Dommelhoeve Farm

Today started with a true country breakfast: scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, spinach, cheese, and a healthy dose of Tabasco sauce. Afterwards, my hosts and I took a walk around the property, which amounts to about 230 acres of land for planting, grazing, and hunting. It felt great to be in space, away from the city. While on our tour we threw around ideas and found some great stuff to use for a workout. Here’s what we came up with:

50 meters truck pull (1530 kg)

5 legless rope climbs (7 meters)

50 axe chops

50 meters wheelbarrow run (110 kg)

50 strict OH press (25 kg)

50 walking OH lunge (25 kg)

600 meters run

Niels’s family has a 1963 LandRover with thick mud tires and a front-end tow hitch. We wrapped a rope through the front loop and used a blanket to pad my shoulders. This was much heavier than the Volkswagon Beetle that I used to pull back in Washington. Was feeling like Quadzilla by the end of the run.

The rope we tied to a 7 meter branch just to the side of the driveway. This worked really well, but was super tough because of the height.

The wheelbarrow we filled with chunks of cement, stone, and steel grate that were lying around the farm. Added up, this weighed 110 kg.

For the overhead pressing and the lunges, I used a rib of an old sailboat that was built in 1804. How cool is that? Somehow this relic is still lying around a family farm, and these guys let me use it for a workout. It weighed just over 25 kg, but felt much heavier due to the awkwardness of the object.

The 600 meter run was across an offseason corn field, so the terrain was lumpy. But the main problem was that I was completely wiped out by this point. My lungs were burnt and my legs were heavy. It took me over an hour to feel totally recovered.

That said, this was one of the more fun WODs I’ve done in a while. So unique, creative, and effective. I’ll post the video when I get back to Leiden tomorrow.

Walk the Bag

This morning I got up and took my sandbag for a walk. No running, just walking. I alternated shoulders whenever I started to feel my posture starting to crumble. I wound up walking about 2 miles, and, honestly, it wasn't too bad. Almost all of the work was in my core and upper back, and I didn't find it as difficult to expand my lungs as last time. So, at mile 1.5 I decided to detour over to L.K.V. de Spartaan and do some extra strength work.

I alternated between incline presses for sets of 5 and hanging L sit holds for max time. For the pressing, my sets looked like this:

70 kg x 5

80 kg x 5

90 kg x 5

100 kg x 5

110 kg x 3

I took a slightly narrower grip than I normally would and really tried to control the descent. It's been awhile since I last did incline pressing and I was happy with my strength overall.

For the L sits, I can only estimate my times:

:30

:20

:20

:25

:15

On these I really felt that the limiting factor was my quadriceps. After the first 10 seconds each set they would start to cramp. Maybe I'm doing the exercise wrong, or I just need more isometric work. It's possible that the answer is a bit of both.

Heading to the countryside for the next few days with my Dutch friend and his family. Hoping to find some creative physical outlet while there.

From Nov 15, 2009_3

Back to Work

My body felt good and fresh today, so I decided to get active again. Went to the park by the river and ran 3 km just before the sun went down. I kept the pace fast the whole way and felt my legs going before my wind, leading me to think that my cardiovascular conditioning is in good shape. Hoping to participate in this 10k race down by the beach in January. They hold it every year in the dunes just east of Noordwijk, and it's supposed to be a pretty fun time. 10k is about my limit these days, so it could be a good challenge.

Got some good ideas for the next few days, gotta rest up.

From Nov 19, 2009

CrossFit's European Central Station

If there is a Crossfit capital in Europe, it’s Copenhagen. And if there’s one place that I would want to train, it’s here. In 72 hours, I visited four gyms, did five WODs, and left the city with a true appreciation for its people, culture, and fascination with fitness. They’re nuts for it! The members were strong, motivated, and welcoming everywhere I went, and the facilities were top notch. I really feel that this place has the opportunity to become CrossFit’s central hub for training, learning, and growth, not just for Scandinavia, but for all of Europe.

To give a better idea of the proliferation of the program in Copenhagen and its surrounding areas, here is a list of affiliates, memberships, and locations. Note that the oldest affiliate has been around for less than eighteen months, and that most have come into being within the last six. The numbers are staggering.

-Butcher's Lab Members: approx 600, First affiliate in Denmark (2008), Has hosted Crossfit challenges and weight lifting competitions for Crossfitters, Has hosted 1 CERT1 + 2 GYM CERT, Located: Copenhagen

-CrossFit Copenhagen Members: 800, Affiliated since June 2008, Hosted a local challenge in August 2008 + participated in the Affiliate Cup @ the CrossFit Games 2009, Hosting challenge in February, Located: Copenhagen

-CrossFit Denmark (Hellerup) Members: approx 100, Affiliated since 2008, Located: Hellerup, 8 km from Copenhagen

-Paideia CrossFit Members: 100, Affiliated since August 2009, Located: Copenhagen

-CrossFit Royal Danish Guards (military base affiliate) Members: approx 230, Affiliated since June 2009, Located: 20 km north of Copenhagen

-CrossFit Royal Danish Defense College Implementing CrossFit in the Danish military, Affiliated since October 2009, Located: Copenhagen

-CrossFit CTC Members: approx 500, including MMA etc, Affiliated since November 2009, Located: 50 km south of Copenhagen

-CrossFit OBBC Members: approx 300, Affiliated since November 2009, Located in Odense, 170 km from Copenhagen

-Aarhus CrossFit Members: approx 200, Affiliated since August 2009, Located in Aarhus, on the Jutland peninsula

-CrossFit Aalborg Members: N/A, Affiliated since 2009, Located in Aalborg, on the Jutland peninsula

Obviously, people here are drinking the Kool-Aid.

In addition to the sheer numbers that this area boasts, it also offers incredible diversity. Often, CrossFit gyms look pretty much the same. (There’s a reason why they’re called boxes) Typically built in old warehouses or office space, they tend to take on a similar shape: four walls, high ceilings, and floor space. They’re uncluttered, minimalist, and, many times, lack an individual character. Such is not the case in Copenhagen.

Of the four gyms I visited, none is comparable to the other.

