Sunday Story…Happy New Year!

It’s that time! Envisioning your next year, clearing out the detritus from the last year (or more!), cleaning up to make room for what’s new and exciting, and generally making merry.

 

Here’s my single recommendation for the new year…Show more gratitude and let yourself experience more gratitude. It’s simple, doesn’t cost a dime, and is the single thing that will improve your state of mind and your overall life experience.

 

Look it’s not hard. Every day make it a point to show or experience gratitude at least 3 times. More would be better but 3 is an easy place to start. You eat 3 meals…do it then. Or when you get up, go to bed, and at noon…again simple to remember.

 

It’s not hard. Here’s an example…as I write this, I am grateful to each one of you who gives up a few moments in your precious human existence to read the words I write every week. Thank You from the bottom of my heart, thank you.  Here’s another…I am so thankful I live in a time and place where it is so easy to have the time, the ability, and the wherewithal to express myself this way. I am truly blessed.

 

The practice of gratitude…both for your self and others is simple and powerful. It will change your attitude and the attitudes of the people around you. If you don’t make any other change this year, make 2023 the year of gratitude. You will be happy you did!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story…Sleep More

 If you, like me, bought into the idea that you can get by on 4 hours of sleep all those years ago, I have bad news. You were wrong. Arnold Schwarzenegger, in a famous quote, exhorted us to “sleep faster”! Most of us (me!) need to sleep more not less. And we need to sleep better (more efficiently and consistently).

 

First and foremost is to have a consistent bedtime. Remember when you were little? Your parents made sure you were in bed by the same time almost every night. Staying up later was the exception, not the rule. And the second thing? A consistent wake time. In bed at 9, up at 4 gives you 7 hours in bed. If you need or want 8 hours…adjust one or both of those times. This simple idea will help you fall asleep faster and arise with less effort. You and I are creatures of habit. We crave the familiar and thrive on ritual.

 

This brings up the next point…have a consistent bedtime ritual. A ritual that excludes stimulating activities as you begin your transition to rest. A ritual that tells your body and your mind it is time to grow and rejuvenate. A ritual that prepares you to let the stresses and trials of your day fade away.

 

More on this next week!

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com 

www.crossfitodyssey.com    

775-3338-2412

Sunday Story…More Food

It’s that time of year…the treats are out, alcohol is in abundance, and holiday meals are on their way. It’s easy to lose sight of your goals, the big picture. Let’s be honest, deprivation is no fun and if you feel deprived you won’t be a lot of joy to be around.

Whatever shall we do? Give up? Go off the deep end and vacuum up all the goodies in sight only to live January in regret and recrimination? I bet some of us have done that a time or two. It doesn’t have to be that way. Nor do you need to hide out for the next two or 3 weeks practicing your hermit impression. What we need is a strategy! We need to negotiate with that part of you that loves all those things and is willing to sabotage the last 11 months of progress.

Here are some strategies to help you navigate the temptations of the season:

Eat before you show up at the party. Choose to eat some healthy and filling food before you go. That way you can limit the amount of food you will eat. And you will be more likely to make a choice to indulge in only the things you really want.

If you are abstaining completely from alcohol, choose to be the designated driver. This way no one is going to push a drink on you (I’m driving is a valid reason not to drink by the way). If you are imbibing have water or a non-alcoholic beverage between your alcoholic drink. And don’t forget to eat!

Most of all…whatever you choose, choose it mindfully and intentionally. Eat and drink slowly enjoying and savoring all the tastes, smells, and energies of the indulgence.

Then get up the next day guilt-free and get back to your plan!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

  

 

Sunday Story…Eat, Sleep, Move

You are a human (I know that’s an assumption, but…). To enjoy life as a human you need to do at least those 3 things. If you want to age well, you need to do those three things well.

 

Eat. Real. Food. Real food doesn’t come with a label and the source is readily available. I still haven’t seen a Dorito tree or an Oreo bush. Eat enough to fuel performance but not so much as to store fat. Eat lots of variety and colors and keep it simple.

