Slowing Down to Move Forward

An incredible mentor of mine once told me a story about his retired parents and their long-awaited trip through Europe. They were thrilled—finally time to travel. So they booked an ambitious itinerary: twelve countries in ten days. When they got back, they couldn’t wait to share their experience. They sat down with photos, excitedly reliving each moment… until something interesting happened.

“Wait—was this London or Turkey? France or Italy?”

They had moved so quickly from place to place that everything started to blur together.

I think about that story often—especially when I reflect on my own journey in CrossFit lately. Over the past year and a half, I’ve made a conscious decision to slow down… to “get off the train” for a bit instead of rushing through it. And ironically, it’s led to more progress than ever.

Mindset work.
I’ve spent a lot of time working on what’s going on upstairs. It’s not perfect, and it’s definitely not easy. But the voice in our head shapes everything—inside and outside the gym. Once I started paying attention to what I was feeding my mind, I changed the way I approached my training, my failures, and my growth.

Nutrition.
Nutrition doesn’t mean shrinking ourselves. Exercise isn’t something we do “to earn our food”, and in the same vein, we certainly don’t “punish ourselves” for eating something we enjoy. That’s disordered and leads to unhealthy habits. In the last year and a half, I made a conscious decision to gain weight—yes, on purpose. And it’s been one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. I’m about five pounds heavier, but more importantly, I’ve built a healthier relationship with food. Eating is about fueling my body for the work I want it to do AND enjoying some of my favorite treats!

Slowing the train down.
Just like cramming more countries into a trip doesn’t make it better, doing more in the gym doesn’t always lead to better results. For me, it meant focusing on moving better—not just doing more. I pull back weights, modify a skill if I need to, and maintain the stimulus of any given workout. Consistency and quality will always beat quantity.

Rest.
Rest days have been non-negotiable for me now for a while—and they’re a huge reason I’m thriving. If you’re constantly tired and sore, you are doing too much. Take the day off. Hey, take two! Recovery isn’t a setback—it’s part of the process.

No pressure.
I exercise because I get to. I’ve been an athlete my whole life, and movement has always brought me joy. When I stopped trying to constantly “perform” and started embracing the experience—training, competing, and being part of an amazing community—everything shifted. Not just mentally, but physically too.

So why share this now?

Because in the last three months, I’ve competed on a big stage and finished in the top twenty. I’ve completed the Open and Quarterfinals. I’m the strongest and fittest I’ve ever been—earning heat wins, top-ten finishes, and getting closer to the CrossFit Semifinal cut line than ever before.

And I’ve been doing CrossFit for TEN YEARS.

It’s easy to look at your journey and think, “Why can’t I do this yet? Why am I not there?” That’s how things start to blur. That’s how you lose sight of what actually matters.

Slow down.

I’ve failed more times than I can count—but those failures weren’t wasted. They were part of the process that got me here. And the clearer I’ve made the journey, the further I’ve gone. So if you’re in this gym, in this community, feeling frustrated or behind—just know this: You’re not behind. You’re just moving too fast to see your own progress.

Slow it down. Lean into the process. Trust the work. We’re building something here—and it doesn’t happen overnight.

See you at the gym,

Coach Kady