Crossfit: fighting inertia and not quitting

Posted on May 9, 2012 by scharles

The other day I was on Facebook, and noticed a Crossfit Lisabeth blog about Chris Spealler.  Spealler came from behind and secured a spot at the 2012 Crossfit Games.   It’s a big deal because Spealler is a smaller athlete competing with much bigger guys.   I told myself next time I felt like quitting during a WOD, I wouldn’t.  By “quitting” I mean running the clock down, giving up and waiting it out.  Fighting that kind of inertia is a real challange for me. It robs me of so much opportunity to excel. 

That day we had a tough WOD.  We had 3 round at 6 minute each of max reps: 10 burpees 5 deadlifts, 10 wall balls 10 toes-to-bar, 10 kb swings 5 box jumps.  So 18 minutes max reps with 1 minute between rounds.  I used a 145# bar for the dl, a 44# kb, a 12# wall ball, a 24 inch tire for the box jumps.  The good news is that particular WOD is something I could do.  I had high expectations.

The bad news: my right shoulder gave out at burpee #5.  In other words just a few seconds into the WOD and I’m feeling in trouble.  My form deteriorated and I was really slow.  I got through 4 rounds.  Each burpee hurt.  The deadlifts were a relief. 

One minute rest, then wallballs and t2b.  had started with a 20# ball, couldn’t manage it because of the pain, switched to 12#.  At some point I noticed my right Achilles tendon was on fire.  My t2b was in poor form.  By the time I got to the KBs and box jumps I was disappointed and tired.

For me a 44# kb is about the edge of my skill set.  I have used 53# in practice but I’ve never gone beyond 44# in a WOD.  Getting to that 10th swing was a big challange.  By the 4th round I was ready to give up.  I actually said it: “I’m done.”  I was going to quit, with time on the clock.  I felt like I had been in a microwave set on “high”, like I was going to exploded.  I was actually scared. So I said I was done. 

Blake was running the WOD; he said something like “what?” and just looked at me.  And I remembered what I had promised myself: that I would not quit.  I thought about Chris Spealler and I told myself I had to go back to it.  I managed 10 more kb swings.  Had I not paused I could have got the 5 box jumps too.  Next time.

Cheers.


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Crossfit: solo; the ocean of fear

Posted on May 6, 2012 by scharles

Sometimes when I have too much time on my hands, I wonder how to describe life.  What would I tell someone younger? Do I have any advice worth giving?  Perhaps. Although I doubt if it’s unique.  Of course the commonness of my life, the mundane qualities that I could relate to someone if they were interested, are a good thing.  It means I have taken part in a life that can be shared.  I am part of a great community of people.

I had a deadline for an assignment today.   I was thinking about it last night.  I felt a bit anxious, a little queasy.  Unsettled.  I came to the conclusion it was fear.  And of course with fear comes resentment.  And I had plans to work on Helen.  3x 400m run, 21 kettle bell swings, 12 pullups.  The trick is to believe that discipline trumps inertia.

It is Sunday.

Fear is like standing in near the ocean in the evening.   Behind me is a high cliff.  The ocean is dark, with whitecaps.  The waves are large.  I know the water is deep, and unknowable. My task is to swim to the other side.  I cannot avoid this, else the tide will come in and drown me, or a wave will sweep me out into the ocean anyway.  I do not know how far I will need to swim, or what is in the water.  I only know it is dark and I have to cross it.  That is the essence of fear.

I decided that since I had not done as well as expected on Helen last time (13:25) that I would approach it differently.  One round, as fast as possible, all out, then rest, and run again.  Then kettlebell swings.  I had a stopwatch. My ultimate goal is Helen in 10 minutes or less. Break it down into components, and give 100% for each part.

My first 400m run was 1:32, a personal best.  The whole round took 3:27.  Extending that out I should be able to do a 10 minute Helen.  I gave myself  a 3 minute rest. My second run was 1:43, a significant loss of performance.  I could feel myself being slower.  I gave myself another 3 minute rest. The next 21 kettle bell swings took 46 seconds.  The 1:43 run and the 46 second kb swings bring me in at 2:39, leaving me 48 seconds to do 12 pullups and match my first round time. That seemed like something I could do.

