On a Sunday, redux

A while back (upon further examination just over a  year ago, weird) I wrote a post, On a Saturday, where I attempted to write down how I was trying to deal with the social changes in my life.  Many of those stemmed from CrossFit, triathlon, and other social-athletic activities.  You make fast friends with cool people, then everyone wants you to do their thing.  And if you can’t say no, you quickly run out of time.

So it’s 0830 on Sunday morning.  Normally I would still be sleeping, but instead of nursing a hangover, I pulled the ripcord at Molotov around 1230 and took off.  One of those nights where nothing I drank was getting me drunk, and I felt uncomfortable in my own skin.

I’m in a funk, and I can’t figure out how to get out.

I feel like I’ve allowed the following things to happen:

• I’ve managed to piss off or otherwise irritate some new friends of mine (you know who you are).
• I’ve stopped progressing in CrossFit.  I’ve stopped progressing in triathlon.
• I’ve stopped caring about my job.

Until I took a few minutes to pause, all I had for the above things are excuses, no real reasons.  I can blather on about feeling unwelcome, or not training because I don’t have time, or work being just plain annoying.  But all of those things are my refusal to provide the one thing that I demand from everyone else around me: respect.

Respect, and with that, loyalty, are the two things I demand from any relationship or community I choose to join.  That’s because those are two things that I fiercely provide in return.  For better or worse, I will throw myself in front of a bus for someone I just met 5 minutes ago, if they fit into the respect-loyalty relationship.

I spent the afternoon Thursday listening to Robb Wolf’s podcasts, and one thing he mentioned is the notion of training without ego.  Ego belongs on the field, when you’re competing, but it doesn’t belong in your training.  You’re not too good for drills, you’re not too good to practice a lift at 95lbs before you lift it at 135.

Same goes for life and relationships — it’s not a competition, it’s more training.

I’m not too good to expect that new friends will treat me like they’ve known me for years.  I’m not too good to expect that I can PR on a race without training.

In the words of Jimmy Eat World’s A Sunday, the inspiration for this post (again):

The haze clears from your eyes

On a Sunday

So to those who think I’m a total headcase, I’m not, and I’m sorry for the bullshit.  The bullshit is over.

To my other communities, I’ll find that vigor, fire, that so many of you have seen.  It’s somewhere.

Every Second Counts + Groove = Gen X Weekend Warriors

(and a race report…)

People use the expression “work hard, play harder” all the time. And I think they mean it, but I think most people use the phrase for that one bender of a weekend or that show they saw Wednesday night and had to work early the next day. I think I’ve found a group of friends who epitomize “work hard, play harder.”

Imagine the movie “Every Second Counts” — a movie about some elite CrossFitters experience leading up to and including the Crossfit Games.  Then imagine the movie Groove — a movie about the San Francisco party underground that juxtaposes “real life” with “club life.”  That’s “work hard, play harder.”  And while our lives are quite a bit different in both camps, the intersection of the two is the best way I can characterize 2010 so far.

Somehow we balance jobs, training, racing, and nightlife in a way that seems perfectly ok, but I wonder when it all comes crashing down around me.  This was last week:

Sunday: spend the day with friends at an Alzheimer’s benefit.  Drink copious amounts of champagne mixed with tequila shots (ironic? perhaps.). Go to bed late.

Monday: work all day, CrossFit.

Tuesday: work all day, CrossFit, teach spin class.

Wednesday: coach a morning track workout, work all day, tuneup bike ride, coach evening track workout, host a party, drink all night (it was Cinco De Mayo, after all).

Thursday: coach a morning spin class, work all day, tuneup swim, dinner with friends, drinks in celebration of other friends’ wedding.

Friday: took the day off of work. Easy workout, errands, go to friends’ wedding, go to bars after said wedding, stay up almost all night.

Saturday: coach a morning CrossFit class, try to pick up the drunken pieces (imagine the scene in Groove at the End Up), go to a party barge and try not to drink (I do have a race on Sunday, after all).  Go home, eat dinner, pack race bag, sleep.

Sunday: wake up at 4:50, arrive at race around 6:30, race at 8, home by 12. Brunch at 1, long ass nap, get groceries, cook. Sleep!

That’s a normal week for me… just move around the training days and the drinking days and somehow it works.

I have to say that when I race, I’m jealous of the people who can dedicate their time to training and being “clean.”  There’s a certain guilt associated with this lifestyle (at least for me).  I think that’s because there’s the elephant in the room — if I wasn’t out drinking all week, I’d do so much better at these athletic feats.  But at what cost?

