I have a confession to make: becoming pregnant was not exactly part of my plan. Don’t get me wrong--we knew we probably wanted kids someday, but we were pretty comfortable with how things were at the time, and we weren’t in any hurry to make any drastic changes.

Our son, however, had his own agenda, and we’ve been marching to his drum ever since. In fact, once I got over the initial surprise of realizing my life was about to fundamentally change, I felt more than up for the challenge. I went on to enjoy a remarkably easy pregnancy, relatively uneventful birth, and easy re-entry into training, and my baby has been healthy and (mostly) happy from day one.

This post is not meant to brag or to downplay the role that luck has had in this experience. However, as they say, fortune favors the prepared, and I think there are some helpful lessons to be drawn from what has been, at least so far, a successful endeavor. I credit the following philosophies as reasons why my experience has been so largely positive.

Lesson 1: The Only Constant Is Change

Having a science teacher for a father meant learning this lesson early, but the experience of becoming pregnant drove it home in an entirely new way. The belief that you can rely on things staying the same is an illusion. And we like to think we have a lot more control over our lives than we actually do. Change is both scary and comforting; on the one hand, dealing with new and unknown situations is uncomfortable, but on the other, these uncomfortable situations won’t last forever. It cuts both ways: thank goodness the days of being a sleep-deprived new parent won’t last forever! But, it’s foolish to take health, wealth, and youth for granted--they might disappear faster than you think.

Lesson 2: Be Ready for Anything

When you accept that change is inevitable, it only makes sense to take steps to be ready for whatever comes your way. CrossFit touts the concept of being prepared for the “unknown and unknowable.” Before my pregnancy, I had adopted this philosophy, reasoning that someday I might get pregnant, and even if that didn’t happen, there would probably come a day where I wouldn’t be able to rely on a youthful metabolism and unaged joints, and it would be a lot harder to fix things at that point than it would be to adopt a proactive stance now. Taking measures to take care of myself, to prepare my body for whatever lay ahead in the future, has paid immense dividends in my pregnancy and postpartum periods.

Even the best laid plans are subject to change--often in ways you did not foresee or wish. Even if pregnancy isn’t your concern, remember that there is one change agent that impacts us all: age. Building a healthy and sustainable lifestyle is a lot easier to do the earlier you start. I would argue that you gain little by sticking your head in the sand and hoping it’ll all work out without you having to do much about it. Instead, embrace the inevitable and do what you can right now to prepare yourself for the unknown and unknowable. You’ll be glad you did.

See you out there. #developyourself

-Joy

@cfnobo

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05172020 - Rest Day

• Introducing Ashtanga

• Join us at 12 pm with May and Madison. Click here to join

• Mobility

• 4min couch stretch(r/l)

• Accumulate 16min in a deep squat

• 2min lateral hip opener(r/l)

• :05 contract/:10 relax

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