Boy, sure is hot and humid here in Minnesota.  We’re not used to the 95 degrees and 70% humidity.  We (not me actually) like it when it’s 10 below and snowing.  However, just because the weather isn’t perfect for training, doesn’t mean you should fear it. 

Weights, gravity, lung capacity, stamina – they’re all things we battle when we do CrossFit WODs.  So are the elements.  Heat, cold, rain, snow, sun, wind – they also make us work harder.  But that’s a good thing.  That’s what CrossFit is all about.  It’s about being prepared for life.  Life isn’t / shouldn’t be about working out in perfect conditions – it’s about dealing with adversity, fighting through the  tough spots and coming out ahead.  Which is most likely why cops, firefighters, military personnel love CrossFit – it prepares them for the challenges they face in their everyday life and jobs. 

Remember the motto on our shirts “What’s your excuse ?”  We, as a CrossFit gym / community, agreed that people will make any excuse to not workout.  We are not that.  We revel in the fact that it may be hot, it may be cold, it may be raining.  We are a garage gym – we use chalk, we swear and yell, we drop stuff… we are tough.  And part of toughness is dealing with crap and taking care of business. 

Here’s my opinion – if our men and women of our armed forces can do CrossFit in less than ideal situations – Iraq, Afghanistan, etc, with minimal equipment, in the cold and heat, under constant threat of being attacked, surely we can work out in our little gym, regardless of the conditions.  We become stronger when we overcome the obstacles that stand in our way. 

 We display more heart and soul when we push ourselves to our limits, and then return for more.  We do CrossFit because we want to not because we have to.  It takes a special person to do what we do – and part of that is dealing with conditions we can’t control.  Like real life.  So embrace the suck – love the heat, the cold, the rain and snow – they are what make us tougher.

If you do CrossFit, in my opinion, you are or are becoming an elite athlete.  Elite athletes do not let the outside world influence the outcome of their performance.  It’s a mental toughness – they don’t blame the heat, wind, rain, or snow for their performance – they don’t focus on that.  They focus on completing the task at hand, to the best of their ability.  That’s what we do as well. 

There are no excuses.