Two Wolves

One winter’s evening gathered round a blazing camp fire, an old Sioux Indian chief told his grandson about the inner struggle that goes on inside people.

“You see” said the old man, “this inner struggle is like two wolves fighting each other. One is evil, full of anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, deceit, false pride, superiority, and ego”.

“The other one,” he continued, poking the fire with a stick so that the fire crackled, sending the flames clawing at the night sky, “is good, full of joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith”.

For a few minutes his grandson pondered his grandfather’s words and then asked, “So which wolf wins, grandfather?”

“Well”, said the wise old chief, his lined face breaking into a wry smile, “The one you feed!”

So, my question to you all today is the following. For those of you who eat clean and try to follow the primal lifestyle, is there any way to do it while saving money? Good quality meats cost a chunk of change and those awesome leafy greens ain't so cheap either. The price for eating clean sometimes doesn't outweigh the price of your health. So I want to know, how do you do it? (if you manage to save money at all). The only thing I spend my hard earned money on is food!!

The reason for this post is really quite simple. If you've been around for a while and you see someone you don't know, say hello to them. Introduce yourself! They are taking the plunge into the world of CrossFit just like you and I did not so long ago. There is nothing better than being welcomed into a community as warm as CFB. 

In fact, to put it more bluntly, as your coach, I am giving you a homework assignment. That homework assignment is the easiest one you've ever gotten. If you are in a class and see someone you don't know, you have to introduce yourself to that person. Share with them what you've gotten out of your participation in CF. I dare you to make new friends!

During consumption, I find that the alcohol, whether it be from tequila or wine (I have only had five beers since June), immediately feels like poison. This may sound weird, but I literally feel as if I am poisoning myself. My body aches during consumption, I immediately get tired, and I almost immediately get nauseous upon consuming any booze. Similarly, the effect alcohol has on me has gone up significantly. In other words, I am drunk within two or three drinks. A small glass of wine makes me feel buzzed.  

When I stop drinking, my head immediately begins to pound. Several of the times I've drank in the past 6 months, I feel hungover once the alcohol has entered my bloodstream.

The next day, my hangovers have been the worst they have ever been in my life. My head pounds unlike anything I have ever felt before. I feel cloudy and my thinking, clarity, and moods are awful. I feel like crap physically and mentally. Keep in mind that this is only after 3-4 drinks. 

Of all the things that have affected me the most since being Paleo, it's been alcohol, dairy, and sugar. These things crush me. 

For those of you who have been Paleo or have been doing the Paleo Challenge, have you noticed anything similar to my experience? I am strongly considering dropping alcohol all together. As it stands, I probably drink alcohol once every other month. I've never felt this crushed by booze before in my life.

                                                                        What do you want?

                                                                     How bad do you want it?

                                                              What are you going to do about it?

"When animals surrender they go lying on there back, I never go lying on my back its a sign of weakness and surrendering."

- Mikko Salo -

DAMN SKIPPY!

1) Do not change your bio mechanics at all when shifting from the double under to the single under. One of the most common errors is jumping too high and slamming your feet down on the ground. Avoid this at all costs! The key is not to jump that high and pull your feet up to your chest. The jump may be a little higher, but not high enough that it destroys your ability to be consistent and efficient. Keep the bounce as light as you can. It's similar to box jumps. The lighter and easier the bounce, the more efficient you are in the movement. 

(Can you tell what is wrong with this double under?)

2) The extra spin comes from the wrists, not the arms and the shoulders. Try spinning your wrists harder and faster as opposed to throwing your shoulders and arms into the mix. What I recommend is holding the jump rope in one hand and learn to spin your wrists as fast as you can. Remember, not the arms but the wrists.

3) Keep your arms and hands close to your body throughout the movement. As we start to spin the rope with our arms (which is bad!!), the arms shift out causing the rope to shorten. This is when we get whipped. Ouch! Keep those arms and hands close to your body. 

4) Lastly, stay relaxed throughout the double under. Keep that torso completely relaxed, open posture (palms facing out), hands in, bounce light. 

Remember, only through consistency do we get anywhere. To the majority, this movement does not come easy. Keep at it and it will come in time. Eventually, we will all get to be like Buddy Lee. 

- Coach Rippetoe

I've been doing CF for 3 years now and I'll be damned if anything I've ever done here came easily. This never gets any easier. I wouldn't want it to. The biggest thing I keep telling myself is to not get down on myself. Approach all of your downfalls, your struggles, your pains, and your anger with nothing but a smile. Know that this never gets easier. It only gets harder. Let that be the warm fuzzy that puts you to sleep every night. 

T.S. Eliot

Whatever you think of yourself, whatever you think you are capable of, is really a fraction of what you can do. At a fork in life, we may choose the path that is easiest, of least resistance. For some time now I've been wrapped inside a conversation of "least resistance". I am writing this post because I want you all to know that I'm back. This morning I sit here with my fire rekindled. My passion turned on. My life on over drive! I am FIRED UP! My goals and my intended outcomes are who I am now and in the present. Where I want to be in five years is what I'm used by right now. I don't care how hard it is, how difficult the path may be, and how uncomfortable I may feel. Passion for what I love is the source of all of my actions. 

The coldest I've ever been in my life but LOVING IT! Flirting with hypothermia after a dive in the bay in late October, 2007. Uncomfortable, challenged, and scared at the SEAL Adventure Challenge. 

1 Cup of White Rice (from Sushi, my favorite cheat meal)

2 Croissants

1 Piece of American Cheese

4 Beers at the Halloween Party

1 Root Beer Float.

1 1/2 Bottles of Wine.

Robb came on June 13. I started the diet on the 14th. It is now November 2. That is pretty damn good if you ask me. What killed me the most was the Root Beer Float (Thanks Jen). 

So, what have I benefited from doing this?

1) In High School, I tore my hip flexor muscle. It was regular for me to feel pain when warming up every day. This pain has been absolutely non existent. This is by far the most incredible of all the things I've benefited from so far.

2) Stomach aches. Like clockwork, I regularly experienced restricting feelings in my gut coupled with an upset stomach. I haven't had a stomach ache in months. (Surprisingly, the biggest culprit I cut out from my diet were Balance Bars. I would not be surprised if these little bastards are what caused all this stomach pain. I ate them like clockwork as a snack 5-6x a week.)

3) Sinus infections. I've always had problems with allergies, in particular fall and spring times. This fall, I have had absolutely no problems with allergies. 

4) Decrease in Body Fat. For the first time in my life, I have a legit six pack. This is way cool. I also have not lost any weight.

5) Increase in alertness. Do I feel highly energetic all day? No absolutely not. Do I have swings in my energy? Nope. I don't feel tired or lethargic EVER unless it's been from drinking that root beer float or those 4 beers I had. I feel alert (but not massively high levels of energy). I just feel sustained, alert, and present throughout the entire day. There is never a fluctuation of energy levels. 

I hope that you all see as wonderful results that I have seen in your Paleo Challenge. Gluten, Wheat, and Dairy suck. End of story.