Currently, my fitness includes CrossFit, yoga and running a
monthly 5k. I’m not especially hardcore at any of those. I do these
things because I enjoy them. Recently,
someone referred to me as an “athlete” and that proved to be a game
changer. I’ve always admired athletes, but never thought of myself as
one. So, I looked up the definition, in case they changed it.
Athlete: A person possessing the natural or
acquired traits, such as strength, agility, and endurance that are necessary
for physical exercise or sports, especially those performed in competitive
contexts.*
In sum,
athletes have skills and apply them to physical activity and competitive
events. The definition
doesn’t say anything about being hardcore or winning, which I guess I have
subconsciously assumed. Interesting- I do meet the definition of an
athlete!?!?! Still, I don’t
feel like an athlete, because my participation in multiple physical activities
was not intentional. However,
with my new mindset of what an athlete is, I have plans of athletic intent:
- I signed up for the NorCal Tour de FIT Series, which is a series of 10 races. After you complete the first 5 you get half and medal. When you complete the remaining 5, you get the other interlocking half of the medal. Race bling! The Tour de Fit is part of my overall goal to do 13 races in 2013.
- I am a registered competitor in the 2013 Reebok CrossFit Games Open. The Open is 5 workouts, over 5 weeks. The workouts are announced weekly on Wednesdays and you have til that Sunday to complete them.
Athletes
participate in events that test their skills and themselves. It is a combination of courage
and intent that transforms a person interested in fitness into an
“athlete.” My personal
challenge is to endeavor in these competitive events without attachment to
outcome. Defining success
as completion rather than “winning”. Then
I can say without hesitation, “I am an athlete.”
NorCal Tour de FIT Series: http://changeofpace.com/tour-de-fit/
***This post is dedicated to Nikki M. for calling me the A-word!***
No comments:
Post a Comment