The Day Matt got Creative and Tried to Thin the Herd

The day was July 4th.  A day to remember our country's independence from British rule.  Well Matt Munson the owner of Crossfit Champions came up with a creative way to celebrate this great day.  This also was the beginning of my second  month of crossfit.  Matt made the workout to equal the date 7-4-1776.  It was seven rounds with four movements in each round for time or sixty minutes which ever came first.
At first I thought maybe Matt is trying to thin the herd down.  You know like a lion looking for the weak of the herd to pick off.
Well the workout was as bad as I thought it would be.  I try and make mini goals for my workouts so I wanted to make at least four rounds.  I knew it would be hard since I still get gassed easily.  It was a killer workout.  I started to get that sour feeling in my stomach halfway through the workout.  I got to round four and mustered my way through it.  I told myself to keep going and get that fifth round.  With about two minutes to go all I needed to do was one last row to complete that fifth round.  Well I was dead basically I was tapped out.  Then Coach Denise got on the machine next to me.  She just needed to finish her row to complete all seven rounds.  She started to talk to herself willing herself  not to finish on the machine.  It inspired me to finish not on the machine also.  It gave me that last bit of kick to finish my fifth round.  Thanks Denise for getting me to the end.
Since that workout I have notice that I am able to go a bit longer in my workouts.  They also seem to be not as intimidating.  Then it dawn on me Matt was not thinning the herd but making it stronger.  By breaking my body down I am able to do more.  Not just physically but mentally too. 

Counting Should be Easy ....Right?

Just a fun quick hitter for the Crossfitters out there.  So there are two things that seem to be a challenge for a newbie crossfitter like myself.  The first is breathing.  I mean its a simple process breathe in and then exhale.  Nothing to it I been doing it for as long as I have been alive.  I mean I am a pro at it now, been doing it for 36 years.  I can even breathe through my nose or my mouth.  I excel at this movement.  So it makes me wonder why that sweet 02 plays hard to get during WOD.  I know she will come around eventually but does she have to be soo stubborn. 
The second challenge for a newbie crossfitter is counting.  Once again an easy process just add one to number.  I pretty much got that nailed down many years ago even checked my old progress reports to verify.  So today's WOD was 150 wall balls.  Not a problem I have counted pass 150 numerous times.  Well lets just say I am pretty sure I did more than 150.  Keeping track up to the 50s was pretty easy but from then on as I grew tired I found myself just doing the movement and not counting.  So I would add to my totals in a conservative manner.  I would hate to resort to counting on my fingers and toes during WODs.  I am sure that would get in the way of the movement. 
So crossfit is more than just tuning you body to me it tunes the whole package.  Mind and body.

Good Enough is Not Good Enough There is Better

All my life I have been a good enough person.  Results really did not matter as long as the work or task got completed then that was good enough for me.  It did not matter what the results of my labor looked like as long as it was done.  For the longest time I took this approach to getting healthy.  My thinking was as long as I went to the gym then that was good enough.  It did not matter how much effort was put in because I was at the gym.  Well something has slowly started to change in me during this past month.  Good enough is not good enough there is BETTER!

Now I may not improve on every workout but there is always something that I am going to strive to do better.  It is not ok just to show up and go through the motions.  I want to give my all out effort on every workout.  I want that hour worth of time at the box to be my bubble from the world.  No stress from work, family or life.  I want all my physical and mental energy to be focused on squeezing out one more rep until I hear the buzzer.  Why do I want this because I want to be better.  Better health wise, better person, and better husband.  I believe they are linked together.

Had a great weekof workouts at Crossfit Champions.  I set a PR on power clean.  I failed on my first attempt but then was able to rock 143lbs.  Thanks Coach Christian AKA Chris LOL.  I also did some box jumping too for the first time.  I made it all the way up to 24 inches.  Whoop Whoop.  I love the feeling when you push yourself to a new standard and are able to reach it.  Can't wait to get to the box again.  I might have put my foot in my mouth with the wife.  I told her that there are three days in the week I look forward to.  Tuesday and Thursday because of Crossfit and then Saturdays because I get to spend two days with her.  Oh slowly she is coming on board to the Paleo way of thinking.