a new year!

Here's hoping everybody finds a little trouble 'round midnight!



Have a safe and fun new years everybody!

call me Al

Just heard this on the radio at work. This song always makes me smile. Even at the office... even at 9pm...

higher orders of thinking

"I never once took my eye off what exactly I wanted to do.... You can see it in individuals who have that passion... they have this... insatiable desire to make things happen."
- James OPT Fitzgerald, from his presentation at the Black Box Summit.

Check out part 1 of his lecture in video below. Outstanding stuff!

Visit sicfit.com for more Videos

the pursuit

"Find your passion and pursue it relentlessly."
- Ross Enamait

Lots of good stuff over at RossTraining.com.

The Power of Patience is an example. So is Pick Your Passion. Check 'em out.

28 December 2009

"The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will."
- Vince Lombardi

Took a rest day today, but I will see y'all at the noon free workout at CrossFit Central tomorrow!

Go read this link from Matthew over at Straight Forward in a Crooked World. Think of it as a "heads up!" on a recent executive order signed into law by the President.

December 25, 2009

24 December 2009

WOD: with Austin Unscared

with a continuously running clock complete

1 parallel bar dip the first minute

2 bar dips the second minute

3 bar dips the third minute

4 bar dips the fourth minute...

continue until failure

*only unbroken sets count

I completed 13 rounds + 4 dips of the 14 round for a total of 95 dips. This one crushed me today. When I got home and checked my log, I found that I was one rep short of the last time I did this WOD. Which means I cup-caked...

cup⋅cake [khup-keyk] adjective 1) to wimp out 2) giving in to the pain

I will be back for this one - and I will complete at least 15 rounds!

After that mess- Mike, Jassin and I were feeling like getting more work in, so we decided to go for a bonus WOD!

"bonus" WOD:

400 meters walking lunges

*back knee must touch the ground every rep

My time was 13:45. Felt lousy throughout, but I kept telling myself to accept the pain and keep moving. When I checked my log on this one, I discovered that I had PR'd by 39 seconds! Feels good to end on a high note. Now I'm off to visit my TriggerPoint set!

23 December 2009

"A man with outward courage dares to die,

A man with inward courage dares to live;

But either of these men

Has a better and worse side than the other.

And who can tell exactly to which qualities heaven objects?

Heaven does nothing to win the day,

Says nothing-

Is echoed,

Orders nothing-

Is obeyed,

Advises nothing-

Is right;

And which of us, seeing that nothing is outside the vast

Wide-meshed net of heaven, knows just how it is cast?"

- Lao Tzu, from The Way of Life

WOD: Rest day!

Spread some holiday cheer with "nut nog!" Funny name, serious nog.

22 December 2009

For this morning's WOD I did another posted by Jen-

3 rounds for time:
200 meter run
30 burpees
20 pushups
10 squats

My time was 15:02. Crushed me... I was gassed halfway through round 2. But, today makes three days on, so rest day mañana!

21 December 2009

After fun all day Christmas party at my office, I needed to get outside and move! I met up with my friend Mike and went down to the Austin High track to knock out a WOD posted by coach Jen Cardella. When we got there, we noticed that someone had left out the (usually locked up) tractor tires! So with a modification to Jen's post, today was...

WOD:

10 burpees, 10 squats

2 tractor tire flips

9 burpees, 9 squats

2 tractor tire flips

8 burpees, 8 squats

2 tractor tire flips

7 burpees, 7 squats

2 tire flips.... down to...

1 burpee

1 squat

2 tire flips

My time was 12:16. Good one!

damn dirty grains...

I recently found "Damn dirty grains: this time it's personal" by Robb Wolf posted on CrossFit Flood's page. Pssst- it's a $2.75 download over at Performance Menu.... Go read it for free!

running at daybreak

I took a rest day yesterday, so I got up this morning and drove to town lake for a run. According to my Jeep's thermometer it was 33 degrees out. Still, with no clouds in the sky and steam rising up off the water, running at sunrise today was an experience!

I ran the 3+ mile loop (from the Mopac bridge to Lamar pedestrian bridge and back) in 23:33. I kept what felt like an easy pace, and just enjoyed my morning run. Great way to start the day!

18 December 2009

On my drive to the gym this morning I realized how anxious I was to get back at it, and see what I could do after a lesson learned the hard way on Wednesday...

WOD at CrossFit Central

AMRAP in 20 minutes:

3 handstand push-ups

6 dumbbell cleans @ 45lbs DB

9 pull-ups

I completed 9 rounds scaled to 35lbs DBs. I felt great out the outset and ripped through 4 rounds in the first 5 minutes! Then I was gassed and huffed and puffed my way through the rest. Not a stellar performance overall, but I corrected my errors from Wednesday. I was fully warmed up by the time we started the workout, I scaled the DBs to 35#, and was prepared to scale further if my back started bothering me. It didn't! Rolling out with my Trigger Point set 4 times Wednesday, and 3 times yesterday had a lot to do with that. I also ate clean (save one muscle-milk shake) and got plenty of sleep.

It's amazing how quickly your body can recover, if you give it what it needs! It really is all about keeping good habits. I've let my discipline slip over the last several weeks, and I've paid for it. No more. The "holidays" for me will be training days. My dumbbells and kettlebell will go where I go this Christmas.

Aristotle said: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit."

I'm going to spend the Christmas holiday reacquiring positive habits.

One habit I will be focused on is using my Trigger Point set every day. BTW, I recently stumbled on the Trigger Point blog. You will recognize a CrossFit Central coach in a recent post over there. Good stuff. Go check it out.

It's Friday y'all! Have a safe and fun one!

17 December 2009

"Sometimes, lying on the floor is it's own reward."
- Jon Gilson, from his article "Dedication"

WOD: Rest day.

