Living the Dream

I used to have a co-worker who, when asked "how are you" or "how's it going", would tell me: "living the dream Mr. G, living the dream!" I think he really meant it. Although his job was not easy, he was often presented with nearly impossible deadlines, and he had to deal with misfit youth throughout every day he still found joy and pleasure in his job. To him it wasn't a J.O.B. For him, his job was a passion - something he enjoyed doing every day. How do I know this? Because I asked him. I was often jealous that we could work in the same profession yet I was miserable and he was as happy as a hippie. He appreciated every opportunity he was presented with, loved the satisfaction of helping kids no matter how small the contribution, and was almost always positive about his role. Bottom line: he took his passion and turned it into his career.

Thanks to Vic at Bayou City CrossFit I can truly relate to my former co-worker. Working full-time at BCCF has allowed me to pursue a passion of mine and truly enjoy my JOB. I'm pretty sure that if someone asks me "how are you" or "how's it going", I'll probably respond with: "I'm dreaming in my dream it's so good!"

Thanks Vic and BCCF.

cg

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I Hear Voices In My Head!

I can't take credit for this one. It's from CrossFit Watertown and it was exactly what I've been trying to accomplish the past few months. Read it (with passion), think about it, and apply it. Awesomeness.

You know what they’re talking about: The voice in your head that has always been with you, right from the early days. It tells you that you can’t do this, that you’re not strong enough, fast enough, smart enough, skinny enough, pretty enough, or sexy enough. It tells you to stop, to wait, to slow down, to quit.

Kill that f*****.

I mean it. Kill it. Today, in your WOD, stomp that voice. Stomp it good and hard so it never wants to come back. Grind its face into the dirt with your kettlebell and beat the everlovin’ sh** out of it. Go hard, go fast, go heavy. Give everything you have. Give everything you ever had. Do it for yourself, for who you were way back when — back when you were a kid and somebody told you to be a “good girl and play nice” or “let the girls win” or “don’t blow your own horn.” Remember all those well-intentioned (and some not-so-well-intentioned) folks who ever gave you the idea that it was okay to be less than you really are. They were wrong. Most of all, do it for who you want to be — and, maybe, for who you want your kids to be.

When you finish your workout today, don’t just put the barbell down. Throw the barbell down. Throw it down with every last shred of energy you have left and yell “Take that mother******!” (Or “Sweet potatoes” or “Jerks” or whatever the heck you like to say. Swearing is always optional.) But yell something. Be aggressive. Terrify that voice. Kill that voice. Kill it dead and don’t let it come back. You’re better than that voice. Start living like you are.

cg

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It's my "warm fuzzy"

Have you ever watched a movie, listened to a song, or read a story that gave you goosebumps and sent chills up and down your neck? How about one that just made you smile both inside and out? Maybe it gave you a “warm fuzzy.” We all have those moments and I would venture a guess that the majority of us wouldn’t mind increasing the frequency of those “warm fuzzy’s.”

This past weekend at the CrossFit South Central Regionals was full of goosebumps and chills. Watching PR’s in the first event, girls giving everything they had to crank out their very first muscle-up, and seeing un-human performances by some of the most amazing athletes I’ve ever laid eyes on will get that heart pumping every time. Towards the end of the weekend, shortly after we watched our very own Vic Zachary absolutely crush the final WOD to secure his 1st place finish, I looked around and had a long moment of chills and goosebumps. Those of you who were there know it wasn’t because it was cold! Supporters whose sunburned skin matched my red t-shirt. Athletes giving so much they had to be carried off the run course. Judges, volunteers, and organizers who had been in the blazing sun for two solid days. At that point my mind took a break from replaying the WODs, scrutinizing the standings, and worrying about what could have been. At that moment I was proud to be a part of such an amazing community and such a bad ass event.

The best part: As I looked again at the final results today something struck me. At some point this past weekend I personally spoke to each of the top four finishers, both men and women. Although conversations may have been brief, EVERY single one of them was humble, outgoing, and complimentary of the performance of the other athletes. I cannot even begin to imagine what other venue would have that to offer.

I’m proud to be a part of CrossFit.

See you at the games.

cg

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I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit...

