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,". 

Intermittent Fasting

If you know me, you know that my diet is very important to me.  If you really  know me, you know that's because I used to be built like the Michelin Man. Over 3 years of dieting has led me through all of the fads, supplements and miracle diets that you have all possibly considered.  Not that they all didn't work- every step that I took was a big part of the transformation that I have been able to achieve. It was an evolution. I recommend that people should be Paleo if they want to be healthy... but I got to that understanding by reading literature, asking questions and trying it out. 

 I understand that when people see me, especially those that don't know me very well, they see a muscle-bound jock that likely daydreams about barbells all day (which is true). What they don't see is the fat kid deep down inside me that still has to decide whether or not to wear an undershirt to hide my rolls, because that's the kind of thing fat people worry about. So I cannot expect a reasonable person to fully understand my conviction when I explain why diet is so important; they don't get a time-lapse camera of me losing 90 pounds. I promise I can see the moment in the conversation when I start explaining why I don't eat grains and dairy, and their mind goes "Fu*k that, cheesecake". And I understand that, because I used to think like that.

I just feel like everyone should understand that this diet thing isn't easy. Not even a little bit. My closest friends all think that it's a walk in the park for me. Like I'm some sort of diet Jedi that can somehow make a daily serving rinsed tuna and raw almonds taste like the most decadent delicacy that Wonka could dream up. Trust me, I love all of the same foods you do, if not more-so. I used to make a ranch and bacon-bit dipping sauce for my stuffed-crust meat lover's pizza that I would eat the day before football games. Probably because I had some sort of vendetta against my heart for tricking me into falling for girls that wouldn't date me because I was fat.

But I saw the error of my ways (that's a much longer story), and through trial and error I have become a physically fit, healthy individual. But like I said, it was and still is a process... which is why I have decided to try a new philosophy: Intermittent Fasting. I am making this decision because I want to see a change. I want to be leaner, I want to be smaller and I want to be faster. I have done my research and I feel this might give me a pretty good chance. I have tried to explain my thought process to friends and fellow fitness folks, and I have already been met with the same questions- 1)What fat? You don't have any to lose, and 2) But isn't skipping meals (breakfast) unhealthy? To which I usually give a very convoluted answer, because I need to get a more firm grasp on the science. But trust me, I wouldn't be trying this if I didn't think it was healthy. And I definitely wouldn't be trying it if I thought it would hurt my CrossFit performance in some way. 

Here are the basics - I'll still be Paleo, because I'm 100% on that. I will eat every day... this isn't a calorie restrictive diet. I will eat after I workout everyday from 1pm to 9pm, then fast until after my workout the next day. Also, I get to eat my normal amount of food in that eight hour window (which my inner fat-child is seriously pumped for). I absolutely do not think that it will be without it's downsides. Here are a few of the "side effects" I can look forward to over the next two-weeks:

1. I will be very hungry in the AM for a couple weeks, which will lead to...
2. General grumpiness - and I don't like that guy
3. Sluggishness
4. Moodiness

After two weeks, all of the bad should start to fade. I am supposed to see energy, focus and strength increases shortly after. Also, I should start losing the fat I want to as well,which will help my gymnastics and cardio and... you get the picture. The most important thing to take away here is that this is a trial run. I'm not going to go around preaching about it, because I personally don't know if it works. Science has got its back, and so do a few well respected scholars. At worst, I lose 2 weeks of training... not a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

In order to see a change you have to make a change. I feel like this is where everyone falls off the boat in regard to diet. Consequentially, this is also the reason why people can get rich off of diet pills, shakes and exercise machines. If it was easy, everyone would have a "rockin' beach bod". Nope, the easy way isn't for me anymore. I have made the decision to punish myself into success. Call it what you want to call it; trial by fire, the path of most resistance, or as our fellow firebreathers say, choosing the wrench. IF might not work, and if that's the case I'll move on to the next idea. But until then I'm giving this all I've got. 

Wish me luck.