Sunday Story…The Knee revisited

I am 31 days out from the knee replacement. The progress has been anything but linear. There have been days (few, admittedly) when it works better than ever and other days (less now) when it doesn’t work at all!

Sleep has finally returned but it is still inconsistent. What has improved greatly is the range of motion. I have just now begun to be able to do Russian step-ups and squatting past parallel. The challenge is now in more dynamic movement…fast squats for example. The stretch reflex from the bottom of the squat is still quite painful.

I still have kept most of the weight bearing off my right leg, although I have picked up some heavy weights (225# deadlift!) and 2x 88# kettlebells. I will start some lightly loaded leg work next week in addition to my physical therapy exercises and upper body work. I am just now shaking off the last of the anesthesia remnants. That was one of the more surprising side effects…how long it took for that to clear my system. And even now, 31 days later, my vital energy is still not where it was pre-surgery.

The other truly odd thing is the numbness in the knee area. It’s hard to the touch but unfeeling. It was almost as if that part of my leg was disconnected from the rest of my body. The swelling continues to abate but it is still very prevalent. The other complaint is how much fatigue I have after limited effort. It is as if there just are no energy stores to draw upon.

All in all, though, the recovery is going along very well. The physical therapist is amazed at the progress, but let’s be honest I may be more physical than 99.9% of his clients!!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story…The Resistance

Taking a break from my writings on recovery to address the subject of resistance. Specifically, resistance to change.

Human animals are built to find comfort and ease. That means change is not something to be embraced. We prefer the routine, the regular, the rudimentary. Change forces us out of our comfort zone, forces us to do things that we aren’t good at or don’t want to do, and forces us to confront the parts of our world that are hard and difficult.

Rationally, we know change is good for us. But deep inside we resist doing anything that will upset the status quo. We see people around us engage in unhealthy behaviors. They know better. But the default is to keep doing what they are doing.

Change is hard. You must want to change. I mean really want to change. It can’t just be a good idea or a thing to “try” out. You must find your “why” for the change. People don’t stop smoking because it’s bad for their health. Everyone already knows that. People stop smoking because their grandchild, in all their innocence, tells them they don’t like the way they smell. Change is spurred by emotion. When change is hard, emotion propels us past the hard part.

Here is why you are reading this now:

It is that time of year when we look back at what went right, and wrong and could be better for next year. This is going to require change! If you want the change to stick you need to be emotionally invested. You can’t just think it’s a good idea, you must have an emotional buy-in deep inside. Is this the year you (fill in the blank here)? You can’t begin without a compelling reason to make that change happen. If your why is powerful enough the how will take care of itself.

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

Sunday Story…17 days

It’s been 17 days since my knee replacement surgery. Or, more accurately, knee refashioning. Unfortunately, it’s also been 17 nights since my last decent night’s sleep. Last night my whoop strap told me I was in bed for 7 hours and 40 minutes. And I was awake for 7 hours and 40 minutes. The whoop was wrong. I did manage a few snippets of sleep, but it wasn’t what I needed.

I mention this because it points out the importance of good, healthy sleep. If you aren’t getting restorative sleep, you need to function all day, and it can make performing at any level difficult. In my case, the difficulty arises from pain and throbbing in the right leg as my nerves re-enervate, the muscles begin to twitch and fire anew, and the other bits and pieces knit their way back together.

That’s my excuse…what’s yours? Are you tracking your sleep? Many free apps will help. There are books and other places to get advice on sleeping better. If you aren’t sleeping well, you aren’t performing as well as you could. If you aren’t sleeping well your health is not as robust as it could be. Not sleeping will impede your progress if you are trying to gain or lose weight.

If the problem with your sleep is in your mind (as opposed to your body like mine) you will need to spend time working that out. Here are a couple of easy little “hacks” that will grease the skids to snooze-Ville:

Get up at the same time every morning.

Go to bed at the same time.

Turn off phone notifications and other potential disturbances.

Sleep in a darkened room and wear an eye mask. These are different. Light hitting your skin will change your sleep pattern, and light hitting your eyes will wake you up!

Establish a bedtime ritual. 

Don’t be like me! Find a way to get better quality sleep longer. I know I am!

