The Magic Is In The Movement

I went to Big Bear Lake last weekend for a couple of days. I worked out two out of the 4 days I was there. A lot of people assumed that I was committed to staying fit and healthy during my vacation, wondering why I couldn't go a couple of days without working out. Trying to consume as much alcohol as possible and eating freely is not committing to staying fit or healthy during my vacation!
CrossFit is a lifestyle to me. I have been doing CrossFit for over three and a half years now. What once was something I dreaded doing everyday has now turned into something I look forward to do! I was anxious to start a workout at Big Bear Lake the minute we went on the road. In fact, I was programming my workout two weeks before! There is something I value about CrossFit, and that is looking at the workout in a different perspective. I don't think of CrossFit workouts as a workout anymore. It is something I have to do everyday, it always starts off as a challenge and I figure out ways to attack the nasty WOD. I think about how I will pace myself, what I should work on my body in terms of flexibility and mobility to help prepare myself to be more efficient in the movements.

I was excited to do a workout next to the lake. The beautiful scenery mixed with the WOD, nothing can be better! Functional movements, me demonstrating my work capacity with mother nature. It was nice and warm out at 80 degrees with blue skies. The cool breeze was definitely in my favor. The high elevation however put my cardio to the test. The first WOD was an AMRAP. 20 Minutes of 35 Air Squats and 25 Push Ups. I did this workout at the cabin. This is the view from the cabin, just above the lake. I found a nice cozy spot on the first porch of the cabin next to the driveway. It was nice and shady for me to do my push ups without burning my hands. It felt a lot cooler in the shade than being out in the sun. In reality, the fine environmental settings does not do much, I still have to perform to the best of my ability and with sun or not, I still have to output the same work. I was not doing too well. The air got to me! After the second round I stopped and in my head I kept on asking, "Why am I stopping? What the heck?" It felt like my chest was on fire, I was not used to breathing so hard. I didn't think that elevation played that big of a factor, but now I am a firm believer in the difference! I completed the first WOD with 6 Rounds and 35 reps.

After that I went straight to the Kitchen to have a beer. Later on we went to a beach park. Most of the time there was games of competitive volleyball! Felt great playing, but not really a great player as well! I have to admit I was pretty sloppy out there. I have to share something on the side, about less than 100 meters out of the lake was an awesome floaty! There were two! One with a huge slide that dumped you in the lake and one was a bounce house! The catch though... you had to pass a swim test to get to the floaties on the water. It was pretty hilarious listening to the lifeguard telling me this. Not only that, you had to wear a life vest to be on the floaties! So what's the point of swimming? I really wanted to go over there because there were tons of kids and I was seeing myself over there terrorizing all the little kids and throwing them off the floaties. But I was over it once I had to do the swim test, so, like an adult would do, I dipped in the lake and went to lay out on my towel off the shore.



My second WOD was a brutal one! 150 dumbell thrusters for time with 35lb dumbells on each hand. I made a horrible decision to do 30 unbroken double unders every time I set down the dumbells on the ground. That didn't last long, I couldn't string the double unders together on the dirt. So I just did 30 double unders in total. I was right next to the lake. Thrusters near the lake to me, is something beautiful. I really don't know how to explain it. I am starting to think it is the same feeling you get when doing a Seoul Dance (click here). I can possibly say I can relate it to a performing art? Again I was sucking wind. It was a dreadful 22 minutes. My chest was on fire! Right after however, I went straight into fishing, after catching my breath of course. This workout was the workout I was looking forward to. No I didn't want to do this because I had to. To stay fit and healthy. If I wanted to stay fit and healthy on my vacation, I would of been a lot more strict on my diet. Hell this was the longest vacation I had all year, I wanted to enjoy it!

"The magic is in the movement, the art is in the programming, the science is in the explanation, and the fun is in the community."

Greg Glassman

Save a horse, ride a cowboy.