CROSS-fit #97 Compete

For the first time ever, I'm actually joining a real genuine local throwdown in Crossfit.

Garage Games 2012

http://www.thegaragegames.com/events/crossfit-purgatory-redemption/

Am I scared?

Yes I sure am

Do I think I can actually win? Hell no.

But I'm doing this cause I am hungry for it.

I want to be better.

Every single day. It doesn't matter, win or lose, PR or not.

What matter is I lay it all out. This is me.

I'm not defined by my standards of fitness, no I'm not.

I'm defined by the spirit I have inside.

So I'm gonna do this. And I'm gonna come out stronger than when I first started.

The perfect run up for the Opens... Lets go!

CROSS-fit #96 Yoda

Currently at the new box.

There's a coolio picture right in front of the box.

It's staring at us everyday, every workout

Yupp, it's Yoda.

He's right in front of us during every clean, every deadlift, every pullup.

I never really got to ask the Wildcat Crossfit folks why he's there.

Maybe I don't want to...

Gonna form my own impression of it.

After all, Yoda IS the great Jedi Master.

But more importantly, he has great lessons about the 'force' and life

I suppose one thing that he always says, and something that I'll always remember.

"Patience, my young Padawan."

He keeps telling that to everyone he teaches, Anakin (Vader) and Luke.

But I guess it really is appropriate.

We all like to rush things. Gosh we really do.

We rush the second pull in the clean, we rush the butt rise on the deadlift

We are impatient in waiting for results, we can't wait another week to see your numbers on your lifts jump.

Everything has to be fast, now.

Well, the converse to all of this, is longevity, isn't it? (Maybe that's why Yoda is sooooo OLLLDDDD)

We're doing this FOR LIFE

Not for the immediate gains.

I'd rather increase my base strength in a stable manner such that I can keep going up for years to come.

And not just for an initial sudden jump...

Be patient in life.

Be patient and wait for the promotion.

For the positive response.

Keep working on it. But be patient, it'll come.

Look at yoda and be patient young padawan.

CROSS-fit #95 Reach for it

Just a couple of days ago, I put my functional fitness to the test yet again.
Bouldering, here in Tucson.
Firstly, Rock climbing and bouldering indoors and outdoors is a huge thing here in Tucson.
Simply because the scenery and environment to climb in is really amazing.
Sheer beauty when the weather is just about right.

So I was kinda psyched to go. Me and 2 other friends of mine, one of whom is a pro.
So how did I do?
Well, my forearms were completely wasted and had a real hard time getting through even the easiest ones.
But there's just one thing I realized.
That our functional fitness was really translated into everything applicable in life.

I think I managed to catch on relatively fast.
Grip strength was there and swinging my body around wasn't too difficult
Getting up and flexing my body up and down wasn't hard either.
My hands, being already rough, didn't suffer THAT much.
For the first time in a totally different sport, I could feel that my athleticism kicked in and was real useful.
Of course, I could improve a whole lot more with more work at it, there's so much technique to this.

However, what struck me more wasn't so much of the functional fitness in the physical sense.
Probably a bit more of the functional fitness in the mind.
As a crossfit athlete, failure is not uncommon, really.
You fail at lifting weights, you fail to complete a workout in the given time, you can't keep up with others.
There're so many differences when it comes to strengths and weaknesses in Crossfit.
You win some and you lose some
Failure in life, for that matter, isn't uncommon to the successful either.

Going up to them blocks, there was one particular sequence of blocks to hit which were particularly tough to get at.
I tried at least 10 times at it, even my newbie friend had a go at it, but nope, we didn't get anywhere near there.
It took me at least an hour at the same sequence, thinking, analysing and trying again and again.
And finally, I reached the top and with just a block away, I had to make a literal jump for it.
3,2,1.... No, I didn't make it.
Man, I didn't even make that jump. I was scared. I just let go and tumbled to the mats in defeat.

Then I remembered this feeling. This all too familiar feeling.
Of failure, but another stronger feeling, the "Bounce back", the idea of "Hell, I'm getting this!"
The gut feeling of "Give this another shot, give this another lift, another climb, another go at your life!"
And so, after a bit of rest, I hopped back on.
This time, I reached that top block.

What made the difference?
The tries, the attempts, the sweat and pain.
However, most importantly, it was the time on the mat.
Nope, it wasn't the time on the mat cursing and swearing at why I didn't succeed.
It was the time on the mat, thinking to myself that I'll get it next time.
Everyone needs some time on the mat.

Before you go up to the bar, before you step up on stage.
You need that moment to say "Hell, I'm getting this!"
GO, REACH FOR IT!

CROSS-fit #94 Maybe it isn't for everyone

Right now, while I'm on exchange, I've got a couple of posters up in my room.

One of which is that of Muhammad Ali.

It's right beside me, staring at my face everyday, below is a picture of it.

In the last sentences it reads, "But the will must be stronger than the skill"

Now a couple of days ago, I brought a new friend, let's call him Zack, to try Crossfit out.

Simple and easy.

Oh man, he suffered like a crying baby.

Didn't we all suffer the same way when we all started out?

It was ALWAYS tough in the get go.

In any new career or any new family, gosh it's full of challenges.

But sometimes, just sometimes, why don't we feel that challenge, why don't we think that it's that hard no more...

Of course you get used to it, your body, mind, soul get's used to the turmoil that you go through on a continual basis.

Back to the story,

Well Zack, after the workout, felt terrible on many levels. Mostly physical pain.

However, I knew that the pain would go away and a good sense of Euphoria would come.

True enough, it did.

That night, I asked him if he liked it.

If he liked what he just did.

Then he replied with a relatively politically correct answer

"I know it's good for me, the movements and all. But I'd rather something less intense. I know that it won't work as well for me but I prefer it that way."

There and then, I guess I realized that Crossfit isn't for everyone.

So are many trials in these days.

Gosh if I went through what Pastor Kong is going through right now, I'd probably crumble...

But probably the reason why I don't feel that kind of pain no longer is simple...

"The will is stronger than the skill."

You can be the most skilled Olympic lifter around but if you can't give a hoot about Crossfit then you'll probably hate it and suffer even more.

Then again, you could be severely overweight, obese for that matter, but if you have in your heart, the will and determination to get what you want, the crossfit will probably be for you.

Yeah, Crossfit isn't for everyone.

Don't step in if you don't have that will, you'll just be in a miserable state.

Have the will before the skill and always keep the will stronger than the skill