Sunday Story…Happy New Year

It’s that time again. The time when we look back and look forward. Lists abound…the best of and worst of 2023.

I’ve never been a big fan of those sorts of things. However, I do believe it is a good idea to take a glance back at your victories and what you might want to strive toward in the coming year or more.

So, what were your wins last year? When you look back what are the three things you achieved or happened in your life that make you smile when you look back at them? At my house we have a memory jar…anyone can put a memory in over the year, and we go back and read them on New Year’s Eve (or other times!) This isn’t my idea, credit goes to my wife, Kiki. It is a great way to look back and remember those memorable events or “wins” from the last year.

As we look forward to the next year, you may have a few things you really want to get done…climb a mountain, retile the kitchen, or get to the gym 3x a week without fail. Any number of things come to mind. They don’t have to be big things but if they are, maybe you should break it down a bit. Decide in January you will do 1 thing to move that goal closer to fruition. Just one thing, like look at tile samples or pick the mountain. If your goal is a big hairy one it can look impossible. Yet every one of those big hairy goals is just a series of small do-able steps. Lots of aphorisms for this…the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step, or how do eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

Celebrate your victories! Plan for more next year. Let the rest of it go.

Let’s make 2024 your best year ever!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…Happy Holidays

It is Christmas Eve as you read this…that is if you are getting it on time at 5AM 12/24/23. As many of you may have surmised, I am not exactly a Christmas elf sort of guy.

That being said, I do enjoy several things about this time of year.

First and foremost, the spirit of kindness and gratitude is pervasive about now. Let us be honest, it is hard to be depressed when you have gratitude. And no matter what is going on in your world you should be able to find something to be grateful for.

Second, we just passed the shortest day of the year, so we are now moving back into the light. Even though the weather may continue to be chillier than I like I know the light and heat are on their way back.

Third, as the year ends, we look back at all the things that comprised the last year. I tend to focus on all the good things and let all the rest of the things go. What good was done, what shifts and changes happened that moved your journey on this planet forward?

Lastly, the emphasis on relationships. This is often forgotten as we continue to chase our goals. Those relationships help keep our mental and emotional fitness on track.

I also want to express my gratitude to each of you, my readers. I sincerely hope that my messages move you in some way. It is my intention to inspire, inform, and motivate each of you in some way with my words. And you are doing me a favor by allowing me to coalesce my thoughts into a coherent message.

 

Thank you

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com    

775-338-2412

 

 

 

Sunday Story…The Third Pillar

“No cure that fails to engage our spirit can make us well.”

---Viktor Frankl

I came across this quote the other day and I thought it particularly relevant to our discussions over the past few weeks about living longer better. This is the third pillar of increasing your “health span”.

First, we have exercise and fitness, then nutrition, then your emotional health. Failing to address all three pillars is like having a two-legged stool…you might be able to sit on it, but it is going to be very precarious.

You can be the fittest on the planet but if your emotional/mental/spiritual health is not right your fitness will suffer. We have seen many cases of prominent athletes needing to step away from their sports due to mental health issues. The same can be said of your nutrition…it can be dialed in tight but if that third pillar is crumbling, you may as well eat sawdust.

So, on my journey to the Centenarian Olympics, I am going to need to engage my spirit to fully realize all the benefits of increasing my health span. This means having healthy and varied relationships. Think of close relatives, friends, and acquaintances, as well as other human interactions. We humans are designed to be social. Another important tool for this pillar is the practice of gratitude. Another is finding joy in the mundane everyday practice of living. A connection with the divine will also put you in a place that is going to allow you to access all the benefits of the three pillars.

Our goal is to live life fully human utilizing all the benefits we can derive from outstanding fitness, close care of our nutritional biochemistry, and a functioning relationship with those people around us and the world we live in as well as the divine source.

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…Holidays!

It’s that time. It’s easy to say I’ll get after it after the holidays. You could still hit your exercise regimen but it’s easy to just let it slip one or two days. After all, “IT’S THE HOLIDAYS!” And your nutrition plan? With all that rich endless food you love around? I mean who can resist?

I get it. But are you willing to give up 11 months of progress for two weeks of indulgence? And except for the growing bulge around your middle or on your hips, or other places you don’t want to see, what will you have to show for that indulgence.

