Take rest;
a field that has rested
gives a bountiful crop.
~Ovid
~'if you are following the main site workouts or the same schedule (3 days on, 1 day off) every 4th and 8th week should be half intensity and the 12 week completely off. '
WHAT?!
- Does my trainer, coach or affiliate know about this?
- Am I suppose to be tracking this?
- Shouldn't I just go in and kill it every time?
- If so&so can do it...I don't want to them better than me.
If you have been involved in CrossFit for a while now, you know there is a certain flavor of kool aid that we gravitate to. You love to hate it and yet, like a wreck, you can't help but focus on it and will rarely stay away. When all rational reasoning flies out the window and our primal instinct comes forth. It may range from I WANT! to I CAN! I WILL! I MUST! and the trials begin.
Even though we know that we shouldn't just comply with the workouts, but the recommendations around form before weight, nutrition, mobility, recovery and playing 'other' sports, the concept of constantly varied can be our biggest challenge. We are motivated by the games, those spectacular athletes that push it more than we can imagine. We are in love with the blood, sweat and tears (not necessarily the salty kind), addicted to our peeps, the family we have outside our 'nromal' world, the clock, the suffering and always...the WOD.
They key point here is not to get swallowed up but to truly find your strength. It may not show up in terms of weight on a bar. Allow your wins to shine through and your 'goats' to get some attention. CrossFit will ring your bell from the inside out. It may touch your heart, speak to your soul or your finger, knee or little toe just might be screaming at you. Sometimes I hear these questions...Why am I tired, hungry, craving, hiding, why am I not where I want to be? Even though I PR'd today, I am not satified. Yikes! What skill is that?
As I reflect on my last few years practicing CrossFit it is a good time to check in. So, best place to contemplate this is in my own stuff, if I were to take a good look at where I am, I would say that I am over due for some scheduled time off based on the calendar. BUT...I am feeling great. Body chem is stabilizing, blood work good, time off the deck has left me hydrated and feeling a few my recent workouts, but no real muscle soreness (which was not the case last month), so...I will take last week as my week off though I did more of an active recovery with those few days of sitting in sessions about our ancestral health and move on from there ;). Know the score. One of my 'inner circle' brought to my attention...and the rest is the most important part...my response was...the rest of what?
Ultimately, I believe awareness is the most important thing, and as a coach/trainer I instruct my athletes and clients to listen to their bodies. If not in optimal performance condition, schedule in some rest and recovery or if some rebuild is necessary, then include modification, scaling or a little periodization in the process to reach the goal. As an athlete, I AM the one responsible. CrossFit is an amazing opportunity that helps me become a better person in body, mind and spirit. It is not about just one way, hence the constantly varied that gets thrown around quite a bit. I am in it for the long haul. I don't want injury, breakdown or even to run out of gas. I want to take full advantage of every day that I can! Having fun and reaching new levels, which means taking the years in my wisdom seriously and kicking some serious butt while staying healthy and strong.~
NOW! Let's get to work ;)We have 12 new glorious weeks to play. ~j
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