The Road to the Games…Day 4

The second day of competition is finished.

Today was only 2 workouts…18 or 19 minutes in total… a longer one and and a very short one.

I was very pleased with my performance today. The second workout used an implement I had never seen before…a 70# medicine ball picked up and tossed over the shoulder. But not a hard ball, it was sort of squishy and when it hit the ground is plopped and went sort of flat. It was an interesting thing to do 45 times or so. And then with everyone’s favorite..burpees!

I still haven’t looked at the leaderboard. So I can’t tell you where I am with any exactitude. I am executing my game plan in every workout. I feel joy as we take the field. The sun is shining the breeze is fresh. The competitors are a fun group who really enjoy the process of finding comrades their own age to workout with and compete with…no matter the outcome. This has been a truly delightful and amazing experience that I will distill into much longer memories and stories. Oh, but make no mistake, everyone wants to do well and is trying to get on that podium.

I have been told I am #6 at this point. That is very satisfying but not really the point. The point is to go out and give 100% every time…in other words to walk off the field knowing I did everything I could do in that moment and left nothing back to regret.

Which leaves us with this:
Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.
Mahatma Gandhi

And now to bed.

Namaste

John Mariotti
www.crossfit-odyssey.com
www.martialartsnevada.com
www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com
Follow me on Facebook

The Road to the Games Day 3

The first day of competition is done and in the books. 3 workouts. 3 different energy systems and 3 different tests. Honestly, and this is a big departure for me, I have not looked at my results in relation to the rest of the field. Normally I would be obsessing over my position and what it is going to take to move up the leaderboard. Today, I only care about putting my absolute best on the field.

That being said…I finished the first event with a 50# personal best. I won the second event by a large margin. The 3rd and 4th were somewhere in the middle of the pack. I have been told this puts me in a tie for 7th overall but I have not looked. These results are very satisfying. They tell me I belong here, that I am more than good enough to be here.

I am looking forward to tomorrow’s events with anticipation. I am focused and confident.

Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.
Mahatma Gandhi

And now to bed.

Namaste

John Mariotti
www.crossfit-odyssey.com
www.martialartsnevada.com
www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com
Follow me on Facebook

The Road to the Games Day 2

Things are heating up. After landing and getting through the athlete check in yesterday, the rest of the day was spent relaxing and some light movement. I swam a bit and ran a bit. I ate.

The folks at Reebok have really out done themselves. Name and number on all the gear, the right sizes and the new shoes….the shoes! Athlete check-in was smooth and effortless, the people (volunteers?) were happy and helpful and made it easy from start to finish. They handled a lot of people and made it seem like they were all there just for you. I ran into a number of guys I have competing against in the virtual world. I have seen their results, in some cases I have seen their pictures. To a man they are gracious and welcoming. The field is shaping up to have some interesting results.

Today we had our first briefing. This is where we are told about what to expect over the next few days and more specifically, how the events are going to go tomorrow. Probably the most impressive thing is the amount of equipment and organization an event like this requires. There are tons of (literally tons) of weights, bars, and equipment. The number of people putting in hours of work to make this happen is huge.

Bottom line?
These events will test the fitness of every participant. They will test pure strength and power (dead lift), balance and coordination (hand stand walks), speed and power (sled pull), strength and cardio respiratory endurance (running and rope climbing). They will test time domains…a dead lift every 30 seconds, 2 minutes of walks and pulls, and an open workout with a 16 minute time cap. All of the energy systems will be tried and taxed. There are sprints and strategies, and one pure lift. And this is just day 1! This is truly what CrossFit is about, movements that will test all the facets of fitness…coordination, agility, speed, strength, power, cardio respiratory endurance, stamina, balance and flexibility.

Coach CJ Martin is here and we are ready to roll!

Let the Games begin!

Namaste
John Mariotti
www.crossfit-odyssey.com
www.martialartsnevada.com
www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com
Follow me on Facebook!

