Can you suffer?

This weekend I attended the Southern California CrossFit Games Regionals competition. Once again, I was humbled and frustrated. And once again, I realize there are a few things that I need to change to make myself better. One of the more dramatic events this weekend finished with a heavy walking lunge finish.  What's interesting about that movement is that- for those athletes- the weight isn't crazy heavy, and lunges aren't a skill. You can call it whatever you'd like: guts, moxie, toughness, drive, will, etc.. All it boils down to is one simple question- Can you suffer?

For all of you that want to get better at CrossFit, or anything for that matter, the ability to suffer is paramount to excellence. Each one of you reading this is capable of being pretty o.k.. Above average isn't out of the question either. But if you want to be the really damn good, or even the best? You had better get ready to endure some miserable circumstances... WILLINGLY. You have to want it. A good friend of mine, and one of the best CrossFitters in the world puts it another way, "embrace the suck." 

Suffering doesn't start with the workout. You need to be ready to suffer in almost every way possible. Are you discouraged? Then you don't want to win. You don't want to be the best, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. The world is operated by people who are willing to do the bare minimum to get by. But don't expect to win if you aren't standing in line to catch your licks from the discipline of your choosing- in this case, it's CrossFit.

Here is how you will (and should wan to) suffer:

Your social life will suffer.

1. Early mornings equals getting to bed early. Turn off the t.v. and get your 8 hours.
2. You can't eat what you want. Put down the beer, and start hydrating.
3. People will take offense to your passion. Let them deal with it.
4. You are going to spend more time at the gym. Time to make some new friends.

You will have bad days.

1. You will miss PR's.
2. People will beat you.
3. Your hands will tear.
4. You will get bumps, dings and small injuries.

The better you get, the harder it will be to get better.

1. Heavy weight will crush you.
2. Metcons will destroy you.
3. Someone will make something look easy that is hard as hell for you.

All of these things suck, but you have to take pride in it. Because once it loses its fun the game is over. But I will say this- every single success you ever have will be exponentially more sweet based on the amount that you suffered to get there. And in that moment every single moment you suffered will seem worth it. 

And I'll tell you what you don't want - you don't want to be sitting in second place, or just off of the podium, or with a loss thinking "could I have done more?" If you've suffered as much as you ABSOLUTELY could have then it won't matter where you end up (even though it will be pretty good), it will be a win for you.

If you are harder on yourself than any thing or person, then there is absolutely nothing that will be able to break you.

Can you suffer?

PASSION (n.)

(10c.), from Late Latin passionem (nominative passio) "suffering, enduring," from past participle stem of Latin pati "to suffer, endure," possibly from PIE root *pe(i)- "to hurt" (cf. Sanskrit pijati "reviles, scorns," Greek pema "suffering, misery, woe,". 

11 do's and don'ts for excelling in CrossFit

First, let my clarify straight away which crowd I am talking to. This entry is for people who genuinely want to become a better CrossFit competitor. If you only want to get better... great. Keep going to the gym, and listen to your coaches. Unfortunately, these lists may be intimidating. That is, however, the nature of the beast. There are no promises, no guarantees, and definitely no one-size-fits-all fixes. These do's and don'ts are very realistic, and in most cases, a necessary component of becoming a top tier competitor. Good luck.

DO:

1. Make CrossFitting your hobby. Read about it, talk about it, dream about it. Wake up, do it again. 
2. Fix your diet.  1 cheat meal a week, out of 21 meals, is 95%. ONE. A glass of wine, or two? Cool. Want to go out every weekend with the posse? Not so cool. Winners don't make a habit of eating crap and getting drunk. 
3. Sleep 8 hours a night. Oh, you don't have time? Then you don't have time to get better. Turn off the TV early, and get to bed on-time... even if that means 8:30pm.
4. Find a friend. Surround yourself with like-minded people. And trust me, even your best friends will think you're crazy. 
5. Commit time to the gym. Some of you will need to make an hour a day work, and if you're consistent and focused that can work. But you need to lift heavy and do mobility, not just the WOD. 
6. Write down your strengths and weaknesses. If you are bad at something, FIX IT. If you are good at something, get some confidence. 
7. Set concrete goals. "Make it to Regionals" is a bad goal, there are too many variables. 20lbs on your front squat, 2 minute PR on Diane, etc. Make it something you can measure. 
8. Log your workouts. This isn't just for showmanship. Use beyond the whiteboard to see what you've done, and what your improvement is. You aren't an elephant. You'll forget. 
9. Get a coach to know your goals. Don't be so arrogant to think you can do it by yourself, or worse, don't be afraid to ask. This is why coaches exist. 
10. Prepare to fail. You cannot win every time, and if you aren't ready to do something you're bad at until you become just decent, you will not get better. 
11. Get your mind right. Positivity will pull you through the soreness and kick down PR walls like no supplement or training program can. It may be cliche, but you absolutely need to believe in yourself. 

DON'T:

1. Make excuses. This is pretty cut and dry. You have to decide what is more important to you, and if you're making excuses, getting better obviously doesn't matter that much. 
2. Blow your WOD. You don't have to kill yourself every day. Learn how to pace, and when to redline. Train smarter. 
3. Cherry Pick. If you pick and choose your workouts you won't get better. Get a training program and stick to it. 
4. Train randomly. Don't just do things to do them. That's spinning your wheels. Get your weaknesses list, talk to your coach, and figure out a plan. 
5. Be afraid of the barbell. GET STRONGER NOW. Lift heavy weight often. And ladies, you aren't going to get "bulky", and your hands will heal. Don't be a wimp.  
6. Be afraid to ask questions or admit ignorance. Do you know everything? I didn't think so. You pay coaches to figure this stuff out, get your money's worth. 
7. Worry about an individual WOD. Nobody really cares what your Fran time is. Give a workout your best, then move on. 
8. Ever skip mobility. You will not survive if you don't stretch. Also, you have mobility issues, everyone does. Get them fixed.  
9. Get cocky. Are you feeling really confident about your progress? Good, now do something you suck at. If you aren't being humbled, you're doing it wrong.  
10. Put the cart before the horse. You aren't functional if you can do a muscle up but not an overhead squat. Party tricks are fun and all, but winners can pull, push, and squat a lot.  
11. Don't drink alcohol. Its sabotage, plain and simple. Look it up. You ruin rest and recovery, diet and hydration all at once.