Games Reflections

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Go to track night tonight if possible!  Today will be great training for the 1 mile Time Trial coming up in 2 weeks!

Mobility:
Jog 400 meters
Foam Roll Calves, 60 seconds each
DROM

Classic Warmup:
Take 15 minutes to perform 2-3 rounds of 10-15 reps of each of the following:
Overhead Squats, start with PVC and work up to a barbell
GHD Situps
Hip Extensions
Pullups, start strict and work up to kipping, feel free to practice butterfly
Pushups or Dips
Sampson Stretch

Workout of the Day:

Three rounds for time of:
Run 800 meters
Rest 2 minutes

Note:  For anyone with sore calves, you will be performing 3 Rounds of 1k Row, yay!

Cool Down:
100 Situps
Pike stretch, 60 seconds
Calf Stretch, 60 seconds each
Straddle Stretch, 60 seconds

The CrossFit Games is a big reason for the explosion and increased awareness of CrossFit.  Yet, the sport of CrossFit is only 6 years old and there is still so much to improve upon and understand.  While in Pomona this past weekend, we had a chance to watch amazing athletes, discuss programming and preparation with other athletes and coaches and express ourselves as a unique gym within the community.  Hanging out in this environment for three days left me with so many thoughts about the future of the sport and the identity of our gym.  Here are a few of those thoughts…

1.  My proudest moment was hearing how many people thought that we were having fun!  With the intensity and pressure of the competition, we stood out as a community of people that were enjoying the experience.  Whether it was our turtle shirts, tequila fueled fans or my unique beard designs, we represented a more relaxed side of this intense sport.  Way to represent!

2.  Good athletes come in all shapes and sizes.  I love the fact that you cannot look at someone and determine how good they will be at CrossFit.  We were certainly one of the smaller teams out there, but we still remained competitive in all the workouts.  When you find yourself thinking I”m too tall to be good at gymnastics, or I’m too small to be able to lift heavy weights, or I need to gain weight or lose weight; you will find an elite CrossFit athlete that proves you wrong!  These are barriers and excuses that we set up for ourselves that are simply not true.  Some of us may need to work harder on certain movements, but anything is attainable on a long enough timeline.

3.  Competition, and the CrossFit Games in particular, are not the main reason most of us train, but they do provide us with important life skills and lessons.  Having to perform under pressure, being judged on our standards, the anxiety of being corralled outside the stadium floor, and being ranked among your peers is a lot to handle mentally.  Some people live for these moments, while others get sick to their stomach thinking about it.  No matter what the outcome, I believe you are a better person for participating in these competitions.  I will continue to encourage everyone to participate in local competitions because it makes you feel alive!

4.  We are still maturing as a gym, both as athletes and as coaches.  We went into the Games with relaxed and realistic expectations about our placing.  Instead of obsessing over how good we could become in 6 weeks, I have been looking forward to making long term changes to our program for both our competitive athletes and the general CrossFit enthusiast.  Get ready for some exciting changes coming soon!!