The Definition of Proud - The Crucible Reloaded

proud (praʊd)

      —adj (foll by of, an infinitive, or a clause)

1. pleased or satisfied, as with oneself, one's possessions, achievements, etc, or with another person, his or her achievements, qualities, etc
2. feeling honoured or gratified by or as if by some distinction
3. characterized by or proceeding from a sense of pride: a proud moment 
4. bold or fearless

Now why did I just give you the definition of the word "proud" as provided by Mr. Webster? Well - today, the day after the Gold's Gym Market Square Crucible event, that's the one word that is on my mind.

The Crucible is a four-hour endurance event held quarterly at my gym. Five amazing instructors (including one of our awesome trainers) and me work hard to guide 20 super motivated individuals through a guantlet of events. The days activities include Indoor Cycle (both endurance and race days), Boot Camp drills, and Hard Core. The mere thought of it makes me smile (if you know me, you'll understand). But what really brings a smile to my face is the amazing group of troopers who underwent this test.

Let me break it down for you...proud mama style:

1. "pleased or satisfied, as with oneself, one's possessions, achievements, etc, or with another person, his or her achievements, qualities, etc" Spending the morning with the 18 awesome folks who made it in for the event was truly an honor. They pushed so hard, working themselves through a number of physical and mental obstacles and never giving up. To see their gleaming faces at the end gave me such a sense of pride in them and the effort they put forth, I can't even describe it.
2. "feeling honoured or gratified" This one always amazes me. All I have to do is ask. "Brody, just one more push-up"....he gives me that push-up. "Lisa and Susie, you have 30 seconds to get back to where you started, can you make it happen?"....they make it happen. "Isaac, take this sprint and make it your best one"....he finds that perfect resistance and the last bit of speed he was holding back. Its an honor to know that they trust me enough to know that I believe in them enough to ask. Another proud moment for me.
3. "characterized by or proceeding from a sense of pride: a proud moment" I have no words to describe how I feel when I watch one of my peeps dig deep to find that last hidden bit of strength. Its in those moments that they smile through the hard effort and decide that TODAY is the day that they dare to challenge the boundaries of comfort and be extraordinary. They're proud of who they're finding and I love that. It's an amazing moment for them, and selfishly speaking, for me also.
4. "bold or fearless" - well this is pretty self explanatory. There's no chance that you take the commitment of a four-hour endurance event without having a little "badass" in you! To all of my B.A.s - thank you for being so BOLD AND FEARLESS.

Special shout out to Susie, Lisa, Brody, Julia, Melissa, Chicken Thumbs (aka Megs), Smiley (aka Kristen), Emily, our photographer Myra, Courtney, Isaac, Emily, Colleen, Coach Rich, Pam, Julie, Alison and Jess. You guys are my Crucible vets! Great work yesterday - you should ALL be proud.

Thanks to all of my peeps for making me feel like I have the best job in the world. Spending time with you all and watching you succeed are notably some of the greatest days for me. I love you all - thanks for a great morning! The pics will be posted as soon as I get them.

Be happy! Be healthy!
Michelle