Here's a good read from Freddy C. at CrossFit One World:

"Ten Ways to Blunt Your Athletic Potential"

What are you doing right? What could you do better? What are you doing wrong/not doing? Figure it out and change it!

16 December 2009

It's always a series of little bad decisions that gets me in trouble - never one big glaring moment of stupidity - and this morning was no exception. I rolled up to the gym this morning on about 6 hours of sleep (bad call number one) in balmy 37 degree weather, and by end of our warm-up I felt chilled and my toes were in "pins and needles" mode. My heart rate was up from an extended run followed by burpees, but I didn't feel warm and wasn't particularly keen on doing anything else the Mikes may of had in store warm-up wise, so I said yes when Big Mike asked if we were feeling warmed-up (bad call part duex). It was at this moment where those two bad calls ganged up on me... In the time it took the Mike's to demo and explain the movements involved in cleaning and jerking a barbell from the ground to overhead, my heart rate dropped and - you guessed it - I stayed cold. I spent that 3 to 5 minutes bouncing around, windmilling my shoulders, running in place, but all I managed to accomplish was not get colder. Then I set up a barbell with 135lbs (incidentally, bad call numero tres) without considering scaling or that pesky over-a-month-off lower-back injury thing... and then, it was game time.

WOD: at CrossFit Central
"Grace"
30 clean and jerk (ground to overhead) for time @ 135lbs

I finished in 9:22 rx'd. That is over two minutes slower than my previous "Grace" time. That is - and felt like - an enternity. I did not feel warm until sometime during the last 10 reps. My mind was not focused (see bad calls 1-3) until "go." At which point it was already too late. Despite my stupidity, and two missed reps on the power-clean, my technique felt pretty solid. My back actually felt fine at the end of "Grace" today, so in that respect I managed to not pay too much for my stupidity. Oh if I had only stopped there...

There was "bonus work" today.
200 meter run
21 deadlifts (with your "Grace" barbell)
200 meter run
15 deadlifts
200 meter run
9 deadlifts

I was still huffing and puffing from Grace, when the Mikes lined everybody up for the bonus work. I was starting to get cold again and as that happened I could feel my back start to tighten up, but when they said "go" I jumped up and took off on the run (chimata numero stupida quattro). After a painfully slow 21 round and the second 200 meter run, I just had to stop. My back was letting me know in no uncertain terms that I was a dumbass.



Seriously though folks, there's a time to listen to your body and a time to push it, and while I can't say I've learned to recognize the difference between the two, I'm working on it. Please don't follow my example on this...

I'm going to rest tomorrow, triggerpoint 2-3 times a day, and be at the gym on Friday. And yes, I will be scaling the WOD.

failure as a catalyst

"Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently."
- Henry Ford

"My imperfections and failures are as much a blessing from God as my successes and my talents."
- Gandhi

a traveling class act

Here are some photos of Chris Spealler's recent trip to India. There are more at CrossFit Sri Ram Ashram (where I got these). CrossFit Sri Ram Ashram is an affiliate in an orphanage outside Hardiwar, India.

14 December 2009

The last part of warming up this morning was a quick two minutes of tabata squats:

21, 19, 18, 15

WOD:

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

kettlebell swing @ 2 pood

knees to elbows

I scaled this one to 1.5 pood and my time was 8:26. Still not feeling 100% but definitely better than last week.

We wrapped up with two 400 meter sprints. I don't know what the interval was, I had an abdominal cramp after the first one and was trying not to puke after the second one: 1:23, 1:28

It's Monday, and as I drove home this morning I remembered how much I enjoy starting my week at the gym! Have a great day y'all.

a weekend of "rest"

I spent a lot of Saturday on the couch (Maker's Mark had the last laugh), but seeing this interview at the end of the Army-Navy football game put my little hangover in perspective...

Navy head coach Nuimatalolo is one classy dude (starts at 1:05).

11 December 2009

WOD: @ CrossFit Central
5 rounds for time
100 foot overhead walking lunge w/45lbs plate
30 box jumps

I clocked in at 17:15 rx'd. Still feeling sluggish, legs were rubbery after one round! I know getting back where I was won't happen overnight, but when my brain is saying "I've done this before, and faster than this!" it's frustrating. Still though, it feels good to be back training!

Happy Friday y'all. See everybody at the Christmas party! Tis the season...

photo by Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman

10 December 2009

"Day by day what you choose, what you think, and what you do is who you become. Your integrity is your destiny. It is the light that guides your way."
- Heraclitus

WOD: Rest day.

indomitable

For a short while now I've been following a blog about an American wounded in the service of his country. Dan Cnossen lost both his legs in a land mine explosion in Afghanistan on September 6, 2009. Yesterday morning he left the hospital and that afternoon....

LINK

How freaking cool is that? HOOYAH Dan!

09 December 2009

WOD: @ CrossFit Central
5 rounds for time
250 meter row
25 pull-ups

My time was 15:52 (scaled to 15 pull-ups in rounds 3 -5).

After watching me struggle through pull-ups in the 3rd round, Big Mike recommended I scale back the number the pull-ups remaining to 15 a round. I was hesitant at first but when he mentioned avoiding rhabdo, I agreed. It was a good thing too, because by the 5th round I couldn't even get three sets of 5 pull-ups! The body weight part of crossfit has always come pretty easy to me, but during round 5 this morning I had no "pull" left. Looking up at that ice-cold bar was about as daunting as seeing these after Monday's front squats...

Oh well. After a month off, the joys of being back at CrossFit outweigh all the pain. So I went home, took a shower, and doctored myself up with triggerpoint, coffee, eggs, an apple with almond butter, and... bacon! If you are ever unsure about having bacon in a meal - you need to have your head examined - and then you need to consult the bacon flow chart!

