CrossFit: The New Truth Serum

I really thought about it last night: the Q word. Quitting. Stopping. Saying "No mas."Somewhere in the second round of "D.T.", I thought "Just stop. It hurts too much. Say you're too old. Too tired. It doesn't feel right."In all the CrossFit workouts I've done over the last three years, none make me want to quit as much as D.T. I could deadlift until the proverbial paleo cows come home, but the hang power clean is my nemesis, and the push jerk is its brother. I'd rather full squat clean everything -- and the push jerk wouldn't be so bad if it didn't have to come back down. But it does. And it crushes me.But who would I be if I quit?Who would I be if I just sat down and watched the others march deeper into the fight, the pain, the struggle -- and I left them? How would I feel when they emerged on the other side -- tired, but happy, and triumphant?I would be a lesser person. And I can't have that.If I give up here, I'll give up in other parts of life. If I fail to do my best here, I will fail when other people need my best.CrossFit is like life: Either you're someone who sees things through to the end, no matter how difficult or painful or hard -- or you're a quitter. Or a cheater. Or a liar. CrossFit can show your true colors in 15 mins with a barbell and a stopwatch.The Japanese have an old belief that you have to see someone drunk to witness their true colors, but I think we have something better. Watch someone CrossFit: It's the ultimate truth serum.Decide who you want to be in life -- and show that person to us on the gym floor. It really is that simple. Don't just tell us the truth. Show us.