WOD 18JUN09

Posted by admin on June 17th, 2009 filed in WOD

Today marked my last workout with CrossFit Neptune. The moment is certainly bittersweet, but forced me to look back and reflect on the last 3 years in Tucson, and 2 years with CrossFit. I came to Tucson skeptical, and not exactly excited to be living in the desert South West, and now 3 years later I don’t want to leave (although I’m still convinced that human beings were not made the live in the desert).

I asked myself today why I like CrossFit so much. What I came up with is simple; people and competition.

I have met so many wonderful people, and forged so many relationships that will outlast any duty station. I have learned so much from each and every one of you, and for that I will be forever grateful. After all, without the members, CrossFit Neptune is just a set of pull up bars and some weights.

As long as I can remember, I’ve been involved in competitive sports. You name it, I’ve tried it, and tried like hell to be good at it. In fact, this competitive drive was why I joined the Navy in the first place. After finishing my collegiate athletics career and entering the “normal” corporate world, I felt like I was really missing something. I later realized that I was missing the competition, the desire to make yourself, and those around you better no matter what the circumstances. Earning my commission as a Naval Officer definitely brought that competitive nature back. However, after two tours on sea duty, and two deployments, I think I lost a little of my competitive edge (at least in the physical fitness sense). CrossFit Neptune has given me that back ten fold. Daily, CrossFit forces you to look deep within yourself and compete. Compete against the clock, another individual, or just plain compete to finish the WOD. As our T-shirt reads, “fight for every second”. Every day, every WOD, and every rep each individual makes the choice, get better, get worse or stay the same (you guys know I had to put that one in there!!). 10 reps into the 15 round of Fran, you choose to set the bar down, or you choose to push through. Once you’re done, write your score up on the white board and then do it all over again. Is there a better way to compete? If there is, I haven’t found it.

As this chapter of my CrossFit journey closes, I thought I’d end where I began. Almost 2 years ago, Duff talked me in to doing “Nancy” as Rx’d. Let’s just say that my time today was a little faster than it was 2 years ago, but I still had to fight for every rep and every step. I don’t ever want it to get easier, but I’ll enjoy the process of making it faster. After all, anything worth doing is worth earning!

I’ve posted the “man in the arena” quote from Theodore Roosevelt, and several of the other quotes that have motivated me, so instead of repeating those, I thought I’d try to come up with something of my own. I’d like to leave you with the following thought. This represents my sincere advice as well as how I try to live my own life on a daily basis: “Lead aggressively, follow loyally, always operate with integrity, and never under any circumstances quit on yourself or your men.”

WOD:
Clock runs continously for 18 minutes. Complete as many reps in 30 seconds of each exercise as follows:
Air Squats
Push Ups
Sit Ups
Burpees
Run 200m between exercises
Score total reps completed in 18 mins
*Each 200m run completed counts as 1 point

Endurance:
+3 Hours After WOD
Run 200, 400, 800 (x2)
Rest = work
For example if your 200m takes you 40 seconds, then you rest 40 seconds before starting the 400m

Inspiration: “You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and you impoverish yourself if you forget the errand.” -Woodrow Wilson