Humble Beginnings

It is a rare thing to get a fresh start, a clean slate, the chance to start over. I’m feeling that in so many ways right now and it is bringing color and light back to a landscape that has had a lot of grayscale. I made it back to group classes this week and each one felt like a return home after a long absence–so familiar, but also so much I had missed. There is so much joy in seeing you all again, holding a barbell in my hands, sharing a workout with my people, feeling the fatigue seep in. So much of it was the same, but there are some subtle yet powerful differences too.

I am grateful for this new chapter in my fitness journey. I let go of caring about scores or loads or RX workouts over the last couple of years, but I have a newfound appreciation for the pure satisfaction of a solid, sweaty effort. The voices in my head that used to cast judgement on the weight on my bar of the number of rounds and reps have largely gone quiet and are replaced by kinder, more encouraging voices that appreciate what it took just to make it to the starting line.

There is a loosely worn grace, a knowing, that we’ve all changed too. No one has escaped the past few months without some scrapes and bruises. Some of the things that once seemed so important have fallen away. Members of our gym community and the broader community have moved on. Life takes us in different directions and what normally feels like an occasional sprinkle of change has become a slow but steady drip. We’ve all become better at adapting to change too.

We got the green light to begin again as an in-person gym community this week. This too is a humble beginning, a clean slate, and a fresh start. The heart and soul remains the same; the mission is unchanged. We are working hard to get above the fray and make the most of this fresh start. How do we reinvent ourselves in a way that continues to fulfill our mission while keeping everyone safe and the business afloat? We don’t have the full picture yet but will keep working the problem from every possible angle until we get it right.

Stay tuned for more updates around policies and procedures. You have all been so gracious and willing as we’ve adapted to changing orders and guidance from the state. We have not likely seen the end of those days. The new Public Health Order allows for the opening of our bathrooms and showers as well as indoor, in-person classes.

For now, our operating plan includes 10 person classes with a heavy utilization of our outdoor space. The Jungle Room is largely dedicated to group classes and we are keeping a dedicated private training space to ensure that we can keep our older or more vulnerable athletes safe. We will add classes as capacity demands as we resolutely rebuild from the ground up.

Also for the time being, I am continuing to work on the emergency response team at San Juan Basin Health. No matter what your opinion on the global pandemic, there is not a more talented or dedicated public health team anywhere. We are lucky to have them in our community. At Catacombs, Joon has taken the lead in daily operations as the Head Coach and Suz is heading up Member Relations. Ricky, Linda, and Brian have all stepped into bigger roles and I’ve never been more proud of them. I’m doing most of my gym work behind the scenes and supporting the coaching staff as they lead from the front. I’ll be back in the coaching staff mix when the time is right. It’s just one more adaptation that the current situation requires.

We are so excited to welcome you all back. Don’t worry if you’re out of shape or if quarantine wasn’t a win for your health and fitness. We understand. Let us know what you need. We are here for each other now more than ever and I believe we will emerge stronger and truer. That’s the gift of overcoming adversity.