Photo-a-Day: Vacation Workout

Crossfit Hilton Head got the best of me again, but had another great experience.  While I felt like quitting half way through this workout, I finished.  

Thank you Craig Hysell, owner/coach for running a great Crossfit facility.

Vacation W.O.D.

4 rounds for time

25 pull ups

25 push ups

25 air squats

25 deadlifts at 135 lbs.

400 meter run

Before/After

-Before Crossfit I could not do a pull up.

-Before Crossfit I ran a half marathon in 2:07 one year and 
2:23 the next.

-Before Crossfit my diet was inconsistent.

-Before Crossfit I was not confident about my strength 
or athletic ability.

-Before Crossfit I had no idea about Crossfit.

Today......

-I can do ten pull ups in a row.

-I understand what sound dietary habits mean.

-I found success rowing rather than pounding the pavement

-I am able to watch Crossfit on ESPN.

-I am able to keep my weight consistent.

And......

I'm stronger than I've ever been.  The other night the Workout of the Day at my Crossfit gym was titled "The Crossfit Football Total."  It entails a one rep max of your bench press, deadlift, clean/jerk, and back squat.  Why the "football" verbiage?  Good question!  


Usually, Crossfit gyms do not utilize the bench press as part of it's workouts largely (inserting opinion here) because it is often looked at as a movement that is not that functional.  Think about it.  How many times are you lying on your back pushing something in the air?  The lifting portion of Crossfit is often about functional movements that apply to life.  Click here to get an understand of what Crossfit really is.  And if you are into football or rugby, you can click here to see what Crossfit Football training is all about.  

My Crossfit Football Total

Clean and Jerk:  205 lbs.

Back Squat:  275 lbs.

Bench Press:  245 lbs.

Deadlift:  360 lbs.
My Crossfit Football Total = 1,085 lbs.

My weight as of today:  240 lbs

I share this today not to brag about anything.  Heck, a guy my size (6'2") ought to be squatting a lot more than that.  I am sharing my progress because not only has Crossfit changed my life, but it has brought form and mobility into the forefront of my fitness mind.  My hamstrings are as tight as fitted sheet and often prevent me from lifting (squatting, deadlifting, etc.) with heavier weight while maintaining sound and safe form.  So another thing Crossfit has done for me is expose me to personal coaching that teaches me to do things not just successfully but safe and sound.  And over time, by working on my mobility issues, my goal is to increase my strength exponentially.  

Before Crossfit, I had no athletic/dietary goals.

Today, I can't wait to reach them.


PS:  Follow me on Twitter!!!

When Last is First

I work in a school, so this time of year, things are a bit busy as we come to the end of another school year.  I know I promised my first giveaway in my last post, and it is coming, but something happened to me today that preempted my first CspinHealthy giveaway.

If you follow the blog, you know that my main source of exercise is Crossfit.  So I stroll into Crossfit Carmel for the hopper workout this morning and I'm the first there.  That means, I get to pick one random workout from a deck of cards.  No matter what I pick, we do it.  No pressure there.  I pick the mother of all workouts.  The granddaddy of them all.  The creme de le creme; the mack daddy; the marathon mind bender of all Crossfit workouts............

MURPH!  If you are not familiar with Crossfit, hero workouts are named for fallen soldiers who have served our country.  Very fitting for the Memorial Day weekend.

This workout is the following:

1 mile run

100 pull ups

200 push ups

300 air squats

1 mile run

If you just keeled over and passed out, you are not alone.  Now.....I've been at this Crossfit stuff coming up on one year this summer.  I've radically changed the way I approach my fitness and my dietary habits.  I've made the best gains I've ever made with any combination of exercise and eating ever.  That being said, MURPH, just the idea of MURPH, put this image in my head....

I've not quit much in my life, but I must share with you the following:  I have literally been S.C.A.R.E.D. of this workout for months.  I used to tell myself that if it were ever posted ahead of time, I wouldn't go, and if it were pulled from the hopper deck, I'd find a way to leave the gym.  It gave me anxiety mainly b/c of the pull ups let alone the high volume of other stuff.  In plain words, it's a crazy workout.  That was almost a year ago.  

