The Pull of Community: 13.2 Redux

I rushed home off the train today after a long and arduous day at the office, starving for a good workout to get rid of the last two days’ jumbled workbrain.

I had made the 5:30 PM train which meant I could get home and zoom to North Shore CrossFit in time for the 6:30 PM attack on the CrossFit Open 13.2 workout. I was stoked for it, but only to get the movement in. I didn’t go looking to break any records since I had already done it at 5 AM Thursday morning. My intent was just to jump in and have some fun on a Friday evening with a crew of great folks hitting it hard together.

I opted to go in heat 2 since I led off the morning before and I knew what that felt like. I counted for my buddy Amos, who took off like a shot and stayed steady throughout, leaving every last bit of energy on the mat. Dude, you certainly deserved the turf time afterwards!

Like I said, when I first walked in, my sights had been just on having some fun and working out the stress of the last couple days. That was short-lived. As soon as Amos was finished with his win, the game was on and my own expectations were raised to meet the pull of the community – people who know my potential because we’ve been in the trenches together for years, and people whom I haven’t known for very long but whose unfamiliarity didn’t matter to them or to me – we’re all part of the same community. There were folks who knew that the 214 reps I happily recorded early in the morning  the day before was less than I had in me, next to folks whom I love but never get to work out with in person, next to folks I’ve never met before. They were all pulling for me. (What the heck? I just came to have some fun! Now I have to work hard!)

The bar had been raised [thanks Ed, just wait until the next time I get to count you! >:o} ]: 240 reps was the new goal – same weights, same 10 minutes but tonight, the game was different. I got a boat load of encouragement and some strategy I didn’t have going into it the first time (just because there aren’t too many folks around at 5 AM, and certainly not many who have already lived through it). I decided to push for it…I was feeling good, why not?

The strategy provided great efficiency I didn’t have in my first attempt and the biggest push came from the community that had me boxed in on all sides, pulling for me to stay on course through the 10 minutes (including guys whose scores I can only ever dream of producing). When it was all over, I had missed my goal. Yes, I missed it – by two reps – but I had surpassed my production from the prior day by 24 reps! Six reps shy of a full round!

I went in looking to skate through a workout, but came out with a bigger smile than anticipated, and a significantly better score. All because a crew of people, from all different times, places, and positions in life, decided to throw some extra energy my way and keep me gunning for a higher goal. This is what community is about. This is what we were made for.

I certainly could have, but I definitely wouldn’t have done it without you NSCF!

A couple more days before this week closes up – go get it! [Yeah Burpee, that means you!]

Thoughts on CrossFit Open Workout 13.2

After logging seven rounds plus four reps for a total of 39 shoulder-to-overhead barbell movements at 115 lb, 70 barbell deadlifts at 115 lb, and 105 jumps to a 24″ box in 10 minutes at today’s 5 AM session at North Shore CrossFit, I posted that I had only 100+ reps to catch Iceland Annie – the defending CrossFit Games women’s champ who demonstrated the workout last night.

Fact: Iceland Annie is 10+ years younger
Fact: Iceland Annie is a young woman who work on fitness as an occupation, while I’m a dude who doesn’t
Fact: Iceland Annie is an inspiration to thousands of people around the globe (I’m not, just yet anyway)
Biggest fact: My “meager” 214 reps this morning, though only about two-thirds the workload that Iceland Annie cranked out in last night’s workout demo, is still a whole lot more work than the me who could have slept past 4:30 AM this morning would have done by now.

Lesson:
In this game, it’s me against me, you against you.

Yes! Use those out front as inspiration, challenge, encouragement, and motivation but it isn’t necessary to compare our performance directly to theirs (unless we’re gunning for their spot in the world, then you better be keeping a close eye on them).

We can and should all be inspired by the top performers in all of their particular fields (whether athletic, occupational, familial, etc.) and strive to emulate their work ethic, but let’s let them play their game while we play our own. Everything we can implement from their examples into our own lives will make us better today over what we were yesterday, and no matter where that puts us today, there’s no shame in that game!

3-2-1 Go get it people!

[And then smile really big when you’ve done your best!]

Imagination is God’s Preview…

Imagination is not just for children. Imagination is not just for authors, playwrights, and screenwriters. Imagination is sadly neglected in a world of many who repeatedly and unthinkingly wake, work, watch (TV), and sleep.

God help us stir ourselves to move forward, to imagine and grow beyond our present and really make something spectacular happen – because we all have purpose in this world; we all have value to contribute.

“He said…How do you define success? What does it mean to you?…You see, imagination is God’s preview of what your life really could be like. He’s telling you what it really could be like, that’s why He allows us to imagine those things; and this motivation to move is going to be based on us, and what we can do.”

– Jerry Harteis, Believe in Yourself

Making It Happen on Day 2

It’s 12 degrees outside and dropping quickly. Into the single digits we go.

The day has been long and tired but well accomplished. My dailies are now complete.

• I’ve just finished my 15 minutes of personal growth reading (revisiting How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, Part 4 Chapters 6 & 7).
• A minimum of two leadership/business audios is very easy to consume when the commute to the office is an hour long in both directions…and when it takes as long as it does for me to cook a decent dinner (by decent dinner, we’re talking baked garlic and herb chicken breast, roasted Brussels sprouts, and a buttery garlicky saute of zucchini and spinach).
• 40 minutes of walking was the movement for the day. I guess I did get out for about 15 minutes of walking during lunch as well, so almost an hour of movement without an official “workout”. I’ll take it today.
• 15 minutes invested in stretching the mental motivators – the dream. I found some new videos to feed the imagination tonight…
  • Sony Dream Home Tour – Sony
  • Tour the 2012 HGTV Dream Home in Midway, Utah
  • HGTV 2012 Dream Home Interior Tour

A few phone conversations with friends tonight were brief but good. I enjoy bringing hope and excitement to people. I love to hear them smiling on the other side of the phone because they are happy to hear from me, even if it’s only once in a long while (I’m trying to be better about it, believe me).

There’s excitement in the air for the near future. There is business to conduct tomorrow. Not simply work, for there will always be simple work, but rather business – a pipeline to secure a future not owned by anyone but me.

Before I spend another work day fighting off the sleepies that should only attack so strongly when I’m home on the recliner in my summer sunbeam…until next time…

2013 Day 1

2013 is off to a decently productive start!

• A sunny wake, a (rather grueling) morning workout among friends, and a little downtime in an early afternoon sunbeam.
• Lunch and productive discussion about daily disciplines that will produce the results we want to achieve this year.
• A precious hour with dear friends discussing how together we can help the people around us grow in living the lives they’ve always wanted.
• Multi-tasking: a couple of hours of essential dream-building – clarifying the “why’s” that drive the “what’s” to come…while the laundry rolls.

The game is ON!