My. Legs. Are. Sore.

Specifically my glutes. It hurts to sit. Hurts to walk. I have to hobble like Frankenstein. It’s the classic soreness you get after you haven’t worked those muscles for some time.

With the marathon behind me I’ve been getting back to classic CrossFit workouts and strength training.

Boy, do I feel like a beginner again.

Weights that were easy now feel like a struggle. Movements that came naturally now have to be slowly retraced and rehearsed. This is one of the more frustrating positions to be in, because I know what I’m capable of, just at this moment I need to work my way back up to that ability. There’s a lot of scaling weights and movements to levels I may have been at a year or two ago, as I focus on perfecting the mechanics of the movement while working back to where I was.

While this can be frustrating and discouraging, it’s great because it puts me back in a beginner’s mind. The soreness I feel now is what most people starting will feel. And it can be off-putting. It’s a great reminder as I work with new members on how they may be feeling and where they’re coming from, so I can better help them stick around and reach their goals.

And as for my own struggles, I just have to remember that with consistency I’ll get back to where I was and beyond.