Decide or Choose?

This is how I Roll!

One of the most prominent things I have learned in the past 6 months is that you NEVER DECIDE to do anything…  their is NO POWER in DECIDING to do something.  The latin root of decide is CAEDO, CAEDERE, CECIDI, CAESUM to cut, to cut down; to kill! Doesn’t sound very positive to me!  If you are familiar with the NBA, you are aware of The Decision by Lebron James.  Not too say the Miami Heat haven’t been successful, because they have.  But when it matters against the best of the best, they are 1-10…. that is pathetic.  And everyone is bagging on LBJ.  So back to why I bring up Decide or Choose in my case.  I decided not to compete/tryout on Crossfit Centrals affiliate team last year, and I was never 100% settled with that decision…  especially once I got out to Cali and the competitive juices started to flow.  This year is different, I have already made a choice to compete for the Red and Black Gym. This does not guarantee that I go to Cali as an athlete, … but this does guarantee that I made a choice and whatever happens, happens and I will be fine with it.

As I watch the sun come up, I will leave you with this… we all have Tiger Blood running through our veins, just stop and feel it…  feels good!  Keep Winning, Peace.

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.
Viktor E. Frankl

Call Me a Layman

A “layman” is a person who is a non-expert in a given field of knowledge. The term originally meant a member of the laity, i.e. a non-clergymen, but over the centuries shifted in definition.

The concept of describing something in layman’s terms has come into wide use in the English speaking world. To put something in layman’s terms is to describe a complex or technical issue using words and terms that the average individual (someone without professional training in the subject area) can understand, so that they may comprehend the issue to some degree.

Layman, ‘laity’: In short: “laity” means “common people”. The English word “laity” comes from the Greek laikos which meant “of the people”, “common” (common, in the meaning “unholy”, “unclean” and similar). The related verb laikoô meant “to make common”, “to desecrate”.

The best book on programming for the layman is “Alice in Wonderland”; but that’s because it’s the best book on anything for the layman.
Alan Perlis

life is simple.  It’s always been funny to me when people start dropping big words in a conversation, article, blog, stories, etc…so they can come off as looking more intelligent then the common folk.  Yet the same conversation, article, blog, story… can be put in layman’s terms and most if not everyone will understand the point you are trying to get across.  There is nothing wrong with being educated, knowing what CIRCUMLOCUTION means (look it up)…. the point I am trying to get at can be summed up in this little quote….

“keep it simple, stupid”

OPERA

Strength OHS 5×5

Death by Power Clean

With a continuously running clock do one power clean the first minute, two power cleans the second minute, three power cleans the third minute…continuing as long as you are able.

*Use 55% – 65% of 1 RM Power Clean

taken from Crossfitfootball.com

4.5Mile run immediately after

 

F*ck Fran!?!?

Ignorance of all things is an evil neither terrible nor excessive, nor yet the greatest of all; but great cleverness and much learning, if they be accompanied by a bad training, are a much greater misfortune.
Plato

OPERA

Strength

deadlift 3×5

Fran

21-15-9

95#thrusters (using 115#)

Pull ups

 

Row 2000m, 2minute rest-/ Row 1000m, 1minute rest/ Row 500m

 

The World’s Simplest Training Template

 

 

Opera

Starting January 3 2010, the Opera will be back in full effect.  Some future events that I will be training for are The Crossfit Sectionals, AT&T Marathon in February, The Leadville 100 in August, and I’m sure a few other things in between.  I will document all my workouts (Opera) as well as my body comp.  Big Things Are Poppin!

“Power is when you have every justification to kill someone, and then you don’t” Oskar Shindler

Proud

beast mode!

This past weekend up in Dallas Texas, Crossfit Dallas Central hosted the 2nd Annual All Cities Open.  A one day event packed with 4 workouts as well as a “Fran Off”.  I was just a spectator for this… this time!  It has been 6 weeks since my run and I have started to amp up the intensity of my workouts, because a little birdie told me something is coming up in February!  Back to the ACO, I want to acknowledge all the competitors who competed, especially the crew from Crossfit Central and Crossfit Point Break…  Big Mike, mad potential son!!  The one I am proud of most is my wife….. you brought the fun back to working out, and look what happens when you do!  A 2:59 Fran time, and 3rd place overall!!!  Your untouchable when you are having fun, remember that!

