thurs, may 20, 2010


Do you know how sometimes we don't give things a chance; simply because we did not "stop to smell the roses", and it comes back and we see it and finally appreciate it?

One of my clients led me on a journey tonight. It started months ago. She said you had to go and see David Whyte - in an e-mail....for purposes unknown I knew we had to be in the same room.
Tonight I have realized so many things in his discussion with us....words that carry in what he describes as conversations that we have day to day that affect us all. I always believed in this.
He discusses vulnerability, and how it leads to enlightenment. I discuss this daily with people and truly believe in it. How can one create a relationship with oneself like we do with work and our partner without truly being vulnerable with our self like we are in these other settings?
Everyone's journey as an athlete and a person are parallel in nature and the medium, realize this.
Competing and making yourself vulnerable leads to enlightenment. You are saying, "here I am, here is my purpose, here is my everything"...do not be afraid of it; enjoy it.
You might just discover a relationship with your self that you never had but always wanted.

Be a provenance
of something gathered, a summation of
previous intuitions, let your vulnerabilities
walking on the cracked sliding limestone
be this time, not a weakness, but a faculty
for understanding what's about
to happen - David Whyte

Training:

A. [30 m accelerations, walk back x 3] - 3 sets; rest 3 min b/t sets
B1. 20 Russian KBS; rest 20 sec
B2. 15 unbroken box jumps x 3; rest 180 sec
C. AMRAP Double Unders - 5 attempts; rest as needed b/t sets

post loads, heights, reps and notes to comments as well as a single comment on vulnerability if you so choose; rest up.

57 comments:

Leo S said...

James,

Have you read anything by Eckhart Tolle?

I've been on a search for the purpose/enlightenment or as Buddha calls "the end of suffering" for several years; reading, learning, practicing, meditating.

"The Power Of Now" seemed to be the last piece that fit the puzzle. Huge part of the deepening of the search was the adversity of this years training & stress on my mind & body from the preparation.

Here's a bit by Jim Carrey talking about the same thing - my words would be the same about what I have experienced.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsQJyKhmqkQ

Leo S said...

Haha,
Never mind.

I see the New Earth & PON on the Recommended read list, along with Alchemist.

Way of the Peaceful Warrior is an excellent read if you'll ever be in a quest for a good book.

Melisa C said...

A. Runs felt good, did 30s on/1min as I was running a loop. Didn't track distance, just ran hard.

B1. 60# UB, 70# UB, 70 UB
B2. 16", 16", 20"**

kept it short and worked on speed of movement instead of my normal pause at the bottom before jumping again. Need to get over the fear and just string them together.

C. 95(huge pr!) 50, 66

Vulnerability - moving my whole life to Ottawa to be with someone who makes me the happiest I have ever been. I have lived in MB my whole life so to move is a pretty big deal for me. I am excited and scared at the same time.

Melisa C said...

Jeesh, I need to read more carefully at 0'dark hundred!

I thought A was 30s runs vice 30m and for some reason I did 3 attempts at DUs even though I wrote 5. What I actually did was 3 attempts at max while simultaneously doing 5 min max DUs which was 324.

Steve said...

A: Running felt good, fast off the start.
B1: 32kg for all 3 sets unbroken.
B2: 24" for all 3 sets unbroken.
C: 132 for max rep.

Marshall said...

A. Did 10sec max effort row. Low 500m avg was 1:22 (PR)
B1. 2pd. all UB
B2. All UB
C. 24/53/50/12/62 (PR)

Winston Churchill had a great qoute that I think fits this topic well...
"It is not the critic who counts, not the one who points out how the strong man stumbled or how the doer of deeds might have don them better. The credit belongs to the man in the arena, whose face is marred with sweat and dust and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms and devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, if he wins, knows the triumph of high achievement; and who, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat"

Geoff Aucoin said...

I did yesterday's WOD today as I've been dealing with some sleep deprivation issues. Time to be super careful with my recovery.

As far as vulnerability goes; all I have to do is stop and gaze at our baby girl's face for a few minutes...

Michael said...

A. Sprints felt good
B1. 80# all sets felt real solid
B2. 28", 32", 32"- first time to do anything higher than 24" for unbroken fast reps, encouraging
C. 100, 100, 75, 78, 69.. stopped on the first set being a little conservative, wanted all sets above 75. Shoulders was the limiting factor here

Eric S said...