A truly memorable indulgence might be worth the price. But honestly, there are so very few of those, they are almost unicorn-like. That plate of store-bought fudge? Really? Occasionally you will find a unicorn and you will always remember it. Let me ask you this…when was the last truly memorable food or beverage indulgence you had? Can you remember last holiday season that one thing you knew was worth every bite or sip you took? No? What makes you think this year is going to be any different?

The same thing goes for skipping your workouts. You know what the price is going to be when you return. Do you really want to pay for it? I know I don’t.

It is simple… show up, keep your intensity down, and get out the door. You got it done. You can worry about how well you did later. Showing up is more than half the battle.

The last thing anyone wants to have happen is to walk in the box after 2 or 3 weeks of self-indulgence and realize how much pain you are about to inflict on yourself.  

The answer is simple…get in here. Stay the course.

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com 

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…Overfed and Undernourished

If we return to the 3 questions we ask in our search for the right “diet” most of us are overnourished, many of us are under-muscled, and some of us are metabolically challenged.

The fact of the matter is this:

Never in human history have we lived with so much food abundance. Throughout history, humans have had to store, preserve, hunt, and gather food. This often resulted in some very lean months; in some cultures, February is called the “hungry” month. All the stored food is gone and there is very little available to find. We went without. Hopefully, we gained a lot of fat during the good months and now we can use that stored body fat to survive.

Today there is no “hungry” month. I can run down to the neighborhood market and buy things from around the world. We have no need to get fat in the summer to survive the winter. Yet our evolution has not changed. We want to eat and store fat for the coming famine (that never arrives.)

So…maybe being overnourished isn’t as accurate as being overfed. Way too much of our nourishment comes in the form of highly processed crap food. So, we end up overfed and undernourished. This is the horn of our modern dilemma…food is everywhere and we keep getting sicker due to being overfed and undernourished.

The struggle is real. And when we add in the aging process, hormonal disruptions due to all kinds of different issues it seems almost insurmountable. So, we need to do a couple things: first, limit alcohol intake. Second, increase protein. And third, stay away from all forms of processed food. There are too many “disrupters” in today’s foods for any of it to be good for you but eating processed food in abundance is not going to lead to many good outcomes!

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com 

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412  

Sunday Story…3 Strategies

The bottom line around the whole nutritional dilemma is answering these questions:

Are you under-muscled or adequately muscled?

Are you over or undernourished?

Are you metabolically healthy?

If you need more muscle, you will need to add more protein to your diet. If you are undernourished, you need more calories; if you are overnourished, you need less.

If we eliminate the “food” restrictions (things like Paleo, Keto, Vegan, vegetarian, etc.) because we are eating Real Food and making sure we are getting adequate protein and essential fatty acids there are only 3 dietary restrictions to discuss:

Time: Eating at certain times (and not at others) …intermittent fasting or even multi-day fasting

Calories: Eating less in terms of total calories but without regard to what or when it is being eaten.

Dietary: eating less of some element within the diet…such as meat, sugar, or fats

Each of these works but for pure efficiency caloric restriction is the hands-down winner. The problem is that you must track everything you eat exactly. It isn’t easy and it may not be sustainable.

Dietary restriction is simple…just eliminate 1 type of food. But this only works if the food you eliminate is plentiful and has significant calories to reduce overall calorie consumption. Going on a no-lettuce diet probably won’t work.

Time restriction may be the easiest. Restrict yourself to eating once a day. Unfortunately, if you eat a pint of ice cream and 3 pizzas you are still overeating!

Calories matter no matter how you answer the first 3 questions.

Next week: What to do?

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com 

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…What do I eat?

Someone asked me the other day…what do I eat every day? Honestly, I am loathe to answer this question. What I eat isn’t terribly helpful to you. Your diet and mine are highly individual pursuits. What works for me may not work for you at all and vice versa.

The most important part of any healthy eating plan is making sure you get enough protein (plus/minus 1 gram per pound of body weight). The second most important part is portion control. This means you must measure your food and accurately track your intake.

Here is my basic menu:

Breakfast…I usually wait at least 3 hours after rising to consume this. I use Cream of Buckwheat as I have found it to work best in my system. I add 1/2c egg whites, some raisins, and walnuts along with 1 tablespoon of nut butter.

I have 2 cups of coffee 90 minutes after rising and drink 16oz of water first thing in the morning.

1^st lunch…3 or 4 oz protein plus 4 oz of rice (carbs).

2^nd lunch…4-6 oz of protein plus 6 oz of potatoes (carbs).

