December 2013 - Page 2 of 3

353 – “No WOD”

Dec 192013

Walling some balls. Er, balling some walls? Wallballing?

One ritual for every CrossFitter is checking their box’s website or Facebook page each evening to see what the WOD will be the next day. This becomes especially important if you’re training for other sports, as you don’t want to do, say, Karen (150 wall-balls, for time) the day before a race.

It’s not very often that there isn’t a WOD, but it does happen. Usually that means a skill day, or a strength day, or a day to PR a chosen lift. Or a natural disaster.

Today’s “no WOD” was a skill day, athlete’s choice. I was excited for it, since my skills on a few of the core CrossFit exercises are pretty crummy. I want to learn double-unders most of all, so I was pretty jazzed to go in there and have a session just to work on them.

My buddy Kelly led the “warm-up.” Except that it wasn’t a warm up, so much as a mini-WOD. It consisted of stations for shuttle runs, box jumps, kettlebell swings and burpees, and we did two rounds. I initially lined up with Melissa, one of the coaches and co-owners, and my competitive streak had me blasting through the shuttle runs like my life depended on it. She caught up with me, then left me behind as we progressed to the rest of the exercises, as I blew up and she just chugged away, seemingly unphased.

I went hard enough on the warm up that I was a little tired when it came time for the skill work. Oops. I practiced double unders and did some pull-up supplement work, but found that I was wearing myself out just doing that. Then came the auxiliary work.

No WOD, right? HA!

We did wall-balls, 10 shots, every minute, on the minute (EMOM). Bearing in mind how I keep blowing myself up by forgetting the effects of volume, I selected a 14 pound wall ball. But after a few rounds, Kelly decided he’d had enough of that sandbagging, and switched me to a 20 pounder. It was rough, but it was fun, and I finished my reps between Katie and Melissa, grinning through dripping sweat.

So much for no WOD, eh?

352 – Other Accumulation

Training Philosophy No Responses »

Dec 182013

That is a lot of racing.

What a year 2013 has been. I’ve checked a lot of boxes this year, for times and distances and weights. I got under my time goals for my 5k and half marathon, completed 6 hour races on both my road bike and my mountain bike, hit my PR goals for overhead press and deadlift, completed a road century and a dirt metric century, and dropped my bodyweight to the lowest it’s been since 2005. I raced and competed in a half dozen different disciplines, including some that were new for me this season, and have recently jumped into two new sports.

In the grind of an individual race, in the singular focus of 100% effort, it’s easy to lose sight of the big picture. For me as a racer, I can get so tunneled in on how a certain race went, or even how a certain portion went, that I forget how far I’ve come, and all I’ve accomplished so far. I’m a competitor. I always want to get better, and so I spend most of my time working on the areas that I need to improve. But it’s important to have perspective as well, and that’s why I hold on to all this stuff.

All the bibs and medals I accumulate through the year might not mean much for a lot of racers. Many of them will toss this stuff as soon as the race is over, unless it’s something really special. But I keep every one. I like to be able to look at them and remember each event, the trials they represented, the training that led up to them, and the triumph of bringing them to the finish. Sure, bibs only mean participation, and most of my medals are just for finishing, although there are a few podiums in there.

But it’s more than a pile of cheap ribbon, wrinkled paper and imitation metals, to me. It’s the physical representation of the thousands of miles of training. The gallons of sweat. The searing legs and heaving chest. The stinging trickle of blood. The hope, the despair, the rage, the pain, and the euphoria. It isn’t just the things I’ve done, it’s what those things have done to me, and for me. The bright flash of memories so vivid that I can still taste the salt and hear my heart pounding in my ears. It is the exhibit of what I’ve worked to become. It is the detritus of my newfound identity.

All of this will hang on the wall with the relics of other seasons past. I’ll pass by it most days without pause, but it will never fail to serve as a reminder of what I’ve done, and a catalyst to go out, work hard, and get more.

351 – An Appropriate Brew

Food No Responses »

Dec 172013

This might just be the IPA that gets me to like IPAs.

Given how this winter has started, it would seem that New Belgium has picked an appropriate name for this year’s winter seasonal.

I don’t prefer IPAs, as a general rule. I like all beers to some extent, but the smack-you-in-the-face bitterness of most craft IPAs has never really appealed to me. But lately, I’ve had the pleasure of sampling several labels that take a step back from the ledge of ultra-bitter, and instead focus on the dimension and flavor that the right amount of hops — rather than the maximum — can lend to a beer. Accumulation is one great example, a White IPA that I found crisp and refreshing. White IPAs blend the strengths of a Belgian Witbier with the hop profile of an IPA, adding equal measures of bitterness and tartness.

The result is delicious, and endlessly drinkable. As a winter seasonal, Accumulation is a departure from the accepted norm of heavy stouts, porters, and other beers you can’t see through. New Belgium chose to buck the trend of heavy beers for the cold season, and I think it was a winning decision.

