Moment(s) of Reflection to Ponder the Future

Summer is over… we are exiting October, and soon the Holiday Season and Old Man Winter will be issuing a kidney punch followed by an uppercut!!

As a Fitness Coach, I have learned that this is an important time of the year to be mindful of the work that has been done to reach our current positions, and reflect on the wins and losses in order to learn how to map out the coming months leading into The Open season.

Priorities must be addressed in this endeavor… for each of us.  For the RedShed Community, we are comprised of athletes that sit along a broad spectrum… from elite competitors to green newbies.  The priorities are sitting along an even broader spectrum, and The Open may not even make the list!

With that said, we participate in The Open every year… with about 50-60% of our community participating each year… so our programming conforms to a seasonal progression that goes from a lot of volume and time under tension to lesser volume and more shorter, higher intensity bouts of training.  This approach has proven to be effective in maintaining and improving fitness, as well as preparing those Open participants for 5 weeks of testing fitness.

As we are on the cusp of the winter months, I urge every athlete to address her/his priorities and get a clear understanding where fitness "fits" in.  Ask yourself "why am I doing this?"  I cannot emphasize enough how important this process is, and how it leads to a more fulfilling training experience!!

 

Moment of Reflection: Part 2

Yesterday I received an email about a professional peer who posted a blast on Facebook about the shady practices within our Affiliate community.  Apparently (and I am fully aware of this), there are Affiliate owners who pursue athletes from their competition, offering them better "deals" or trying to convince them that they have a "better gym".

Full disclosure here… I have much dislike for Facebook (Janine is really PatJanine… that's not me), so going in there to read his post was painful, and fully confirmed for me why it is evil.

Disclosure aside, this forced me into many moments of reflection I would like to share… so here is my rant!

Coach Steve came up with a great analogy… CrossFit Affiliates are now like Pizzerias… some people will drive 30-40min to get great pizza, and some people just choose the closest shop for convenience.

RedShed began it's CrossFit Affiliation in November of 2008… we literally had no competition; therefore, people drove from a 5-10mile radius to train in my garage, and then our Netcong store-front.  I am proud to say that most of those folks still drive 20-30min to train with us, when they could easily train at closer Affiliates.

Next reflection is telling… here is a list of gyms/programs started or owned by former RedShed Athletes

High Point CrossFit (Brendan Lynott)… a Regional Competitor who went to the games in 2012

CrossFit West Essex (Kevin Yurchak)… Regional Competitor in 2010

NJ Fit Elite (Kirk & Jess Griffin)

Warrior's Path CrossFit (Kris Perry)

CrossFit J-town (Pete Ricciardi)

And Josh Arcona trains with 12 Labours… and stood on the podium at the CrossFit Games as a member of the second fittest team in the world.

When I read "blasts" like this (this is a hyperlink!)… and the comments that ensue, it solidifies the feelings I have in my belly about our program, it's leadership and our community of good people.

The point here is simple… the cream rises to the top.  When you believe in yourself, work hard toward your goals, and pursue your passions with ferocity and integrity… you will never have time to worry about what your competition is doing.

Just take a look around… nothing else needs to be said!

 

Yours in Fitness (and Love)

cpj