Anywherefit Ireland Recap: Day 1

Colin collected me from the airport early Friday morning after approximately 18 hours of travel.  I was groggy, a little numb from the series of flights and time changes, but still excited about the opportunity to experience something new and exciting.  The weekend we had planned was to be a perfect balance of wilderness and civilization, blending raw, outdoor workouts with fine dining and traditional Irish pastimes.  The only thing that could muck it up was weather, and I was dutifully warned this wasn’t something to be counted on in Ireland.  But as we walked from the terminal to the car I had a good feeling.  There were clouds, but not dark ones, and the air felt light and breezy.  Something was telling me through my numbness that we would be okay with the weather.  It was right. 

First stop from the airport was the Colin’s gym, CrossFit Tipperary in the town of Clonmel, where I got to meet a few of the guys who would be joining me for the duration of the weekend.  The bulk of the groups wasn’t set to arrive til later that afternoon.  The box was great.  High brick walls on all sides, painted white but stained gray in parts from years of use.  Pullup rigs on two of the walls, and high hanging ring brackets coming out of a third wall above an endless sea of kettlebells.  It was clean, spacious, and had all the trappings of a killer place to train.

Right about this time my stomach was ready to eat itself, so Colin and I made the round of introductions in short order then shot off for some breakfast.  We went into town to a place called Nimh’s, which turned out to be a bakery in front and a café in back.  I ordered the most enormous thing I could find on the menu…a full Irish breakfast plus potato waffles and coffee.  If you’ve never been to this part of the world, you’ve probably never experienced breakfast the way they do it.  Be it in England, Ireland, Scotland, or Wales, the standard morning fare is some variation of the following:  Bacon/rashers, sausages, baked beans, fresh tomatos, hash browns, mushrooms, white pudding, black pudding (“pudding” equals fried pigs blood, just so you know), and a fried egg.  While I still might prefer a 3 egg omelet most days, I love the UK and Ireland for maintaining this tradition.

After breakfast a few of us went on a small scouting expedition to one of the locations for Day 3 of the trip.  Colin said that his box frequented a small creek not far away that featured a jogging trail and a series of pools useable for jumping in and cooling off.  “Cooling off” in Ireland means “icing” in the rest of the world.  The area around the creek was beautifully forested and covered in green moss, but the water itself was freezing.  Despite my California roots, I’ve never been one to shy away from a good ice bath, especially since I knew my body could use a reset after all those hours on the plane, so in I went.  Correction, in we all went.  3 separate times.  That was the cool part about this: you run a ways, then jump in (shoes and all), run a ways, jump in.  It wound up being like a mini mud run, but with way less people and waiting in line.  At the bottom of the creek sat an ancient stone monastery where we were planning to do a fun workout on Day 3.  This part of the world is replete with relics like this, making it a dream vacation for anyone obsessed with history.

 

After our run I got checked in at my residence for the weekend, the Clonacody House.  This is not your average B&B, though that’s probably the way it’s listed online.  I’m talking an authentic Irish countryside experience—from the hundred-year old floorboards to the horses trotting and grazing out back.  This place was an absolute dream.  Helen and Michael, the live-in managers, inherited the place from Helen’s family awhile back and decided to turn it into a venue for travelers and events about 4 years ago.  They renovated the spots that needed updating and the resulting structure is no less than magnificent.  The main house stands 3 stories tall with a basement below.  The ground floor consists of a living room, drawing room, dining room, and kitchen, all of which boast 15-foot ceilings and ridiculously ornate moldings and finish.  The 2^nd and 3^rd floors hold all the bedrooms and baths, 7 in all.  The furniture is rustic and country inspired, with enormous Victorian bathtubs in all but 2 of the bathrooms.  Needless to say, I was stoked to be staying there.  Surrounding the main house are acres upon acres of land, including grazing fields, gorgeous trees and gardens, and an ancient barn & courtyard that serve as the work area for Michael. 

We agreed that I would lie down for a few hours to try and catch some rest, then head to the gym for a workout before the majority of the group arrived that afternoon.  I was definitely tired when I went down, but getting up 2 hours later was like coming out of a coma.  I had no idea where I was or what I was doing there.  For my money, the California to Europe experience is still the toughest jet lag there is.  Groggy as could be, I made my way to the box and started shaking out the cobwebs…

WARM UP

1000 meter row

5 rounds:

5 pullups, 10 pushups, 15 situps, 20 squats

SKILL

EMOTM 10 minutes:

2 muscle ups
6 alternating pistols

WOD

100 meter overhead carry (100 kg)

*Every drop requires 10 deadlifts

By the end of this my brain was back on track, just in time for everyone’s arrival.  We had a whole host of locals from Clonmel, a group of 6 from Cork, a few from Dublin, and one from Spain.  As usual, people that were strangers kind of stuck to their own packs at first.  But by the end of the weekend we’d all be close friends.

To introduce everyone to each other and the AWF experience, we headed out to the Clonacody House for our first workout of the trip.  Colin has rigged up an old van with pullup bars and support posts, so finding a spot to do a workout was as simple as finding a place to park.  We did so on the back grounds of the estate, setting up the following for everyone:

20 minute AMRAP:

10 toes to bar
25 meter walking lunge

10 burpees

25 meter walking lunge

10 ring dips

25 meter walking lunge

10 burpees

25 meter walking lunge

We set this up so that the toes to bar and ring dips were on opposite ends of a 50 meter stretch, that way the lunges were the way to transition from one exercise to another.  The rings we hung from an enormous and gorgeous oak tree looking out towards the mountains.  By 3 or 4 minutes in the moaning and groaning had started, as it is wont to do, but soon everyone found their groove and was able to continue through to the end.  Afterwards we went inside for soup and salad and had a round table discussion about programming, nutrition, recovery, and travel.  During the course of the workout and discussion, everyone became visibly more at ease with one another and began to open up.  This is always a good sign so early in a trip.  Beyond that, however, the discussion itself was really, really interesting.  People were raising questions about everything from supplementation to recovery cycles.  We even talked about the difference between motivating forces for competitors and those seeking health and wellness.  It was probably the easiest and most enjoyable open forum I can remember. 