Paideia Gym is on the ground floor of a large concrete building, accessible through the loading dock door. Inside it has two rooms (one for classes, one for general use); a unique multi-purpose steel grid for heavy bags, rings, etc.; two proper Olympic platforms and a power rack for heavy squatting; and tons of non-traditional fitness tools like sledges, maces, club bells, and sand bags. The walls are covered in artwork for sale, and the whole place has a very intelligent feel.

Crossfit Denmark (Hellerup)is in one of the wealthiest areas of Copenhagen. It exists as a world within a world, a CrossFit haven amidst the health and wellness aura of the fitness spa from which it rents space. Their “box” is glass, well lit, completely stocked, and exposed to the curious view of many a treadmill worshipper.

Crossfit Copenhagen operates out of a different place of worship, a church. Now affectionately called “the church of pain,” CC’s home is incredible. Two floors with very high ceilings give this place an enormous feel, and a very unique look. It’s really two boxes in one. They have tons of equipment, tons of space, and STAIRS. The fact that they use both floors in the same workout means you have to climb stairs constantly. I love it.

Butcher's Lab is, as the name would indicate, housed in an old butchery. It has a bunch of rooms, all of which have tile walls and big, hazy windows, giving this place a great raw quality that you can’t help associating with a slaughterhouse. Sounds morbid, but it works. They also use neon colors for their logo, so the place has flashes of bright green, pink, blue, and orange depending on which room you are in.

The uniqueness of these gyms gives them character and personality, thus differentiating them from other boxes. In my opinion, this gives their memberships a stronger sense of identity, ownership, and pride. These are qualities that hold communities more tightly together and serve to draw new members in.

More so than the number of members or the environments they train in, though, it’s the quality of the people that really makes Copenhagen a CrossFit Mecca. The owners and coaches are well-educated, thoughtful program designers that understand the importance of balance and variety. The athletes are eager, tough, and tuned in to the greater community. Perhaps the only area in which the city is lacking is the coordination between gyms. They’re all so close together, but it doesn’t seem like one community is interested in the actions or development of the others. This is too bad.

The exception to this is to be found in my host, Sarah Lindasdatter Troelsen Krarup. This woman is a machine. In addition to being a great athlete with a serious motor, she knows everyone, everywhere. It was through her connections and knowledge that I was able to experience as much as I did during my visit. While she has founded the Royal Danish Defense College affiliate and is an original member of CrossFit Copenhagen, she continues to train everywhere and maintain relationships throughout the community, essentially creating a link between parallel worlds.

Ideally, it would be great to see a truly cohesive network of affiliates, members, and owners that are tied loosely together by their common goal of building fitness in Copenhagen. Perhaps with cooperative challenges and events, and with people like Sarah continuing to connect the dots, this will become possible. In any event, Copenhagen has grown into a breeding ground for elite fitness in a very short amount of time. I can't wait to see where time will take it from here.

From Nov 15, 2009_3

Fitness is...

Failure.

Get comfortable with it. If you’re not failing, you’re not getting better. And if you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse.

This idea represents two important things to me.

First, intensity is everything. A properly balanced program will vary its workouts in terms of style, movement pattern, and volume, but not in intensity. Whether the focus is strength, endurance, or metabolic conditioning; whether you’re working deadlifts, overhead presses, or sprints; whether its Angie or Fran; the intensity has to be maximum. This is not to say that every workout must put you on the floor. Intensity isn’t necessarily about exhaustion. It’s about focus, will, and the commitment to a full effort, regardless of the challenge. For example, my grandmother is training to lose weight through a combination of cardiovascular training, group strength classes, and Pilates. Needless to say, her ideal post-workout position is not sprawled on the floor next to a trash can. Her approach to fitness should, however, mirror that level of physical intensity in her concentration and dedication to completing her routine with maximum effort. This attitude will force her to test her limits on hikes, with weights, and on the Pilates mat, ultimately pushing her to the point of failure in many respects. This is a good thing.

The same can be said for Crossfitters, just in a more obvious way. WODs are designed to test limits in a wide range of physical and mental capacities. So test them! The people that get the most out of workouts are not the ones who complete them easily, or those who zone out halfway through in an effort to “just get through it.” If you ever find this to be the case during a workout, you’re missing the point. One inarguable beauty of this program is that, regardless of ability, every WOD can be met with the same level of effort and focus, and thus can impart the same physical and mental effects. The biggest beneficiaries are the people who fail over and over and over during the course of a WOD, and then get up to fail some more.

The second concept failure brings to mind is fear. People are so afraid to fail. From a young age, it is something we have been taught to avoid at all costs. This fact, combined with the knowledge that failure is actually essential to our ultimate success, makes this fear one of the toughest paradoxes for our psyche to overcome. I, for one, know this emotion too well. Before football games I would get this deep, paralyzing self-doubt regarding my own ability. Every week, I was certain the defensive back opposite me was stronger than I was, faster than I was, and, in general, better than I was. This usually didn’t subside until the first major collision of the game, when the intensity level became so high that I no longer had time to doubt myself, only to act.

Interestingly, I see the same thing happen all the time in gyms and Crossfit boxes. As Sarah wrote the chipper on the board at the Butcher’s Lab this past weekend, different people softly objected to elements they were weak on, or complained that they would have to scale. In Halmstad for the Scandinavian Challenge, I heard stories of people dropping their names from the competition when the WODs got posted, mostly because they were inconsistent with their personal strengths. Every time someone is embarrassed to bench press or back squat next to a guy that can double his total, it’s the embarrassment over his relative failure that holds him back.

How to conquer this fear? Rather than focusing on the competition between individuals, focus on the competition with the workout. Again, this should be the competitive standard for all workouts anyway. Then, when you really need it, when you’re just about to quit, when you’ve been pressed to the brink of failure, that’s when you start looking for extra motivation. That’s when you use the intensity of those around you to will yourself to the next rep. That’s when the community leans on itself, pushes its collective limits, and builds itself stronger than before.

The bottom line is that fitness requires failure. Your body adapts to challenges it cannot meet in order to better prepare itself for the future. This process involves levels of fear and intensity that are typically uncomfortable, but absolutely necessary. If you’re not outside your comfort zone, you will not improve. And if you're not trying to improve, what exactly are you doing?

