Crunch Time

As much as I hate to say this, CrossFit must take a back seat to my academic aspirations this week. I have only days left to finish my senior paper and must then complete another writing project for my other class before next Wednesday. This means some late nights, early mornings, and full concentration.

I'd so much rather WOD and blog. That's way more fun. But I signed up for this and now I have to see it through to the end. The bitter, bitter end. I have grown accustomed to starting each weekday with my ACF tribe. Having to miss this morning due to lack of sleep really put a damper on my Monday. Prospects for Tuesday aren't looking much better at this point. I have to keep reminding myself that it's just for one week. I might make it in for one or two, but that's not likely.

In the beginning, I would dread each of the three days a week that I would rise at an ungodly hour and battle my own will just to make it in the door. If I crossed the threshold and found myself on the other side of the glass, standing on the concrete floor past the bumper plates and beneath the pull-up bars, I was in. No going back until I had done what I came to do.

And then something changed. My views changed. The view of them, and the view of myself. Somehow, the two meshed and I became one of "them"...we became us. I turned into one of those freaks that goes into the Pain Cave five days a week. I didn't think it could happen. And now I thank God it did. I needed them, I just didn't know it yet.

Now it's the end of November and I wonder how long I can go without buying pants to wear through a WOD. Strange, because now I would much rather buy clothes for CrossFit than for any other purpose. I invested in myself. And I see returns on the investment every day.

But I have this other investment. One year ago I made the decision to complete my college education. Not at all convenient with a full-time job and a family, but I need to finish what I started. And if it costs me a week out of the CrossFit box, it will be okay.

I just hope they miss me as much as I miss them.