 

John Mariotti

775-338-2412

www.crossfitodyssey.com    

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

 

                                                                                                                   

Sunday Story…The Not-So Bionic Man

After my last message, when everything was going well, I may have gone over the edge. Monday, I had a great first PT session. Everything felt good, so I decided I should Ski erg for a bit. I couldn’t bike…, because the knee wouldn’t bend enough, so the ski seemed like the best choice. There is minimal flexion in the knees and lots of upper body work. So, 30 minutes sounds reasonable five days post-surgery, right?

Wrong—bucko! Five or ten minutes would have been fine. Thirty minutes was a serious mistake. While I was doing it, everything felt great. Then disaster struck. My entire leg swelled up to an extremely painful size, and nothing seemed to help except lying down, feet straight up the wall, with the ice machine on the knee.

Luckily, I didn’t do any permanent damage. By Saturday (today) the swelling had diminished, and the movement was much easier. This morning, I walked with the ruck crew for about 30 minutes, and it felt particularly good with no swelling. But I will still get upside down and get lots of ice along with my PT exercises.

This is one of those times where more is not better. Backing off the edge has more benefits than getting too close and falling off. Finding that sweet spot is the challenge…where just enough is right but a little more is very wrong.

Overall, a good week of recovery. Next week we will start poking along the edges again and see what is possible. Onward and upward!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412    

 

 

Sunday Story…The Bionic Man

I hope it didn’t cost 6 million dollars, but I am now in possession of a new knee. It turns out that what I got was not exactly a new knee…as in, out with the old and in with the new—but a resurfaced knee.

What that means is the doctor moves the kneecap out of the way, takes both the tibia end and the femur end of the leg bones and “resurfaces” them, attaches a cap to both, and then places a poly-carbonate pad between the two caps. The kneecap goes back in place. All the ligaments and tendons are left intact, except the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) which got severed in the process. So, my skiing career is over. But an ACL isn’t necessary for most of my activities (I am not a skier! Here’s a video of the physician assistant explaining what was done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kayVY2qMB7M

Easy peasy, right? Well not so fast. The incision is about 12” long from above the knee to below. The trauma to the area was fairly intense. When it was all said and done the knee was about the size of a small soccer ball. Worse, the ability to move the leg overall was minimal and the mobility in the knee itself was non-existent.

As I sit here, 3 days post-op the swelling has diminished by more than half. I can lift the leg independently and bend the knee to 90 degrees with some effort. The rehab exercises are getting easier every time I do them (3x a day) and I can walk without assistance (although not easily).

The whole process has been very simple and straightforward. But it has not been easy. And it is going to get harder over the next few weeks and months as I get deeper into physical therapy and try to regain the strength and mobility in my right leg.

Steve Austin I’m not…yet!

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

 

 

 

 

Sunday Story…The Journey to Extraordinary III

You are empowered to decide how you want your journey to extraordinary to play out. Notice, however, that it is a journey. We aren’t talking about an extraordinary destination, although your destination may, indeed, be extraordinary. The joy, the learning, and the teaching are in the journey. And like Odysseus’ trek home, it isn’t going to be a direct path. There will be detours, there will be monsters, there will be setbacks.

Throughout your journey to living an extraordinary life, you are faced with one immutable fact: your time here is limited. We are all going to die. Our time on earth is short and we have a responsibility to ourselves, our loved ones, and our maker to fill it with activities that will cement a legacy.

We all leave a legacy. Some people leave a much bigger, longer-lasting legacy than others. But we all leave one. As we move on our journey, staying in harmony, always inching closer to the end point of our stay, the question becomes: do my actions, do my words, match with the legacy I am striving to leave?

When you are gone, what will be said about you? There is no hierarchy in the graveyard, the one who amasses the most does not sit above the one who amasses less. Our job here at Odyssey is to give you permission to voyage extraordinarily and then celebrate your journey. But you will have to make the climb yourself. I can’t do it for you. I can help, cajole, inspire, and push but in the final assessment, it will be all you.

So go forth and leave the extraordinary legacy you were put on this earth to leave.

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story…The Journey to Extraordinary II

Perhaps, before embarking on our journey to extraordinary, we should decide what an extraordinary journey would look like. That definition is for each of you to make. My journey is going to look much different from yours. Where I am in my life is where I am, and you are where you are. That being said, some principles transcend exact times and places.

Odysseus’ extraordinary journey took him on many adventures, trials, and tribulations. His journey though had a single-minded destination…home and hearth. He was dedicated to making his way back. What is the destination you are dedicated to? We all talk about the importance of the journey and the enjoyment of the process. But we can’t lose sight of where our journey is taking us.

