CrossFit is HARD
“I cannot remember the books I’ve read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.”
— Ralph Waldo Emerson.
Tim’s Deep Squats (Thoughts)
I’m still toying with how I want to use this email and structure it in a way that is useful to you and sustainable for me to keep writing it each week. I appreciate your patience as I work it out. Just like our programming at CFPA, there will be a pattern with the themes and topics. I’ve shared a lot of outside references to books, music, etc. and plan to continue passing on ideas that are useful to me and may be useful to you.
CrossFit is HARD. I joke that CrossFit sucks. It totally is/does, by design. Enter the idea of suffering or getting uncomfortable by choice. In the case of CrossFit we are choosing to suffer for a brief time. Michael Gervais, a psychologist and podcaster, says that, “Uncomfortable is how we grow. Pain is how we change.” We may have already experienced some pain to bring us to a place of change. Pain can take many forms. Maybe a diagnosis. Maybe a family history. Maybe something out of our control. At CrossFit Palo Alto we learn to get comfortable being uncomfortable with the hope and faith that it will help us recover or prepare us for the future.
Personally, I did not grow up loving to read books. Even now, physical reading is slow for me. But, I sure do love a good audiobook. So if I ever mention that I “read” something, just assume I listened to it.
Fast forward 40 years and the list of books I love continues to grow. Near the top is “How Bad Do You Want It? Mastering the psychology of mind over muscle” by: Matt Fitzgerald. The author doesn’t give a how-to guide for success in athletic endeavors. Instead, he shares stories about athletes and different psychological techniques they used to overcome hardships or achieve greatness in their chosen fields.
My favorite technique is called “Bracing”. I use it in doing CrossFit, coaching something new in CrossFit, Jiu-Jitsu, mountain biking and even personal relationships where I might not want to do something, but I HAVE to do something.
Essentially, bracing is telling yourself that what you are about to do is going to be hard. Maybe the hardest thing you’ve ever done, BUT you’ll be okay during and after. In doing this you are preparing your mind and body so that when it gets hard/painful you are not surprised. You may actually experience that something isn’t as hard as you thought it would be. This may lead to CrossFitter’s Remorse which sounds like, “I could have/should have gone harder or lifted more.” “If only I hadn’t stopped or rested I could have gone faster.” To that I say, “Welcome to CrossFit.”
Kind of a Big Deal
CrossFit Saves Lives. We all have our stories to make this statement true. Now there is a documentary called “Small Town Strong” showing how CrossFit is being used to save people from the ravages of drug abuse and addiction. Check out this amazing documentary on any of the major streaming platforms. (Click on pic for link)
What’s Going On?
CFPA Meet-Up
Friday, October 20th at 5pm
Freewheel Brewing
3737 Florence St
Redwood City, CA 94063
Contact: Coaches Ali and Andrew for RSVP
CFPA Annual Holiday Party and White Elephant Exchange
Saturday, December 9th, 5-8pm
Location: CFPA
Challenge for the Week:
Share your strategy for showing up to CrossFit with your class. i.e. Setting out gym clothes the night before. Putting your gym bag in your car for after work the next day.
Influencing
A Gentleman in Moscow referred by Kyrie. A transporting novel about a man who is ordered to spend the rest of his life inside a luxury hotel in Moscow.
Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big referred by Jerry. Veteran journalist Bo Burlingham takes us deep inside 14 remarkable companies that have chosen to march to their own drummers.
The Goldfinch referred by Helena. A haunted odyssey through present-day America and a drama of enthralling force and acuity.
These aren’t my descriptions, but I have “read” them all. What are you reading?
Send me your influences. Music? Books? Movies? Series?