 

Sleep. Often. Deeply. This is the easiest place to get the most bang for your buck. Your body and mind need to rest. Sleep is where growth happens. Babies sleep a lot. They also grow a lot. And eat a lot. There might be something to that!

 

Move. Fast. Slow. Often. The point is to move. You were not made to sit on your duff for 8,9, or 10 hours a day. If that was your purpose in being, your body would be constituted much differently, and your metabolism would function much differently. So just move.

 

This isn’t rocket science, boys, and girls. But there also isn’t a magic pill that is going to make everything better. You are going to need to attack this like your life depends upon it.

Because it does.

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…How Old

Is Old? I have heard it said that Old is always 20 years older than you. Now, I don’t know about you but way back when I was a wee child, I remember thinking my parents were Old and my Grandparents were really, really Old. These days my perspective has shifted.

 

I bring this up because lately, I have been seeing several “famous” people I grew up reading about, listening to, and even admiring seem to be passing away. In some cases, my reaction to hearing of their passing is “Wow! I had no idea they were That old.” And in many other cases, the reaction is the opposite, “wow! They were only that old?”

 

We loudly mourn the passing of someone young. The potential is unfulfilled. The lost gifts are never to be shared with the world. The talent is not explored and never matures. Those who leave us after a body of work has been shared often leave us remembering all the gifts skills and talents, we were so lucky to see flourish and grow.

 

Age is a funny thing. You are a certain age, chronologically. You have seen x number of rotations around the sun. Every one of those rotations has the same number of hours in it for every one of us. How you fill your hours has more to do with “age” than the number of years you have survived.

 

It isn’t the number of years in your life…it is the amount of life in your years.

So…how are you filling your years?

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

Sunday Story…Gratitude

Is a skill and a feeling to be cultivated. The very act of feeling and expressing gratitude moves us up the human chain. We just finished celebrating, in this country, Thanksgiving. But the fact is you could celebrate Thanksgiving again today or any day.

I am not talking about the celebration of myth and lore of poor pilgrims and settlers having a feast of a bountiful harvest. That is a celebration of scarcity averted. No, let’s celebrate a couple different things:

The people in our lives who give us the support and love we need to make a difference, and…

The opportunity to build something bigger than ourselves, something worth contributing to. The ability to make connections, lend a hand, invent and create.

There are more of both of those now, more than ever before. For all of us.

I thank you for all you do, and for the difference you make to your family, the people around you, and the world we live in.

Thank you.

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

With much thanks to Seth Godin for this! https://seths.blog/

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Story…E-ride tickets

We often say that youth is wasted on the young. The perspective we gain from every year of life is irreplaceable. Way back in the day when you went to an amusement park you had to have a ticket to get on a ride. Then certain rides took more tickets, or you had to have a special pass to get the privilege of certain classes of rides. Then came the unlimited ride ticket. You can ride anything you want.

When we are young life looks like that…an amusement park with unlimited rides. The problem with unlimited rides is that we lose appreciation and enjoyment of the individual ride. I mean the mad hatter’s teacups versus the Matterhorn? Both are good rides but one is a bit more exciting than the other.

On the other hand, if I had to use a certain number of tickets to ride the ride, I may have a greater appreciation for the ride. And if you have a limited number of tickets, you will be more mindful of how you spend them.

Life is not an unlimited-ride amusement park. You have a limited amount of time, opportunity, money, or other resources. How are you going to spend them? When I was young it felt like I had all the tickets I would ever need. Now, given the fact that I can see the finite number of tickets left, I appreciate the value of every ticket.

What ride are you spending your tickets on today?

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…WWJD

What would John do?

 

Just a quick return to training for a moment. One of the most important shifts has been in mindset. It used to be that I never ever missed a workout or made any changes to doing the work listed…no matter what! I would keep working in the face of almost any obstacle. And if I didn’t or couldn’t, I would be upset and try to make it up if it was at all possible. Now I have given myself permission to miss a workout or adjust the work as I see fit. Now, I have been at this game for quite some time, and I know my body well. If something comes up occasionally and I miss a day, no big deal. I just move on. No guilt, no recriminations just smile and move on.