A. Running is always fun.
B1. 70/75/75#
B2. 24"
C. 24, 25, 35, 20, 12. DUs we're pathetic today, but I think I need to shorten my rope.

Anonymous said...

I have followed the blog for a while and am inspired by all of you on a daily basis. One day, when my trainer tells me I am ready, I will be one of you big dawgs.

I know you have all probably seen this before but whenever I find myself losing my way in regards to what truly matters, I bring up this video and it brings me back to centre.

Good luck,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDnrLv6z-mM&NR=1

Brandon said...

A. sprints felt really good
B1. 2pood ub x 3
B2. 28" ub x 3
C. 52(PR)

Notes: Everything felt good and easy. A little tight in the lower legs...not shin splints, but maybe soleus/fascia/something that I need to take care of.

Vulnerability thought: My tendency is to "play small, expect less, don't risk, etc.," so that others around me will feel comfortable with me and my direction in life. However I was reminded doing DUs, of all places, of Nelson Mandela's quote, "There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you." My greatest successes have been when I am vulnerable enough with myself and those closest to me to let them see me do things where failure is a realistic option. Sometimes I might fail miserably and hurt people I care about greatly. However, probably more often than I think, I can do/accomplish/be more than I ever thought possible and in so doing give others the ability and responsibility to do/accomplish/be more than they thought they could.

Now off to be vulnerable today...thanks coach!
Brandon

Katrina Burton said...

A.) felt fast and recovered well.
B1.) 20kg, 24kg, 24kg
B2.) 24", 28", 32"
Different going for unbroken Max height... Could have gotten a couple more inches but didn't know where to start.
C.) 159, 112, 117, 115, 114
Total= 617

Verification Word... Tacki. Tacki as in my clothing choice for todays wod.

Jeff B. said...

25yo / 6'3" / 198lbs

A) On basketball court, 3pt stance starts.
B1) 95lb DB - UB
B2) 36" box - UB (full stand up top, step down)
C) 34, 13, 28, 26, 31, not bad for me, crappy rope but getting better, took 60s between sets.

Tried to go as heavy as I could on the KB swings and as high as I could on box jumps, those were the highest/heaviest the globo had.


Did some dynamic effort low bar back box squat work to start off 2x12 @ 175lbs, 50s rest. Getting much more comfortable with low bar now, starting to prefer it to high bar.

DSC Staff said...

A - will use indoor soccer game tonight as a sub

B1 - 2pd to eye level x 20 x 3, easy
B2 - 24in, 26in, 28in x 15 unbroken, nice to know can still cycle smoothly at increasing heights

C- 53, 81, 72, 89, 75
grip and shoulders are always my limiting factor for long sets of double unders, either the burn in my shoulders slows the rhythm or my hands start to cramp and i lose control.

Joel B. said...

A: felt like if I pushed 100% and for longer distance I might just pull a muscle. So, this distance was good re-intro to sprinting. Did several warm ups and drills first too.

B1: 60# db at station
B2: mid-thigh probably in the 28-30" range...couple wide wooden benches stacked and against a wall
C: 12, 51, 53, 61, 52

Emilie P-B said...

A. Felt strong, fully recovered after each 30m walk back.

B1. 2 pood
B2. 20"
Time for each round: 1:11 - 1:17 - 1:16 (including the 20 sec rest between KBS and box jump)

C. 22-54-79(PR)-77- something around 30, don't remember.

Garage Crossfitter said...

Unfortunatley I will not be competing this weekend as a result from an injury i sustained 5 days ago to my pelvis and lumbar. I took the last 4 days off as rest and went to therapy and decided to test it today at 50% and i am no where near 100% for this weekend. Its been an emotional decision for me but its the right decision as I have an entire career ahead of me in crossfit and I do not want to damage anything permenatley. Fellow dawgs competing this weekend, i will be by your side the entire weekend...

Gillian Mounsey said...

A. Runs felt good

B1. 2 pood
B2. 20"

Time for each round 1:11, 1:14, 1:13

c. 51-29-44-48-51
Very humbling. Need to practice DUs

dmarsh said...

Garage,
So sorry brother. Rest up and know that you've made the right decision.

Will give it full effort for you.

Dennis

Lauren said...