08 December 2009

"You cannot move forward from some idealized point in the future that has not yet arrived. If you are to move forward, you must do it from where you are now. Though it may not be perfect, it is plenty to get you going. Wishing for more or feeling resentment because you don't have more, will only waste your precious time. Although there is no guarantee the your actions will be effective, one thing that is certain is that nothing will happen if you take no action at all."
- James OPT Fitzgerald

WOD: Rest day. Sore as... well I'll just say really sore.

infamy...

"Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."
- George Santayana

Let us not forget. Let us learn.

photos courtesy of the National Archives

07 December 2009

WOD: @ CrossFit Central:
AMRAP in twenty minutes of
5 barbell front-squats @ 165lbs
10 push-ups
15 abmat sit-ups

This workout felt like a welcome-back slap-in-the-face! I could really feel the month off today... I completed 8 rounds + 2 front-squats scaled. The first round I did at 135lbs, and had to go down to 115lbs for the rest. Felt like I had no strength or stamina today. I could do the push-ups and sit-ups unbroken though. Not pleased at all with today's performance, but I will get it back, and stronger than I was before. It's a good thing I like a challenge!

Coach Meg Parsons got her kettlebell certification last weekend! You gotta see the photos of Jeff Martone doing Turkish-Get-Ups with Meg as his kettlebell!

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever Gods may be
for my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the Captain of my soul.

Invictus
by William Ernest Henley

the flu sucks

I didn't come down with swine flu or anything crazy, just your regular old-fashioned flu. Still though, not a fun way to spend a few days...

The break from the cell phone and emails was kinda nice though... but I'm starting to feel human again, so vacation is over! I'll be training again on Monday!

high flight

U.S. Air Force photo

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air.
Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,
I've topped the windswept heights with easy grace
Where never lark, or even eagle flew -
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untresspassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand and touched the face of God.

High Flight
by Gillespie Magee

Pilot Officer, Royal Canadian Air Force

Thanksgiving

It's another beautiful day in Austin Texas! Went up to CrossFit Central this morning for the 5k fun run. My time was 23:53. Feeling good!

I am thankful for all the blessings and challenges of my life. It's great to be alive! Peace.

25 November 2009

WOD: @ CrossFit Central

2 person team for time:

50-40-30-20-10

overhead walking lunge @ 25lbs plate

push-ups

box jump

push-press @ 75lbs barbell

sit-ups

Mike and I teamed up and, splitting each movement evenly between us, were starting box jumps on the last round when time was called at 25 minutes. Make that a DNF. Between soreness and my performance the last two days, I can really tell I took almost 3 weeks off! Still, my back never bothered me so I'm happy with today!

I've shared $.02 about the Robb Wolf firing, but I want to point out that Greg Everett has posted his take on things. Also, go read CJ Martin's outstanding post on his blog today.

WODs and controversy

WOD first, controversy second...

WOD: @ CrossFit Central
for time
10 kettlebell swings, 1 burpee
10 KB swings, 2 burpees
10 KB swings, 3 burpees
... build until
10 KB swings, 10 burpees
women: 1.5 pood, men 2 pood

My time was 11:47 scaled to 1.5 pood (24kg). Being careful and scaling my way into things, but my back fared well with the WOD, it was the bonus that I should have sat out. Zach had us do tabata push-ups, resting in a plank, then we rolled onto our backs and held our feet at 6" for I don't know how long. Stopped that about midway through when things started to lock up in my back again. Rolled out immediately by the front desk, and then again at home. I was stupid, but managed to not do any real damage. I've gotta be more disciplined though...

On to controversy...

First of all I think it's a shame that Robb Wolf will no longer be doing the nutrition certs. I was unable to attend the one held here in Austin (last year I believe it was), and frankly, will not be attending one until I know there is a presenter of his caliber on board. I did not attend the Black Box Summit, but I did drop by Sunday afternoon to check out the OPT training log and just hang around. I chatted with Web and Kris and then snuck in and sat in the back for the last 45 minutes of the Q&A portion, paid rapt attention to the discussion and promptly forgot all about training logs. (A good thing too because Erika has hand-made me a training log! Contact her to get your own!)

Anyhow, it's obvious the fallout over the Dave Castro meltdown that took place Saturday, the Robb Wolf firing, and the issues surrounding it won't go away (and in my opinion should be discussed in a frank and open manner). Also, I have no doubt that this episode will not diminish what is being reflected on as a phenomenal weekend by many people. For instance, read the recent stuff by C.J. Martin at CrossFit Invictus, Freddy C. at CrossFit One World, or Dutch, and make sure to check out Nicki Violetti's latest post (read the comments as well). The fantastic presenters and the wealth of knowledge they represent are bigger than this controversy, and will outshine it. I could tell that from sitting in the back row for a few minutes. If you were there, you know what I mean. If you weren't, go watch the video clips at sicfit.com and then you will too.

23 November 2009

Well, I managed to not set my alarm this morning. Got too used to sleeping in these past few weeks! So I missed the WOD at Central this morning, but went for a run instead. Of course I wasn't able to time my run because I left my watch at home! Seeing a pattern here? Anyway, got in a 3 mile-ish run around townlake this morning and felt good throughout.

Check out the Black Box Summit recommended reading list. Amazon.com here I come...

Also, read Change your mind and the rest will follow. It's about the self-defense mindset, but widely applicable. A very good post on an interesting blog.

quality

Check out this video of Dutch Lowy and Robb Wolf speaking at the Black Box Summit. Looks like it was a quality weekend...

Visit sicfit.com for more Videos

I'm baa-aack

Man it feels so good to be back to training! After my little injury-induced vacation it felt like coming home to walk into CrossFit Central this morning. I say that for two reasons.