 

Now as far as supplementation…I believe every adult over the age of 25 should take 2000mg of glucosamine sulfate every day. It works and will help keep your connective tissue healthy. As a bonus, your hair and nails will grow faster. Also 1800 mg of turmeric every day for inflammation. Inflammation is the killer and when we train hard, we are inducing inflammation. Our body’s healthy reaction to inflammation is to create adaptations…build muscle, get stronger, faster, and fitter but as we age, we need help to manage the process. I take a multivitamin and a probiotic as well every day. I do take a healthy sleep supplement that has 1 gram of melatonin in as well as some other things. There are a ton of supplements out there and they may or may not work for you. Most have spurious studies if any at all. So, if you are going to take something try to figure out how you will know it is working. And try to make sure you can measure those results, not be based on feeling alone!

  

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

 Sunday Story…WWJD

What would John do?

Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about what I am doing…training-wise, nutrition, supplementation, and things like that. So, here’s a rundown of the training and nutrition end of things and we’ll cover supplementation next week…

Training…I try to get at least 2 LSD sessions a week and most weeks it is 3. I also try to get these in first thing in the morning before I eat anything (a “fasted” state). This helps with kick-starting my metabolism (think fat burning!) and the rest of my day goes smoother. I also try to get at least one pure strength day. That is a day dedicated to moving weight and doing more “body-building” type work. For example, after back squatting the other day, I did a session of 100 each strict pull-ups, pushups, and dips. I will also take another day with a met-con in it and slow it down, using heavier weights but less speed. And finally, I rest at least 2 but often 3 days a week. Now rest is relative…working outside in my yard all day may not be restful for some but for me it is.

Nutrition…The key remains to get enough protein to support my training. I eat whatever I want, in general. I am fortunate in this regard…I don’t want to eat CRAP (Calorie Rich and Pathetic) food. I enjoy well-made food made from fresh ingredients and prepared with love. My breakfast is the same every morning (cream of buckwheat, nuts raisins, and 3 eggs), but the rest of the day consists of food I enjoy eating. I rarely indulge in alcohol but if I do I keep it to 1 or 2 alcoholic drinks a week.

 

More next week!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.coom

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…Making Meaning

As humans, we are meaning-making machines. We want the events and the occurrences in our lives to have meaning. Yet over the course of our lives what had meaning when I was 25 may have no meaning whatsoever at 50. And at 70 I may not even remember what happened that seemed so important then.

 

We are all writing our autobiographies every day. What we choose to focus on, the things we replay in our minds, and the stuff we worry about are all things that make up our story. These are the chapters of our book.

 

The story I tell myself shapes who I am and who I will be. What I make the things in my life mean has me living my life in particular ways. Some of these stories are deeply ingrained in us. So deep that we often forget the actual happening and are only left with the pattern of behavior and reactions that I do and have. Unfortunately, our lives can be ruled by decisions we made when we were 11 or 17, or 23. Decisions that may no longer serve who you want to be today.

 

It may be time to edit your autobiography. It’s your story, you get to decide what it says about you and your life. If you step back and look objectively are your decisions today being made by the you that has culminated years of wisdom and experience or are they being made by a version of you that no longer exists.

 

Your story is yours. Tell the one you want the rest of us to hear.

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com 

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…Beyond Fitness

What do you want to be able to do when you are 60-70-80-90-100 and beyond? We could set up objective measurements…a bodyweight bench press or a double bodyweight deadlift, for instance. But really, do those even matter other than a way to measure over a larger population. How about the ability to pick up a 5-gallon bucket of water and carry it 50 feet, pick it up to your chest and dump it into a waiting receptacle? Or move a wheelbarrow with 100# of dirt in it? How about getting down on the floor and crawling under the bed to get a lost item?

 

Lifting weights in the gym is great but what is great is what lifting those weights allows you to do with the strength you have. Need to clean your aquarium? Carrying water might be important. Working in your yard? Moving dirt and supplies would be necessary. Cleaning your house may require both mobility and strength.

