Solcana blog

I saw the picture and I panicked.

Up until this point I thought I had avoided it, but alas, I was suddenly faced with my biggest fear.

The Rope. 

Solcana CrossFit is now the owner of three climbing ropes. They just hang there, like a constant reminder of my past failures. OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD

Throwback to all those years of elementary and middle school gym class and constant anxiety and humiliation around the Presidential Fitness Test, the mile run, and…the rope climb. I could never do it. In fact, I’m pretty sure I even gave up trying because, hell, why bother? The rope climb trauma of my formative years is so prevalent that it manifests into stress dreams as an adult. You ever dream you are late for a class that you never go to and you can’t find the location and it’s finals and you’re naked and the only way you can get to the classroom is to CLIMB THE ROPE? No? Just me? OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD. Excuse me, I need to grab a paper bag to breathe into. BRB.

I made a conscious effort to stop looking at the WOD (workout of the day, stay with me) each day. I go anyway. I do not want to talk myself out of going and looking at what we’re going to be doing can be an excellent way of doing that. This is who I am now. In the altered words of Jeff VanVonderen “they’re gonna say the WOD, then you’re gonna do the WOD, and then we’re gonna be done.” SO I JUST SHOW UP.

Last night was another successful night in my deadlift through week 7 (I did week 6) of the Magnusson progression….new PR of 264#! Albeit exciting, my enthusiasm was overshadowed when Coach Jake started to go through the WOD that involved as many reps as possible of the following:

• 2 min rope climbs
• 2 min walking lunges (25 lbs held overhead)
• 2 min pushups

The walking lunges and the pushups I could handle. But the rope climb? Terrified. Cold sweats. Pit in stomach. Suddlenly I regressed to the insecure 4th grader, made obvious when I opted to do my rope climb very last in the progression. WHEN IN DOUBT PROCRASTINATE! Coach Jake had showed us a way to use our feet on the rope climb (did anyone else ever know the rope climb was more about legs than arms?) and Chelsea showed me another way that might be a little easier. Basically, you create a little step wtih your feet around the rope (as you can see Josh so dapperly modeling – aside from his Doc Martens – in the picture above) and YOU JUST PUSH UP FROM THERE! This concept is something I had never heard of and probably could have alleviated years of therapy if that lady who taught me gym (I can’t remember her name, I’m almost 40, give me a break) from grade 1-5 would have also just mentioned this one little, very important detail. LEGS! OF COURSE, THE LEGS!

Now, if I’m being honest here, I need to tell you that I mostly just stood at this rope, looking at it straight on, holding it in my hands. My mind just kept saying, “YOU CANNOT DO THIS. YOU CANNOT DO THIS. YOU CANNOT DO THIS.” Then the weirdest thing happened…my mouth said, “OK. I AM GOING TO TRY THIS.”

And I did.

And although it was clumsy and awkward and uncomfortable and scary and I was completely full of self doubt, I somehow managed to jump up on that rope and hold myself on it…for even a little bit of time. Let’s not get overly excited here, I mean, I didn’t move UP the rope. BUT I DIDN’T FALL OFF OF IT EITHER. I managed to realize that I can at least support myself while swinging with wild abandon like Tarzan (or really just like a sensible gal that enjoys a good romcom every now and again) and that is a positive step in the right direction.

I even said out loud, “I’m going to get this.”

And I will. I’m coming for you, rope. It’s just a matter of time.