One, because it's true.

Two, I felt like chiming in on the big-box vs small-box "debate". It's about the quality of training peoples! To have that you need competent, professional coaches who have a passion for what they do. When you love doing something, going the "extra mile" is a pleasure and a privilege. They've built a community, a culture of success. When your coaches and friends are focused on skills improvement, nutrition, and goals setting, it makes you want to "up your game." It's also a lot of fun. That is why CrossFit Central is so successful. Period.

On to the WOD today...

20 November 2009
WOD: @ CrossFit Central
"tabata roll with it"
8 intervals for each movement of 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest
barbell push-jerk @ 75lbs
med-ball clean @20lbs med-ball
row (calories = reps)
push-ups

The Mike's had us keep a cumulative total of reps for the whole workout (much easier than scoring each movement). My number today was 233. The barbell push-jerk and push-ups treated me well. The med-ball cleans killed me, but my back felt good the whole way!

It's Friday! Have a safe and fun weekend y'all.

S...s..s..s..s.. A..a..a..a..a.. F..f..f..f......

nerdly wisdom

"Do or do not. There is no try!"
- Yoda

moving down the road

"The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Once you know where you want to be, it's just a matter of getting there. Unfortunately, that's where trouble hits most of us. We get complacent, frustrated at pace of progress or lack thereof, and so on...

I stumbled on this short list last year, and it's helped keep me on track, and reminded me to get my ass back there when I strayed...

1. define your goal - decide "what you want"
2. visualize the accomplishment of your goal - create and image or set of images that embody getting or becoming what you want
3. develop a plan - chart your course to that goal - map specific steps to getting what you want
4. act on "three things" - consistently work on a small number of action items that can be accomplished in three days / three weeks / three months / three years
5. maintain focus on your goal - revisit numbers 1 through 4 on a regular basis - about every three days

Right now my short term focus is healing the muscle strain in my lower back... and the end of that road is in sight!

Then I'm gonna blaze a new trail!!

Veteran's Day

"War is an ugly thing, but it is not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

- John Stuart Mill

Happy Veteran's Day to all the vets out there... and thank you for your service.

getting work done...

"If you believe in what you are doing, then let nothing hold you up in your work. Much of the best work of the world has been done against seeming impossibilities. The thing is to get the work done."
- Dale Carnegie

WOD: Rest day. My back is coming along, actually looking forward to hitting the trigger point set again today...

also... Happy 234th Birthday Marines!

rest day thoughts...

As for my whole lower-back muscle spasm/strain situation, I'm seeing real improvement now that I'm resting it for real, even on the days where I feel pretty good. I can't wait to get back to training, but when I do, it will be once I'm completely healed.

I was going to post several links, but below is the one I want to post above all else. The Fort Hood shooting has been all over the news lately, and I don't have anything to say other than I never cease to be horrified by the worst of humanity, or amazed by our best. Many of you are likely already aware of this woman, but I'd still like to share this article about Police Sgt. Kimberly Munley.


Nicknamed "Mighty Mouse" (before the shooting), this mother of two is credited as the one who took down the Fort Hood shooter, and was seriously wounded in the process.

"Here I come to save the day!" indeed.

Well done ma'am.

light blogging lately...

Today was going to be a training day. I was at the track this morning and was feeling OK, so I figured I'd do some light stretching, go through the CC warm-up, and then pace myself through the WOD and see just how I felt... bad call. I felt allright through the stretching, then started the warm-up... and my back started killing me again. Think old-man style lower-back hurts-to-pick-something-up kind of pain. So... I hobbled to the car, went home, broke out the triggerpoint, rolled out my back and made another appointment with my chiro for tomorrow.

Time to exercise my patience some more...

Oh- here's a helpful chart of trigger-points from CrossFit Oakland.

02 November 2009

"Each honest calling, each walk of life, has it's own elite, it's own aristocracy based on excellence of performance."
- James Bryant Conant

Check out the profile of CrossFit Central in a recent CrossFit Journal article. Good stuff!

WOD: After an "active rest" weekend at the ranch, took today off. My back is getting better, albeit very slowly. Muscle strains suck... especially in your lower back.

30 October 2009

"If you wish to be a lawyer, attach no consequence to the place you are in, or the person you are with; but get books, sit down anywhere, and go reading for yourself."

- Abraham Lincoln, from an 1858 letter to William H. Grigsby

I like what the quote above says about initiative. Just do it.

WOD: Yet another rest and recovery day. Headed to my family's ranch in the hill country for the weekend. I know it's not spring but I dig this photo... reminds me of the drive out of town. Have a great weekend y'all!

(courtesy of flickr)

29 October 2009

"I drink coffee black for the caffeine.
I drink tequila on the rocks for the alcohol.
I eat beef, barely cooked and with little seasoning for the nourishment.
I lift heavy weights so I can be strong."
- Dutch Lowy, from the most recent post on his blog

Reading the entire post is worth your time. It's titled Cheating... Seriously, go now.

WOD: Rest day. Back is coming along. Should be training again on Monday.

28 October 2009

"Life is only doin' what you think is worth pursuing."

- from a song by Jerry Jeff Walker

WOD: Rest day. Yet again.

27 October 2009

"Believe deep down in your heart that you're destined to do great things."
- Joe Paterno

Like fight zombies! Mel's got a WOD for us with Halloween almost here... besides, you never know when you'll have to defend yourself against a zombie outbreak! Between the ZAP WOD and all the helpful hints in Shaun of the Dead there is no excuse to not be prepared....


"Bash 'em in the head, that seems to work."

WOD: Rest day. My back is getting better, just slowly. The cure? Trigger point, stretch, rest, rinse, repeat...