I posit that harmony is more important than balance. At any point in my life, I may need to be more heavily weighted toward one activity or another. When your children are small, they need a different type of attention than they do when they are older or adults. The same is true of your career. If I want to run a marathon in under 5 hours, I am going to need to dedicate some time to training. That is different than I just want to be able to run easily for an hour. Just as Odysseus had to stop and fight various enemies you will need to stop and vanquish your own challenges.

But what good will running that marathon do me if I lose my relationships and career while I’m training? I believe that would be extraordinarily bad and something to be avoided. When we started Odyssey we wanted to be a beacon of health and fitness. Your fitness is not just who you are physically, mentally, or emotionally. All three must be in harmony to find health.

More next week,

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…The Journey to Extraordinary

Many years ago, Ellie and I were brainstorming what the vision for our CrossFit gym would be. Before there was the name, Odyssey, there was a vision. A vision of a place where everyone would find their way to their best life…their extraordinary life. As we talked, we realized that every one of us had a hero waiting to be enlivened within us. A hero who would need to live an extraordinary life to meet the demands and rigor of a life worth living.

Fitness was a sneaky way to get people started on their journey. When you begin your fitness journey, you aren’t sure of what you are capable of. When you walked through the door for the first time, you came for the fitness. Hopefully, we inspired you to do and be more than just fit.

Just as health isn’t just the absence of sickness, fitness isn’t just the absence of weakness. Health means your biomarkers are in the correct ranges. Health means you have a vibrancy that embraces life. Fitness means your body is strong and able. Fitness means you can perform both your daily functions as well as any other tasks you ask of it. Fitness is physical, mental, and emotional. If you are super physically fit and an emotional child or an angry narcissist, you aren’t fit. You’re just physically fit.

Your journey to extraordinary isn’t just physical, nor is it just mental or emotional. It is all that and more. Your journey encompasses your entire galaxy of life on this planet.

More next week.

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

 

Sunday Story…Origins

The other day Ellie and I were sitting down to lunch, and we said we really need to tell the story of how CrossFit Odyssey came into being. So, I started one of these missives with that in mind. But as I did that, I realized that the Odyssey story and my odyssey to get here started long before 2013.

When I was 10 or 12 years old, I remember dreaming (like so many of us at that age) of doing amazing things that would change the world: authoring that novel that would amaze and enlighten, bringing life-saving remedies to people in need, or becoming a leader who would inspire a team to enrich and empower people. I told my father that I didn’t know what I was going to do or be but that whatever it was, I would be the absolute best at it that I could be.

Fast forward many years and I realized that changing the world was more difficult than my younger self realized. The dawning realization was this: to change the world, I had to change myself. Thus began the journey, the odyssey that continues to this day.

This odyssey has been, at times, a painful exploration of who I am as a human in this body, currently. Armed with that self-knowledge I began a painful and difficult climb out of the pitfalls this modern life has set for all of us. There were no sacred cows, no rocks to leave unturned. Every facet from food and drink to exercise and thought to relationships and communication needed to be explored and examined and then improved.

Unlike Odysseus who returned to the safe harbor of his home island this odyssey continues, and I expect it to continue for many more years. Next week…the Journey to Extraordinary.

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Story…Excuses

Are nails used to build a house of failure. I read this somewhere recently. Let that sink in for a moment. I’m not talking about just one facet of life. This is true all through your life. In the gym, at the dinner table, your career, and your relationships are built with either excuses or personal responsibility.

It is easy to blame some external force for not achieving your goals. We all laugh at the kid who tells his teacher that the dog ate his homework. That excuse is obvious and humorous. But how many times have any of us used something similar to fail at something? Because that is what it is…a failure. The kid failed to turn in his homework. The excuse was just the piece that held it together. One more drink, one more dessert, one more missed workout won’t really matter.

We all do this. We tell ourselves that this one time won’t really matter. But we are building a house of failure. Every excuse is another nail. Every excuse is just a way of cheating yourself of success. Every excuse makes you feel good now, but they rob you of feeling great when you achieve your goals.

I understand that eating right is hard, getting up early is hard, being on time is hard, showing up and doing your best is hard, staying on task is hard, hell life is hard. Do you know what’s harder?

That’s right. Living in a house built of excuses.

Be better. Be accountable to yourself. Be the hero of your story.

