Dear Paladin
Open is almost over and it has been a blast (for the most of the time). My whole body is sore, I am still struggeling to catch my breath and I am scared for what 18.5 has to offer. But I can also look back on this past few weeks with a smile. I got a power clean PR thanks to Paladins lovely members and coaches telling me that I can do it, even though the voice in my head kept saying that it is too heavy. I got 24 pull-ups in 18.3. I got 45 hand release push-ups in 18.4. So whatever the last workout brings, I am ready to give it my all.
I had CrossFit Paladin in sight every since I decided to study abroad. It looked like a friendly box, perfect in size and only a 10 minutes bike ride from my apartment. And my first workout proved that it was even better than I imagined. It was a Saturday in August and we had a team workout with running and tire flipping. I had only been in Lubbock for a couple of days, so it is safe to say that the temperature was a bit higher than back home. But the morning classes helped me out and in the weeks to come I felt more and more like a part of the members community.
It was scary to be on my own on the other side of the world, without my family and friends. But I got new friends at Paladin and the WOD became the best part of my day. Melissa even challenged me to join the team competition Nightmare on Mac Davis, even though I had zero competition experience. The synchronized burpees and wallballs were painful, a true nightmare, but in a good way. I made friends I know that I will stay in touch with even when life takes me back home to Norway.
The coaches and the members always believe in you, even when you don’t believe in yourself. I have always struggled with pull-ups, but all of the sudden, a Monday in the beginning of November I could do a strict one. I still smile when I think of that moment! But even though PRs are motivating and something many of us try to work with every day, it is not what CrossFit is all about. At least not for me. Every WOD, every high-five, all the laughter and the friendships, that’s what this is to me. That’s why I come back, day after day, even though my body is sore and tired. The beauty of CrossFit and CrossFit Paladin, are friendly faces welcoming you with open arms, cheering you through your way to become the best version of yourself. The beauty of CrossFit is all the members and coaches who make Paladin to what it is: the best box in the States, if you ask me.
So Dear Paladin, thank you for being the best part of my day, every day!