A. Runs were good
B1. 55# DB for all
B2. I think it was around 22" - focused on speed off ground
C. 89, 91, 156 (only did 3 attempts - had to get to work and would have needed big rest to beat the 156)

LuLu said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
LuLu said...

Doing this one tomorrow

There can be no vulnerability without risk; there can be no community without vulnerability; there can be no peace, and ultimately no life, without community.
M. Scott Peck

He is the author of a book called "The road less traveled", it is an interesting read :)

Optimum Performance Training said...

A. All good - felt fast
B1. 40kg
B2. 24"/30" for 2 set
C. 141 was high

Roch said...

Garage, really sorry for you. But really the path was more important than the result. You are doing a good job every day just wrong time to get hurt it really suck!!

A. Didn't tought I was going to be able to sprint but I ran 95% with 5% left over fear and felt really strong. Thanks coach to make me face my fears!

B1. 40kg I arched back a lot on them, kept my arms straight and pull it down very hard, it made it faster than regular at same weight (2 reps faster overall).
B2. 20'' (to focus on speed since we are getting close to comp.) 1:01-1:00-1:03.

C.109(pr),58,38,80,51

Those where all my fears that I went trough today, it gave me a lot of confidence, really happy about that!

Thanks coach!

funbobby said...

m/41/189/5'9/bald

a1 nice cns stim felt good
b1 75lb Db really tough to hold those f-ing thing with average hands
b2 30"
c passed as i felt like doing a met con with DU

since im not competing next weekend and ya'll are tapering and raising thresholds i thought id fill in the dark spots with some squat cleans (doubles up to 110kilos) and then knocked out a 3:22 "chloe"...video on youtube and FB later tonight.

Alex Duncan said...

A. Runs felt really good, on indoor track.
B1. Only had 1.5 p, all UB
B2. 26"/26"/36" All UB jump up, jump down
C. 72/10/10/50/20
Some focus issues here. Not happy with DUs.

Paul Klein said...

A. Felt good. It's workouts like this that makes me wish I had a training partner to race against.

B1. 70lb db for all sets
B2. 29" box for all sets

C. 83 / 96 / 24 / 99 / 103

Dunsey said...

A. Did 2 of 3 sets. I've got a tight hamstring that I do not want to hurt. Spent some extra time working on it instead.

B1. 24kg, 28g, 32kg (used 2 16kg KBs on rnd 3, as I didn't have a 32kg bell. wow, it's hard to swing two at a time)
B2. 28", 31", 34"

C. 74, 68, 92, 41, 67 (couldn't fully rest for the last 2 sets due to time constraints)

Now time for rest and recovery before starting to move from one house to another, a vulnerable process in itself.

This is pretty vulnerable time for me in general. I have had high levels of stress and change in my life over the past 6 months that have really compromised my energy and stamina. I've gotten slower, less conditioned. I think that's why I decided to post here with you all. I'm scared to be vulnerable, especially when everyone can see. But I realized that if I keep it to myself, it will take me over. I'm trying to stare it in the face and move past the fear of it.

Anonymous said...

A. Felt fast and good
B1. 32kg
B2. 24",30",30"
C. 25 was best today. Shoulder still sore made DU's very difficult.

Stephen B. said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mike McNaughton said...

A. Running felt good
B1. 100# all UB
B2. 24". Lost body control a couple times (jumping back off box)...quick step back up to box and continue - no resting.
C. PR was 32 coming into today:
25/43/17(got cocky)/43/53

Marcus Filly said...

Warmed up to a few max broad jumps attempts. 102".

Part 1
*was getting pretty close to top speed and it felt funky on my left leg. surgically repaired a couple years ago and acts up now and then. i usually do sprints on the track or grass but ran them on concrete today. i think i'll go back to the track next time.
Part 2. (2pood, had nothing heavier) Box Jumps (25",28",31.25 missed one jump and had to double bounce on the last three)
C. AMRAP Double Unders (150, 99, 14, 150, 198) – plan was to try to get 5 sets of 150. the second round i was surprised that i missed. lost focus. on the 3rd attempt i just wasn't ready to go at all and thought i could just get into a groove anyway... fail)

Stephen B. said...

Will have to hit this Wod up tomorrow. Def look forward to amrap DUs.

DeeJay said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeeJay said...