350 – Clean & Jerk

CrossFit, Weightlifting 3 Responses »

Dec 162013

They told me to explode up through the bar, so… Boom.

I got to start working on a new movement at CrossFit today. And not just any movement, but the king-daddy of all lifting movements, the Clean & Jerk. It’s the burliest thing you can do in the weight room, moving big weight from the floor, to over your head, with all the explosive grace of a ballerina shot out of a cannon. It is the movement you think of when you think of an Olympic weightlifter, and I’ve wanted to learn it for years.

The clean and jerk is not something you teach yourself. There are so many elements to doing it right, and such dire consequences for doing it wrong, that I would advise anyone wanting to learn it to seek out professional coaching. If you dork up a deadlift, you might throw out your back. If you mess up on a heavy clean and jerk, you might just kill yourself.

Now, that last bit won’t be a worry for me for quite a while. I have a long way to go before I’m putting up enough weight to be truly dangerous, but that’s fine. For now, I’m working on the push-jerk, rather than the more dramatic (and arguably more effective) split jerk, until I master the elements of the more basic form. I have a long way to go until it starts to look and feel right, and I have to have that before I can start adding much weight, but I’m excited to finally be learning it!

349 – Eyes Up

CrossFit, Cycling, Life in General, Mountain Biking, Running, Training Philosophy, Weightlifting No Responses »

Dec 152013

If you’re looking at the trail in front of your tire, it will only slow you down. All the rocks and roots and hazards will overwhelm your vision and exaggerate your sense of speed. Keep your eyes up, and feel your lines and flow get smoother, and your speed and confidence rise.

If you’re looking at the ground in the weight room, your shoulders will follow and your form will collapse. You’ll be working just to stay upright and balanced, and the weight will seem impossibly heavy. Keep your eyes up, and the weight will stay centered, allowing you to use all of your strength for power.

If you’re climbing a hill, looking at the ground only makes your misery seem indefinite. You end up inside your head, inside the pain, enduring instead of attacking. Keep your eyes up, and pull the summit back to you with your mind, and you’ll be surprised at how quickly you get there.

When life gets difficult; when you’re struggling, distracted and stressed by the problems lying all around you, it’s hard not to get discouraged and look down, defeated. The details and petty periphery of day to day life can infiltrate and demoralize even the most motivated people. But keep your eyes up. Focus on your goals and your progress, and keep working, keep grinding, keep fighting. The only way to fail is to look down, get discouraged and quit. You’re better than that.

Eyes up, and go get what’s yours.

348 – Expectation Management

Food No Responses »

Dec 142013

There’s a new submarine sandwich place in town, perched on a prime corner lot by Wright State. DiBella’s is a small, regional chain sandwich shop based out of New York. And as you can see, they have a rather high opinion of their product.

Ever since Subway decided to become the WalMart of sandwiches, there has been a bit of a void in my culinary life. Quizno’s is okay, but a little bit heavy, and disappointingly inconsistent. There are a few local sub sandwich places that are excellent, but I seldom find myself near one. The new DiBella’s location is along a route I travel with some frequency, so I stopped in the other day to try them out.

I was back the next day. And the next day. I’ve eaten lunch from DiBella’s more times in the past couple weeks than I really care to disclose.

It’s good. It’s really, really good. They have a fun and friendly staff, sure, and the décor is pleasing enough, but the sandwiches are delicious enough to stand on their own. DiBella’s is short on gimmick and heavy on quality and flavor, and their staff actually pays attention to what they’re doing, which is a nice change (I’m looking at you, Subway).

But there’s a problem. You can see it just over the sandwich in the picture. DiBella’s decided to use a rather lofty slogan, and in doing so, set the bar impossibly high. As most men, I consider myself something of a connoisseur of big, sloppy sub sandwiches. I’ve had a lot of them from a lot of places, big and small, and there have been a handful that changed my life. The Super Italian from Submarine House comes to mind.

So when I read a slogan like that on the wrapper, my expectations are high. Felix Baumgartner high. And while the sandwiches I have sampled from DiBella’s (the Godfather, the Italian, the Tuna and the Old Fashioned, so far) have been totally acceptable, they haven’t blown me away. At least, they haven’t risen to the level set by their catchphrase.

Hey, maybe it doesn’t matter. I’ll certainly be back, and I’m happy to recommend them if you’re looking for a great sub. But I can’t help but feel a little let down, after getting my hopes so high, based on their marketing. Perhaps a wiser choice of slogans would let their sandwiches do the talking.

347 – Welcome, New Belgium!

Food No Responses »

Dec 132013

*Angels singing*

One of my favorite craft breweries has finally started distributing to Ohio! I fell in love with New Belgium a few years ago, during a trip to Texas. Their Fat Tire and 1554 labels have been on my top-10 every day beers list since, but I’ve only been able to sample them when out of town! A friend and I would actually take turns importing cases of the stuff ourselves, whenever we ran across it on our travels.

