There’s a difference in the air today
Like a temperate garden after a gentle morning rain has
Left its sparkle on the fresh blooms of spring.
Life carries a scent of newness
Of wonder
Of awe.
Thank you God for another day
For lungs filled with oxygen
For the hope of today
And for wonder-filled days to come.
-steelbladeninja
A half pound record is – STILL A RECORD! and we do have a new one to celebrate tonight in the two hands snatch! Sure it’s only a half pound, and sure I hit the most recent record a little over five months ago and have been trying to match that ever since, but I’ll take it!
I weighed in at 158.8 lbs this morning, and tonight, half a day later, straight up competition-grade snatched 163 lbs, topping my prior personal record set in June and with much better technique and confidence!
Refueled with some roasted turkey in olive oil, black pepper and salt-free garlic and herb seasoning with copious amounts of organic 50/50 baby spinach and spring mix and now I’m heading off to bed…so I can get to one of my favorite workouts of the week: the Friday 6 AM! (CrossFit + olympic lifting is a combination that’s hard to beat!)
Read my chronicle of tonight’s PR journey right here: ow.ly/7xowI
Peace!
What did Fight Gone Bad 6 look like at Northshore CrossFit Saturday? Here’s what the GoPro Hero saw:
Heat 1-2 Intermission:
Heat 2:
Heat 2-3 Intermission:
Heat 3:
Heat 3 Aftermath:
Around the Room 1 (Coach Dave Reports)
NSCF Kids FGB6:
Before
After
Looking ahead to the culmination of the 100 Reps for 100 Days fundraiser on September 11, 2011 benefiting the Mauli Ola Foundation that takes children with cystic fibrosis to the ocean for fun, surf, and the healing properties of the ocean.
Come join us – we’re six weeks in with no signs of stopping!
For details, read Dr. Stephen Franson’s blogpost Movement is the Movement
In the spirit of the movement, here’s one of my favorites:
Find more artists like Hawaiian Style Band at Myspace Music
Tonight I received a rather pronounced reminder of just how grateful I am for my health team.
As I was coming up out of my second rep of two back squats at 230 lbs at North Shore CrossFit (where I put into practice much of what I’ve learned), I felt a shift in one of my lower lumbar/sacral vertebrae as I had, for an instant, sacrificed the strong lumbar curve I have been well-trained and well-practiced in maintaining during squats. Knowing immediately what was coming – stiffness, inflammation, nerve irritation, restricted range of motion – I ended my workout immediately and reflexively sprang into damage control mode, drawing on what I have been trained in for over two years - applying icing, rest, proteolytic enzymes, and chiropractic adjustment.
Having realized just how much of a reflex corrective action is for me now and how easy it is to recognize the technical/structural errors I’ve made in movement and lifestyle when they occur, I think it’s time to give another shout out to my health team. I realized that if the chiropractors I have been so blessed to have been working with for the last couple years had not introduced me to the functional fitness model and CrossFit as a method of achieving it, I quite possibly might not be aware that I can squat 230 lbs in a two-rep set, or that I am decent with olympic lifts, or that I do have an intensity and aptitude that helps me do things I certainly never thought I would! I also realized that if it weren’t for the coaching and chiropractic care that I’ve received, I would be in much worse shape than I am and injuries, minor or moderate, would take far longer to recover from.
So, without going on and on about what I’ve learned (and trust me, I certainly can!), let me once again say a HUGE THANK YOU to the chiropractors, coaches, and really the whole community who are on my health team! Who WOULD I be today if you had not been coaching me, adjusting me, and demonstrating a lifestyle of wellness and extreme fitness for me over the last two years??? Doctors Stephen Franson, Camilla Franson, Jesse Davis, Paul C Kratka, Nicholas Araza, and Ryan Hewitt; coaches Dave Picardy, Tara Picardy, Dawn Adam-Brown, Rafael Flores, JP Wioncek, Paul Dalton, Marco Martinez, Dan Vadala, Alicia Gomes, Brian Crosbie, Jon Conant; and all the fellow athletes locally and in other cities I’ve had the privilege of working out together in – you have all had serious roles in helping me become who I am and I appreciate it IMMENSELY!
