into the mix. It's been an active year, and it feels good.Other than continuing to show up, my CrossFit intentions have been rather vague: (1) build strength, (2) challenge myself, (3) lose ten pounds, and (4) mostly out of my love of alliteration, I added: Fierce Fitness by Forty. Fierce - ha!I've been making slow but steady improvements. My clothes are fitting a bit differently than they did, I bought jeans a size smaller recently, and while I haven't lost the full 10 pounds I'm striving to, I feel stronger, I see changes in my body, and I honestly care less and less about what the scale says anyway.Crossfit has reinforced the lesson for me that heavy truly is relative.What's heavy to one person, is light to another. There's always going to be someone who can lift more, and someone else who can lift less. Even lifting the very same weight, on different days, can feel heavier or lighter depending on your energy level that day.And, really - so what.To me, the numbers don't mean anything - they just serve as a gauge, a point of reference for where you've been, where you are, and where perhaps you're striving to get to. Whether it's Crossfit, or dancing, or building a business, or deepening a relationship, or whatever you're up to ... it's really about expanding potentials, learning what you're capable of, and enjoying the process, all while honoring your limits - for today.Today I hit some 1-rep max PRs (personal records) that I'll share here just for ha-ha's ... Back squat: 130. Push press: 70. Dead lift: 165 (+ 35 from my previous PR!). Go me!But again, the numbers really aren't important. It's all just a big metaphor.Heavy is relative - and not just in a gym.We're all carrying something, be it physical, emotional, or otherwise. The "loads" vary, but HEAVY *feels* pretty much the same no matter who you are.Just one more reason to be kind to another.Especially on those days when you're feeling strong and light, offer to help lighten someone else's load.Nothing radical required!It is really so amazing how just a pound or two lighter can feel SO much more manageable, don't you think?Much love to you.
Tara Sage Steeves is a twice-published author, speaker, international life coach, holistic leader, and founder of Create Your Life! Learn more at www.CreateYourLifeInc.com and reach out to Tara directly at Tara@createyourlifeinc.com.
HEAVY IS RELATIVEIn January I walked into Full Range CrossFit for the first time, having never lifted a barbell in my life. I joined the gym while recovering from a stress fracture in my foot (in part as an antidote to feeling restless and agitated about not being able to dance for a few months while it healed).Over these 10 or so months, I have consistently felt utterly intimidated and simultaneously inspired by what I see others doing in "the box". Out of my element in soooo many ways, I have made it my own by bringing my outside-the-box self to the workouts: limboing under a racked barbell ... attempting to one-up the fist bump by initiating a "hip bump" (that oddly, has yet to really catch on) ... doing a back squat while wearing my turquoise, thrice-wrapped infinity scarf, diva-style, to cushion my spine ... making music requests for Fat Bottomed Girls ... just to name a few.I just keep showing up. Mostly because I promised myself that I would. I made the commitment that *No Matter What* I would go 3-5 times per week - and I have, averaging 4x/week since January. And since my foot healed, I added dancing at least once a week back into the mix. It's been an active year, and it feels good.Other than continuing to show up, my CrossFit intentions have been rather vague: (1) build strength, (2) challenge myself, (3) lose ten pounds, and (4) mostly out of my love of alliteration, I added: Fierce Fitness by Forty. Fierce - ha!I've been making slow but steady improvements. My clothes are fitting a bit differently than they did, I bought jeans a size smaller recently, and while I haven't lost the full 10 pounds I'm striving to, I feel stronger, I see changes in my body, and I honestly care less and less about what the scale says anyway.Crossfit has reinforced the lesson for me that heavy truly is relative.What's heavy to one person, is light to another. There's always going to be someone who can lift more, and someone else who can lift less. Even lifting the very same weight, on different days, can feel heavier or lighter depending on your energy level that day.And, really - so what.To me, the numbers don't mean anything - they just serve as a gauge, a point of reference for where you've been, where you are, and where perhaps you're striving to get to. Whether it's Crossfit, or dancing, or building a business, or deepening a relationship, or whatever you're up to ... it's really about expanding potentials, learning what you're capable of, and enjoying the process, all while honoring your limits - for today.Today I hit some 1-rep max PRs (personal records) that I'll share here just for ha-ha's ... Back squat: 130. Push press: 70. Dead lift: 165 (+ 35 from my previous PR!). Go me!But again, the numbers really aren't important. It's all just a big metaphor.Heavy is relative - and not just in a gym.We're all carrying something, be it physical, emotional, or otherwise. The "loads" vary, but HEAVY *feels* pretty much the same no matter who you are.Just one more reason to be kind to another.Especially on those days when you're feeling strong and light, offer to help lighten someone else's load.Nothing radical required!It is really so amazing how just a pound or two lighter can feel SO much more manageable, don't you think?Much love to you.
Tara Sage Steeves is a twice-published author, speaker, international life coach, holistic leader, and founder of Create Your Life! Learn more at www.CreateYourLifeInc.com and reach out to Tara directly at Tara@createyourlifeinc.com.