The problem is not enough energy.  Right now I don’t think I could maintain the pace.  But at least I have an idea what I’m up against.  A few more Sundays of sprints, kb swings and pullups.  Keeping track of times.  When I got home I had a hacking cough.

Cheers.

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Crossfit: ego vs. performance revisited

Posted on May 4, 2012 by scharles

The other day we were practicing power snatches.

Which I’m not all that good at.  I thought I understood the move because it was part of the Crossfit Open WODs.  But I could hardly mange it during a recent WOD (“Hope”.)  During the drill I noticed a young woman (Cori P.) off to my right doing hang power cleans.  Cori is a great athlete; she also happens to be a smaller athlete. My attention was divided (not a good thing) and at one point I noticed she was doing 135#. HPC are one of things I’m working on (it’s part of the Level I test) and I haven’t mastered the movement.   So I made a mental note to ask her about what she was doing.

Anyway I struggled through the snatches, switching back and forth between 75# hang-power snatches, power snatches, trying to get a rhythm going.  I made some progress.  But not much.   Mostly I was getting the bar up to high shoulder level and pressing it up.

The next day I went in we did a 20 minute amrap of 200m runs and 250 rows with a partner.  Pam and I did 8 3/4 rounds, which is good (on par with the other teams.) A great workout, and I was satisfied with the results.

After the WOD I noticed Cori P. coming in, so I talked to her and she confirmed that it was 135#.  I asked her how much she weighed — 115 lbs.  I admit I have mixed feelings about seeing a 115# women doing 135# hang power cleans while I’m struggling with 95#.  I’m happy to see that level of skill and strength.  It’s an inspiration.  But I outweigh Cori by 30 lbs and I can’t get 135# past my waist.

A few minutes later I was talking to another very good athlete, a guy known as “Big” Rob (he is actually really big, like Mr. Incredible) and I mentioned being somewhat frustrated with not being able to perform better.  As it so happens Big Rob was helping Brooke run the CFES On-Ramp class on my first day at crossfit.  His reply to my comment about feeling bad about my current performance was that my real comparison should be where I started from.  He pointed out that on my first day my performance was so bad he was surprised I stuck it out.   He’s right about how bad it was, that’s for sure.  It was hilariously bad; I could tell.  I came in at 16 or so. Of course 1 month later I did the same WOD in 8 minutes.  And the progress has continued.

I know Rob is right about the comparison.   But still, the gap is way too large. At least that’s how it feels.  Is that ego? Probably.

Today I did 7 rounds of 10m-20m-30m-40m suicide runs, 8 burpees and 12 box jumps (20 inch box.) Total time: 28:16.

Cheers.

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Crossfit: motivation and community

Posted on May 1, 2012 by scharles

Lately I’ve been asking myself a big question: could I do this alone?  Would I be able to keep up a 4 day a week crossfit schedule? Meet my goals?  What kind of equipment would I use?  Answer: a 35# kettlebell, which is all I have.  I’d have to put in a pull-up bar at a minimum.  I might need a couple of 35# dumbells.  I’d have to buy a jump-rope too.

But the equipment isn’t the problem.  Figuring out WODs is not the problem (lots of resources for that.)  The problem is motivation. What would happen if I went solo for six months?  Or just worked out alone two days a week and went to the box two days a week?

I honestly don’t know.  I suspect that one thing that helps overcome the inertia is the community aspect.  Community can be fun; alone is — well just alone.  But “alone” would be one way to test my motivation and discipline.

Cheers,

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Crossfit: warriors, theater, discipline

Posted on April 28, 2012 by scharles

Crossfit demands commitment.  My goal is to work out four days a week.  For me that’s a tough schedule.  I’m typically worn out after the second day, and I’m a bit sore the rest of the week.  So the last day is usually a tough one.  Developing the discipline to do that schedule required patience.

My goal used to be lift as much weights, Rx the WOD, whatever.  Now my goal is to get 100% commitment each time I’m there.

Today we did the usual warm up (which included 30 pullups, 30 squats and 30 ring dips) and then 2x 800 meter run, 30 situps, 800m run, 30 superman rocks.  So: two miles, 60 situps, 60 superman rocks (a “superman rock” is like a reverse hollow rock.)  My total time was 22:12.  I’m guessing I ran an 8 minute mile in there, but no better than that.  I think I got about 98% of the workout.  I could have run a bit faster; but not much.

