5 Rounds for time of:
10 Kettlebell Swings (Heavy)
10 Burpees
400M Run
This time last year… Bryce wrote on The Coaching Staff.
Love Thyself
-Val Ngai
What do you say to yourself after a WOD? Are you proud or are you full of self deprecating words? Have you ever said to yourself “Why couldn’t I just do one more rep? Why didn’t I push a little harder? Why do I suck?”? These are the thoughts and words I’m talking about. Common fears related to crossfit are fear of pain, fear of competition, fear of a movement and whether you’ll be able to execute it. So what if you face the pain, attack the competition head on and the movements are not an issue, what fear is left? Typically it is the fear of underperforming (as perceived by you) and self abusive thoughts of “I have no excuses. I tried my best and I’m still not good enough.”. Personally, I’m petrified of the things I say to myself after a workout.
These thoughts have no positive outcome. They don’t make you better. They just make you feel bad.
I wanted to write this article because I see and hear these sentiments throughout our community. I see it in our members and coaches when they get upset with how they performed and when nothing they do seems good enough for themselves. When we’re too focused on our score and all the things we can’t do, we’re not appreciating the workout we got, the work that we’ve put into getting better and we lose sight of our improvements. It’s good to be ambitious and to strive to be better, but not at the expense of self-appreciation and loss of the overall view of why workout. Working out should never make you feel bad about yourself.
If you find yourself in this black hole, step back and ask yourself “Why do I crossfit?”. We crossfit to improve our fitness; to be healthy; to be part of a wonderful community. These reasons don’t change regardless of the outcome of any WOD.
Wanting to be better and working hard at it is part of self improvement. But keep your eye on the prize. Keep striving to improve but don’t lose sight of your purpose. Love yourself for all that you do FOR yourself, even if it was 1 rep short of what you wanted.
CrossFit? It’s CrossFun!
Thumbs up, Val. :)
I was feeling pretty good about this one, until MattJ lapped me. At which point I fell into a black hole of rage and despair from which I can only hope to emerge later this year.
Metcon: 15:19.
Nice to see the girls crushing Eva today. Yuck!
2 x airdyne, 40 sec @ 97%, 3 min b/w sets
RPM – 103-108 on both sets. Ouch the quads burned up until the start of the next intervals
10 min rest
2 sets @ 95-97%, 15 power snatch – 95# + 15 burpees, 4 min rest b/w sets
TIMES – 1:14, 1:14. Ouch ouch
10 min rest
2 @ 95%, Row 500m, 6 min rest b/w sets
TIMES – 1:29, 1:30
O yea that’s the good stuff in terms of the chest burn that crept in on the 2nd interval. i was cooked about halfway thru but you can’t let the pain win when you’re that close to the end. Arms are very heavy after these for some reason. Felt like i did Eva or a ton of pullups.
“Eva”
Run 800 meters
30 Kettlebell swings, 3/4 pood
30 pull-ups (black/orange band)
5 rounds for time
TIME: 44:22
My upper body was still sore from Angie on Sunday so I knew 150 pullups were not going to be pretty. They surprisingly weren’t that bad, I think bc I added some bands. I know I won’t be able to lift my arms over my he’s tomorrow. KB unbroken, runs were slow but I wanted to keep an even pace. Great job today ladies…nice way to kick off the Paleo challenge! Thanks Alex for coming in early to coach us.
Woke up this morning legs felt like lead from ryding and still sore from “Angie” having had one rest day in the past 10 days after teaching 7 classes last week and thought, “heck, why not do ‘Eva’ today!?!” WHY NOT!?!?!?!!
“Eva”
5 rounds:
800m run
30 KBS (2 pood)
30 pull ups
Time: 44:30
Runs felt pretty (still slow) decent despite my lungs not liking the cold. KBS (#35) unbroken first round, then 15-15. And THEN there were pull ups. I have been nursing and prepping my hands since Saturday’s epic rips for this. Taping made a HUGE difference (thanks Kacey!). Started pull ups w/ the red band and was like F no 150 on this band ain’t happening, need a thicker band, switched to orange.
Awesome job to my Paleo ladies who did this at 6am (especially those who don’t normally come to 6am)!!!! Countdown til we meet Eva again: 29 days!!!!!!
Post: whimpering and nursing my hands
Post-post: Teaching Real Ryder tonight at 6pm…. who wants to come!? :)
**Original goal was to be able to do Eva unbanded… but after watching the one, the only, Abbey C. Cullen do it unbanded I think I am reevaluating my goal!!!
EVA
5 rounds
800 m run
30 KBS @ 1pd
30 pull up
42:59
My goal for today was to finish under 45 minutes. Having the 6am class there to rally us was awesome. I appreciate MattJ demanding I do singles on the last two rounds of pull ups; it saved my arms and time..and Beery for running the last 800 with me.
HUGE Thanks to Alex for coming in to coach us on this, and Bryce for allowing us to do it during the regular class!