26 October 2009

"The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts his sails."
- William Arthur Ward

WOD: Rest day. Lower back still jacked up. Trigger point and rest has helped though. Visiting the chiro tomorrow to spur things along.

Had a fun and laid-back weekend despite having to occasionally move around like an old man. I also finished a good portion of Apache Gold and Yaqui Silver by J. Frank Dobie - it's folklore that reads easy and gets your imagination going. Also watched the Yankees clinch the AL pennant Sunday night!

23 October 2009

"Restlessness and discontent are the first necessities of progress."
- Thomas Edison

WOD: Rest day.... I forgot to set my alarm and I slept about 12 hours... 10pm to 10am today. Lack of sleep catches me again. It's OK though because my body is broke down right now. The month of Girls and Heroes was fun but phew... after Jason several days ago my lower back has been nagging me... always felt OK once I warmed up, then I did Diane rx'd and now it's sore. More trigger point, several rest days (with solid sleep every day) and I'll be back at it!

Random awesome-ness: check out this SMU freshman's crazy goal from across the field:


SMU Freshman hits 95-yard Soccer Goal @ Yahoo! Video

22 October 2009

"Every human being is the author of his own health or disease."
- Buddha

WOD: Rest day. Isabel on deck. Watch as Josh Everett crushes this WOD!

21 October 2009

WOD: @ CrossFit Central
"Diane"
21-15-9
deadlift @ 225lbs
handstand pushup

DNF. In 20 minutes I only completed the 21 and 15 rounds with the rx'd weight and an ab-mat under my head during HSPU. Talk about a bad day. I started feeling light-headed during the 15 round... It wasn't "I'm inverted doing HSPU lightheaded", more of a "seeing stars I may pass out" kinda feeling. It took about 30 minutes to get back to feeling normal (a la Helen)... lack of sleep strikes again...

It's time to asses what I am doing wrong and fix it.

Kris K posted about this today. It's an excellent list of questions to ask yourself.

20 October 2009

"Whatever you would make habitual, practice it; and if you would not make a thing habitual, do not practice it, but habituate yourself to something else."
- Epictetus

WOD: Rest day. Here's some reading for ya:

Another poignant Michael Yon dispatch.

Jon Gilson's Don't Quit.

19 October 2009

WOD: @ CrossFit Central

"Nicole"

AMRAP in 20 minutes of:

400 meter run

max rep pullups

Phew. Nicole was a brutal as I recalled...

33-15-15-13-14-11 = 101 pullups

That's a PR of 9 pullups from last time! A PR and no rips in my hands means it was a good day!

Check out this video of CrossFit Park City's Chris Spealler doing 106 pullups in considerably less time than twenty minutes. Some serious bad-assery right there:

Texas - OU weekend recap

Saturday morning kettlebell WOD: @ CrossFit Central

AMRAP in 15 minutes

3 turkish get-ups

6 squat cleans

9 American swings

I completed 6 rounds with 16kg kettlebell. Here's a shot of the kettlebell action Saturday morning. I'm right under the "media" portion of the whiteboard, cleverly concealing my identity with a KB... sorry no press please... no press ;)

Fun way to start the day! Then I went and watched Texas beat OU! Not exactly convincingly, but a win is a win. Followed that up with a Yankee victory in the 13th inning of a great game against the Angels. It was a sports filled Saturday!

Sunday was an "active" rest day.

gridtastic

I stopped by the Trigger Point office (yup, they are based here in A-town) on my lunch break and picked up a "grid" foam roller. Just took a break and rolled out on my office floor. Seriously, this thing is saa-weet!


Psst: if you haven't given the orange one "on display" at the gym (under the keycard swiper) a test drive, you should.

While I'm on the recovery soapbox, check out Kelly Starrett's post: be nice, your wrists work hard. They do. Think about the last week: Fran, the Bear complex, Jason, all those burpees for forgotten logs and birthdays... so be nice.

16 October 2009

WOD: @ CrossFit Central

"The Chief"

AMRAP in a 3 minutes of:

3 power cleans (from the ground) @ 135lbs

6 pushups

9 squats

* complete total of 5 cycles, 1 minute rest between cycles

* score is total number of completed cycles

I completed 23 rounds as rx'd. This was fun one!!

It's Friday boys and girls, and OU still sucks!

15 October 2009

"To hell with circumstances, I create opportunities."
- Bruce Lee

WOD: Rest and recovery day = trigger point. It hurts so good.

Check out shugyo, via the crossfit.com affiliate page today. Good stuff.

14 October 2009

WOD: @ CrossFit Central

"Eva"

5 rounds for time:

800 meter run

30 kettlebell swings @ 2 pood (32kg or 70.5 pounds)

30 pullups

DNF. Completed 2 rounds + 800 meter run rx'd at the 25 minute cutoff. Ouch. Yeah I'm still feeling Monday's WOD, and the humidity makes it hard to keep a grip on the KB, but really "Eva" is just freaking tough! This month of benchmark WODs has been both fun and humbling.

13 October 2009

"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence."
- Vince Lombardi

WOD: Rest day. My legs are incredibly sore. As in it hurts to move sore. Using my trigger point set in this condition was a whole new... experience.

Why trigger point? You feel better and recover quicker (after using the trigger point that is).

What is trigger point? Check out this explanation of myofascial release from wikipedia:

"Myofascial release is a form of soft tissue thereapy used to treat somatic dysfunction and accompanying pain and restriction of motion. This is accomplished by relaxing contracted muscles, increasing circulation, increasing venous and lymphatic drainage, and stimulating the stretch reflex of muscles and overlying fascia.