Sunday Story…The Road to the Games Day 1

Dallas-Fort Worth Airport

It’s real now. The plane leaves shortly. Next stop is Los Angeles and the Manhattan Beach Marriott to the athlete check-in. The preparation is in the bag, all done. I have done everything I can do to be ready for this week. The time to perform is coming in just a few short days.

I run into a fellow competitor, Cliff Lewis from CrossFit Heath, as we await boarding. As a 4 time games competitor he had some great insights into the experience that looms in front of us. I must admit to some nervousness as the departure time approaches. Up until this point it has been all about the training, the daily grind of looking at today’s work and getting after it. Now is the time to put all those hours of work into action in 3 days.

Self-doubt is one of the things that always hangs over any of as we get ready to do anything important. Obviously our day to day tasks should not cause trepidation, but the big things in life? The marriage proposals, the big speeches, the really big decisions? Those things have us self-talking and often talking in the wrong ways to ourselves.

You are ready for the moment in front of you. You are the right person, doing the right thing, at the right time. There is no one else but you who can do what you can do. Only you are ready to do this exact thing. Everything you have done before this moment has led you to this exact moment in time. It is incumbent upon you to set aside all other thoughts, all doubt cast aside for the only thing in front of you. In my case there is the work out ahead, nothing else. No room for anything other than that.

The ability to cease debilitating self-talk is crucial to your success. Before you start, in the middle of performance, and post-performance you must be able to talk to yourself in ways that are uplifting and positive. It is ok to be objectively critical. It is not ok to be judgmental and destructive to yourself. Improvement will happen through careful objective analysis not by beating yourself up.

What you say to yourself is more important than what others say to you. You are your worst critic. You are also your biggest cheerleader. So who do you want to be talking to you? The critic or the cheerleader?

Namaste

John Mariotti
www.crossfit-odyssey.com
www.martialartsnevada.com
www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com
Follow me on facebook!

Sunday Story…Gratitude

One week from today I will arrive in Los Angeles to participate in the 2014 CrossFit games as a Masters competitor. This would not have been possible without a lot of people who make up a community of support.
I would like to thank each and every one of them as much as I possibly can. I am sure I will forget someone in this piece but I have not really forgotten you or your assistance in this quest. Your words, actions, and thoughts have impacted me in so many ways and I will never be able to express adequately my gratitude to you.

I am going to start with my mother, DeLores Mariotti. She has always supported me in all of my ventures, business, athletic and others. She has helped mold me into man I am today. She has supported me financially over the last few years as well. She has seen the vision and gets it. Or at least she trusts me that I get it. Thanks Mom!


My business partner (the best I could have hoped for), Ellie Mckenzie, has supported me and believed in my vision and dreams for years. She helped convince me to come to Texas and start brand new. She has allowed me to train and put up with my moods (especially bad when I don’t eat enough carbs) and helped me stay on track and keep my eyes on the prize. Thank you from the bottom of my heart Ellie. You are the best and you have helped me to discover these people:

The Odyssey community. I could name each and every one of you but there isn’t enough room in this blog to do that. I am blown away by the support this community has given me in the short time I have been here. All of you have me feel like I can take on the world. I feel your love and prayers every day. Thank you.

My daughter Michelle Mariotti who I don’t get to talk to often enough but is always supportive of her Dad’s craziness, including this quest to be the fittest man of his age. She has gotten over her embarrassment to some degree! Thanks Shell.

My Coach, CJ Martin and all his people at Invictus. He took me on a year ago and has never wavered (at least to me) in his belief that we could get to the games. His programming has created huge gains across all my modalities. Thanks CJ and see you in a week Coach.

My Olympic weight lifting Coach, Dutch Lowy at Black Box Strength and Conditioning. Ellie and I have felt so welcomed and at home in his gym even though we are crazy crossfitters! He has been patient and firm, and yes entertaining. Thanks Dutch and kill it at Nationals next week!