My strict CrossFit friends only hang out with other CrossFitters who eat paleo and drink Makers or NorCal margaritas.  My triathlon friends only hang out with other triathletes who rarely drink, eat tons of carbs, and go out on long rides and runs every weekend.  My non-athletic friends do whatever the hell they want.  I’m tired of having to “pick a side.”  I want it all, and I want it all to work.

Perhaps that’s the downfall of Gen X — we want our (paleo) cakes, and we want to eat the whole damn thing with (paleo) ice cream, on a unicorn.  Why?  Because we can.  At what cost?  Who cares… just as long as I’m happy. (aside: I know that’s a long leap from the previous paragraph to this one. I’m not in the business of writing a thesis, this is just the way I feel at the moment… hell, I don’t even know how I got to this point)

It sounds self-centered, and perhaps it is.

(another aside: I read this back before I clicked “Publish,” and I realize it may come off as a) pretentious, b) whiny, or c) narcissistic. or any combination of the above. Again, realize that I’m attempting to write down how I feel and what’s been going on… not to tell you about my training log, but instead of tell how what the rest of my life looks like. It’s a vent at the moment. Deal.)

So I had a race on Sunday… The Rookie Tri.  And once again, I did… ok. Actually I did worse than I thought.  I was all amped on Sunday because I thought I PR’d, when I actually got 10 seconds slower.  I know exactly where it was.  This is the magic of repeating races, which coincidentally is one of the reasons CrossFit works — comparisons and benchmarks.

So… this is a wake up call for me that perhaps things have gotten a little out of balance, and it’s time to bring things back in line. We’ll see how I do on my next few rides and races, and hopefully I can maintain my existing relationships and get back to those PRs and achievements.

It’s been a while…

2010 started off with a vengeance.  One of those situations where everything simultaneously blows up, and all you can do is hold on, wait for the end, and assess the situation.  Here’s the assessment.  (warning: this is a long post… get some coffee (make sure it’s local, organic coffee!))

With respect to life, I can say I’ve learned a lot about myself and my friends, but I’m only scratching the surface.  I still have trouble coping with the simple fact that as an adult, you have to do your dishes, laundry, and clean your own damn apartment.  Obviously I do these things, but only when it really needs to happen.  It’s not just-in-time… more like almost-too-late.  For example, I go through so much athletic clothing that easily over half of my laundry is gym stuff.  And since I need to use it just about daily, I end up doing two loads of gym clothes per week, at the sacrifice of other clothes.  I really wanted to wear that shirt I wore out the other night… oh well.

Basic “adult things” are eschewed for stuff that’s far more fun or interesting.  The funny thing is it’s not just me… many of my friends are doing the same.  It makes me wonder if this is common for the single late 20s/30s crowd — reverting back to dorm-style life management skills — or if this is new for our generation.  Maybe it’s an Austin thing…

Speaking of… early 2010 + life + Austin = Eric was a zombie.  Let’s review:

• Mid February: everyone seems to have a brithday; let’s all drink. Heavily.
• Work sends Eric to perform a production deployment… sweet.
• Customer asks (requires) Eric’s presence the following week, right before his first ski trip of 2010.
• Eric returns to said customer, rebooking flights like crazy, and flies AUS-SAN-DFW-GUC, chill for a week (at a bachelor party, so we all know how that goes), then GUC-DFW-AUS.
• Home for 5 days.  phew.
• Not just yet… drive to Houston and back for the Muse show (which was amazing, btw)
• Oh wait, SXSW.  Shit… ZOMBIE ATTACK!
• Ski trip #2, Whistler.  One bottle per person condo entry fee.  4 people dust off 5 bottles in 5 days.  3 bottles alone on the last night.
• Return to Austin, try to resume life.

The rational person would simply tell me to stop drinking so damn much.  Good point.  Now let’s return to reality.

I don’t think I’ve ever felt so disconnected in a long time.  With all that traveling, the only connections you retain are the people you randomly text while traveling and the ones you see when you get to your destination.  In fact, my schedule has been such a mess lately that I’ve honestly felt like I’ve alienated myself from the CrossFit Central Tribe.  And that’s scary.

So I’m in the process of re-establishing myself in the tribe that has provided me with so much over the last 2 years.  Going back to my 6:15am CrossFit class (although that didn’t happen today… there’s another post coming on that one).  Heading up to the gym to support/participate in events.  Getting back into The Label Says Paleo.

That also means writing stuff down here, for whoever reads it to read.  Seriously, I have no idea who reads this.  I have the Google Analytics on it, but that doesn’t identify an individual… I just know how many hits I get.  But I digress…

Coming in the next couple weeks:

• How I finally got a 190kg (~418lb) deadlift, and won a duathlon
• Why I can’t stand up straight today, reach for tall things, or otherwise move correctly
• My race schedule updates and training plan for the remainder of the season
• Other random (hopefully entertaining) musings

If you’ve gotten this far, thanks for reading… and leave a comment, dammit!