From Nov 15, 2009_3

Crossfit Copenhagen WOD

Here is a link to the video from the "Killer" WOD with Crossfit Copenhagen. Thanks to those guys for a great time and a cool video!

Killer WOD @ Crossfit Copenhagen

Copenhagen Videos

Here are the links to the videos from Hellerup, Rosenborg Castle, and The Butcher's Lab. The WOD with Crossfit Copenhagen, I've been told, will be finished in a few days.

Copenhagen Day 3: Danish Royal Guard & The Butcher's Lab

So I just made it back to Leiden, and it’s now 11:00 pm. I am SOOORRREEE. Getting out of bed this morning was kind of a joke, and the workouts we did today were far from layups. Today also brought some incredible sightseeing, courtesy of the Danish Royal Guard and what amounts to the most developed hippie commune I’ve ever seen.

Sarah and I woke up early, and were met outside by our friend Jess at 8:30 to head over the Rosenborg Castle, home of the Danish crown jewels and the Royal Guard barracks. Jess and Lars, our two Royal Guard alumni contacts, arranged for us to do a WOD in front of the castle, in the presence of armed guards! This was unbelievable. The place is beautiful, first of all. Manicured gardens, ancient architecture, and it was such a perfect morning. Even though it had been raining all week, the sun rose to clear skies for us today.

Our workout was…

20 minute AMRAP:

1 KB burpee complex (close grip pushup on the handle, SDLHP, kb swing)

100 m KB run

2 KB complex

100 m KB run

3 KB complex

100 m KB run…. Etc

Going in, I expected this to be predominantly a cardio vascular challenge. This was not the case. I used a 24 kg kettlebell, Jess used a 20 kg, and Sarah a 16 kg, but none of us could maintain a running pace much faster than a jog. Our arms were so quickly exhausted by the complex, that controlling the weight during the run was practically impossible. This turned out to be much more of an upper body dominant workout.

In the end, I completed 14 rounds plus 5 KB complexes, Jess did 13 rounds and 2 KB complexes, and I think Sarah did 10 rounds and 2 KB complexes. All of us had long arms after this one…

After a quick shower, Lars and Jess escorted us through the barracks museum, which showcased much of the Royal Guard’s history since 1660. We saw old uniforms, modeled battlefields, weapons, and got to meet a few of the young men now serving.

Then, as is a popular Danish custom, we followed the march from Rosenborg to the Royal Palace for the changing of the guard. It was impressive the adherence to tradition and discipline this process entailed. Perfection is the only word to describe the meticulousness of their uniforms, the tightness of the formation, and the focus of each soldier.

After grabbing a quick bite, the four of us headed across town to the meatpacking district for the final stop on my tour of Copenhagen’s Crossfit elite. The Butcher’s Lab. This box is carved from the remains of an old butchery, and is every bit as raw as it sounds. Exposed tile, big spaces, tons of rooms packed with ropes, tires, and sledges… this place was awesome. It’s funny how the location of a workout arouses a different kind of emotion or motivation based on its unique personality. In the morning the scenery provided an inner calm. This afternoon it was like exposed nerves. I could not have been more sore, tired, and uninterested in doing another workout, but when we walked through the doors of The Butcher’s Lab, I could feel myself amping up involuntarily.

We were greeted by Kenneth, the owner, Anders, our workout partner from Friday, and about 20 others who were revved up and ready to go. The workout was…

10 muscle up

20 inverted burpee

30 snatch (45 kg /25 kg)

40 pullup

50 pistol squats (total)

60 deadlift (45 kg/25 kg)

70 atomic situp (full extension to knees 2 chest)

80 half moon MB slams (total)

90 meter bear crawl

100 double unders

Because Sarah and I had designed this workout the night before, I cannot complain about the amount of work demanded. However, I will say that I ran out of gas pretty quickly and most of this thing was finished on fumes. The muscle ups and inverted burpees were a breeze, and the snatches were decent. The pullups were tough, but the pistol squats were a straight-up bitch. I suck at these things and my legs had nothing to left to give, a pretty bad combination. The deadlifts were fine, the situps were shitty, and the half moon slams took forever. This was the most surprising element for me. Because the standards required us to settle the ball each time before transitioning to the next repetition, this took FOREVER to complete. The bear crawls and double unders were essentially gut check exercises—I knew I could do them, I just had to bite my lip and force myself to keep moving.

I finished in 27:10, 30 seconds behind Sarah’s best time of 26:40. She wasn’t happy in the slightest… (My attempt at irony)

Afterwards, Anders led the “bonus,” something that they apparently do after every WOD, just in varying forms. Today’s was an isometric group pushup. Carefully aligning us facedown in a circle, Anders placed one individual’s legs on the person behind them until we were all connected. Then, on the count of 3, we raised the entire group and held for 45 seconds. This was repeated twice more, and I’m serious when I say I don’t think I could have done a third. The closest I can approximate this type of challenge is a prolonged stalemate during tug of war. I didn’t collapse, but I wanted to.

Jess, Lars, Sarah, and I left the Butcher’s Lab and headed into one of Copenhagen’s truly unique enclaves, Christiania, for a quick bite before I got on the plane to return to Holland. I won’t go into too much detail, but suffice it to say, Woodstock lives. This place is self-sustaining, pays no taxes or rent to the city, does not allow photography, serves only organic food in its restaurants, and has a “liberal” stance on narcotics. We wandered around for awhile, eventually settling in Nemoland, one of Christiania’s restaurant/bars. We ate burgers drank beers for close to 2 hours. Honestly, it was the perfect ending to an incredible weekend. While I know it will be a few days before my body feels right again (I may take a whole week off), I also know that this weekend was worth every bit of pain I am now in. I plan on writing more about the people and culture of Copenhagen over the next few days.

For now, in reference to the ongoing joke of the weekend, I know what my gut is telling me: if Chuck Norris wasn’t American, he’d be Danish.

Nov 15, 2009_3

Copenhagen Day 2: Crossfit Hellerup & Crossfit Copenhagen

Today was a long day! I woke up rested this morning, but already feeling a bit of soreness from the squats last night. I can definitely appreciate the difference going below parallel with heavy weight. We took our time getting out of the house, but as soon as we did, things came hard and fast.

