It should look like this. Wreckage. Destruction. Annihilation. After “Power Cindy” you should look like somebody just pistol-whipped you or shoved a needle in your vein.
You should be wrecked.
And if you’re not? Then your pacing was off, your intensity level was too low, your plan was too measured.
CrossFit, done right, is like taking drugs. Your brain gets scrambled and your hands shake, but you feel flippin’ FANTASTIC. Yet your health improves and you look better. The fact that it costs less than drugs and you get to keep all your teeth is just a bonus. But don’t try to fool yourself. You’re an addict. A CrossFit addict. Maybe you don’t have track marks on your arms, but look at your hands. Touch your traps. Check out the marks on your shins, or your collarbone. The signs are there, aren’t they?
You’re addicted to CrossFit but you don’t have to cruise bad neighborhoods for your fix and the cops aren’t going to bust you. In fact, the cops are working out next to you and they’re addicts too. Both of you will go home and find yourself thinking about your next hit — reading CrossFit Journal articles, haunting the blog, watching videos again and again, hitting Facebook for some CrossFit talk, jonesing for your next hit.
And the next day, when you get to the box and you’re lacing up your sneakers and the warm-up is about to start, you’ll feel that pit in your stomach and you’ll be scared and you’ll think, “Holy crap, why do I do this? It’s going to hurt.” You’ll almost want to run away, back to your couch, back to the food and television oblivion that used to dull your pain of living, back before you had your first CrossFit hit.
But then you remember the high you’re going to feel at the end. And you swallow hard and walk onto the floor.
The coach yells “3 . . . 2 . . . 1. Go!” The needle slips in. It pinches a bit . . . but then . . . ahhhh . . .
(Words by Lisbeth Darsh/CrossFit Watertown.)
June 22nd, 2010 at 9:13 am
BAM!
High indeed… I <3 CF
June 22nd, 2010 at 9:43 am
Why is Mikey standing?
June 22nd, 2010 at 10:01 am
Because Mikey is Mikko Salo. He refuses to lay down.
Think about it — have you ever seen Mikey and Mikko in the same room together? Yup. Proof right there.
And I am just out of range in the lower right hand corner, rocking. It seems to help, go figure.
June 22nd, 2010 at 10:06 am
Oh, we were talking about this yesterday. After the immediate-post-WOD quiz on Friday I got to thinking, and some form of this is obviously the next logical step:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chess_boxing
Here is some video:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/video/2010/apr/20/chess-boxing-video
It doesn’t have to be chess and it probably shouldn’t be boxing but Cindy/Sudoku could be totally doable.
June 22nd, 2010 at 10:11 am
haha, great post and photo. Notice that Britt is still on her way down in the photo. Derek is like, “I just did that at 185#….WHAT…..WHAT!!!” Birthday boy Mikko Mikey wasn’t even phased. I’m sorry I missd that WOD, but my back is acting up again. We’ll see what happens tonight but it’s feeling okay. And, Lis, I disagree with one thing. Each day when I’m lacing up, I’m rarely nervous or scared. I’m excited about the WOD because they have been awesome lately. That said, I AM nervous about a WOD that’s coming up later this week. And, I have rocked on the ground after numerous WODS, most recently the 30 min AMRAP the other week. It does help, even though I feel and look like a mental patient.
June 22nd, 2010 at 1:29 pm
Where is everybody today? Did Power Cindy kill everyone?
June 22nd, 2010 at 1:29 pm
since I’m not fb friends with everyone – I just posted the following for anyone that has some down time this summer:
Clearing out the “cook library”…for those of you that are nearby-stop by & pick up some books. Books by Michael Connelly, James Patterson, John Sandford, Iris Johansen, Ed McBain, Jonathan Kellerman, John Grishom, Susan Sloan, Patricia Cornwell, Jospeh Kanon, Daniel Silva, David Balducci, Richard North Patterson-to name a few. Numerous other authors too…mostly in hardcover. If you interestered, let me know. I’d love to pass these books on for others to read.
June 22nd, 2010 at 1:38 pm
There are post WOD quizes now?
I would also like to confirm that I have never seen Mikey or Mikko in the same room before. Proof.
Soduko Cindy sounds strange…interesting but strange
June 22nd, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Haha, damn Lis i was gunna make a Mikko reference, oh well…to chime in on the lying down after a WOD topic…after watching “Sisu” i never lie down, it’s unimaginably challenging to try and stay standing and walk after being used to crashing on the floor, but i think it helps me recover quicker…idk any thoughts? btw i thought it was common knowledge that Mikey was actually Mikko
June 22nd, 2010 at 6:53 pm
Tanner — it’s all about what gives YOU strength! This topic has been debated since the beginning of CrossFit (as you probably know) and I always maintain it’s a personal thing. Sometimes, I lie back and veg out and sometimes I walk around and bump into things and sometimes I sit and rock like I’m special. As stupid as it looks, the rocking thing really works the best for me lately after something particularly brutal. But to each his own — all I know is that both “Mikko” and “Mikey” start with the letter M. More proof.
June 22nd, 2010 at 8:00 pm
I refuse to Lie down after a WOD. If Mikko ( I mean myself) wont lie down then why should I. Oh and after looking at this picture I really need to work on my Tan.
June 23rd, 2010 at 8:05 am
Can I just say… I really HATE the people I work with… ugh.
June 23rd, 2010 at 8:56 am
I never thought there was any problem with lying down after a WOD, just not during, and never thought it was an matter of debate. I suppose it’s not totally necessary, just relaxing, and you can take a couple minutes to lower your heart rate and return to normal. But you can do that standing up – would sitting down be okay? Clearly after Power Cindy I was flat on the ground and stayed that way for about 4 or 5 minutes.
June 23rd, 2010 at 9:01 am
I started Crossfit with the idea that it would be a good place to workout for the winter until I started running again when the weather got nice. Well that went out the window when my addiction kicked in.
My wife makes comments like “why do you keep hurting yourself” and then she just rolls her eyes and says “I know you can’t help yourself”.
The adrenaline I find at Crossfit is something I have never found working out before. I think it has a lot to do with the people around us. We keep pushing each other to get better and better.
Now its time to go get my fix on!
June 23rd, 2010 at 9:02 am
There’s no problem, just personal preference, i’ve seen pictures of Greg Amundson flat on the ground after a WOD
June 23rd, 2010 at 9:03 am
MIKey MIKko…i think the proof is overwhelming at this point
June 23rd, 2010 at 12:43 pm
http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/CrossFitGames09_MikkoChampDocTrailer.mov
@Beery: Technically, your body should lower your heart rate more efficiently while lying down — or at least that’s the story.
@Brian: Totally hear ya. Addiction.
December 16th, 2010 at 9:09 am
OK.. since day 1 I have said – CrossFit makes me stoned!
I want to be the lone wolf here and state the obvious – any addiction can be dangerous. We work ourselves into stupidity and injury. We forget to listen to our bodies in the addictive drive for that next hit. We don’t stretch, recover, go to physical therapy or the doctor when something starts hurting. We keep going until it blows.
I know because that’s me.
Be an addict. But be a damn smart one. Be highly protective and selfish about your joints, soft tissue, muscles and bones. Be as addicted to recovery as you are to WODs. Don’t let the chemical high make you your very own worst enemy.
It’s more important to eat well and not WOD than to eat like shit and WOD like a beast. Again, I know.
“cougie” – the total addict who is learning how to be a smart one.