The Lion of Fallujah... a CrossFit Hero

So today Jerry decided that we were going to hit a hero workout. Under normal circumstances, I love the heroes, but feel bad about them at the same time. I love the workouts that just beat the crap out of you. I know that sounds really strange, but you feel so good when you finish because you're like, hey, I just did all that stuff, and it feels good to know that you are actually capable of accomplishing that. At the same time though, the heroes make me feel bad because, well, in order to have a hero workout, you have to have a fallen soldier. It's very bittersweet. Today's workout was named after Doug Zembiec. He was described as being a man who would support you, but who would also put a boot in your ass when you needed it. It's said that he gave directions from the top of a tank, while injured. He sounds like a true leader. Our workout was in honor of him, and came courtesy of someone who served with him. This gentleman stopped into CFOT last year when he was in town for Zembiec's funeral at Arlington National Cememtary. He wrote this workout to honor Maj. Zembiec, and tore it right out of his notebook and gave it to Jerry. Jerry told the gentleman that we would hit it next year in honor of his death. Jerry kept his word, and we did. To see the photo of his notebook page, click here.

But, like I said, under normal circumstances, I love the heroes. Yesterday though, I just couldn't find a groove. I was really, really struggling. Lately, I've been having an easier time of tying reps together and just moving through a workout. This week for whatever reason has been much harder than other recent weeks. I thought perhaps it was stress since school has me strung as tight as a wire. But when I woke up yesterday, and then this morning, it all started to make more sense. I'm very sick.... AGAIN. Apparently my body was trying to tell me something, just like it did when I tried to do party with the girls.

Just once, I would like to be totally healthy for a month, but it NEVER happens. I always do something dumb. No really, I do. Either I get sick, or I get the wierdest injuries possible. I mean, come on, who else do you know that pulls a freakin' hip flexer? Anyway, I drug myself in yesterday, and apparently I was not good company to keep in the blue room. Once we were done, someone I work out with said I was a total Debbie Downer the whole time, and that really upset me. That's not normally me. Normally Gar and I keep a pretty steady flow of words to make each other laugh and we're really upbeat. Lately, because things are getting easier for me (I said easiER, not EASY! I think it largely has to do with the fact that there is less of me to carry around these days.) I've found myself encouraging others a lot more than I used to. Yesterday though, I was in a tunnel by myself, and I really hurt. I guess I didn't realize that I was complaining that much during the workout and it really bothered me to hear someone else say that. Anyhoo... I shouldn't dwell...

All in all yesterday I still managed to complete 3 rounds of this. I would have done the 4th, but since we did this on a weekday, I had to get to work, which was a bummer. I finished my three rounds in 42:57. It's no land speed record, but I still completed it. The Lion of Fallujah, also called Warriors Never Die, looks something like this:

Repeat for 4 rounds (or as many rounds as you have time for)
25X Jumping pullups
25X Walking lunges (each leg)
25X Knees to elbows
25X Thrusters (15 lbs)
25X Push press (15 lbs)
25X Kettlebell swings (35 lbs)
25X Burpees

Like I said, I got 3 rounds of this in, but I certainly was not very speedy. It was a rough one for me. The knees to elbows and the burpees were what really slowed me down. I just couldn't get through them. Then once I got through, the next exercise just felt like crap. Sheer crap. I probably looked like crap all over the place today too.

It also didn't help that I was really upset yesterday because when I stepped on the scale before my workout, I discovered that I have regained 2 lbs of what I originally thought I had lost. I know that sounds stupid to the rest of you, but in all fairness, I haven't lost that much. To see 2 pounds go back on the scale was just heartbreaking, especially since I had broken 170 lbs, which I haven't done in over 3 years. To now go back over that number was just heartbreaking. After everything I went through this week with teacher appreciation week and getting all those things as far away from me as possible, it was just like someone had sucker punched me in the stomach. It was a defeat in the worst possible way. Everyone at school keeps commenting on my will power, well, truth be told, I don't have any. What I have is a reason. Which would I rather carry through 13.1 miles? 10 lbs more? 10 lbs less? I know the answer, and I know that if I cave and eat some of the things I really want to... I'll wind up having to carry 10 pounds more through the race. I don't want to do that. But nonetheless, to see the scale yesterday really sucked.

I've decided that I need to tighten up even more on the zone. I've allowed myself minimal wiggle room, and I guess that I have to go with no wiggle room at all. I've also decided that soda, even though I've been drinking diet and caffeine free diet, must go. I've only made it through two days. The headaches are killing me, which also tells me that my body is still receiving large amounts of sugar from the soda, even though it says there isn't any... and that my body is obviously still addicted to it. So I know that in order to break that addiction, I need at least 3 solid weeks without the soda, and we'll take it from there. This is going to be very difficult for me. Not so much right now because I'm sick and I just want some hot tea, but it will be a large challenge for me. I hope I have to gumption to stick with it.

Do or do not, there is no try. ~Yoda, Jedi Master