Our first stop was at Crossfit Hellerup with Oliver, Nicholas, and Mathias. Together, they've carved out a space in the midst of one of Copenhagen's poshest health clubs, Well-Come. Their facility is two rooms, each of decent size, complete with ERGs, GHDs, barbells, bumper plates, kettlebells, jump ropes, climbing ropes, rings, dynamax balls, and all the usual trappings. Just outside their doors is an aerobics classroom, a health spa, and a shopping mall. It's really a unique situation, and I love the way they've found a way to do Crossfit in an atmosphere that otherwise does not seem to gel.

But, such an atmosphere has it's advantages. They get complimentary usage of the health spa, which includes a steam bath, a sauna, an ice pool, an enormous jacuzzi, fresh fruit, sparkling water, and massage. WORTH IT. We were treated to this experience after the workout of the day. It was...

Taken from James Fitzgerald's Blog, Part 4 of the OPT challenge:

50 walking lunge

20 clean and jerk (60 kg/40 kg)

30 ring dips

25 wall balls (20 lb/14lb)

30 GHD situps

30 kettlebell swings (1.5 pd/1 pd)

75 double unders

This was a good sprint of a chipper. Originally intended to be done after 3 other short met cons, we had the advantage of relatively fresh bodies (Though I will say, again, that the legs were heavy from the squats). I finished this routine in 9:10, Oliver in 12:16, Nicholas in 15:07, and Sarah in 17:07. For the most part, these exercises were challenging without being overwhelming. However, the wall balls were surprisingly difficult after the jerks, and dips. We got some good video of this, which I will post when I get back to Leiden.

After this we went directly to the spa, spent 10 minutes in the steam room, 30 seconds in the ice pool, 10 minutes in the sauna, 2 minutes in the ice pool, and 10 minutes in the jacuzzi. When I tell you this was amazing, I am not exaggerating. However, being that we had to turn around and do another workout in less than an hour, this was a mixed blessing.

We left the spa, slammed some food, and headed across town to Crossfit Copenhagen. This is the biggest affiliate in Denmark, and one of the biggest in the world. Its membership is over 800 at this point and growing. Although it's not located in the best neighborhood (kind of part of the charm), the space makes up for it and more. Built in a nineteenth century church, Crossfit Copenhagen has two floors of very large workspace. The upper floor is especially cool, because it is where mass used to be held. The balcony is still intact, so as we did the workout people were viewing from above, videotaping and cheering us on.

For the workout, Sarah and I were 2 among 10. The presiding coach for the night was Asger, and he wrote a really cool team WOD for us to do. In teams of 2, split between floors, we did the following for time:

3 rounds each of

300 m row/ max burpee c2b pullups (continue until row is finished then switch)

3 rounds each of

3 BW clean and jerk/ max weighted lunges (32 kg/24 kg) (continue lunging until C&J is finished then switch)

3 rounds each of

30 wall ball (20lb/14lb)/ 30 pushup

For the burpee c2b and the lunges, each repetition was worth one second. At the end of the workout, we subtracted the seconds from our time, to give us the final time. I can't say what every team's time was, but Sarah and I finished in 15:18, after our subtractions, and I was wiped. I wound up doing 166 lunges so my hamstrings were quivering while sitting on the stage afterwards.

The guys from the gym got some great footage, so I will defer to them on the movie making for this one. I had a great time, and there were some great athletes. Doing a tandem WOD was fun and motivating in a different way than I am used to. Maybe I can find someone in Holland to do some more of these in the future...

I'm exhausted now, but we have two more workouts to go tomorrow, along with some serious sightseeing. Although I'm super tired, I draw inspiration from one of the worlds greatest heroes...

FACT: Chuck Norris doesn't sleep. He waits.

Copenhagen Day 2: Crossfit Hellerup and Crossfit Copenhagen

Friday 11/13 - Day 1 in Copenhagen, Paidaia Gym

I arrived in Copenhagen around 12:00 today. Sarah met me at a metro stop near the city center, from which we proceeded on 3 km walking tour through some of the city. She took me past some beautiful architecture, including the National Ballet Theater, the Round Tower (an enormous tower that has no stairs, just circular, sloping inclines), the Copenhagen Law School, numerous 18^th and 19^th century churches, and the national soccer stadium. All of this was on the way to her flat in Copenhagen’s East Borough. You can really feel the age in this city. I’m not sure exactly why, but it just feels older than some other places I have been.

After lunch, we headed over to Paidaia Gym for a strength workout. Erik and Fred, two of the owners, were there to greet us. They, along with one other, broke away from another affiliate to open this place. The space is big and unique, consisting of two large rooms, one designed specifically for crossfit classes and the other for open gym and MMA. The gym is littered with cool toys, including club bells, sandbags, maces, kegs, chains, and parallettes. It was apparent right away that this was an intelligent gym, both in its design and its personnel.

For our workout, Sarah and I were joined by her friend Anders. He has a strong background in Olympic weightlifting and boasts a 95 kg power snatch! This blew my mind, since he probably only weighs 150 lbs. Picking his brain was pretty fun. For out workout we did the following…

Back Squat 4, 4, 4, 4, 4

Followed by 1 super squat (set of 20) at a 1 breath tempo (stand and take one breath between each repetition).

4 x 1 minute rounds of elevated handstand pushups, with 2 minutes rest between

This was a strength emphasis day, obviously, and it was really beneficial. I deliberately did full Olympic squats for all of my sets (ass to the ground) in an effort to build better strength through the range of motion and improve my drive out of the hole. My weights were 100 kg, 110 kg, 120 kg, 130 kg, 130 kg. I repeated the final set at 130 kg because I knew I would not be able to bump the weight and still get 4 reps going that low. The last rep on the 4^th set had been a fight. With the exception of my right knee leaning in a bit on some of the movements, my technique looked very good, and was dissected for constructive criticism by a few of the guys present.

For the super squat set (set of 20), I dropped the weight to 90 kg and made it through without much trouble. In retrospect, I should have kept it at 100 kg as I had originally intended. Chalk one in the puss column.

