Tough Mudder Indiana: Proud and Stupid

Back in August it seemed like it was a good idea to put a challenge in front of me. Something to aim for.  Some carrot to dangle to keep me motivated to maintain a sound diet and consistent workout regiment. Being a part of Crossfit Carmel means being immersed in a community of like-minded folks. So when a few fellow workout buddies signed up for the 2011 Indiana Tough Mudder, the carrot dangled. Now that the experience is behind me, several thoughts continue to swim through my mind.

Training for the Tough Mudder was simple. Crossfit. It's the perfect combination of endurance, weight training, body weight, cardio, and mental training. While I've listened to my fellow gym buddies discuss how Crossfit Endurance is all that is needed to train for longer distances, and while two fellow workout pals solely used Crossfit as their means for their first Ironman, I continued to have my doubts pinning my thoughts to my 6'2", 240 lbs. frame. "What if....." consumed me. But I trusted what I was told and my gut.

Those who know me clearly know I'm a bit consumed with planning at times. While I want to know directions, departure time, what to wear, where to park, etc., this event was different. I did not take much time to think about the course length, the crazy amount of obstacles, or the weather conditions until the week of the event. For that, I'm glad, because I may have quit before I started.

Plan and simple: The Tough Mudder is NO JOKE. But in the back of my mind I must admit I thought, "They make those videos to intimidate you. There is no way it's all that." Ha! There is not enough room in cyberspace to adequately share what was all entailed. Here's the course map.  You decide. 

Thirty of us all set out on this 40 degree day with a windchill in the 30's and 20's at time. The plan was that we were all to stay together in packs. No one gets left behind. Everyone finishes.  When I said this was no joke, I was not kidding. This realization was never more evident than when the mood shift of all my teammates smacked me in the face harder than the wind that was whipping at my cheeks. Our group went from laughing and tossing a football while running, to a more solemn, introspective quietness. I could hear others thinking, "What have we really gotten ourselves into?" But no one dared say it. I kept thinking, "Now come on. We are not climbing Everest." I was thinking, "Maybe some of my friends were right. Maybe I am stupid. Why WOULD I want to do such a thing?" And as quickly as I asked myself, I answered. "Because it's there. Because I can learn from this. Because I want to see how far I can push myself. Because I can."

And so roughly 4 miles in and with only 25% of the course behind us, two of our most fit athletes at the gym could not warm their bodies and had to call it a day. As I became a bit scared knowing these folks are physcial specimans of fitness, I wondered, doubted, and went through some serious mental ping pong. I was scared I'd get stuck under muddy water. I was worried I might twist an ankle and not be able to make it to the end. I was fearful of hypothermia. I hate, hate, hate being cold and there was no alternative on this day.  Cold was normal. At one point I found myself alone for about 30 minutes wondering how I got separated from my team, but I had to keep my body moving through the course as I felt my quads, hip flexors, and calf muscles tightening up. It was at this point where I was trying to fight off fear. I struck up a conversation with a 48 year old, grey haired guy like me for a bit. He wished me good luck and we separated as I traversed down a steep hill with mud so caked on my shoes you could not really make out that I was even wearing shoes. At the bottom of the hill I saw a pack of red shirts just like mine and had caught up to a group of my teammates. I discovered I was with a middle pack. There were a handful ahead of them and a few behind, so our plan was still intact. No one finishes alone.

I stuck with this group for about two more hours. The mood of the group fluctuated between collegial encouragement, to silent fortitude. We all knew what we were thinking, but we made the most of it. And somehow with about 3 miles left, my teammate Derek and I found ourselves alone the rest of the way. Our commitment: Attempt every obstacle. Keep moving. Be positive. Derek was great. He did not mind that I could no longer run for long periods of time. My right hip flexor was shot and my right calf was cramping. We crawled face down in mud. We got through waste deep water, and we waited 20 minutes to get across a 3 inch wood plank over a pool of freezing waste deep water. (We both made it half way until we dove in.) And when we saw the finish line, we got a bit giddy. Derek, who got separated from his wife on the course three hours earlier kicked it into another gear. We finised together.

Here's what I took from this experience:

Part of this was indeed stupid.

Being pushed to my limits only makes me stronger.

Teamwork and togetherness can make anything happen.

I now know what being uncomfortable really feels like.