Drs. Landon Webster, Nick Speegle, and Clayton Hall at Webster Chiropractic and Rehab. Without these guys I would be a cripple. They have seen me through some very trying chronic use injuries and have been treating me weekly. They are the best and if you are in Dallas you should be on their doorstep! Thanks Docs!

The Dallas CrossFit community has been nothing but supportive and helpful. Loaning me equipment and space and hints and tips all along the way, you have been great friends.

And my Reno roots…Alena Yancey, Jason Swanson, and Adam at Battle Born CrossFit, the crew at CrossFit Initiative, Coach Jim Fitzsimmons at the University of Nevada, Reno who helped start this crazy path and all of the great people there as well. My first Olympic weightlifting coach, Drew Canavero, who in his garage, taught me to truly love and hate the snatch. He is out there killing it with SF Fire of the NPGL, so happy for you buddy!

I am sure I have forgotten so many more names. I apologize. You are not forgotten, your contribution as been vital to this journey.

Starting on Tuesday July 22nd the competition will be on live stream at www.crossfit.games.com . You can see me and all the competitors get after this crazy thing we all do. There will be some amazing performances, mine included.

Thanks to all of you for your support and help over these last few years…knowing you are out there is inspiring.

Namaste

John Mariotti
www.crossfit-odyssey.com
www.martialartsnevada.com
www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com
Follow me on FaceBook

Sunday Story…Training

I often get asked how my training for the games is going. Or am I ready? Or how much do I do on a daily basis? Here is a little synopsis for those of who really want to know…
I train at least 5 out of 7 days, usually 6 of 7 with one of those days dedicated to just Olympic weight training and at least one of those days is a double work out day. We don’t recognize holidays usually so the schedule holds out over anything and everything else.

This means that unless I am near death or something similar the workout gets done. This is probably the biggest difference between where I am now and where I was 18 months ago. Nothing interferes with the regimen. Nothing. I work through and around injuries, I work if I’m tired and I work even when I don’t want to. I don’t quit because I want to I stop when I am finished.

There are parts of the workouts I loathe. There are days when I don’t want to pick up the barbell or strap on my running shoes. It doesn’t matter I do it anyway. Sometimes the workout is short…only 30 or so minutes and sometime it is long…2 hours or so. And that is the working time, not warm up or cool down time.

There is no overriding theme at this point. We still work on skills, strength and conditioning. In other words there will be part of the training that is not timed, it consists of mobility and stability practice, and skill work to understand and improve the movements. Another part will be moving weight in different ways. I am still getting stronger (I set a personal record last week in the front squat). And there will be the conditioning part that is timed and done for speed and efficiency. CrossFit, the sport, requires the athlete to be good in all areas of athleticism…speed, strength, balance, agility, coordination, cardio-respiratory endurance, power, flexibility, accuracy and stamina. You can’t be bad at anything. On the other hand you don’t have to be great at any one thing either. Obviously it will help to be really good at all things!

As we near the games, the training volume will taper a bit to give the body a rest to recover and build a pressure to perform. As an example…my workout on Friday was just 40 minutes but Saturday was just under 2 hours…today I rested, tomorrow I work about an hour and Tuesday will be a double. Yesterday included tons of strength work some of it done quickly to condition the body and mind to work heavy under pressure and then a grinder of 3 different movements including 2 bodyweight gym-nasty sorts of things (100 ring dips and 50 chest to bar pull ups).

Yes there is a method to this madness. My coach watches my results and programs according to what he sees as weaknesses and “holes” in the game. I am fortunate to have someone else do these programming tasks. It would be too easy to gloss over my low points and just work the “fun” stuff.

For now we are 14 days away from go time. More announcements will follow as well as some much needed and public Thank you shout outs.

Namaste

John Mariotti
www.crossfit-odyssey.com
www.martialartsnevada.com
www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com