Most everybody was ready to call it a night after that, but a few of us ventured into town for some late dinner.  Not much open on Good Friday in Ireland, but we were able to snag a table at a local Indian restaurant that proved delicious enough.  The plan for the morning was to be up early enough for breakfast and to be at the box by 9:00 to train.  After that, we would be hitting the road!!!

Anywherefit Iceland 2014 Details

In case you weren't already aware… AWF Iceland 2014 is coming this August.  Back to the land of fire and ice, but in a way never done before.  Ice climbing on Europe's largest glacier, exploration of the  remote eastern coast, and beach training are just the beginning.  21 locations in only 12 days!!! There are 20 spots remaining as of now.

Fitness Is...

Self-Fulfilling.

Every action.  Every statement.  Every thought.  They’re all inputs.

Think of your body as a super computer.  Every waking moment it is gathering data, deciphering meaning, and formulating responses.  It’s constantly evaluating potential threats to its existence like hunger, injuries, enemies, and environment.  It’s measuring temperature, calculating distances, and adjusting for balance.  But for all the external stimuli your body is asked to process on a daily basis, what it’s registering from the inside can be ten times as important.  You see, your body also keeps careful track of your subconscious.  Your emotions, attitude, and inadvertent thoughts provide the backdrop on which every other input is analyzed.  If you’re in a bad mood, it will feel like the world is stacked against you.  You hit every red light, your boss is 3 feet up your ass, and your kids don’t appreciate anything you do.  If you’re in a good mood, you might notice the Lamborghini across the intersection, the quirky tie your boss is wearing, and how your kids have their mother’s eyes.  The same reality exists in both scenarios, but the interpretation of it is drastically different.  Multiply that experiment by a lifetime and you can imagine the divergence. We’re all just a million hits of a hammer; you better believe the attitude of the artist makes a difference. 

How does this affect fitness?  If you keep telling yourself you’re old, tired, and sick, that’s what you’re going to be.  What you think, you’ll soon say out loud.  And what you say out loud, you'll eventually carry out in practice.  Because your brain is largely influenced by habit and repetition, the thoughts you replicate most will wind up ingrained in your subconscious.  Your body will sense them even when you don’t—like the high electric whine of a TV on mute or the color of the walls in your bedroom.  Your self-image essentially becomes the product of background noise. 

The tricky part is you don't get to keep it to yourself.  Remember, everyone else is a super computer too—the signals you send out are being constantly gathered, deciphered, and responded to.  If you’re sending out hurt, they’re going to see hurt.  If you’re sending out old, they’re going to see old.  They're going to see old, process that information, and act accordingly.  Wait, it gets worse.  The feedback you get from your peers is an input in itself. The way they treat you is an indicator to your brain of who and what you are.  So if everyones looking at you like you've got one foot in the grave, your body processes that data and responds, “See, I knew I was old.”  This is the formation of your identity in a nutshell.  Thought begetting action, action begetting thought.  A cycle of computation and response that begins and ends with your own subconscious opinion of yourself.

Exhibit A: The guy who tells you how sore you’re going to feel once you hit 30.  He’s the same guy that’s going to tell you how sore you’ll feel when you hit 40.  And how you’ll probably die from knee pain at 50. 

“If you think 25 is rough, wait til you’re my age… I’d kill to be 25 again.” 

“Enjoy your 30’s while they last, it’s all downhill from there.” 

“I’m too old for that shit.  When I was your age, though…”

This guy pisses me off.  What possible benefit does he gain from repeatedly pointing out how horrible it is to be old?  I get why he’s doing it—by explaining the difficulties of age to someone younger, he makes it impossible for them to pass judgment on his current physical condition—what I don’t get is why he thinks by doing so he absolves himself from the universal need to not be a lazy piece of shit.  (And yes, it is a universal need)  Because, despite what his cupboard full of Captain Crunch and Pepsi Cola are indicating, his body doesn’t like being fat.  In fact, it dislikes being fat a lot more than it dislikes being old.  Problem is, he’s been telling himself and everybody else how old he is since before he can remember and he can't find his way back.  That’s how they know him.  That’s how he knows himself.  Tell yourself you’re young and you’ll start feeling younger.  Feel like you’re young and you’ll start acting younger.  Act like you’re young, and who’s to say you’re not? 

Exhibit B: The guy whose life is busier and more tiring than yours.

“Enjoy being a student, Blair.  Once you’re out in the real world, it’s a whole different ballgame.”

“Ahh, the single life.  I remember having all that free time.”

“Wait til you have kids, bro.  You’ll never sleep.  Kiss your body goodbye.”

This guy is a lot like Exihibit A, only instead of obsessing over his age he believes that life has left him no time or energy to take care of his body.  Please.  You’re telling me that no one in your office has time to work out?  Or that wives prefer a pudgier, weaker version of the man they fell in love with?  Pretty sure that’s false.  Pretty sure I watch parents with kids of all ages find time to crush it in my gym everyday.  It must be that your particular situation is more difficult than theirs.  Or maybe not.  Maybe it’s not the job, the wife, or the kids that are holding you back.  Maybe it’s you.  Maybe you’ve just been telling yourself the same, tired story so long it’s infected your hard drive.  Maybe if you’d told yourself a million times that health and wellness was non-negotiable, that it would only enhance your ability to do your job, be in a healthy relationship, and provide for your children and grandchildren, then you’d be finding ways to stay active instead of finding excuses not to. Burpees by the crib, lunges up the stairwell, 15 minutes of pushups and pullups in the garage after work. A million hits of the hammer.  It all adds up.

Again, I know why Exhibit B is doing it.  I just want him to realize that life is never going to get easier, and overweight is never going to feel invigorating.

Exhibit C: The guy who’s always sick or hurt.

“I must be coming down with a cold.  I woke up a bit congested and can’t seem to shake it.”

