Sunday Story...The Open (again)

It's that time of year when the CrossFit season officially opens, and the CrossFit Open begins. It's three weeks (it used to be five). One workout per week. It'll be announced on Thursday afternoon. You must have it done and post it by Monday afternoon.

It's a chance to compare yourself with others like you. It's a chance to really lay it on the line and do your best in a workout you have probably never seen before. It's a chance to really up your intensity in a way that you don't normally do day-to-day. Let's be honest, you show up at the gym 3, 4, or 5 days a week, and you're not always at 100%. During the Open, it doesn't matter whether you're at 100%; you are going to do your level best to put 100% of your effort into the workout. Whether it's 5 min, 12 min, 20 min, 100%.

I remember my first Open workout, 2012: 7 min of burpees, touch a target, 6 min above 6 in above your head. It was late February in Northern Nevada, cold. I had nowhere to do it but outside on the sidewalk, outside of my martial arts studio. Drop on the floor, hit the cold cement, jump up, and touch a target 6 inches above my head. I had to do it outside; I had no choice. It was the only place I had with a target above my head that I could touch. I finished with 87 reps and 88^th place. That started my competitive CrossFit career: 87 burpees in 7 minutes. Since then, I've done that workout several more times and have gotten much, much better. If you ever want to give it a shot, it's tough.

Whether this is your launching pad for your competitive career or just a fun 3 weeks of workouts, the Open will challenge you in ways you didn’t know were possible.

If you're interested in building muscle and strength, sign up for a free fitness assessment at www.crossfitodyssey.com or reach out to me directly to get started on your journey to extraordinary results.

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

 

Sunday Story...More Monks!

Last week I went to walk with the monks, as I mentioned in last week's story. Unfortunately, we didn't get a 6-mile walk. We only had a 1-mile walk due to the weather, which was actually very nice except for the end, when it started raining cats and dogs.

The other thing was that there were a whole lot more people there than I think anybody expected. There must have been at least a couple of thousand people, and it was a crowd of calm, peaceful, happy, harmonious people who were there to celebrate a truly amazing accomplishment.

Those monks walked 2,300 miles from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C. Some of them did it barefoot. They did it in the rain, in the cold, in the heat. It didn't matter; they were just walking for peace.

In these trying times, and there's a lot going on in the world these days, I'm pretty sure that most of us can get behind peace. Pretty sure there are some universal truths that we can all get behind. We'd all be happier if things happened in a more peaceful manner, in a more harmonious manner, in a way that honored every human's purpose on earth, every human's ability, every human's voice. Everyone deserves to be heard, everyone deserves to be respected and honored, everyone.

I hope each of you can walk through your day with peace in your heart, assured of the dignity and respect you deserve as a member of this human race.

If you're interested in building muscle and strength, sign up for a free fitness assessment at www.crossfitodyssey.com or reach out to me directly, and let's get you started on your journey to extraordinary results.

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

 

 

Sunday Story…Walk for Peace

It's Sunday morning, and yesterday I walked with the Buddhist monks from Fort Worth back to their monastery. These monks walked from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., starting in October and finishing on February 12th. That's how long it took to walk 2,300 miles. Think about that. A 2,300-mile walk. One step at a time. They were walking for peace. They weren't walking to get fitter; they weren't walking for exercise; they were walking for peace.

Another Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, wrote a book many years ago titled "Peace in Every Step," and part of that message is that every step we take in the world should be taken with peace in our hearts. Peace in our hearts means that every step that I take, every word that comes out of my mouth, every action that I do is done with kindness and with the idea of generating more peace in the world.

That's what it means to me to walk for peace. It's not a protest. It's not a religious ceremony. It's not sanctified; it's not sacred; it's just a walk for peace, and that is something each one of us should do with each and every step. If you were there and you joined me, I hope you felt peace. If you didn't get there, if it wasn't in your ability or on your schedule, I highly suggest taking a little walk today, whether it's one step or a thousand, and do it for peace.

If you're interested in building muscle and strength, sign up for a free fitness assessment at www.crossfitodyssey.com or reach out to me directly, and let's get you started on your journey to extraordinary results.

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412

 

Sunday Story...100 Words

When I started CrossFit many years ago, we read "Fitness in 100 Words" by Greg Glassman. The first sentence is, "Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat."

When we look at that prescription, it's a very healthy way of eating. It starts with meat and vegetables. We eat protein first; that's the meat part. We eat vegetables, which provide some carbs, a healthy dose of fiber, and micronutrients that support our health. When it says, "eat a little sugar" or "eat a little starch," that means a little. We're not eating two cups of rice in a sitting, or even one cup. We're eating a little starch, like squash and sweet potatoes.

The other part is "no sugar." And this is the big one for all of us. If you're like me, you love sugar. As humans, we were programmed to eat sugar. The difference between the way we were 10,000 years ago and the way we are now is how we get our sugar and how often. It used to be that sugar was hard to come by. If you wanted sugar from bees, you had to knock the hive out of the tree and risk the stings to get the honey. As a matter of fact, naturally occurring sugars like berries and fruits only occur in season. So, we couldn't get strawberries in December or apples in March. Sugar was hard to come by. And that's why it says, "no sugar."

Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar. It's that simple.

If you're interested in building muscle and strength, sign up for a free fitness assessment at www.crossfitodyssey.com or reach out to me directly, and let's get you started on your journey to extraordinary results.

John Mariotti

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

www.crossfitodyssey.com

775-338-2412