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Story…Fitness

The other evening my wife and I were conversing about life, CrossFit, and fitness and she posed a rather vexing question…what good does being physically fit do you if you aren’t “fit” in the rest of your life? If your relationships, your work life, your nutrition, your sleep, and your outlook are all taking a back seat to your physical training, how fit are you really?

The answer is unabashedly simple…your physical fitness is just one pillar in our quest for a longer “health span”. Peter Attia in “Outlive” talks about mental health at the end of the book. He readily admits his life, outside of his physical prowess, was a disaster. Hopefully, yours and mine aren’t so bad that we require outside intervention.

When we look at our physical fitness, we know we must show up consistently. We need to put in a good solid effort every time, moving with intention. We need to keep track of our progress and look for ways to improve it.

The same things apply in the other areas of our lives. Are you mindful and intentional with your personal relationships? This is often the place where we take the people around us for granted. How’s your sleep hygiene?  What have you done to get that right? What about your nutrition? I know it’s hard to resist certain things and it’s easy to mindlessly stuff your food in your mouth, but even fast food can be eaten mindfully and intentionally.

You have heard it said before regarding fitness…slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Well, here’s another one for some of those other areas in your life…slow is mindful, mindful is healthy.

Slow down, spend more time on the things that really matter, and enjoy all the gifts life has bestowed upon you.

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

Sunday Story…It’s Over

My trip to the 2024 CrossFit Games ended on Saturday. There was a cutline at 10. I finished Saturday 15^th. Not where I wanted to be, better than where I started, and fortunate given my various infirmities. After my 2018 CrossFit Games, I thought I was done. I needed 3 surgeries, and it took months to get my fitness back on track. Then in 2022, I managed a return and a 2^nd place finish. Every trip since 2018 has been with the knowledge that this time could be the last…I stepped on the competition floor (I’ve been competing in something since age 5)…I could ever showcase my fitness…I could be an inspiration to others with my skill and dedication. So, 2022, 2023, and 2024 were all gifts from the universe.

Here are some quick reflections on this year’s experience:

Although Birmingham was a great city to visit, the town itself really didn’t know we were there (unlike Madison WI)

The workouts were good and challenging but releasing them early favored some athletes over others in ways I didn’t think were fair.

The venue itself was adequate but could have been better.

The spectator experience was better than it has been for Masters over the last couple of years but still far from great.

The level of competition continues to improve every year.

The vendor village was underwhelming.

 The question I get asked after every year is “Are you going to try to go back next year?” My answer this year is probably not. I may need a knee replaced, my hip is responding slowly to physical therapy, and getting out on the edge of human performance even if once a year is detrimental to my stated goal of health and longevity.

My outlook has always been to feel like I made the phrase “Full Effort is Full Victory” come true. I achieved that goal this year. That and being one of the fittest old dudes on the planet that is!

 John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story…Games Recap Day 3

I’m starting the day in 13^th place. There are two workouts scheduled and before we started, I was optimistic about both. Now, however, in a cruel twist of fate, neither of them is going to be in my favor.

The first one is a simple triplet of 6 bar-facing burpees, 6 toes to bar, and 1 165# clean. Before my hip blew up, I was excited about this one. Both toes-to-bar and bar-facing burpees are in my wheelhouse. With only 1 clean at 165# I am confident I can get through the 8 rounds. Until the first clean that is! I finished the toes to bar and the burpees in a great place. When I pulled the clean, I pulled it so hard it hit my chest, threw me back about six feet and the bar went the other way. It took me about a minute to get up and get back to work. I managed to finish 7 rounds and ended in 12^th place.

The second workout is to establish a 1 rep max front squat. Normally I will go 215 – 225# in a competition like this. In the warmup area, I managed to get to 185# but I can tell that I’m only going to get one shot at something heavier. My left hip has no power coming out of the bottom of my squat. The strategy is simple. Start light, move quickly, and don’t fail. Failing in this competition means you must strip the bar before you return it to the rack and then reload the bar. I hit 155, add 20#, and hit 175, add 20#, and miss 195. But when I miss my hip just gives out and I end up sitting on my butt on the floor. It’s bad, really bad. But it’s not over until the bell rings. I quickly strip the bar rerack it and load up 185. Somehow, I manage to squat it to depth and get it up. This is probably my worst finish in 6 years of games competition…19^th.

Final recap next week!

