Forge Philosophy 1-16-08

January 16, 2008 by jeff.

The thrill of victory…the agony of deadlift.

Yesterday was CFT day and a good number of folks showed up to find out how much strength they’ve gained since starting crossfit. Congrats to everyone who improved, especially my wife, Gina, whose score went from 160 to 285. Unbelievable! That’s about a 75% increase in strength in 12 weeks. Great work!

For me, the CFT started with promise, as I pr’d the backsquat with a 365. My static press was a little too static (no improvement), and my deadlift was, well…dead. Tried for a pr at 365, and then twice at 355 with no luck. For the first time, I scratched a lift. As embarrassing as it is for me to divulge this information, I willingly offer it up as a lesson moment: One must focus throughout the entirety of the WOD. Failure to do so will cause….failure.

This may seem too obvious to bother with, however, it speaks directly to the value of maintaining intensity during the WOD. Watch any crossfit.com video and you’ll find that the star athletes maintain consistent focus from start to finish. Yes, they take breaks and slow down a little towards the end, but they minimize waste - they practice economy of time and motion (haven’t seen one take a drink of water yet…)

Furthermore, to the degree that one covets intensity, one must shun complacency. You may start a WOD with great success, only to blow it near the end due to lack of focus. The barbell is an impartial adversary. It cares not whether you break a record or break your back. WODs can be cruel that way..and who better to conclude this lesson than the cruelest of philosophers, Nietzsche, as he stated:

“Masters of the first rank are recognized by the fact that in matters great and small they know how to find an end perfectly, be it at the end of a melody or a thought; of a tragedy’s fifth act or an act of state. The best of the second rank always get restless toward the end, and do not fall into the sea with such proud and calm balance as do, for example, the mountains of Portofino - where the bay of Genoa finishes its melody.”

Today’s Forge workout was 5 rds of 200m run, 12 overhead squat (95) and 12 pullups. Got it done in 14:53.

….stoking the flames at the forge..

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