Fleeting

The past couple of days I have been thinking about how the glory of youth is fleeting.  Not just youth, really, but everything.  All of it is ever-changing and in many ways temporary.  Children grow up, people grow old, pets and people die.  Jobs are temporary as most people switch jobs or careers multiple times in their lives.  I know that I will have at least three more jobs in my lifetime and that is just the guarantee.  I have to move (at least twice more), try my hand at brewing and eventually open my own gym or brewery.  Three (even though that lists four).  I have held at least 13 different jobs (not including stay-at-home Dad) and have never been fired or downsized.  I have been on countless boards and committees and have held all sorts of volunteer positions.  I started a Fantasy Sports group that has managed to stay exciting and lively for 8 years now.  Some people think that what they are doing today is what they will do forever.  Even those who stay with one thing for decades will likely have multiple jobs for that company and will see the responsibilities of that job change constantly.  If we are able to step back and look at the big picture, we realize that everything is changing even while we are looking at it.  Even Facebook friends "unfriend us" but we always find new ones. 

The important question that needs to be asked is "are we changing for the better?" 

In fitness terms I can take measure very quickly.  Every time I run I can tell if I am faster, slower or just in the same neighborhood (sometimes literally).  When I perform a lift I can tell quickly if I have improved since the last time I performed it or if I have gone backwards.  In my estimation, staying the same is the same as backsliding.  If you aren't improving, if you aren't getting better, then you are on the decline. 

What does that mean?  Once that decline begins, our youth is spent.  I want mine to last forever.  It won't.  Eventually we will all grow old.  Our bodies will be ravaged by time and habit.  If we aren't getting better then we are dying.  Pretty bleak.  Pretty simple.  But if that doesn't motivate you to do something, I don't know what will. 

I fear the day when my deadlift and backsquat weights are declining.  Once I know I can no longer set a PR because when I was in my 30s or 40s I was lifting more, I think it will signal to me that the decline has begun.  At the same time, it is possible to improve through our 40s and into our 50s.  There is so much technique, body mechanics and muscle memory involved that we can still get faster and stronger.  But we can't wait.  There will come a point when the body starts to decline. 

If we start working at it right now, we can achieve fitness.  By practicing with that fitness we can live a longer healthy life.  I don't want to be stuck in a chair.  I don't want to be unable to play with my grandchildren.  HEALTHY life.  I don't want to live to 100 but have the last 20 years be painful and inactive.  So I work.  Everyday is a new challenge.  What are you doing today to become a better person?  Fitter, faster, better parent, more patient, better employee?  Lasting change isn't accomplished overnight.  It takes time and effort.  Whatever it is that we want to achieve, we need time to achieve it.  The only way that I know I can maximize the number of tomorrows that I have is to do the right things today.  With more tomorrows I can attain all of my goals and dreams.  Without them I am already dying.  What will you do today?

WOD
3 Rounds for Time
Run 800 meters
20 Thrusters (75/45)
15 Burpees

Phineas and Ferb

Ione won 4 tickets to see "Phineas and Ferb" live at the San Diego Sports Arena.  Lisa was the lucky one that got to attend the show with the girls.  The amazing part is that Ione hardly ever wins anything.  Gwen and Tessie have had fortune smile on them, but for Ione this is one of the first times and certainly the "biggest" or "coolest" prize.  The prize was awarded to one child who filled in their entire reading chart for the summer reading program.  There were three such children in this house, so we had a solid chance.  Tessie was the one in the promotional photograph as she attends Storytime regularly while the others are in school.  Summer reading was a brief window of attendance. 

I came home and did a WOD and cleaned up a little.  We had Gwen's Girl Scout bridging from Brownies to Juniors today.  I never left the gym today as between classes we had a "marketing meeting" or discussion and covered programming and schedules.  I came home to meet the kids after school, went to the bridging, picked up Tessie, passed the kids to Lisa at her office and came here.  What is my point?  My point is that I drank hardly any water today.  I wanted to my third "Fit Wars" WOD today.  I didn't feel my best, so now I have to do it on a Friday night when I should be drinking beer. 

Today I did the following WOD and you should too:

7 Minute AMRAP
5 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (95/65)
10 GHD Situps
15 Air Squats

I made 5 rounds and then the SDHP and 8 Squats.  I went right to squats on that last round to save my ABS for the Toes to Bar in the Fit Wars WOD tomorrow.  I could have done more rounds, but honestly I was lollygagging as the GHD made me worry about Ab tenderness for tomorrow.  Unlike me, but it happens.  I just want to get these WODs done so I can hang around waiting to hear if I made the finals.  Tomorrow and then if I am feeling it maybe go do the final WOD Monday night and be done with it.  That would require me to eat well the weekend.  Always a challenge.

Gymnastics

Ione had her second gymnastics class today.  While I understand that she is just a beginner and has a lot to learn and many skills to develop, my appreciation for what they do is at an all-time high.  Gwen had done Gymnastics for a while and it was great, but I didn't understand at that time just how many practical applications there were for gymnastic skills. 