But today, on this Memorial Day Weekend, this WOD (Workout of the Day) just seemed fitting.  

My goal alongside guys and gals half my size, some training for a full Ironman?  

Finish!  

And be proud.

My strategy?  

Pace myself

Breath

Piece things together in smaller reps

Think positive thoughts

Visualize how good it will feel to just......finish.

I've learned a lot over the past year about my health, fitness, and my ego.  It's not about what the person next to me is doing.  It's not about what that guy over there looks like.  It's my body.  My life.  My health.  It's about me.  And so........

69 minutes and  49 seconds later, over half an hour AFTER the first two guys finished, 13 minutes after the second to last person finished, I was the last one done, but.....I did it.

And I was proud.  

Sometimes, last can feel like first.  
Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Blech!

Beer

Daiquiris

Cheese

Cheese Grits w/Shrimp

Beer

Chips

Bread

Hush Puppies

Beer

Island Drinks

Nachos

Hot Dogs

Beer

Ice Cream

Chipotle

Leftovers from my Kids

Oh, and beer

Just some of the gack I took in while on vacation.  Don't get me wrong.  We grilled chicken, burgers, etc. with salad and such for dinners in while feasting on great seafood our last night out, however on vacation I found myself with little conscience about what I was eating, how much I was eating and how often I ate.  All the while, I rationalized it as, "I've come so far.  One week won't destroy me."After all, it's vacation. I've needed a break from work and the stresses of life and I deserve it."  (more on this excuse in a bit)  Then.......

Upon returning home from a 12 hour car ride that consisted of a trip to Crackerbarrel and Chipotle, I woke up the following day to "get back into it" at Crossfit Carmel thinking I'd be a bit off my game, but.......

I attended the 9 a.m. workout which was.......

As Many Rounds As Possible in 20 minutes of......

5 pull ups

10 push ups

15 air squats

After my first round, I felt like.......

No energy, weak, and dejected.  I've never.....EVER wanted to quit a workout in my 10 months or Crossfit until this one, but I didn't.  I took my time and finished with 13 rounds.....much slower than I've done this in the past.  But......I thought it was a good warm up for why I showed up:  I wanted to re-try the Crossfit Games Sectional WOD #3 as I discussed in my previous post.  This was....

165 lbs. squat clean

165 lbs. jerk

On vacation I did this WOD at Crossfit Hilton Head and produced 7 rounds.  Not a great result by competition standards, but I was happy with it by my standards and expectations.  However, on this day, back at home, after the worst workout feeling I ever had, I could barely lift the bar over my head.  In fact, the first attempt at cleaning the weight sent me almost on my a*s!  BLECH!  I felt TERRIBLE and 

I wanted to start sending invitations to my Pity Party before the five minutes were up.  BUT.......here's why I love where I work out.  Here's why I love Crossfit:

People were still encouraging me, screaming at me to keep it up, get after it, stay focused all the while there was Trent next to me....a 44 year old guy pounding out his 26 rounds and Caitlin hammering out her 25 rounds!  And there's me....stating I want to bag it......clearly struggling..... and Lin, the owner/coach, is yelling, "Do another clean.  Just stay in it."  And so I did.  My result:  

2 rounds plus 1 clean. BLECH!!!

Since no one was attending the party I was clearly trying to throw, I reflected quickly on what I'd been doing to my body the past week and refused to pout, kick, or scream (at least not in public).

It's no great secret that eating poorly and not sleeping well have adverse effects on the body.  Certainly, this is not groundbreaking news.  But I made one decision based on this pitfall in which I found myself.  I'm not going this long eating this way again.  It's not worth it based on what I enjoy doing for exercise.  It's not worth the impact it has had on my mood, my confidence, and my spirit....all things often overlooked.

My solution?
--ramp up the veggies (nowhere near enough of them in my body the past week
--eliminate alcohol for a period of time (maybe one or two on the weekend if any)
--eliminate grains for at least a week (going back to my Paleo ways to cut back inflammation in the gut!)
--water, water, water (a given)
--Eliminate cheese (vacation was first time in several months!  Make me lethargic and tears up my gut!)
--Look into juicing (I've been toying with this idea as an occasional cleanse, so stay tuned on this.)
***BE REALISTIC:  Perhaps the most important here......