But no more! New Belgium announced their expansion into the Ohio market earlier this year, and it came to fruition yesterday, courtesy of a bicycle-powered debut. I wasn’t able to attend, unfortunately, but I was still happy to see a delightful variety of their brews hitting local store shelves in short order. I picked up this assortment of Fort Collins’ finest from Dorothy Lane Market, and was especially excited about the two limited-run, collaborative brews. Both the Paardebloem (made with peach juice and dandelion greens!) and Heavenly Feijoa (brewed with feijoa and hibiscus) were delicious, complicated beers with unique flavor profiles. Not every day drinkers, but certainly fascinating to try.

346 – Toe Koozies

Cycling No Responses »

Dec 122013

Like beer koozies, but for your feets.

Once upon a chilly Thanksgiving morning in Virginia Beach, I managed to squeeze in a pedal. It wasn’t much, but as they all are, it was better than no ride at all. My brother-in-law loaned me a pair of toe covers for the ride (very clutch), and I was suitably impressed. Despite temps in the 30s, my feet stayed warm through almost the whole ride.

I had been skeptical of their benefits before, but I was sold after actually using them. So it was off to Amazon to pick up a pair of these from Pearl Izumi. They’re the same series as the scuba pants I bought on the way to VB, so I expect that they’ll be just as effective. But I have to confess, as of yet, I haven’t worked up the motivation to get out in the cold and try them!

345 – Kicking and Breathing

Swimming No Responses »

Dec 112013

The water and I are fighting. I don’t know who’s winning.

The swimming lessons continue. I’m getting more comfortable in the water, but only by small margins. Our instructor has me working on a few different drills now, including treading water and more work with the kick board.

My major holdup right now is breathing. That’s sort of a big deal in the water, and suffice to say I’m not doing it right. It’s a matter of timing, really. And turning my head far enough. And keeping my legs going. And rotating my shoulders. And not running out of momentum. And making sure I’m exhaling again as soon as my face is in the water. Yeah I’m really bad at this.

Right before our class starts, there are two classes full of little kids. I sit on the bench beside the pool, mouth agape, and watch them as they effortlessly play with the water, breathe as much as they want, and wiggle their way from end to end and back again. It seems instinctive for them. I’m sure that they were taught, but when they were taught, it clicked.

It’s not really clicking with me yet, but it’s not the end of the world. Things like this always take a long time to click with me, but I’m determined enough to keep trying them until they do. I have a few lessons left in this class, and if it hasn’t clicked by then, I’ll just sign up for another one.

344 – Romp

Life in General No Responses »

Dec 102013

I’m not the only athlete in the house getting in some winter training. Max seems to come (even more) alive when the weather starts to get cool. By the time it’s cold enough for snow, he’s almost giddy with excitement. He had a great romp at a local park this morning, including getting very close to catching a squirrel! One day, Max. One day.

343 – Hot Gloves

Cycling No Responses »

Dec 092013

This picture was taken in a dark room.

I’ve been in need of a pair of cool-weather road gloves for awhile. When I was at Performance to get my new thermal tights, I spied these on the glove rack and thought they might be just the ticket.

The good: the overall fit is excellent, the grippy overlays on the fingers and thumb are a nice touch, they have good dexterity, and I can use my phone without taking them off. The snot wipe on the thumb (a must!) is big and soft.

The not so good: they’re from the same series as the tights, but aren’t nearly as warm. I’d say they’re only good down to about the mid-30s. PI seems to have lost their usual attention to detail with the thumbs, which are awkwardly square at the tips. And I’m not a huge fan of the color, but that’s mostly down to me being impatient, and just buying what was on the rack, instead of ordering some.

I’ve used them on a few rides (and to shovel snow a couple times), and have found them comfortable and effective at blocking wind. They could stand to have a touch more insulation against colder temperatures, but they beat the heck out of my leather MTB gloves, for chilly road rides!

342 – Awards

Life in General No Responses »

Dec 082013

The best Airman, NCO and CGO in the state. That we didn’t win is irrelevant.

This morning, we drove to Columbus, for the Ohio Air National Guard’s Outstanding Airman of the Year lunch. I was my base’s nominee for NCO of the year, which is itself an enormous honor. Before the lunch was a social hour, during which we stood around and schmoozed with Command Chiefs and Generals from State Headquarters, and I nervously sucked down hotel coffee.

Why I was nervous, I can’t really explain. It’s unlike me to be nervous in these types of situations, but then I’m not usually the one in the spotlight, either.

She loves me anyway.

They did a nice job of building the drama for each category, having each nominee stand while a brief bio was read, and displaying pictures of us on two big projector screens. They started from the top down, so my category was next to last. I stood when my name was called… and sat back down when the winner was announced.

I hate losing. A lot. I really hate losing when you make it all the way to the finals. Still, it was nice to be recognized by my command staff, and brought forward as the best they have to present among all their NCOs. And I did walk away with coins from the State Command Chief (CMSgt Phillips) and the ATAG (Maj Gen Bartman), so I didn’t leave empty handed.

This year will be a tough one to follow.

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