WOD, 12/1/09:

First: 

Front Squat 3-3-3

then…get ready for it…

“Karen”

150 Wall Balls for time (20/14 lbs)

We may have to perform this WOD in heats depending on class size/wall space.  I have seen it done in everything from a little over 4 minutes all the way up to 11 minutes.  Set your goal at the 5-6 minute mark.  REMEMBER:  you do not need the rest that you think you do!

Many of you know my very good friend from “down under” Ben Kelly (BK), owner of CrossFit Performance in Fairfield.  He was my first trainer at GLOBO-GYM, and the man responsible for getting me involved in CrossFit.  Never in my life, have I met a more focused athlete, with the ability to get in that “zone” during WODs and absolutely DOMINATE.  BK came in first at the New England Throwdown in 2008, 2nd in 2009, and his CFP Team came in 4th at the recent competition in Natick, MA.  One would look at an athlete of BK’s caliber and think that he never takes a rest; that he just rips through WODs day in and day out.  Below is a recent post of his, in which he admits a performance error recently made.  I know that it made me reconsider my training, and should do the same for you.  The fact that BK scrutinizes his daily routine and performance is part of the reason why he is such a phenomenal athlete:

You are the sum of all stressors

I never get sick. I take immense pride in the fact that I am immune to disease because of the way I live – meats and vegetables, nuts , some fruit , zero starch and zero sugar. The last time was almost 2 years ago at Janet’s Mum’s place and it was definitely food poisening and the porcelin bus got a solid ride . The sound of me puking is enough to make grown men cry and dating my baby for only a very short time I am very  grateful she stuck with me after the display I put on. Ugly!

So fast forward to this Sunday morning and I am over the worst of a rocking virus that felt like death Saturday. Let me take you back to the start….

Been on a massive high all week from CFNE comp running on adrenalin..Leave Thursday for Texas.

Friday-Sunday food and drink all foreign to me . Diner, Restaraunts, Tequila( OK, tequila isn’t foreign)

Sunday night fly in  from Summit at 11.30pm, bed at 1am, up at 4.45am – 3.45 hours sleep

Monday -Rest day from training after 2 killer WODS on weekend .  I am smart. Get big 2.5 hour kip middle of day. Wake up feeling great and attack a very short Row interval sesh at 5PM.  Sleep 6 hours

Tuesday- Training Catalyst and Snatch feels ok, but wrist has been bothering me since CFNE max clean. I soldier on. Cleans tell me it is no good, sharp pain in wrist on recieving bar . I stop training. I am smart. Sleep 6 hours

Wednesday – Rest , as Murph is planned tomorrow and I am doing it with the BB guns and Tommy ,  the athletes I have trained at CFP ever since they walked into our 500 square foot box over a year ago. I am excited. I want to do something but my mind tells me you will need every ounce of energy to perform tomorrow. I am smart.

Wednesday Night 7.30 ish I have a slight sore throat. Maybe its because I haven’t been training.  We have a big day with Janet’s family for Thanksgiving and I want to be feeling good. I also want to crush Murph. I have done it one time way back with Jay almost 18 months ago  without partitioning  because he didn’t realise you could ,in 50 odd minutes. I will see how I wake in the AM. 6.30 sleep

Thanksgiving - ” Murph” Still sore throat but ok.  My mantra for years has been ”pay before ya play’ and am excited for the challenge . We go out in a 6.30 mile  pushing each other jockeying for position with Tommy first into  the rat in a cage 5-10-15 . By second round the mind is asking WTF, looking for an out. There is no out today, its game day, I am racing my athletes, This is more important than any comp… be in the moment- attack the 5 – work the ten - unbroken 15 . There is a state of flux you fall into when your body is cooking with gas so hard , you don’t feel the pain , your blood is boiling , you are on fire…and its awesome!  I get out the door first and lock into that last mile. Get back in  8.04 and I break my goal of 35 with a 34.15.  Bosco hits 35.45 and   breaks his goal of 36 . I am so pumped for him . Brian comes in shortly Brian has been sick for a week) with Tommy not far behind.  We have another heat that started after ours and we cheer them on. I run Julie through her last mile , shirtless in 45 degree weather. Not smart.

 I go and get my foot taped by my Chiro, and we go to lunch at 2. I order a margarita on the rocks and eat a beaut Turkey meal with sweet potato, and gravy hell yeah ..I deserve it . Gold! Two more tequilas and I am feeleng good. We go back to our place to eat dessert. I had a gluten free cheesecake made and give it a good couple of hits that day with organic whipped cream along with 1 Red Bridge beer. Sleep disrupted waking 3-4 times throughout and wake up ok not feeling too bad. 6.5 hours

Friday – Pretty cruisy day. Class early and then head home to work. Start a workout , overhead no good with wrist still bothering, go to HSPU but have nothing . Heavy KB swings are ok and soldier through 3 sets along with some hammy work. My body is screaming at me , throat is still there, but I still train albeit ordinary. Friday night I start to feel worse while coaching On Ramp. I go home and eat some eggs along with cheesecake.  Immediately after I start to feel clogged. nose ,head . Not smart.  Sleep terribly 2 hours.

Saturday – Feel not good at all.  Train Janet at 6 , class at 7 another at 8.15 . I head home to lie down. All day on the couch wondering whether I have swine flu . Death bed kinda stuff ,   temperature  extremely achy body -  reluctantly take 3 motrin  and go to bed at 9 . Sleep solid waking once . 9.5 hours.

Sunday – Feel 50% better than yesterday but 50% under full steam.  I am so in tune with my body and how I feel that I am looking for the answer to how this has transpired. How the hell did a machine like me get  sick. I never get sick. I am immune to common mans colds . I am superman! 

 So 12 pm Sunday 29th and here are some clues as to why:

• Insane competition at CFNE 15 days ago – 4 workouts in 5 hours . Alcohol + refined carbs =inflammation=no recovery
• Insane back to back WODS at Summit Friday and Saturday with dinner after Saturday’s 25 minute wod . Alcohol consumed with restaraunt food = inflammation= no recovery
• Murph 3 days ago then alcohol consumed with restaraunt food  along with refined carbs =inflammation= no recovery .
• Travel
• Not enough sleep
• Caffeine ..too much of it.
• Stress.

Dissecting the above apart , is not my intention I have done that all before . To understand that many forces/ stressors affect your every move is.

Not getting enough sleep thru travel/kids/stress . Don’t workout

Holiday WOD or competition . Go easy on alcohol and carbs/sugar.

If your body is telling you no..listen. It is better to rest than workout 100% of the time. In the past I would have never said that ,but the lives we live and the demands we put on our system through CFP training are of the highest order. BE SMART …I wasn’t !

TIME FOR A REST WEEK.

 ”You are what you eat

You are when you eat

You are how you eat

You are what you DON’T excrete

You are the sum of all stressors”

BK at the NE Throwdown in 2008

Flaunting our winnings as the "Fittest Female and Male in Mass."

Check out today’s athletes:

Jamie sharing her box...Good girl!!

That's right people, D-$ is BACK from his stint with the Amish in PA.

6:30 gettin' their skill work on.

DP shows the kettlebell who's boss!

Watch out, Kevin S. is back on the scene!

Stacy's jerks were NO JOKE today...Great WORK!!

Fran did box JUMPS for the first time today! Way 2 GO!

Adam is down 14 lbs in ONE MONTH!

I have an eye for catching the Testas' with their BEST face on!

Donna sums up today’s WOD…