Clearly I was trying to be the guy on the left.  Who did I think I was?  After all, I'm the one studying to be a Certified Health Counselor.  I'm the one who has proven to myself that proper dietary habits combined with strength training and endurance training can transform my body, my fitness, and my spirit.  I'm the one who has been so excited to lead this new life and so who did I think I was with such an expectation?!?!  Shame on me!  So.....


It's a new day.  A new start to getting back on track.  And it's really no.  big.  deal.  I'm glad I've put myself through two Whole 30 Paleo challenges.  I'm glad I'm studying different dietary theories.  I'm glad I continue to surround myself with like-minded folks.  I think it allows me to not only be realistic, but it provides the confidence to snap right back into action and TAKE ACTION.  In the past, I would have wallowed longer than an hour or two.  I'd string a week like I just had into several weeks, months, and before long I'm right back to where I started on the left side of the My Progress page.  


And so today, my in-laws were in town and took the family out to breakfast, and so we found ourselves a superior spot on the north side of Indianapolis called Tulip Noir, a great place for local, organic food, coffee, etc where the menu changes with the seasons!  I usually dive right in for a smoked salmon sandwich w/cream cheese, bagel, etc., but......remember my solutions above?  Instead I went for the veggie hash and eggs.  Check it out on the Spring menu. (My 8 year old son genetically ordered the smoked salmon sandwich and would not budge on giving me a bite!  Maybe all things do happen for a reason?!)

Have you been in a rut?  What have you done to get out of it?  I'd be interested in hearing from you.  Drop me a comment or an email.

I loved our vacation, our time with friends, the beach.  At the same time, it's good to be home.  I'll keep you posted.....

Hilton Head, Crossfit, and a Daily Affirmation

So I spent the last week under the sunny skies of Hilton Head Island, a family destination and tradition of ours for the past couple of decades.  This time, we went with family and friends, which meant instant entertainment (and built in babysitting) for our children.  That meant.....daddy and mommy could actually vacation a bit.  THAT meant.......a week of food that I normally do not eat (stay tuned for a follow up post on that, for I have a lot to say on my return to "food reality").

After a few days of fun in the sun, I ventured away from the family to Crossfit Hilton Head, just a couple of miles from our beach house.  I was excited to be at a new gym, away from home, and I was a bit nervous not knowing what to expect.  I was a bit insecure about working out with a younger guy who played college lacrosse at Syracuse!  BUT.....I was more nervous about how my body would react after treating it like a playground the night before (again....more on that in a post to follow).  I'll give you an idea of SOME of what I ingested then night before.....

Daiquiri bar at Hilton Head's famous Frosty Frog

Walking in, I was immediately greeted by Craig, the owner (of Crossfit...not the Frosty Frog!)  After some idle chit-chat, a couple of others walked in, both visitors to the island like me.  We spent time stretching together.  We all did two minutes of as many double unders as possible, and then we all spent time working on our shoulder mobility with a lacrosse ball.  The workout of the day was brutal on a normal day let alone after stuffing myself with toxic food and drink the night (ok...NIGHTS!) before.

Here's the WOD (Workout of the Day)

That is a total of....

150 squats
105 pull ups
45 ring dips (I used a resistance band under my knees...just can't do them alone....yet)

My time:  24:23

At first it was a bit intimidating working out with a guy who played college lacrosse at Syracuse, however once the workout started, I never thought about him as Craig, the owner, was coaching, motivating and pushing me just like I was at home.

  It was nice to go 12 hours away from my home gym and get the same kind of instruction, coaching, and motivation.  Reminded me of this....

So I retuned the next day to complete the Crossfit Games Sectional WOD #3. (If you don't want to click on the link, I'm competing in the sectional workouts of the Crossfit Games to see how I stack up against others out there in the world as this truly is a world-wide event.  No way in hell, I'd advance, rather it's a litmus test for me to see where I am fitness-wise.)  

As Many Rounds as Possible of....

