Papa needs a new pair of shoes

Friday, November 2, 2012

Details have already been send out to all athletes and volunteers for the Beach Cruiser Triathalon!  Contact us ASAP if you would like to sign up!

Warmup/Mobility:
Jog 400 meters
10 Situps
Hip Prep
Keg Drill 
Rack Stretch with PVC
Tricep Mash for the Rack Position 

Strength:
15 minutes to establish a 1RM Front Squat. Once established, drop to 90% for a triple (one chance). 

Notes: The emphasis here is depth! Try to use the stretch reflex (bounce) to come out of the bottom of the squat then drive the hips forward and the knees out to finish the lift. Make attempts to keep all of your fingers on the bar and actively drive the elbows up. 

Conditioning:
3 Rounds for time of:
10 KB Snatch + OH Lunge (R arm, L leg) 24/16kg
10 KB Snatch + OH Lunge (L arm, R leg) 24/16kg
20 Lateral Burpee Over the Box Jumps 20”
30 Jumping Squats 45#

-18 minute cap (but shoot for 15 min!)-

Notes: In our theme of knowing yourself and your pace, feel free to scale any part of this workout to try and finish before 15 minutes!  This might mean no weight on the Jumping Squats or 5-10 less burpees per round.  Do your best to visualize the workout in advance and execute that vision!

Cool Down:
German Hang, accumulate 1 minute
Pike Stretch, 1 minute
Quad on Wall Stretch, 1 minute each
Pidgeon, 1 minute each

Racks on racks on racks!

Besides “When and where is Track Night, again?”, the question I get most is “What shoes should I buy?”  That can be a very difficult question to answer and is going to be different for every person based on their foot shape and strength, budget, and intended activities and goals.  As Crossfitters we combine a wide variety of activities and disciplines, each of which is considered a sport in and of itself, to form a program that maximizes broad and inclusive fitness.  And as individual sports, they all require their own gear and footwear for optimal performance.  I fought this fact for a while, only wearing my DC’s in my early Crossfit days, and then switching to my barefoot shoes about a year ago.  Recently however, I went on a shoe buying rampage, replacing all my old broken footwear with fresh kicks to dominate in the gym, and life.  Here is the list of different shoe categories and my purchases:

Skateboarding: DC Shoes, ND1 S.  Classic black skate shoes from a trusted brand.  Fat tongue. Level heel and toe.  What I grew up wearing.

Barefoot: Merrell, Barefoot Run Bare Access.  My everyday shoe.  Technically a “beginner” or “intro” barefoot shoe.  SUPER lightweight.  I run and lift in this shoe, perfect for Crossfit.  Love it so much I bought two new pairs.

Cross Trainer: Inov-8, f-lite 230.  Half price from theclymb.com.  Only had flashy purple in stock.  Once they came in I fell in love with the style and comfort.  I put them under cross training for their lightweight and minimal heel rise (6mm).  They look like a good option for lifting and running so I can’t wait to use them for Crossfit, but I’m still too in love with them to mess them up yet.  Once I get gold laces to honor the Lakers I’ll give them a shot in a WOD. 

Trail Running: Inov-8, roclite 315.  Also half off on theclymb.com.  This was to replace my roclite 295s, which are without a doubt my favorite pair of shoes I have ever owned.  Super lightweight, yet rugged enough for technical trails.  The tread is amazing on all surfaces and I rarely slip.  It does have the highest heel rise of any of my shoes (9mm), but is still minimalist by my standards. 

Weightlifting: VS Athletics, Weightlifting Shoe.  The most affordable shoe to still get good reviews online, this is my first weightlifting shoe.  I call them my “pearly whites” and I keep them clean.  I love them and PR every time I put them on.  (Never tie a PR).

Sandals: Sanuk, Carpe DM.  My post surf shoe.  Copied Diso and Martina on this one.  After seeing this video from Mobility WOD I stopped wearing flip flops completely.  The activation of the big toe shortens your arch and messes with the windlass effect in your gait.  Once I found Sanuks I was pumped to wear sandals again.

Road Running: (????)  The hardest one for me to find and still on the hunt!  Right now I am looking at the minimalist line from Saucony, as well as Newton’s.  I plan on going to Top to Top soon and making a purchase and will keep you guys updated.  My plan is to make a running shoe buyer’s guide for anyone looking for minimalist running shoes (read: low heel to toe differential) that will still last for long training sessions and marathons (read: cushion).

I also need to buy a pair of Rock Climbing shoes for the upcoming JTree trip!  What is wrong with me?  I grew up my entire life owning one or two pairs of shoes at a time.  Now because of Crossfit I own eight different types and walk into the gym with at least three different pairs on me.  I come back from  400m runs, kick off my barefoots, slide on my weightlifting shoes, and then hit heavy front squats, all for time.  I don’t mind it though because its part of my definition of health to view myself as an athlete and attempt to maximize my athletic potential in a safe and effective way.  

Stay tuned for the road running shoe buyer’s guide coming soon, and happy training!