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…Recap Day 2 cont’d

As I move into the final workout of the day, I am 11^th overall. There is one workout left on Friday. It’s a snatch ladder. Going into the competition I was feeling good about this one. The initial weights…95 & 105 are light enough, and the reps…5 &4 are easy enough to fly through those first two. I need to do 3 at 125 and then 2 at 135. I hit 135# on Monday in practice which I haven’t done in ages. I tried 135# about 10 times during the semi-finals and never got one.

The bottom line is that my hip is inhibiting any dynamic up-and-down movement. This translates to doing all the snatches in a power position as there is no way I can squat the weight overhead.

I got through the 95# quickly (about 12 seconds) and then we had to add the weight ourselves to get 105#. This was a change. The bars were preloaded with the first and third weights and then we had to add the weight ourselves for the second and fourth. So, I stepped up to 125# with plenty of time to get 3 reps. And it didn’t matter. In this condition, 125# was out of reach. I could pull the bar (and did) plenty high enough, but I had no way to get under the bar. It was an unmitigated disaster and a very disappointing performance. I finished in 17^th place (and thankful for that!) and 13^th overall.

Luckily, Jason Grubb brought cold plunges for us to get into which helped the hip. With a considerable amount of Advil 2 and deep blue, we will see what tomorrow brings!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com    

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

  

Sunday Story…Recap Day 2

I am starting the day in a great position; 5^th overall but today has 3 very tough workouts. We are starting with a real grinder…75 wall balls, 40 DB shoulder to overhead, 30 DB box stepovers, 40 DB alternating DB snatches, and 75 Wall balls. Right out of the gate, I’m in trouble. My heart rate spikes as I get into the wall balls, and my judge is no repping me relentlessly. I ended up doing probably 90 wall balls to get 75. Not ideal, that’s for sure. My hip’s on fire and getting worse. Double DB box stepovers aren’t helping either. I hit the snatches hard, got back somehow to the wall balls, and got time capped out after 6 more wallballs. I finished in 11^th. Not only is this not my expected finish but I may have damaged my hip.

The second workout is 24.6…accumulate 75 calories on the Echo bike after doing 30 double unders and 10 chest-to-bar pull-ups. The catch is you must do 4 minutes, rest 1 minute, 3 minutes, rest 1 minute, and then 2 minutes to finish. As my regular readers know my double unders have been a sore spot for several years, more so now with my hip lit up. In the first round, I had to go with the single-double. I did get 20 unbroken so that was good, just slow. About 3 minutes into that 4-minute round I see a judge’s hand go up indicating someone is 5 calories away from 75! WTF. He finished before the 4 minutes was up. Unfortunately for him, the judge’s call was wrong…he only had 45 (which was still way more than I had)! My doubles came back in the next 2 rounds, but I only finished with 56 calories which netted me 13^th place.

I am going to leave you in suspense here! Day 2 recap will continue next week!

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com    

775-338-2412

Sunday Story…Recap Day 1

We arrived in Birmingham early Wednesday afternoon. Time to pick up my uniform and get a couple of headshots for the media team. This was a pain in the rear, honestly. It took almost 3 hours to get through both lines. Then we had to come back for a briefing at 8:30pm. Not ideal is all I will say.

My first event is #1…the run deadlift combination. It’s 4 400-meter runs with 4 ascending sets of deadlifts sandwiched in between. My strategy for this one is simple, go easy on the first run, increase the pace every run, and crush the deadlifts. They are only 175#, so that will be more than doable. It is sweet when a plan comes together. On the last run, I pass a ton of people after coming in dead last on the first run. 20 unbroken deadlifts later and I finished 5^th.

The second event for our group is 4 rounds of 3 rope climbs and 6 100# sandbag cleans. All the other groups had some kind of handstand walk after the cleans but they took that away from us. The sandbag cleans required the athlete to show control by removing a hand from the sandbag before the rep counted. This went well until the last rope climb when my judge didn’t see my touch at the top. Luckily, I caught it about halfway down but then she also missed the second one. Finally, it got credited and away I went. I finished at 6:42 and ended up 7^th. Oh, and just for fun I went ahead and handstand walked a quick 20’ or so anyway!

Day two next week.

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com    

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…The Aftermath

 My 2024 CrossFit Games ended on Saturday the 7^th. I finished 15^th and did not make the cut to the final workout. I started in 19^th place and finished in 4 places better than I started. That’s a win in my book. Things didn’t go as well as I wanted or expected but that’s why we compete. It’s supposed to be a test. A test of fitness. At this point in time how good are you, how well do you perform during this test? Just like any other test you’ve ever taken. In this case, the test is also relative to the other participants.

