Sunday Story…You Can Always

Do more than you think you can. Can you really? How does that work anyway?

Your mind is the limiting factor in anything. How does an ordinary person in a stressful situation act with superhuman strength? The mind would say no, there is no way I can do that and logically it would be right. If I look at your body I might say your mind is right. Yet we are regaled time after time with stories of amazing feats of human achievement.

Your mind is a powerful tool, yet it will force you to stop before you are really done. This is a self-protection device. Your mind is in charge of making sure your body can rise again tomorrow. It won’t let you go over the edge if it can stop you.

Yet I see often people going further than their mind would tell them they can. What is this device? What is it that has me override the brake telling me to stop and continue on?

Will. My will can override my mind. I can will 1 more rep, pick myself up 1 more time, do what my mind said was impossible.

The cultivation of will is a practice. The stronger your will the more your mind becomes the tool of the will. I can impose my will on myself.

Will yourself to do more than you think you can.

John Mariotti
www.crossfitodyssey.com
www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com
775-338-2412

Sunday Story…Fit and Healthy

Not all fit people are healthy. Not all healthy people are fit. It is a dichotomy of our modern lives.

It used to be that if you were healthy you would be relatively fit. You worked outside, carried, lifted, and engaged in physical activity. There wasn’t much choice. If you wanted to survive you had to be fit. On the flip side, if you weren’t fit you probably weren’t very healthy either…sickly, predisposed to ailments and generally in poor humor.

The goal is to find the perfect (for you) blend of those 2 things. What does healthy AND fit look like to you? 6-pack abs? Doable. Run a marathon? OK. Coach your kid’s soccer team? Done. Learning new skills or languages? Nice. Having fulfilling social interactions? Wonderful.

I define fitness in a broad, general and inclusive way…increased work capacity over broad time and modal domains. To put it more simply…the ability for my body to do what I want, when I want and however fast I want. This doesn’t mean I am unrealistic; I do have some limiting factors that are out of my control.

I define health in a similar way…health is the state of physical, mental and social well being. It is not just the absence of sickness or injury. I need to not just be healthy in my body but in my mind and in my relationships as well.

Now how are you going to get fit and healthy? That is the million dollar question, isn’t it? Maybe we can help…

John Mariotti
www.crossfitodyssey.com
www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com
775-338-2412

Sunday Story…You and

Your Health.

You notice that this title starts with You. Your health is up to you. You can’t take it for granted. You can’t just go along fat dumb and happy and expect to enjoy stellar movement, strength, and fitness without taking things into your own hands.

Your doctor is great when you are sick, have a broken part or need to be put back together. But your doctor has neither the time nor energy to assist your pursuit of optimum health. In general, they are too busy and too overwhelmed with sick people to help healthy people. So in a world full of conflicting opinions, differing metric markers and internet charlatans what do you do?

First, eat real food. Eat quantities that fuel your performance, not your fat storage. Avoid chemical sh** storms, artificial whatsis, and added sugars. Eat lots of protein and green stuff.

Second, move it or lose it. If you don’t move you will lose the ability to move. Anything will work but some things work better than others. Pick up heavy stuff and move it…your bones will thank you. More really fast sometimes, rest a bit and repeat, again and again.

Third, be your own best arbiter of health. No one number can determine if you are skinny or fat. You decide if you like the way your clothes fit. You decide if the person looking back at you in the mirror is everything you want them to be. You and only you get to make that call.

Need help? Call us!

John Mariotti
www.crossfitodyssey.com
www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com
775-338-2412

Sunday Story…It’s Magic!

Or not. There is a hilarious YouTube video about why you can’t use a cell phone on an airplane. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYAq-7sOzXQ.

There are lots of things that appear magic to us…weight loss, fitness, rocketry, bread making, electricity…but they really aren’t magic at all. Just because you don’t understand it doesn’t make it magic.

I don’t understand electricity but I love the fact that the lights come on when I hit the switch. Just because I can’t explain the science behind flight doesn’t mean I won’t get on an airplane. And you don’t have to know all the ins and outs of fitness to know you are more fit than before.

You don’t have to make up some story about why it works but if you need to you can. You don’t have to cower and run when the lights come on, a plane takes off or you hit a snatch PR. You just have to take it on face value that it is working and your understanding of the thing has nothing to do with the efficacy.

Sometimes magic works.

John Mariotti
www.crossfitodyssey.com
www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com
775-338-2412