Last weekend, I participated in a Lex Artis competition. Just three months before this, almost exactly, I was having surgery to place a plate and screws to fix a broken wrist. I scaled many of the movements, but definitely did more of the movements than I thought I would be capable of by this time.
Overall, I’ve been learning a lot from this experience.
1) Have PATIENCE.
I don’t like waiting, I want things done yesterday, and slow progress is not my style. But it definitely became my style. Nothing good was going to come of me rushing my progress. I have been quite impressed with my ability to chill and not push myself too much. That being said, now that I’m able to do more and more, that competitive attitude and wanting to push the limits is coming back… ???? I’m not letting this lesson fall by the wayside though, I’ve caught myself a few times being more willing to wait for the right timing or work slowly through tasks to ensure quality rather than moving to quickly and just trying to get things done.
2) The body has the ability to do amazing things.
Just three months before this competition my wrist was WRECKED. Wrist opened up and hardware added. Leaving me splinted with zero movement and having more pain meds in recovery than I care to admit. But as the weeks went on, more movement came back and I started regaining daily functions (like finally washing my own hair???? ). It wasn’t until about 6-7 weeks ago that I was cleared for activity and okay with actually using it like I normally would. I started to add in the left arm to workouts again… at that time, even a 15 pound barbell was enough to put too much pressure on the joint. But now, I’m doing things that I figured would take me a good 6 months to do again; putting weight over my head, throwing things in the air and catching them, rowing, and burpees! Just a month and a half before this I wasn’t even putting any weight on the thing! This week’s win, I finally got back up on the pull up bar; practiced some strict pull ups and started working on the kipping movement again. ????
3) The mind is POWERFUL.
I’ve learned that the power of the mind is both good and bad. Three months ago I couldn’t fathom moving my wrist let alone doing pull ups again or any movements that were going to push my wrist into a forced position of flexion or extension. I thought for sure that coming back to CrossFit would be an uphill mental battle and force me to push through some sticky places. Honestly, I was slightly terrified. When I actually got back to it, I realized that it was going to take me being mentally resilient to push those thoughts aside and just move. I had to, and still have to, remind myself that my wrist is well on it’s way through the healing process with a doctor’s OK to use it in activity, I’ve been smart with my recovery by testing out movements with little to no weight before attempting anything more complex, and I’m aware of the movements and technique. It has turned into SO much more than just picking up the barbell or jumping up on the pull up bar. Everything now has a mental component and my own self-talk and thought process can make the difference in whether I even attempt a skill or not.
