tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46495189248313745212024-03-13T17:35:07.359-04:00Southern Fried PaleoMichael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-32575711208391703162011-07-05T07:45:00.000-04:002011-07-05T07:45:20.983-04:00The Bible Unearthed Review<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if !mso]><img src="http://img2.blogblog.com/img/video_object.png" style="background-color: #b2b2b2; " class="BLOGGER-object-element tr_noresize tr_placeholder" id="ieooui" data-original-id="ieooui" /> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"> I have often challenged myself to read the Bible with the inevitable consequence that after a few pages, the storied work returns to the bookshelf to gather dust.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My interest, however, has been rekindled by a new book <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bible Unearthed</i> by Israel Finkelstein, professor of archaeology at Tel Aviv University and Neil Asher Silberman, contributing editor to Archaeology magazine among other positions. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The authors reinterpret the stories of the Old Testament in light of the most recent archaeological evidence and reveal which stories were true, which were false, and which were exaggerations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also provide an understanding of why this text from the unlikeliest of times and places could have persisted and changed history.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The main thrust of their work is that the core of the Old Testament, including the Pentateuch, was written in the seventh century BCE near the time that King Josiah reined, hundreds or even thousands of years after the described events.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The authors point out anachronisms in the text such as in the story of Joseph.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Genesis chapter 37, Joseph’s brothers sell him into slavery to a passing camel caravan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, camels were not domesticated as pack animals until after 1000 BCE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>There is, in fact, no archaeological evidence for the stories of the Old Testament until the time of King David.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This portion without evidence includes the stories of Abraham, his son Isaac, his son Jacob, and Jacob’s twelve sons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no evidence for the Israelite’s captivity in Egypt, their escape from bondage, or their forty years of wandering in the wilderness of Sinai.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>These stories were the threads of legends of the various groups of the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the books that describe these events were an effort in the seventh century BCE by priests and scholars loyal to King Josiah to consolidate central power by creating a common history for the scattered people of the region and create a sense of unity amongst them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The authors assert that there is no evidence for the existence of a unified kingdom under David and Solomon, which would later fracture under Solomon’s son Rehoboam.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rather, the two kingdoms of Judah and Israel existed as separate entities until the destruction of Israel by the Assyrian empire as described in 2 Kings Chapter 17 around 722 BCE.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>After Israel’s fall, the kingdom of Judah flourishes due to its status as last-man-standing in the region, and as is usually the case, writes history to suit its own ends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The goal of the Old Testament authors is to create a sense of unity amongst the people of the area and encourage loyalty to the central government in Jerusalem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The priesthood begins by weaving local myths and legends into a common history interwoven with a personal relationship with one god.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Chapter 22 of 2 Kings describes how the lost book of law was “found” in the temple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In reality, this book of law, an early version of Deuteronomy, was written at that time and introduced to the people of Judah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The kingdom of Israel had been for centuries the more prosperous, populated, and economically advanced kingdom of the two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a fashion that would make our own political operatives proud, the writers of the Old Testament waged a propaganda campaign for the purpose of discrediting the northern kingdom by discrediting their kings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The northern kingdom’s leaders were painted as idolaters and wicked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Judah was the hero of the narrative as being more true to God. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">The Old Testament is punctuated throughout with episodes in which God’s chosen people commit idolatry and worship other gods.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Archaeological evidence provides us with an understanding of their lapses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people described in the Old Testament were polytheists throughout their history.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Monotheism was not the norm, not even at the time of King David or Solomon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not until the seventh century did monotheism begin to gain the upper hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Noticeably, the only place to worship this singular god was in the temple in Jerusalem, which enhanced the centralization of power in Jerusalem’s priesthood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">The greatest contribution of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Bible Unearthed </i>is the understanding it imparts to its readers of how and why these stories were written. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The authors build from the archaeological evidence a picture of the political climate of the time, which created a need for a politically and theologically unifying religious text to knit the people of the region together under Jerusalem’s king and priesthood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">The book demonstrates how easily it has always been to obfuscate the truth and create mythology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our own American history is already shot through with mythology after only two hundred years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The story of George Washington’s chopping down the cherry tree is apocryphal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The world of ancient Israel was little different from our own in this respect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They suffered from a dearth of the divine and a plenitude of political propaganda.