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Then, because I was a newbie, he gave me a third, bunny-slope version of the workout. All three options combined five or so exercises that you complete as quickly as possible, then repeat three or more times. He finished talking and everyone got started.

After Shupe explained what my technique should look like, I began my own workout. I started on the rowing machine, something I'd never done before, quickly rowing for what seemed like just a minute or two. After that, I moved to a nearby mat and pumped out 10 pushups. Next were squats, of which I did 10. Once those were done, I grabbed a bar, and from a position in front of my hips, pulled it up in line with my shoulders, pressed it up until my arms were extended over my head, then back down to shoulders and then hips, repeating for 10 reps. I finished with 20 situps, coming all the way off the ground and touching my feet each time. That was one set; I needed to repeat all of that three more times before I was finished with my workout.

I had a much easier workout than everyone else, but I wasn't complaining. I was just happy I wasn't dying. I moved through my second set, which went about as smoothly as the first. When I sat down for the rowing portion of my third set, I looked around at what everyone else was doing. Working at their own pace, on their own exercises, few of my classmates were doing the same thing at the same time. This wasn't like any workout I had done before.

People were working hard, pushing themselves individually, but I could feel the sense of community that bound them together. "You probably noticed that the gym itself is not all that warm and comforting," Ryan said. "But that comes in the community you see here. When you're new, people want to know you, and after a few classes, everyone knows you by name."

My focus was pulled back to the rowing machine when a more experienced CrossFitter sat down on the machine next to me and gave me some friendly pointers on how to improve my rowing. It was that encounter, along with Shupe's help throughout my workout and the friendliness of everyone there toward me, the newcomer, that made me understand the real appeal of CrossFit. The feeling of community is tangible, and it helps make the intense, all-out workouts enjoyable.

I started to feel a little fatigue set in. I silently urged myself to not slow down, to push through. I'd started to sweat despite the cold temperature in the room. Soon I was done with my third set, and got through my fourth and final set, grateful that it was the last. I finished the workout in about 16 or 17 minutes. I was done! I half expected there would be something else to do because I couldn't believe I just completed an entire workout, one during which I really exerted myself, in such a short amount of time.

As everyone finished their workouts, some lingered to talk, others took off, and still others continued working on different strength-training exercises. I lingered for a little while. I felt good - exhausted, but good. I couldn't help but be in a great mood. I was hooked.

And the next day, yes, I was a little sore. But the day after Christmas, I found myself back at CrossFit Seven. I showed up for the 8 a.m. class and performed a different WOD called "Fight Gone Bad" with two other women. We moved through the workout together, and they provided great encouragement through our three sets. That workout was more challenging than my first (especially after numerous Christmas cocktails the day before), but still just as satisfying in the end.

"Most people come three times a week for CrossFit," Shupe said. "But some people, the ones that are really into it, come as often as four or five days a week."

Thinking about trying CrossFit? Go for it. It's challenging, it's fun, it's probably very different from what you've been doing (or not doing), and it changes with every class. But before you buy a membership, know what you're getting into, and have realistic expectations.

"CrossFit isn't what you do to lose weight fast," Shupe explained. "It's not a crash course. It's meant to make you as fit as possible, which doesn't mean losing 20 pounds in two weeks, or gaining 20 pounds in two weeks."

But, he said, "CrossFit is for everyone, because all the movements are scalable to fit any skill level." That means I worried for no reason before I attended a class.

"Lots of people are intimidated by CrossFit because of what they see on TV, but we start each person at a level they can handle," Shupe said.

"It's one of the fastest growing fitness programs in the world," he added. "It's proven and effective."