Too old to get better? RUBISH!!

Too old to start? Too old to stop? Too old to learn? Too old to teach? Too old to be loved? To old to love? To old to be forgiven? Too old to forgive? Too old to change? Too old to conform?  Too old to _____?  I'm sure you can come up with your own.  We all have them...limiting beliefs reflective of where we are on our life line.  Courtney Dunn, with her beautiful eyes and witty tongue, not unlike another beautiful woman I love, told me I could take as much time as I wanted on the lifting platform because I am old.  AND her eyes twinkle with "Got ya!" as she says it. I love being reminded of my age...I forget it all the time. (laughing to myself at my great jokes)

Do I think I'm old? What do I think?

 "As a man thinks, so is he." Proverbs 23:7
These days I think I'm a Crossfit Games competitor and therefore I AM.

The Bridge City Beat Down is upon us.  It's my first individual competition in years. My first proving ground for I AM.  Remember my post on winning?  Remind me of it when you see me.  My spirit and soul want to be on the podium, my heart tells me top 5 and my head says top 10.  I remember what I said about winning.  I stand by it.  I'm older and wiser now.

Much wiser and grounded. We did one of the BCBC workouts on Tuesday.  I was standing there face to face with my toughest competitor.  No, not you Matt Bathgate...ME.  Allow me to digress one short moment to point out, Matt, that ONCE during the workout I reached the cone before you did. (first round of HSPUs..downhill from there on remaining in 1st place. YOU ARE AWESOME!!)  But what I'm real excited about telling you all is that while being face to face with ME, I was calm.  I can even describe it as peaceful...and that's an accomplishment when this is standing right in from of you:

This is my point...we are never too old to learn new thinking patterns, adopt new brain patterns, add a belief to our heart that overtakes less useful, less effective ones.  I was never a complete mess before a competition WOD but I remember a racing heart, very dry mouth, tight muscles as stress was  constricting my veins and shutting off oxygen flow.  This was different...and it was good. It was anticipation, excitement...and TRUST.  BUT I've been preparing for it.  Just like I'm training for those freakin', easy-to-do Bar MU's,  I'm training my brain to be better too.  

"...make every effort to add to your faith, goodness: to your goodness, knowledge: to your knowledge, self-control: to your self-control perseverance: and to perseverance, godliness: and to godliness, mutual affection: and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive..." - 2 Peter 1: 5-9

WHAT?? Ineffective and unproductive? We don't want that...no sir.  Get rid of those two nasty qualities and Bar MU's will be a breeze. So yes, I've been practising to increase in measure these qualities.  If you note the last one is love...so go ahead, hug me. 

As well I take great calm & courage from Joshua, God's mighty warrior General. The book of Joshua is not much but war and carnage.  AND rarely in Joshua'a favour but he was never shaken in his faith & belief nor was he ever defeated :

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. " - Joshua 1:9

So as old as I am, I've re-wired my brain or started the process...it's a process not a destination.  AND look at Lynn!! She's an inspiration to be young and fit forever!! Lynn turned 70 years young awhile back.  She never worked out before joining our gym. 

So BOY am I excited to get older, Courtney and take MORE time on that lifting platform.  There is still so much I am capable of.

















AND have you seen this? I look forward to joining these athletes next year.  Ask them if they feel old.

Most of all...let's remember we are never too old to laugh.  To laugh especially at ourselves. I love that Crossfit keeps me humble.  It's made me cry too...cry like a baby. But I'm not too old for that either.   Here is a snatch attempt at a PR to end this with a smile. TEAM, we have to remember to keep the video running on moments like these to find Coach Benko and get his reaction on video.  It's short but packs a punch, this attempt.

Macronutrient mayhem

A major breakthrough is not something that happens randomly. It is a combination of hard work and lots of trial and error. It comes at the price of looking silly to those around you. To do great things you must welcome and embrace failure for it is the path to greatness. Without it you cannot succeed. Know that each setback brings you closer and closer to your goal. The faster you fail the faster you will reach your desired end.          - Aaron Parkinson - Genius & my friend http://aaronparkinson.com

Aaron also says he is running to success one failure at a time as fast as he can. 