So as I watch Ione I have an entirely different perspective than I did 4-5 years ago watching Gwen.  I can see the flexibility, coordination, balance, agility, strength and power elements so much clearer.  I have Crossfit to thank for that.  I think that playing any sport is a good thing.  Gymnastics is just one I have come to admire. 

The WOD:

5 Rounds for Time
15 Push Jerks (95/65)
15 Hand Release Pushups

Fit Wars

So, being a competitive person, I tend to look for opportunities to compete.  I would like to think it is simply measuring myself against other people.  I usually don't win at these things, although I do have some age group awards from races and lots of finisher medals.  I have won a few Fantasy Sports awards also.  I just like to compete.  I am a sucker for pickup basketball or softball.  I will play horseshoes, bocce, croquet or Memory like it is my job. 

When Lisa found an advertisement in the paper that said "we are looking for the toughest athlete in San Diego" and was sponsored by 6 Crossfit gyms and the Marine Corps, something inside me said "I have to do that!" 

So now I am two weeks into the 4 week "open round" to determine the 12 fittest males and 12 fittest females in San Diego.  Those 24 athletes will compete on live television for the title of "Fittest in San Diego."  I have no idea if I can make the finals, but that won't stop me from trying.  There should be a mutlitude of "20-somethings" whipping my butt and securing their places in the finals.  But will they?  I have learned in my life to never underestimate how hard I can work, how much I can take and how much I can accomplish.  All you do is limit yourself.  You will never find your potential if you have already put a lid on yourself.  We all have adversity in our lives.  The way that I have learned to cope is to block out all of the distractions and focus very intensely on the goal at hand.  Last evening as I did my 2nd WOD for the contest there were two classes of Crossfitters watching me.  The class that had finished and the class that was about to begin.  It was only a 7 minute AMRAP, so it didn't take long.  I knew they were there but I blocked them out.  They had nothing to do with my potential.  Would I have liked to squeeze out a couple more reps?  Always.  Was I pleased with my results?  Yes.  Was I satisfied?  No.  We can always get better.  Competing with others is a way to push ourselves to improve.  When you become a big fish in a little pond, the only way to improve is to move to a bigger pond.  You will always be humbled.  You will also be driven to improve. 

So if I qualify I will send you the weblink to watch the final on November 4.  Jenn's father won the National Amateur Golf Championship  a week or two ago.  That is the way that I want to grow old. . . still competing and still trying to improve.

I didn't post a WOD yesterday, so I will post two today to be done between now and Monday. 

WOD #1
12 minute AMRAP
1 Deadlift
1 Box Jump
1 Double Under
Add one rep to each movement per round.  So the second round is two of each, then three, then 4 and so forth until 12 minutes is up.

WOD #2
21-15-9
Thrusters (95/65)
CF Standard Hand Release Pushups
Wallballs

Clock issue

So the WOD for today is one that is best done with someone keeping the clock for you.  I prescribed this WOD for the gym today, but I don't know if I will make it there to do it.  I should go, but I don't know if I will.  Tessie is home with me today and I teach P.E. at the school this afternoon.  I also want to run some and would have been able to do both if I had gotten up at 5 like I had planned.  I had a hard time falling asleep last night and I am going to blame that on the coffee I drank at 4 o'clock while watching Ione at gymnastics.  I will do something today.  Don't ever worry about that.

The WOD:

Max Reps in 15 minutes

20 seconds pullups
20 seconds pushups
20 seconds squats

Post number of total reps to comments.

On the Run

I have taken for granted for too long my running ability.  I haven't been doing exclusively running workouts for most of the past 10 months.  I will do them when the Crossfit cycle calls for it and have neglected my running beyond that.  I have several races that are coming and would like to add more.  I need to put more time into running however.  I am fit from a Crossfit perspective, but I am not as good of a runner as I have been at any point in the past 6 years or so.  Practice.

The WOD today:

15 Minute AMRAP

10 Push Press (75/45)
20 Back Squats (75/45)
30 Situps

Deadlifting

Perhaps my favorite lift that we do in Crossfit is the deadlift.  I love it for its simplicity and for its complexity (if you are doing it correctly).  Today in the three morning classes at the gym EVERY SINGLE ATHLETE set a new PR on the deadlift.  That includes me, albeit with some grunting on the 1 rep.

So today. . .

Strength:

Deadlift--  Build up to a one rep max.


WOD:

5 Rounds for Time
15 Kettlebell Swings
30 ABMAT Situps

Blog fail

I need to get my blogging in order.  I missed a day here.  I have twice failed to get the WOD for work up this week. . .in three days.  Plus a fail last week.  I suck lately.

Today's WOD:

50 Double Unders
25 GHD Situps
40 Double Unders
20 GHD Situps
30 Double Unders
15 GHD Situps
20 Double Unders
10 GHD Situps
10 Double Unders
5 GHD Situps

Back into things

It is high-time to start blogging again.

The WOD for today:

5 Rounds for time

5 Hang Power Cleans
5 Push Press
5 Pullups
10 Situps