B1. all 40kg... felt great
B2. all 30" felt good here too
C played with 4 different ropes

9 - buddy lee rope master
108 - buddy lee rope master
113 - cheapest version of buddy lee rope with no bearing or swivel
150 - buddy lee aero speed
81 - wire rope


glad that I could get some good numbers with all ropes. I like the feel of the wire ones the best but I can't get a grasp for the speed, they are a bit too fast...

Eric Montgomery said...

A. 30m x 3 x 3
B1. 32kg, 36kg, 36kg unb
B2. 20", 24", 24" unb
C. 52, 55, 57, 21, 14, rest 3 mins between. Don't know what happened on sets 4 and 5, was going good then just whiffed.

LuLu said...

Sarah ( Dunsey)
I find that sometimes when I put myself or when I am thrust into vulnerable situations I feel very alone. It takes me a moment to realize that I am actually never alone, even the earth under my feet is connected to me and knowing that makes me feel a million times better. Thank you so much for sharing and know that you are apart of an amazing community!! You now have a pack of Big Dawgs in your Yard ;)

Carrie McG said...

completely strapped for time today (~30 mins to workout) so I had a VERY quick warmup and started.

A. didn't do (time) but played 1st ultimate frisbee game of the season last night and did a lot of sprints/stops/starts - recovery was amazing!! :)
B1. 24kg(UB), 32kg(UB) 32kg (wobbled at 9 - hit leg and had to regain balance)
B2. All UB at 21''
C. 45, 55(PR), 39
only time for 3 sets and didn't rest enough between them. still happy for a PR though.

I feel like every day I post a new PR or something that I haven't done before but it actually happens every day. For instance, I've never swung a 2 pood KB before (nor did I ever think I could) and I did today - unbroken! Each day I leave the gym with more confidence than I did the last. Thanks Coach.

Nathan H. said...

A1: Sprints felt good.

B1: 1 #53 each hand, 1 #62 each hand for last 2 sets
B2: 28" all sets easy ( surprised with this as last time I did high box jumps it felt like my guts exploded)

C1: 111, 61, 75, 80, 85
found that I tense way to much. Need to focus on fully relaxing everything except the necessary muscles. But I guess that can be applied to everythig we do here.

My right Achilles has felt sore lately. Not sure what that is, but I've been doing easy 20 to 30 min recovery runs on all training days. I think my body isn't used to tit yet. Glad I can rest it tomorrow.

Mike Molloy said...

Probably the last option to post a "thank you" to the community before the North East Regionals. So thank you to both James for the programming and everyone else for pushing me as hard as possible.

I'll have the "unbroken" shirt on so come introduce yourself over the weekend.

Time to have some fun and give full effort.

OPT said...

Sarah Dunsmore, drop me a line when you have a chance.

optcoach at gmail dot com

James

BK said...

Mike, Dennis,Wes and fellow Big Dawg crew this weekend at Northeast, I look forward to cheering you on fellas. Garage, sorry to hear the news mate.
Team CFP is primed and ready. The team WODS are very similar to OPT training , we feel great,last heat both days and we are gonna make it happen this weekend.

Geoff Aucoin said...

Hey Sarah I just wanted to let you know I thought you kicked major ass last year at the Games. For a smaller athlete you really held your own out there, way to go!

Dunsey said...

Lulu, Geoff, thanks you two for the kind words and encouragement. You are right about connection, Lulu. Thank you for the reminder :)

James, I'll drop you a line as we speak.

sHELLy said...

Skipped today's wod to work on other stuff.

vulnerability - choosing to compete next weekend knowing that you can can't do all the movements and that you many not even finish.

Chad Hall said...

A: played baseball

B1: 40kg for all
B2: 25, 28, 28"

C: 22, 24, 4, 102, 21

Focused on bounding for the box jumps, felt good. DU stunk, wasn't focused enough, in a rush ... pr is 108, wanted to break that.

In terms of CrossFit, I'm scared of vulnerability. Rarely if ever do I give absolutely 100% in wods. I'm scared knowing that I'm going to be extremely vulnerable if i do go absolutely all out. In Calgary I want to push myself to this foreign state of being and discover what I'm truly capable of.

MikeE said...

A. Felt like a speedy gonzales
B1. Easy
B2. 35" Easy
C. 42+52+54+43+14... Never got tired. Just missed them.

Had 1.5 hrs of Yoga today and a 5k run last night as well. Thank god my body is starting to feel better. Got some R&R to do tonight.