Which brings me around to another discussion about commitment and discipline in a different sport: theater.   I write plays (and I’ve produced one of them) and I attend plays on a regular basis.  I’ve reviewed a few of them. I’ve gotten to know quite a few actors.  I’ve come to believe theater is as much a sport as an art.  Theater take a huge commitment.  It requires tremendous discipline to create the kind of in-the-moment pretense that a play is.

I once wrote that the playwright is a warrior, but it’s true of actors as well.  So theater is sport.  Not a blood-sport, but it does put demands on the mind, the nervous system; our bodies really don’t know the difference between emotional fear and physical fear.  Both kinds trigger the flight or fight responses.

To be successful at crossfit, or theater, or anything that requires the extension of one’s abilities, requires 100% commitment.  Developing that kind of committed mind requires  determination.

I know the “warrior” mind thing has become a common place metaphor.  There are professionals, and sometime ordinary people, who place themselves in harms way and sometimes they pay a high price.  A play is a pretense reveals something about our humanness in a setting where risks are carefully mitigated.  But at it’s best theater respects the dangers of life and honors the efforts of living.  Theater offers an opportunity to reflect on who we are as individuals, communities, and nations.  Crossfit offers that same  opportunity.  But to get the most out of it, you have to commit 100%.

Cheers.

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KOLT Run’s Production of Smudge by Rachel Axler: notes and comments

Posted on April 28, 2012 by scharles

I would say that the quintessential American movie is “The Music Man.” The Music Man embodies everything Americans want to be true about America.  In other words, it’s mythologically correct.  From the standpoint of the ideals American’s want to share about family life, it might be the greatest American movie ever made.  All the hopes and dreams and optimism that everybody in America ever had, well they are in “The Music Man.”

The polar opposite of that idea of family life is “Rosemary’s Baby.”  A very different kind of drama – full of subterfuge, dark plots, undercurrents of evil.  A very noir opposite to the sunny “Music Man.”  Rosemary’s Baby isn’t mythologically correct (at least I hope not) but it may be existentially correct (same hope: not.)

And that brings us around to KOLT Run’s production of Rachel Axler’s “Smudge.”  Smudge is part Music Man, part Rosemary’s Baby.  The man and wife (Barry Hubbard as “Nicholas” and Kelley Ogden as “Colby”) have the classic middle-American presentation. They are hopeful, funny, bright, emotionally available.  They are decidedly sensitive and un-cynical.  And they are going to have a baby!  What could be better?

Well the baby turns out to be atypical.  The child is never actually seen, but it’s a girl, Cassandra.  As the story develops we quickly learn that Cassandra is misshapen: no limbs, one large eye, and a lower body that tapers off into a tail.

The new baby becomes a source of stress to the parents.  Nicholas and Colby are at odds over how to behave towards their alien baby.  Colby is horrified by the child, Nicholas tries to treat Cassandra normally.

Colby is trapped with the baby all day long, who is hooked up to various machines via tubes; there is a constant beeping from the monitor.  She is going slightly mad. Nicholas’ psyche shows the strains and begins to crack.  He is at work longer, although he’s less and less productive.  He seems not to appreciate how his personality is changing.

Nicholas’ brother (“Peter”, played by Eric Baldwin, who interestingly enough bears a resemblance to John Cassavetes) provides a bit of self-centered cynical comic relief.  He is the foil that provides a bit of reality to Colby and Nicholas, whose lives are becoming surreal.

Things really get surreal when it turns out the baby has some nascent magical powers.  Or at least to Colby.  The magic is never manifested in Nicholas’ presence.

The dialog is intense, a bit wacky, and seamlessly delivered on time.  Everybody hits their mark and stays in character.  The fact that the production is so well done is actually a problem.  Because now we have to take it seriously and ask, “what the heck is this play really about?”

I am tempted to take it as metaphor — as in “we’re all born as aliens into this world, helpless and subject to …” whatever.  Or maybe it’s just a play about a kid with special needs, rejected by the mother as being disgusting. The baby is named “Cassandra” which has some mythological significance, and the baby’s odd behavior being visible only to Colby might have some implication.

