I grew up in the late 90's when Nsync's popularity was at its peak and admitting you were a fan drew immediate judgement from your peers.  So I was one of those kids who was quick with the boyband putdowns in public, but knew the Bye Bye Bye choreography in private.  Which brings me to Crossfit.  I've been doing Crossfit for 3 years now, period.  I added the period because for the entire 3 years, I've always felt the need to qualify the statement "I do Crossfit" with snark.

The truth is, I've loved it.  The time I used to spend rewinding VHS recordings of boyband choreography is now spent on youtube reviewing Olympic lifts.  I love the strength and conditioning wormhole it's led me down and I thank it for influencing my life in such a positive way, especially since I've joined the EPIC team. 

When I first joined the EPIC tribe last April, Katie & Taylor invited me to participate with the entire team in a 10K / 30K trail run. I'd never run 10K in my life.  On a team full of endurance beasts who have completed ultramarathons, this 10K was a nap they could do in their crocs. For me, it was a chance to make the ultimate first impression: curled up in a ball in the medic tent, screaming for my cramping calves to be amputated, but never given to an organ donor since they were clearly of poor quality.

In reality, I finished the 10K, felt great, and retained the use of my calves!  I 100% attribute that to the training at my CF gym. Which brings me to my next point.  As enamored as I've grown with Crossfit inside the walls of the gym, I'm most grateful for its impact on my life outside the gym.  Whether it was my first 10K with the EPIC team or my most EPIC adventure (paddling 30 miles through the Boundary Waters), all the work I've done inside the gym has really fueled my experiences outside of it.   

In the final 10 seconds before a Crossfit workout begins, I always get a little ball of anxiety in the pit of my stomach.  Three years ago, the anxiety was from the unknown; today its because I know what's coming.  I know I'm going to push myself and it's going to get uncomfortable, but those seconds of anxiety are something I live to recreate in my life outside the gym.  It's why I love hiking elevation as high as I can go, it's why I love snowboarding blue's when I should really be on green's, its why I agree to experiences that make me a little scared, a little anxious.  Because I know that seconds after that feeling, comes the workout, comes the experience, comes the adventure.  As we like to say here at EPIC, run into the storm!  My goal inside the gym isn't finishing first or being the ultimate exerciser, my goal is embracing 'the suck' so that my adventures outside of the gym remain calf-transplant free.

All that Nsync choreography in my living room never helped me on the dance floor, but all the Crossfit in the gym has truly fueled my adventures outside of it.  So there it is folks, Crossfit > Nsync.  Glad I could settle the debate once and for all.

Stay tuned for Eric's experience participating in the 2016 Crossfit Open.  There may or may not be a GoFundMe for new calves after all.