Eating a lot of pizza will require some responsiblity on my part to maintain proper health.

This morning, I made myself wake up at 5:30am. I’ve failed to do so the previous three days. Why rise before the sun does, you say? For quite some time I’ve wanted to check out a Crossfit gym. I can only squeeze in time before work, and this gym was the closest. Too bad the 6am timeslot gives me morning headache. So I leave at 5:45am and end up arriving at a stark warehouse with a single car, and two cop cars parked near the entrance. I feel like I could be barging into the middle of some drug deal bust, but then I do see the Crossfit sign. Relief. Inside I discover the warehouse has been retro-fitted with an open workout space. Nice.

First thing I notice is two thick climbing ropes that fly above your head 25 feet. To the left, something that looks like a jungle gym. Three giant rubber tires. Olympic weights are lined up against the far wall. To my right a padded area with four sets of gymnast rings. Medicine balls and kettle balls. Two whiteboards with a list of workouts. And color on the walls – murals of sculpted figures and graffiti-like art.

I’m the first one there and I meet the morning Crossfit instructor, J. I’m still sleepy, but I manage to bring up my energy level and engage in pleasant conversation. J shows me around the gym, and a few more minutes pass. Looks like I’m the only one who showed up this Thursday morning. Basically, personal training today…and the first session is free, sweet!!!

J is a fit gal. She wears glasses and tells me she’s a librarian, as well. Fitness and intellect, I dig. We do some warmups, lunges of sorts. The balance I gained from the few months longboarding last year helped. I move on to the timed workout, and J tells me to do the following as fast as I can:

Row 500m

40 squats

30 situps

20 swings of 8lb kettleball

10 pushups

Looking at the list now, it looks pretty easy. But I was out of breath by the time I stood up from the last pushup, completing the workout in 10 minutes. J was great at keeping me on pace and motivated.

We do post-workout stretches and chat a bit. Of course I somehow mention pizza in there, then boom. J and I start sharing our favorite pizza places here in Austin. She mentions Conan’s, Niki’s, Rounder’s, and new small national chain restaurant zpizza that opened up on 2nd street. I mention Salvation pizza and Mandola’s pizza, at which she commented on the prosciutto and arugula pizza being delicious. J tells me about her favorite pizzeria in New York that was owned by a man from Naples, Italy (the city synonymous with pizza). She describes how the pizza  Margherita with the buffalo mozzeralla tasted just like the one she had on the other side of the globe. I smile and got just a litle hungry, hah.

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Overall, this was a great way to start the day. I step outside, and it’s light out (though cloudy). I’m a little sore at the thighs, but feel refreshed. I feel good. I’m pretty sure I’ll stick with the Crossfit training, I just have to bear with excessive grogginess at 5:30am.

From pizza to muscle, friends. It can be done :D

[Photos in this post are used under the Creative Commons from the following: mikebaird and amber in norfolk]