Taping my hands was really helpful; thanks to ErinC for making my second wrap so early in the morning.
goal for May redo- under 45- and totally RX
Nice work today ladies :)
I think this was the first WOD ever where I came off the pull up bar at the end and had a full body collapse
@ spitfire
…then you haven’t been working hard enough until today. ;o)
Great thoughts Val. There are few workouts where I’m fully satisfied with the results, and even a few more when I’m actually upset, but I’ve found the key is to give yourself an hour or two to brood over it and then forget about it. Think about how many workouts you’ve done–one day shouldn’t make, break, or dictate where your level of fitness is at. I’ve found it more important (and enjoyable) to think about progress over a week’s worth of workouts. What did you do well at? Where did you struggle or where could you have pushed yourself harder? I think sometimes we tend to forget what’s on our “suck list” until a particular workout comes up, and I’ve found this to give a good barometer of what you need to improve on each week.
Awesome to see the Paleo challenge gals take down Eva this morning, I’ve never done that workout and don’t plan on it anytime soon unless forced to.
Metcon, Rx’d: 14:07
Runs felt like I was running through quicksand today, but always fun trying to keep up with MattJ and racing with ErinC. Running endurance seems to have fallen off as I wasn’t able to finish the last two rounds as strong as I would’ve liked.
Post:
1RM Fat Bar Bench Press: #225-#235(F)
I felt on top of the world when I thought I had benched #245 for a #20 PR but Bryce knocked me off my pedestal when he reminded us the fat bar only weighs #20. Big frowny face.
C1: Unbroken Strict Chinups, 5×5
+#20 – 25 – 30 – 40(4) – 40(4)
C2: BB Narrow Grip JM Press, 5×10
#65 – 65 – 45 – 45 – 55
Amen Drew, preach on brother. Abbey where has the effort been all these years haha?? I thought that was an unfamiliar sight to my eyes when you hit the ground post wod. Good stuff. All the Eva ladies put in monster efforts this am. Look forward to the retest and huge pr’s next month
Nice article Val. Although I find it interesting that you are imploring us to have a positive attitude about ourselves and our workouts, yet you admit that you often have negative thoughts and feelings when you are finished.
This is where crossfit walks a fine line in my eyes. A) It encourages competition on almost every workout we do, with times/reps posted each day, and you are suppossed to give max effort on every workout. So every workout is judged at some level on its results.
B) We do this because it is makes us healthier, gives us a positive outlet, and is supposed to be fun.
Many of the type of people that are drawn to crossfit are likely type A competitve people. And I would guess that most of these people have more fun when they are doing well at something than when they are doing poorly.
So how do you take a competitive person, put them in a competitive arena on a daily basis, and not expect a certain level of “abusive” thoughts. I agree that if these thoughts are counterproductive to progress,that these are not beneficial. But I think most competitve people expect a lot of themselves and they get upset when they don’t reach it. Hopefully, this frustration serves as motivation to improve, but it doesn’t always leave a pleasant feeling.
I know for some people Val’s thoughts are more on point than others. For me especially, (as my wife can attest), I don’t know how to do something competitvely, while taking it seriously, without this constant internal struggle. It would be nice to be able to do as well or better without this internal baggage, but I find that this baggage drives me to be better. So I am interested if anyone has advice on how to do this well without the stress that isn’t just “don’t stress”.
Nice write, Val.
I am my own worst critic……
Metcon Rx’d- 14:42.
Legs have been really sore since after Saturday so I was worried about having juice for this one. Was feeling good about my pace until I totally dogged the 4th 400. ON the 5th I was about to dog it again until Andrew saw me and told me he was going to finish with me. He was going faster than me so I didn’t want to slow him down and picked my pace up. This probably saved me 15-20 seconds on the last 400 and got me in under 15!
@ Andrew- that was awesome man and a great example of why i love crossfit and CFC in particular. Awesome workouts, awesome people.
Post: Mobility Wod Squat Series Part 1/3
10-12 minutes total (about 2 minutes per leg per movement)
A1: Banded lung
A2: Lax ball on side flexors
A3: Barbell mash on inner quad.
I am going to work through this three part squat mobility wod every week and hit the shoulder mobility exercises the rest of the days to address my biggest mobility issues after or outside of class.
Great write up Val. Thanks for scoring for me during the open, it was great to meet you.
I also get down on myself if I don’t perform well. Regardless, it starts me off well for the day. Especially since my job can be stressful and frustrating.
Forgot to record my time, but came in about 10 seconds before Brett L. I would like to say I beat him but he went heavier on the KB. So we’re about even. Realized that I tend to tense up my upper body on runs and need to relax more and focus more on my legs.
Big party today at the 6AM! Shot out to the ladies who did Eva, looked rough.
Metcon: 14:31 felt good coming out the first round running but the wheels quickly fell off. Ended up seeing MattJ in the distance and chasing down ErinC to close out the WOD. Good times highlighted my weakness – cardio endurance which I need to work.
Great seeing such a big 6 AM class and the high energy in the box.
Great Topic Val! You are too hard on yourself! :)
@Brett Raz – funny you and I were kind of talking about that “fine line” yesterday and I do agree with you.
I think for me it goes in waves. Throughout the open this year I actually tried my best not to dwell on every workout and compare where I ended up in the region. There were a few moments of “WTF was that” on a couple, but then again I think, as you and anthony mentioned, if you’re a competitive person by nature it’s super tough to completely block out those thoughts. We’re human… and I think it’s totally acceptable to hold yourself to a certain standard. However, if those thoughts are consistent and are inhibiting you from improving, then yes it’s time for a step back!!