Fascia is the soft tissue component of the connective tissue that provides support and protection for most structures within the human body, including muscle. This soft tissue can become restricted due to psychogenic disease, overuse, trauma, infectious agents, or inactivity, often resulting in pain, muscle tension, and corresponding diminished blood flow. Although fascia and its corresponding muscle are the main targets of myofascial release, other tissue may be affect as well, including other connective tissue.

As in most tissue, irritation of fascia or muscle causes local inflammation. Chronic inflammation results in fibrosis, or thickening of the connective tissue, and this thickening causes pain and irritation, resulting in reflexive muscle tension that causes more inflammation. In this way, the cycle creates a positive feedback loop and can result in ischemia and somatic dysfunction even in the absence of the original offending agent. Myofascial techniques aim to break this cycle through a variety of methods acting on multiple stages of the cycle."

12 October 2009

WOD: @ CrossFit Central

"Jason"

for time:

100 squats

5 muscle-ups

75 squats

10 muscle-ups

50 squats

15 muscle-ups

25 squats

20 muscle-ups

DNF. I completed all but 8 muscle-ups as rx'd at the 25 minute cutoff. Despite playing all weekend I felt solid until the 15 round of muscle-ups, after that I was reduced to muscle-ups in ones and twos from then on...

Seriously... That. Was. Tough. Just as a hero workout should be.

Special Operator 1st Class (SEAL) Jason Dale Lewis, was killed by an IED while conducting combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq on July 6, 2007. We name this workout "Jason" in honor of his life, family, and courage. (from crossfit.com)

09 October 2009

WOD: @ CrossFit Central

"the bear"

5 sets of 7 reps without dropping the barbell

*a failed set occurs if you drop the barbell at any point during a set

*rest as needed between sets

1 rep = pulling from the ground;

squat clean

thruster

back squat

push-press

my sets: 95, 115, 115F, 95 105F

An OK day. Not disappointed, but not thrilled with my performance today. Shoulders and legs felt blah, which wasn't good because it's all shoulders and legs in this WOD! Tough one today...

A few links:

The Wall Street Journal on The Missing Debate.

Take the time to read this one from David Brooks at the New York Times: The Afghan Imperative. Check out the three links he refers to as well. Very informative and, in my opinion, worth your time.

Finally, here's the 60 Minutes profile of General Stanley McChrystal:

08 October 2009

"Aut inveniam viam aut faciam."
"I shall find a way or make one."
- unknown

WOD: Rest day. My legs are shot. Mary and her pistols will get ya...

Check out the latest at Eat Clean Live Strong: oven roasted turkey with leeks and dried fruit. I challenge you to look at that picture and not get hungry...

07 October 2009

WOD: @ CrossFit Central

"Mary"

AMRAP in 20 minutes of:

5 handstand pushups

10 pistol (one leg squats)

15 pullups

I completed 6 rounds rx'd (PR) this morning. Never done Mary before, we always had a choice in class between her and "Cindy." Today there was no choice! It was a tough one, but I'm pretty happy with my performance. Today I did more HSPU and pistols than ever before, and all but my last set of pullups were unbroken! Feeling good!

PS- One day when I grow up, I'm gonna be able to do weighted pistols like Adrian Bozman of San Francisco CrossFit...

06 October 2009

"Nothing splendid has ever been achieved except by those who dared believe that something inside themselves was superior to circumstance."
- Bruce Barton

WOD: Rest day.

"Mary" is on deck for tomorrow. Check this video of CrossFit HQ original Rob Miller crushing this WOD: See his kipping HSPU? That's going to be useful tomorrow...

04 October 2009

"Believe you can and you're halfway there."

- Theodore Roosevelt

WOD: Rest day. Feeling human again. Eating well and taking it easy, getting ready for another week of the girls and heroes.

03 October 2009

"A hangover is the wrath of grapes."

-unknown

WOD: Rest day. See above.

02 October 2009

WOD: @ CrossFit Central

"Helen"

3 rounds for time

400 meter run

21 kettlebell swings @ 1.5 pood

12 pullups

9:59 rx'd (PR). Helen was a tough as I remember. I didn't feel normal for about the next thirty minutes. My heart rate would rocket back up as soon as I started doing anything more that walk around! The Mikes had us doing some extra kettlebell work after Helen, but I wasn't feeling it. That's the first time in over a year of crossfit that I've half-assed the "extra" work at the end of class.

Feeling great about a week of PRs though! Helloooo weekend!

Check out OPT's sub-7 minute Helen!

FYI- Today is Jeremy and Lisa's wedding day! Show 'em some love today.

01 October 2009

WOD: with Austin Unscared

"for time"

100 meter walking lunge

800 meter run

100 squats

Met up with Devon and Jassin down at the AHS track this morning. My time was 9:38 rx'd. This was a fun one!

Michael Yon's latest: a no-BS assessment of the Afghanistan situation from a guy who's spent a lot of time on the ground there.

If you've got a CrossFit Journal subscription, go check out the recent video on ring dips. They cover technique, scaling, progressions, and then put on a display of freakish strength. The "one Barber" dip... crazy!

This made me laugh when I saw it in an email yesterday...

30 September 2009

WOD1: @ CrossFit Central

"Grace"

30 clean and jerk (ground to overhead) for time @ 135lbs

My time was 7:18 rx'd. This was my second time at Grace and my first time with the weight as prescribed. So chalk up another PR (technically but I'll take it). Just when I was starting to feel normal again, the Mikes hit us with a follow-up...

WOD2:

"Jeremy"

21-15-9

overhead squat w/PVC

burpee

My time on this one was 3:48.

On Saturday October 10th, at the RunTex location there's a Fran challenge going down. Check out CrossFit Central's website for details and sign up. I'll see y'all there for the 9am heat!

