My CrossFit Season

Post-WOD Position

I have not been able to get the box lately. Lately encompasses since The Games this past July. Life (life and life) outside of CrossFit demanded and still demands my attention. The guilt of being away from the gym is great albeit highly irrational. I am not paid to CrossFit. Nor does CrossFit bring me love and affection. It doesn’t feed me or take me out to the movies or rub my earlobs to relax me after a trying day.

In fact, CrossFit many times treats me bad. It makes my lungs cry. It fills me with self-doubt and self-loathing about my physical abilities. It takes my money. It makes my shoulder, and my ankle and my neck hurt. And sometimes it’s WODs just downright hurt my feelings. But nonetheless, I feel like I have neglected CrossFit. Irrational.

But instead of dwelling on my clearly misguided guilt about being away from it, I’ve decided to call my sabatical my CrossFit off-season. Every athlete at any level needs at least three months off. I’ve taken four. A little extra never hurt, right? So I’m committed again. November 1 was the beginning of my personal CrossFit season. And the first order of business is and has been setting some “Ridiculous CrossFit Goals” for the upcoming 2011 year. Some are not so much goals as they are the intention to perform certain acts. Either way, I’m putting it out there.

I call them ridiculous because there is no reason, given all I said CrossFit takes from me and all it fails to give, I should be at all concerned with settng the particular goals I’ve set. But I’m compelled. The explanation escapes me. It just calls me. So in the law of attraction spirit of asking the universe for what it is you want, I’ve decided to share just a few with the internet universe and see what I attract back.

1. Compete in the 2011 NorthEast Regional and place in the top 16. Probably the most ridiculous of my goals, this would honestly give me the most satisfaction if I accomplished it. Why? Well, for one, I think I’m at a decided disadvantage to other high level CrossFitters in a few key areas: age, access and aerobic capacity. Most of these guys at this level are in their late 20’s. I’m not. ‘Nuff said. Most of these guys have 24/7 access to equipment and facilities. I don’t. And most of the successful guys have a tremendous aerobic ability. Milers in weightlifters bodies. I have never had that ability and have a difficult time developing it.

2. Grease my wheel. More intention than goal, I have to nurture what I’m good at. I may not be as young, have as much time or have the lungs of some others. But I have speed (still), strength (more than most) and knowledge. So over this CF season I plan to,

a) perform two speed/track workouts per week based on CF Endurance as long the temperature is over 40 degrees, and

b)  squat, clean and snatch with, in the words of Mike Tyson, “bad intentions”, and

c) stick to a strict Paleo/Athlete diet except for the occassional buttered bagel.

Bottom line is, I want to be impressively fast and impressively strong and pretty damn fit. I want to allow my body to do what it’s telling me it wants to do. I’m never going to beat, almost anyone, in a 5k. But those same folks will hardly come close to me in a 100m sprint or a bear complex. Now how that translates to 1 to 10, clean and jerk at 155# with a round of “Cindy” is anyone’s guess.

3. Get sponsored. I see what’s happening in CrossFit. It’s becoming a professional sport, mainly through sponsorships. So I want in on the action. Syn Martinez of the Afro Brutality crew has been kind enough to allow me to wear some of his gear. But I want more. And while others may go the traditional route, being sponsored by sports apparel and supplement companies directly, I’m looking for sponsorship from my friends, family and readers. One dollar at a time. I’m going to put a link to Paypal on this and another site I’ll set up specifically for this purpose. So if you want to donate some change, feel free. What do I plan on using the proceeds for? Shoes maybe? Who knows. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Of course I have more CF goals, like getting Level I certified, but I won’t list them all. The main one is I just want to have fun with this.