“I have a bad back and bum knees.  Been that way since I was a kid.”

This guy’s a little different.  His issue isn’t with physically getting to the gym like Exhibits A and B, it’s with his expectations while he’s there.  Regardless of the day, the workout, or the situation, he will find some way to let you know he isn’t at full strength.  He’s jet lagged from a business trip.   Or has caught a bug that’s “going around.”  It’s always something.  Just so we’re clear: I’m not advocating that sick people and invalids should come into the gym and hurt themselves trying to break records.  But if every knick, scratch, or stuffy nose becomes a reason to underperform, you’ve got a problem.  You’re deliberately setting low expectations and reinforcing the message that it’s okay to suck at your training.  Just so we’re clear: It’s not okay to suck at your training.  Part of fitness is the ability to perform in less than perfect conditions, to rise to the challenge of an off day or a bad night’s sleep.  But, more than that, it’s about establishing a consistent set of expectations.  Sending the message over and over that it’s okay to be terrible will only ensure that you’re terrible.  Sending the message over and over that you’re capable of success in spite of negative circumstances will make you a warrior.  This is where the truly fit separate themselves: their expectations don’t allow for petty excuses.  They know they won’t be at their best every day—that’s just a part of life—but they never blame away that down cycle.  They wear it and move on.  Every performance is progress.

All of these guys essentially suffer from the same mental fragility.  Rather than acknowledge they're choosing to put their health and wellness at risk, they find external reasons to excuse this behavior, thus absolving themselves of the responsibility.  This is cowardly.  Also, it sets a dangerous precedent of non-accountability that doesn't exactly come in handy when you find yourself battling colon cancer and obesity later in life.  At that moment, blaming McDonald's for being too convenient and inexpensive isn't going to help you stay alive.  Better to check yourself now and start reforming your subconscious identity.  

The best part about building a mentality like this is that you’ll find yourself feeling sick, tired, and hurt less often.  Because your subconscious forms the backdrop on which your body processes all sensory data, reducing focus on illness, fatigue, and injury is going to decrease likelihood of your feeling that way.  You’re not sick, you just have a runny nose.  You’re not hurt, you just have a sore ankle.  These maladies no longer hinder your performance any more than a bad song on your iPod.  You can go from invalid to indestructible in one thought-generation. 

At the end of the day, nobody wants to feel tired and sickly.  Nobody wants to be treated like they’re past their prime.  But obsessing over the limitations inherent in those qualities will only propagate them.  Thought begets action, action begets thought.  Your mental approach to fitness has to be positive and forward reaching.  It has to learn to ignore everything except that which helps you improve.  Call it selective computation.  Or the rehabilitation of your warrior self-image.  The beauty part is, when you start to believe it, everyone else will too.

Anywherefit New Zealand Day 9

It felt really good not to be moving on to another town after Day 8.  Queenstown was proving to be every bit as exciting and fun as it's reputation, but nothing we had done so far would prepare us for the rush of Day 9.

We loaded up the group early and caught the first bus of the day to Shotover Canyon for the adrenaline junky's dream:  the canyon swing.  And not just any canyon swing, the world's highest canyon swing.  109 meters above the river below (that's close to 400 feet for all you un-metrics our there) with a 60 meter free fall.  The rig they use is very similar to a bungee jump, except that the cord isn't attached to a fixed object like a bridge or tower at the top.  Instead its suspended from a wire cable that is strung across the canyon, so that as you hit the bottom of the bungee you begin to swing along the cable like an enormous slingshot.  Eventually gravity catches up with you and you start swinging back and forth until you settle to a hanging position and they reel you back in.  If it sounds crazy, it kind of is.

The crew that works at Shotover Canyon are diligent with their safety precautions but also do a great job of keeping groups relaxed and having fun.  You're offered all sorts of jump styles while preparing for your turn, ranging from a simple jump to using props like chairs, tricycles, and ropes.  There's really very little you're not allowed to do while jumping off their ledge.  One member of our group even took advantage of the naked jump, earning her 2nd jump free of charge.

As far as the feeling you get while taking the leap… it's pretty intense.  Free falls are always exhilarating, but I've never fallen for that long with such a lack of control.  Usually when you're jumping of cliffs into water you're thinking about your landing.  With this you're just trusting that the cable holds you the way it's supposed to.

By the end of our morning, all but one among us had done the swing.  We hurried home for a quick lunch then got back on the bus to make our appointment with the Jet Boat pilot.  That's right, Jet Boating.  This had to be, without doubt, one of the most impressive feats of skill I've ever seen.  We were pinning the throttle in inches of water, swerving around boulders and cliff edges, while doing donuts.  Obviously these guys are professionals and do this all day long, but I still swore we were going to crash every third turn.  I don't really even understand the physics of how we could maneuver in such shallow water.  Pair that with the road we had to take just to get to the boat launch (think bolivian death road), and I can't imagine frying a tourists nerves any more.

To round out the day we found a staircase right in the middle of Queenstown and hit a bear crawl, lunge, pushup, sprint workout as a group.  Crawling down stairs is always a great way to train the entire body in my opinion, and most Crossfitters haven't ever done it.  So I like to throw it in and see the reaction I get.  It ended up being one of the toughest WODs of the trip thus far, and had everyone ready to hit the town that night.  After everything we'd done that day, I couldn't blame them.

Anywherefit New Zealand Day 8

Day 8 began with a free morning to explore the town, then a 1:00 swim WOD in the deepest lake on the South Island, Lake Wakatipu.  Because of its depth, this lake never really warms up, even in the heart of summer. So there were a few among us that toed the water a little more nervously than they did on Day 1 in Auckland.  The workout was intended to be 3 rounds of a buoy swim (about 200 meters), 5 pull-ups (tree branch or jungle gym), 10 pushups, 15 squats.  Very simple as written, but the temperature of the water made it far more challenging.  As the WOD got going a few people had to divert to a closer buoy, just to be safe.  The best part of this workout was easily the location.  Queenstown proper was on the opposite shore, and the mountains climbed high around us, throwing reflections on the aqua blue water.  The sun was out and beautiful, as it had been our entire trip, so even the cold water wasn't too much of a bother.

