L1 Certification and the Best Random Reunion EVER

On December 5th I walked into CrossFit Reston, not for a WOD but to do something that I never thought I would find myself doing, attending the CrossFit Level 1 Certification course.  I had flirted with the idea on and off, but with never any real weight to it.  Since joining Hydraulic, I found myself seeing new members doing things that could be corrected, me giving subtle pointers, support, and encouragement, and it was pretty freaking cool. 

I randomly checked Hydraulic's website and right on the front page it said, looking for coaches, email for more information.  Just out of curiosity I emailed Frank asking what the requirements would be.  He stated the at the least, all coached MUST have a L1 Certification, which at that time, I did not.  

I kinda laughed at the idea of coaching because, let's be real here, who was I to coach?  I'm not the strongest, the fastest, and I certainly are not perfect when it came to all of my lifts.  The more I attended class and helped out here and there, the more and more I thought, well maybe I COULD make some type of difference.  So I looked up to see when and where the next courses were and finally I decided to sign up.  I didn't tell anybody (besides my husband and a few close friends) that I was taking the course in case I failed and wanted to save myself the embarrassment.  

The course was AMAZING.  I left on Sunday thinking, even if I didn't pass the test, the information was awesome and I learned a ton of things that I would be applying in my every day working out.  Also because that test wasn't the cake walk I thought it would be and I was slightly nervous I wasn't going to pass.  (Spoiler Alert, I passed).  

So anyway, I walked into CF Reston super scared and nervous, not knowing what to expect and pretty much nothing could have prepared me for what happened next. 

Class started promptly at 9am which was quickly approaching.  Since I am nerdy I decided to set up camp in the front row of the class and a few minutes before class was to start, I turned around to see how many other students were in our group.  And then I saw a very petite person in a puffy winter coat and hat scooting to her seat that looked oddly familiar.  I couldn't see their face, as their back was towards me.  I waited for this person to turn around so I could see if I knew them, and out of all the people on the face of the planet, it was Trainer Molly.

When she finally settled into her seat, she saw me and we both kinda did a ??? looked.  She stood up, walked over to me and we hugged without even saying a word.  I was filled with emotion and fighting back tears.  I had so many questions for her, but 9am hit and class was starting.  

For those of you who aren't familiar with my relationship with Trainer Molly, or don't understand why seeing her at the LCert was mind blowing, here is the quickish version.  

In 2011 in PA, when we first joined CrossFit, Trainer Mike & Molly were pretty much our adoptive fitness parents.  They are the ones that got us hooked on the sport, trained us from the start and held us to the highest performance standards.  In addition to being the kindest and nicest friends a person can have. A few years later they moved to Long Island (which we visited!) then to Up State NY, and since then have been participants in the CrossFit Games and the GRID League.  So the fact that Molly lived in Up State New York and some how was sitting in the seat behind me at an LCert Course in Virginia, was just beyond unreal.

When we finally got a couple minutes to quickly chat, I asked her how the hell she wound up in this particular class.  Coachs have to get recertified every 5 years and hers was due at the end of December.  She luckily was able to squeeze into this class, using her family in Baltimore and an Anthem friend who lives in Leesburg as hotels for the course of the class.  I couldn't believe it.  

I told her how my new box has invited me to become a coach and how I was excited to do so.  I explained to her my reservations and she assured me that regardless of my doubts, I was going to change lives and it's a pretty awesome thing.  I was so happy to have her there!!

We stuck together during the certification classes and enjoyed each other's company during the lunch breaks.  It was just so cool to catch up with her.  I am forever grateful that Molly is a part of my life and even though we are on completely different ability levels, she continues to support me and encourages me.  

After the weekend, I eagerly waited to hear if I passed or failed the test and then finally I got the word!  I passed and officially hold my Crossfit Level 1 Certification and will be coaching at Crossfit Hydraulic.  2015 was full of things that I'd never imagine happening, but did.  I had another son, upgraded my full time job, and got my certification.  Very much looking forward to see what 2016 holds!