It isn’t where you finish, though. It’s how you finish. Did you put forth your full effort? Did you push your limits? Did you enjoy both the journey and the moments of the competition? These are all the questions I ask myself in the aftermath of a test like this.

For my part, I am completely satisfied with the results of my effort. I managed to come home with no new injuries. I did exacerbate some old ones, however. We are attacking those now.

One of the things to realize is that it isn’t any one of the workouts. If you look at them any one of them would be hard. But 7 over 3 days and do them all at a level 10? That’s what’s hard…that intensity piece tears a body up!

Here’s what I am doing to help my body recover. I’ve increased my mobility work to 22 minutes a day up from 15. This is a huge piece for all of us. Even just 8 minutes a day will do wonders for you. I have also gotten back to my zone 2 training. Just 3x45 minutes on the bike this past week. And 2 sessions with Dr. Amanda Anderson, the physical therapist extraordinaire. It’s taken all week, but my body is finally feeling close to normal.

A more complete recap of the events will be forthcoming!

John Mariotti

www.crossfitoodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogpost.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story...It's Over

 

It's early Sunday morning. If you have been following my progress at the CrossFit Games you may already know I did not make the cut for the final workout this morning. Only the top 10 got in and I was #15.

I will be sending a more comprehensive synopsis in the next few weeks but suffice to say this went better than expected in some areas and way worse than expected in others. I knew going into this competition that I  had some nagging injuries that could affect my performance and they did in a number of ways.

The mantra I live with is "Full Effort is Full Victory".  At the end of the day, that is all there is. Where you finish doesn't matter as much as your effort. Did you give your best effort, given all the variables that existed? Did you exhaust all options and leave it all on the field? Competition is often a microcosm for life. You try and sometimes you exceed your goal and sometimes you fall short. But at the end of the day, the thing you can control is your effort. Your career, your relationships, and more are about your effort and how you choose to handle adversity as it arises. Control your effort and your reaction to what is happening and you will find some measure of peace.

My games experience is done for the year. I gave my full effort. And I am at peace with the journey. 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com    

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story…It’s time

I’ll be leaving for the CrossFit Games on Wednesday. The workouts have been announced and you can see them here:

https://games.crossfit.com/article/age-group-crossfit-games-events-released

I will run a few tests on these workouts just to feel what tactics may be the best to employ but it’s too close to the starting line to go hard at them. I am a little disappointed that some of the higher-level skill work was eliminated or left off. Things like handstand walks and ring muscle-ups are not going to happen for my age group. Oh well. I will just have to make do!

You may wonder what I think of these workouts. The fact is I have no opinion. I look at each one as a stand-alone workout. What is my strategy for those movements? What shoes, knee sleeves, or other equipment is going to best serve me for those movements. How am I going to approach workout number one? Then I put that one away and go on to number two. And so on and so on. This is where my partnership with Invictus really pays off. I rely on their team to guide me in my warmups for each one. I rely on them to provide some strategy options based on the upcoming work. Then I take those ideas and twist and turn and tweak them to my strengths and weaknesses.

The work is the work. Worrying about it won’t change it. Getting upset about it won’t change it. It is what it is and nothing I can say or do will alter that in any way. So, we make a plan and execute it to the best of my ability. And be ready to shift on the fly since getting hit in the face will always cause a shift in strategy!

If you want to watch starting on Thursday morning here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/@legendschampionship8785

Or try this:

https://games.crossfit.com/

 See you on the flip side!

 John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

 

Sunday Story…The Dark Night

A week or two ago I wrote about the” dip.” At that point in your journey, you are trying to decide if you should stay or go, continue or quit. Knowing you are in the “dip” is half the battle. Knowing what that process is will help you decide what your best path forward should be. Most of us will realize we are in the “dip” and continue. What comes next?

The dark night of the soul. You saw the dip and decided to continue. After that decision things look up and your path begins to glide along. There is yet another pitfall waiting. This is where the second-guessing comes in. This is where you start to question all your life choices. This is where the darkness comes crashing down in a smothering blanket.

This is the nadir, the abyss, the rock bottom. Nothing is working, everything feels wrong and broken, and there seems to be no way out. At this point, quitting feels like the only way out.

