Monica Greenhalgh

After having my 3rd child, I felt like my time to dedicate to myself and my health was put on hold.  Both from working full-time, parenting full-time, and just plain lack of motivation to work on myself first.  Fast forward 13 years, where I lead what I felt like was an active lifestyle, camping, hiking, outdoors stuff, but looking back I was really only a weekend warrior.  The pounds crept on, the eating became unhealthy due to convenience and things that used to be easy for me, started to become very difficult in terms of hiking, and things that required exertion.  The stress elevated at work and at home.

Even with that realization, it took my son asking me to go with him and his brother on a 90+ mile hike in Northern New Mexico with altitude, to finally make me realize that if I kept going the way I was going, I would end up not able to even do the basics as I got older.   I certainly could not hike 90+ miles in the mountains.  I needed a plan.  I needed a group that would motivate me even when I lacked motivation.  I needed something that did not feel like a gym and had an outdoor component.  And I only had a year to get ready.  A year to “reverse” 13+ years of a lot of bad choices when it came to my health and fitness.

I was always interested in the idea of CrossFit.  It seemed not like a gym, but with weights.  So, I called CrossFit Round Rock and talked to Kali.  I told her what I was wanting to do, and she said she could help, that CFRR could help.  So, I signed up.  I finished one-on-one Fundamentals and started class.  After a few months, Kali and I decided that weekly coaching focusing on my goal to climb a mountain would help me reach that goal.  Long story short, I survived CrossFit, I survived 1-1 PT with Kali, and I survived my trek.  110 miles, 12,500 ft of elevation (twice), 10 days of no shower carrying a 40lb pack.  My sons were proud of me and told me, but most important, I was proud of myself.  

What I like to say now is that I can make that trek again and I don’t have to train a year to do it.  Could I get stronger? yes. (damn you pull ups)  Could I lose more weight? hell yes.  But, I also know that I am doing what I need to do for the long haul.  It took me 13+ years to get out of shape, I can give myself some time to get back in it.  I also backed off a little from last year.  I needed some more recovery, a mental health reset, and my body was telling me to slow down.  What I like the most about CrossFit and in particular CFRR, is that you can adjust your plan, your goals, your intensity, and still have a community of people beside you to support you.  As I write this, I asked myself, “was I REBORN?”  Yes, I believe so.