Also – thanks 6am group for the push. Totally thought I could try and catch anthony on the last round but my burpees were pretty slow. Somers was running right behind me reminding me I was a Regionals athlete and that I better not let him catch me!!! That was fun!
Getting used working out at 6… I think. Although I don’t sleep very well the night before. Gotta work on that.
Great job to those that did Eva. YUCK!
@Abbey – total brain fart to start… but then figured it out for that tape wrap. Been awhile!
Great article Val ! You are always so positive. I miss your class and my 8pm peeps. I had a similar discussion with Glenn yesterday about the strength program. His advice ( which I’ve stopped doing) …is write your numbers down ( blog or write in your journal)! You will always be setting a higher bar for yourself, but you will be able to see where you’ve improved and value your accomplishments. I also agree with Brett, that frustration comes with the territory. I don’t know how that can be alleviated.
Oh and 14:31… back for more in a bit.
Awesome job to the ladies who tangled with Eva this morning. That workout looked brutal, but you all were putting in some serious work.
Metcon Rx’d: 13:00.
Post: Strength work with Anthony.
Great article, Val. Definitely an interesting topic in the CrossFit community. The Open WODs were eye opening for me, as I was usually frustrated at the end of the longer metcons (12 min+) and beat myself up trying to figure out if I should’ve paced better or what, and ultimately realizing a major weakness in my game. On the shorter ones I still felt upset at first, but after just a few minutes of rest would realize that I did exactly what I could have and was happy, then just wanted to do it again/faster/better. CrossFit is addictive, but both feelings +/- will drive me to push harder.
A friend of mine likes to say how competitive I am when I tell her all my CFC stories, but in my head I don’t feel that way. I just love playing the game, win or lose I am happy. I know this probably doesn’t sit well with most former athletes in the box, but I’ve always been that way since the driveway basketball and backyard football days. And I feel this has translated perfectly into the CFC community where everyone is cheering on their closest competitor side by side, even if it means they’ll beat you because of it.
And then there’s JoeP. I’m still not sure if he’s yelling at me to encourage me, or just trying to distract me with those beautiful locks of curly brown hair so I’ll trip up on my double-unders. *sigh*
Metcon (w/44# KB): 15:55
Started out at the Rxd weight but started failing them in Round 2. KBS unbroken thereafter.
Post
3 x 30s weighted PU negatives (5#)-2x UH, 1x OH
Ladies were awesome this morning. I have no idea why you picked Eva as your challenge workout but you all did a great job.
Metcon – 15:00
Getting out the door was slow. Runs were slow.
@6AM Glenda – I feel slightly better knowing you didnt use a 2 pood but you still beat me.
“Eva”
Run 800 meters
30 Kettlebell swings, 3/4 pood
30 pull-ups (black/orange band)
5 rounds for time
TIME: 44:21
“Eva” was fun. I kid. Well honestly the run and KB’s werent bad. Those pull ups SUCKED, esp with the rips from Angie this past wknd. The KBs were light and unbroken – but in trying to figure in 150 swings I thought that the 3/4 would be a better weight. Maybe next time I try this I’ll go with the 1 pood.
It is what it is – and I’m glad we knocked it out this morning. I’m looking forward to this challenge and to see how I can improve until we meet Eva again!
Thanks to the 6am crew for cheering us on during those final rounds. That helped!
Nice job everyone!!
Great article, Val–a very important message for everyone.
However, I can’t help but play devil’s advocate here. While it is important that you’re not too too hard on yourself–constantly beating yourself up and feeling helpless as a result (that can undermine motivation), it is also important not to get in a comfort zone where you are consistently satisfied with your effort. That is, satisfaction with yourself can breed stagnation in your growth as an athlete (and as a person in general).
Much of the current research on motivation to date shows that being motivated stems from a discomfort felt by perceiving a discrepancy between your current state and your desired end state (your goal). If you are constantly satisfied that means 1) your goals are too modest, and 2) you will never push yourself to go further. That’s life’s conundrum: You’ll almost always find that those who are most successful in whatever domain are similarly never satisfied with themselves–that’s how they became successful in the first place.
So you can be content and ‘marginally elite’ if you will, or elite and slightly miserable ;) The trick is to find a balance where you 1) don’t beat yourself up after a workout, but 2) you always take note of areas in which you can improve.
@Fish
That was perfectly stated. Your education is paying dividends.
That’s why when people I know who I consider to be uber competitive ask me about crossfit; I say it’s great, but I always have to throw up a disclaimer that they might be getting themselves into more than they bargained for.
WOD 17:10 Rx; Burpees=slow, KB=unbroken, Runs=good pace…except for the face slap from those fab new curtains on the exit ramp :)
Interesting article. I find that what I like most about CF is the competitive nature of the sport which feeds the inner diva in me. I always have thoughts during a WOD asking myself if I can push harder or telling myself afterward that I could have done better. Rather than being counterproductive, I think it helps me give a little more…great read Val!
Joined the 6am crew this morning. Wish I could do it more often as I feel so much better working out in the am. This metcon was right up my alley this morning.
14:31ish (didnt remember exactly for the board) @ 1pood, all movements unbroken.
great job tackling Eva this morning ladies!
Great write-up Val – love seeing you more on the blog. Hopefully I’m not being too creepy – but your tris looked jacked in that pic, love it!