After drying off, we headed up the hill a short ways to CrossFit Queenstown for some heavy front squats and deadlifts.  We only had an hour before the next class came in so we limited ourselves to just those lifts.  Surprisingly, there were more than a few PR's from the group.  This has been something of a trend on AWF trips, and I have to think it has something to do with the absence of normality.  Sometimes routine creates pressure to perform, whereas the absence of routine removes that pressure.  Think about it… If you're in an unknown situation, you're not worried about performing up to some standard, you're just excited for the opportunity to perform.  Not a bad mental state to be in if you ask me.

We wrapped up the day with a trip to the top of the Queenstown gondola and an hour or so on her street luge course overlooking the valley.  No matter how fun you think this sounds, you have no idea.  The simplest contraption one could imagine (handlebars that control the brakes by levering forward or backward), and gravity.  The track was wide enough for 3 cars to fit side by side, and there were steep drops, sharp turns, tunnels, and chances to get airborne.  For our money, this may have been the best value of the entire trip.  We were racing, bumpering, and screaming down the course just like kids at a 10 year old birthday party.  The video footage says it all.

Anywherefit New Zealand Day 7

We were up and out the doors early again on Day 7, heading for Fox Glacier to see what that type of hike is all about.  It's not everyday that you get the chance to walk on a piece of ice thats been around longer than the human race.

After a safety briefing and boot fitting, we hopped on the bus with the guides and made our way to the terminal face of the glacier.  It was about a 2 mile walk from the car park, during which time our guide made it abundantly clear that the cliff walls around us were very loose and could crumble down upon us at any moment.  They didn't, thankfully, but it certainly added to the adventure of it.

Once at the glacier's edge, things slowed down considerably.  The guides in front of us were meticulously cutting and re-cutting staircases into the ice so their groups wouldn't slip and fall.  All well and good, but every guide was acting as if they were the first ones to carve the stairs.  The result was that we wound up doing a lot more standing than hiking.  Even so, just physically being on the glacier, watching the water flowing through it, and seeing just how powerful nature can be was worth the trip.

Once off the glacier, we made a quick turnaround and got out on the road towards Queenstown.  It was our last major driving day of the trip and I could tell everyone was getting a little bit of cabin fever from being stuck in the van so much.  That being said, we had to get over the pass by 6:00 pm or we'd be stuck on the wrong side of the mountains until morning.  So we hustled our way across and then stopped at a random pull out to stretch our legs.  What we found was a hidden gem.  Nestled not far from the road was a waterfall feeding into a small creek.  This may as well have been a playground the way our group was scampering up it.  People took turns ice bathing in the pools and doing handstands on the shore until we were ready to get back on the road.

Our last stop before Queenstown was CrossFit Wanaka, who graciously opened their doors to us for an additional hour so we could train.  We did 1RM split jerks, then a 21 minute AMRAP that included 5 shoulder to overheads, 10 sit-ups, and 15 wall balls.  Every 7 minutes we did a 600 meter hill run.  What a burner this turned out to be.  I looked around the room at one point and it felt like everyone was on their knees gasping for air.  Just what we needed to carry us the last hour on the road.

Check the video footage from Day 7 below.

Anywherefit New Zealand Day 6

Day 6 was our first of 2 major travel days.  We needed to cover roughly 500 kilometers through national forests, coastline, and mountains in a single day, easily our roughest road trip thus far.  But it was a necessary evil for us to get where we wanted to go the next morning: Fox Glacier.  

The plan was rough draft at best: drive a few hours, take a break when we found something cool to do/a great place for a workout.  Sometimes spontaneity and embracing the unexpected is the only way to stay upbeat when you're trapped in a  car for 7+ hours.  Our first stop was at a historic swing bridge in the Buller River Gorge.  This was a cool excursion that was more novelty that anything else- a 200 foot bridge built out of thin cables, kind of like something you'd see in Indiana Jones.  So we all walked the plank and got across, then took a quick hike through the surrounding forest and beach to stretch our legs.  While it was a very beautiful portion of river, the most memorable part of this particular stop were the sand flies.  Everyone got eaten alive in the 30 minutes we were there, and could be seen scratching their ankles, legs, and backs for the rest of the trip because of it.  Needless to say we picked up some Off! at the next supermarket.

After another few hours on the road we pulled off at the underpass of an old rail bridge and did some free climbing.  We used the I beams under the bridge itself as hand holds, but also were able to string up the rings for muscle ups, skin the cats, toes to rings, you name it.  This was our best opportunity thus far to do some legitimate skill practice on the rings so we took advantage.

While there we squatted logs and boulders, and even did some stone to shoulders.  Different animal when the stone isn't perfectly round, let me tell you.  This turned into a 2 hour workout, and it was a blast!  Super creative and resourceful, just like these trips are meant to be.

On the last leg of our drive we were blessed with one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. EVER.  Every few minutes the colors got deeper and deeper, to the point where we simply had to pull off the shoulder and admire them.  We took pictures in front of a random lake and did our best to capture the moment.  Soon after we were in Franz Joseph, a stones throw from Fox Glacier, and getting ready for bed.  Another big travel day lay in front of us, but with Queenstown as our destination, who could complain?

Anywherefit New Zealand Day 5

We boarded the inter islander ferry and said goodbye to the North Island.  This also meant that we were leaving behind our van and trailer and picking up a new one on the other side.  This was a little nerve racking since it meant we were depending on the rental agency to have everything prepared and ready when we landed, but because the cost of bringing the van with us on the ferry was so high, we didn't have much choice.

Once on the ferry we scouted a comfortable spot for home base, then broke the group into two halves for a workout on the main deck.  Death by burpees.  Only, because the deck was wet and disgusting, we did the burpees without pushups.  This was the second time an Anywherefit trip has trained topside on a ferry, and it proved every bit as fun as the first.  In this instance we had a section of the deck all to ourselves, as it had been divided into seating and standing areas.  Because there wasn't much to see so early in the trip, no one wanted to stake a claim to the standing area.

