CrossFit Training Certificate Course

Phew, I'm glad this weekend is over!  Today I am VERY very sore.  But also super excited because I completed my CrossFit Trainer Course this weekend and passed my test!  My instructor suggested that Marni (from my CrossFit class) and I do this course. Inevitably it helps us learn and better our own personal training.  But on top of learning things for myself, it gave me the official authority to teach what CrossFit offers.  I feel more confidence in sharing workouts with my friends and family "safely, effectively, and efficiently" as is CrossFit's claim.

Aside from passing the test, three other cool things came of attending the course:

1) I got to meet one of THE most famous women in CrossFit, Miranda Oldroyd.  She taught portions of the course. 

2) I made a small tiny appearance on CrossFit's website!  Our training group's picture is on their site's home page today with pictures of the other four training groups done across the country this weekend.  It made me feel cool for a minute or two. 

This is the picture on crossfit.com.  Our group is the third one down.

I'm in the front row, third to the last on the right.

3) And another (important) highlight of the weekend, I found a very cool little restaurant in down town Boise.  It was just down the road from the CrossFit Refinery, the gym the course took place in.  It served everything made from scratch and much of the menu was friendly to those who eat Paleo/Zone/or just try to eat healthy (me). It's called Big City Coffee Shop, but it's actually a lunch stop.  They serve soup/sandwiches/wraps/salads/and many other misc. things.  It was delicious!  I can't wait to go back again.

The course was definitely an exhausting effort for me.  Each day was filled with sitting for about an hour in seminars, then doing exercises for about an hour.  The exercises were less vigorous, but long.  The point was to perfect the movements in our selves, and to learn to help another do them correctly.  We switched back and forth from seminar to exercises from 9:00 to 5:00 for two days.  By the end of each day, every muscle in my body was good and used.  BUT.  Then, at the end of each day, there was also a WOD (workout of the day).  Day 1 was "Fran" (name of a particular popular CrossFit workout);  21 thrusters with 55 pounds, then 21 pull-ups without modification/assistance, then 15 of each, then 9 of each.  For time.  I didn't think I'd be able to do that many pull-ups with all those thrusters, but I did!  I finished in 6:35.

The second day's workout was a team effort where we rotated stations and tried to accumulate as many push-ups, kettle bell swings, and overhead lunges with medicine balls as we could.  Our team did really well.  But I have to say, they told us they'd go easy on us after the Fran workout, and this workout was still a rough challenge!  On a team, you don't want to let your team members down by taking a moment to catch your breath.  So you push yourself much harder than normal!

Finally, at the end of the second day, we did the test.  My temperature seemed to drop 20 degrees upon hearing the words, "It's time for the test".  I put my sweater on.  Still shivering, teeth clattering, I put my PARKA on.  And rattled in my chair until half way through it.  Must have been a big deal to me because I don't usually get SO nervous!

Anyway, here's Marni and I after the first day's workout- me all purple in the face as usual and her looking like she simply took a walk in the park!  (And by the way, I love this girl.  We've been through some tough workouts together!  I'm grateful to have her as a new friend.)