FGB: Countdown

I am resting up today and Friday with the intention of being fresh and ready to go all-out, and I mean completely all out, for FGB.

Fight Gone Bad energy and spirit has taken over CFOT. I too have caught the fever. Pre-Crossfit, I was strong and did some cardio, but I was not fit. I could not ramp up intensity, or maintain anything above a moderate effort.

My early Crossfit workouts left me winded, or should I actually say completely broken. I readily admit than many of my early 400m runs included portions of me walking. 800m runs for sure.

But as I improved my diet (thanks to the Primal Blueprint) and pushed through these intense workouts, my weight dropped and my stamina improved. Burpees, Box Jumps, runs of 800m or less are something I now look forward to and perform with gusto. There are absolutely still plenty of areas and movements that I need to improve - but I can really see progress in the way I move and keep up effort.

And as much as I like being stronger - such as hitting a PR yesterday with front-squats, I now know that the added strength is only a tool to better accomplishing other tasks. Stronger legs mean that I should be able to do box jumps more easily, and thus more quickly. Over the past months, my fitness values and philosophy have evolved. "What's my max bench?" is not as relevant to me anymore as compared to the 50 straight perfect push ups that I did during Coach Andrea. Because doing 50 push ups requires strength, but also stamina and determination.

So FGB - (the WOD as well as the charitable aspects) - has really sparked my interest. How will I match up vs. some very fit people when doing a brutal metcon? This is not strict shoulder press - an exercise (with ample rest) that I was probably top 10% walking in the door. This is full body movements requiring power, stamina and a refusal to quit. Stamina and the drive to push past pain are what I have gained during my time at CFOT. In our practice sessions, I have actually enjoyed pushing myself, and the harder I push, the more fun I seem to have. I am certain that I had a smile on my face during Tabata FGB prep - I loved it. Because once you ignore the pain (and there will be a lot of pain), beating the clock to get in one more box jump is like a game.

So game on. I am going to have some fun on Sat.