ETG. Embrace the Grind. Daniel Cormier's motto. 
https://www.facebook.com/danielcormiermma

Embrace each failure because it's meant to be on the road to your success.  I'm happy to say after failing at chest-to-bar pull-ups for ...umm... all my cross fit years. Today I did 7.  They were programmed in a WOD with back squats.  Only one round.  I stepped up to the bar and knew I would get one but was determined to string some together on this day. I hit the bar so hard on the first one the Rogue rig shook and I continued on very surprised at how easy 4 came together.  I jumped off.  What just happened and why does my sternum hurt so much? I jumped back up and easily got another 3.  Hmph! I gave a little yelp and scared the lifters on the platform in front of me. God is good. 
"You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." - James 4

I've been asking lately in a different way and I am very thankful to give praise where praise is due. 

So thank you Lord for Bar MU's.  Yes they are banded but I'm patient. (not really but I'm learning) The bands are being removed one at a time.  

Let's talk fuelling and it's challenges...'cause there are challenges.  This is an area where I have tripped and stumbled, got back up to do it all again.  

This has been a long journey for me and I continue to walk it.  This is one of those roads that never ends.  We have to look at food as fuel that makes our engine perform.  One wouldn't put a Coke in the Porsche, would one?  Well I'm here to say I've put poor fuel choices in my Porsche and paid the price.  I've read some articles about "carb addiction" being a myth.  I believe it's different for each of us.  Why?  Because what I lived was an addiction. It was ugly and really tough on every dimension of me - psychological, physical, spiritual, emotional and relational.  My body has a strong physiological reaction to carbohydrates.  I would eat a loaf of bread in one evening, edge a cake until 2/3 of it was gone but I didn't have a piece.  I was a macronutrient mess!  AND today I still work at getting it right.  I've learned the importance of ALL macronutrients being in balance to negate cravings, hunger and improve performance.  Protein, carbs,  fats & fiber....get it right and you feel amazing AND you will perform VERY well - psychologically , physically, spiritually, emotionally and relationally.  I've discovered the various macronutrients that suit my body.  The ones that don't cause inflammation, gassy tummy, fatigue & trigger cravings. AND when you get it right, it's awesome...so get out there and find your macronutrient profile. It gets confusing for sure...but that's where you pay attention to YOUR body.  Pay attention to performance, to pain, to fatigue, to mood, to sexual prowess (indeed!), to your happiness level.   

So how do I handle eating enough to maintain muscle & performance but not too much to support fat?  I track. The tracking is crucial.  Oh, did you miss that? The tracking is CRUCIAL. There's a tall, handsome, very fit guy at Synergy who can vouch for what I say. If you have no how idea how many grams of protein you are getting, how much water you REALLY drink in a day, how many grams of carbs you are ACTUALLY eating in a day, you are likely in macronutrient shambles.  It takes extra time in the beginning but it WILL become part of your schedule like laundry.  AND feeling GOOD is addicting.  I get asked, "Don't you get bored with what you eat?" My answer is, "Do you mean do I get bored with feeling good? No I do not."  

This is serious...even the Good Book has something to say about tracking what you eat:

When you sit down to eat with a ruler,
    observe carefully what is before you,
2 and put a knife to your throat
    if you are given to appetite. - Psalm 23:2

SO just DO IT!!  Get into your macronutrients. Set an appointment with Dawn, Start eating to live, not living to eat!!  You'll thank me. 

Lifting PR or Scale PR

My friend Nicole said this to me the other day at the gym.  She thought it would be great to hear more conversations at the gym about PR numbers than scale numbers.  "How did your back squat go? Did you PR"? vs "You look like you lost weight." Nicole hit the bulls eye with that thought.  "Dieting down" takes us down a slippery slope of slowed metabolism, less muscle, and eventually a higher fat percentage on our new size 6 body.  This leads to less energy to get to the gym, subsequently decreased serotonin, possible depression and before we know it, size 16 or 18 is back. So what's the answer?  Let's focus on performance: better press, better back squat, better FRAN :) And forget about the scale. 

What the scale says really doesn't concern me.  Performance does. If I'm performing well, I'm lookin' fine. AND if I'm performing well, I MUST be eating well.  My body, your body cannot perform without proper fuelling.  Let me clarify the scale statement.  95% of the time I don't care what the number is.  There is 5 % of the time I think "How would I feel, look, perform if was 5 lbs leaner?"  I didn't say "lighter", I said "leaner".  That means less fat on my body and maybe more muscle.  My point being let's focus on being healthy, on learning what that means because then the number on the scale will be healthy. 

