Last night I was told I get short or irritable when I don’t train. That got me thinking about why I started working out and why I train now.
I don’t train so I can compete. I don’t train to be the best in the gym (I am not, far from it. We have some amazing athletes in the gym.) There is nothing wrong with competing. The commitment and discipline required are commendable. Those traits are something I strive to emulate. I am just not a competitive person. I train, because when I don’t, I go back to the way I used to be.
For as long as I can remember, I've battled depression and anxiety. I always put a big emphasis on the depression, but now looking back, I see the anxiety was probably the main reason for the depression. You know the feeling you would have on the first day of school? I would have that every Monday. I started driving later in life due to panic like symptoms I would have at the mere thought driving.
I found the only way to deal with my anxiety, was drinking. I felt 'normal' when drinking. No fear. The drinking was followed up with extreme guilt and depression, for days. Needless to say I spent my 20’s wracked with guilt and hungover. Couple that with a weight problem and a back injury, and it leads to a very unhappy person.
Several years ago I found myself in a job with a lot of physical activity and away from a lot of junk food. Still not eating great, and drinking way too much, however the change was enough to start to feel better. Enough to start that ball rolling. At the end of that summer I came across a cookbook called Practical Paleo. It's a book I've recommended to many since that time. This book awakened a curiosity in me and it was the catalyst to where I am now..
I heard the word CrossFit for the first time in that book. It is where I heard that the food we eat, exercise, and lifestyle can have tremendous effects on your mental well being and your physical self. It was through this book and starting my CrossFit journey that I got off anxiety, depression and sleeping pills. Pills that I'd been on since 18. It was through these lifestyle changes that my cholesterol problem was reversed. I was within weeks of having to start medication for that too. It was through all of this that I found myself anxiety-free and happy.
I train to be the best version of myself. To be happy. To keep my back healthy and strong. To keep the pills away. I train because I like this version of Danny and I didn't before. So next time I find myself getting irritable or down on myself for not being top of the class. When I don’t have enough time to train, I will think about what I have written here. I will ask myself, "What is my top priority?" For you, it might be different, but for me, it is so my family and the people I care about, myself included, get the best version of me.
If you would like to chat about getting your ball rolling give me a call (250-219-8874) or shoot me an email dan@crossfidawsoncreek.com
Sincerely
Coach Dan
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