Good writeup Val, and positive as always.
@ Brett Raz
I completely agree with you that the majority of the athletes here are “type A” personality and that crossfit is inherently a competitive sport.
As most athletes are aware, confidence is king, no matter what sport you are playing. Confident basketball players step up and make baskets, confident golfers don’t pull up on drives and top the ball, confident cheerleaders… cheer confidently?
I think the fine line that you may be looking for is where that self-criticism becomes detrimental because after a certain amount of failures self-confidence can be shaken. It is a natural human reaction, and it can plague the mind.
I know that I personally am not immune to this, I can recall several failed lifting attempts at a weight that I know I could lift but the self-doubt took over. That is where the self-immolation and negative thought process can be toxic and I believe that is what Val might be targeting (although I do not presume to know this for fact, please feel free to correct me).
During the Open I recall watching several different athletes who were struggling and not just struggling with the workout physically, they were also struggling mentally, saying things like “I can’t,” “It’s too hard” and “why are you not wearing pants?” They all beat themselves up during and after the workout. Even though others all around them were encouraging them to keep going and pushing themselves, their mind had already killed their bodies.
I might have gotten a little off topic here.
To comment on your final question and bring up something that JK mentioned as well on the aspect of losing the internal baggage.
Forgive me for this personal relation.
Most of you who know me around the box would suspect that I am a pretty positive person, whether it be joking around before/during the workout, trying to campaign for my very own named MAAM WOD, or cheering on another athlete who is struggling.
The positive attitude I try and bring every day is not mutually exclusive from being competitive, I am INCREDIBLY competitive, I hate losing at anything and I always have. In a cruel twist of fate, I am also naturally terrible at all sports… seriously, this is not a joke. My parents bought me Lego’s when I was a little kid because my hand-eye coordination was so freaking terrible.
So, how do I personally get through the workouts without the internal baggage? Easy, this is my play time, do I have goals for each WOD? Absolutely. Do I miss them? Almost every time.
If you guys ever see me run, I often have a smile plastered to my face, that’s not joy, I don’t “like” running, not even as a friend. I hate it. If I were to compare running to anything it would be my whorish ex-girlfriend when I was 22, I don’t like her nor do I want to talk about her, she is the worst. No, that smile is there because when I think about all the people out there in the world that want to kill me, I am just glad to be working out with my friends.
P.S.
JoeP for time:
5 Rounds:
225lb Deadlift x 10
185 PJ x 10
1 minute of sexy boogie time
15:15 w/2pd KB
Oatmeal style…unbroken and slow on the runs.
@all.
Love all the input and personal thoughts on how Crossfit makes you feel mentally and emotionally about yourself.
Brett Raz’s comment about Type As being drawn into the competitive arena certainly makes sense. Type As though, always want more. It’s like fitness…sometimes you are not aware of your actual fitness level because you just keep pushing the bar. The WODs always hurt, no matter what fitness level you’re at. So the article was to help us all remember that pushing the bar is good but still pat ourselves on the back for the work done.
@Brett Raz
I can be absolutely terrible to myself after a WOD and that was part of the reason I wanted to write this article; to remind myself and others not to forget our overall purpose and not to take for granted the work we put in and the improvements that have resulted. It was good to put it in writing because I think Snugs was overburdened with constantly having to protect me from me.
I feel much better now that JoeP is back with his usual. I think he went a couple of days without something that cracked everyone up.
@Fish- you used the term “marginally elite” a little too liberally and without express written consent. You can expect to hear from MAAM’s lawyer forthright.
I’m skipping today’s WOD, opting for “JoeP” instead. I might have to scale the push jerks to a lower weight and the sexy boogie time to a not-quite-so sexy boogie time. But I won’t let that get me down!
Metcon, Rx: 14:09
Felt pretty good today. The 2pood kb usually tosses me around a bit, but it didn’t feel too bad today (probably due to the fact that it was only 10 at a time).
When it comes to negativity and motivating me for workouts, I always try to take a pitcher/quarterback’s mentality about it. If you give up a home run or throw a pick-6, be pissed about it, learn what you can from it, but have a short memory. Once you’ve extracted the usefulness from it, then any additional brooding over it is just feeling bad for yourself. If there is one thing in the world I hate more than losing, it’s people whining and feeling bad for themselves without taking the necessary steps to produce a more successful outcome.
@kacey
you are never creepy…super adorable actually.
@JoeP and Fish:
Thinking negatively about yourself thus producing negative physical outcomes and hindering improvement. I like that spin. Not quite what I was aiming for. But a good addition.
I was aiming for emotional abuse of yourself. I’m definitely guilty of this. This negative encouragement makes me try harder but if I never give myself cudos for anything I do even though I’m getting better, I will never feel any satisfaction.
Back to topic- Nice post, Val. I think many interesting insights have been posted here as well. I want to add one.
One of the best motivational books I ever read (probably the only motivational book I ever read) was called “Golf is Not a Game of Perfect”. I gave up golf about 10 years ago when I didn’t have 6 hours to spend every weekend, but when I was playing this book immediately took 5 swings off my score just by reading it. The gist of it is that while skill and practice are very important in that game (and this crossfit game too) it’s equally important not to let a bad shot ruin your next shot. If you shank one you need to put that out of your mind and envision the nice shot you’re going to make next, not dwell on the bad one you just hit. I think the translation here is obvious- we all want to get better, but when you’re out there performing (i.e lifting for PR or doing the metcon, or whatever) your inner attitude is most important to maximize your performance. You must separate practice from performance in golf (really in any sport). In my mind that translates here as working on skills when that time is right, but hunkering down and kicking some ass without thinking negatively when the performance (metcon, or whatever) actually arrives.