I'm in the best shape of my life:  I never questioned my physical condition.

Crossfit and proper eating prepared me for this.

I'm more mentally strong than I allowed myself to think. 

I'm just as happy for and proud of my teammates as I am of myself for doing this.
I now believe in the Tough Mudder Pledge 

Chapter 2: Keeping Track of it All

Chapter 2:  Keeping Track of it All:  A Great Tool For You 

And so it continues.....

Chapter 1 introduced us to our main, uh....only character, a 39-year old, husband, father of two, School Counselor, Health and Nutrition Coach who, like anyone, has had his ups and downs with food and fitness.  In the past year, he's found himself in a great place with his fitness and food and plans to never return to The Food Place That Shall Not Be Named.  We learned about goals, planning, and how to find new purpose when one has had a string of success.  

One of those goals involves tracking food.  Now, before you give me this......

......consider this:  We live in a society full instantaneous gratification i.e. cell phones, texting, laptops, iPads, fax machines, Twitter, Facebook, cloud services, and much more. 

 

It goes without saying that most people will find at least seventeen excuses why tracking food will not work for them.  Instead of wasting precious cyberspace listing a few, let's see what great tool our protagonist is using.

MyFitnessPal is more than a calorie counter.  But it is a smart tool that encompasses that very "give it to me now/instant gratification" mindset into something that takes time and patience:  eating well and weight loss.  This tool literally has over a million food entries in it's library making it easy to find what you are logging.  It provides graphical data on how much protein, how many carbs, and how many calories you have left to consume each day and allows you to set your own goals regarding what percentage of each need to consume.  Even more, it has a whole social networking component for support.  Remember that team our protagonist joined in Chapter One?  The one that is trying to achieve new fitness goals?  With this tracking tool, now he can see what and how his friends are eating.  The benefits to that?  You can get ideas of what to eat, when others eat certain foods, and you can offer support and encouragement by posting messages back and forth.  And one more piece of that "instand gratification-give-it-to-me-now" mindset.  You can enter your information from any computer and then continue from any phone with the free application.  It's available for any iPhone, Android, or Blackberry device.  

DISCLAIMER:  This literary piece of opinion does not receive any benefits from MyFitness Pal, rather we find it to just be a very simple, easy-to-use, intuitive, and motivating tool to aid in doing something that historically takes time, persistance, and patience.  

Speaking of patience....in Chapter 3 our main character will face a few evil villains.  Stay tuned to see if he can ward of these calorie sucking, carb loading enemies!  

Once Upon a Health and Fitness Plan

Chapter 1

Once  upon a time, there was an overweight 30 year-old who lost 68 pounds using Weight Watchers.  This teacher and soon-to-be-father-of-two ran his first half marathon and over the next few years ran three of them.  Soon enough, the pounds found him again, all but 9 of them. 

Two years, four globo-gyms, another trip to Weight Watchers, and a personal trainer later, this thirty-something said to his good friend, "I wish there was a place with a boot camp atmosphere, that was as into working out and keeping me healthy in a sustainable way."  Enter:  Crossfit.  

Now, at age 39, this "young" man is in the physical shape of his life.  He's a school counselor by day, a father, husband, and Health and Nutrition Coach as well.  At the same time, this foodie/fitness junkie recently pontificated the following:  "Now that I've changed my body, my strength, endurance, and relationship with food, what do I want to do?  What is next?  And so he came to a crossroads.  Enter:  The Crossfit Carmel Training Challenge. 

He became part of an eight person team that trains and tracks food together with three goals in mind:

1.  Compete against 4 other teams in the gym.

2.  Enter the 2012 Great Lakes Invitational.

2.  Train for The 2012 Crossfit Sectional.

So what does this entail for this almost 40-year-old father of two/husband to a wife who has gone back to work/School Counselor/Health and Nutrition Coach?  It means if he wants to lose the weight to be more competitive in the gym....if he wants to do more than five pull ups without having to drop off the bar, if he wants to run longer distances, if he wants to finally shed the last-to-go-belly fat, then he must, I repeat, he must without fail and with full focus do the following:

1.  Write out his goals on paper.

2.  Make those goals visible and read them every day.

3.  Plan his meals in advance in a reasonable time-efficient manner.

4.  Decrease weekend beer consumption.

5.  Work on shoulder and hamstring mobility every day.  EVERY.  DAY.

6.  Track food intake 

7.  Track workout information.

8.  Be mindful of food intake while still indulging from time to time.

9.  Work on things that are difficult.

10.  Be positive!

Stay tuned for

Keeping Track of it All:  A Great Tool For You

My Kind of Town Chicago is.....

