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