I just posted on the Monday blog, but wanted to repost here re: softball in case anybody is working on it..
I’m looking for a spring and summer league softball team to play on, 12″, men’s or co-ed.. so if somebody put together a CF team I’d definitely be interested in playing. Or if somebody has a team that needs a decent outfielder and hitter, then I’d love to join.
hit me up at ngaines@illinoisalumni.org
So I apologize if people are tired of reading my lengthy posts today, I promise to not make a habit of this. But this topic is just one that I think about all the time.
What I have a hard time reconciling is the dual mandate to get better every day and reach your potential, while also deriving satisfaction and being happy and at peace with yourself.
It’s like the problem we see in crossfit training. You want to get stronger, but you also want a bigger gas tank; and you want them at the same time. But if you go back and read Rudy’s glass analogy post, after a while you can’t really do this very well. You have to give up a little of one to get more of the other. I think it is kind of the same thing with the mental side. If you want to be a little more at peace internally, or more balanced, you probably won’t be as good as you could have been if you pushed yourself that extra mile.
One of the things crossfit sells to females is that we don’t believe in the image that America sells, that skinny is beautiful. We believe “strong is the new skinny” or something like that. So essentially crossfit is saying that your self-esteem shouldn’t be based on your physical appearance, but on your performance and results. So instead of chasing 6 pack abs or a skinny ass or whatever, you should be shooting for 500 lb deadlift or a sub 6 mile or whatever. But it is kind of just substituting one sickness for another in a way.
I am all about it clearly as I spend x amount of hours in the gym every week. But I think that it is important to be aware of what it is we are doing/selling.
Sorry if that sounded really pessimistic. I really do love doing this, but I think it is important to not let that love of it prevent me from seeing problems I have with it.
@BrettRaz,
Buy your wife more presents.
That is all.
Classic Meg. Love you.
MetCon:
16:30 Rx
Shoulder still a little tender
Pretty awful run at this one today. Everytime a run is added into these WODs I never seem to be able to keep up. Not sure why. I feel like I’m a pretty strong runner.
I guess when you throw other stuff in there my body doesn’t know what’s going on and panics.
Post: 100 Abmat Situps with the noon crew.
Awesome Noon class today – thanks Bryce.
WOD today 14:15 rx.- somehow I was running against the wind there and back. Not sure how thats possible. Felt Drew’s pressure the entire time, thanks for the push man.
Post – 100 abmat situps, always fun.
15:47 RX
burpees were slow – running was ok my calves were tight from yesterday.
post 100 situps
16:10, 44# KB
post: 100 sit ups
Back squat 3×135
Bench press 3×80 ( 2 x 85( f 3rd)
Worked on Kipping
Metcon Rx: 14:44
Excellent article Val! I have been trying to focus on the positives lately more so than getting caught up in how I am doing compared to the other athletes. I try to compete against myself and hold myself accountable for proper form and pushing my own pace. Although it is hard not to get caught up in the times posted, I try to remember that I crossfit because I want to be a better firemen and be able to push myself further mentally when things get tough.
Post: 100 ab mat situps!
Brutal! Now I am mad at Woody and Jaimeson for making me do these.
@ Brett… The feeling you get from reaching specific goals athletically is amazing , however The skinny ass thing isn’t such a bad thing to want either :) ps buy Meg some jewelry!
@Brett Raz
Love your last crossfit analysis post. Very well explained and very applicable comparisions.
Love your last post. I love that you love your wife. :) Very cute you two!!
@ Meg Raz and Brett Raz – You guys are too cute. Stop it.
I can see both sides of the argument here. I agree that dissatisfaction is an essential component of motivation, and you can’t really separate competitive personalities from some level of self-abuse/negative thoughts/etc. But, I also think you can differentiate between the kind of dissatisfaction that is productive, and the kind that is counter-productive.
In terms of what Val is getting at, I would interpret her recommendation as a little more abstract than simply feeling like we have to be happy with our performance after a WOD. In a lot of ways, the open wods were torture for me this year because I could never give 100%, and I always left feeling like I could have–or should have–done better. But at the same time, I also always left with a more abstract sort of pride and sense of contentment with the fact that I completed the physical task at hand. I don’t really mean this in a trophies-for-everyone, rainbows and unicorns kind of way, I just mean that it feels good to be done with a WOD and know that you just did 100 burpees, or 150 wall balls, or whatever other unique circle of hell we just passed through. So, I guess for me, Val’s point could be summed up as, stay hungry for better results, but remember to take some very basic pleasure in what you’ve accomplished. If you’re getting to the point where your negative thoughts are all-consuming, then maybe you can think about trying to refocus some of that energy…but until then, carry on.