165 lbs squat clean

165 lbs. jerk

In case you don't know what that is......here's an idea of a guy much lighter than me doing much better than me

I have to say...I did not think I'd even get one rep.

My score:  7 reps.  I was fine with that as again....I spent the last several days not caring for my diet.  BUT.......as previously stated....stay tuned for my next post on how my food impacted my second attempt at this workout.  

It was great and energizing to be at a new Crossfit gym.  It was awesome to get the same kind of experience as I do at home.  It was great to compete away from home and do better than expected.  At the same time.....I returned home feeling physically unfit, lethargic, and thinking like this.....

Stay tuned for a full report on my return to reality......

Baby Steps

This poster hangs in my office.  By day, I'm a school counselor, working with kids and families to help solve their problems....to get them to arrive at their own answers for themselves, and give them the motivation to do so.  

By night, I'm a dad and a husband and I try to model such a positive attitude to my kids.    

The other part of me is passionate about eating well and keeping fit.  I say PASSIONATE because I'm not obsessed about it.  While I think about it a lot, I have my ups and downs.  I ebb and flow like everyone else.  I think the difference is, I thoroughly enjoy working out.  I enjoy just about everything about it.  And who doesn't love eating?  (Those who need a counselor is the right answer.)  So because of this, I come to my point before I digress too much......

I've been injured as you may have read in prior posts.  As I fight through this injury, I have found myself craving foods I normally do not eat much of anymore:  chips, cheese, sweets, Chipotle!!!  I've also had a tough time accepting that I can not run right for now.  I've struggled with not being able to do the prescribed weights, movements, etc. of my Crossfit workouts.  For instance, yesterday.......The workout called for the following:

5K run

100 kettlebell swings.  

I can't run yet.  Grrrr!!!  So I took to a 5K row instead.  I can accept that.  But I usually swing a 50 lb. kettlebell.  Lin, the coach and owner of Crossfit Carmel says, "Dude.....swing a 35 lb. kettlebell.  You don't want to tweak that groin any more."  Stubborn me goes over the 44 lb. kettlebell and all seemed well.  Lin, being the great coach that he is says, "Dude....trust me."

And so I did this....

  

Low and behold............28 minutes later............I felt like.......

Well.....maybe not so patriotic, but it was a GREAT WORKOUT and it wasn't what was prescribed, called for or the RX for the day as is the Crossfit jargon.  But it was MY WORKOUT.  So after three weeks of an injury that isn't going away any time soon, I've learned the following:

--Focusing on eating is paramount no matter what I do for a workout.

--It's MY workout.  Focus on me and not keeping up with or beating someone else. 

--Injury is a part of life.  Letting things heal will only lead to a healthier life.  

--Good coaching is undervalued, overlooked, and not appreciated enough.  

--Listening to those I trust is very important and often taken for granted.

And the most important thing I've learned through this injury:  

Staying balanced does not just come to me.  I have to work at it and it takes baby steps!

Report Card

It's been a few days since I've had anything to share mainly because I'm still nursing that damn groin injury.  If you read my previous post from Monday, I talked about focusing on three things.  Well, here's my personal assessment as the week draws to a close.  

1.  My Diet:  A-

I vowed to eat Paleo 100% for the entire week, and I've done mostly that.  My thinking was that if I want expedite the healing of my groin, then I needed to eat foods that do not cause any sort of inflammation or add to the inflammation already going on in my body.  Aside from logging my food, I can tell you that the only food I've crept back in is one bowl of oatmeal and I added pure maple syrup to it yesterday.  Grains are known to cause inflammation.  You can read about that here.  

2.  Stretching:  C

Why is this so difficult for me to do?  It's simple.  It does not take much time.  I need it just like eating well and exercising, and I know I will be injured the more I neglect it.  My answer:  I have to remember that I need to do it even when I'm not working out.  I returned to Crossfit the other night and took it easy, modifying any movement that would put strain on my groin.  I took time to stretch a fair amount before the workout, but of course, I raced home afterwards so my wife can get out the door to go do her thing. So I neglected my post-stretch which is probably the best time TO stretch.  I have done some light stretching even when not working out, but not like I need to.  If my teacher were reporting it would say, 

"Craig is a pleasure to have in class, but he needs to really get organized with his stretching."