Dinner…6 oz of protein plus 6-8 oz of carbs plus 2 cups of salad.

This is food prepared at home on Sunday. We get our beef from G-Bar Ranch by the quarter steer. Fish are always wild-caught. Chicken is organic. Free range(ish) eggs.

This is an approximate list. I have found over the years that this template works for me. Keep in mind that vegetables are free-range, in other words, eat them often and in quantity. Half your plate should be green and then 1/4 protein and 1/4 starch.

There you have it! I stay 80-90% compliant and if I venture off, I get back on as soon as possible. Remember don’t beat yourself up for eating something you really want. Enjoy every bite and then get back on the trail!

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com 

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Story…Nutritional Biochemistry

Here is the bottom line on nutrition:

There is no one right, true way to fuel your body. Anyone who tries to tell you there is also trying to sell you something. There are healthy and fit people who are vegan, vegetarian, keto, paleo, pescatarian, carnivore, etc., etc., etc. It all depends on your personal biochemistry.

When we try to shoehorn everyone into one box, we start encountering problems. Maybe eating dairy makes you sick…don’t do it! But your diet guru says it’s part of the one, right, true way. Not for you it is not! Maybe rice makes you feel bloated…don’t eat it. Your body is yours and you are the one living in it.

The one caveat to this is processed food. No one should be eating a bunch of processed crap (Calorie Rich And Pathetic). It won’t get you anywhere near your health and fitness goals.

How do you know what your body really needs? How will you discover what the best diet is for you? Every one of us has an energy level where we feel our best. Every one of us has a vital energy within us that explodes when we are well-rested and well-fed.

To discover what this is you are going to have to pay attention to what you are eating and when and how you feel when you are done. You also might have to do some elimination work (the Whole 30 is a great template for this!) The other part to realize is your body changes over time. Here is an example, when I was a baby, I was allergic to cow’s milk. As a teenager, we drank whole milk from the dairy up the road. And now cow’s milk leaves me feeling bloated and tired. Interesting, yes?

We all need to fuel ourselves with the building blocks of proper nutrition…protein, carbohydrates, and fats. But exactly what do those look like? Up to you!

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com    

775-338-2412

 

Sunday Story…Nutrition

I approach this subject with some trepidation. Many of you have heard my advice on the subject plenty of times over the years. It is simple…Eat Real Food. This is simple advice, but it can be hard to follow. After all, what does that really mean?

Here is how I define it…Real food is food that comes without a label, the source of the food is easily identifiable and well known, and it can be consumed with a minimum of fuss and muss.

The hard part is this: Food carries a whole backpack of stuff with it. We all got different messages growing up. And we are still operating on the decisions that got made around those messages. This is why it is so hard for many people to make healthy decisions around food. Step one is to realize what that baggage is…self-awareness is paramount. Many of us were members of the “clean plate” club. Leaving food behind was considered a sin in many homes. And, honestly, it made sense when food was scarce. Food is not scarce anymore. There is no one reading this (I hope) who is worried about having enough to eat today. We have so many choices, both good and bad, that it can be overwhelming.

Look inside and see what messages you continue to operate under surrounding food. Knowing what your “triggers” are that cause you to sabotage your healthy eating habits will move you closer to healthy nutritional choices.

When you look at your plate try to identify where the food came from. Here is a hint…there are no Triscuit trees or Oreo bushes.

Next week…your personal nutritional biochemistry!

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story…Strength, continued

There are a couple areas of strength that are often overlooked or under-emphasized. They are stability, balance, and coordination. Those last 2 count as one by the way!

 Stability is the ability to prevent movement in one part of the body while creating movement in another, thus protecting vulnerable areas from injury.

Balance and coordination are the ability to perform movements with precision and grace.

As we age these become more and more important. The statistics that show end-of-life outcomes after a fall are frightening. If you lose your balance your core strength is what protects you from falling. Stability allows me to protect my back when I bend over to pick something up.

So now we need to add some work every week that will keep those things healthy as well. Luckily, many of the usual strength suspects can do double duty. A simple deadlift not only helps maintain strength in the posterior chain (glutes and hamstrings), but it will also increase grip strength as well as stability under load. When you warm up you can hang from the bar for some seconds and then do your pull-up. Jumping rope will help with balance and coordination.

