Alvin CrossFit Turns 7 !!!

7 years ago on this date, Alvin CrossFit opened its doors to the public. In the Bible, 7 is the number of completion. The number of perfection.. but we are far from perfect and I've not yet completed what I've set out to do.

Over those 7 years we've seen hundreds of people come and go. We've seen hundreds of pounds lost, hundreds of inches lost and hundreds of lives changed. We've seen everyday people overcome prescription drugs, chronic disease, a lifetime of bad habits, BOX JUMPS and perhaps most importantly....fears.

Fears that they couldn't do CrossFit. Fears that they weren't fit enough to even start. Fears to join a group of other motivated people. Fears that they weren't good enough. Fears that they were setting the wrong example for their kids and even fears they could only share with a caring coach. And they're all better, more confident people for having given themselves a chance.

Two days ago I was reminded about one of the biggest reasons I wanted to start this gym. I love to help people. I love to see others succeed. Sure, I get something out of it too... and that's OK. It feels good to help other people and come on... this is Texas. We help each other!

Fridays can be slow days for our group classes and when that happens, I get to spend more time doing 1-on-1 coaching.. and that's usually when a member has a breakthrough.

On this particular Friday I got to help a dedicated wife and mom of 2 happy little boys (who come to the gym all the time with mom) work on her kipping pull-ups, a skill that requires both strength and coordination. This mom has been coming to the gym and building strength for a little over a year and she admittedly says she never thought she'd stick with CrossFit this long.

On this day, I said to her,

"Lynda, I'm so glad you came today cause today I'm going to teach you how to do a kipping pull-up."

The look on her face was one of those "deer in the headlights" moments. It was a look of doubt, nervousness and perhaps a little fear. But she didn't back down from the moment. She had one of her best workout buddies there for support and she had already done so many things over the last year that she never thought she could do. Her confidence had been building. I knew she was ready, even if she didn't think so.

So she corralled all those emotions and chalked up her hands. And she was met with immediate failure.

My coach's eye told me that even though she was willing to keep trying, she would have been perfectly OK to just stop and walk away. There was still doubt in her comments and fear in her eyes.

But my coach's eye had also watched her build strength and develop over the last year and I knew this was a turning point for her. One that she shouldn't walk away from. One that I COULDN'T let her walk away from. It was just too important.

So we started from the beginning. We went through a series of progressions, whereas we work on ONE component of the movement, then layer on another component, then another and another.

And then it happened. That look went from fear to FIERCE and perhaps a little bit of, "Maybe I can do this!" At that point I knew we were close. Close enough that there was no way she wasn't going to accomplish this challenge.

Moments later everything came together! As she struggled with the timing of the movement it suddenly clicked and she could FEEL the pattern of the movement... where her body needed to be during the various parts of the movement... and I could barely contain myself as she ripped off not one, but TWO buttery smooth kipping pull-ups in a row!

I cheered. Her friend cheered and another member cheered with us in unison. She had done it! She had overcome ALL those things that were holding her back. And that was probably worth more than actually doing the movement.

This is one of those powerful moments that all coaches live for. It's what encourages us to keep doing what we're doing. It shows us that people can do amazing things with a little practice, help and encouragement. It also tells us that fear is a LIAR! In the right environment, you can overcome the seemingly impossible.

We hear it all the time... just getting started is the hardest part. That 8 inches between your ears is often the hardest distance to cover when trying something new. Heck, sometimes it's the hardest distance to cover even AFTER you've been doing something for a while! The motivation to continually show up when it would be SOOOO much easier to just give up can be deafening. It can also be silenced if you'll just take that first step.

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."

Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher

I'm proud of my gym. I'm proud to be part of the Alvin community. I'm proud of our members and I'm humbled by them on the regular. I want to thank EVERYONE that has come through our doors over the last 7 years. My life is changed forever because of the time I've spent with each of you and I wouldn't trade it for anything!

Being a gym owner is no easy path. It's not even close to easy. It's THE hardest things I've ever tasked myself to do but I'm reminded of something my mom told me all the time when I was little.

"Life is a grindstone. Whether is wears you down or polishes you up depends on what you're made of."

My mom would have been an amazing CrossFitter! And she never gave up on me, so I continue to be polished by my experiences, both good and bad.

I want to encourage everyone still reading that you can do more than you ever thought possible because fear IS a LIAR!!

If you are sick and tired of being sick and tired, hit that red GET STARTED button at the top or bottom of any of our web pages to find out how we can help polish you up!

From the bottom of my heart... thank you ALL for 7 wonderful years. I look forward to another 7 years, and then 7 more after that. And I can't wait to see who we help next!

There's no reason it can't be YOU!

Coach Shannon~