 

What are you doing right now, today, this week, this month, this year to be able to do those things you may want to do down the road? The time to prepare to do those things is now. If you think it’s hard to do them now imagine how hard they may be in 10 years…IF you continue doing what you are doing now.

 

The best time to plant a tree is 10 years ago. The second-best time is right now. Take care of your fitness now so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor later.

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

Sunday Story…Rest

Not Rust

While at the 2022 CrossFit Games a few short weeks ago I had a conversation with one of my fellow athletes, Will Powell. Will is a year or two younger than I am and a very accomplished athlete among other things. The topic of discussion was retirement. Now understand that we are standing around getting ready to compete surrounded by 30 or 40 of the fittest people on the planet in their respective age groups. Some of them are no longer working for a living, and some are still hard at it. Both Will and I are still hard at it…except we aren’t. We are both doing what we love and not doing it feels like a missing in our lives.

Neither of us wants to stop helping people be more fit, realize their health dreams, and create a world where people move and enjoy life the way nature intended us to. Yet we both see the need to rest. Rest does not mean stopping. It may mean slowing down a bit. It may mean taking a break in order to refresh and rejuvenate. But it does not mean quitting. It is not a decision to put down the gauntlet of transformation and focus. It is not the beginning of the slide into the grave.

 It is a chance to take a breath and enjoy the present moment. It is a moment to savor the accomplishments and a chance to sight in on new goals. It is a time to grow. Taking time to rest is taking time to become more.

 Resting is not rusting.

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

 

 

Sunday Story…Safety, Efficacy, Efficiency

These are the three pillars we start with here at CrossFit Odyssey. If you can’t do it safely, at the desired speed and/or weight you need to stop and re-assess. Better movement pattern? Less weight? Slower? Different exercise? Getting hurt, especially a severe injury is nothing to sneeze at, and the more mature we are the longer and harder it is to recover and get back up to snuff. Now nothing is without risk and the risk of doing nothing may be higher than you realize. Make sure you are doing it right and doing it in a way that will drive the adaptation you desire.

 

Which leads us to efficacy or the power to drive or produce and effect. Doing is right is going to be more efficacious than doing it wrong, yet fast or heavy. What is the adaptation you are trying to drive? Stronger? Faster? Fitter? All the above, I hope. But to get fitter, faster and stronger we need to also be smarter. We know that stronger people are harder to kill but it takes some smarts to get stronger!

 

And lastly, efficiency. Doing the most we can do, moving the largest load the longest distance safely and with efficacy is efficient. I want to drive the most adaptation I can using my time and energy in the most efficient manner. The ways to do this include proper movement pattern and range of motion and the correct application of intensity (load, speed, and time).

 

That is your prescription for long term success and longevity in the gym and in life.

 

As Dr. Spock said…” Live Long and Prosper” or as we say around here…Live Longer Better!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story…Joining LLB

You may remember we ran a couple of cohorts last summer using Log Slow Distance training. Here are a couple of comments from people you may know:

From Mandy Waller:

“Although I was very skeptical at first, LSD training has greatly increased my cardiovascular endurance and efficiency. I am now able to work faster with a lower heart rate over a longer period of time with much quicker recovery.”

And

From Jonathan Dubroc:

“For my entire life, I thought the harder you go the better. Now I realize it’s about the right mix of strength, HIIT, and LSD. LSD improved my fitness and the focus on a targeted heart rate helped me listen to my body while working out!”

 

Look we know this works. Just like we know CrossFit works. Just like we know you will live longer better if you lift weights, keep your cardio fitness up, and hit some short hard workouts. We know you don’t have to kill yourself in the box every day to live longer better and as a matter of fact, killing yourself in the box may be counterproductive to that goal. You’ll still look better naked…and you’ll look better longer!

If you choose to go this route here's the program:

We will assign you a coach who will help you design your week to include 2 straight strength classes (already programmed) combined with either a short met-con or 1 of your 3 LSD sessions and a long met-con. You can use our rower, bike, ski-erg, or treadmill for your LSD sessions, or you can use your own. This is a guided program using our already programmed workouts. The monthly charge (introductory price!) is $299.00 a month. If you are interested let me or Ellie know, and we will get you hooked up.