The handstand pushup sets were tough. I set up the parallettes at about 30 inches width and stacked a couple plates underneath, leaving approximately an 8 inch deficit (only about 4 at the games) to overcome. I’ve been gradually working the depth lower and lower in an effort to build strength in both my press and in the HSPU movement, specifically. The first minute I did 5 repetitions. The second I did 4. The third I did 6. And the fourth I did 4. With Sarah’s help (she’s an ex-gymnast) I concentrated more on contracting my pelvis and locking my hips, and on pushing my head through my hands to lock the scapula. These tips helped for sure. 19 repetitions over 4 sets is nothing to write home about, but the deficit was significant and I felt I had improved. Afterwards I did one max set of handstand presses from the floor- man did it feel like I was barely moving my body at all! I did 15 in a row after doing all the previous work and still felt good.

After wrapping things up with Eric and the other owners, we headed back to Sarah’s house where she and her husband gave a great dinner party for some of their friends. A great group of people, great food, and wonderful hosts made this a really fun night. Looking forward to what comes next.

Copenhagen Day 1, Paidaia Gym

Heading to Copenhagen

Not sure if I'll be able to post while there, so I'll lat out the basic schedule as I understand it to this point.

Friday afternoon: General sightseeing in the city, followed by strength session at Crossfit Paidaia Gym, followed by dinner party with friends

Saturday AM: WOD with Crossfit Hellerup, followed by trip to the recovery spa (nice!)

Saturday PM: WOD at Crossfit Copenhagen, followed by drinks downtown

Sunday AM: Baroque Palace WOD with the Danish Royal Guard, followed by tour of the palace and queens castle

Sunday PM: WOD at the Butcher's Lab, followed by getting on the plane and flying home.

It's a full slate but a good one. Looking forward to it. Pictures and videos to come!

Fitness is...

Defense. Typically, I think of fitness as a way to achieve ability in different facets of life. I want to be strong so the loads life asks me to bear seem lighter. I want endurance so that I can enjoy activity longer without tiring. I want to be agile so I feel balanced and coordinated in any situation, be it going up stairs or climbing a wall.

The other day I met a man at the gym who related a story that reminded me that getting fit isn't purely about being "able." This is something I always tend to forget, but it's such an integral part of why fitness, and crossfit specifically, can be so valuable. When he was 19 (he's now 41) this guy was a weightlifter. He did clean and jerk, snatch, deadlift, squat, bench press, etc. Now he mainly does machine weights, db curls, and other body building style movements. This is because just before his 20th birthday, he fell 7 meters from scaffolding onto the concrete sidewalk below. In an admittedly ill-advised attempt to brace the fall, he landed on his feet and tried to catch himself in a squat. He did it, but shattered his right tibia and fibula in the process.

Doctors performed a series of surgeries to repair the damage, including inserting massive metal plates and bolts to secure his lower leg (I saw the scars-- wow). After a year in a cast, he started to rehab, only to discover that his achilles tendon had been so traumatized by the experience that it had remained shortened from the shock of the impact. Now his right leg is shorter than his left, he has a slightly noticeable limp, and has had to redefine what a functional training program means to him.

Not so bad, when one considers what the surgeon told him in post-op. Apparently, the musculature that he had developed during his teenage years of training had largely held the broken bones in place during the accident. He said that most cases with this extensive a break pattern fragment so badly that the individual loses any real functional use of his lower leg, but that this man would likely return to a level completely compatible with daily life.

Furthermore, this man's body had somehow absorbed the impact that would have ordinarily travelled up to his spine and even into his neck. According to the doctor, it was practically miraculous, given the nature and angle of his fall, that this man had suffered no structural back damage whatsoever.

Stories like this abound. I know of very fit individuals who have been thrown from their motorcycles (wearing a helmet), their bodies breaking through trees, but only emerging with minor injuries. Their physicians explained this as a combination of luck and physical resilience, do to the protection and stability their muscles provided.

Robb Wolf posted a story a few weeks ago about an individual who contracted a rare blood infection that attacks the lungs, was minutes from being put on a ventilator, but eventually rebounded, went his entire hospital stay without needing insulin, and emerged without any permanent lung damage. According to the blood and pulmonary specialists, his diet and his training had respectively and independently saved his life.

The moral here, for me, is that fitness isn't always offensive. As much as I focus on training for ability and achievement, the reality is that I'm just as actively training for protection. Sometimes, in the immortal words of Forrest Gump, shit happens. The better prepared your body is to handle it, the less damage it will do.

From My First Week

Rest Day

Long day of class today, going to hit the sack early. Planning a two part workout for tomorrow morning, then resting until Friday when I head to Copenhagen. From the sounds of what my friend and local contact Sarah has planned, it will be a packed weekend.

In other news, I've been sticking much closer to the Paleo diet of late. For the past 3 weeks, I've almost completely eliminated grains (alcohol still there). This has meant a lot more fruit and nuts, and a lot more potatoes. Thankfully I've found a vendor at the market that sells sweet potatoes, so that will help. I'm curious to see if I will see any tangible effects. Thus far, I'd say I feel more energy in general, but that is a tough meter for measure. The biggest challenge is finding ways to keep getting enough calories in. If nothing else, it's been fun to try something new and shake up an old habit.

From Nov 8, 2009

Monday 11/9 - AM....PM

In the AM...

This morning I did a trans-continental challenge with a friend of mine in Washington. Josh Courage and I worked together at Balance Gym in D.C. for a few years and have been talking about doing workouts in tandem across the divide for a while as a way to connect and create extra motivation. Today was the first installment of that idea. I came up with the workout. It was as follows:

AMRAP 1 minute rounds without rest of:

BW bench press

Dips

Reverse Burpees

Continue following the progression until you reach 100 total repetitions, then run a mile. The lowest total time is the goal. I finished in 15:11, Josh in 15:18, so this wound up being pretty tight. I felt great during the first set of presses, knocking out 22 at 82.5 kilograms (182 lbs). From there, the rest of the rounds were a struggle. Once I hit the run, however, things improved. I felt like a horse. I finished my 100th repetition just before 9 minutes, and got back into the weightroom at 15:11, meaning I was close to a 6 minute mile. Not sure if it's because the last few times I've run it was with a kettlebell or on a treadmill hill, but it just didn't feel that hard. Definitely a good feeling.