Workout Recap:  In the last few weeks I have been taking main site wods and modifying them, all in all I feel good about my progress.  I hit a pr the other day on Snatch 150#, which is a full snatch.  And considering I haven’t attempted that weight in 4 months I am pleased.  I did 165# at Regionals this year, but it was more of a power/ muscle press.. very ugly but hell it counted.  MY 150# would have counted as a legit lift in an OLY comp., no press out.  Word SON!!! Just thinking about competing again gets me lit!  Stay tuned

A theme song for many….

Training Days….

King Kong ain’t got shit on me!

the last couple of days I have been working on my snatch, jerk, thrusters, cleans all at 95-105#.  taking it slow and light, and really working on perfecting my form.  It’s funny, I actually stopped “crossfitting” 2 months before my Ultra.  All I did was focus on my running, which in hindsight wasn’t the best idea, but what can I say I’m hardheaded.  The beautiful thing was that I was able to complete the run on such little training that I’m super stoked about running a 100mile run in August, yes the Leadville 100… I have 2 buddies lined up right now to run with me, I won’t mention their names yet until I get a handshake that way i know they are serious about doing it (Don Ward, Julie Ward’s husband of Crossfit Central is in).  So if anyone is looking to test themselves in one of the most difficult ways possible, join the group.

Back to my training:  pushing your body to its utmost limit is very liberating as well a huge learning experience.  Pre TownLake52ish, my training was mediocre at best…  my lifts were sloppy, my composure was lacking, mentally I was all over the place.  All I wanted to do was get through a workout as fast as I could.  That way of training has changed!  Do it right, do it efficient, be with the discomfort..  I never really thought about  OPT’s quote “Get comfortable with uncomfortable” until I did my run… 9hrs and 45minutes of constant running will give you a lot of time to reflect on things, and I finally took the time to understand that quote.  It doesn’t mean don’t think about the pain, it means embrace the pain with a smile on your face and keep on pushing through.  While running, the words I said over and over were “I run for fun”, which kept a smile on my face.  Trust me my legs hurt like shit with about 10 miles left, but I was on cloud nine for going as far as I had because I never quit… by the way I still have a few aches 3 weeks later that keep reminding me what I was able to do (very satisfying)!   So as of yesterday, I have started to throw around some weight.  Acting as though I have never done crossfit.  Going over all the lifts, staying PRESENT through all the movements…  making sure I am doing it proper.  And believe it or not I am more excited about lifting then I have ever been.  I will start timing my workouts today, but I will NOT be COMPETING against it.  Just using it as a barometer in my training development.  I know I told the wife I was done with Crossfit Competitions, but knowing me….that’s just plain silly, I’m just getting started!

Game On suckas!

You in the Office Baby!

OPERA

20min AMRAP

3 Snatch @75#

3 OHS @ 75#

3 Strict Pullups

3 Ring Pushups

100m jog

(I did 10 rds, plus 3 snatch, 3 OHS, # pull ups, 3 push ups/ keeping the running very light! )

Long Story Short….

I just finished the second step of the Curriculum For Living, AKA the Advance Course (Landmark Education) this past weekend….

I AM PLAYING THE GAME!

So instead of dragging out the Town Lake 52ish blog topic any longer, I will end it now.  I want to say thank you with all my being to Lance Cantu, Aaron Arehart, Tom Green, Elliot Schrock, Don Ward, all of you that followed my journey on Twitter, I promise you I felt your presence… my wife for checking in on me at 2:30am, and all of you at the Butcher Challenge for giving me a time to shoot for.

Now, the big news, I will be running the Cactus 100 next October.  Registration is not open for it yet so I can’t register but once it does I will register…  I will also look for an alternative race around the same time as a back up plan.  I will be running this race in the name of CharityWater.   A billion people in the world are living without clean water – but how much are they really living? Millions contract deadly diseases from contaminated water. 45,000 people will die this week alone. The lucky ones won’t, but still walk hours each day to get dirty water to give to their families.  Could you imagine having to walk 3 hours to get water to drink….that is f*ng ridiculous!  So my mission is to do what I can to make a difference. I will make charity water a constant presence on my blog, twitter, and facebook accounts.  I have contacted the headquarters of Charity Water asking for assistance in my fund raising efforts.

