Guest post by Mollie Lipka, Rhapsody CrossFit Member
A CrossFit friend of mine recently ran his very first half marathon. I tracked his progress every 20 minutes or so from the app I downloaded specifically for his big day. A few days after he finished (and crushed his goal) he told me that no one was there to celebrate with him at the finish. He had crossed that line feeling elated, happy and proud – but then realized there was no one there to share in those feelings with him. My knee jerk reaction was to feel bad that no one had been there for him, until he went on to say that it was OK that he finished alone and without fanfare. He didn’t run the half marathon to prove anything to anyone or to have a few moments of attention. He ran it for himself. When he told me that it was fitting that no one was there and that it was almost the perfect ending to his first big event as a runner, it got me thinking.
Something To Prove
Coach Alan Shaw has been talking to us a lot lately about the core values Rhapsody members possess. We are humble, we are hungry and we are happy. I knew in the moment that I was talking to my friend that he had been hungry for all the right reasons. He had something to prove. We all do – but the difference is he had something to prove to himself.
In CrossFit, we have communities of people cheering and pushing you through until the very end of a workout. During marathons, strangers stand along the route holding signs that help keep pushing you forward. This encouragement and comradery can’t be beat, but at the end of the day you are the one putting one foot in front of the other. No one else.
Hungry For The Right Reasons
So, how can we make sure we are hungry for the right reasons? Simple. We ask ourselves ‘is this something I want?’ or ‘is this something I have to prove to someone else?’. Competition is a great motivator in CrossFit and all other sports, but it shouldn’t be the end game. You are your own first string. Set goals with the intention of achieving them and humbly put in the work – even when no one is looking. When you achieve them, quietly celebrate before sitting down to set newer, more ambitious goals. That is what it means to be hungry.
Want to learn more about our community of humble, hungry and happy people? Join us today for a free class at Rhapsody CrossFit in Charleston!