Can you hang for a bar for 1 minute? There’s your first goal. Can you pick up ½ your body weight and carry it for 1 minute? Can you stand on 1 foot for 20 seconds? How about with your eyes closed? These are all objective tests that will indicate your readiness for your marginal decade! If you can do all of them…good on you! Now increase the time and weight! Get better, get stronger, and be intentional about being fitter than the average (insert age) year old!

Next week nutrition!

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

 

 

 Sunday Story…Strength

So, first is zone 2, second is the mobility piece, and third is strength and skill. This one is much harder to quantify. All of us need to do strength training. The how and what of it varies greatly, however.

In my case, I do 2 days a week dedicated to squatting. Another day to work on gymnastic skills and drills. Another day to do Olympic weight training. I also do bar muscle-up progressions (15 minutes) 3 times a week. I mix various progressions and skills to move my fitness forward. The exact part of this is less important than the doing of it. You must train for strength even if all you are doing is lifting an empty barbell or light dumbbell. This is one of the pillars of fitness and longevity. Stronger is better. Strong people are harder to kill. Muscles at rest require more energy (calories) than anything else in your body. If you are stronger, you can eat more (my favorite!)

You may be looking at that and saying that sounds like too much. I get it. But you really need to start prioritizing your health and fitness. You don’t have to try to be a world-class athlete unless that’s one of your goals. But if you want to be mobile and independent into your 70s, 80s, and beyond you need to make your physical health a top priority. We are seeing way too many people die when they could have made their health more critical.

Whatever time you spend on this I guarantee it will be time well spent. I would insist that you be mindful and intentional when you do it. 15 minutes of dedicated work will beat 60 minutes of mindless scrolling while on cardio equipment.

This stuff isn’t rocket science but it does require you to work. There are no free lunches in the aging cafeteria!

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story…Mobility!

 

 

One of the big changes I have made in my training is the addition of mobility work. Honestly, this is something I have always paid lip service to but have never taken up as a diligent practice. So, since GOWOD was nice enough to gift me a free 1-year subscription to their service (one of the perks of being a games competitor) I decided to put it to work.

6 out of 7 days a week I spend 15 minutes doing a personalized protocol from GOWOD. Their system is simple. I did a test to see what I really needed to improve and then every day I ask for a 15-minute mobility routine. The system seems to be working well…I spent 3 minutes in a deep squat the other day which is something I have never done! There is no equipment needed but if you have some things (PVC pipe, massage gun, bands) they will use those also.

Here's the why:

One of the things that goes away almost imperceptibly is our mobility. When we are young mobility is a given. You rarely need to work on it, and you take it for granted. As we age things shift and we are not able to move as well. When was the last time you got in a deep squat for 1 minute let alone 3 minutes? All over the world people of all ages sit, talk, and eat while squatting (there is a dearth of chairs!) We don’t so we need to consciously do things to keep up with the constant pressure of decrepitude. After all, don’t we all want to go to the bathroom unassisted for the rest of our lives? I know I do.

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story…What now?

There is an old Zen saying that goes something like this:

Before enlightenment chop wood, carry water.

After enlightenment chop wood, carry water.

In other words, no matter what happens life is still going to life. In this case, after the CrossFit games, I will go back to doing what I was doing before the games.

Here’s what that looks like for me now:

45 minutes of long slow distance 3 days a week. I do 1 each of rowing, skiing, and air biking. I keep my heart rate down in the 120-130 range. At the same time, I am trying to increase my pace. In other words, do more work using the same or less effort as measured by my heart rate. For instance, my rowing pace is down to 2:15 or less per 500 meters. That translates to about 10,000 meters in 45 minutes. The goal is to decrease the pace to 2:00 per 500 and keep the HR down.

I also run a 5k every Saturday morning. Well, almost every Saturday. You can join me any Saturday you like. And we are keeping the pace down in that zone 2 range.

This is the biggest bang for your buck in terms of overall health outcomes. This zone 2 training refashions my cardiorespiratory response giving me a broad and deep base to draw from. When my HR goes up doing other work this base allows my heart rate to recover faster, it allows me to work longer at higher rates without feeling lightheaded or like I’m going to die. In the middle zones, the discomfort is minimal, and I find I can go even longer.

I’ll talk about what else I’m doing next week. In the meantime, it’s all about the LSD!

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

        

Sunday Story…2023 CrossFit Games Recap IX

The Last one!

