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