I can’t do Friday Night Lights this year because….
You could fill in the blank with anything. It’s easy to come up with excuses and to feel down on ourselves because we don’t feel “competitive.”
Last year I did Friday Night Lights. I came in last. Dead last. And I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Last year I was due to have a baby on March 1st. I looked like I had swallowed a watermelon. I was uncomfortable. I was tired. I knew I wasn’t going to beat anyone. I knew I wasn’t going to get any PRs. I knew I was going to look ridiculous. But I did it anyway.
I did it to prove to myself that I could. I did it because my little girl was watching. I did it because every time I move even if I’m not becoming stronger, even if I’m having setbacks and being able to do less, I’m still stronger than if I did nothing instead. And most importantly, I did it because it was still really fun!
I had the baby on a Sunday evening after the second week, and I still came to Friday Night Lights every Friday after to support the other athletes. Friday Night Lights isn’t just one workout a week. It’s a Friday night activity. It’s a sporting event/night out with friends. It’s a chance to feel like you’re back in high school on your sports team heading into the playoffs.
…Or if you’re like me it’s nothing like that at all because you weren’t in a lot of sports in high school. I always considered myself unathletic. But now, doing CrossFit has made me feel strong, and it has made me get a lot stronger. Friday Night Lights is a chance to use that strength in a competitive but fun environment.
Friday Night Lights is a chance to prove to yourself what you can do and how far you’ve come. It’s a chance to compete against yourself. It’s a time to beat your past self’s ass. And if you can’t do that…it’s still a chance to beat the version of yourself that was sitting on the couch instead of coming to the gym all those times, because you are definitely kicking that person’s ass.
I think I’m probably going to do better this year than I did last year, but even if I thought I’d do worse, you would still see me there every Friday night.
See you Friday!
Phoebe Balentyne