For the most part, this WOD went as expected: everyone was cruising through the early rounds, then ground to a halt once things got into the higher teens.  A few were able to make it to the twenties, and Sven took top marks with 25 rounds.  The coolest part of this workout was the elements.  The boat was rocking and the wind was spraying mist everywhere.  Luckily for us the sun was also out and shining, making the wetness a little more bearable.

After we made it across and got our bags from the carousel, we made our way to the rental agency to discover our van was not yet ready.  We were told it was still on it's way back from a neighboring town and that we'd have to wait another hour and a half.  So we took the opportunity to walk around town and grab some lunch at a local spot.  Right away, we could tell the difference between the North and South islands.  The marina we had left in Wellington didn't hold a candle to the one in Picton where we now found ourselves.  Crystal blue water, tree covered mountains, and an easier vibe were among the things that jumped out straight away.

After a great lunch we picked up the van and started driving west toward Newton.  We made an unscheduled stop, however, and decided to spend the rest of the afternoon romping around the countryside on ATV's.  Best decision of the trip so far!  The place we stopped was a combination of sheep farm and off road wonderland.  There were zip lines, quad tracks, and paintball courses littering the place.  We got fitted up and took off climbing the trails behind our guides, dumping in and out of creeks and pausing for nice views.  When we hit the top everyone decided to ride the Skyline, a 4 person chair lift turned zip line, across the valley.  While not exactly scary, this turned out to be a really cool addition to the trip.

On the way down the mountain our guides let us ride a few laps around the "fun track" at our leisure.  Which pretty much meant go as fast as you can without flipping.  And we did.  Everyone emerged covered in dirt and mud, but totally stoked on the experience.  A short drive later we were in Newton barbecuing burgers and hashing out plans for the next days long drive to Fox Glacier.  For a day that hadn't been expected to provide much, this one had really delivered the goods.

Anywherefit New Zealand Day 4

Day 4 was a crack of dawn start.  5:30 am we were up and getting breakfast on the go in order to make it to our trailhead by 7:00.  The shuttle bus only picks up 3 times per day for the Tongariro Hike--6:30, 7:30, and 8:30--each successive pickup growing more crowded.  Thankfully our group was on top of the wake up and we made it for the 7:30 pickup no problem.

There's something cool about a sunrise shuttle ride when you know what you're in for.  20 km up and over the North Island's best hike, passing just to the side of the mountain used in Lord of the Rings as Mount Doom.  I could tell everyone was a little nervous getting off the bus, but also really excited.  The plan was to let Asta run ahead with the runners, I would stay with the walk/runners, and Sven would park the bus and come with the 8:30 shuttle, sprinting to catch the pack.

The initial few kilometers were cake.  Flat land with a few twists and turns, but no crazy climbs.  Right about the 3k mark things started to ramp up significantly.  The trail turned right and started switching back and forth up the mountainside, giving us a beautiful view of the where we came from.  Soon nobody was running because the grade was so steep.  Bags were getting passed around from person to person in an effort the share the heavier loads, and there were plenty of "picture stops."

At the top of the initial climb the terrain flattened out and we caught a cool stretch of volcanic basin.  To the right was "Mount Doom," to the left Mount Tongariro.  It was a welcome reprieve from the steady climbing we'd been doing for the past hour, but it didn't last long.  Another set of peaks awaited us and they proved even steeper than the first.  We started climbing along the ridge, giving us an amazing view of the North face of the mountains.  As we hit the summit, the dirt turned soft and ashy and people started sliding down the backside.  SO FUN.  This took me straight back to Iceland 2011.

The back half of the hike was all downhill, weaving between sulfur lakes, volcanic debris, and thick vegetation.  While the views were incredible, the downhill pounding was starting to catch up with me.  By the time I hit the car park I was feeling it in the knees and ankles, and I wasn't the only one.  We basked in the sun, snacked on some Paleo Kits, then hit the road to Wanganui to watch the second half of the Super Bowl.

After the worst game ever (not biased), we rode the rest of the way to Wellington to wrap things up.  Brittney took the group down to a waterfront park and took us through some Yin Yoga to stretch the legs.  This felt amazing and it was so needed.  Everyone was ready for bed early, knowing we were catching the ferry to the south island early in the AM.

Video clips from Day 4 are below.

Anywherefit New Zealand Day 3

Day 3 of the trip began with a partner beach WOD.  We partnered everyone up in teams that were equally distributed based on strengths, injuries, etc.   The workout was a relay between partners that went as follows:

50 meter bear crawl
50 meter frog jump
50 meter burpee broad jump
50 meter partner wheelbarrow

In between every round teams had to complete 50 partner pushups.  At the very end, teams had to complete 100 partner sit-ups.  This workout would've been hard enough as written, but put it on the deep sand and everything got just that much harder.  Especially the wheelbarrows.  Supporting your bodyweight while having to keep stable on such a squishy surface absolutely blows up your arms.  This proved a big challenge for many of the people on the trip, forcing them to dig deep and lean on their partners for support.

As soon as we were finished, we got up to the main drag and rented some toys.  Surf boards, boogie boards, and sunscreen were the tools of the day, and we did our best to take advantage of them all.  Jason, Kevin, Helen, Sven, Gio, and I all tried our hand at catching waves with the surfboard, but with little success. Jason probably had the best ride of all, but still a far cry from the locals carving up the waves further down the beach.  I will say this though… Surfing is absolutely one of those things you don't need to be good at to enjoy.  I could spend all day out there trying and failing and still have a great time.

The rest of the gang either boogie boarded or sunbathed.  Everyone knew that Day 4 was the day we were aiming to be up early at on the mountain for our 20 km hike so no one really wanted to beat themselves up.  We gathered everyone up by 2:00 and hit the road for Lake Taupo.  A few hours later we were there and checking into our 3rd home in 3 nights, the Settlers Motel.  The owner of this establishment threw out the welcome mat in the form of an Icelandic Flag out front.  We all agreed that this had to be a good sign for the day ahead.

