Our journey began about a week before we needed to check in for the Games. Alex and I headed to San Diego to visit my aunt Martha, uncle Rafa, my cousins Marisa and Cristi and Luis, Marisa's boyfriend. We spent the next few days in and around San Diego, visiting gyms, catching up with old friends, meeting new friends and relaxing before the big event.
On Wednesday we met up with a new friend, Courtney - a friend of Hilary's and went to La Jolla Shores to practice ocean swimming. She was very nice and had a lot of helpful tips in regards to getting in and out of the water. She took the time to spend her morning with us and help us with swimming, we were both very appreciative of this!! It is moments like this where you are thankful for the friends in your life and the events that unfold. Thank you Courtney, Hilary and James for all your help and friendship, means so much to us!
The following day we went to CrossFit Mission Gorge, visited the owners, ran into some old friends and trained. Let's rewind real quickly: two years ago I went the Left Coast Invitational competition in August 2011 at CFMG and met a lot of people from the gym. In the competition, I hit a personal record of 165 lbs. for my Clean and Jerk that year. Being back in the gym made it feel like it was just a few months ago. It was a great experience being there, as I got to reflect on where I was two years ago and where I am now. To also see the progress within a year was amazing and it light a fire in me to stay focused on my plan. Thank you to Ian, Tami and everyone else at CFMG for letting us train there for the day. We appreciate your hospitality and look forward to returning in the future!
The next couple of days we checked out some other gyms, CrossFit Secutor, CrossFit Chula Vista and CrossFit 858. We visited with Mark from CF 858, stretched and chatting with some of the members there. It was good to talk with others and again reflect back from where I started.
My cousin Cristi introduced us to some friends of hers, Carlos, Evan and Dave - who coach and train at some of the gyms in San Diego. Evan allowed us to workout at his home gym, giving us a place to train for the afternoon. We were very thankful for his hospitality and generosity!! To Carlos, Evan and those at CF Secutor - Kyle, Dave and the others, we are very appreciative and hope to all see you again soon.
As the weekend came to a close, we made two final stops. The first was at Walnut CrossFit to meet up with owner Rob and some of the ladies and men that train there. We did some lifting and then talked with them about our training, nutrition and how everything plans a part into your life. It was great to be able to speak with others and share the information that we have learned together. Alex and I both have a passion to be able to help others and inspire others to work towards their goals, whatever they may be. This experience was amazing and we are blessed to have had this opportunity with them. Thank you Walnut CrossFit!!
The final stop was to my other aunt and uncle's house, BJ and James. We visited with them and my cousins Jenny and Austin, discussing about the upcoming events and what it would entail. We also talked about their goals and what they are doing in life. This was very refreshing as it allowed us to really see the bigger picture in life.
Spending quality time with your family, friends and important people in your life. We thoroughly enjoyed being able to sit down, have an amazing meal (thank you BJ and James) and have many conversations about a variety of topics. Yes, we had a lot going on in the next few days, but we relished the moment that we were in and stayed present. As the sun settled and the day winded down, we said our good-byes and wished one another well. A huge thank you to our family for always welcoming us in and having us over!!
As the weekend closed, we looked back at all the hard work we had done, all the fun we had this past week and got ready for the next page - the start of the CrossFit Games.
To wrap up my thoughts and words of the 'Pre-Games' it brings to mind this phrase: the calm before the storm. Something to think about before any big event or moment in your life. Take a moment to enjoy everything that you have worked for. Take the time to relish the effort you put forth, no one can take that from you, so soak it up!
~ MCA
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