I like the following quote...it says so much:

Leanness is the natural side effect of excellent health. Excellent health is the natural side effect of good nutrition. Good nutrition is the natural side effect of choice & habit. Choice & habit are reflections of WHO WE ARE. 

And I really like this quote:

Everything is permissible for me - but not all is beneficial. Everything is permissible but I will not be mastered by anything.  Therefore honour God with your body.  
- 1 Corinthians 6:16

Coming from a past of over-eating & bingeing, files chock full of these habits are still present. They simply don't get opened because I have replaced them with other files that open sooner when choices about eating need to be made.  This didn't happen overnight..it took a long time. Is it worth it? To commit to change, to conscious action to create new files, new habits?  YES it is.  As long as you have a reason, a desire to change, the initial discomfort is worth it.  For me at first, it was wanting to be an honest role model for my children, and honest to myself.  Today my children are excellent role models for me.  AND my reason has become a little more personal.  I want to go back to the Crossfit Games. That WILL NOT happen by showing up at the gym and training hard ... WITHOUT eating for that training.  

Next post... more eating details.  Until then let's eat & train for PRs!   

Competition Week

Yes indeed.  It's competition week for me!

First one in 2-ish years...and I'm pretty darn excited.  Let me set the stage for you.

I'm in Maine, Topsham ME to be exact. The box is Crossfit 321.  http://www.crossfit321.com/

My crossfit coach daughter, Justine Chabot and her hubby, Dan Pelletier live here. And their English Bulldog, Stella.

I will be spending time with them for 7 days. Justine is personal training as I write this at Women's Fitness Studio & Spa, an all women's gym, where she shares her talents as a coach. So very easy for me to go to work with her and see her in action transforming lives. Dan works for the Federal Government in Veteran Affairs.  Not so easy for me to tag along with him. 

When I was booking this trip Justine mentioned that it covered the weekend of Crossfit 321's Summer Throwdown. Well that was settled.  Flight got booked, Justine found me a Master's partner and here I am.  My daughter is very talented, definitely in line to take over the world as she moves toward her potential.  Finding me a partner was very strategic on her part.  Where I lack, she made sure to fill the gap. She partnered me with an ex-gymnast, someone very springy and swingy.  Susan, my dearly loved partner who I haven't met yet, I love her for one reason I'll get to, has been in contact over FB with me.  She actually apologized for only being able to hit 105 on the announced bar complex. And quickly added she loves burpees and C2B pullups.  I'm thinking in my head, NO PROBLEM.  I'll cover the bar complex, you do C2B pullups.  I also know Susan competed at a Master's Track & Field competition and got 2nd.  She was disappointed because she wanted 1st. There it is...the reason I know we will get along.  When there is a 1st place up for grabs, there is nothing to do but go after it.

Yes, winning!! If you are uncomfortable with that word, you just haven't explored it, batted it around in your head, made peace with it.  I have...I think I have come to peace with winning...and loving winning. I say "I think" because it will get tested as I move into a competition year.

Let's use this all women's gym that I am at right now. It's definitely NOT crossfit...no snatches and clean & jerks, no shirtless men for sure :), no shirtless woman either!! There are no pull up bars, rings or boxes.  There are lots of cardio machines, hand weights and various other fitness paraphernalia.  What I am witnessing is lots of friendly chatter, people of all ages and sizes getting their bodies off the couch and moving...AND lots of smiles. This is winning...they are all winning.

For me winning includes a dimension that may be present in all these female fitness enthusiasts here this morning, I just wouldn't know unless I asked them.  That dimension for me is, each time I use my talents in the gym (we ALL have them), have I given 120%, did I do my BEST? Did I honor what God gave me with a matching dose of commitment and attitude? Did I do my BEST? That's my gage, my determining factor for winning.  Now of course the question begging to be asked...can I finish 2nd, 5th or 10th and say that? That's what will be tested this year as I compete again.  Coach Benko and I have stared eye to eye on this with a few words added in on many occasions. As I've grown older and wiser will I admit to him being right on some points? OK, yes! See? If you know me, I'm making progress!