The highlights from Day 3 are below.

Anywherefit New Zealand: Day 2

Day 2 of our trip began with an early morning jaunt into the Symmonds Street Cemetery.  No, there was no climbing of gravestones or sprinting around mausoleums.  But we did find a trail that led to the bottom of a ravine and the base of an enormous bridge.  After a quick canvassing of the area, everyone was able to find a heavy object to squat, an area to work handstand holds, and a beam to hang rings from for toes to bar.  We divided the group into 4 x 1 minute stations: squats, toes to bar, handstand holds, and stair sprints.  We set the clock for 20 minutes, giving everyone 5 times at each station.  The goal was to hit the same number of reps each round for each exercise, but that proved quite the challenge.  Squatting logs and stones becomes pretty dicey when you're out of breath.  But it was a great way to break a sweat before hopping in the car for the drive out to Mount Maunganui and the coast.  And it was good to see everyone willing to get their hands dirty.  A good omen for the rest of the trip.

The drive to Mount Maunganui took around 3 hours, just enough time to get everyone acclimated to the 12 person van that was going to be our transportation for the next 10+ days.  We learned quickly that bathroom breaks needed to be frequent, music needed to be uptempo, and snacks needed to be readily accessible.  Also, we were driving on the left side of the road from the right side of the car.  That took some adjustment.

All things considered, I think we did a damn good job navigating our way out of Auckland.  Parking in Mt. Maunganui, however, was a bit of a challenge.  We dumped the trailer at our hotel, found a good burger spot on the main drag, then hit the beach for some free time.  We got lucky as far as weather, with some offshore wind creating perfect waves for body surfing and the sun keeping us warm enough to do it without a wetsuit.  We spent the remainder of the day swimming, exploring the volcanic hillside overlooking the bay, and even chasing a few sheep.

Afterwards we headed back to the hotel where we cooked dinner and admired each other's sunburns.  Honorable mentions in this area go to Sven, Brittany, and Jason… all of whom would be pealing for the rest of the trip due to day 2.

Check out the highlights from day 2 below.

Anywherefit New Zealand: Day 1

Anywherefit New Zealand finally commenced on January 30th, 2014 in Auckland.  Sven, Asta, and I were in town a day early to get things organized with the rental bus, the hotel, and the grocery store, but the rest of the gang showed up that Friday.  As soon as we had everybody checked in and unpacked we shot off to Mission Bay for our first workout of the trip: Paddleboarding.  Few of the group had ever attempted this before, let alone out on the open ocean, so we were keeping our fingers crossed for calm waters.  As we took instructions from the SUP staff, I watched white cap after white cap roll in towards the bay and I had a flashback to the AWF Iceland 2012 ocean kayaking trip.  Shudder.

Thankfully, by the time we were out on the water things were starting to calm down.  People took their time getting to a standing position, but soon everyone was up on their boards.  Which meant it was time to either race or start pulling out the stupid human tricks.  Cue handstand attempts (all failures), headstand attempts (most failures), and overhead squats (few failures).  This was no crushing workout, but it was a ton of fun and a great ice breaker for this group of 12.  For me, it felt like I was knocking dust off after a series of long flights.

From Mission Bay, we went straight across town to CrossFit NZ to hit the weights.  Darren and his crew out there were more than accommodating, allowing us to christen their new barbell room with power snatches and back squats.  Everyone was given 4 attempts at unbroken sets of snatches (90%, 80%, 70%, and 60% of 1RM).  During this session, Sven and I were able to walk around the room and give small cues and coaching advice to some of the less experienced lifters.  Starting the trip off with a WOD like this helped me to get to know everyone's ability level when it comes to Oly, their mobility level, and gave us the chance to expose any injuries that might need working around.

Afterwards we worked up to heavy doubles of back squat, then hit a short and sharp team WOD.  Can't say enough about the members and coaches at CF NZ for their hospitality, only wish we could've stayed longer.  But the first 6 night of this trip are all in different towns… an unfortunate necessity when you want to drive to Queenstown in less than a week.  Not to worry though, there's plenty to do along the way.

Below is a few video clips from our first day.

Lonely Wall Workout

Found a huge sound barrier wall for a local Fair Oaks neighborhood and decided to build a workout around it.  Walls are such a great resource… we need to use them more.

Abandoned Tennis Court WOD

I've been wanting to train at this abandoned tennis court forever and finally got out there the other day.  It's been awhile since I've posted a video and for that I apologize.  Need to be more diligent about bringing my camera!!

Fitness Is...

Solitude

“I don’t like work—no man does—but I like what is in the work,—the chance to find yourself. Your own reality—for yourself, not for others—what no other man can ever know.”   

Marlow—Heart of Darkness

I’ve heard it argued many times that the reason for America’s fitness failures is some combination of ignorance and inaccessibility.  Sounds plausible: If people don’t know what they should be eating or how much they should be exercising, how can we expect them to stay healthy?  So we go about increasing awareness and try to infuse our culture with fitness.  The topic makes a home on the talk show circuit and carves out a daily niche on the local news.  The marketplace explodes with informational videos, online tutorials, and $5 per month gym memberships.  The number of gyms in America rises to an all-time high.  Additionally, restaurants are required by law to disclose the nutritional content of their food.  All the pieces are falling into place.  Yet all reliable statistics indicate that we are more sickly, more injured, and more overweight than we’ve ever been.  I’ll say it again: with more resources and more knowledge than ever before, we are the least healthy we’ve ever been.  This unequivocally tells me that information and accessibility are not the issue.  