To comment on the post – I am the most critical of myself. I judge my performance pretty harshly. I believe this stems from the fact I am not in my 20s and will be 40 soon. What I could do in my 20s is a far cry from what I am doing now and I compare myself to that younger version of me. Is that healthy, I have no idea. It does however keep me moving, keeps me pushing. So I am really never satisfied with my performance but that does not mean I don’t love myself. I do this because I love myself and want to continue to drive myself well into my 50s, 60s, 70s…
Voice in my head:
“You wanna hurt me? Go right ahead if it makes you feel any better. I’m an easy target. Yeah, you’re right. I talk too much. I also listen too much. I could be a cold-hearted cynic like you, but I don’t like to hurt people’s feelings. Well, you think what you want about me. I’m not changing. I like me. My girlfriend likes me. My friend’s dog likes me. ‘Cause I’m the real article. What you see is what you get.”
@JoshB – I heart Del Griffith!!
I’m satisfied at how dissatisfied I am.
@ Lizzie F
Your comments are always so mature, well written and composed, you make me want to contribute something intellectually as well.
Sometimes I just can’t help myself though…
@ Brett Raz
I don’t think anyone could ever get tired of your lengthy posts.
Lots of great insight on the post today.. not just about our inner critics but also unique struggles of how each of us finagle certain notions of CF into our personalities and lifestyles. It’s a tough one, and it’s nice to share these thoughts/experiences here and learn from each other. A POSITIVE facet of CFC that I wanted to show some appreciation for!
JK, your friend sounds like a b*tch ;)
ATTENTION STRENGTH ATHLETES
check out http://www.crossfitchicagostrength.blogspot.com for your week 1 programming. We’ll start on Monday next week.
Just for a continued quick link you will see a post in the “Upcoming Events” section that has a link to the CFC Strength Blog.
Oh, I don’t need jewelry. I said a cherry pie and no judgement would do just fine.
Worked out with the nooners today.
Metcon: 16:04 @ 44# KB (or is it 40#… it was the big square one). Tried the 53# but too heavy. KB swings and burpees unbroken.
Runs were slow, as usual, but really pushed on the last one. Seriously almost puked when I finished. I guess I worked out hard enough for today. No negative thoughts!
Great commentary on the blog today. Like others have said, there’s definitely a healthy balance between being critical of yourself and unsatisfied with performance, and patting yourself on the back every once in a while for a job well done.
My added two cents would be that while I am rarely satisfied in terms of the final numbers (be it a final time in a time WOD or reps in an AMRAP, etc;), there are times when I find as much satisfaction in simply knowing that I gave the workout everything I had on a particular day. As many of you saw in that picture after 12.1, I was absolutely spent at the end of that workout. While I was frustrated that I didn’t have enough left in the tank to avoid majorly slowing down near the end of that WOD, at the end of the day, I was really happy with my score simply because I knew I had given it every last ounce that I had in me.
For whatever reason, some days we just don’t have that same level of energy or drive, or we just don’t get the results we wanted. You may have eaten well, gotten good sleep, been doing your accessory work and whatever else, but for whatever reason, you just didn’t have it that day or maybe you’re going thru a rough patch in your training. You can’t always control the results, but you can control whether you busted your tail. And being in the habit of giving max effort will eventually get you where you want to go.
A1: 10:00 Row @ 6 RPE (2700m)
B1: Hip Thrusts 100 ttl
B2: Face Pulls 100 ttl
C1: Press 5×10 @ 105 + chains
C2: Ring Row: 5×10
D1: Close Grip Bench 2 board: 4×5 @ 225
D2: Banded Lat Pull-Down
E1: BB Curl: 2×8-12 @ 75+ chains
Metcon Rx: 1406
This one hurt badly. After rd 3 I wanted it to be over, but just focused on finishing at the same pace and pushing through my desired short time domain that I talked about earlier. I learned something yet again: being in the second heat starting 1 min behind really motivated me as I just wanted to catch those in front and it pushed me past comfortable each round.
Then after I heard someone say, “yeah, that wasn’t competitive” and I learned something else, bitterness is unattractive. :)
Val, I loved this post! Most of the time I leave CrossFit with a sense of accomplishment because, at the end of the WOD, I still did more than I expected to do.
There are days, though, where I’m ambivalent because I failed at what I knew I could do, but still didn’t do for whatever reason. My body fails me at times, and that upsets me.
Case in point: Now that my left wrist got better, my right wrist and shoulder got injured when I was doing 12.5 at another box. So, again, I’m nursing an injury and out. So, I feel like my body failed me.
Rather than moping, though, I did a run. Lots of you know that I’m working on improving my run speed and endurance. I ran almost all of the 3 miles without stopping; and when I did stop by Mile 2, I quickly ran back up again. With the brief starts/stops due to traffic, I ran the 3 miles in 30:42. This may not seem like a lot, but considering that I always ran a 12 minute mile, the 10-ish minute mile is an improvement.
Now, I’m of the mindset that there is only so much that my 5’7″ body can do when it comes to running. I can increase my speed, but my stride is limited by physiology. I have tree trunk legs and Fred Flintstone feet. To think that I can be built like a runner is about as possible as me being built for basketball–that gene ship sailed many, many years ago when I was but a wee zygote. But I have the ability to work on endurance, which will decrease my time. And, I have the ability to work on my weight, which will increase my speed. But, I’ll not be any Jesse Owens anytime soon. And, I’m okay with that.
I’m so glad that I read your post today. It really puts lots of my feelings and emotions in perspective.