In a previous post I promised I'd share my experience at my first Crossfit competition, so here goes....

Last Saturday

4:30 a.m.: Alarm sounds

4:34 a.m:  Shower

5:00 a.m.: Depart for Chicago

8:30 a.m.:  Arrive at Crossfit Freedom 

9:35 a.m.:  I'm in heat 5 of the first workout which is......

-In 5 minutes do a 400 meter run carrying a 90 lb. sandbag, then row the remaining time.  Your total calories rowing is your score.

small talk w/my judge

trying to hang on

9:40 a.m.:  I wanted to pass out!

9:55 a.m.:  Recovered and excited about workout #2

10:55:  I'm in heat 7 of workout #2 which entails:  7 minutes of as many rounds as possible of....225 lb. deadlift w/a fat bar/20 sit up's on the GHD machine/30 double unders.

deadlift

I'm actually asking God for help here!  This sucked!

10:42 a.m.:  I thought I may never get over the GHD sit ups!

11:00 a.m.:  Excited about the last workout and watching the rest of the field compete.

2:00: p.m.:  I am in heat 5 of the last workout which is:  5 minutes of as many rounds as possible of 14 box jumps (30 inch box) and 7 kettlebell snatches of 50 lbs.  

2:05 p.m.:  Proud of myself for choosing to compete with some seriously elite athletes in a great environment of competition.  

This was a day full of eye opening experiences.  Sure, there were crazy fit people there.  Sure, there were folks there with as much body fat as my pinky toe.  But there were also folks like me just trying to see where they stand.  Overall, I finished 53rd out of 71 male competitors that day.  However, that mattered little to me.  What was invigorating was to put myself in a situation that was unfamiliar and just have some fun working as hard as I could.  Here's a few of my other favorite other photos from the day.......

Shirt says, "It's o.k. to stare.  Just don't interrupt." 

Not the best quality shot, but I love the message.

Truly motivating!

Choosing My Attitude

This Jedi warrior's picture hangs in my office.  I work by day as a school counselor helping kids manage their stress/anxiety.  I assist with getting many of them organized, and I want them to realize that if they want to make change in their lives they must change themselves and the world around them will follow.  However, just the other day, I looked above my desk and I realized that the great wisdom of this creature often has gone forgotten and he has many lessons that can apply to any arena.  

Fast forward two days.  The phone rings.  There is one opening this weekend in Chicago for the LifeasRx Crossfit Competition.  

This is billed as a competition for all levels of Crossfit.  In other words, you dont' have to be like this...

So my answer was, "Let's do it."  

Am I nervous?  Sort of.  However, I'm looking at it like this:  A year ago I was 270 lbs.  I could not do a pull up, and I was far from fit and healthy.  Today, I'm as fit as I've ever been, but I am unsure about what I am working towards lately.  This is a great opportunity to go into something without knowing what lies ahead.    It's a great opportunity to learn from those around me, and see where I stack up and what I need to work on.  

If you've read The Fish Philosophy, you could say that I am "choosing my attitude".

If you are a real Star Wars geek like me, you would hear Yoda telling you to "unlearn what you have learned" and "Do!  Or do not!  There is not try."  

(watch this entire clip b/c the last two lines say it all!)

So what are you going to do in your life that is difficult, out of your comfort zone, and a challenge like none other?  

Stay tuned next week and I'll share my experience.  

In and Out of the Rut

A few posts ago I mentioned a new movie I discovered titled, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.  If you have not had a chance to see it, it's super.  It's a documentary about two guys who transform their lives after being incredibly unhealthy and obese.  A major theme of the movie is Reboot Your Life which has become a trademarked product.  Check it out.  I'm always up for another inspirational movie, quote, book, story, whatever.  It keeps things fresh and helps me avoid ruts.  However, I've found myself in a new rut.