In the PM...

Met up with Hank to work snatches. My focus for this session was repetitions. I probably did 40-50 snatches tonight. I started with 60 kg, doing sets of 3, and really focusing on the timing of my second pull. Hank gave me a great tip that really helped me with this. He suggested breathing out or making an audible noise at the moment of acceleration. This little thing somehow made it so much easier to connect the timing of the lift for me. I was suddenly hitting the pocket every time. I worked up to marginally heavy weights, but only so far as I could maintain the technique. Next time I go in fresh and heavy, I'm looking for a new record. For now, big positive signs technically.

Back to the Burcht

So this morning I got up early, dragged my neighbor with me, and went to the Burcht (12th century citadel in Leiden). Feeling rested from the last few days and with my new sandbags ready to be used, I constructed a workout that ended up being really really cool.

3 rounds for time:

10 burpee box jumps

10 sandbag squats (40 kg)

5 m rope climb

5 m anchor pull (40 kg)

I finished in 9:47 and had a ton of fun. I think I could have gone for 5 rounds, honestly. My legs felt strong, and the climb was no problem. The only difficult movement was the anchor pull. There was a ton of lower back and hamstrings involved in this movement, and I was remembering the fireman challenge in Berlin while doing it. 40 kg is a lot of weight to pull 5 meters, and the ledge kept getting in the way only making things more difficult. Overall it was a great workout and a beautiful crisp morning to be out of the apartment. Everyone else was heading to church, and I was breaking a sweat. The video link is below.

Rest Day

Starting to feel pretty rested finally. I think my body is just now fully recovered from last weekend's competition, and that's got me excitedly looking forward to the week upcoming. I head to Copenhagen on Friday for a Danish adventure that will include 5 WODs, 4 affiliates, a trip to the recovery spa, the oldest baroque palace in Europe, and hopefully a few beers along the way. I've been looking forward to this trip for awhile now, and with the new friends I made at the Scandinavian challenge it's shaping up to be an even better looking weekend.

This week, I'm planning to train Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, then rest Wednesday/Thursday before the weekend. Weather permitting, this week's workouts should be great.

From Nov 1, 2009

Go make a Sandbag

First off, my stomach is so sore today. I think this is mostly a result of the 200 situps 2 nights ago, but it's possible the hill runs last night had something to do with it. It was tough to roll out of bed.

Today I did a little homework. A while back I came across a couch down the alley that someone had decided to rid themselves of. Opportunity knocking and light bulbs flashing in my brain, I removed the two seat cushions, unzipped them, and made off with the slip covers. They've been sitting on my window sill ever since.

Fast forward to this afternoon. In preparation for a workout later this weekend, I took the covers down to Ankerpark along with some medium sized garbage bags and proceeded to transform them. My method was simple: Fill 4 double thick trash bags with wet sand, stuff them inside the slip cover, and voila! A new toy to play with. Now, I originally thought that I could put 4 sand bags in one cover, but this proved to be waaay too heavy for reasonable usage (I couldn't even get it to my shoulder). So, instead, I split the weight between the slip covers, winding up with 2 functioning sand bags rather than 1.

This is only an estimate, but I'd say each bag weighs around 90 lb. No way to tell for sure, since I don't have a scale, but based on experience with weighted bags in another life, I don't think this estimate is too far off. Also, they're pretty floppy and tough to handle because of the excess slip cover space left unfilled. I had to carry these the 1/2 mile back to my house (2 trips), and their effectiveness cannot be disputed. I was sweating like a pig, fighting to maintain an upright posture, and all around upset that I didn't have a car to help with the burden. This homework assignment had turned into quite a little challenge in its own right.

I plan to use these a lot, perhaps starting with a daily "Walk the Bag" session in the mornings before class. I'm hoping this will significantly strengthen my core and help me to break through some barriers in the deadlift and squatting movements.

Nov 6, 2009

Thursday 11/5 - Cleans in a Corner

Last night I did one of the sneaky-hardest workouts I have ever done. What I mean by that is, the difference between what I expected and what actually transpired was so different that I felt totally unprepared for the consequences. The workout literally snuck up on me. I found my lungs burning all the way down to my stomach, my legs extremely heavy, and my dinner a few burps away from the floor of the gym. All of this I attribute to a piece of equipment that I NEVER use, and deeply distrust in all facets: the treadmill. However, this day, it shredded me.

3 rounds for time:

20 DB squat cleans (16 kg DBs)

40 pushups

400 m treadmill hill run (15% grade)

In order to discourage myself from splitting the run like so often happens on treadmills (grabbing the handlebars, jumping to the side for a breather while the belt still moves), I instituted a 10 burpee penalty for every time I used my hands for anything besides adjusting speeds. This worked, as I never split the run-- and there were plenty of times when I wanted to--and I paid the intended price, cardio-vascularly.

It took me a total of 19:51 to complete. Waaaaay too long, in my opinion. It just felt like the runs were so long, and so taxing that the cleans and pushups (normally no big deal) were devastating. Using the treadmill for hill work was something I used to do in Washington as part of a larger circuit, but never for such a long distance. It's legit hard. If you haven't done it in a while, crank that sucker up to max incline, refuse to get off before you hit the distance, and see what I mean.

Wednesday 11/4 - Back at it

Tonight, I headed back in still feeling a little stiff in the lower back and a little dead overall. I decided to keep the workout short and sweet, and sort of ease back into things.

I started with

3, 2, 1 strict press

and

3, 2, 1 push press

I got to 80 kg on the strict press, but not very cleanly. Couldn't really get myself into it. The push press I got to 97.5 kg, and it felt pretty decent. I think I could have gone higher.

Afterwards I did a 10 minute AMRAP couplet:

2 elevated HSPU

20 situp

I finished 10 rounds in 9:57, exactly what I was hoping for. It seems 2 repetitions of HSPU per minute isn't enough to overwhelm my shoulders. Next time I include them, I'll know to do more.

Overall, luke warm feeling after today. Think I may need some more rest before things feel back to normal.