Check out coach Big Mike's "Grace" in 89 seconds:

29 September 2009

"You're working real hard in the gym. Don't let your diet work against you."
- Dr. Barry Sears

The CrossFit Journal recently posted part 6 of the Dr. Barry Sears nutrition presentation. This one is all about how your diet affects your performance. It's definitely worth your time, and it's a free download. Seriously, go watch it. If you've got the time to read my ramblings, you've got the time to watch a twelve minute video.

WOD: Rest day. My whole body is wrecked from Angie coming on the heels of Fight Gone Bad. Staring down a month of Girls and Hero WODs has me thinking I will be taking a few more rest days than usual... hopefully this will help keep my performance up (along with eating zone/paleo-ish and getting enough sleep of course). At least that's my plan for now!

28 September 2009

WOD: @ CrossFit Central

"Angie"

100 pullups

100 pushups

100 situps

100 squats

*for time, complete movements in order before moving on

My time was 21:04 rx'd (PR). Shaved just over two minutes off my last time! The month of benchmarks has started... and I'm feeling good with PRs on Fight Gone Bad and Angie. This is going to be a tough month, but its of to a good start!

27 September 2009

"The power of imagination makes us infinite."

- John Muir

WOD: Rest day. Put the book down today and watched some TV. Caught some football and now I'm watching part one of Ken Burns' film The National Parks on PBS. Very cool. Check it out.

26 September 2009

WOD: Fight Gone Bad 4 at the Long Center

"three rounds for points"

one minute at each station

one minute rest between rounds

score is total number of reps

push-press @ 75lbs barbell

row (calories = points)

wall ball @ 20lbs medicine ball

sumo-deadlift high-pull @ 75lbs barbell

box jump (20" box)

My score was 299 rx'd (PR). It's a PR so I'm happy, but oh so close to 300.... that part is frustrating. Next time.

What's truly important is that this morning's event raised over thirty thousand dollars for cancer research and the Wounded Warrior Project. Just awesome! Not that I'd expect anything else from a gathering of over 200 crossfitters! We had the CrossFit Central crew out in force, as well as athletes from CrossFit Westlake and CrossFit Austin. All great people working their tails off for two great causes. Great way to start your day!

25 September 2009

WOD: @ CrossFit Central
"5 rounds for time"
15 overhead squats @ 95lbs barbell
30 ab-mat situps

DNF. Completed 4 rounds as rx'd at the 20 minute cut-off. This one turned into a fight. The ab-mat situps were cake, it was the OHS that did me in. The Mikes said my form was solid, good depth, etc... this WOD just put my main weakness (leg strength) on display. The upside? It's what I need to be working on!

Here's a little Friday bonus: Nicole Carroll performing a beautiful overhead-squat. No need to thank me.

(crossfit.com photo)

24 September 2009

"Not the glittering weapon that fights the fight, but rather the hero's heart."
- proverb

Since Fight Gone Bad 4 is this Saturday I thought this quote was apt. I, alongside about one hundred and fifty other atheletes in Austin will be participating in this event to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project and cancer research via the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

If you are free Saturday morning, come to the Long Center and be a part in this great event. Come cheer on these athletes as they display their determination, grit, and heart! See you there!

WOD: Rest day. Trying to stay fresh for Saturday!

23 September 2009

WOD: @ CrossFit Central
"tabata mashup"
20 seconds: max rep pullups
10 seconds rest
20 seconds: max rep KB SDHP @ 1.5 pood
10 seconds rest
20 seconds: max rep pushups
10 seconds rest
20 seconds: goblet squat @ 1.5 pood

After 8 rounds: my score was 5/11/7/4. Felt kinda blah during the warmup, but wasn't worried 'cause when that happens after I'm warmed up things usually go well. Not so much this morning. Felt great the first round, but everybody feels great the first round. This format of tababta gets tough fast with your "rest" period basically being the transition from one movement to the next.

Not too happy with my results today... especially scoring 5 on pullups... then 7 and 4 on pushups and goblet squats respectively. Days like this just fuel my motivation to improve!

22 September 2009

"Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other."
- Abraham Lincoln

The more I learn about "honest Abe" the more I want to learn. So I've bumped up his biography up to my reading "on deck" circle. This one is supposed to be one of the best out there:

WOD: Rest day. Still not getting enough sleep lately. Since I want to PR at Fight Gone Bad on Saturday, and I keep hearing that 9 is the new 8, I slept in a little this morning. Going to make sure I'm in bed early tonight as well.

Congrats to Coach Mike Gregory on achieving his Level 2 cert this weekend!

21 September 2009

WOD: @ CrossFit Central
5-5-5-5-5
squat-clean & jerk

Good stuff this morning! Even though I feel solid with most of my olympic techniques, there are always little things to improve on. Ran outta time in class, didn't get all five sets in, so my numbers were:

95-115-135

I felt solid at 135lbs, and am pretty sure I'd have been good for 145lbs, maybe 150lbs... still though, Monday is done!

20 September 2009

"The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will instruct his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and prevention of disease."

- Thomas Edison

Forgive the pun, but here's some good "food for thought" by Dr. Michael Eades: Are we meat eaters of vegetarians?

Another good read by David Brooks: No, it's not about race

WOD: Rest day!

19 September 2009

WOD: by CrossFit Central at RunTex

AMRAP in twenty minutes

teams of five had to complete:

10 ring dips

20 dumbbell thrusters

30 dumbbell swings

40 abmat sit ups

50 double-unders

*teammates start at a station, complete their required reps, and then rotate to the next station once every team member has completed their reps

*one round is completed when every member completes all stations

I got on a kick-ass team for this one! In twenty minutes Devon, Georgia, Wes, Jonathan and I completed 2 rounds and 1 station as rx'd I believe. Different but fun workout today. The double-unders were not exactly "fun" and my slowness with them in the second round definitely held the team back some, but overall it was a good one this morning.

