The Professional CrossFitter: Reset

Reset – The oh so necessary button that must be pressed after the holiday indulgences. Because let’s face it, we’re all a bunch of gluttons. Most of the year, we’re gluttons for punishment by how we go balls to the wall, all out at the gym, making sure there’s not a drop of sweat left. We tackle the holiday buffet the same way – not a morsel, not a crumb, not a decadent calorie left unenjoyed. But now it’s time to reset (though I’m sure many of you will continue in the lavishness through New Year’s – by all means enjoy! But it will make the reset button a little harder to reach).

Luckily for most of us in the CrossFit world, all we need to do is hit the reset button. This is not a dreaded hit power, pull out the game, blow on it incessantly because clearly a buildup of dust is what is causing our malfunction, and then cross our fingers that hitting power one more time will jump start us into what we’ve looked forward to. That cold reboot (hopefully) is left for those that have yet to taste CrossFit, but for those I say – hit power! Pull out the game! Blow off that dust! And get your butt to the nearest CrossFit gym! Duck hunt season is not over, Super Mario can still be save the princess, and you too can still win the war against being lame!

SO this morning I hit my reset button, albeit way earlier than intended (had to be in the office by 6 am this morning after so wonderfully laying my head down at 1 am – can I have school and 4 wks of winter break back?). After stretching out a bit, I wondered how hard this reset was going to be. Peered in the fridge to find a most definitely empty icebox, which meant food-wise: first things first – get thee to a Publix immediately after work! WOD-wise – I didn’t take the holidays off, much to Twinkie’s chagrin. Instead, I took the opportunity to explore a new box that had opened up in my hometown – The Gate CrossFit. Friday, hit a great WOD with Max & Cody - a wod I LOVE, and by love, I mean detest for my familiarity with it by way of epic fail circa Week 5 of The Games Open. But lo and behold, I did substantially better than I had performed that sad week in April. No longer an epic fail. Rather – VICTORY! (this is a reset, let’s celebrate the small wins eh?) Saturday = Team WOD with poor Shane stuck as my partner to face off against Austin & and another Gate woman. I hadn’t seen a “named” team wod, so for all I know, Austin attached the name just to make me feel more intimidated.

“Winchester” it was (and not the Winchester I found on Google, though post-wod I felt like someone had blasted me with the one on Google).

5 min AMRAP

30 hand-release pushups/30 KB Swings (53/35)

5 min AMRAP

Deadlift (135/95)/ Situps

5 min AMRAP

SDHP (53/35)/ Box Jumps (24/20)

5 min AMRAP

Thrusters (65/45)/ Push Press (65/45)

Shane & I gave it our all, and our all was a whopping 672 reps, complete with fried shoulders! A very legit effort as evidenced by the sweat stains that I’m sure Austin is still trying to clean off the floor.

Me w/The Gate CrossFit

Between work at The Gate and completing my 5000 double unders by Christmas challenge, I feel that my performance upon return to CrossFit Music City will only be dampered by the excessive food-gluttony in which I participated. Correction – I FELT that my performance would not demonstrate a slothful Christmas holiday. That is before I saw this morning that Stacey had an excursion home from the holidays fraught with delay, which can only mean I am sure to face not chipper, jovial, “I love life at 6 am post-3^rd Monster energy drink” Stacey, but rather menopausal, cranky-face “this gym is a mess!” Stacey and with him, a workout for which there is no feeling prepared.

Mental-wise – just as important for us as our food and physical training – this reset is the most difficult to assess. Yes, I feel recharged after spending a few days with the family. It’s a good sign that I faced the reset button eagerly rather than with hesitant dread. But, I worry that mentally my head’s not quite in the game. For starters, trying to squeeze the 5000 double unders in 2 weeks has left me no desire to pick up a rope anytime soon (though I’m sure I could be persuaded if someone felt the need to send me a new rope, as the challenge thoroughly obliterated mine). I’ve got Twinkie’s voice playing over and over again in my head “Rest! Rest! Rest! Then Reset!” I think his voice is turning into a broken record that’s convincing me that I didn’t mentally rest enough to be ready to reset.

But as always, I will choose to ignore Twinkie and WOD it up regardless.

Added Bonus: A How to Attack Christmas Dinner Like A True CrossFitter