A habit, in which I haven’t reflected upon once in my relationship with my husband, has been subtly present in a big way since the beginning of our sweaty-palmed-and-awkward-first-kiss relationship. I recently was asked “what is it like to work out with your partner?” Seeing as this isn’t very arduous nor should the answer be too ornate, I figured I could bust this out in a matter of an hour. It’s been two weeks. Day 9 and this is as far as I’ve gotten. So, like most things that frustrate me (like the grocery store) I made a list. Then, unlike my grocery list, I organized it into some budding and immature looking outline. Rehearsed it to myself, trying to find main points and captivating information within the content. And threw it away. Now I am writing this, hoping that I can accurately tell you just how amazing it really is (already using poor grammar…”amazing?” a cannoli is “amazing”...) to work out with my husband, Gavin.
Gavin is an aristocrat that contributes principle to my life:
- He is humbling.
- He is also an incredible athlete. (AKA competitive)
- I like to beat him. (which I do….at body weight things)
- He challenges most everything I say or think.
- He makes me feel incredibly confident about myself and question my purpose in life, all in the same simple sentence.
These are attributes of a WOD:
- WOD’s are humbling.
- They are incredibly challenging.
- I like beating them.
- They challenge my thoughts.
- They make me incredibly confident and question my purpose in life all in the same WOD.
I like combining CrossFit and my relationship with Gavin because doing CrossFit was the first time that Gavin saw me be truly vulnerable in our relationship. Our first workout (a few days before our first date) I was tomato-faced, dry-heaving, sweat drenched and tired. I was finally weak, tired, and felt inadequate in front of him. Insecurity flooded my thoughts and he met me with nothing but kindness and encouragement. Fast-forward 2 years and I’m pursuing a very intentional path in CrossFit; helping Gavin program and phase his workouts, coaching him through some of the more difficult tasks or movements and getting him through his goals.
Our journey to make fitness a lifestyle set off our relationship in a bond that involved much more companionship than it did just “appeal.” That’s not to say that if either of us got sick or hurt that we would leave the other in the dust or our relationship would crumble. More so, we both see what exercise, eating well and pursuing our “best selves” has done to each of us on an emotional, physical and psychological scale. Having a partner as intimate and invested in my life and well-being as Gavin has kept me true to my performance and principles, and offers a level of encouragement that comes from being a partner and a trustworthy coach in this journey that sometimes “sucks really, really badly.”
Sometimes I feel like we are “that couple.” We get all suited up in our knee sleeves and belts and wodies or whatever they’re called. We always have a propane tank of a water bottle, we time our meals perfectly according to our WOD times. We do too long of warm ups sometimes in preparation for about an hour of our time. We make the homemade protein bars that have the macros calculated out of them. We get weirdly disciplined about our sleep sometimes and commonly talk about how much we need to mobilize. Ultimately, it comes from having passion. Before you go agreeing and pointing fingers, I know many of you are weird like this too! If you’re alone, I applaud you, because being “CrossFit weird” is ten times easier when you have the social support of a partner or husband.
If working out with your partner has taught me anything, it’s to accept challenges in my marriage and not cower at the endless possibilities of catastrophe. Working out with Gavin has taught me to appreciate the growing pains and to know that they will make you better versions of what you already have or already are today.
-Coach Lindsey Guard
Lindsey and Gavin will be moving away next month to start new adventures outside the Walla Walla Valley. The DCF coaches and members will miss them, their spirit, and their contributions to our box greatly. We wish them the best of luck, and if you'd like to follow them on their journey, be sure to follow their blog, On Guard.
