WOD, 1.26.10:

5 Rounds for time of:

7 Thrusters (135/95)

14 Med-Ball Cleans (20/14 lbs)

21  Med-Ball Ab Slams

“I am sooooooooooo tired…this WOD is gonna suck.”

“I am awful at backsquats…I’m gonna suck in this WOD.”

“My back has been killing me…this WOD is gonna suck.”

“This is my fourth day in a row…I’m gonna suck in this WOD.”

“I haven’t done this WOD…I’m really gonna suck at it.”

You’ve heard ‘em…You’ve uttered ‘em…I’ve done it.  What are they? DISCLAIMERS.  You are afraid that you aren’t going to succeed at a WOD, so you make your excuses beforehand.  According to BK of CrossFit Performance:

“This fear from the heat of the workouts, the heavy weight, the heart in ‘ya throat  short metcon, the long brutal cardiovascular endurance pain is ingrained in us all, but if you let out an audible about how you cannot do it or look for a disclaimer or excuse you are setting yourself to fail, and fail every time!”

Ever hear of a self-fulfilling prophecy?  This is exactly what disclaimers are.  If you say you’re gonna suck, you will, without a doubt, SUCK; however, fortunately enough, the opposite is true too.  Listen, if you’re truly lacking sleep, sore from a 315 back squat, or too many WODs in a row, STAY HOME.  REST…allow your body to recover.  Come back the next day and SQUASH IT.

Here’s my story:

Day one, CrossFit Games ’09.  Me, little old, 5th place finisher at the Northeast Qualifier, LP from West Haven, CT….just happy to be there amongst these incredible athletes.  

WOD 1:  7 k grueling trail run in the hot California sun…loved it..got kicked in the face (literally), ate dirt, climbed through pounds of poison oak, but I’m feelin’ good…it’s the first WOD…it’s the GAMES…

WOD 2: Progressive deadlifts.  Each 20 seconds I have to deadlift 10 lbs heavier than my last lift.  I am Ecstatic…I can deadlift for a skinny chick.  I TELL myself I’m gonna kill it…never say, “girl, you just scaled the side of a freakin’ mountain, you won’t lift over 3oo.” I kill it.  This keeps me in for WOD three…

WOD 3: 100+meters uphill (no joke hill…similar to running up a black diamond ski slope) sandbag sprint.  I’m still good…I say to myself, “No matter how bad it is, it is under two minutes.  Lay it all out on the line.” For me, I did the best I could in this WOD.  Then, WOD 4…damn…

WOD 4:  Row 5oo M. Then, nail a blunt stake into the ground with a sledge.  Then, row another 500. This is when it starts..DISCLAIMER ALERT…I start…I tell anyone who looks in my direction, “I totally suck at rowing…Seriously…I am like the WORST rower ever…and the only stakes I’ve touched are medium rare and have A-1 on them!”  What should I have been saying? “No one here has experience with a sledge hammer.  I am gonna smack that stake like my parents are tentmakers!  I’m gonna do it so well that the skills I lack in rowing won’t matter!”  But I didn’t…therefore, I blew it.  Fortunately, my deadlift WOD was strong enough that I made it to the final WOD.

WOD 5: 30 Wall Balls, 30 Snatches, 3 rounds.  Two movements that I am typically good at, but, watch out, the disclaimers came out.  This WOD will haunt me for the rest of my CrossFit career.  I put “Broke, Beaten, and Scarred” on the ipod, but nothing could get me to stop telling myself, “You are tired. This is your fifth WOD today.  You don’t even want to make it to tomorrow. No one expects excellence.”  And thus, my WORST CrossFit performance to date.  I can’t even watch the video from the games because I am SOOOOOOOOO angry that I allowed myself to think, not perform, THINK this way.

BK states, “The disclaimers are excuses, fear driven dribble, that are thrown out unconsciously.”  Could I have done better? WITHOUT A DOUBT!  I could’ve beaten the best time of the day in that final WOD (I did by minutes a few weeks later), but the muscle between my ears prevented this from occurring.  Come in tomorrow, and everyday, with a positive mindset, and watch yourself begin to CRUSH WODs!

“The mind is everything….
Muscles just pieces of rubber…
All that I am …….
I am …..
Because of my mind“

-Benedict Kelly

Watch out for this powerhouse! Great work, John!

Rob's overhead squat looks 1000 times better than the last time!

There is no such thing as "personal space" with Jacob during dynamic stretching.

6:30 getting ready for their 400s

Blanco crushed today's WOD with 123 reps!

Dani hasn't been with us too long, but did today's WOD Rx'd, and her first time overhead squatting, lifted 105 lbs. Her deadlift was respectable as well!

Stacy has not allowed a little injury to stop her. Keep up the good work, girl!

From the outside looking in...

Wanna learn mental fortitude? Watch Fran workout. She focuses and refuses to back down.