So, how is it possible that with so many tools at our disposal we still find a way to fail so miserably?  The easy answer is that we just don’t care.  I’ll admit, the simplicity of this is tempting. But there has always been a section of society that could give two shits, and I don’t believe that those apathetic few are the only thing contributing to a problem this big.  I believe that for the larger “caring” subsection, the issue is something closer to mental crowding.  We live in a world more immediate and barraging than any our ancestors had to navigate.  We have more resources, authorities, and research than they ever did.  I believe that as the flow of information has grown, so too has our inability to process it.  Where they went days or weeks between news cycles, giving them ample time to think and formulate opinions, we are refreshed within minutes.  How do we form coherent thoughts on fitness when Google pulls up 100,000 returns to our search?  How do we digest the value of health and wellness while scrolling through infomercial after infomercial on premium cable?  The answer is, we don’t.  We observe, briefly acknowledge, and change the channel.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t cut it.  Whether the subject is politics, religion, family, or fitness, skimming the headlines will never be enough to make an informed decision.  You have to dig deeper, discover facts from multiple sources, then take your time digesting that information.  This is the critical element.  Rarely is your first thought your finest—in fact, it’s usually somebody else’s.  Yet the overwhelming trend in our society is to make up our minds quicker and quicker.  In our effort to be decisive and efficient (read: laziness) we bypass the reflective stage of problem solving and cut straight to the chase.  Every diet book is a bible, every fat busting tool is a magic bean.  We buy them without understanding their cause or purpose and hope they’ll solve our problems.  Looking at health through the eyes of its advertisers, we’re no longer fitness practitioners—we’re fitness consumers.  And as long as we see fitness as something that must be done “to us” rather than “for us,” we will never internalize the message.

The solution to this problem is threefold. 

First, we need to appreciate the gravity of what we’re facing: 

-We live in a world of highly processed, if not completely contaminated food sources.  Choosing to ignore this fact increases our risk of practically every disease known to man.

-Our typical daily routine demands hours of sitting, a position that directly opposes the healthy, pain free evolution of our species.  Choosing to ignore this fact increases our risk of practically every injury known to man. 

-If you ask the average person on the street what it means to be fit, they’ll point to a picture of Kate Moss.  Choosing to ignore this fact might actually save your life. 

Needless to say, the deck is stacked against you. 

Second, we have to examine our limitations carefully, locate their origins, and go find tools that can push us past them.  This requires research, patience, and the permission to make mistakes.  No blanket diagnosis fits everyone, so stop assuming your condition is a perfect match with the latest episode of Dr. Oz.  Fixing a postural distortion will take years, so don’t get discouraged when you can’t fix it with 2 weeks of Mobility WODs.  Your fitness journey will last the rest of your life—you have to accept that there are no shortcuts.

Finally, we have to deafen our ears to the musings of our friends.  Their reasons are not your reasons, their problems are not your problems.  We have to discover for ourselves how and why fitness will benefit our lives, take the time to seek out the best method of achieving it, then take ownership of the process of doing so.  Emerson wrote that we “must be defended from travelling with the souls of other men, from living, breathing, reading, and writing in the daily, time-worn yoke of their opinions.”  As it pertains to fitness, this means training for your own reasons, not somebody else’s.  Take what others say and do, learn from it, and continue on. 

Underpinning all of this is solitude.  If we don’t give ourselves the space to ask real questions, we will never be capable of finding real answers. Comfort food, alcohol, Facebook, and YouTube are all just elaborate distractions.  You won’t find yourself there.  As humans, we need isolation to sift through the vocal chorus in our heads and determine which voice is ours.  And that doesn’t mean going off on a cliff somewhere and staring into the sunset (although that is a totally awesome way to do it).  It can be as simple as a workout alone in your garage or a ten minute session on the yoga mat.  Whatever it takes to quiet your mind and focus your energy to a single point.  Like Marlow said, no man likes work, but what’s in the work has real and lasting value.  Spend some time determining what that is.  

Rope Climb to High Muscle Up

Did a really fun workout with Denny today.  We had to do some leg work to make it possible, but that's where a lot of the fun is in training without the gym.  Hanging ropes and rings requires more fitness than using them, often times.  Check the video below.

2013 Adventure WOD Recap

This past weekend marked the second annual Adventure WOD, hosted by CrossFit Anywhere.  This year we teamed up with CrossFit Avalanche to host the event in Lake Tahoe.  The idea was that a canvas as broad and beautiful as Tahoe would offer unlimited opportunities for creative programming while taking the competitors away from the comfort of regular urban life.  A true adventure.  Mother nature didn't disappoint.

All week long we were checking and re-checking the weather forecast.  One day it looked fine, the next they were calling for rain, then it was scattered thunderstorms.  As an event planner, this is a tough situation because you really have no control over the elements.  While we discussed plan A's and plan B's in case things got rough, we were really just hoping and praying the storm held off.

The morning of the event came and it was chilly.  Volunteers and athletes alike were huddling together outside Avalanche, sipping their coffee and listening to standards.  The first task teams would have to perform was a max wall handstand for time.  This would set their heat order for the first 2 events.  Those events were as follows:

EVENT 1-
5 minute partner AMRAP:
3 muscle ups
10 pullups

EVENT 2-
EMOTM Strength Ladder:
OH Squat, Front Squat, Back Squat
(Men's bars increase by 20#, Women's bars increase by 10#)

The minimum work requirement for event 1 was 1 muscle up and 10 pullups per person.  Otherwise it didn't matter how the teams split up the work.  At the end of 5 minutes teams moved out of the gym and into the parking lot where the strength ladder awaited them--a line of men's bars and a line of women's bars.  There was no minimum work requirement here, just the sum total of poundage lifted between the two.  We saw some pretty impressive feats of strength during this portion of the day, with Drew Canavero making it to the final bar (315#) and Allisandra Pichelli finishing the ladder entirely (185#).

Right away we could tell that altitude was going to be an X factor all day.  People were sucking wind during the squat complex like they were doing an all out metcon.  Moral of the story: 6000 feet elevation is no joke, even when you're doing 3 squats per minute.

The standings after the first 2 events were then scored and tallied to establish the starting order for the adventure race.  The first place team would start first, second place :30 behind them, 3rd place :30 behind them, and so on until all teams had departed.  The starting line for the race was at the Tahoe Biltmore Hotel at the California-Nevada state line, making this possibly the first interstate CrossFit competition.  No big deal.

