Serin Cur

What were you doing before CrossFit?

Though I was once athletic (surprise!), after high school, through college, and up until recently I wasn’t doing much. I was able to endlessly eat and not gain any weight so I didn’t make fitness a priority. After my metabolism took a dive (I swear it happened overnight), I started doing Orange Theory Fitness for a few months but didn’t see any noteworthy results and ended up injured so I took several months off contemplating my next fitness move, adjusting my diet, and researching my options (read: Googling while watching the Real Housewives).

Why did you start doing CrossFit?

While contemplating my next fitness endeavor I came across a LivingSocial for CrossFit SISU and thought why not give it a try? I knew of many individuals who lived for CrossFit and I wanted to see it for myself. I also came to the realization that I had way too many clothes that didn’t fit me anymore (depressing) and I needed to fix that before it was too late and I had to surrender to the horror of buying a bigger size forevermore.

What apprehensions did you have before starting?

I had a million apprehensions. First and foremost, when I was working for the Air Force several of my military counterparts swore up and down by CrossFit and their fervor for CF was frightening. Being that I have a penchant for comfort and a severe distaste for voluntary discomfort, I was not sure CF was for me. I was afraid I would quickly succumb to injury and again be couch bound, I was hesitant to showcase my lacking state of athleticism, and I just wasn’t sure if I could hack it.

I remember walking into CrossFit SISU for my first intro session and immediately questioning what I had signed myself up for. I came back to work the next day and declared to my coworkers that CrossFit just wasn’t for me but I went back to my second and third intro session out of principle. By the third session I was about to call it quits, pack it in, and see if I could gift my LivingSocial away to my brother (Eren), who seemed to be a natural and picked it all up right away. I was embarrassingly awful but decided to stick it out for the trial. My brother told me I just had to get 1% better every day and in 100 days I would be much better- a notion I initially scoffed at (who has that kind of time?) but now have embraced.

What made you decide to come to CrossFit SISU?

Ultimately I decided to go all in and hope that I could figure it out. I kept seeing the SISU shirts that read “unsuck yourself” and joked to my brother that that was my motto. I remember saying to Jason (Johnson) while struggling to get my foot into the band for pull ups “I am so dumb at this (CF) but I promise I am not dumb at everything else” and he said “you’re not dumb you’re just new” which resonated with me as I am the kind of person who starts something and immediately expects to be great at it and then becomes disenchanted upon realizing that it is not possible to be an expert after five minutes. I had to be comfortable with sucking, embrace it, and be okay with the fact that I might just be the worst one in class, every class for the foreseeable future and that I would accept a new challenge each day.

Now, only a month in, I look forward to CrossFit and find myself wishing on the days that there is no Level 1 class that I could get a WOD in. A month ago I couldn’t have imagined that I would be thinking this way- especially after discovering that I am shockingly uncoordinated, out of shape (fixing this!), and lacking mobility- but I enjoy the struggle and am getting used to being comfortable with being uncomfortable. That post-WOD workout high hurts so good and I know I couldn’t get that anywhere else, particularly left to my own devices in a globo gym.

What’s the greatest benefit you see so far since starting CrossFit and SISU?

Physically, I find it amazing how much stronger I feel today relative to how I felt on the first day-  I still have a long way to go but it’s encouraging to see how quickly the results have come. It’s been a humbling experience and challenging not only physically, but mentally. I can’t fake the funk and will myself to be the best at CF, I can only keep trying and take solace in the fact that I can only get better.

The coaches have been encouraging and understanding of my need to scale the workouts and work my way up. On top of that, the camaraderie at CrossFit SISU is top notch and the environment serves to motivate. It has been great to meet all kinds of new people and learn new things. I have fun while I am there and look forward to going back and that is one of the greatest benefits of all.