I'm not gonna bullshit you, CrossFit is HARD. It's about as physically demanding as anything else you could ever be expected to do your entire life. As a matter of fact, most people will go their entire life without ever having to do anything as hard as CrossFit. Sissies.

On any given day, you'll find people at the Fort laying down breathless in their own puddles of sweat, snipping away their torn callouses, bandaging their bleeding shins and foam rolling aching muscles. You might wonder, why do you do this to yourself?

I get asked that a lot by my Mother. "Why do you do this to yourself, Jennifer?" (yes, she calls me Jennifer when she's lecturing me). It's hard to explain to people on the outside in a way that makes sense. I always start to explain the health benefits, the way I'm going to live to be 108, and the pride in doing something at a competitive level…but all I get in return is a blank stare and an eye roll.

Maybe I don't explain it well enough. Or maybe you just need to try it for a month so you know what I'm talking about. We do CrossFit not only to make our bodies faster, stronger and healthier, but also for an intangible benefit that can't be explained. The intangible lives somewhere between pride and self-esteem, and it's a little different for every member at the Fort. It goes beyond writing your score on the board, and setting a new PR…it's….something else.

Mom, I CrossFit because I like to lift heavy stuff. I like to run, sweat, lift and row until my muscles ache and my lungs burn. I like the weight of the bar on my hands when I pull it off the floor. I like the sound the jump rope makes. I like the intensity I feel the split second before I set my back and take a big breath. I like the intangible that comes with CrossFit, and it can't be explained, it has to be experienced.