Scandinavian Crossfit Challenge, The Experience

I left Leiden at 12:00 pm on Friday afternoon. After changing trains 5 times, twice unsuccessfully, I arrived in Kiel, Germany at 8:40 pm. Nightmarish doesn't quite describe this initial leg of my travel experience. In addition to the extra time and effort required to rework the mistakes I made, I had the added stress of thinking I had missed my Berlin friends in Kiel due to my incompetence. Thankfully, they were still there, only having arrived 20 minutes prior. Needless to say, it was a relief to not have been left behind.

From there we drove 6 hours to Halmstad, Sweden, crossing a few monstrous bridges and traversing the Nordic coastline for much of the voyage. We arrived just after 3 am. That's roughly 15 hours of travel, for those of you keeping track. The return leg of the journey provided more of the same, with us missing a ferry, and my having to stay the night in Berlin rather than trek back across the continent in the dead of night. All told, I think I logged 32 hours of car/train time on this trip. I mention these details only to place my overall feeling for the weekend in the proper perspective. It's a testament to how well the event was organized, how great the people were, and how much I enjoyed the experience that I emerged so happy in spite of my travel woes.

The hospitality of my German travel mates having already been elaborated on in previous posts (their legend only continues to grow), I will try to focus the reflections for this trip on the new friends I made and the impressions I found most lasting.

First, the spread was impressive. The Eleiko facility was beautiful, large, and nicely tucked away on the edge of town. For all events we were using state of the art equipment (incredible bars, brand new kettlebells, chrome plated bumper plates, etc). The place was, in a word, loaded.

Equally prepared for our arrival was the staff, supplied mostly by Crossfit Nordic out of Stockholm. These guys, led by Mads Jacobsen and Martin Altemark, were organized, friendly, professional, and incredibly encouraging during every event. They set the tone for the entire competition with their enthusiasm, intensity, and welcoming demeanor.

The competitors covered a broad spectrum of nationalities, with representatives from Sweden, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belarus. All told, I think there were somewhere in the neighborhood of 30-40 competitors, male and female combined, all of whom I found to be very interesting, kind, and dedicated people. I’m actually looking forward to spending time with many of them in the coming months when I visit Copenhagen and southern Germany.

The combination of these factors (facility, staff, and competitors) created an atmosphere that permeated the competition, an atmosphere that reminded me very much of the Mid-Atlantic Qualifier I went to last April in Virginia Beach, and of the Games in Aromas this past summer. People were motivated without hostility, focused without stress, driven to achieve but also interested in other's success. This is very different than the environment you encounter in most competitive arenas, and it is, in many ways, the defining memory I took with me from Sweden.

In total, this weekend consolidated my previous experiences with Crossfit events, and enabled me to distill the essential characteristic that I find redeeming therein: The most important victory is not that of the individual over the competition, but of the individual over the event. This is not meant to be a cheesy, rah rah, “find true strength within” kind of statement. On the contrary, it is meant to be an empirical observation of the collective strength and the unique standards for appreciation present at these competitions. Take an example from this past weekend…

The second WOD on Saturday was 50 double unders, 30 overhead anyhows with 60 kg, and 50 double unders, for time. I did well in this event, performing the movements smoothly and cleanly, finishing in 3:46, and posting the best time by over a minute. By every known competitive standard, it would be logical to assume that my performance in this event was the most “impressive” turned in. Not so. Not even close.

Two heats before me, an individual failed to complete the WOD in under the 15-minute time limit, yet put my performance to shame. His technique on the double unders was sloppy. His clean and jerks were a downright struggle from the first repetition. Five repetitions in, I could see the pain on his face as the idea of not finishing crossed his mind. A few spectators rushed to his aid, encouraging him to continue. Then, an astonishing fact circulated the room: prior to the event, he’d never done a clean with more than a broomstick. A BROOMSTICK. Because his affiliate didn’t have access to a bar, his experience coming into the competition was limited to technical practice with a weightless wooden handle.

Needless to say, the entire audience became captivated, inspired by, and invested in this individual, for obvious reasons. For the remaining time, he was flooded with coaching tips from staff members and showered with cacophonous applause from the crowd. The place went absolute bananas every time he completed a repetition. I can’t imagine a more concerted effort by a group of strangers to propel someone to whom they have absolutely no allegiance. Collapsed on the ground after the 15 minutes had expired, having fallen just 20 double unders short of completion, he was congratulated by every single person there and looked truly triumphant. When I finished the event, I got one high five and a thumbs up.

Some might explain the diverging standards for success displayed in normative competitive athletics and this example by pointing to the relative degree of difficulty the event represented for each of us. True, but I think it’s more. This wasn’t just an appreciation for individual effort. Such an appreciation is, after all, no unique phenomenon. In traditional sports, there’s a long history of respecting an opponent who fought hard, didn’t give up, and lost while giving maximum effort. Coaches preach this idea to kids all the time. “If you put your effort and concentration into playing to your potential, to be the best that you can be, I don't care what the scoreboard says at the end of the game, in my book we're gonna be winners.”

–Norman Dale

However, anyone who’s played competitive sports knows this to be merely motivational rhetoric. While the message is true and integral to playing the game correctly, the bottom line in sports is still, and always will be, winning and losing. Just ask the defeated party whether the fact that he played hard made him feel any better about losing the game. His reaction will be far less positive than that which I witnessed in Halmstad.

Such is not the case at Crossfit events. Honestly, past a certain point in any WOD, I don’t think anyone truly cares about anything besides being done. All competitive concerns fade away, leaving a contest between the individual and the workout, a fight between will and pain. This is the new competitive standard. It’s what the audience recognized in Sweden, and it’s why they chose to applaud the struggle.

I think it’s this unique element that keeps Crossfit competitive without devolving into the absolute, win/loss world of traditional sport (in fact, I don't see it as a sport at all). It’s the element that I see saving the larger program from the runaway success of the Crossfit Games. Without it, I think it would be very easy to lose sight of the primary goal of the model (fitness for every challenge in life) and to focus on other, less important aspects (fitness as a measure between individuals).

I want to say thanks again to those responsible for the facility, organization, and running of the Scandinavian Crossfit Challenge in Halmstad. It really was an incredible weekend.