3.  Yoga:  A

Monday, since I was off for President's Day, I subscribed to Yogatoday.  While I'd much rather go somewhere to do yoga, I don't need another expense and another thing to schedule around the family, so I decided to do the online thing.  While it's not optimal, it is better than nothing.  I held my commitment in that I did it and plan to do it at least once per week for a month.  It's ten dollars a month for unlimited access to countless yoga videos.  However, it's very difficult for me.  I made myself start at the Novice level as I am very inflexible and need a review of some basic movements.  I find that after about 30 minutes, I lose focus and it becomes uncomfortable.  Hell, they say downward dog is supposed to be a rest position?!?!?!  

I have a long way to go, but I like the relaxation, spiritual side of yoga.  Very relaxing amazingly enough.  

So I'm going to add a new section to the Report Card:  

4.  Rest/Recovery:  

Perhaps I should just call this Being Smart.  As much as I love working out, I know that I'm in the middle of one of the worst injuries I've had in quite some time.  And....it's a stupid one in that it was totally avoidable.   I've been very good about returning to exercise and listening to my body.  Last night was the third time back at it and I went to Crossfit with every intention of doing the complete workout.

Here was the WOD (Workout of the Day) from yesterday.

Skill:  Accumulate the following:

1:00 of L-Sits

2:00 of HSPU hold

3:00 of Hollow Rock

4:00 of Plank (face down or on side) holds

Wod: 5 rounds for time of:

21 OverHead walking lunges w/45 lb. bar overhead

21 Burpees

If you are not accustomed to Crossfit, the Skill stuff is all core work.  I omitted everything except the Plank as my groin was pissed for even trying the others. Because the 45 lb. bar added extra strain on my injury, I bagged it and decided to sub in 30 step ups to a 20 inch box instead.  So my WOD became:

5 Rounds for time of...

30 step ups (20 inch box)

21 burpees

TIME:  18:27

I got a great sweat.  I worked at a steady pace, and I just listened to my body.  

GRADE FOR REST/RECOVERY/BEING SMART:  B 

Teacher Comments:  "Craig tends to want to do more than he should and sometimes needs an extra reminder not to be stupid with his injury.  I know he really wants to compete in the Fight Gone Bad WOD this weekend, so I hope he'll be smart and wait for the next time this great workout comes around.  I hope he will continue to make strides in listening to his body so he can make a full recovery."

Yesterday's Motivation and Today

Yesterday........Another day of school called off due to the recent winter ice storm across much of this part of the country. This let me get out of the house again for the CFC lunchtime WOD which was the following:

Todays skill work with be power cleans. Take three warm up sets and find a good weight where you can perform 8 single reps every minute on the minute.

Skill: 1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1 power cleans performed every minute on the minute.

wod:   “Birthday Boy”  for time (there is no RX weight for this wod, find a good weight and work on form)

It’s Lin’s 47th birthday today!

47 pull-ups

47 wall balls

47 ring push-ups (modify with hand release push-ups)

47 kb swings

I was pretty sore from yesterdays workout, so I did all I could do to take some of the best advice I've heard in awhile when pertaining to Crossfit, however I firmly believe it can relate to anyone despite what your workout routine, regiment, or schedule may be. That advice is......

You don't have to go all out, balls to the wall, hard as you can every time out.  Some times it's about working hard, thinking about form, pace, or rhythm and getting a good workout. 

So I didn't, and so I did.  What?!?!?!?!?

I went hard, but I did not put my mind in the same place I did when trying to get after a PR i.e. my baseline last week.  My back was sore from yesterday (freakin' 70 lb. kettlebell will do that to ya, huh?!).  But I came away with not the best time on the whiteboard

But it didn't matter to me.  Today, this is what I could do and I did not have to look at that board and see that I was better than someone else, because on this day it was just about getting in a workout that was challenging (ok, what Crossfit WOD isn't?!??) and safe.  Mission accomplished and I felt good!

