Endorphins

There were probably 10 great post titles that went through my head...none of them this, but endorphins are important.  Science time.  Endorphins: any of a group of endogenous peptides (as enkephalin) found especially in the brain that bind chiefly to opiate receptors and produce some pharmacological effects.  WTF does that mean Dan?  Great question, I have no idea.  What I do know is how to explain it layman's terms...as I understand it anyway.  Endorphins come out for a few things, for me, I get the biggest hit when I hurt something so bad, I giggle.  Rather than crying it's this real nervous like laugh, and I can't stop.  Workouts among other things can release endophins too...fits here huh?  I also thing...or blame endorphins for that feel good feeling of first.  First time holding someones hand, first kiss, first "epic" moment, lots of first.  Some endorphins are even more powerful than morphine... and it's all made in our bodies...cools stuff.  

I say all that to say I hit a number of firsts today.  So I had lots of endorphins through out the day, lot of firsts.  Lets talk workout.  Some of the "usual" stretches, rowing and the like, had to get the body ready for some lifting today....don't take my caviler tone for saying it was a breeze.  Still had a dripping sweat when I was done...mental note, work harder on breathing right.  I mean there is that gulping air stuff, and then there is breathing right.  More work due on the latter.  

Weights.  Hit a quasi PR tonight.  Well no, it wasn't a PR (that's personal record for those keeping score at home), but it was a max.  I don't think I've had an honest to goodness max until tonight, but I'm sure if I keep showing up, I'll get more than a few more.  #countonit  forgive the hashtaggery.  So weights, worked with my man Jeff (another nomad, guy's from DC, but working up here as well), and we both had to run through a bit of weight to find our max's.  Training was to find the max, then do 3x1 rep sets of 70% of the max.  Where are my manners...talking about weights, what kind of weights.  Push press.  I could wordsmith it for you, but I need to get to bed and three sentences is going to save me 5 minutes of sleep.  I'd link a video, but the hotel internet is gawd awful tonight, so it would take even longer than the sentences...  Back to Jeff and myself.  Apparently we're too slow finding our max.  Andy (one of our two illustrious coaches for the evening) gave a warning, you have one minute to get your bar and be ready.  Everyone had pretty much hussled and gotten a bar...but Jeff was still getting the weights off his bar and put back in place.  3 warnings later, Jeff is nearly done, but not quite there.... 10 burpees.  Group "punishment".  We did burpees last night... Dan doesn't want to do 10 burpees.  Valuable lessons learned for at least myself, leave no man behind, had I helped Jeff put up what was equally some of my mess, rather than wait, Dan does 10 less burpees.  Self preservation at it's finest.  

Metcon-  EMOM-20 minutes.  Didn't catch what it stood for, but it's basically you have a minute to do workout A, then you go to B.  Get done early, don't start the next till the top of the minute.  Got it?  good.  20 minutes...reminders of Cindy...ug, shake it off.  First move is toes to bar.  I can't do toes to bar, so I get to hang and pull my knees as high up as I can.  Abs baby...sometimes I call them abdimonials (sounds like colonials with and abdim to replace the c)...idk why, leave me alone.  So we've got the toes to bars, six count.  Other move is a snatch to 2 overhead squats.  Those of you good at math have already added up 60 toes to bars, and 10 snatches with 20 overhead squats.  Congrats to the people that did that, to the rest of you, now you know.  This was nothing like last night, but it wasn't easy either.  My form faltered a bit with the overhead squats.  I will get better.  For you new people, you'll do have those moments, own them and improve.  I know for me I get a little pissed when I catch myself screwing up.  It doesn't last long, a short memory is probably good for frustration, keeps you in the moment.  Back to the form, I don't have any for the toes to bars, a lot of people make it look easy...and I look forward to that day, until then it's modifications.  Let me tell you, if it came to me living or dying by hanging from a bar...it's a lot of weight, can't say I'd make it, it's like holding two people and then pulling my knees up... by round 5 or so, I knew the tendons in my forearms are going to be a joy in the morning.  

Workouts over, I stick around to chat, chest bump, high five, stretch,  and drink in the atmosphere.  What can I say, I love it here... and my hotel room is kinda boring...but we'll stick with the good things.  Have a gift coming to CFDS tomorrow morning, fix an issue I discovered tonight, might tell you about it tomorrow.  :)  

Quick hitters: 

 There are more crossfit nomads than you think, if you travel for work like me, don't be shy.  If you're in Delaware...and I mean any part of it (it's kinda small...), stop by CrossFit Diamond State, come see what I see. 

Form, will help you do amazing things.  Andy (remember the tyrannical burpee coach earlier in our story?), he set a goal of 205 for his max today.  Said he's be happy to hit it.  CRUSHED it.  Hit 225, rang the PR bell (another story for another day) and he said something about it being the good form as much as it being him.  Well, thats the way I heard it anyway.  Proud of Andy, he had his goal, then once he hit it, instead of stopping, he kept pushing for more.  This is supposed to be quick... keep your form, we'll discuss this more in the future I'm sure. 

Ok, it's midnight, I NEED sleep.  Disclaimer, after 11, I stop proofreading.  Work with me here.  Tomorrow I'm going to talk about about one more first from today, and that my friends is you.  Have a good night/morning.  

TCN