Musings (part 1)

A break from Coaching has left me in quite a mood, sometimes I wonder what would happen if. . .

If I stop CrossFit, what will happen to me?

Do I immediately become decrepit?  Forcing down junk food on my every whim, partaking in excess regarding alcohol and fondly remembering days when I used to be active as I watch the latest Jersey Shore episode (kidding)?

Do barbells, rings, and kettlebells become a thing of the past?

Do I resume a life of treadmills (not necessarily a bad thing), dumbbell curls (again, not necessarily a bad thing), and half ass workouts that leave me feeling like a did a CrossFit warmup (probably a bad thing)?

Will I forget how to pick something off the ground, lift something heavy overhead, or remember how to move properly for certain movements?

I could just hear it right now; an echo of bumper plates or a snap of a jump rope hitting the ground would wake me out of a dream.  The beeping sound of a Fight Gone Bad stopwatch mix with the sound of my alarm clock as my eyes open gingerly.  I can't get out of bed because I don't stretch - and now my body is achy and tight.  I lounge away at home, dismayed at a lack of results from having been to a gym 6 out of the last 6 days - and most likely have a little pity-party with some Edy's Ice Cream while I watch a infomercial on a new drug like Alli?

Am I going to reminisce of the day when working till exhaustion brought a rush of relief and a surge of adrenaline?   

Well, I can say with certainty that I would most likely enjoy the food part - I always did like some of the things that everyone would consider unhealthy - only because of the abundance of that which I ate. . . and because it may have been unhealthy (eehhhemmm - Double Quarter Pounder with cheese and bacon) although, I am sure we can all agree that Oreos are not healthy . . .

I heart Oreos. . . and massive amounts of Twizzlers (the package says 0grams of trans fat)!

Yup, that is a mountain of Oreos right there . . . with a big glass of hello whole milk sitting right next to it that you can't see.

Please note:  I have never done this, and this picture is not mine, I got it from a German website (thank you Germany).

"Yup, that is a mountain of Oreos right there"

There won't be alcohol cause there never really was, therefore I can forgo those thoughts.

And since I do recall the days when I was a young whipper-snapper trying to do things, I can honestly say that I would probably sit around recalling memories of kicking footballs at SCSU, diving at the pool at Yale (affectionately called the Toilet Bowl), swimming at Rutgers for a meet, or rucking in the mountains of Colville, Washington.

As far as I can tell, those that have decided on our particular life change indulge their CrossFit background often.  Even those that have taken a different path but started on this one.  There are still the workouts that push them past a certain point.  

There is a saying, everything in moderation and it pertains to most everything, but one thing it does not pertain to is knowledge and an excellent work to rest ratio (I am sure among many other things as well).

I happened to watch the Charles Barkley video in the CrossFit Journal (the link is to the right of this blog) and one of the things that really caught my attention was him saying, "I don't want to die." - strong words from an athlete such as he was (italics - because this will change).  

So my interest is piqued because our journey, from any perspective - be it CrossFit, running, whatever - is not intended to be for a month, a year, or any established period of time - it is meant to be a part of your life.  Work hard to be healthy, be active, be fit, and most of all enjoy your life.  Put in time to get more time.

Indulgence should be rare, specifically gluttony to which I have subjected myself to.  And rareness can be defined on so many terms, however, it is always specific to the individual.  Don't willingly partake in something that you know will set you back four, five steps - like a three week all you can eat/drink bender in Vegas (sounds fun, probably not the best thing - just sayin').

So as you make the decision to be active, look to those around you for support, build your infrastructure, and develop the necessary means to achieve.  Don't conform to the crowd, be the crowd, be confident in you.

-Coach Tony