it has been 10 days since i returned from the GYM JONES level 3 seminar. i have been chewing on it. digesting information. evaluating. there were many, many, lessons.
the first lesson came early. during the warmup for the 1st workout, doing narrow grip overhead squats i pinched something in my shoulder. my forearm and hand went numb, and now it was time to work – OHS @ 95# and ring pushups. 30 – 20 – 10 needless to say, i did terrible.
it would be easy to blame my terrible time on a slight injury, but why did i end up pinching a nerve in my shoulder? well – i have been working on correcting a known shoulder imbalance for the last 6 months to a year, but apparently not hard enough. working at that gym, with that caliber of individuals, i pushed myself further than i do on my own. i have been doing narrow grip overhead squats, but not that narrow, not that deep….
confidence is like patience. it is not bestowed but earned – bit by bit, moment by moment, and conflict by conflict.
i did not have the confidence to hold back or did not put in the hours to solve the problem beforehand. either way, i am the only one to blame. this is not upsetting but empowering, because if it was my fuck up than it is in my power to correct. i am smarter now than i was then, i have more experience, and am aware of another of my pitfalls.
not all lessons exacted that kind of toll. we did the obligatory “minute all out” on the airdyne, and while i have spent some time in hard short intervals, the 20 calorie jump in my score since the level 2 seminar has its roots in more than simple fitness. there was a lot of hard work done, some hard information digested. some rough moments of self reflection, and a whole lot of ice.
we assign value in our lives. time is valuable because it is irreplaceable. i am crossfit certified. it took a weekend and $1000. i am ACE certified. it was a $200 test at a local driving school. these things were steps. they had the emotional content of getting my drivers license renewed. my time in SLC has weight. it takes time and thought and self examination. it is a hard look into a mirror and a willful choice to be one of the smallest fishes in a very deep pond. i am honored to have the chance to work with such people. there is a level of integrity, of commitment that is exceedingly rare in today’s culture. in a world filled with weekend certifications and experts by mail, the focus and demands required by the individuals who make up GYM JONES truly set a new standard. or perhaps a simply re-instituting an old one.
“show up, ask questions, don’t quit” – MFT
amen.
integrity. habit. doing the right thing, alone and unwatched. un-congratulated. over and over.
it can hurt, realizing you are not where you want to be. where you aught to be. but in accepting that fact a path begins to form. the way to achieve your goals. but you must first ask hard questions, and listen to the answers.
also, i must extend the deepest of thanks to Rob MacDonald, your care and dedication are truly exemplary. as well as the rest of the attendees, i could not ask to be associated with a better group of people.
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