Tomorrow is another day, and because of what I’ve learned and have been trained in over the last two years, and because of your willingness to take time to help me when I need it most, I’ll be able to take it on with a smile and health that speaks for itself!
With your words you say you love me, but your “heart” says something COMPLETELY different!
Just a 1600 meter warm-up/cool-down walk from my downtown Houston hotel is a little brick building with a fenced-in parking lot on the corner of Austin and Webster. It’s pretty unnoticeable from the outside save some markings on the front plate-glass windows…at least for now until it gets a fresh coat of paint this weekend. In the dark of the early morning, it could be easy to miss. But it’s not about what’s outside…
Enter Pin Up CrossFit (http://pinupcrossfit.com). With early morning Mon, Wed, and Fri classes in the weekly schedule, it’s a perfect fit for desk jockeys (like me) who spend FAR too much time seated in front of their PC’s (like I am right now).
Three times now I’ve been able to have my butt kicked and handed to me with a phenomenal 6 AM crew (space was at a premium in there this past Wed) who’s not afraid to go at it 100% before the sun’s up to rock the start of their days, exemplifying the universal community that is CrossFit. From my first visit, I felt right at home amongst the various states of awakeness [heh, let there be no question - by the time the hour's up, EVERYBODY's fully awake and a TON more alive than they were when they came in (though it certainly might not feel like it when "Time!" is called)].
Charlie’s coaching will wring tears out of the toughest of ‘em. Well, actually, his coaching’s great – very good on technique, safety, and motivation…it’s the programming that derives tears. (Mine are actually sweat drops, not tears – that’s my story and I’m sticking with it!)…
Charlie and 6 AM Pin Up crew, thanks for reminding me how much CrossFit…”loves” us all…
…I make no promises on when I’ll be back
…and I’m not sure if I should let Charlie know or not – for I detect an evil trend here that was expressed quite well with his smirk just before this morning’s countdown, and I’d like to save you all from that evil if at all possible…
Pin Up CrossFit – keep kicking butt!
Brandon
P.S. If I ever see that heart on the board again…
—–
The gory details of my experiences at Pin Up CrossFit:
WOD 1 – Wed 2011 Feb 02 06:00
OH Squats: 5, 5, 5, 5 straight sets @ 95 (skill, not strength)
“Frienemy” faceoff with Aaron.
75 Thrusters @ 65# (75# Rx)
Person A does AMRAP thrusters while Person B does 7 burpees. When 7 burpees are complete, “frienemies” swap stations and person on thrusters initiates start (burpees cannot begin until thrusters begin). Alternating stations continues until one person finishes 75 thrusters and is declared the winner.
WOD 2 – Wed 2011 Apr 06 06:00
“Buddy Battle” teamed with Sean (Shawn? Shaun? Sorry dude, didn’t see it spelled out…)
3 Rounds
18 Thrusters (HEAVY) @ 125#
50 box jumps
75 push ups
Buddy carry, down and back across parking lot (I let him carry me since he’d have some serious road rash on his knuckles if I was the one doing the carrying)
Warning! Warning! Warning!
If you’re a Pin Up member reading this on Fri 2011 Apr 08 and have not made your visit to the box today yet, !!!STOP HERE!!!…spoiler info below!
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Ok, you asked for it…
WOD 3 – Fri 2011 Apr 08 06:00
“Burpee Love”
150 burpees for time
Finished LAST in the class, everybody watching (except for the couple guys passed out on the deck) as I did my last, painful 25
19:55…and in a couple hours, the longest 3.5 hour flight back to Boston I’ve ever sat on…
Winning paleo-culinary experiment tonight. In a restaurant, it’d probably be enough for three “servings” at $8-$12 each but it’s dinner for one in my home and didn’t cost anywhere near that much or require a tip.
Ingredients:
Directions:
It started heavy on the shrimp flavor and took a little while for the sauce as Rx’d ;o) to build but by the end of the whole salad, the mix of flavors was great. Next time I’ll probably add one or two more cranks of the pepper mill and two or three more grapefruit wedges for a thicker, more punchy dressing.
