The Best Exercise...

It's the one that you'll do.

Ten years ago, I would never have believed that I would be the kind of person who wakes up at 4:30 in the morning so that she can have just enough time to get dressed, have a bite to eat and walk to Crossfit for a 5 am workout.

I'm not sure I would have believed it five years ago.

But that's what I'm doing. And I like it.

Not the getting up early part. I hate hearing the beep of the alarm and being wrested from sleep. I don't like making myself get up when all I want to do is snuggle hard under the covers and snatch another hour of sleep. But I love the feeling I have by 6 am. And, often, I love the workouts. Not always - I have my nemeses at Crossfit, especially wall balls and that air bike, but I really like lifting. I like getting the techniques down better and better, being able to life heavier and faster.

And I can do pull ups now. Not just one, here and there, but multiples with consistency.

The exercise that I do seems crazy to a lot of people. I know it would have seemed crazy to me all those years ago. But I do it. I get up super early and I throw myself against the challenge of the day's workout and it makes me feel good.

I run to keep my legs in shape for backpacking, but it's harder to get myself running than it is to go to Crossfit. I've got excuses, of course. I'm a slow runner. My shoes are wearing out. But the excuses fade away when it comes to Crossfit. Sure, I'm not the strongest, the fastest, the best at any movement, but I love trying new things and getting better. I love participating in the Crossfit Open, seeing my ranking near the bottom of the women's scaled - but not at the bottom, because I'm completing the workouts.

I've found the work that I want to do with my body, and I no longer lack for motivation.