Friends and Enemies

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Mobility/Warm up:
DROM
Banded shoulder distraction, 1 minute per
Lat activations
Posterior chain floss, 1 minute per

Strength:

EMOTM for 10 minutes: (Alternate movements each minute):

2 Push Press – Heaviest Possible
5 Strict pull-ups    

     Notes:  Advanced athletes may perform Push Jerks instead of Push Press.  The pullups may be broken up as needed, but be sure to work full ROM and add weight if necessary.

Conditioning:

3 rounds for time of:
75 Double unders
20 Lateral Burpees over bar
10  Hang Power Snatches (95/65/45)

-17 minute cap-

Notes: Substitute Double unders for 400 meter run as needed.

Cool Down:

Active bar hang, 30 seconds
Samson Stretch, 30 seconds
German hang, 30 seconds

Aftermath!

I’m going to talk about the importance of having training partners and/or a regular training cohort by reprinting a post I wrote a while back:

     If you stick to CrossFit long enough, you will inevitably find your rival.  It begins with one person who, through direct competition or scrutinizing the board, is your equal in almost every way and whose times, weights, and performances are almost always within seconds, pounds, or points of yours.  And where they’re not your equal, if they’re stronger or faster in weightlifting, you’ve most certainly got them in running or gymnastics, and vice versa.  Finding this person is an essential part of increasing your fitness and, if sustained over months and years, your health. 

     But aside from helping you increase work capacity, and perhaps more significant, is that in your rival you will find not only healthy, essential competition, but also rock solid support, and in a few cases, great friendship.  Over time, you may even find more than one. 

     Mine is without a doubt Sean Milar of Valley CrossFit.  Some of you may have met him on Sunday morning WODs.  We met in 1995 and were competitive in every athletic way – cadets, swimming, running, weights, calisthenics, gymnastics.  Ten years later, he and another buddy introduced me to CrossFit.  We text PRs and times to each other to this day.  Indeed, one of the greatest WODs I’ve ever done was in the four person weight room at the old CrossFitLA.  It was myself, Traver Boehm, Leo Bishina, and Kevin Daly, each man better than the next, drooling and hefting through a nasty double under/squat clean/ring dip triplet.  It was unforgettable, sacred, powerful.  It is for this reason in fact, that I decided on competing at Sectionals:  the honor of sharing the field with my rivals and brothers and friends.  

     Have you found yours?  If so, cherish them, and call them out.  In comments, let us know who they are, how much you appreciate them, and how much you look foward to kicking their a$$!      

I wrote that in February 2010 almost 3 years ago and a lot can happen in that time.  Sean and I still text each other our PRs but we live far away from each other, and he’s got bigger fish to fry now than trying to beat my Clean and Jerk (read new baby and house) but he just PR’d today in fact.  Congrats on all counts old friend.

These days my obvious training partner is Joe D.  I forgot how it started but there was one week where we trained together at 6am because that was the only time our schedules could reconcile and we missed each other.  Barf.  But during and after that week, we had noticed improvements in numbers and times and just general fun that was not present before.  We understood that training together was not only good for us mentally but our cold hard data would go in the right direction fast.  Over time we would have ups and downs, like some mornings I would not feel awesome and he would be in Beast Mode and vice versa, where we admit we only are there for the other, but I would not be where I am now fitness-wise without him.  We have even tied twice on WODs.  Double barf.  And I’m holding on to this for as long as I can because in 5 years of CrossFit I’ve had epic battles with so many rivals, it’s impossible to articulate just how important they are, or for how long they will be around.  And every time I have a chance to WOD with someone better than me, which is quite often especially with running, I cherish every agonizing, delicious second of it, because I know it makes me better.

So just like last time, call out and show appreciation for your rivals, friends, and enemies in comments.  I want to hear epic tales of battle and glory too please.