Last weekend, my daughter and I (my son tagged along as well) traveled to Lehi, Utah, for a CrossFit Competition. We were partners, and we entered Battle of the Box Utah in the intermediate division. It was fun. We got to swim in Salt Lake. We tried to see the largest open-pit mine in the world, Bingham Canyon Mine, but it was closed due to COVID.
We got to do pistols in the competition. Overall, it was an okay competition. Neither of us liked the second WOD, which had you doing burpees every minute on the minute while trying to complete an AMRAP.
I’ve been absent of late. That’s been on purpose. There was nothing I felt like I had to say, so I didn’t say anything. While life still keeps chugging along, it still sucks, let’s be honest. Vacations cancelled, wearing masks, hiding from others and the world… I truly thought this would be over by now, but it’s not.
THOUGHTS ON GREG GLASSMAN’S COMMENTS
I will not talk about the nature of his comments, but only say this: I’ve learned you can’t say anything anymore. You can’t publish anything. You can’t go anywhere without the assumption that you are being videotaped.
While none of us agree with Greg Glassman’s comments, there was a time where he would have been forgiven, where his apology would have been accepted, where his fallacies for being human would have been recognized by all of us who are all just as guilty of sin as he is. He would not have been forced to resign, there would not have been such an uproar, etc.
Greg Glassman founded CrossFit but is not CrossFit, yet everyone wanting to de-affiliate because of his comments saddens me. Where is forgiveness in all of this? And does what one man thinks affect your love for CrossFit? It doesn’t mine.
IT’S BEEN FIVE YEARS SINCE I’VE STARTED CROSSFIT
I can’t believe time has flown by. My CrossFit Level 1 Certification is due for renewal, and I’m not renewing it (I decided this way before the uproar). I just don’t need a piece of paper and $1,000 down the drain to tell me that I know what I’m doing when it comes to CrossFit.
I MISS CROSSFIT COMPETITIONS
I am craving a CrossFit competition right now. I can totally see this fall having non-stop CrossFit competitions as all the boxes try to squeeze them in. Fine by me. Bring them on.
Trueform Runner with my Paddleboard behind it
MY TRUEFORM RUNNER
My dear husband got a screaming deal on a Trueform Runner for half off. It is barely used. I am in love. I’ve never run on air before, but this machine is as close to it as I’ve ever felt. Super excited for when the winter comes, and for my aging bones.
I’VE TAKEN UP PADDLEBOARDING
Every year for my birthday, I buy myself something big. Last year, I bought two paddleboards — one for me and one for someone to go with me. Needless to say, they have been a God-send in the midst of COVID. I can escape on the lake, get away from everyone and the world, and let the soothing waves wash away all of my anxieties, frustrations, and sometimes anger at the world.
I was deadlifting this morning early in my garage.
I hate deadlifting. I don’t know why, but I do.
As the weight got heavier and I began to realize I was dreading this more and more, I asked myself why I was doing this? Why was I doing something I don’t like?
CrossFit is about doing a bunch of things well, and working on the ones you don’t do so well. Yet, at the same time, as I age, I don’t want to waste time doing something I don’t like doing.
You could say I had an epiphany.
I also realized I probably was never going to increase my deadlift weight because I hate doing it. I haven’t maxed my deadlift or my back squat in about two years. I am just never there mentally.
And I realized something: that’s ok. I am extremely fit. I don’t need to do something that is hard, heavy, and I hate doing.
One of my all-time favorite CrossFit workouts is Murph. Murph is a Hero CrossFit WOD, named after Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy who gave his life fighting for our freedoms in Afghanistan in 2005. One of the best things about CrossFit is these Hero Workouts. I’m still working through them, but to honor the fallen, and I can’t think of a better thing.
It’s tradition to perform Murph on Memorial Day at CrossFit boxes around the country, and it’s always fun. This year, I did it at 5 am, and although I did not PR, I did well. My daughter completed her first full Murph this year, so it was great.
The CrossFit Murph Workout consists of:
1 mile run
100 pull ups
200 push ups
300 air squats
1 mile run
It’s a killer workout that requires mental fortitude and desire to finish. For me, it’s much more than that. It’s about celebrating life, our freedoms, and those who have fought and died for them. It’s about remembering how hard life can be, but rejoicing in its blessings as well. It’s about preparing mentally for the worst, and appreciating the best. It’s about community, which is not as it once was this year, but will be happening soon enough.
If you get a chance, do this workout. You won’t regret it.
If you remember about a year ago, I hurt my thumb somehow (turns out, it was just inflamed, but that’s beside the point). I quit doing snatches because of it.
For the last two weeks, snatches have been in my programming — a lot of them. So I’ve been forcing myself to do them, and I’ve been getting my ass kicked because of it.
But I realized something while hating every moment of those workouts — I’m stronger than I think.
Yesterday, I squat snatched 75 pounds for 55 reps. I honestly didn’t struggle at all. The Rx weight was 85, and I thought 75 I’d have to strip weight.
Next time, I’ll go for 80. Because I’m stronger than I think I am…
You’re probably wondering: what does the CrossFit Hero WOD Murph have to do with the coronavirus?
Lieutenant Michael Murphy died for our freedom in Afghanistan, and he has a CrossFit Hero workout named after him, which is something CrossFit does to honor our men and women who have given their lives for our freedom. He also has the honor of being the only CrossFit workout that every CrossFit gym in the United States does regularly every Memorial Day.
That’s besides the point. I did Murph today. It was exactly what I needed mentally, physically, and spiritually at this moment in my life. It was hard. But I did really well. I kept thinking of his sacrifice for our freedoms and how now we are all locked up at home, not free. I kept wondering what he would think about all this…
During the fight of the coronavirus, keep in mind those who fought for us before and the sacrifices they made. While we “suffer” at home, it’s not truly suffering in comparison.
Take a deep breath. This will all be over soon. We will have our freedom back. Not thanks to the stupid coronavirus, but thanks to the men and women of our armed forces, such as Murph.
With the coronavirus causing the world to pause, many people have embarked upon at-home workouts with just minimal equipment. This usually involves just a dumbbell.
I’ve been doing many of these workouts in addition to my lifting regimen, and I can say that I am thoroughly getting my ass kicked.
Dumbbells are a challenge in and of themselves. You have to manipulate them differently, and they will most definitely catch up to you.
When I first started a couple of years ago, every time I’d be extremely sore. Now, I just get beat by them. I am coming to enjoy dumbbells. They are a great break from the barbell that’s for sure.
So with the coronavirus raging, get a set of dumbbells and stay fit. You will come to like them and be good at them. Just another tool in your wheelhouse you’ll have when you need it.
For those of you who are just beginning to work out at home, here are some tips to help you:
Just start. It will be hard at first, but once you start moving, you’ll get into a rhythm.
Use what you have. If all you have is your body, you can do a lot of workouts: run, push ups, air squats, pistols, etc. If you have a jump rope or a dumbbell, use those. Improvise.
Keep it consistent. You will be more likely to stick to a workout routine when it is a routine. If you were going to the gym every day, continue to work out at that same time.
Find an online workout community. Many gyms are using apps such as SugarWOD and others to ensure their members are staying connected. They are programming at-home workouts so you can check in with others regularly. Take advantage of these.
Find the one thought, the one future event, the one thing you can grasp onto that will keep you going. For me, it’s CrossFit. The video below says it all:
