Testing, testing….

Monday, June 11, 2012

Track night is meeting HERE at 6:30 tonight!!  Get ready to hit the hills!

Mobility:
Jog 400, Row 500 or jump rope
DROM
Samson stretch

Warm-up:
25 Hip-back extensions
25 GHD sit-ups

TESTING DAY:
Complete these tests in order.  Rest as long as necessary.

1) Max height box jump

2) Max reps kipping pull-ups (one attempt)

3) Max distance handstand walk (as many attempts as you like)

4) Max L sit on parallettes, feet held above 2 45 pound plates  (one attempt)

5) Run 400 meters

6) Row 500 meters

Cool down:
Jog 800 meters
Pike stretch, 2 minutes
Straddle, 2 minutes
Hip mobility on box, 2 minutes 

Enjoy today’s post from Lara…..

Expectations

Growing up, I had always been involved in multiple sports activities simultaneously. Horse riding, swimming, soccer, field hockey, water polo, cross-country…. pilates, yogalattes, spinning classes. I had greater success with some activities than others, but I was consistently developing different skills and part of different fulfilling communities at the same time. Slowly things changed. I no longer lived in-front of a 50m pool, I no longer worked in a gym with pilates and yoga, going on long runs interfered with my ability to get stronger and so on. So I gave up on all those things I loved and replaced it with crossfit. It doesn’t feel like me to give up on my love for learning and growing and becoming part of multiple communities. So I decided to start doing other things again. So my first step was to consider; do I pick up one of my old passions again, or do I learn something new?

The truth is, both options are scary. Swimming is the sport I had most success with. I tried it recently, it felt good to be in the water, but it’s hard to get into the pool, swim a couple of laps and find it difficult. My perception of swimming is that it should be easy. I had been a competitive swimmer most of my life, swimming 3k at 6am, another 3k in the afternoon and 4.5 K on weekends. Now I cant even get through 2k. Even-though it has been 7 years, it doesn’t fit with my perception of myself and it’s a difficult thing to accept.

So I also decided to try Krav Maga, which is unlike anything I have ever done. I like to think of myself as a fit individual, but I suddenly felt deceived. I look around and think really? How does anyone keep up with this? I know I find the movements challenging, but even just the pace of the class is tough. I feel like I’m surrounded by a bunch of super-humans. I was keeping up, but it seemed so hard, that I just thought, how is this possible? Then I think about everyone walking into PCF. First day; doing Helen. There I am expecting on-rampers to run, swing the KB and do pull-ups… yes, ladies too, pull-ups! How could I ever expect this? But I do, because I know that with the correct band on the pull-ups, the correct weight on the KB, and the correct rep scheme, that my on-ramper can get through the WOD. The exposure will make them better at those movements and more proficient in crossfit. Intensity is relative. All that I expect, as a coach, is that those people I am training try hard, push themselves, and accept their own limitations. My expectation is not that someone walks in and does something as prescribed on the first few days.

So I look back to that class, and think about the two 60 something year olds participating. And I realize, that class was not so difficult because of what was asked from us, but because of what I asked from myself. I see myself as someone who tries hard and I expected 110% from myself the entire hour. So instead of being scared of how hard it was, feeling surrounded by super-humans who find it normal to maintain that intensity, I’m going to try to reframe my thinking and be proud of my ability to make that class challenging for myself and not slack off when it got tough. 

It is hard not to chicken out of trying hard, pushing oneself and accepting ones own limitation. I don’t want to accept that I can no longer swim the way I did 7 years ago. As long as I expect myself to, I will feel continuously disappointed and cannot make productive headway. I cannot enjoy the experience that I enjoyed for so many years as long as I believe that I am not swimming the way I perceive I should be able to. This false expectation has inhibited me. So I challenge you now to think about your own expectations. Are they motivating you to get better at what you do, or do you have a self-perception that interferes with your ability to excel?

If I expect you to try hard, push yourself and accept your limitations, what do you expect from yourself?