But regardless of what level of metaphorical leverage one wants to use to find meaning, it is the case that the characters in the play are confronted with something that transforms them.  The play is rich with emotional content, psychological dialog, and moral questions.  Once the lights go down, it’s hard not to notice the drama.

Rachel Axler did a very clever job of creating a character in Cassandra that represents every possibility of rejection based on physical impairments, without actually being any particular one.  Which of course means that the parents are stand-ins for the rest of us.  Even if that’s not strictly true in our day-to-day lives, it’s true in theater.

Cheers.


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Crossfit: rest time is part of the strategy

Posted on April 24, 2012 by scharles

Yesterday I really wanted to workout.  But for the wrong reason.  I often feel like I should be working out every day.  Some crossfit athletes do.  What I want when I work out is total commitment.  Just going in because I think I should isn’t conducive to getting that total commitment.

I had worked out on Friday and Saturday, resting on Sunday.  So I decided not to go in on Monday, and enforced a rule that I need at least one two-day rest during a week.  A four day schedule is enough for me, as long as I get 100% of the workout.

So I went in today rested and in a good mood.  I ran an 800 in 3:30.  Theoretically it means I can run a 7 minute mile. Which is huge improvement over the 10 minute mile I started with a year ago.  A 7  minute mile is a good goal for me.  I was also able to whip out 30 pullups, 30 pushups, and 30 ghd situps.  The pullups and pushups were in unbroken sets (of 10.)

The WOD was 3x 400m row, 10 air squats, and 5 hang power cleans for time.  It took me 12:55, but I was committed.  I figure I got about 95% of the workout.  The HPC’s were really sloppy though.  Something to improve on.  Next week!

Cheers.


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Big Idea Theater: Killer Joe notes and comments

Posted on April 23, 2012 by scharles

Big Idea Theater’s production of Tracy Lett’s “Killer Joe” is a rollar-coaster ride of a play.  It moves fast, the dialog is crisp, the story straightforward.  The plot is not complicated; it has a twist here and there, but it’s totally accessible.

The object of the play, one “Killer Joe” Cooper, a police detective and hitman, is played by Rick Elderedge, who does a marvelous job of taking on the affectations of a sophisticated Texan whose eccentricities include a pragmatic approach to both sides of the law, a soft spot for frail women, a droll sense of humor and the natural instincts of a predator.  He is dangerous.

The rest of the cast — Justin Munoz as “Chris Smith”, Shannon Mahoney as ” “Sharla Smith”, Wade Lucas as “Ansel Smith”, and Kat Wolinski as “Dottie Smith” — are the perfect foil for the murderer.  They are more or less amoral, a bit naive, and driven to venality by a perception of poverty.  What the Smith family lacks in sophistication they make up for with desperation.  They are more or less dumb.

The exception is Dottie, who apparently suffered an injury as a child; she has her own unique kind of wisdom.  She is passive, but prescient.  She seems to know what’s going on in a much deeper way than the other characters.  She also demonstrates a level of resolve the others don’t have.

“Killer Joe” can be thought of as what would happen if Hunter Thompson had written “Arsenic and Old Lace.”  It has that exact kind of dark humor, but without the gentle whimsy.  It’s very much not gentle.

The play is incredibly fast paced, the dialog is delivered sharply and without hesitation.  100% in the moment.  And some of the moments are harsh; not simply murder, but a bit of sadism as well.  The sexual content is not an “overtone” or “implied”, it’s explicit, starting with scene one.  To put this play on the stage required a huge level of commitment and discipline.  Everyone put on incredible performances.

The story at its essence is that a family decides to murder a relative for insurance money, and they hire Killer Joe Cooper to do the job.  They finesse a deal with him, which includes Dottie as “retainer.”  She is “retained” by Killer Joe several times during the play.  The  sardonic humor of the dialog and Keystone Kops style action tends to blunt the disturbing overtones –up to a point.  Slapstick comedy can only befuddle the brain for so long.

For me, the question is, “why did Letts write this play?”  And of course, why did Big Idea stage it?  It’s entertaining, particularly if you don’t like typical romantic comedies (if you liked “Natural Born Killers” you’ll love Killer Joe) but it goes way beyond a line that only a few years ago would have landed the entire cast in jail.