Great post... Power of Now changed my life immensely 5 years ago. Amazing read.

Garage - Sorry to hear man. Do your best at recovering regardless!

DJ/MikeF - Great #'s on DU's... Inspiring as always :)... Can't wait to compete with you guys!

Dr Lisa said...

Had to skip today had too much going on preparing my house for a few of our pack that will be staying with me for the next 10 days - oooooouuuuu!! plus work, soccer for kids etc. Will do it tomorrow.

Sarah
it is usually when we face and step through our fears that the greatest things in our life unfold. It is so hard to get across that threshold and step over but the other side is truly AMAZING. And Melisa is right you definitely have a pack behind you now so don't hesitate to use us.

Michelle said...

A. tried 2 accelerations...no go..not listing off my tweaks and injuries, but suffice it to say I'm confident it will be all good in a week!
B1. 1.5pd/1.5pd/2pd
B2. 20"/24" broken...lost rhythum/20"
C. 42/21(both of these sets with wire rope)/62/76/80

Vulnerability...for me, when I put myself out there is when I feel most alive and connected..it's not always easy, in fact the prospect often terrifies me. Like Regionals...I'm just freakin terrified of putting myself out there, yet I feel so incredibly compelled to move toward it so I'm going with that. When I do take opportunities to be open and vulnerable life is richer, consciousness is higher, and there is a peace to be experienced.

Cameron Currie said...

A: Runs felt good. Mainly worked on form.
B1: Used 65lbs throughout, all Unbroken
B2: used a 36 incher, all unbroken except for the occasional slip up.
c: Maxy set was 84.

Really great day, looking forward to some Rest and Recovery tomorrow.

Mack Lar said...

A. Felt fasted. Started w chest on floor.
B. 70/80/88
C. 22/25/28.5
D. 157/165. Only did 2 sets due to time and in preparation for what is about to be a busy work schedule for a few days.

Ben Priestley said...

Thurs: Trained with my affiliate

Fri noon:
C. AMRAP double unders: 83-40-87(PR)-36-77

Notes: Previous PR was 76. Felt great to top that 3 times today! Will do part A tonight along with part B with light weights (lower back slightly tweaked from overly aggressive back extensions on Wednesday). Out of town this weekend, back on Monday.

I try to eliminate my weaknesses, but I do strive to be open and accessible to others.

Heavy Evy said...

Had to squueze this in with my warm up before a ball game last night. Did sprints, box jumps on bench.

Did a max effort on Du's during my warmup a few weeks ago and got 120, old pr was 64, obviously not the same as todays training but thought I'd post it. Couldn't do consecutive double unders at the last Big Dawg challenge so very happy that I've eliminated that goat, now on to the many other ones.

Stephen B. said...

had to do this one a day late:

A. runs felt good

B1. 90# x 3...all unbroken (used a 2 pood kb, iron plates and duct tape to make a 2.5 pood)...felt strong

B2.24"/27"/27"...all unbroken...focused on speed of movement and a quick return from floor

C. 155 (high number)...PR is 181...was shooting for 200+ and felt strong at 150 so I was pretty choked to miss 5 DUs later...will try for 200 again in tomorrows warm-up. lol

Unknown said...

A. like short sprints
B1. 90,55,55*
B2. 24"x3**
C.54/44/70/18/67/65/73***

*90lbs was hard on the lower back so did 10 one handed 55lbs per hand
**still have trouble hitting ground and exploding
***63 was pr and really want to hit 100, so tried a couple extra

über Bania said...

Night time, so I did 1000 Jump Rope for time. 6:06. no 30m accelerations for me (base rules say headlamp and reflective belt, and the roads here suck).

B1. 70lbs x20x3
B2. 40" x15x3, unbroken

C.
1 - 190 in 2:10. 5min rest
2 - 210 in 2:06 (new PR), 10min rest
3 - 10 (oops)
4 - 2 (sh**)
5 - 206 in 2:00 (&$^%*#!&)

Still counted #3 and #4 attempts as real attempts. It was late, I was tired, and two new bests over my old PR works for me.

Robert said...

A. finally a distance I can handle, run felt good
B1. 2 pd UB
B2. 24" (15,10,8, focus)
C. 8,21,29,25,25

Feeling tired in the leg department.