So, I finished 9^th in my 5^th CrossFit games appearance. Not as good as I would have liked but, realistically, being in the top 10 65+ fittest men on the planet is nothing to sneeze at.

Looking back at the entirety of the week I realize 1 important fact…In life, we almost always remember our firsts. But you never know when you will do something for the last time. Every time I took the field over those 8 workouts, I realized that it may have been the last time I would ever have the honor and privilege of competing at this level. The entire experience is etched in my memory.

Over 5 appearances I have had many ups and downs, times when I performed unexpectedly well and times when the opposite was true. There have been some standout memories…the first place in the swim in 2022 and the 50-pound personal best in the deadlift ladder in 2014 come to mind right away. I’ll remember the crowd roar as I finished the 10^th bar muscle up in 2023 and forget the frustration of numbers 4 through 9.

Next year the Games are coming to Fort Worth. I am trying not to succumb to the temptation to switch up everything I am doing to make a run at it. So far, I am resisting. After the 2012 Open, I decided I really wanted to get to the CrossFit Games. Been there, done that. Now the battle is for the next 20 years.

So, the question we all need to answer is this:

Is the tree you are planting today the one you want to sit under 20 years from now?

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…2023 CrossFit Games Recap VIII

 

The Final Day

Only 2 workouts today…Endure the Coliseum and Final Positions. Endure the Coliseum is all about the machines…50 Calories each of Ski erg, Echo bike. Ski Erg, Concept 2 bike with 75 double unders sandwiched in the middle and at the end. It’s an 18-minute grinder. But remember that whole tactical error thing that has plagued me the entire week? Well, I did it again.

I got through the first set of double unders well. Not great but OK. I hit the second ski and I’m tired but I (wrongly) think it’s a 15-minute time cap instead of 18! Why I have no idea. I get off the ski at about 12:30-13 minutes and think I need to go full send on the C2 bike. So, I do. I am crushing that thing! Somewhere around 14:30, I realize I haven’t heard the announcer saying anything about how much time is left. And it dawns on me, that I still have 3 minutes to go, and I am running out of gas! No choice but to hang on. I grab my rope to do the last set of doubles, but time is almost out and so am I! I manage 26 or so double before I get time capped. I can’t believe I made a bonehead error like that. But it is what it is. 7^th place.

The last event I am excited about is 10 bar muscle-ups and 45 dumbbell snatches. There’s a 6-minute time cap. I’ve been working hard on my BMU, and I fully expect to knock out 5-7 right away. Alas, it is not to be. I got a no-rep on my 3^rd one. Normally a no-rep is no big deal but for some reason, this one really knocks my beak in the dirt. I get off the bar and after that, it is a struggle to get one. My mount on the bar isn’t working and I am struggling to get 1 at a time. It is super frustrating, and I am losing my cool all over the field. Somehow, I managed to get the 10^th one (the crowd went wild by the way!). But about 5:30 has gone by so I only get about 12 snatches in. I got 5^th on this one but that’s a small consolation since I really expected to finish higher.

Next week will be the last recap on the 2023 games. Stay tuned!

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com 

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story…2023 CrossFit Games Recap VII

Day 2 (part 2)!

In the briefing, the night before day 2 started I was excited when I saw this workout. Finally, we would open with a handstand walk. But like Charlie Brown and the football, it was jerked away at the last moment. We would not open with the handstand walk…we would open with the next element …the 30-box jumps! Oh well. Then they explained the movement standard for the one-legged squats (pistols). We would need to do 5 on one leg then switch to the next leg and complete 20 in total. But wait, that’s not all! You can’t put your foot down or behind you between reps or the rep you just completed doesn’t count. This is bad for me. The other elements…GHD sit-ups and toes to bar are no problem.

So, with Ellie's help, I spent the evening doing the pistols the best I could. I finally got to the point where I could do some. They aren’t easy but they are doable. And considering I didn’t think I would get any, that is a win!

3,2,1 go, and we are off. Box jumps and GHD sit-ups are easy but then the pistols! I managed to get the first 20 but not without a few no reps. 30 Toes to bar are next and then back to the pistols…I manage 17 more before the bell rings. Time capped (again!) but it is good enough for 5th. I guess I’m not the only one who found it challenging!

The last workout is simple…run a 5k (3.1 miles). It is a 3-lap course and all there is to it is to put one foot in front of the other and finish. When I get ready to leave the stadium for the last lap, I look at the clock and realize I am running a sub-9-minute mile pace! Woohoo. Just hang on and finish. I finished at 26:48. A personal best in quite some time and just under 9-minute miles. It is good enough for 6^th!