PIT workout April 18, 2010

A little late in coming, but in case anyone follows these (post to comments if you do!)…

Warm-up

• 800m run
• Stretches/joint work
• KB warmup: 3 rounds of [4 press L, 4 press R, 8 cirlcles, 8 figure 8's].
• Burgener Warmup

Skill work

• Snatch balance, hang snatch: after practicing the movement with PVC, move up to an open bar.  Complete 3 rounds of 5 snatch balance, 5 hang snatch, for form and not time (take your time through this and make sure you’re doing it right).

Workout

• 10 rounds of 10 pull-ups, 10 ball slams @ 20lb.  15 min time cap.

Adventures of a traveling CrossFitter

Handstands in the snow, with snowboard boots, are tough.

After you’ve thrown yourself off the deep end with CrossFit, there’s not much that can compare when it comes to a fitness facility.  Maybe you’ve got a traditional gym membership and a CrossFit Affiliate membership.  When you walk into the traditional gym, what’s your attitude?  I know what mine is…

“screw the machines and most of the contraptions… just give me a pull-up bar, some kettlebells, a med ball, maybe a rower. if i can lift heavy weights, even better.”

The way my job works is that I travel sporadically, and when I do, it’s a lot all at once.  For example, I left Austin on February 20, returned on February 25, left again on February 28, returning March 4, and will be leaving for two more trips this month.  What does that do to my training plan?  Shot. To. Hell.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.  Here are my tips for success in training on the road:

• Decide right now: do you care to stay on your training plan?  Does it matter that you do the .com WOD 3-on, 1-off?  Or, can you maybe get a couple runs in and call it a week?
• Plan ahead.  While you’re making your travel plans figure out what’s in your hotel and what’s around you.  Find the nearest CrossFit Affiliate, shoot them a note.  I guarantee you’ll be welcome there, and I’m willing to bet you’ll fit in.
• If you’ve decided you’re sticking to the plan, then do your best to stick with it, but don’t freak out if you miss something.  Remember the words of Rip: “training is a process, not an event.”  So I can’t do MEBB in every town I’m traveling to, but I can at least find a place that allows me to lift heavy.  I can search the programming of all the CrossFit boxes in the area and find out which ones might work the best for me.
• Pack versatile and light. You don’t need your oly shoes, running shoes, fivefingers, rings, abmat, chalk, tape, and 5 pukie shirts for your 4-day trip.  I bring the following: fivefingers, enough workout clothes for 2 days (and wash out in the tub/air dry to rewear… if you have good gear, it won’t smell), some tape, and a TriggerPoint ball.  For example, if you’re running and CrossFitting, do your CF workouts in your running shorts.

No CrossFit gym?  Then start heading to the fitness center in your hotel.  Use the dumbbells, treadmills, and mats to construct a workout.  Do “Fran” with dumbbell thrusters and body rows using the cable cross machine.  Do “Angie” with bench dips or body rows.  Or, hit up CrossFit Endurance and use the treadmills to do the WOD (or just run outside).  Get creative… the point is to just keep moving!

Case Study: Vegas and San Diego

Last week, I was in Vegas for a conference.  Vegas is a tough town because it’s hard to get around… cabs are expensive and they don’t like to go too far off the strip.  I’ve made it over to CrossFit Las Vegas a couple times — great place — but this time I didn’t have the time.  So, I took my Vegas hangovers to the MGM Spa and did a modified version of the CFE Recovery workout a few times:

Run 400m

3 rounds of:

• 15 bench press
• 15 swings
• 15 bench dips

Then do 2 rounds of:

• 50 situps
• 5×30:30 hip bridge

Keep the weights light but challenging — your third round should be tough but unbroken.  Move with purpose but not like you’re racing.  Then go hit the steam room.

In San Diego, life’s a lot different.  I wasn’t crazy like Vegas, and I had control over where I stayed.  So I stayed near CrossFit Invictus.  CJ and his crew (which includes the rockstar Sage Burgener) are awesome, and every time I show up, it’s only better.  Turns out I got 3 days of exactly what I needed — some lifts, and some metcon.

Conclusion

I’ve been around states and tried to keep up with my training.  At first I felt guilty because I was off “the plan.”  Then I began to realize that when you travel, it’s so much easier to simply do nothing.  So go do something.  Try to get it as close to what you’d do if you were home.  Meet some new people.  Buy a shirt from another affiliate.  Not only is CrossFit a good cult, but it can be done just about anywhere.