My prolific CrossFit self, adding #26 and #27, and a workout (I'll bet you didn't think I did those anymore... :P)!

Ok, so you know how lots of people say that they always think of their best ideas or have their most random thoughts in the shower? (Ok, well I know people that say that...) I'm not sure what it is about the shower that makes it conducive to good thinking, but apparently it is. Well, for me, CrossFit has become my shower time. And no, I don't mean because I CrossFit naked. I would never subject anyone to that. :P My pale self would probably blind a few people. Anyway, CrossFit has been home to some of my most wonderful thoughts, or bursts of prolific insight lately, so I thought I would share some of it with you. Do you think you're ready for this amazing wisdom? I hope so.

Ehem, while hanging out later than I should have and trying to support others through Elizabeth yesterday, this little burst of wisdom shot out:

"If you get into a staring contest with that bar, it's going to win. Eventually you'll have to give up. Apparently inanimate objects don't blink."

Now, I meant this in jest, but it really is true. I am not sure who started the Rest Later idea. I think it may have come from Ray, but perhaps it was Jerry. Regardless, there is a theory on resting (which was cited on the affiliate blog this fall) that goes something like this. If you must, drop the bar/kb whatever. Take 3-5 quick deep breaths, pick it back up, and crank out some reps. You know, honestly, at first it sounds a little hokey, honestly what can 3-5 breaths do for me, but it really does make a difference. If you drop the bar and sit there, and wait until you feel ok to go, A) you're going to waste time and add time to your circuit or lose reps, and B) the chances of the bar winning the staredown that you've started increase drastically. Those feelings of "I can't finish this" start to sneak in. But when you are going and moving and just banging out reps, whether it's 1, 2, or 5, you know you are getting closer to being finished and it gives you the motivation to finish. CrossFitters seem to be a particularly stubborn and determined crowd. No matter what we have put in front of us, we want to finish it. And not only finish it, we want to finish it fast and with a lot of weight. Resting Later is a great way to get you to that finish line faster while feeling stronger.

In a staredown, the bar will win if you let it. So practice resting smarter, and REST LATER! :)

Now, on a more exciting note, I have to go back to the top 25 list. Seriously, I had no idea when I started that thing last week that it was going to become so massive. I did it for fun (as I do all my blogs), but apparently it's growing! After this week, here's what I've decided. If you have something you think should be added to the top 25 list... or whatever top # it becomes (after today it will officially be 27) feel free to send it along, and I will continue to add to our growing list of CrossFit attributes. I can't repost each time cause the thing is getting ginormous, but I'll just keep posting the new numbers to keep everyone laughing. Now, numbers #26 and #27 are courtesy of us here at CF Old Town.... and they are great!

#27 When told two days in advance what your workout will be, it causes you to have nightmares about people breaking limbs and doing ring dips over a moat full of alligators.

#26 In order not to miss a regularly scheduled workout, you make sure that when you drop your car off at the garage that they schedule a loaner for you. You then spend the next few days driving around in a busted up, brokedown, baby blue, 1988 Buick hooptie all so you can CrossFit.

Ah... so now on to the workout today. So guess what happened?! Well I rolled into CrossFit in my beautiful baby blue hooptie unsure of what today would bring after a hard day with Elizabeth. Well I found out soon enough. One of my least favorite exercises, running, mixed with one of my stronger exercises, chins. My first thought with the running, was man this blows. My second thought was, well I haven't hit a set of max chins in awhile, so even with a busted up hand, today would be a good day to hit some chins.

So the workout officially looked like this.

WOD AMRAP in 30 minutes

800 meter run (first round only)
Max chins
400 meter run
max chins
Etc etc etc

During the first run, I felt uber slow and super tight, so when I hopped on the chip up bar, I only hit 7. I was disappointed with that because I used to be able to tie together so many more, but was encouraged because that's still higher than I've been able to hit lately. One the 400 meters, for me, I felt pretty speedy, which of course means I wasn't breaking any real land speed records. But I went back in and on my second set hit 12 chins. That's a NEW PR! :) :) :) I was a little bummed because I felt like I should have held on for 13 or 14, but in the middle of a set after some running, I took it. I then dropped to 7, then 8, then back up to 10. Chins are starting to feel strong again. I think I lost a lot of range of motion for some reason after the bubonic plague, but it's starting to come back. Maybe it was those two days of 60 and 100 chins that helped me along? After my last set of 10, Jerry was all but pushing me out the door to get another run in. I would have been content to stop there, but Jerry was hollering at me as I went out the door telling me I had 2:05 to get 400 meters in.

Well I was trying to book it but on round 6 of the run, I was feeling less than speedy now. But I tried to keep the pace going. I was trying really hard to make it and I wasn't sure how I did. As I opened the door to head back in the building all I heard was Jerry yell.... and his watch beep. I had made the final run in under 2:05. I have to say I was surprised to see Jerry standing there when there was a room of people upstairs waiting for his toutalage. But, I think it's here that I have to stop and say what an amazing person I think Jerry is. Jerry works hard to make sure that each person at CFOT meets with success. No matter how big or small the success, Jerry strives to get them there. To quote Bobby (the reason I found CrossFit) "Jerry in my opinion is peerless as a friend, coach, and trainer."

Jerry said he was just coming to look for me, but regardless, it was nice to know he was pulling for me to hit that last run in. Now, what he did to me when I walked back upstairs wasn't very nice, because everyone else was waiting to hit Tabbatta situps, while I meanwhile had just all but gassed myself. Jerry said he wanted triple digits on the sits, so I was going balls to the wall. Guess what I hit? 100 on the nose. :) How's that for triple digits? :) All in all, it's been a great week with CrossFit and I feel amazingly blessed everyday that I have the opportunity to see and spend time with the people I've met there. CFOT is like no other. No doubt. We are LEGIT CrossFit.

You always pass failure on the way to success.- Mickey Rooney