Community is ingrained into our daily lives. The size of that community can range from your household to the global community of which we are all a part. The more you feel a part of your community, the more you invest into that community. You develop a sense of pride and work to grow and better your community. Having a sense of community can also lead to accountability, increased productivity, and satisfaction; however, when that sense of community is lost, one can become stagnant in their position and lose motivation to perform. This concept is applicable to your family, workplace, and to your training.
Crossfit
As athletes, it can be easy to fall into the same routine with your training. Routine and consistency are great. The same ol’ same ol’, however, could lead to burn out or the desire to walk away from your chosen sport for a couple months. Developing a sense of community can help to avoid this kind of burnout.
November Project Indianapolis
Three different groups that have helped me to appreciate community are Crossfit, November Project, and Hills for Dinner. At the core of these groups are the development of a strong sense of community. Yes, you show up for a workout, but the driving force getting you out the door are the people at the workout. Whether it is a hero wod at Crossfit or race day at November Project, the people that make up these communities are always happy to see you and will cheer you on through your last rep. As a newbie, these groups can be intimidating as you walk into a group of complete strangers. However, by the end of your first workout, those strangers start to become your friends. You develop a sense of comradery with these complete strangers that are cheering you on as your finish your workout. Eventually, these are the same people motivating you to get out the door and keep you accountable to just show up. These groups are great at making you feel invested in the community, which in turn, helps to motivate you to continue to attend the workouts and keeps you motivated with your own training plan.
Hills for Dinner
Becoming involved in one of these communities is a great way to break up the monotony of your training plan. For me, these are the workouts I look forward to the most in my training weeks.