It was just
over a year ago that I moved to London, after getting a new job. I was a chef in my
old job, which basically meant I would graze on food all day, then sweat it out
during 12 hour shifts in the kitchen (to be clear, I was very careful to not sweat it out into
the food). I was now working in an office and sitting on my ass all day.
On top of this there was amazing Pick ‘n’ Mix next door and I continued to
eat like I was still working in a kitchen. The result of all these factors
lead me to gaining a colossal amount of weight in a very short amount of time.
I
was left with the prospect of finding a new gym and there were a lot of options in the local area. I had already come across CrossFit London, but had dismissed it as being confusing and intimidating. However, I was chatting with a friend of mine living in Chicago and the subject of gyms came up. This friend was an avid CrossFitter and couldn't recommend it highly enough to me. It just so happened that 9 Malcolm Place was a 2 minute walk from my flat - how could I not?
So,
a year ago today I did my first Level 1 class. It was Level 1.5 (kettlebell
swing, snatch and get-up) with the lovely Carolyn. There is one defining memory
that I took away from that first class. I don’t remember who else was there,
what drills we did, what was said, or even what the WOD was. The only thing I
remember was what the WOD did to me. To this day I have never felt more
horrific. I was a sporadic gym-goer before I moved to London and considered
myself fairly fit - for God’s sake, I’d done a half-marathon in 2011! But
right now, I was sweating more than I though possible, I couldn’t catch my
breath, my limbs were trembling and, had I had breakfast that morning, everyone in the room
would have been able to see what I'd eaten. I was absolutely broken. But along side
the nausea came a profound sense of euphoria. The atmosphere in the room was incredible, and the utter feeling of pride and release of
endorphins upon completion was exhilarating. It was a harder workout that I’d
ever done before, and far more intense than anything I could have replicated on
my own. And that feeling lasted all day. Not only the smugness for having
done a workout at 7:30am, but the lingering good mood that followed.
As
someone with an addictive personality, I've had bizarre series of habits; from
alcohol at university, food (and the resulting chef career), martial arts and
semi-contact sparring, up until the most recent one; Pick ‘n’ Mix. The CrossFit
buzz became an addiction too, although unlike the previous ones, this was a
genuinely beneficial one. In the last 365 days, I have been to 215 CrossFit
London UK classes, including Gymnastics, Ropes, Skills, Olympic Lifting,
Strongman, The 2013 CrossFit Open, and Level 1, 2, 3 and 4 WODs. I have also
started competing in CrossFit competitions, done two Tough Mudders, began
cycling to work, swimming, running, and training for a Triathlon next year.
CrossFit
has taken over my life in a way that I never expected it to. In the last year
I’ve lost 35lbs/16kg (although, in retrospect body-fat
percentage would have been more useful), I now eat cleanly, have clearer skin, fall asleep faster and sleep more
soundly, and am in an infinitely better mood. It seems all my decisions now
revolve around CrossFit: what I eat, when I sleep, if I go out, how I spend my
time at work, and in a few months I’ll be taking the CrossFit Level 1 Certificate Course. It’s had an unfathomably positive impact and, in just one year, I can't imagine ever giving it up.
