DO NOT FEED THE ANIMAL

THE ANIMAL

I know I said I was going to write about Running for this Blog post.......Well, I am writing about running, but that piece isn't finished yet and, well......it's complicated.....to write about running that is - I just need to polish some words so that I don't sound like a perfect idiot - I am an idiot, just not a perfect one.....but I'm working on it. 

The following post is going to drag you in a few directions.  It's going to make you think about yourself in some good ways and some not-so-good ways.  Please trust that I write based on the events that I encounter in my own personal journey through CrossFit and in Life.  Each of these events present their own set of challenges.  Additionally, I write to share with you my attempts of ways to address these challenges so that some good can come of your efforts, whatever they may be.  I'm 46 years awake on this earth, well mostly awake.  I have seen a few things, but I have alot more to see and consequently, more to learn.  I thank God everyday for the time I am given to make this trip, and I refer to life as ......A TRIP.  My intention for writing this has alway been to help those that want to help themselves.  If we don't match in this category then I suggest you look somewhere else for advice.....OR open up that mind of yours and allow some new ideas to enter. 

So how's life for you these days?  Is everything WELL? or is everything FIT?  What about your nutrition?  How are you performing in the gym? In your career?  What's your mental state like? How would you rate your energy levels if 1 is low and 10 is high *at 6am - Noon - 3pm - 7pm?  Are you getting enough sleep?  Are you experiencing less stress as compared to other times in your life?  What about strength gains? How does your knee or shoulder feel? Changes for the better in body composition?  Geezus Johnny WTF is with all the questions!!!?  I promise there is a point.

Take a look at that list again.  Within the questions, you'll find that most every single one of them can be connected to your daily nutritional intake.  Good ingredients, bad ingredients, the right combination, the wrong combination, too much, too little, right time, wrong time, etc...  The list can go on and on and as we all know it can be mind boggling trying to find out what works for us as individuals.  Looking at the list yet again you'll see that there is one item listed that can have a detrimental effect on the types of foods we choose to eat in the form of either good or bad.  The component I'm referring to here is STRESS.  We are presented with an unknown set of challenges on a daily basis.  In many cases the challenges come in waves that eventually build to the point of overload.  It's at this overload phase that we begin to see stress.  For example, if one takes on too many challenges at once, instead of those challenges that are just essential, well it's pretty simple that the individual in this case encounters some form of STRESS.  It's also quite obvious that the outcome of these challenges during the overload phase will typically end up as non-optimal. 

How can we avoid becoming targets of STRESS?  I feel that there is an ever increasing tendency in today's society for one to lose site of goals. I'm not going to break down the goal setting methodology, that's in the Johnny's WOD Archives.  I am however going to exhaust the fact that no matter what your role is in life, you must never forget where you came from.  I'm asking you to define your beginnings as a human being first.  Then I'm asking you to define your beginnings as a CrossFit Athlete.  In both cases, you will more than likely get similar responses.  For instance, What lead you here into this endless whirlpool of all that is varied, functional and intense?  Think back.  Was it your goal to lose weight? Streamline your physique? Look great naked? OR Was your goal to simply get better at life? To gain knowledge and apply it?  To train to excel?  To experience how to overcome objectives and difficult tasks in the physical/mental realm of life?  Wow, that last one was heavy.  Let's expand on it a bit more as it relates to overcoming objectives and difficult tasks - Another way of saying this might be to prolong your life by way of learning how to move better, eat better and improve your overall fitness so that you can enjoy this time on earth - Even more simply put, to live your life to it's fullest extent.  In case you're wondering, that's what CF is about for me.  Sure, I love a PR just like the next athlete, but in the end it's all about the journey.....of life.

But let's go deeper.  Here's where you realize how messed up I am, but you already knew that.  Here goes - There's an imaginary animal that lives on my back - It's constantly messing with me, trying to mock me, fuck with me, calling me names and irritate me.  It fully rears it's head during testing week on the gross strength segment of my training.  During testing week I perform a different 2 rep max each day for the 5 day training week.  Recently I hit 235# on my 2RM Overhead Squat - I made over 100 Kilos for a double!  And that right there contributes to my own personal evolution.  The animal was dead....for that day.  But it keeps coming back alive just like the villain in a cheezy movie....it  just will not die or go away.    I tend to use this as a motivator.  Tweak the plan.  Come back stronger.  Execute better.  Exercise even more patience and do so confidently.  Believe in  myself and eventually starve the ANIMAL.

So here's where we can tie it all together.  Family, Social Well Being, Nutrition, Sleep, Human Performance, LIFE ----These topics will only elicit solid outcomes if  we have the patience to plan the work and work the plan...properly.  If executed improperly? You'll miss a majority of your objectives thereby creating your own custom version of stress.  You'll become desperate and begin to chase bullshit that you end up believing.  In the end, you're feeding the animal.  If you feed the animal, the animal gets stronger - and you must NOT let this happen!  Furthermore, your leader will no longer be a God or a higher spiritual plane.  Your leader will instead be some low brow bullshit ANIMAL that sucks the life out of you by the name of STRESS.

Do NOT Feed the ANIMAL.
Embrace it - Get to know it.  Just don't feed it.
Plan your work - Work your plan - THAT IS ALL.


W.O.W. (Workout Of the Week)
This is gonna be a stinger - I'm hitting it tomorrow after WarmUp & Strength
21-15-9-3 Reps of:
*Deadlift (115/75)
*Snatch Grip Back Rack Thruster (115/75)
*C2B PullUp

Merry Christmas - Happy Holidays - Happy New Year

Stay Strong - PEACE
-Johnny