Over a year ago, I was nearly 270 lbs. again.  You can see what I mean in the My Progress page.  I spent the year before that running a few half marathons, achieving my personal record with a 2:07 at the Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon.  That was two years ago.  Last summer, I was down and out.  I'd run half marathons.  I'd tackled the Men's Health Urbanathlon in Chicago.  I'd been with personal trainers, belonged to every globo gym in a 5 mile radius of my house.  Then I found Crossfit.  It was what I was looking for.  It challenged me in every area of my health and fitness.  It pushed me to my limits and it instantly gave me access to a community of like-minded people.  However, arguably the most important aspect of my "new community of like minded people" was the access to others who were concerned with eating healthy.......permanently........forever.  I figured, if I'm going to push myself this hard, then I'm not going to ruin it with my food choices.  After all, finishing a Crossfit workout provides the same feeling of accomplishment as crossing the finish line at a race.  Only it happens several times per week.

So I have not hit the pavement to really run in a year.  A WHOLE YEAR!  While I sometimes am in shock that I let that much time go by, I justify it by saying, "Look what you've done with your body, your strength, endurance, and dietary habits."

"OK, OK," I say to myself.  "Give yourself a break.  Why do it if you are getting the results you have been looking for your whole life?"  The answer I come back to is...."I want to use my new-found strength and endurance gains and apply it to something."  Sounds fair, right?  But I'm not sure I want a typical road race.  I want a challenge.  Something that will test me beyond just running, running, running.  I think I found the answer.  I've registered for the following........

The Super Spartan Race:  An 8 mile course with crazy, challenging obstacles that will challenge my running, strength and endurance.  While there are races closer to home, this one is two miles from my family on Staten Island, NY and will give me something for which to aim.  It will force me to ramp up my running milage and make me learn to apply my Crossfit training to running/endurance work.  More importantly, it will force me to focus on a part of my diet I've not paid a ton of attention to:  body fat content.  I've spent a lot of time concerned with pounds and portion control, but I think to get to where I'd like to be, I'd prefer to be a bit more lean than I am.  

Out of the rut I come.  Stay tuned....

P.S.  If you haven't had a chance to check out the new cSpinHealthy Facebook page, head over there.  I'd love it if you'd "like it".  

Reboot Your Life

BEFORE READING:  DONT' FORGET TO ENTER THE FIRST CSPINHEALTHY GIVEAWAY.  IT'S FREE AND  YOU CAN ENTER MULTIPLE TIMES.

FIRST WINNER TO BE ANNOUNCED THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

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My wife and I watched this documentary titled Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead.  If you are in a rut, need to lose weight, are interested in juicing, or you just want to broaden your mind about health, fitness, and nutrition, this is a MUST SEE.  Very educational and entertaining.

 GIVE YOUR LIFE A REBOOT!

Just Keep Moving Forward

It was a busy week in our house.  We are an interfaith family, Jewish and Methodist.  Palm Sunday and Passover (and my 39th bday) packed together.  We are cooking, preparing, and working in two soccer games this weekend.  But.......this was the Sunday I was going to run alongside Dean Karnazes, The Ultramarathon Man.  If you read my post a few months ago, you know Dean is running across the United States to raise money and awareness for Action for Healthy Kids, an organization devoted to kids' health and undernourishment in our country and specifically in our schools.  So this was right in my wheelhouse!!!

My busy weekend was interrupted by a 5:15 a.m alarm clock for a chance to meet this guy who I  have read about, followed on Twitter, and have admired not only for his incredible physical and emotional strength, but because about the manner by which he goes about it.  Here's a guy who has run a marathon at the South Pole!  Here's a guy who has finished in the Top 5 at the Badwater Ultramarathon, a grueling 135 miles through Death Valley culminating at Mount Whitney....IN JULY! (you must read about this race!) Here's a guy who has run 50 marathons in 50 days across 50 states!  

This guy is pretty unbelievable.  And here's a guy who is inspiring people to move more and eat well.  I can't argue with that.  Here's a short clip about he is.....

So yesterday, my life long friend, Randy and I took off to run 2.5 miles around the Indianapolis Speedway with Dean as he passed through town.  He got here the day before after a 40 mile day, woke up at 5:15 a.m. to run 2.5 with Randy and me and roughly 300 others on a 35 degree Palm Sunday morning.  

Here's a few moments from yesterday....

The world famous speedway pagoda with Dean's transportation services.

Dean's crew in one of his two custom buses. (Kelly Ripa was not there!)  :(

 Grumpy and cold Good Morning America production guys.  We were on live!

