Workout of the Day:
For Time:
50 Double-Unders (want to modify? Sub squat thrust tuck jumps)
40 Pull-Ups
30 Goblet Squats
20 Toes to Bars
10 Handstand Push-Ups (use parallettes if you can)

Optional Finishers: Row your fastest 1000 meters, or clean and toss the heaviest D-Ball you can handle over the length of the pull-up bars, without skipping any pull-up bar.

Slow Down!
Written by CrossFit Invictus Charter Member Cynthia L.

Mike Hom’s awesome blog yesterday on cutting loose once in a while and skipping a workout, or having a meal without worrying about its nutritional value, got me thinking about another area in our lives where we could use some balance.

I love the intensity of Crossfit as much as the next gal, but the pressure to “Go Fast!” and “Go Hard!” can take a toll on you after a while. Our lives are constantly rushed—we have to race through traffic to get somewhere because we don’t allow enough time; we have to rush through a meal because we (well…YOU) have to take the kids to soccer/piano/karate/whatever; we run to the computer/Blackberry/iphone to check Facebook and email and all the other chatter that so clutters our lives. Then we get timed on a WOD on top of all that?

When is the last time you just sat there? Not reading, or watching TV, or even listening to music. Just sat there, listening to the sound of traffic or the ocean or even your own breath? It can be called prayer or meditation or zoning out, but I think everybody needs to incorporate it more into their daily routine.

Take a few minutes and concentrate on breathing in and out, really feeling the air move in and out of your belly and lungs. If any thoughts intrude (“What’s tomorrow’s WOD?” or “Damn, I’m hungry…” or “Were George and Wolverine separated at birth?”), just acknowledge the thought and let it go.

Don’t let the constant chatter of your mind intrude on your quiet time.  It’s hard to shut it off sometimes, so using a word or mantra to think about as you breathe can be helpful. (“Om” is the classic sound used in mediation, but you can think “Love” or “Peace” or any word that makes you feel calm.) I’m not very creative, so I think “In” as I’m breathing in, and “Out” as I’m breathing out. It gives my mind something to concentrate on if it wants to start wandering, and it’s not too much Hare Krishna wackiness.

Start with just a few minutes a day and see where it takes you. I guarantee that the world won’t end if you shut off your phone for 5 minutes here and there. (You listening, Wayne?)