The Tipping Point

The tipping point is defined in many ways. Some say it is the point at which an object is dispaced from a stable equilibrium into a new different state. Think of leaning back on a chair. Someone comes and barely pushes it just a millimeter farther, or you lean back just a little too far and your body jolts forward as you try to avoid crashing to the floor. Malcolm Gladwell wrote the book "The Tipping Point." In it he discusses how ideas dont just blossom instantaneously. Epidemics dont just cover the world overnight. They start small, and gradually pick up pace exponentially until the idea, the disease, the fear is so strong, so widespread, that it's nearly impossible to turn back.
My tipping point sits in the gym staring back at me. I personally have not pushed myself past it. The tipping point is where your body is begging you to stop, tortured in agony, screaming in pain...and your mind tells the body to push on through, rep after rep until the last rep is completed. Instead, I cower at the least bit of discomfort. I tell myself its 'ok' to rest for a second. It's ok to BE second. Mentally I am weak. Emotionally I strive to be stronger. I video most of my workouts. I look back on these workouts to plan different strategies, coach myself on form, and find out what I suck at. Example number one: Sectional WOD I, the Airforce WOD. During the WOD I felt as if I were crushing it. My body was uncomfortable but I kept pushing. My lungs burned but I kept going. I ended up finishing in the top 8 for the AFW with a 6:40 something score. Looking back at the video I realized I spent more time staring at my bar than I did lifting it. I could probably tell you every nick and scratch in the bar from studying it so hard as my hands rested on my knees. My wife screaming from the stands to pick up the GD Bar had no effect. Precious moments wasted. Seconds can separate a regional qualifier from an athlete going home. Fortunately I finished in the top ten at sectionals and went to Colorado for regionals. It was here that I truly realized how much I fold at the slightest discomfort. WOD III was three rounds of Row 500m, 12 OHS 115# and 50 DU's. I cruised through the first round in under three minutes. The second round was a little more difficult. And during the third round, I actually set the rower down for a second to rest while ten other athletes passed me. I was the last one finished in my heat. I was embarrassed. I watched the highlight video posted below from the 2010 CF Games. I watched how these unbelievable athletes push past their body's limits, something I strive to do. Below the video is a post written by Uli Gulji. It summarizes how an athlete feels after a workout. I always tell my athletes to empty the tank. Never let go of the bar. Dont look at the bar, just pick it up. I need to practice what I preach. I need to pass my tipping point.





For a moment time stops altogether.
The clock, the crowd, the sum of my efforts, everything comes screaming to a halt.
Everything but the pain; that stays, it's journey is nowhere near over.
And as the weights come crashing down around me, their fury echoing like thunder
I realize in this moment I'm alone with a body that's begging for mercy....
Sweat rolling in waves,my heart thumping with a racing cadence
all around me the sounds are muted by locomotive exhaust that is my own breath,
my lungs searing, desparate for sweet relief, grateful for a momentary respite.
I want to give my body the break it demands, but right now I can't,
because a battle continues to rage in my mind
and in that moment frozen in time, I wonder if I've pushed it past the red line.
One more. Just one more. Deep from within, was there one more left?
Then, as fast as it came, the moment was gone
And I was left.

Baywatch

I never cease to give my wife ammo. Most of the time I cant stay out of my own way. This past weekend, we went to Grant and Melissa Wistrom's house for a BBQ and swimming. I was on the edge of the pool enjoying my steak when all of a sudden Melissa says, "Is Jalah ok?!" I turned around to see Jalah's head appear and then disappear below the surface. Jalah can't swim, nor does she have her water wings on. I sprang to my feet and made my first mistake...I took my shirt off to jump in the pool after my drowning daughter. It felt like an hour of me doggy paddling to her. When I got to the scene, Melissa had Jalah out of the water, dried off, eating a sandwich. Then the cackles started. "Why did you have to take your shirt off?" "Did you test the temperature of the water before you got in?" "Did you make sure you oiled up and flexed for everyone?" So here I am, admitting to everyone, I made a mistake. I should have jumped in, steak and all, shirt on.

Friday night, my little sister Andi moved to Springfield. Shan and I moved our spare bed over there and had a chance to see her apartment. Let me just tell you that my college apartment was a complete dookie hole. Her's looks like a downtown loft with hardwood floors and new appliances. On Saturday Shan took her to Wal mart for the necessities while I took her new beau Alex to Crossfit for what I said would be a 'quick workout.' He DID do great. Never quit. Used the prescribed weight. I approve. Below is a video of Eye Candy Andy and I doing Thursday's Main Page Wod "Johnson." Andy knew Johnson from being stationed at Okinawa. Andy completed 5 rounds and all the deadlifts and I got 5 rounds with four deadlifts. I took this video with my Flip which has the option of taking the complete video and making a condensed version. I used that option not knowing that the shots that the software chose were all shots of me resting. I do have the complete video if anyone questions the scores :-)




Saturday WOD
"Johnson"
AMRAP 20 MIN
9 Deadlifts 245#
8 Muscle Ups
9 Squat Cleans 155#
5 rds + 4 Deadlifts

Sunday Wod
Filthy Fifty
50 Box Jumps
50 KB Swings
50 Jumping Pull ups
50 Double Unders
50 Push Press
50 KTE
50 Walking Lunges
50 Back Extensions
50 Wall Balls
50 Burpees
24:57

Monday Wod
50 Double Unders
35 Bench Press 135#
20 Snatch 155#
35 Bench Press
50 Double Unders
9:57

Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.

Improvise. Adapt. Overcome. These are the words that my father constantly teaches me. Nothing is clear cut, black and white. There are always shades of gray. Things can take a wild turn at a moment's notice and you have to be able to hang on for the ride. Use what's around you. Think outside the box. These pictures of my father show him doing just that. My dad and stepmom built a garage gym a few months ago. They only have enough weights on the barbell to reach 135 pounds. And he only has one 25, one 35 and one 45 lb kettlebell. So when the workouts require farmers walk, my dad strapped plates to the kettlebells using a tow strap and a kitchen towel. And there is how he was able to do farmers walk with 55 lbs in each hand. Then the workout called for heavy deadlift. My dad added everything on the bar he could to make it heavy.

My dad is a former collegiate wrestler. He holds nine varsity letters in three different sports from high school. This month, my dad turns 51. A year into his AARP subscription and my dad has never felt better. His cholesterol is down. His weight is down. His body fat is down. His soda consumption is down. The only thing that's not down is the corner's of his mouth. He has drank the Kool-Aid. And what does my stepmom think of his madness? She laughs as she laps him on Fran and flies past him on Murph. She's just as crazy as he is.

Friday WOD

In 5 min:

Row 400 m

As many deadlifts 275# as you can

Rest 2 min

In 7 min:

Run 800 m

As many ring dips as you can

Rest 2 min

In 9 min:

120 double unders

As many power snatches 135# as you can

My score: 40-56-32 for a total of 128

Monday WOD

Ten min timelimit using 95#:

Row 1000 m

50 push press

35 OH squats

20 hang snatches

9:56

Tuesday WOD

20 Backsquat 115#

20 parallet pushups

20 backsquat 115#

20 situps

20 parallet pushups

20 backsquat

20 pullups

20 situps

20 parallet pushups

20 backsquats 115#

20 pushpress 115#

20 pullups

20 situps

20 parallet pushups

20 backsquat 115#

20 SDHP 115#

20 pushpress 115#

20 pullups

20 situps

20 parallet pushups

20 backsquats 115#

24:36