GAME ON!

Ultra Urban Tribe

While I was running yesterday a thought popped in my head…  “how cool would it be to get a group of men and women together once a month and do a ultra urban hunter run around Austin!”  Let me explain how it would work…  We would meet at my house “our tribal home”, and take off from here for our “hunt” for the day.  We would run for 7-8miles before we stop for X amount of minutes “to gather our hunters”.  We will snack, regain some energy and then take off again for 3-5miles before will get the “kill/ or gather our hunt”.  We don’t want to eat too much since we need to run back to “our tribal home”.  The great thing about my house is that downtown Austin is only 7miles away, I should know, I recently ran home from the bar the other night just because.  My passion for running is at it’s highest right now since I have been training for the Town Lake 52ish.  I will run this Saturday to complete my training, but I don’t want it to end after that.  I do plan on Crossfitting more on a consistent basis starting on the 1st of November, but running is in my blood, it’s in your blood, I promise you… you just have to get out there and run!  You guys tell me what you think about being a part of  my tribe…

I will go on the first hunt on December 4th at 7am with or without a tribe

A quick update, I will be starting the Town Lake 52ish at midnight tomorrow…  I have had a few of you contact me to let me know you will jump in on the run at some point, which I highly appreciate!  So I have decided to push up the start time.  The reason being is that I want to get the 3- 7mile loops complete and on to the 5mile loops before the trail gets crazy.  Also I know the help I will get in the latter part of the run will go a long way in helping me complete my first ultra.  I will post updates on twitter as I complete each lap….Big Time Excited!

Crush It

…can you read the small print?!

I just finished reading this book today…  I highly recommend EVERYONE to read it.  Professional, college student, construction worker, stay at home dad…. everyone.  Vaynerchuk will inspire you to think outside the box, think more creatively…  desire to do more and be more.  He will question you! G.V. will make you rethink what you think is your passion!  We only differ on one thing, he’s a NY Jets fan, I’m a NY Giants fan, but nobody is perfect right?!   Peace and Love.

The Man Comes Around

…eventually, or not!

…once you learn the “truth”, coming back to it when you falter isn’t that hard to do.   One of the the lessons I learned in Landmark is when you sabotage yourself the reason usually has a recurring theme to it.  I know what my mine are, do you know what yours are?

And I heard as it were the noise of thunder
One of the four beasts saying come and see and I saw
And behold a white horse

There’s a man going around taking names
And he decides who to free and who to blame
Everybody won’t be treated all the same
There’ll be a golden ladder reaching down
When the Man comes around

The hairs on your arm will stand up
At the terror in each sip and in each sup
Will you partake of that last offered cup?
Or disappear into the potter’s ground
When the Man comes around

Hear the trumpets, hear the pipers
One hundred million angels singing
Multitudes are marching to the big kettledrum
Voices calling, voices crying
Some are born and some are dying
It’s Alpha and Omega’s kingdom come

And the whirlwind is in the thorn tree
The virgins are all trimming their wicks
The whirlwind is in the thorn tree
It’s hard for thee to kick against the pricks

Till Armageddon no shalam, no shalom
Then the father hen will call his chickens home
The wise man will bow down before the throne
And at His feet they’ll cast their golden crowns
When the Man comes around

Whoever is unjust let him be unjust still
Whoever is righteous let him be righteous still
Whoever is filthy let him be filthy still
Listen to the words long written down
When the Man comes around

Hear the trumpets, hear the pipers
One hundred million angels singing
Multitudes are marching to the big kettledrum
Voices calling and voices crying
Some are born and some are dying
It’s Alpha and Omega’s kingdom come

And the whirlwind is in the thorn tree
The virgins are all trimming their wicks
The whirlwind is in the thorn tree
It’s hard for thee to kick against the pricks

In measured hundred weight and penney pound
When the Man comes around.

Close (Spoken part)
And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts
And I looked and behold, a pale horse
And his name that sat on him was Death
And Hell followed with him.