The last day is coming up in the next installment!

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com 

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…2023 CrossFit Games Recap VI

Day 2!

We start the day with a test called “Pulling Power.” Honestly, when I looked at this one, I was stoked…3 rounds for time of 3 rope climbs (17’), 10 deadlifts at 275#, pulling a sled for 42 feet, and finishing by pushing the sled back 126 feet. Rope climbs are always good for me and the weight on the deadlift is in my sweet spot.

Remember a few issues ago when I mentioned “tactical error?” This one had tactical error written all over it. But I didn’t realize what went wrong until several days later. I start the rope climbs, but things are not going smoothly. I’m having a problem gripping the rope with my feet which means I am using mostly my arms and upper body when I should be using my legs to “stand up” on the rope. The first 10 deadlifts are no problem but during the sled pull, I can feel the fatigue in my grip and forearms. When I return to the rope climbs my grip is going and my lats are on fire. I still can’t get any purchase on the rope with my feet. I failed one climb and then another. Back to the deadlifts which go quickly but tax the forearms. The second sled pull gets done but it is a serious struggle. Round 3 on the rope climb is an unmitigated disaster. Somehow, I managed to get to the 3^rd one, but I failed at 16 feet and fell all the way down. I’m time-capped out and finish 6^th.

The error? I didn’t realize the shoes I wore did not allow me to grab the rope! When I wear these shoes in our box, I usually only need 1 or 2 pulls to get to 12 feet. But these Xero shoes don’t have the necessary side gripping contours. Big oops! By the time we finished, I had a nasty rope burn on my right shin and smaller ones on both inner thighs. Again, a tactical error cost me a lot of points in a workout that should have been in my wheelhouse! There were a lot of swear words heard!

Workout 2 next week!

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

Sunday Story…2023 CrossFit Games Recap V

We have finished 2 of the 3 workouts of day 1. I finished 9^th on the Olympic total and 3^rd on the Farmer’s Field. I have no idea of any of this though because I don’t look at the leaderboard at all during the competition. My attitude is simple…I can only control what I do. The only thing I want to worry about is the work right in front of me, not what has already passed or what may be coming tomorrow. And right now, what is in front of me is Helen.

Helen is one of the “girls.” A classic CrossFit benchmark workout…3 rounds of a 400-meter run, 21 kettlebell swings, and 12 pull-ups. I am thrilled to see this one. There is one minor glitch…the standard for the kettlebell swings has shifted to this: the bell must pass above the horizontal plane of the top of the head and the arms must remain locked and rigid the whole time. The elbows locked is a challenge as I am used to having a little bend when I swing…but after a bit of practice, it seems ok.

3,2,1, go…I felt good after the run, the swings go ok (maybe a no rep or two) but then the pull-ups. Everything goes to heck in a handbasket. I ended up doing 18 pull-ups. The judge and I were not seeing eye to eye at all. Or I should say the judge wasn’t seeing my chin over the bar. The next 2 rounds didn’t go any better and I ended up doing 54 pullups to get credit for 36. That is not the way I expected this one to go.

I ended up 6^th. The difference between my time and the third-place finisher is about 30 seconds. A few fewer no reps on the pull-ups and I finish much higher. I am pissed at myself for not being able to correct what the judge saw. On the field, it is up to the athlete to make sure the judge can clearly see the standard being met. I didn’t do that.

On to day 2…spoiler alert…there’s a 5K coming!

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 PS the photo is me trying to catch the guy in front of me...another 5 yards and I would have had him!!!

Sunday Story…2023 CrossFit Games Recap IV

Let the Games begin!

3 workouts on day 1. First up is the Olympic total…you have 3 minutes to get your best snatch, followed by 3 minutes for your best clean and jerk. Going into the workout, I know this will not be my best event. But I have the numbers I want to hit…125# on the snatch and 170# on the clean and jerk. The snatch I hit in 4 attempts…115/120 (miss)/120/125. The clean and jerk went well but not as well as I wanted. I cleaned the 170# but as time was running out, I rushed the jerk and missed it out front. A tactical error...which is a phrase you’re going to hear several times over this contest.

