The Real Meaning of Community (Guest Author: Mollie Christiansen)

In CrossFit, we talk a lot about community.  Despite what many people might think, that is the foundation of this new sport.  People coming together from all walks of life, with different skills, experiences, strengths, and weaknesses.  People joining together to push themselves to their limit, and therefore grow, together.  A similar statement could be made about the military community:  it’s communal suffering, mutual understanding of experiences, often called “the biggest Fraternity in the world.”

Logan and I are lucky enough to be a part of both of these special “communities.”  Through them, we have made lifelong friends and lasting relationships.  To all of those people, our friends, family, and even to our acquaintances or those who with we have lost some contact,  I just want to take a moment to say THANK YOU.

Since Logan left for the trail, about 6 weeks ago now, I have felt an unprecedented outpouring of love and support from our family, friends, and even acquaintances.  Because of this, being apart has been a little bit easier.  Because of this, I continue to be in awe of my husband and this crazy dream of his.  Knowing that so many people are rooting for Logan, and for us, is pretty amazing.  Whether it’s a simple “like” on a Facebook post or blog post, a text message just to check in, or those going above and beyond to come over and cut the grass, reaching out to me to help keep me busy, (you all know who you are!), every single one of you are a part of this adventure.

THIS is a community.  It’s not just spending time together at the gym or at work, it’s people who genuinely care and are engaged in each others lives, even when they are thousands of miles away.  People who encourage and support each other, even in the smallest of ways.  Every single one of you reading this blog, or following Logan’s journey on Facebook, is a part of this community, and it’s a community of 172 people!  That’s pretty incredible.

So, for being a part of OUR community, for your support, encouragement and love, I sincerely thank you.

I’m on a journey. So are you (whether you know it or not).

On March 19th, 2015, I started  walking at Springer Mountain in Georgia, and began heading north to Mt. Katahdin, Maine. I hike pretty much every single day.  I’ve been hiking through rain, shine, sleet and, on one occasion, snow (not unlike your friendly neighborhood postman). When the weather is nice, I put on my nice dry (although somewhat smelly) hiking clothes, and smile as I hike. There’s not much better.  However, when it rains I put on my wet clothes, carry my wet tent, and sometimes scowl and my unfortunate luck.

Now I know what you’re thinking: “What does this have to do with me?  I already know you’re hiking every day.”  Here’s the thing thing that you might not realize though, my dear reader: You too are on a journey. For some of you, it might be a lifelong journey of fitness, for others, it’s recovering from an injury, training for an event, going back to school, or furthering your career.  If you really think about what your goals are, I think you will realize that everyone is on their own personal quest.  While my journey might be a little more obvious (and seemingly outlandish), I hope that you can use some of the lessons I am learning out here to accomplish YOUR goals.

You pack your fears…

On this great adventure, there’s a lot of time for reflection and thinking.  I hope to use this time to come home smarter than I was when I left.  This is my first post from the trail, so I’ll share with you, my devoted readers, one thing I have learned so far:

Don’t pack your fears. 

A few days ago, well really a few weeks ago, (sorry… my wife has been slacking at the distance editing!), I was at “Neels Gap.” This is the first real outfitter and stop on the Appalachian Trail.