And now.... it's tailgate time! Since I'm not drinking until after Fight Gone Bad, it will be sans alcohol, but it's still going to be fun watching Texas beat Texas Tech! Hook'em Horns!!

18 September 2009

WOD: @ CrossFit Central

"5 rounds for time"

400 meter run

100 foot overhead lunge with 45lbs plate

16:50 as rx'd. Wow. Tough one. Fun too though in that masochistic kinda way. Then we followed up with a round of tabata ab-mat sit-ups. My sets were 11-11-11-10-10-10-10-11 so I scored 10. Kick ass Friday workout!

What the heck is an overhead lunge? Here's CrossFit Central coach Crystal McReynolds winning her heat with overhead lunges in the 2009 CrossFit Games. (crossfit.com photo)

17 September 2009

"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor."
- Vincent Lombardi

WOD: Rest day!

Here's a thought provoking read I found today: Yale Law School professor Bruce Ackerman's op-ed piece about abolishing the position of White House Counsel.

"Obama should return to the traditional system in which presidents depended on the Justice Department for their legal advice. The White House Counsel dates only to 1943, when Sam Rosenman became the first to have the title - and he was President Roosevelt's principal speechwriter, not a legal advisor. Succeeding presidents followed FDR's model. Before Richard Nixon was faced with impeachment and then-Counsel John Dean hired five assistants, the White House Counsel didn't even have a staff."

Interesting stuff. Read it in it's entirety here.

16 September 2009

WOD: @ CrossFit Central

"for time"

50-30-15

kettlebell sumo-deadlift-high-pull @ 24kg

box jump

push-up

12:13 rx'd. Fun one today! Feeling good!

Independent correspondent Michael Yon recently posted a new dispatch from Afghanistan.

Also, European astronomers have discovered and measured the mass and density of a "rock exoplanet." Which in english means there is now evidence of a solid planet outside our solar system that's mass is "earth-like." It's too close to it's sun to possibly sustain life; it's surface temperature being 3,600 degrees Fahrenheit.

15 September 2009

WOD: with Austin Unscared
"4 rounds for time"
10 dumbbell push-press right arm @ 45lbs
10 walking lunge w/DB
10 dumbbell push-press left arm
10 walking lunge W/DB

I met up with Mike and Wes at the AHS track this morning for a quick workout. 7:36 rx'd. Fun one - my shoulder is feeling good again!

Here's a good read from CrossFit NYC called "my sentiments exactly." How much do you practice your oly lifts? I know I need some serious time on several.

14 September 2009

WOD: @ CrossFit Central

"5 rounds for time"

10 barbell thrusters @ 95lbs

10 chest-to-bar pullups

7:24 rx'd. I'm baa-aack! Felt pretty good today, shoulders and back still a little stiff, but nothing that some more trigger point can't fix. After the WOD, Lance had 3 rounds of 12 GHD situps waiting for us, followed by three 400 meter sprints at a 90 second interval. My "sprint" times were 1:29, 1:20, and 1:27. On the first and last sprints my legs felt like jello...

Great start to a new week!

September 11th 2009

Eight years ago... and so many names... here are three I'd like to tell you about.

Jim Giberson "started slow" in the morning and would take his coffee on the street in front of his firehouse, smiling and greeting people as they walked by (which you know, if you've spent time in Manhattan, is not a common occurrence). After the 11th a young woman would walk by in the mornings, look at the pictures posted outside, and burst into tears. After several days of this, the guys approached and asked her had she known anyone in the firehouse? She pointed and Giberson's picture, but said she didn't know him. She said they exchanged "good mornings" so often that she came to think of him as her personal fireman. He was one of twelve men lost from the Engine 40 Ladder 35 firehouse.

Terence Hatton, known as Terry, was the Captain of Rescue 1, one of the FDNY's specially trained units. He was known as a methodical and tireless worker. His saying was: "It's either outstanding or it's unacceptable." Almost immediately after the 11th, his wife Beth announced she was pregnant. Months later she gave birth to a healthy baby girl - and named her Terri. Captain Hatton led ten men from his firehouse into the World Trade Center. None of the eleven from Rescue 1 survived.

Patrick Brown was the Captain of Ladder 3. Known as Pat or Paddy - at 48 he had become a legend in the FDNY - the most decorated member in the history of the department, always able to be in the right place at the right time to save someone. Still, those who knew him personally described him as exceptionally humble. He was a Marine, Vietnam veteran, a golden-gloves boxer, a marathon runner, a 2nd degree black belt in Seido karate who taught self-defense classes for the blind, a dedicated practitioner of yoga... the list goes on and on. And yet a list doesn't seem sufficient. My friend Sharon Watts put a book together that paints a vivid picture of Paddy's exceptional life. Her book tells "Pat stories" better than I can (but if you ask me in person I'll do my best to recount one or two). Captain Brown led eleven men into the World Trade Center. All twelve were lost.

10 September 2009

WOD: with Austin Unscared
400 meters walking lunges
*back knee must touch ground every rep

14:24 rx'd. This has to be one of my favorites. Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment? It could also be that with my shoulders and neck still jacked up, I'm thrilled to still be able to train. Paid another visit to my chiro today. After another round on the e-stem and more active-release stretching, I'm not back to 100% yet, but I'm closing in.

09 September 2009

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
- Dr. Seuss

Or as Mel put it in her blog today: be yourself loudly!


WOD: Rest day. My shoulders, neck and back still very sore. Went to my chiro today; got hooked up to the e-stem and had some active release done. I can turn my head all the way left now! Getting better, albeit slowly.