We also have a personal training option using the same ideas but most of the work will be done off-site and not in class.

Here is another testimonial from David Savage:

John & Ellie are valuable coaches.  When John described his success and the impact of Long Slow Distance (LSD) it sounded like a funny acronym, but it’s a serious training tool!  I come to CrossFit from long distance running, and slooowing down during long runs from “race pace” has been hard. I typically end up 10-15 bpm above my Zone 2 rate after 15min of running, but over a period of a few months I made some improvement. I recently traveled to Africa and spent 9 days on a trek up Mt Kilimanjaro - I am convinced the LSD training helped immensely! Only 5 of our group of 11 adults made the summit, and I did not struggle with cardio at all.

 

So…you get to live longer better and do the stuff that lights you up for as long as you can! Sounds like a win to me!!!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

 

 

Sunday Story…Living Longer, Better

I started CrossFit many years ago (2008) to get in better shape for my antics in Brazilian Jiujitsu. It worked very well and then took over my life. The dark places a soul-crushing wod could take me served me well.

But now it’s time to shift and I want to take all of you with me. Over the last 3 or4 years, it has become increasingly obvious that crushing yourself in every workout, 5 or 6 days a week, may not actually be moving you further along the health and fitness continuum.

So, the question is simple: What do I need to do to live longer, better? It does me no good to live to be 100 if I spend the last 25 years as an invalid, unable to move and enjoy the life I am living.

The answer is this…your heart and lungs need to operate at a high level. You must maintain your strength and muscle mass. You must still be able to move quickly for very short periods. These 3 pathways are what we have always emphasized in CrossFit. Now, as we age, we need to implement them a little differently.

I still work out 5 or 6 days a week. But now I spend much more time in “zone 2” training and strength-only training. I have dialed back the “zone 5” work to once or twice a week. “Zone 5” is that dark place you might go when doing 50 thrusters or a max effort of 500m row or “Fran”.

LLB (living longer better) is a programmed, coached system designed to do exactly what it is named…Living Longer Better. I believe we should all be doing some of this and all of us should be doing more and more of it as we get more mature. I guess that’s what this whole growing older thing is about!

Reach out…I have a couple programs that will work for you.

More details next week.

 

John Mariotti

775-338-2412

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Story…Your Marginal Decade

Is the last 10 years of your life. It turns out that most people (those that live long enough) know when they are in the last 10 years of their lives.

So, the question is this: What do you want to be able to do in the last 10 years of your life?

We all know or have heard stories of people who went to work every day until the day of their death. And we also all know people who spent the last 10 years of their lives in misery, unable to do even the most basic human tasks.

Once you have some idea of what you want to be able to do in those last 10 years you can reverse engineer what it is going to take to be able to do that when you hit those last 10 years. Do you want to be able to roam the hills of Tuscany? Coach your grandkids' soccer team? Hike the Appalachian trail? Show up at work every day and be productive? Write the great American novel (finally)?

Let me hit the bottom line for you…unless your idea of a good time in your last 10 years is sitting in a rocking chair watching old reruns of bad sitcoms wearing depends and drool on your shirt you might want to start right now. As in this very moment.

This isn’t rocket science, people. But it is going to require you to make an effort. There is no magic pill on the horizon. The formula is simple…get your cardiac machine in tip-top shape, keep your strength up, and every once in a while sprint like your life depends on it…because it does.

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…The Road

 

To the Games Part 11 (Final)

 

As is the usual custom the last work out is a sprint. This year is no different…20 calories on the Echo bike, 15 Burpee box “get overs” (it’s a 42” box), and 10 70# sandbag ground to shoulder. There’s a 5-minute time cap.

 

All I must do is finish and 2^nd place is mine. The facts are these: Cal Cherrington has a lock on first place. I have a lock on second. Something bad would have to happen for those two places to change. Only third is in question. This is often the case in these contests…the point total is just too high to be surmountable.

 

The bell rings and we are off. Of course, neither Cal nor I are going to slack off. It’s fast and furious to the end. When the dust settles Cal wins another (6 of 8 this weekend) and I end up 4^th. And with that another CrossFit Games has ended.

