I Made It Through The Murph

Today's Crossfit WOD was "The Murph," named after Navy lt. Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, NY, a SEAL killed in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The workout consists of: 

  • 1 mile run
  • 100 pull-ups
  • 200 push-ups
  • 300 squats
  • 1 mile run

I went in with no idea what to expect. Being Memorial Weekend, I didn't know if the place would be empty. Far from it. Close to 30 of us lined up at the back door that leads to the greenway, waiting for the clock to count down the start to the run. Several of the guys and one girl (you GO, girl!) wore weighted vests for the workout. 

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Getting the Most Out of Crossfit

I think I made a breakthrough in my workout today or, rather, in my mindset around my workout. 

Crossfit WOD's (workout-of-the-day) are typically set up so there's a beginner, prescribed and advanced level of the workout. The advanced is so far beyond my current skill level, I just ignore it. I'm beyond beginner level but, when weights are involved, have never felt comfortable with the prescribed weight. I always convince myself it's just a little too heavy or just beyond my capabilities and so I usually use a weight that's 10-15 lbs under what's prescribed. 

This is pure ego. 

Crossfit workouts are timed and we're competing against ourselves and other people. I don't like using heavier weights because it slows my time down. I go slower, rest longer. But guess what? That's what's supposed to happen. 

Today I decided enough with the ego. I'm doing the workout and if I'm the last one to finish, I'm the last one to finish. We do a 21-15-9 workout where we did 21 ground to overhead (GTO) thrusts with a weighted bar, followed by 21 burpees, 15 GTO, 15 burpees, etc. The prescribed weight for females was 65 lbs and I did it. I was the second to last person to finish but I did it. What's more, I feel really good about being almost last simply because I did the workout the way it's supposed to be done. No slacking off, no compensating. My arms were ready to DIE by the last round but I muscled through. 

So right now, physically, I'm wiped. But it's a fantastic mental start to my day. I can't guarantee I'll remain ego free but I am going to make a concerted effort to "man up" and do the prescribed workout and not worry about competing or my time. 

Happy Monday,

Dena

Smug Marrieds: A Fitting Year End

Most bloggers round out the year with well wishes for their readers' good health and happiness. Not me. I'm ending with a Smug Married. What can I say? I'm a truth teller. 

Dena, arriving home from her afternoon workout, bursts in the door: Guess what? I deadlifted 185 today at Crossfit. 

Blair: That's great. 

Blair is cleaning the house, so Dena runs upstairs to grab the vacuum to help. On the way back down she accidentally swings the vacuum against the wall, almost taking out a piece of plaster. 

Dena: Oops. 

Blair: Woman, you're lying to me. I know you can't deadlift no 185 pounds when you can't even carry a vacuum down the stairs. 

And so the Smug Marrieds move on to 2013.

From our home to yours,


HAPPY NEW YEAR!

 

Crossfit Failure

I have a not-so-small Groupon addiction I'm working through. The daily deals flood my inbox each morning and I'm helpless to turn away. Full massage session for half price? 15 yoga classes for the price of 10? Brazillian wax for one-third the normal price? (Hang on to your hats for THAT blog post.) I can't say no.

Which is how I ended up paying $45 for one month of 12 Crossfit sessions.

In case you're not familiar with it,...

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