We have a one-minute break to transition to the starting line for Farmer’s field. I changed my shoes (less than 30 seconds…I practiced!) and got ready to move! This one looks good to me but again some errors cost me time. The workout has some heavy carries, some burpees over an obstacle (the pig), rowing, wall balls, and then back again. No errors this time! This will be my best finish of these games…a third. I got no repped on some wall balls but got the errors fixed ASAP and got back in the race. Those of you who know me know I love me some burpees! I have to say picking up heavy stuff and falling down and getting up really works for me!!!

More on day one next week!

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

Sunday Story…2023 CrossFit Games Recap III

Day 2 is orientation and briefing day. This is when all the rules of the road are laid out as well as expectations for behavior both on and off the field. There really isn’t anything new about this. The rules have been in place for years with just a few tweaks occasionally. One significant change is the Challenge rule…you only get 2 challenges. The only challenges allowed are to be miscounts or mistimed, things of that nature.  All rulings on the field (no-reps) are not challengeable. In other words, the judge on the field is the last say. If they call a no rep, it is a no rep. Fix it and move on.

The best part of the day is catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. Unlike younger days when competing also included psychological gamesmanship there is none of that. When I was younger, I would size up the competition and look for chinks in their armor. This is no longer the case. These guys all know this may be the first, last, or only time they get here. Every one of us carries 65+ years of life with all the aches and pains that came along for the ride. Yet here we are…the last 10 of about 1600 men who started the journey. No matter what…we are all winners.

The first 3 workouts are announced and briefed…more details on these 3 next week. Suffice it to say the first one is nowhere near my wheelhouse! But we knew this last week. The standard for Helen is going to be difficult. The second workout looks fun! But then I do love a good suffer-fest!

Until next week…

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412 

Sunday Story…2023 CrossFit Games Recap II

 

We will start this recap on the Sunday before the games even begin. This is registration day. The day we receive all the gear NOBULL has readied for us. It really is a fantastic experience, after checking in and getting our credentials we are directed to a large dimly lit room and in a semi-circle are 20 or so mini “locker rooms”. Each locker room has a name and number above the curtain. We are assigned a personal assistant who directs us to try on various items and leads us through the different shoe selections.

The amazing thing (and this has been true every time) is that everything fits, names are spelled correctly, and duffel bags and backpacks are all there to assist in the carrying-off. The assistant is solicitous and concerned with the proper fit and if you aren’t sure about the shoes, she will gather a different size if necessary. It is, for a fitness enthusiast, like Christmas morning…5 pairs of shoes, 6 pairs of shorts and shirts, socks, hats, headbands, and sweatbands (2 sizes!).

Upon exiting we join the media team for several headshots that will be used during the competition and for other marketing purposes. Oh, and I forgot to mention that when we check in are instructed to speak the correct pronunciation of our name for the broadcast team.

After the photo shoot it’s on to the tables of various vendor swag. Always fun to see what’s there… Magpul gloves and sunglasses, bear complex grips, and many more.

Next up on Monday is the first athlete orientation and briefing.

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

Sunday Story…2023 CrossFit Games Recap I

As usual, the CrossFit Games is quite an experience. If you ever get a chance to go, you won’t be sorry. Watching athletes perform at the highest level is always inspiring. Probably the most inspiring are the adaptive athletes. Watching someone do double unders with one arm better than I can do them with two is at the same time humbling and inspiring. Or one arm chest to bar pull-ups as I saw one woman doing in the warmup area. If you get a chance to see any of those performances, do it.

As a quick recap, I finished 9^th this year. Honestly, it was a disappointing finish. I always want to finish on top. As usual, the workouts were creative (some anyway) and challenging. This year we knew the workouts on the Monday before we started. We didn’t necessarily have all the details, but we knew the basic layouts and the work expectations. In the past, we had to wait until the night before to get the next day’s workouts. As you may expect, however, the heart of the matter lies in the standards.

There were 2 new standards this year. First, on the kettlebell swings…arms had to be locked out at the elbows and the bell had to break the horizontal plane of your head when your legs and hips were open. The height wasn’t a problem but keeping the arms completely locked was a lot harder than you realize! Second, on the one-leg squats (formerly known as a pistol!) …we were required to do 5 on one leg before switching (we have always done them alternating previously) AND you could not allow your non-working foot to touch the ground or pass behind your standing leg. This was a serious challenge for me!

I will elaborate and elucidate on the whole experience in the coming weeks so stay tuned!

I will finish by saying…Full Effort is Full victory.

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412