One tells me that I am 37 today. I can get this one out of the way pretty quick. It's been a crazy ride so far and I expect nothing less as I move on down the road. I regret nothing and am VERY aware of how blessed I am. If the me of today had to do battle with the me from anytime in my life previously....the me of today would destroy old me, or is it previous me. Makes no never mind, plus I laugh every time I picture this....I will require that the me of today, the very best me ever, will stand no chance against the me of tomorrow!!
That is where we should all require ourselves to be.
The other Birthday is my CrossFit Birthday.
Today I turn two. This is the one I am most excited about. Two means that I am just a little guy when it comes to CrossFit, and just like any other second Birthday there is an awful lot to celebrate. So much happens in the infancy of things.
My baseline certainly lent itself to success. I turned 35 and was 30% body fat at 235lbs. Worse to boot I could not run 200 meters, I wouldn't stop moving, but there was no fucking way I could run. Ask Mercedes if she remembers passing me time and time again. Perhaps Landon would remember walking out towards Hester's Crossing to make sure I was still alive. The very little I could do I couldn't do for very long.
Hooked!! Hooked on training that would require me to become comfortable being uncomfortable every single time I step in the box, forever. LOVE IT.
Hooked on the people, community, FAMILY!! If you are CrossFittin your little heart out and this part isn't by far the biggest reward CrossFit has bestowed upon you, you are either
A. An asshole or
B. Lying about trying or "doing"
CrossFit.
I have shared more of myself with my fellow athletes in my two years than I have with people I have known my entire life. That being said, CrossFit has strengthened my relationships with my sister (the one who started it all ALLICHOO!!) and my beautiful wife Molly a true inspiration to watch work. I have a family of people that I have met because of CrossFit that are my most treasured friends, biggest inspiration, and a family that I love so much that I would do anything to protect along with work my ass off hoping to never disappoint.
You will see anything and everything you would ever need to know about someone and who they really are demonstrated in one WOD. Don't believe me, take me to task....I dare you and double dog dare you. If you win I will get a tattoo of the character of your choice swinging a kettle bell ( we will see who is reading now).
So today at two I am amazed at how far I have come and the fire within to become better grows hotter every day. There is no ceiling to the possibilities. I can do anything that I am willing to work my fucking ass off to take! That is right, TAKE, life doesn't just hand out the shit that matters and is worthwhile. We will have to take it!! No excuses, do the work. (Picture Rocky training for Ivan Drago Rocky IIII and you will NEVER lose, little known fact proven by science)
I am most thankful for the relationships that I have formed through CrossFit and especially for the ones strengthened because of it.
There are two people in particular that I owe it all. If it were not for the two of you I would still be drinking 80oz. Of Diet Coke (at least) and eating two packages of zingers (yellow frosting) for breakfast every day while thinking that maybe next week I will get my ass back in the gym....yuck gym...... How horribly boring does that sounds.
So to my sister Allison Stanley, I love and owe all this to you first and foremost. Had you not made me try it out we would never be where we are today ALLIFUCKINGCHOO!!! You are a mother F'ing pimp!!!
Mark Manning. If you don't know Mark you are missing out (and have heard me tell Mark stories anyway), if you do, you know exactly what I am talking about. You lit the fire sir and I WILL FOREVER BE YOUR BIGGEST FAN. Brother you are the embodiment of what any and every coach could and should dream to be. You sir got me stoked, you sir inspired me to want to become a coach, and anyone who has ever taken a Mark Manning class would agree that you sir are in a class above all others reserved for you and you alone. PERIOD.
To all of my family. I know this and am reminded of it today as I see my Birthday well wishes. With the literal exception of four, every friend I have on Facebook is one I have made through CrossFit. Each and every one of you have had a tremendous and positive impact on my life and at the drop of a hat I could share how that is with you or anyone else in this world, and at the drop of a hat if you needed something I would line up to help out. We may not always agree, but I will always love you as family and be honored to call you my friend. I could not imagine a group I would rather surround myself with. Thank you for pushing me to be a better me so I can destroy the old/previous me when we do battle in my head movies!!!
Yep, that just happened, that is me on the eve on my CrossFit birth. Now once you are done wiping the throw up off your chin, cleaning up the drink that shot out of your mouth/nose, and or laughing your ass off....know this, if I can have success in anything, Anybody can, I have not been blessed with much in the way of natural ability and because of that I am walking talking proof that if you are willing to do the work...it will pay off.
P.S. I LOVE this picture. Soak it in, plus that is one sweet stache. Also it is a reminder that MY WIFE REALLY DOES LOVE ME.