I’m so f@cking elite that I have no idea what the hell you guys and gals are talkin about!
I usually try to finish last so that everyone in my class feels better about themselves that is how fricking elite I am!!!!!
It always feels so good being elite!!!!!!!
Glad ISAIKI is feeling better today!
Metcon today @ Rx (2 poods)- 18:56. Everything unbroken, but I’m such a slow runner. I barely even stopped between the runs, KBs & burpees. My burpee weight was a little high today, I should probably try to scale that down a bit.
On the positive I was able to pick up my run pace a little in the 4th & 5th rounds, something I’m trying to work on. On the negative side the strength training is going to kill what little endurance I have built up.
Phew. The post above is great and encouraging..however after tonight I was asking myself..Did I start Crossfit last week or 11 months ago. Holy burpee hell.
I finished around 22:08(?).
Devin and I ran another 400m with the ladies who weren’t finished..that’s how we roll in the WOC class. Thanks for all the support!
Glad to see ISAIKI is back on the blog.
20:58, goal was sub 20 as I knew this was going to be a burner as it was my third day in a row and I am fat. This workout would be considered the opposite of JoeP, it involved three things that are terrible and did not include any sexy boogie time.
Thanks to Kurt, Brett Raz and Adam for chirping in my ear during my last round and preventing me from taking breaks, I did not need to rest and they knew it.
@ All Coaches
If we are planning on coming and donating Saturday, does that count towards our weekly class limit?
Metcon: 14:48
KB 1 pood
Randy had a rule that you could only drop the KB twice. I usually take breaks when I don’t need to so this definitely pushed me. KB & burpees unbroken.
Metcon
5 rounds for time
10 kbs 1 pood unbroken
10 burpies
400 meter run
17:57
Oh yeah… Everything unbroken except the last set of burpies
Took a short break at 6
Ps… Focusing on the positives also… I worked out twice today..
Not bad for a pregnant girl … Hehehehehe !!’
No Moniker – are you slow at running because you’re so bald?
: )
Came back in at 7:30 for some more work. Love my 6′amers but always great to come to the night classes when I can.
12 min AMRAP:
5 MUs (regular standard w/ turn-out)
10 HSPU (Games standard)
15 KBS, 1.5 pood
4 rounds + 3 MUs
MUs are still a weakness of mine but I had been shooting for 3 rounds so I was pretty happy with this. All singles on the MUs–worked with Kurt after and was able to string some so actually need to commit to them during a workout. Good push from Kurt and Randy, and Val and Kelly for letting me know my feet need to be inside my shoulders on the Games standard HSPU. HSPU went 10-5/5-5/5-5/3/2, KBS all unbroken.
17:37 @ 1.5 pood
With 5 rounds of running, I expected to do at least 20:00; so very happy with my time. Thanks, Mandie!!!
@Chris- I was wondering if you noticed that yesterday!
When it’s cold out & I run I wear a hat which raises my drag coefficient & slows me down. When it’s warm out I’ll think of a different excuse
Metcon Rx’d @ 15:36
Let’s just say my diet this past week and a half has been very poor and I thought I was going to puke in the 3rd and 4th rounds. Slamming my belly to the ground on those burpees was brutal.
On a positive note, the new Doritos Jacked Spicy Enchilada are good eats, but not a good lunch before this wod! Oh, but Cadbury Easter Eggs are!
So I havent been on the blog since last Thursday and it almost killed me, literally and here is why.
2 Saturdays ago I was “wrestling” with my son. He kicked the shit out of me and in the process scratched the back of my head pretty severely. I really didn’t think anything of it since I an always really site from CrossFit.
The soreness and scratch on the back of my head progressively became worse and worse throughout last week. My ear became very sore and very hot. My head started to hurt like pressure hurt and massive headaches. Last Wednesday the lymph nodes on the right side of my neck became swollen from my ear to m shoulder. My right shoulder and back became very achy and numb.
So against the wishes of my wife, I couldn’t resist the 9-6-3 165# thruster muscle up workout last Friday. Really bad decision as my head and the sore on the back of my head was extremely painful ad throbbing along with massive pressure. I still did that badass workout and finished under 10 minutes.
I felt very shaky and achy for a much longer period of time ten usual. My wonderful wife finally scared the piss out of me and convinced me to go the emergency room at 7pm last Friday. I was in the hospital from 7pm to 3am! I was scared and went they CT Scans, Iv of antibiotics, tests and examines.
They finally diagnosed me with Cellulitis which is a major infection. I am currently on the mend and feel about 80-85% normal. Well I am never really normal but as close to normal as a psychotic person can be.
I spent all day Saturday and Sunday on medicines and major pain killers as I had a hard time with the major pain in my head and ear. I tried sleeping and didn’t get out of bed until Monday afternoon.
Decided to do the wod programmed for Tuesday even being on antibiotic and pain killers because I hadn’t worked out since last Friday, so stupid as I thought I was going to pass out a few times but made it through almost 6 rounds without dropping dead.
So that is where I have been. My head is still sore but I feel much better.
Boom fucking elite baby!
15:30
Metcon 2Pood @ 17:41
Burpees got really slow in the fourth and fifth rounds.
Pre: Ankle mobility. My left ankle ROM gets progressively worse the further I run. Tried some stuff from mobility wod to clean it up.
