I am training for an August MudRun with some friends.  It’s been years since I have played competitive sports and years since I’ve considered myself fit.  I began running on a regular basis last fall and ran my first 5k in over two decades this past February.  Races keep me motivated, as do running buddies.  So to a MudRun we soon shall go.

The running portion I’m not too concerned about.  Sure, my pace will be pathetically slow, but I can gut out some miles, even if it is an ugly show.  However a MudRun is more than just running.  It contains obstacles.

Obstacles are tons of fun.  We will be a group of 4 grown women crawling in the mud, over the mud, and through the mud.

As a soccer player, I excel in lower body strength and have decent core strength.  But, as a soccer player, and as a person with PS, I lack in upper body strength.  I’ve always enjoyed a good workout and did what was necessary to have some sort of upper body strength for soccer, but because of my limited grip and because of missing muscles on my right side, I’ve long shied away from intense arm workouts.

So as this race approaches, I know that I would do well to add some upper body workouts.  Ropes and walls are in the near future, and as things are now, I will make quite a fool of myself trying to tackle those obstacles unless I do something about it.

Which brings me to one of my favorite subsets of people.  Fitness folk.

I’ve been a member of a number of gyms.  I have had personal trainers and team trainers who have focused on the weight room workouts.  As much as I hate my hand being an issue, of all the groups of people, fitness folk are generally awesome.

When there is a fitness professional tasked with training me they see my hand as a challenge that brings some excitement to their job.  What kind of equipment tweaks will need to be made?  What exercises can be adapted to get the desired results despite the lack of grip?  How can we work with what we have in order to reach the goals set before us?

I was reminded of this today as I sat and googled the gyms in my area.

My best bet for increasing arm strength between now and August will likely be joining a gym.  I don’t have the equipment to do much upper body work and I will have many more options at a facility designed for workouts.  And if I’m going to pay to workout, I might as well do something that will give me an intense workout!  So I searched out the CrossFit gyms in my area.

CrossFit will indeed get me in shape.  Many of the exercises I’d be able to do without much adaptation.  But many would require much adaptation.  Am I up for the challenge? Not just the challenge of exercise, but the challenge of having my hand on display?  The challenge of having my hand “be an issue?”  The challenge of waking up each day and voluntarily choosing an activity that will require mental exertion alongside extra physical exertion as I seek creative ways to accomplish the exercises given?

Most every fitness professional I’ve ever worked with has been up for the challenge…but am I?