CrossFit Boston

Comfort Zone. 

I don't like going out of it. Period. Crossfit then is terribly problematic, because Crossfit's hallmark is uncomfortable. Its logic is at least sound; systematically shoring up weak links makes for a strong chain. And it isn't the frothy-mouthed-spitten'-buttermilk-my-lungs-will-collapse-I-can't-breathe terror that is uncomfortable for me. I enjoy the metabolic apocalypse that Crossfit typically brings. But I don't enjoy--I dislike--I really despise movements that I am not good at. Inevitably I end up avoiding them. Then it gets worse. 

These movements we suck at (also known as goats) are hard to wrangle (excuse the puns). On one hand we may really need the practice to get better, but on the other hand it's a dreary and disappointing task to overwhelm our programing with goats. It probably isn't worth your happiness. 


So how do I kill my goat? I don't. Don't kill your goat; make your goat your friend. Last week I taught a small noon class involving a nasty little wod: running, thrusters, and pull-ups. After the wod I asked one of the unlucky contestants what she thought of it. She said it was hard, awful. I had to ask her why then was she smiling during the run. She told me she loves running. Alright, so step one is to start liking my goat--"All you've got to do is try a little tenderness". 

Step two: the buddy system. Get a goat-pal. Try to find someone who also wants to work on a goat. Or someone who can give you advice about your goat. I know of at least one 2009 tenth place Crossfit Games finisher who had a whole herd of handstand push-up goats. By luck or pure genius (luck) she found a buddy who can't get enough of those awful HSPUs. And after watching her chase her buddy through some 40 last week, I think we can chalk up another victory for the good guys--sorry goats.

Grease the groove, step three: nurture your goat. Goats require practice. The constantly varied part of Crossfit can make this difficult; how the hell can I get better at ring-dips when they appear in 1 out of 20 wods? Bring your goat to the warm-up. Practice your goats after the wod. If your olympic lifts are lackluster then try doing the Burgener Warm-up three times a week before you wod. Whatever your goat, simply try to practice it more, and consistently. Two sets of 20 extra push-ups a week won't kill you, or hurt your wod times. But I bet you will get better at doing push-ups.

The Final Step: Get competitive with your goat. Sometimes getting better requires a push, a jolt, an extra bit of motivation. When I run, I try to run with people who are better than me. That way I have someone to chase, and someone to chase me. This spring before the NE Qualifiers I tried a deadlift running wod--Diane+800m runs. I was the first person off the deads. But I was barely the first person back in the door after the run. On the final 100m of the last 800m run I heard eager footsteps behind me. I wanted to slow down, running doesn't come easy to me. The footsteps, they wanted to catch up. But I didn't want to lose. So I ran harder. The footsteps got quieter, and my goat, running, if only a little, became more tame.