Breaking down social barriers is always tricky, and mostly dangerous.  We see nudity in movies all the time. Why not plays? Well it’s a bit late now to argue against it, it’s been here and done that.  But before Killer Joe I hadn’t really thought about how I would react to it.  Well it’s bit like ice water down the back for a few seconds, but you get used to it.

The bigger question is, why do the women in the play come under such duress?  The men, knuckleheads that they are, certainly could use a beating.  Which Justin Munoz actually gets — he is the best “beat up” guy you’ll ever find see on stage, a marvelous blend of pain, angst and humor.  And Wade Lucas gets tossed around too.  But the women, well they get punished.

Killer Joe proves once again that Big Idea is an incredibly talented team.  Professional, as in these men and women could play on any venue; they are strong.  BIT proves community theater can deliver amazing productions.  And it proves that the larger questions of what kind of society we are is still open to speculation.

Cheers.

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Crossfit: Hope

Posted on April 21, 2012 by scharles

The other day I reviewed a brutal WOD called Hope.  It’s actually the WOD for an upcoming charity event for St. Judes Childern’s Hospital. The event is scheduled for June 9th.  Hope is three rounds of max burpees, 75 pound Power snatch, 24″ box jump, 75 pound thruster and chest-to-bar pull-ups.  There is no rest between stations, and 1 minute between rounds.  In other words 5 minutes on, 1 minute rest, for 3 rounds.

I had a tough time with the workout.  My score was 115; I had all kinds of problems, mostly related to the thrusters and snatches.  But I’ll get another chance on June 9th and I’ve decided to make a goal of it.

I didn’t keep my score details, but I recall correctly it was something like this:

Burpee Snatch BoxJumps Thruster C2B
15 4 15 6 7
12 3 12 4 5
11 2 9 5 5

For a total of 115.  I think a score of 150 is within my ability. So that means I need to get 50 reps in each round.  For the Crossfit Open 12.3 I did 30 snatches at 75#, so I know I can do snatches. Of course for 12.3  snatches was all I had to do, and I had the advantage of a set of 30 at 43# to warm up.

But if I could do add 8 more burpees, 7 more snatches, 10 more box jumps, 5 more thrusters, and 5 more C2b I would be at 150. If I can just maintain 15 burpees, 15 box jumps, and 10 c2b that means all I need are 5 snatches and 5 thrusters each round.

The point of all the math is that it’s help to have a set of goals, a plan, and a certain flexibility to account for real world conditions (like pain, exaustion and limited talent.)

When I get to the WOD next time I’ll ask my partner to make sure I’m on target for 50 each round.  One way or another, 150 is the goal.

Cheers.

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Crossfit: revisiting emptiness

Posted on April 20, 2012 by scharles

Today was my third visit to CFES this week.  On the way over I remember thinking, “I hope I get lucky today and get through this workout.”  Now that is a really strange thought, because luck doesn’t have much to do with crossfit.  Frankly it’s a pathetic thing to think.  But I confess I was tired, stiff, and sore from the two previous workouts.

I knew what the workout was going to be: Hope.  It’s actually the workout that will be part of a charity event for St. Jude’s Hospital. The Hope WOD is: 3 rounds of max reps burpees, 75# snatches, 24 inch box jumps, 75# thrusters, and chest-to-bar. You get one minute at each station.  There is a 1 minute rest between rounds, but no rest in between stations.  In other words it is high-intensity work for 15 minutes with 3 1 minute rest times. It’s brutal.

When I started the workout I had a name, an identity, some preconceived notions about life, some hopes, fears, and desires.  In other words my life had a context.

When I ended the workout I had none of those things.  The sum total of my world was the desire for air, a feeling of intense heat, a painful heart beat, a feeling of dizziness.  I collapsed in a cool place for a few minutes.  I was, as they say, in the moment.

My total score was 115.  As it so happens that’s a low score, even among those who Rx’d it. What held me back was the snatches.  I could not find the right rhythm on those, even though I had done them before (in the Crossfit Games Open WOD 12.2.)  I just could not get under the bar and had to muscle them up.  I did a little better on the thrusters.

But the good news is  I got 110% of that workout.  And more good news: on June 9th I get to do it again!

Cheers.


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