You may want to experiment with the shrimp in various stages of cooked-ness as pre-cooked shrimp may absorb more of the flavor of the reduction.
Other good candidates for additional fat content: walnuts, avocado slices, etc…
Totally enjoyable dinner, quite satisfying, well-balanced, and completely free of refined sugars, dairy, and grains. Perfect!
I’m just four days from North Shore CrossFit’s in-house Team Cup Challenge II and I’m proving to myself that I’m more and more ready for it every day. The challenge will feature up to 14 three-person teams, each consisting of both male and female team members, all taking on three workouts in the span of three hours. It will be one of the most intense days of the year for us all (and surely one of the most fun). [I missed the first Team Cup Challenge several weeks ago because I was establishing my personal jump record of 10,000 ft - out of a plane at Pepperell Skydiving! What a rush that was! - and certainly a good reason to miss the first challenge.]
Travel for vacation and work have taken me out of my training rhythm two of the last three weeks, leaving only last week and this for me to really get into the gym consistently and get myself up to “competition form”. At the beginning of last week, it felt as though I was starting from scratch having been out of town all but four and a half days of the prior 16. I knew I had to start slowly and ramp up for two reasons: 1) I knew I would be starting from a deficit and would not be able to perform as I would had I been training on my typical 4x/week schedule, and 2) I am hugely conscious about preventing injury, especially this close to a competition.
With those considerations, I approached last week as a chance to get my reps in and gradually bring the intensity level up without going full-weight, which is exactly what I did. Because I kept the weight relatively low, I was able to get in one to two workouts on five of seven days and my body was able to keep up with the recovery between workouts. My typical (but even more conscious) solid diet of primarily fresh vegetables and fruits, lean meats, nuts and seeds with only purified water and the occasional coconut water to drink helped immensely with recovery, as did the sufficient amounts of sleep I allowed myself during the week. By the end of Saturday’s workout, I knew I was ready to kick it up to full intensity for this week leading up to the competition.
I’m two workouts into this week’s workload with one remaining before Saturday and am quite pleased with my conditioning and strength returning to levels I expect them to be. Last night’s workout was great for conditioning featuring deadlifting followed by high-rep kettlebell swings, wall ball shots, and pull-ups. Tonight I worked through an Olympic lifting workout that focused on strength, technique, and a good amount of reps requiring explosive coordinated movements to move substantial weight – didn’t break a sweat but was certainly worked-over by the end of the night. I was even able to match my one rep max barbell snatch at 135 lbs, which I have not done (or been able to do) since I established it on June 23rd.
The excitement for Saturday continues to grow, as does the importance of proper diet, hydration, recovery work, and sleep to achieving optimum performance. Tomorrow – full rest day; Thursday – the final workout before the competition; Friday – another full rest day.
We find out Friday morning what the three workouts will be. My team is assembled and we are preparing to BRING IT Saturday like nobody’s business!
GAME ON!!!!
This morning, I took a little drive up the road on my day off (love random days off just hanging around doing what I want to do) and started the morning with Jonny Conant and a couple of his crew at the 9 AM workout of the day (WOD) – my first of many visits to newly opened CrossFit Cape Ann, I’m sure.
A manageable space splashed with all kinds of signature Conant flavor (bearing a mild semblance of The Hive Cape Ann, another Conant adventure, certainly making it unique among CrossFit “boxes”), CrossFit Cape Ann will immediately feel like home to any CrossFit junkie and is certainly welcoming to the first-timer alike. There’s ample equipment for a bunch of people, plenty of room on the beefy pull-up/lifting rig, and ample running room. Yeah, about that running room: beware workouts that say “run to the end of the pier and back”. Don’t think it’s going to be a cute little jog – just wait ’til you turn the corner and see exactly where “the end of the pier” is (but don’t let that stop you from taking on the challenge, there’s a reward at the end of the pier if you enjoy a good view, see gallery below).
If CrossFit Cape Ann was a restaurant, doggie bags in good supply would be a must – Jonny C served up a big portion of work that I couldn’t finish, which is awesome since he’ll doubtful have some heavy hitters come in who will need lots of well-done “meat” to chew on to fulfill their movement requirement for the day; but as a good chef will, he also built the day’s menu with a couple “lighter”, more manageable options, still generous in nutrition, but not overwhelming for those who not yet seasoned in functional fitness or those who are starting with small steps to overcome injury, physical condition, or the overly-present-in-modern-culture couch-potatoism.