I'm sore today.  Go figure.  I'm almost 39, and I don't stretch nearly enough.  My lower back is a bit sore and my legs feel like I ran at least a 10K yesterday.  In my home we are on day three in a row of school being called off, so we are swapping kids with our dear friends.  To go to Crossfit or not?  That would be three days in a row.  Great advice #2 I am starting to follow (from the same person...Thanks Lin!!!!) is.......

Rest and recovery is often the best part of exercise.

I used to never pay attention to this and guess what.......

INJURY

Not today.  The WOD at CFC is all squatting and I'm just getting my knee back to feeling pain free.  Couple that with just being too sore, and it's all the motivation I need to focus on other aspects of my fitness:  stretching and eating well today.

My motivation today is rooted in how far I have come since June (update photos here) of this past year.  I debated on how to share this without appearing self-serving, arrogant, or sounding like a braggart.  I was doing some work for my health coaching career with The Institue for Integrative Nutrition  and I got to adding another picture of my progress to the blog.  As I sat and looked over my pictures from the past few months and reflecting on what has worked and what hasn't, that was all the motivation I needed to past couple of days to start thinking that sometimes......

Working smarter is healthier than working harder.  

Rounding Third.......

I think I've shared that I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Home of the Reds, Bungles, Greater's Ice Cream, Larosa's Pizza, and Skyline Chili.  While Indianapolis is home, I remain connected to a few of my roots.  I'm not a huge baseball fan, but I love the Reds.  As I near the end of my 30 Day Paleo Challenge, I can hear Joe Nuxhall with his famous line saying, "This is the ol' left-hander rounding third and heading for home" as he did every.....single....game.

I remember listening to games on the radio and watching t.v. just to hear him say that.  

Well, I'm rounding third and headed for home.  I feel like I'm heading for home like this......

Man....for a jerk who messed up, he was a great player to watch.

I feel great after eating so clean for 30 days straight.  I set out to go 100% Paleo and log all the food, snacks, workouts, etc. for the entire time.  I did have one night, one meal where I was......

CAUGHT STEALING!  

Beer and cheesy potatoes with the bbq sauce on the duck.  Click here to see and scroll to Day 14. 

So I have to say.  I followed the Paleo Way as prescribed by The Whole 30 (part of The Whole 9 Website) 99%.  

The first time I did this I made several observations about my eating habits and the impact of the 30 days on my health and fitness as I was a guest blogger for Crossfit Carmel.  You can see what I had to say here.

That post was dated December 6th, but I had already completed my 30 days several weeks prior.  A couple of months later, I have the following thoughts:

1.  I just flat out feel great:  no stomach bloating.  I'm full most of the day.  No major food cravings.

2.  I have more energy, and I see it in my workouts.  To note (and not bragging here):  Just yesterday at CFC the workout was the baseline.  That is the workout you would first do if you were just joining Crossfit.  Aside from rowing, the exercises are all bodyweight stuff.  It's a "baseline" of your fitness.  

500 meter row

40 air squats (to a medicine ball)

30 sit ups

20 push ups

10 pull ups

My time a couple of months ago was 4:57.  My time yesterday:  4:09.  Huge, huge gain.  Now....I work out 4-5 days per week, and that has something to do with it, but I've also paired that with an almost impeccable diet the past 30 days.  

3.  Paleo is not hard.  Feeling like crap every day is hard.   

4.  This is a sustainable way of losing weight.  I started these 30 days weighing 246 lbs.  Today, as I'm rounding third and heading for home, I weigh 237 lbs.  A lot of that was water weight, I imagine, and remember....I work out consistently.  For some of the four weeks, as you can see in my journal notes, I did not work out as much as others. 

5.  While there are many ways to eat well and be successful, this is just one way.  I believe it's a good way to go if you can commit yourself to it....if you are ready.  Again, check out the Whole 9 if you think you may be ready.  I can't say enough good things about them as a resource!

My plan is to allow some foods back into my diet to see how I react to them.  I can see some pasta and other grains, legumes, and alcohol in infrequent, small quantities making their way back.  The trip to Chipotle, out for sushi, drinks with friends, etc......all those things that I found ways to avoid or politely say no to can have their place.  The weekly cheat meal is also a must.  Food deprivation only leads to food yo yo'ing in my opinion.  But the old me would string too many of those cheats together.  I've come too far to let that happen anymore.  