My only close up of Dean to get an idea of how small his is and how fit he looks!

Dean finishing up.  I beat him!  Ha!

So what this guy does in incomprehensible to the vast majority of the population, but I see this guy as an opportunity to learn more about my own health and fitness which is what I believe he is all about.  While some would view Dean Karnazes as egotistical, I choose to see him as something else:  humble, incredible, inspiring, and real.  

Some observations from my experience:

1.  This guy eats 8,000 to 10,000 calories PER DAY when he is doing this stuff.  And he is a tiny and incredibly ripped/athletic man.  Proof in the pudding that you are what you eat!

2.  He does not worry about pacing with this kind of experience.  His goal is to finish.  He said, "As long as I am moving forward, I don't care if I'm doing a 9 minute or 12 minute mile."  Something to consider in my own training whether it running, Crossfit, a sprint triathlon, or swimming.

3.  This guy has major sponsors, Live with Regis and Kelly, books, a team of doctors, nutritionists, a sport psychologist, two running buddies, and much more following him.  He was interviewed live in front of us on Good Morning America.  With all of this, he still stopped to not only sign autographs, but look people in the eye, smile, talk, engage in conversation, ask questions of complete strangers, cheer on others, and just exude an incredible positive energy while being real about it.  After all, he puts his shoes on the same way you and I do every morning.  This energy was contagious and something I think is often overlooked by many.  While a produced piece of media, I think this video demonstrates this about Karnazes very well...

4.  This experience rekindled my desire to continue running, something I've put on the back burner since discovering Crossfit.  I've put a goal out there before to run a sub two hour half marathon, and running around the world famous oval today with a life long friend may have lit that spark again.  

5.  Patience is a tough concept.  Thinking about what Karnazes does in order to better me is tough given what his body is capable of versus mine.  However, I believe the principles he follows can comparatively transfer to my life or anyone's for that matter.  My point?  I need to be patient with my training, my expectations, and my overall fitness goals.  There should be no rush to achieve as long as I'm doing the same thing Dean is doing on his run across America:  

Just keep moving forward!!!

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......

Just Keep Swimming

When I was eight or nine years old, my mom took me to the local YMCA for swimming lessons.  I was outdoors and remember being herded like cattle with other "minnows", "tadpoles" or whatever pet fish name they had for us novice toddlers.  I remember being nervous and a bit scared as I was certainly small fish in a big pond.  It bored me to some extent. 

Fast forward to last week when I attended an introductory, free workshop on sprint triathlons put on by the owner of Team Go, a local triathlon training group here in Indianapolis.  I've thought for awhile that I want to start applying my fitness progress to something else:  a half marathon PR, a crazy obstacle course race/run, or possibly my first sprint triathlon.  With a sprint triathlon, I get to cross-train, continue my endurance training, and it "changes things up" and provides a new type of goal for which to strive.  

So Sunday morning, I drove a few miles away to a local fitness center, paid my $8.00 and for an hour, and received individual attention in the pool.  What a humbling experience!  Lisa, owner and founder of Team Go, broke down the swimming stroke with me as I swallowed and choked on water.  I really did not have much of an expectation, but I did not think I'd struggle quite like I did.  I could not even get my feet moving in conjunction with my breathing.  "Don't ride a bike with your feet," Lisa kept saying, "Keep your legs somewhat straight and relax."  Easier said than done.  

I knew I would not look like this....

Rather, I felt like I needed this lesson......

So I forged ahead, spending an hour working on my stroke, swallowing more water, and wanting to do things the right way.  I wish I could say, "It was like learning to swim", but I guess that would not make sense.  I guess I felt like I was learning to walk all over again.  I've known how to swim for a long time, but not like this....not efficiently....not technically, and not for 500 meters, the length of a sprint triathlon.  

So I've decided this is something I want to pursue.  It's easy on the joints:  no knee pain......no pounding. I'm not good at it at all, and so it gives me a new challenge to reach, overcome, conquer.  It's a new way to keep fit and over the course of time, as I get better, I'll be able to exercise in a way that is easier on the body.  In the meantime, I'm sore like I was when I first started Crossfit, eight months ago.  

So I'm interested in what you have to say.  Leave me a comment and share the following:  What is something that you would like to do better that is hard for you?  

In the meantime, I'll be adhering to this......