CrossFit Over 40

WODs, Diet, Crossfit OldTown Gossip and Lifestyle Ramblings by MarkyD

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

My 2012 CrossFit Games

Holy S. That was great. Greatest 4 days of my life? Maybe so. And that is coming from someone who has been to Vegas 19 times in 10 years - and 17 of those without my wife. This must be what people who went to Woodstock feel like.

Fact - 40+ people traveled from Alexandria, VA to L.A. to watch our own Jerry Hill compete in the CF Games Master's Division. He has been training for this, hard - but more on that later. After a quiet dinner on Thursday night (actually a loud, drinking, fun time) we saddled up early to put up the tent and get seats. This tent is awesome by the way.




On Day 1 of the Games- the majority of us were wearing blue shirts with his big face on it. When 40 strong come cross-country and represent like that - for a masters competitor, you freak people out. The next biggest showing may have had 10 people, if that. And we were loud - really loud. I seriously almost passed out a few times from screaming. Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!

Here's most of our crew after the Chipper - now known as the One-Legged Freakshow.


And that awesome Murphy creation of a shirt:



A few other facts that I can recall from the weekend.

Fact-Jerry injured his hamstring a few weeks ago and re-injured it during event 5 of 7. When you are 45 years old and train anywhere near like Jerry did, it will punish you. Getting hurt is not a possibility, it is reality.  Anyone who does not know what his training looked like, you can scroll back through. It was sick. Jerry's Training Blog.

Fact - We were all disappointed that he got hurt, and that he did not win.

Fact - What he accomplished by simply finishing the wod - after getting hurt on rep #2 of 250, is simply the most amazing feat I have ever witnessed. Period. And it is having an effect that I did not expect. Being back for two days and getting into the gym, I have noticed a phenomenon. I am not sure how long it will last, or perhaps it is the new reality. But I have flashed back to that moment over and over again in my head during my workouts and it keeps me going. How the hell can I quit, or slow down simply because I am tired, after seeing that?

What are you going to do when you are here? I saw what Jerry did, and there is apparently no choice in the matter but to Jerry-Hill-the F-Up: From now on, HTFU means Hill the F' Up!




Fact - Finishing 5th in the world, on one leg for half of the competition - is maybe more impressive than if he had won. I find it hard to imagine being prouder of him. How do you win a muscle up competition when you can hardly walk. I for one like to kip with my legs a little. So not sure how that happened. But glad I was there for it.

Fact - Gene Lamonica - the eventual winner - is one bad-ass dude. Taller and 25# heavier than Jerry, he was also astonishingly fit. Damned Terminator who never quit. And a nice guy. There is only one Jerry Hill in the world, but there is only one of this dude either. And he is a doctor. Hats off to that dude.

Hats off to Freddy Camacho as well. This dude is 47, came in 10th place and this is his girlfriend (Freddy is on the left) Just sayin'




Fact - In N Out Burger is Paleo. Says me.



Fact - We had fun. In addition to watching Jerry, we had close up views of some amazing performances. 5th row for the finals - that was amazing. We saw Annie, Rich and all the other best athletes do their thing. We got to do the wods (Grace and John Scott owned those heavy med balls). I hung with KStar, Kevin insulted Canada (Happy Bastille Day to you as well), I met Rob Orlando, Dave Lipson, Greg Amundson, Speallers' mom, and so many more CrossFit celebrities. I hung out with Jason Khalipa and his crew for 2 hours during the women's finals, and with his gym while he competed (Thanks Chad/Sue). And we had very close-up view to serious eye candy.





Fact - my room was a sweet suite - This pretty much sums up my stay:



Fact  Team CFOT is the best. I love these people. Yes, even you Kevin.



I only wish that everyone could have made it, although I might not have been able to pay. Better start saving!

Here we are at the last happy hour. Best time ever!


Monday, June 11, 2012

Who am I better than, anyway?

Yes it has been a while since my last post here. 7 months. I doubt anyone is even reading this. It has been a long, tough grind at work, and a tough road on the injury front. Toe surgery and the discovery of a long ago torn ACL. So in short, my Crossfit performance and dedication has taken a hit. I have come to embrace the hard truth of my limitations. So why bother? I wonder about that sometimes. 

Am I ever going to be the best Crossfitter on earth, in the region, in my box, in my age bracket - No, I'm not. So what is the point then? After much thinking on the matter, and a couple of drinks - I think I have the answer; or at least an answer. 

I am a better Crossfitter than me not doing Crossfit. WTF does that mean, right? Well, it means that the efforts I put into a better diet, hard workouts, etc make me better mentally, physically and spiritually. Tackling these tough workouts and solving my own personal obesity situation, give me the confidence to do just about anything. And I have shifted my focus from preparing for and reliving the workouts, to simply enjoying them as I do them. I am not going be any sort of champ with this attitude, and that suits me just fine. 

If it lasts, I don't know, but of late I have had hardly a care in the world. I am happy with my family, my friends, my work and what I do day to day. I am more able than ever to enjoy the situations that I find myself in. It can't all be due to Crossfit, but maybe it can be. 

There is no point to all of this, other than me wanting to capture the feeling that I am enjoying. And enjoying it, I am.