Back in high school, we used to call it "track feeling." It was that feeling when you climb into your starting blocks. It sat right in the pit of your stomach. You were out there all by yourself, no one to lean on, no one to bail you out if you got in trouble. I hated that feeling, but loved it all in the same breath. It was that feeling of pressure, excitement, anxiety, and nervousness all wrapped up into one nice, neat little ill-feeling package. My coach used to tell me that if I wasn't nervous, I wasn't prepared. Seriously coach? I'm about to lose my lunch! I used to get that feeling before every race in high school, before every basketball game, before every football game, and even in fall camp when trying to win that starting spot on the roster.

The CrossFit South Central Regional Qualifier is in 4 days. The top 65 men and top 65 Women from Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arizona, and New Mexico will all be gunning for those top 4 2010 CrossFit Games qualifying spots. I've convinced myself that I'm lucky to be a part of those 65 men, that no matter what happens I should be proud of any accomplishments made. But, damn it, I want one of those top 4 spots! My "track feeling" is working overtime this week. As I sit here and type this, that pit in my stomach grows, my hands get a bit shaky, and I have a hard time collecting my thoughts. "Coach, I think I'm ready...I'm so nervous I think I just threw up in my mouth a little..."

Needless to say, I can't wait for this weekend in Fort Worth, TX. I'm going out there with my "track feeling" in tow, ready to win one of those 4 spots....

cg

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Happy Days!

Get Happy. Do whatever it takes. Change jobs, get married, drink beer, get divorced, buy a new car, CrossFit more, go to college, quit college, sing in the shower, get a dog. Do whatever you need to do, but do something to make you happy! Stop sticking with the status quo because you're scared of being happy. Make a change. Make it now. And make it a good one. BE HAPPY.


cg

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Fun, Fun, Fun, 'till Daddy Takes the T-Bird Away...

CrossFit is fun. Right?

In recent weeks I have found myself stressing about my CrossFit workouts, getting uptight when they didn't go as planned, and being downright crabby when I miss a workout. In fact, it was getting to the point that I was stressed pretty much all the time. Now, lets be honest...some of that stress comes from the fact that the Hells Half Acre Regional Qualifier is coming up in 3 weeks! Yet, I still felt like the stress was taking over my preparation for this important contest.

Finally, early this week, in a conversation with a great friend and training compadre, I realized that if I really wanted to succeed at Regionals I had to get back to why I started CrossFit and why success in competition has come my way. I was taking the fun out of my workouts, out of my training, and certainly out of the BCCF community. I spent some time reflecting this week and have made a steadfast decision that CrossFit will become fun again. I will enjoy every workout (even though it might not be until after). I will forget about the pressures of competition. I will recognize why we all do CrossFit in the first place: for FUN!

cg

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Who Moved My Cheese?

I'll be the first to admit, when I saw that the 2010 CrossFit games would not longer be held in Aromas, CA I was disappointed. Ok, I was devastated. For the past year my life has more or less revolved around getting prepared to qualify for the games. My diet changed. My workouts intensified. I put in more hours at the box to improve strength and endurance. All with hopes of qualifying to compete at "The Ranch" in Aromas. See, "The Ranch" is a perfect example of why I fell in love with CrossFit. It exemplifies that homegrown, grassroots movement that makes CrossFit so unique. I never had the chance to compete or even spectate at Aromas, and to be honest, I feel a little bit cheated.

The new venue for the 2010 CrossFit games is the Home Depot Center (HDC) in Carson, CA. This is the same venue that has hosted the summer X-Games and the Warp Tour, just to name a couple. Needless to say, the HDC is no second rate facility. There will be locker rooms, concrete workout surfaces, showers, sky boxes for the fans, and no dusty hill of death to climb or places to pitch your tent or park your RV. For me, that's the problem. In fact, the games has actually lost some of it's appeal to many for those very reasons.

So where does all of this change leave us? Well, as CrossFit grows, becomes more corporate, and loses some of it's grassroots, homegrown feeling we too must change. We can complain, pout, and fuss about that change all we want but our negativity will fall on deaf ears. We will continue to love CrossFit and will learn to grow with it, or be left behind as it prospers and progresses even further. My goal: Compete at the fancy HDC, with or without the dusty hill, campers, or any of the other luxuries "The Ranch" had to offer.

cg

P.S. Read the book if you're curious about the title.

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