Back to this weekend and the Summer Throwdown.  I am smiling right now as I type just thinking about all the sweaty bodies finding one more gear to get one more rep, go just a little faster as the clock ticks down, block out the lactic acid burning...and my partner Susan and I are part of it. What's on the line here? The same thing that's on the line as I walk into the gym every day.  Did I do my best? Did I learn something about myself? Did I push to fail 'cause if I don't fail how do I know where my line is? And if I don't know where that line is how do I know if I'm getting better? 

See? Winning is growing...and we are created to grow...grow old, grow wise, grow to be our BEST. My goal this year is to be as intense as I ever was while adding a big dose of love & gratitude for what I have been given & therefore, can accomplish. 

These pros say it very well.

"Winning isn't everything - but wanting to win is." - Vince Lombadi
"Wisdom is always an overmatch for strength." - Phil Jackson
"The glory is being happy. The glory is not winning here or winning there. The glory is enjoying practicing, enjoy every day, enjoy working hard, trying to be a better player than before."
- Rahael Nadal

Crossfit Games 2014

Mr. Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" is very fitting to celebrate the 2014 Crossfit Games' warriors. What a celebration of human spirit!

  

A really smart Crossfit Coach said to a really smart business man, "Sure I'll look at your business but you have to look at mine too...Crossfit."

What this coach really meant is one cannot understand this sport until you are "in it". 

Why does one willingly put themselves into great physical pain, intense psychological trials, and for extended periods of time...5 days per week or more for many?

Read "Man in the Arena".  It's the answer to that question. It's hard to explain but once you've "entered" you will understand. 

4 time consecutive Crossft Games Champ, Rich Froning, said this, 

"You can be really good at something and look like an idiot doing another movement. (CrossFit's) a nasty thing, but it makes it a little more fun.”

So now we can look like an idiot too!  That would be me and box jumps...I'm just not "springy". AND me at pull-ups...remember my daughter's window analogy?  I'm just not "swingy". 

BUT none of it matters!!  WHY? 

Because I witnessed rising above negative head space in Rich Froning.  Because I witnessed consistent and calm from Camille Leblanc-Bazinet,  Michelle Letendre, Annie Thorisdottir, none of whom won many events, but demonstrated fittest in so many ways!

I watched Chris Spealler, Jason Khalipa compete for the last year as individuals...winners in ALL ways.  I witnessed rookies and young kids like Lauren Fisher, Cory Anderson, Noah Ohlsen perform beyond believable. 

I watched every Master's event. So great to see Amy Mandelbaum on the podium.  Susan Habbe back it!! And Mary Beth Litshelm performing SO steady and awesome!

Did I say, "Oh crap, handstand walks!" And "How would I have done at that??" YUP, for 30 seconds I thought those thoughts... and then answered "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena..."  I'm in the arena with a great team of coaches and team mates.  Let the dust, sweat & blood accumulate. Let me look like an idiot as I embrace & dote on my weaknesses "because there is no effort without error and shortcoming".  

Weighted pistols were on the whiteboard this week - 30 at 16kg for the gals. Thanks Matt B. for looking so strong at your 30 and saying, "Good" at my smaller sets until I knew my butt had it in me for a set of 10. AND of course calling me on a little or big swing back of the foot.  So smart my friend Matt, as he says right up close to me "How would Rich do them, how would Camille do them?"  What ya gonna do when you want back to the Games deep in your soul and you're asked that???  You're gonna tighten up your core and straighten that front let, that's what!!

Thanks to my friend Nicole who sent me an article. I took a clip from it. I crossfit because God gifted me with the love of being physical and it makes Him smile to see me "in the arena". Below is another reason I crossfit and I will wager that the athletes we watched this weekend feel the same. It's kinda an ode to Crossfit :)

"It means you can run, jump, swim, play, bend, walk and lift with all parts of your body from joints, muscles and bones to hands and feet, all body parts working in unison. It means that if you had to run 5K to get away from danger, (Chad Benko, this means running!!) if you had to swim for 20 minutes to save yourself in a flood (Just keep swimming, C-Unit), if you had to lift a heavy weight out of the way to free yourself, something or someone else, you could do it.

