I was last..... Yeah but you finished.

A simple exchange..... A complex subject.

This little nugget of note came at the end of last Monday's Praxis workout with a beginning strength component of 1 rep max Dumbbell Incline Presses followed by 4 rounds of:

• 400m run
• 60' of Heavy lunges with 45# dumbbells
• 7 chest to bar pullups
• 6 one arm (3 each arm) dumbbell presses with 75# (I could only muster 65s)

I was in a group of 4 where the first 3 finished this little WOD in the 11 - 12 minute range and I was digging deep to breathe and keep moving and finish in like 18 minutes.

It was a disappointing, discouraging and humbling finish that left me sitting on a bench head hanging low, sweat dripping from the end of my nose and that caved in feeling in my lungs that only comes from digging deep.

"Good job William" came from the workout tally board as Mark the class instructor noted the time.

"Yeah..... but I was the slowest person on the board".

"But you finished".

And in those 3 words I found some comfort, some redemption and some sense of comradery in a community of individuals that is set apart from the mainstream of physical and mental constraints the world embraces us with on a daily basis.

Migrating to a zone of physical and mental challenge represented by these type of short but intense workouts has been a Movement of Choice but more importantly a Movement of Body and Mind.

It's interesting to look at the other people in these workouts.... a cross section of gender, race, body type, age, vocation and interests......

With one commonality.

A single minded determination and purpose to FINISH.

DNF - Did Not Finish - is a note I have rarely seen - maybe 3 or 4 times - on any CrossFit style workout board  in the 18 months I have been associated with this style of workout.

This is not a 2% club..... it is a 0.2% club.

Oh I know there are probably tougher workouts around..... for Professional athletes maybe.

But for the general population, this is about as tough as it gets.

The Weak of Mind, Body and Soul come to these workouts..... a few times.... and then they go..... exiting with a mumble of something about those crazy people.

What remains is a different population.

That's why you don't see very many 50+ people in these workouts.  The Will to Challenge themselves to these Lung Busting, Train at the Edge of Failure, I'll be damned if I'll quit type of workouts is just beyond their Sense and Sensibilities of what Life is all about.

Count me out of that Consensus Thinking.

As long as I can, I will walk and train the narrow and rocky path tred by the few who wear the badge of Self Discipline, Courage and the Will to Finish.

www.thepraxislab.com