At this point, it’s time to step back and be disengaged. Is quitting really the only path? What are the ramifications? What’s the worst that can happen if you continue or quit? What’s the likely outcome of both of those things? This is the neutral position. Look at it as dispassionately as possible. Take out your emotions and personal biases. Look at it as cold as possible. The way forward is really the only way. It becomes a question of which path you will take.

After rock bottom, the only way left is up. See you in Birmingham.

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

776-338-2412

 

 

Sunday Story…Tragedy

Someone asked recently if I write these things on Sunday morning. The answer is no, but I do write them in the week before the Sunday when you receive them.

Today is Thursday, the 8^th of August. My heart is heavy as I type these words. The CrossFit Games opened this morning with a 1.5-mile run followed by an 800-meter swim in a lake in Fort Worth. An athlete, Lazar Dukic, did not get it out of the water. Yes, you read that correctly. About 100 meters from the finish line something happened, and Lazar drowned. We don’t know what transpired and will not speculate here. Nor will we speculate on any failures of safety protocols or individual responsibility.

At this writing, we don’t know what is going to happen with the rest of the events scheduled for the Games. The bottom line is that this is a tragedy. No one enters a competition thinking their life is on the line. I know I don’t. Yet we are all given a finite amount of time on this planet.

We talk a lot about community at CrossFit. We have our community here at Odyssey. We love and cherish each and every one of you. We want you to succeed on your Journey to Extraordinary. All of us are also part of the worldwide CrossFit community. We are all athletes. Today one of us is no longer here. It is heart-wrenching
. We will grieve and honor Lazar as best we know how.

All that being said, our hearts are with the Dukic family. There is a fund started to support them. I don’t have the link but I understand FitAid started it.

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com    

775-338-2412

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Story…The Dip

24 days out. This is the “dip” time. The days and times when I question some of my life choices. It feels like I am not getting fitter and might even be going backward. It feels as if nothing is going right, and everything is going wrong. Hip, back, knee, you name it and it’s sore, hurt, and/or achy. Luckily, this isn’t my first rodeo and I recognize these symptoms for what they are…the dip.

The dip in enthusiasm. The dip in energy. The dip in results. The dip in progress. The key to combatting the dip? Recognize it, call it out, and smile as one foot continues to move forward after the other. It’s too late. There is no turning back from here. There is no other cure for the dip, and it is at this point real progress is right around the corner. Just when all looks lost and the trail has gone cold, the sun will break out and the end of the journey will be in sight.

I share this detail with you because we all go through the “dip.” Anytime we are striving and working towards a goal, there will come a point when we want to quit. When quitting seems like the best strategy. Quitting is rarely the right choice when faced with the “dip.” And the primary reason is what is waiting for you when you emerge from the “dip.” The satisfaction of battling through self-doubt, worry, and the suffering of no results. The sweetest victory is the one over your own self-imposed difficulties.

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

PS

If you want to see the CrossFit Games next week here’s a link to get into the CrossFit Experience for free and hang out and watch all the action on the big screen. This is an amazing opportunity, and you shouldn’t miss it!

https://www.cuetoems.com/cfexp_2024/Tickets.aspx?l=DLCEZDO9

 

 

 

Sunday Story…The countdown

We are about 30 days out from the start of the Masters CrossFit Games. Things are getting real. Headquarters is asking for updated biographical information, as well as updated athlete profile numbers.

The real question is how much improvement can be made in 20 training days? The answer is not much in the strength areas. Much more in the skill areas. My double unders seem to be improving (albeit slowly). My handstand work is getting better. And amazingly my cardio-respiratory endurance has ticked up just a little. Those things should continue to improve, and a small improvement will pay big dividends. The other thing that is shifting now is the timing of the work. What happens at a big competition is you spend 30-45 minutes warming up for the event. Then you get corralled, get a timing chip, and wait for 10-20 minutes. Then you are led to a smaller warmup area just outside the event arena where you can warm up for another 5-10 minutes. Finally, you get to line up and enter the playing field. So training is now going to mimic that process a little bit. Usually, we warm up and then go.  Now I am taking more time between warming up and working. It’s a hard thing to do but very necessary.

Several of you have asked if I will taper off training as the games approach and the answer is a resounding Yes. The 4-5 days before the 28^th will be light movement days, focusing on recovery and rest. Invictus has been doing this for quite a few years and they are good at it.

Overall, I am feeling better, and my training is progressing. It’s just a challenge to stay balanced on the knife’s edge!

 

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412