 

Standing on the podium was a thrill. To be crowned the 2^nd fittest 65+ man on the planet really hit the pinnacle of achievement for me. My first CrossFit open was 2012, and I finished 53^rd. That was when I decided I was pretty good at this CrossFit thing and wanted to earn a trip to the big show. 10 years later, 4 trips to the games here I am. What a long, strange trip it has been!

 

The question gets posed almost immediately…are you going to try again next year? Why not make it 5 trips? The answer is complex…the stress and anxiety and intensity of competing at this level isn’t fun. I am competitive by nature, but maybe I’ll wait for a 70+ division!

 

The fact of the matter is this…before the CrossFit games I “chopped wood and carried water” and after the CrossFit games I “will chop wood and carry water.” In other words, life hasn’t changed much. A new banner on the wall, a smile of satisfaction and a year of bragging rights…and that’s all!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story…The Road

 

To the Games Part 10

Water is my element. I started competitively swimming at about age 5 and continued all through high school and even a year of club water polo in college. To say I’m comfortable in the water is an understatement. I have not looked forward to a workout as much as this one since the handstand walk in 2014. Spoiler alert…I won that one too. 

This workout is not about the swim though. It is really about the calories on the ski erg. If you fail to get the required calories, you are done. Go too fast on the swim and you may sink your ability to crank out the calories…especially in the later rounds. By the way this is true of many workouts with a “cardio” (row/run etc.) element sitting in front. You can lose the workout by going too fast, but you can’t win it in that element. I decide to turn down the heat a bit on the swim. It’s the right decision. 

I win every round on the swim. The flip turn makes all the difference in the world. It takes no extra effort but provides a decided advantage every time. Out of the pool hit the ski erg hard and catch my breath. Rinse and Repeat…the name is appropriate.

If you watched this workout, you know I was the only competitor to finish the 6^th round (18 calories). In essence, I have won the workout. I can’t get any more points (100), there is no reward for getting more calories. All I need to do is jump in the water, swim leisurely for 50 yards, and pull the erg for a bit.

 Ellie and I discussed this exact scenario before we walked into the natatorium. Do you back off and rest? Do you stop? I made the decision to put my mark on this one. No backing off, no stopping, no coasting…I don’t quit when I am tired, I don’t quit when I am ahead…I quit when I am done. And I’m not done until all 8 rounds are completed to the best of my ability. My training, my pride, and most of all my father would never allow me to do anything less.

The announcers are stunned. If you listen to the commentary, you will hear their confusion. I am getting out of the water and attacking the ski erg. There is no slow down, no quit, just a Full effort. I finish with 108 calories, 100 points, and an event win. If nothing horrible happens in the last event I am assured of 2^nd place.

Until next week…

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Stories…The Road

 

To the Games part 9 (day 3)

Saturday morning arrives and I am alternatively excited and a little apprehensive. All of my previous day's distress seems to have melted away. The workouts have been announced and the “Rinse and Repeat” workout in the pool falls solidly in my wheelhouse. On the other hand, even though I have a solid lock on 2^nd place, anything can happen. No laurels to rest on yet!

 The first workout is definitely not in my wheelhouse. Carry heavy stuff and do wall balls, a lot of wall balls. We start with a thing called a Husafell which looks like a triangle and weighs 100# but it turns out we don’t get that, we get a sandbag instead which is not as easy to carry. Then do 50 wall balls with a 14# ball (a small favor!). Then jerry bags at 70# and 40 wall balls, and a sled push and 30 wall balls. When I get off the sled my legs are jelly. It was a struggle to get into the rhythm of the wall balls. Then we work our way back with the implements and down to 10 wall balls. I finish the 10 wall balls as time ends.  Just as well because that sled was going to leave me with nothing left. I finish in 5^th and maintain my 2^nd place standing but the margin does narrow some.

