Competition Week

Yes indeed.  It's competition week for me!

First one in 2-ish years...and I'm pretty darn excited.  Let me set the stage for you.

I'm in Maine, Topsham ME to be exact. The box is Crossfit 321.  http://www.crossfit321.com/

My crossfit coach daughter, Justine Chabot and her hubby, Dan Pelletier live here. And their English Bulldog, Stella.

I will be spending time with them for 7 days. Justine is personal training as I write this at Women's Fitness Studio & Spa, an all women's gym, where she shares her talents as a coach. So very easy for me to go to work with her and see her in action transforming lives. Dan works for the Federal Government in Veteran Affairs.  Not so easy for me to tag along with him. 

When I was booking this trip Justine mentioned that it covered the weekend of Crossfit 321's Summer Throwdown. Well that was settled.  Flight got booked, Justine found me a Master's partner and here I am.  My daughter is very talented, definitely in line to take over the world as she moves toward her potential.  Finding me a partner was very strategic on her part.  Where I lack, she made sure to fill the gap. She partnered me with an ex-gymnast, someone very springy and swingy.  Susan, my dearly loved partner who I haven't met yet, I love her for one reason I'll get to, has been in contact over FB with me.  She actually apologized for only being able to hit 105 on the announced bar complex. And quickly added she loves burpees and C2B pullups.  I'm thinking in my head, NO PROBLEM.  I'll cover the bar complex, you do C2B pullups.  I also know Susan competed at a Master's Track & Field competition and got 2nd.  She was disappointed because she wanted 1st. There it is...the reason I know we will get along.  When there is a 1st place up for grabs, there is nothing to do but go after it.

Yes, winning!! If you are uncomfortable with that word, you just haven't explored it, batted it around in your head, made peace with it.  I have...I think I have come to peace with winning...and loving winning. I say "I think" because it will get tested as I move into a competition year.

Let's use this all women's gym that I am at right now. It's definitely NOT crossfit...no snatches and clean & jerks, no shirtless men for sure :), no shirtless woman either!! There are no pull up bars, rings or boxes.  There are lots of cardio machines, hand weights and various other fitness paraphernalia.  What I am witnessing is lots of friendly chatter, people of all ages and sizes getting their bodies off the couch and moving...AND lots of smiles. This is winning...they are all winning.

For me winning includes a dimension that may be present in all these female fitness enthusiasts here this morning, I just wouldn't know unless I asked them.  That dimension for me is, each time I use my talents in the gym (we ALL have them), have I given 120%, did I do my BEST? Did I honor what God gave me with a matching dose of commitment and attitude? Did I do my BEST? That's my gage, my determining factor for winning.  Now of course the question begging to be asked...can I finish 2nd, 5th or 10th and say that? That's what will be tested this year as I compete again.  Coach Benko and I have stared eye to eye on this with a few words added in on many occasions. As I've grown older and wiser will I admit to him being right on some points? OK, yes! See? If you know me, I'm making progress!

Back to this weekend and the Summer Throwdown.  I am smiling right now as I type just thinking about all the sweaty bodies finding one more gear to get one more rep, go just a little faster as the clock ticks down, block out the lactic acid burning...and my partner Susan and I are part of it. What's on the line here? The same thing that's on the line as I walk into the gym every day.  Did I do my best? Did I learn something about myself? Did I push to fail 'cause if I don't fail how do I know where my line is? And if I don't know where that line is how do I know if I'm getting better? 

See? Winning is growing...and we are created to grow...grow old, grow wise, grow to be our BEST. My goal this year is to be as intense as I ever was while adding a big dose of love & gratitude for what I have been given & therefore, can accomplish. 

These pros say it very well.

"Winning isn't everything - but wanting to win is." - Vince Lombadi
"Wisdom is always an overmatch for strength." - Phil Jackson
"The glory is being happy. The glory is not winning here or winning there. The glory is enjoying practicing, enjoy every day, enjoy working hard, trying to be a better player than before."
- Rahael Nadal