Well......rounding third and heading for home makes it sound like there is an end to this.  Quite the contrary.  The key for me now is to take this momentum and live it.  It really is a long term lifestyle.  The goal I have is to determine what foods I absolutely will stay away from because they impact me negatively while finding the others I can add back in that work for me.  

This is the almost-40 right-hander.....rounding third and headed for a lifetime of wellness.

Oh the Places You Could Go.....

Such a great book and should be a staple in any household, school, or just as a motivational reminder.  I thought of this children's classic today when a parent said to me, "I know she's not an A/B student, and she never will be."  As I verbally nodded on the phone, I wanted to throw up.  What I really wanted to say was.....

"Why not?"

"What can you do to help her improve her grades?"

"How about making a plan for her and sticking to it even when that plan ebbs and flows?"

"Perhaps sacrificing some things would help you put some time into her to help her achieve more."

All much easier said than done, but.......but..........It made me think about the lessons I've learned from Crossfit.  

Crossfit critics often point the finger at the often high reps of the movements required during WOD's (Workouts of the Day).  For instance, tonight's WOD at Crossfit Carmel was

For time

400m run

50 push-ups

50 medball slams

50 double unders

400m run

50 push-ups

50 medball slams

50 double unders

My time:  19:30.  100 total push ups.  100 total double unders.  100 total 20 lb. med ball slams.  That is a lot of reps.  However, what is great at CFC is that the coaches are protective of our form, always making sure that if our form is bad, they will step in, make us lower the weight, or coach us during a WOD to prevent injury.  I wish those critics would come to CFC.  Regardless.......

I love that after 20 push ups, I don't think I can do one more, but I have 30 to go.  What has Crossfit taught me?  To do five at a time.  Rest for a second or two.  Do five more.  And when I can't do five at a time?  I do 3 at a time.  Rest.  Do three more.  But.......In my mind.  I.  DON'T.  QUIT.  I tell myself that.  Each and every time, I tell myself that.  

Crossfit has taught me that I can do whatever I set my mind to doing.  I may not be the fastest or strongest person there, but I'm not aiming for that.  I'm shooting for making me the best me possible.  I'm looking to make me better WOD after WOD, lift after lift, movement after movement so that I am the healthiest me I can be.  It's much more than just going to the gym and pushing myself.  It's a state of mind that says, "Do this.  Do this no matter if you have to sacrifice your time or lower the weight, but don't not do this."  

Crossfit does so much more for me beyond the box. (Crossfit's term for "gym".)  While I'm not suggesting everyone run out and join the nearest Crossfit box, I am suggesting that if done right, like at CFC, it's an amazing method of working out and improving not just your health.  

If you are reading this and don't work out on a regular basis, it's my hope that you have something in your life that provides you with the same motivation as Crossfit does for me.  Something that helps you learn more about yourself and the world around you.  

You never know.....You could move mountains.......

 

  

Proud

Feeling a bit extra purpose heading to Crossfit tonight....

Tonight's WOD created by Crossfit Tuscon Northwest in Arizona

“Christina”

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:

9 Pull-ups
9 Squat cleans, 135/95 pounds
9 Kettlebell swings, 2/1.5 pood
9 Toes to bars (can substitute 18 medball slams)
9 Push press, 135/95 pounds
9 Burpees

Today we honor those killed and wounded in last Saturday’s assassination attempt on Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. 20 people in all were shot, 6 have died and the youngest was nine years old. We name this Memorial WOD after Christina Green, the youngest of those killed. Although we name this WOD after Christina, we in no way will only be thinking about her. The names of the five others slain are: Gabe Zimmerman, 30, U.S. District Judge John Roll, 63, Dorwin Stoddard, 76, Dorothy Morris, 76, Phyillis Schneck, 79. We thank everyone who will do this WOD with us today.

I'm proud to be a member of Crossfit Carmel recognizing a bigger purpose to working out.