As a coach, Jon is into detail and clearly has a big heart for the community in general. He’s not out to build an army of super-athletes (though I’m sure he wouldn’t be opposed to having a couple spring out of CrossFit Cape Ann eventually and is more than capable of training them with the intensity and skill they need to represent well), but rather, is very welcoming and looks forward to training all ages, all skill and fitness levels; bringing all the benefits of strength and conditioning training in a functional fitness model (and perhaps some added variety that will make CrossFit Cape Ann as unique as its art) to anyone in and around the Gloucester MA area (a really cool town if you’ve never been up for a visit).
CrossFit Cape Ann is a “perfect storm” of flavor, portion size, and nutrition in the realm of movement as an essential element. I highly recommend it to everyone who BREATHES! Get in there and pay nothing this week except what you leave on the mat (and I’d encourage you to leave everything on the mat, I certainly did – the best gains come when we leave the gym with nothing leftover, whatever that may mean for us individually).
We can all take actions to make life great for ourselves and for those around us – CrossFit Cape Ann is the culmination of many great actions (small and large) taken one-by-one that will make life great for many who need just what it provides – another opportunity and some of the tools needed to take a step toward optimal wellness and an overall better life.
Thanks Jon & Karen!
I’ll be seein’ya!
In 16 months since joining North Shore CrossFit, I’ve come upon the CrossFit Total three times. [Sidebar: When was the last time it took you almost a year and a half to hit the same workout the third time? Is it time for a change?]
The first time, I was in the initial discovery phase a month and a half in – finding out what I was capable of never having lifted very heavy at all before joining.
My CrossFit Total that first time at the end of August 2009 (all numbers in pounds U.S.):
The second time I took on the Total in May 2010, I moved everything up substantially, hitting new personal records (PR’s) on all the lifts:
Tonight, going into it, I had visions of great lifts – Back Squat: 275, Press: 115, Deadlift: 300 – and all kinds of excitement about getting on the weights. When all was said and done, my hopes of a 690 Total had gone the way of the seconds on the timer with somewhat anticlimactic results:
Though the numbers don’t show “progress” by themselves, I have no choice but to consider that:
Overall, though the score is mildly disappointing and the question of why I couldn’t get 265 to budge in the deadlift still lingers, I am happy with the result. In my mind, I’ve not gone backwards, I’ve progressed technically and will eventually surpass any prior weight records I set when I was a bit less technically sound. I’ve got all kinds of patience.
When we don’t hit our mark, we move forward with the objective of becoming slightly better each step following. I’m far better at the lifts than I was the last time around and am already looking forward to tomorrow’s Olympic lifting instruction session where I’ll be able to apply a bit more quickness and momentum to my lifts – I desperately missed that piece tonight.
Tonight, I couldn’t have asked for a better crew to work out with. Nancy to my left, steady, quietly knocking down the lifts with awesome persistence and focus adding strength and health with every movement; Kathryn and Alexis helping each other destroy their Totals (making it look really easy, to the point that I had to fight off the thoughts of “what the heck is wrong with me?”); and Doc Franson cranking away at a workout some of the fittest in the world would be happy to survive (way to rock it Doc!). I couldn’t see what was happening down at the other end of the gym but from what I could hear, there were monsters down at that end too). It was my very happy place doing my thing boxed in by awesome athletic giants who are more than happy to let their work do all the talking. I’ll never get over it – great job folks!
I depart tonight with a conversation that destroys our concept of the “impossible”:
Boy: Do not try and bend the spoon. That’s impossible. Instead… only try to realize the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Boy: There is no spoon.
Neo: There is no spoon?
Boy: Then you’ll see, that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.
Next time we approach our one-rep max (or the next seemingly impossible task), let’s remember -
There IS no max…
Until the next time, 595 CrossFit Total it is.
Back in the rhythm, back in the pursuit, ready to take on the world once again – onto tomorrow!
Peace!
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