 Rinse and Repeat is a simple workout…2 minutes to swim 50 yards, get out, and hit the ski erg for calories. The calories start at 8 and increase by 2 for 6 2-minute rounds. If you complete the 18 calories in the sixth round you get 2 more rounds to do max calories. Honestly, I couldn’t have designed this better for myself. I’ve been practicing on the ski erg regularly and swimming almost every week all summer. I can do 50 yards in less than 30 seconds if I really push it.

The University of Wisconsin facility is beautiful The practice pool is nicer than most and the locker rooms are first class. It was a pleasure to swim in a world-class facility like this. We are handed a cap and goggles for the event but I am going to forego both. The reason for no goggles is simple…I have never been able to practice diving into the pool with them on. This is not the time to do so! Nothing is worse than losing your goggles and having them drag as you swim! Besides when I was a kid…lol.

 This is going to be continued, stay tuned to next week for the big finish!!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story…The Road

 

To the Games Part 8 (Day 2)

 

We are up early Friday, and my stomach is better but not 100%. I feel ready but my diet has been very limited, so I am watching my energy carefully.

Our first workout, Parallel Elizabeth, is going to showcase a new skill…the parallel traverse walk! We are going to travel from one end to the other on a set of gymnastic parallel bars using our hands. This looks like fun! Combined with a 21-15-9 115# squat clean and the 5-3-1 traverses this is a fast and furious workout with a 9-minute time cap.

The strategy is simple…cycle the barbell quickly on the squat cleans ad then go quick on the traverse. I have played on these things before so I ‘m not real worried. But, like Mike Tyson is quoted as saying, “everyone has a plan until they get hit in the face!” I decided to go a little more conservative and do quick drop singles. The traverses go well. I slowly fight my way into contention. The traverses are an obvious strength until the last one when I get over my arms and miss! I rush back as time is running out and mange to finish in 8:58! Just under the time cap! I end up placing third.

 

The second workout is 3 x 3-minute rounds with a 1-minute rest between them. 15 ring muscle ups lead off followed by a 60-meter obstacle run, 20 snatches @95# and the run and then a 30-calorie row with another run. We know we are going to have long straps on the rings but when we hit the competition floor the straps are super long, and the wind is blowing the rings all over. It is very difficult to lock the rings out at the top of the dip with that much strap. I struggle, get numerous no-reps but somehow manage to get 7 in before the time cap. The snatches look promising as I did 20 unbroken recently at home but the competition floor in front of a judge is more difficult. I do 10 and 5 and 5 and finish the run under the time cap. I sell out on the rower and finish that round as well. Another third!

 

At the end of the day, I am sitting solidly in second place. My body is feeling pretty good except the bruised pectoral muscle from falling on the parallel bars. A quick visit to the Airrosti tent and some kinesi-tape and I am right as rain! Now to recover and see what day 3 has in store.

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Sunday Story…The Road

 

To the Games Part 7

 The second of 3 workouts is a run/rope climb/dumbbell squat clean. This is going to be the test of LSD. It starts with a 1400-meter run. Certainly, not my wheelhouse, and I finish last of the men and most of the women. But I walk right to the rope and go to work. 4 rope climbs and then 21 DB squat cleans later I finish the round in 2^nd or 3^rd. Back out to the run and my placing is looking good and the runs are getting faster. Although I time cap out (30 minutes) I end up a surprising 3^rd overall.

The last workout throws new skills our way…A Pegboard and pistols! What! We have a pegboard here at CrossFit Odyssey, but it gets used about once a year (maybe). It’s a tough skill and every competitor is worried about it. 2 guys don’t make it up at all. I do but certainly not very quickly. My double unders are missing in action (again) so I do single-double (it’s only 30) and hit the handstand pushups. These go well for me and I’m back to the single doubles. I put my rope down but there’s some confusion as to where it goes so, I only get 1 attempt at a pistol. Which is just as well because 1 is about all I have! But it’s good enough for 4^th place.

 

At the end of day 1, I survived and sit in 3^rd place. Considering how the day started and my overall health I am pleased with my performance. 3 workouts done, a 3^rd, a 4^th, and a 7^th, and I actually feel pretty good. Now to eat, sleep, and recover.

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412