Once they began the race, teams would not stop for another 2+ hours.  Their tasks included a 1.1 mile hill run up a fire access road, 50 partner burpees with lateral jump, 2 minutes of partner planks, 2 minutes of crow pose, 2 minutes in a 1 armed handstand, solve a math problem, run 1.1 miles downhill, bike 6 miles, partner paddle board 600 yards, bike 3 miles, 50 partner burpees with lateral jump, 5 wall climbs, 100 kb swings, 75 goblet squats, 50 kb snatches, 25 thrusters, 400 meter sandbag farmers carry, and a 400 meter run to the finish line.  If all that wasn't enough of a challenge for these teams, the skies opened up while they were on their bikes heading towards the paddle board shop and started dumping rain.  The wind was whipping on the water, churning enormous waves onshore and dumping people left and right.  You could see the athletes go from competition mode to survival mode in an instant.  I can only imagine what it must've been like to get out of the water and get back on their bikes in the rain.  And then to swing kettlebells and carry rain-soaked sandbags.  From there on out it was grit and toughness that would get them to the finish line.

When it was all said and done 33 of the 35 teams that started the day, finished the day.  CrossFit Avalanche was a tightly packed sardine jar of shivering bodies and barbecue, as everyone tried to warm and refuel themselves.  People were laughing and crying (depending on the person), but all were incredibly accomplished.  I could not have been more impressed and inspired by the durability and toughness of these athletes.  If there was ever proof that CrosFitters are hard to kill, this was it.

Taking home the gold were Brandon Caskey and Monica Renk of South Tahoe CrossFit.  They were 11th after the first two events and made up ground during the hill run and the partner holds, before taking the lead on the bikes and extending it on the paddle board.  They would never relinquish it.  Second place went to Matt and Chelsey from San Francisco CrossFit, aka the "Purple People Eaters."




A big thank you to all the volunteers who made this event possible.  Some showed up the night before to run through events and all were there at 6:00 am the morning of, standing in the rain counting reps, and running alongside the teams to keep them moving.  Myles and CrossFit Avalanche were incredible hosts, if you've never been to their box it's a must visit.  Finally, the vendor support was amazing as well.  Alpha Strong brought their sandbags into the wild and they held up perfectly.  FitAID was there til the end giving out recovery drinks to depleted athletes and cases to the winners. Men Wielding Fire provided delicious food at the finish line, without which I'm not sure I would've made it home.  In sum, it was a brutal but memorable day that I can't wait to start planning for next year.  Congratulations to all the participants for making it through!!!

Check out our video from the event at the following link:

AWF Balkans - Day 8

Day 8

Waking up to the sound of an Islamic call to prayer was definitely a first for me.  But that’s daily life in Sarajevo.  Constructed alongside Serbian Orthodox and Catholic churches, there are more mosques in this city than in the capital of Saudi Arabia.  Religious diversity is just one example of the cultural variety the Bosnian capital boasts.  Walking through the old town you could see everything from Western Europe to the Middle East, all under the subtle veil of a war torn past.  To say that you can read the history on people’s faces is an understatement.  I wouldn’t go so far as to say people look overly unhappy, just very serious.  Not exactly surprising when you consider the city was under siege for close to 4 years.  During that time the only way to get people or supplies in and out was through a 1000 meter underground tunnel to the United Nations air strip.  Many of the people still living in the city spent their formative years in that type of environment. 

After visiting a few mosques and walking around the old city, our group headed out to the Olympic Stadium from the 1984 Winter Games.  Here we were set to meet Adi, the owner of the largest CrossFit training facility in Bosnia.  His gym is carved out of the old track and field training facility for the Yugoslavian national teams of the 1980’s.  Talk about a piece of history.  Entering the single story building, I couldn’t help but be reminded of every YouTube video I’ve seen of Russian and Bulgarian lifters.  Non-descript red cinder block walls, simple placards on doors denoting things like “Equipment Room,” and “Showers,” and the no frills feel of a place built to encourage hard work.  Adi led us to the end of the hall where his portion of the facility was located: 2 rooms, 2 squat racks, 2 benches, 4 olympic bars, a 3 person pullup system, a few strategically placed rubber mats, some nautilus rehab equipment, and a classic set of wooden stretching bars mounted to the wall.  Perfect.

After a warm up out on the track that included some running and some pigeon to pigeon transitions, we divided the group up and worked up to 5 rep maxes of back squat and deadlift, respectively.  This was quite the scene, as you can imagine, with 30 people crammed between 4 bars.  But it kept things loud, heated, and intense, he way training should be in an Eastern European Olympic relic.  Between every set of squats and deadlifts, guys had to do 10 chest to bar pullups and girls had to do 5. 

 

We spent a solid 1.5 hours enjoying this scene, then headed out to the main field for some pictures.  With the word S-A-R-A-J-E-V-O spelled out in enormous letters in the seats across from us, we took turns speed walking 50 meters as fast as possible.  This display soon escalated to a tournament style bracket, with Sunny coming out the victor.  Not exactly a surprise since his legs are twice as long as everyone else’s, but it was a good race. 

From there Adi led our bus across town to an apartment complex that had been destroyed during the war but were still standing.  This is something I had really looked forward to witnessing.  The whole place was riddled with bullet holes and crumbling debris, but we found a way to make it ours.  Everyone finding their own space, we proceeded to do the following Tabata sequence:

Shoulder Taps
Pistols
Good Mornings
L Sits

It was dusty, dirty, and decrepit everywhere you looked, but there were 30 people there doing something positive with the space.  It doesn’t get any more anywherefit than this.  I can’t wait to see the pictures from this WOD.  

It was a big day of training, so the showers and down time we took before dinner were well deserved.  The plan for tomorrow is to head out into the country to meet up with some of Armann’s Serbian relatives on their farm.  Should be a perfect way to bring today’s urban excursion into relief.