Post: Chin-ups and HSPU for some extra practice.
@Scott – That is a crazy. Get better and lay off the wods for a few days.
Metcon @ 1.5 pood
14:51
Chased Marissa and ran from JK the whole time
@Val, don’t take eveyone’s crap – great article. I see both sides of the arguement and I think we hear the Type A self hate talk a lot and sometimes need to sit back and tell ourselves “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough and dog gone it, people like me.” or it can be harmful. Balance is the key. Don’t hate yourself when you fail but don’t accept marginal, unless you are officailly marginal.
@Fish ””So you can be content and ‘marginally elite’ if you will, or elite and slightly miserable ;) ”
We are not content, we are just realistic.. It takes a real man to wear a tutu! Just as JoeP. This is your cease and desist letter for using a trade marked motto without written approval.
@Brett Raz – You are stealing my long winded schtick
@ISAIKI – WOW, feel better, that is no joke…bet you wished you had my haircut instead of your locks, you would have seen in right away. I shave my head for my health and safety not because my hair is no longer receiding but in full retreat.
@ JoeP – All the MAAM crew will be doing you for time one day…wait that sounds completely different than I meant it…Some time in the future we will all work out in the prescibed way that Joe P has programmed above.
@Jo-el Riv – My abs still hurt from last week! Have to love the ABMat!
@ Everyone else – Hi!
RX 14:51 – Goal was 15:15 so I am happy with this one, when I left for the second to the last run I changed my goal to under 15:00 and that kept me going 100% and unbroken for the final 2 rounds.
Woodette 1pood KB 19:47…I am proud of her upping her game and moving to the 1 pood for this one, I know she didn’t want to.
17:32 with 1.5 pood
While I do think about competitiveness and the emotion behind what drives me in a workout, I usually prefer just to be better than I did before BUT measure that objectively. I live in spreadsheets (literally…I have 26 excel windows open right now), so of course I made a spreadsheet for Crossfit! I basically put every movement I could think of into a bucket of 0-4 with 0 being can’t do at all and 4 being pretty good at, and with each movement I put where I am and then my goal for the future and other notes/tips. I then have different motivations and expectations coming in to each workout. This week was very straightforward: Monday was a 4 day (goal: PR the BS!), Tuesday was a 3 day (goal: focus on breathing during pullups and DUs), and today was a 2 (goal: don’t drop the freaking 55# kb on my head!).
Not to say I’m completely data driven…I really recommend recording your workouts, not just the times, reps and weights, but also how you feel before, after and during the workout. Common themes will often come up and hopefully you can become more aware and address any negativity!
Great article Val!
17:34 @ 2 pood. Suprised how uncomfortable 10 burpees could feel after just 10 KB swings—wicked combination. Runs were worse. Need another pose seminar to get things right again.
22:15 with 1/2 reps
Tiny kb, box pushup and squat sub for burpees, 200m row
WOD 13:12
Made this up on Thursday. I did it alone. Would’ve loved someone to race with. I used the 62# KB (1.75 Pood). I probably should’ve gone Rx’ed but I wanted to try to fly through the whole thing unbroken (Success!). One last conditioning/running metcon to boost the ego before getting crushed by the strength program.
Metcon 14:52 w/ 44# KB
Everything unbroken. Megan (sp?) kept a good pace on the runs. Tried to catch her at the end. My head said yes, but my legs said hell to the no. Really liked this workout!
Did this Thursday night – 17:26 with 1 1/2 pood. Was suprised how gased I was at the end. Just shows what eating a big old burger and dunkin donuts for dinner the night before will do to the body the next day. Wanted to finish in 15 but couldn’t keep up the pace in those runs.
10 KBs 25#
10 BPs
400m
19:55
Did this WOD on thursday and it kicked my butt! my legs were jello and by the 4th round i really wanted the DNF so bad lol but i made it…all in one piece.
15:45 with the green KB
the plastic covering the doorway got heavier at each lap…
last one almost knocked me down :)
Thurs WOC 8pm
5 Rounds for time of:
10 Kettlebell Swings (20 KG)
10 Burpees
400M Run (subbed 500m row due to plantar fasciitis pain)
time = 22:43
All KBS unbroken (first time doing 20KG – TOUGH but I got them done). I expected the burpees to be the worst part of this but by far it was the row. Need to spend more time rowing, I suck at it. My goal for this workout was to keep moving and I accomplished that. Even when I wanted to stop, I just slowed my pace but kept moving.
Oh my God, I believe God really did send A list celebrity Tom Truong reborn as Jesus Christ in our life time to save us from The End of the World.
Posting this now as I forgot to do it earlier in the week.
5 rounds of:
10 KB Swings
10 Burpees
400m Run
Would never miss a WOD with burpees and running in it, but it was balanced somewhat by the KBs, which I’m not a huge fan of. Warmed up with 2 pood on the KBs, but wasn’t confident I’d get through five rounds at that weight. So I went with 1.5 pood and really focused on getting through everything with very few breaks at all. Just about did that, though my 4th run was slow enough that it basically could have been considered a break.
Time: 13:30, but Glenn and Bryce issued me a 10-second penalty for coming in the wrong door on the last run, so according to the judges, it was 13:40. If I was in better shape at the moment, I think I can get closer to breaking the 13-minute mark on this one.
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