From Nov 1, 2009_2

Scandinavian Crossfit Challenge, The Workouts

So it is Monday night, and I am back. I've decided to split this post into 2 sections over 2 days (the workouts and the experience) since so much transpired this weekend. I just think it would be too much to write about in a single post. So, here goes...

WOD 1: 1K run with 16 kg kettlebell

First, this was more than 1K. I would put it closer to 1.5K. Not quite a mile, but very close. The course was basically the perimeter of the Eleiko facility x 2. As I and the Berlin guys arrived late due to navigation troubles, we were split between the last two heats, giving us the benefit of seeing the course, but the detriment of not warming up too well. The challenges for this event were the cold air, the awkwardness of the kettlebell, and the extra weight. Propping it on one shoulder proved the best technique, but I must have switched shoulders 6 times during the run. Hence, my traps are pretty bruised from the jostling.

The first lap wasn't too bad, just hard to get air into the lungs when it's cold and you're supporting extra weight above your heart. I came around in 3:40, and decided I needed to pick it up a bit. The leader in the clubhouse was 7:27. I pushed harder, really started feeling my legs, and could feel the fatigue affecting the stability of the weight. Still, I was able to finish hard and cross the line in 7:26. Turned out to be a good thing I tried to pick up the pace, seeing that with the extra effort I was still 6 seconds slower than the initial lap. Afterwards my legs were completely jellied, leaving me a little unsure for the rest of the day.

WOD 2 was 30 overhead anyhows, sandwiched between sets of 50 double unders. Going into this workout, I had a pretty decent idea of what to expect, therefore I wasn't too nervous. I took the double unders methodically, and planned to break the lifting into sets of 10. First set I did 10, took 3 breaths, then did 6. Here, I could feel my legs from earlier so I stepped back for a second, then did 4 more quick. Rather than going for the last 10 in one go, I decided to split them into 5's. Just this short break saved my legs a ton. The overhead portion of the movement felt fine the whole way. The last 50 double unders went smoothly and I finished in 3:46. I think the next best time was 4:45. I felt relatively little fatigue after this event compared to the first, probably attributable to the number of heavier metcon I've done recently.

WOD 3, the last of the day, was a 4 minutes Tabata row for meters. What this means is that the ERG machine will only let you record distance for 20 seconds at a time, then it stops for 10 seconds. This is a great way to test recovery and work maximum effort for short intervals. I didn't expect to do too well in this event, mostly because it favors taller, heavier guys because of their stroke length. I went into it trying to shorten the length of my stroke and make up for the stroke length difference with stroke rate. This worked well for the first 4 rounds (I was averaging around 110 meters/ round), but from there I started to lose steam. I think a slower approach at the start may have paid off. I still managed to pull 865 meters, 6th best, but my ass and hamstrings were practically cramped afterwards. I hate rowing, period.

WOD 4, at 8 am Sunday morning. Here we had 4 minutes to establish a maximum effort deadlift, followed directly by 4 minutes to do as many air squats as possible. Strategy was key. Watching the early heats, I saw only two guy pull more than 200 kg, which is my best weight. Thankfully, for me, there weren't many power lifters at this competition. Because every squat counted the same as a kilogram, it didn't make much sense to push too hard on the deadlifts. I did 190 kg, 4th best, without too much trouble. Instead of going for 200 kg or further, I decided to rest the remainder of the time and try to make up the difference on the squats. The judges were pretty strict on the squats, really emphasizing the vertical extension of the top position. I was able to keep a steady pace through the first 3 minutes and accelerate through the final minute. I never stopped and finished with 202 total squats. This gave me a total of 392 points, the highest by just 2 I think.

Only the top 3 point totals after the first 4 events were to compete in the 5th, at which point previous totals meant nothing. So, even though I was in the lead going in, I no longer had any cushion.

WOD 5 was a triplet, which they announced 15 minutes before we started. It was a 12 minute AMRAP of 5 squat clean (60 kg), 7 box jump, and 9 burpee. The fact that it was an AMRAP was a good sign, since I tend to do better in longer workouts where I can pace out the elements. But the exercises were pretty basic, so I didn't think there was much technical advantage either way. The squat cleans proved to be the difference. The 2 guys I was competing against were both a little lighter than me, so the weight was more of a problem for them. They were just as steady on the box jumps and burpees from what I could tell, but I stretched out leads during the lifting portion. I finished 9 full rounds with 5 seconds to spare. 2nd was just short of 8, and 3rd was just short of 7.

Man, did it feel good to be done. My legs and back are tight today, but my upper body feels OK. I think I'm going to rest until Wednesday then get back at it.

Overall, I think I benefited from some technical skill in double unders and the olympic movements that some of the other competitors are still developing. I think, also, my weakness in the deadlift was hidden a bit due to the lack of heavy lifters present. But, I worked really hard and didn't leave much out there. I don't think I underperformed in any of the WODs, so I'm happy with that. Bottom line, it was fun to compete. I've attached video links to 3 of the workouts below.

Heading to Sweden

So I'm off to Halstad, Sweden for the Scandinavian Crossfit Challenge. That means about 7 hours by train and maybe another 3 by car... long day at the office. They posted the events online and they are interesting. Here's what I have to look forward to.

Day 1:

9.00

1 km course run while carrying 16 kg kettlebell

-no details on what the course is

12.00

50 double unders

30 ground to overhead (135#)

50 double unders

-you're not allowed to drop the bar from the overhead position

15.00

4 minute tabata row for meters

Day 2:

9.00

4 minutes to establish 1 rep max deadlift (in kilos)

4 minutes to do AMRAP of air squats

-these go directly together, no gap

-the total kilos will be added to the total squats for the score

12.00

final event, unknown

-only the top 3 men and women qualify

The point system is based on placement (best time receives 1 point, 2nd receives 2 points, etc.) So, the 3 lowest point totals after 4 events will compete in the final. All previous points will then be erased so that the winner will take all.

Should be a fun event. If I'm honest, I feel pretty good about all the scheduled events except the deadlift/air squat WOD. I know my top deadlift will be well below the average, but we'll see.

I don't know what the internet situation will be at the hotel, so this could be my last post until Sunday night. Here's a look at where I'll be.

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