The new fitness trend is not about prostituting yourself but about doing the hard work measured in reps, sets and sweat to create a body, an entire organism engineered to sustain itself in this brave new world. It means you can help yourself -- not be dependent on someone else. It means you train differently, think intelligently, respect powerfully, sensing a new strength in yourself that comes not from the desire to have a cutie booty but a strong one that can move when it has to, along with the rest of the magnificent machine called YOU."

Let's close with a salute to Rich Froning and his spirit to faithfully abide in The Infinite One:

May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. - Galations 6:14

Test day II

Perform, perform, perform!  Is there more and more to add into your training? Does the idea of performing, doing more make you tired, drain your energy? Or excite you, raise the level of your drive to be GREAT?

The amazing thing about this is, we all have the choice to decide how we react. Be excited or be turned off.  It's right because you make it so.

My very good friend and mentor suggested I read "The Prayer of Jabez" and "The Secret of the Vine" by Bruce Wilkinson.  It's fascinating, exhilarating and scary all at once.  This is the Prayer of Jabez:

"Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.
- 1 Chronicles 4:10

What's this got to to with Test Day? Well the answer to that is another quote from the greatest book every written:

He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

- Matthew 17:20

First, we must ask for MORE to be given to us. Second, we must have faith it is already done. Yes, I'm talking about TEST days.  AND guess what?  EVERY DAY is a test day for EVERYTHING we do. Be bold. Ask, have faith and it will be done. 

So did I PR on this Test Day? Nope :)  Did I learn something? OH yes.  Thanks to another outstanding coach,  Jason Trihn.   

On this test day, I caught a 2kg PR snatch but couldn't stand up with it. Butt down, chest up! And I did exactly the opposite. 

But I went back the next day and Jason talked me through each position of the snatch coming up with cues that worked for me.  Here's the results.  Feels so good when that bar seems to float to that overhead position.  

What gives you purpose to be your best?  AT MINIMUM... BELIEVE in yourself and talk only positive self talk. What we think and feel plays out on the screen of our life.  What do you want playing out on the screen of your life?

I want a 60kg snatch and a 85kg Clean & Jerk. To do this I have to go back to the beginning and get it right. Take weight off, repeat, repeat until every lift looks and feels the same.  And I'm excited to get to it.  Thanks to all my great coaches at Synergy Strength who will get me there.  Let's get into the arena!

Test Day

Test days are a regular occurrence at Synergy Strength so what's the big deal? It's a big deal.

It's our proving ground that we did the work, that we committed to showing up everyday to do battle.  The human spirit is designed to grow, to learn, to mature and become a richer, darker, super moister, chocolatier cake :).  We have to be able to measure that growth...so bring on the test days.

Front squat and snatch were on the board for testing on Friday.

Front squat - 85 kg - 5 kg PR

87 kg attempt - thinking I will skip 85 next time and go straight here

50 kg snatch - old PR

52 kg attempt - I've learned I have NO high pull.

We have just completed one round of testing on our Train to Win program.  I'm excited for the 2nd round.  Some thoughts on this particular test day.  I PR'ed my front squat. It's good to PR on squats.  I remember going to my first Crossfit Regional event and saying to coach Benko, "Man I need bigger legs and a bigger butt."

PR's on squats should in theory lead to PR's in the Olympic lifts.  I have been snatching 50 kg for well, let's just say years.  Some of you might be saying, "That's disappointing." And I might go there for 30 seconds but quickly rephrase that to, "What great opportunity and potential."  I just need to get in and re-work my technique.

The picture of Leonidas represented the battle attitude when I started this post.  TODAY I was fortunate to witness a great training lesson.  Olympic lifter and Synergy coach, David Spurr, must have done 300 70% snatches today, analyzing each lift, tweaking, & training his mind and muscles to focus under fatigue. Of course sessions like that are not regular because the high volume may lead to various issues.  Coach Benko's wrath being one of them :).  BUT did I learn and did David experience some break throughs? For sure. So it tells me I need to go back to the beginning with my Olympic lifts, re-train some muscle patterns, get the missing pieces like high pulls on my snatches.  I need to do this on sessions outside my regular training.  And I'm thinking a few times per week early morning.  But guess what? Do you have a coach you trust? Then something like extra training sessions needs to get an approval from that Coach because there is a training plan in place that is leading me to the next test day.  Besides, I'm not 20, 30 or even 40 years old anymore.  Train smart because I want to do this when I'm 80.

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. - James 1:4