</div>Michael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-56247501602024396862011-06-26T08:20:00.002-04:002011-06-26T08:29:46.874-04:00A is A<div class="MsoNormal"> Like many conservative/libertarians, I went through an Ayn Rand phase. Apart from being presumptive, this piece may also be futile since adherents to Rand’s philosophy are not so much adherents, but worshipers. I know this from personal experience since I gulped gallons of the Objectivist Kool Aid myself, bought three t shirts, and a coffee mug. Yes, I literally have in my possession three Atlas Shrugged t shirts and an Atlas Shrugged mug.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBVQ0tZDLJBWsGY-cj09TWsWa9UdxVjZcw13XbT0u3Hl-BqYfe2byFJkReVB0JlPT6YKIMgmiUcjLQOuOpM-Ljk5Pz5lbVqoengSxV1l6efh1kQF2bxW-NUtpCPFL6zEeLpkv1TM-ImTl/s1600/IMG_2373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBVQ0tZDLJBWsGY-cj09TWsWa9UdxVjZcw13XbT0u3Hl-BqYfe2byFJkReVB0JlPT6YKIMgmiUcjLQOuOpM-Ljk5Pz5lbVqoengSxV1l6efh1kQF2bxW-NUtpCPFL6zEeLpkv1TM-ImTl/s200/IMG_2373.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the "Atlas Will Shrug" Mug</td></tr>
</tbody></table> I haven’t completely dismissed her ideas as espoused in Atlas Shrugged or the Fountain Head. There is a lot to be said for fighting the notion that the less fortunate are automatically entitled to the rewards of other’s hard work. We are struggling with an entitlement culture as I write this. It’s important to note that our entitlement culture extends far beyond just the “welfare” classes. Rand’s ideas are noteworthy but are ultimately almost as abstract and utopian as the communist ideals. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Her philosophy is based on the primacy of logic and reason above all else. It is an elegant theory, a perfect counterweight to communism. One would expect that given her experience in Russia’s communist revolution, that the horrors she saw there would drive her to be the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">yin</i> to the collectivists’ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">yang</i>.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Man’s logic and reason create all that is necessary for life and advances our quality of life. Man’s intellect makes all this possible, and no one can make a claim to another man’s creative intellect, even on humanitarian grounds. Others may reap the rewards of another’s intellect, but only by the voluntary exchange of something of value. The individual is the primary focal point, not the collective. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> But as my wife said, “People just don’t work that way.” My wife is an old soul and intuitively sensed that Rand’s theory didn’t mesh with our messy reality.</div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"> Scientific studies show infants demonstrate empathy for others before they even learn to speak. This suggests that we, as a species, are born with an innate sense of empathy. We are born hard wired to empathize and sympathize with others. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> I can imagine how this might be interpreted in an evolutionary biology framework. Scientists have argued at what level or levels does survival of the fittest take place? Is it the fittest gene, cell, individual, group, species, or all of the above? Our species may not have evolved to be the fittest individual but the fittest group. Survival rates for an individual would have been zero for most of our evolutionary history. A loner would make easy prey for animal or enemy. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Grok the Neanderthal may not have been the fittest or smartest of his clan. But he was still a needed for hunting and fending off rival clans. If he was a slacker on the hunt, I imagine that he would take home a smaller share of wooly mammoth than other group members as punishment. But unless food resources were scarce, he would not be allowed starve. He was still useful for the survival of the group. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Our species did not evolve to be loners, let alone the heroic loners of Rand’s novels. We evolved in groups, attuned to the emotional states of one another in order to assure group harmony and success. This is reflected in the following thought experiment.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">If two people are performing an identical task, and one produces more than the other due to a superior work ethic or intelligence, our innate sense of fairness dictates that the out performer deserves greater compensation. But if $5 would save someone’s life and a billionaire refuses to give up an amount of funds insignificant to him, most would consider his refusal immoral. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">We don’t suffer the lazy for long. But we also expect those who have an abundance of resources to share with the less fortunate, at least to the extent that their standard of living is not affected. We shouldn’t be surprised. During the millennia in which we evolved, great disparity of wealth did not exist. We are still struggling with the idea that Bill Gates or Warren Buffet live only a few thousand miles from Haitians dying from a lack of clean water. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">One of Rand’s central tenets was an adherence to Aristotle’s Law of Identity: Everything in existence has a particular nature. That particular nature gives the object its identity, and an object cannot have two identities. A is A. It is what it is. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Humans are what we evolved to be. A is A. We are neither purely collectivist nor individualist. We are a motley mixture of both intellect and emotion with an innate sense of justice that rewards exceptional individual ability and values charity. And a quick perusal of our history will confirm that we have always been so. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Reward for individual effort is the engine that drives human progress. But individuals pursuing their own interests do not ensure the success the group, or in our age, the nation. Numerous civilizations have collapsed as individuals pursued their own goals with blinders on, steaming their societies along like a rudderless ship to unfortunate ends. (Warning, book recommendation follows. Read Jared Diamond’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed</i>).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">My wife sensed what Ayn Rand could not see. Perhaps it was because she was born in a South Bronx housing project but has gone on to receive her Masters degree.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">She will testify that she didn’t succeed alone as a Rand heroine would. Her success is due to her exceptionality, luck, and some helping hands, including some from the government. We’ll never know exactly which factor figured most prominently in her avoiding the traps that ensnared many of the young women in her neighborhood. There is no elegant or simple explanation. But that is the human condition. A is A.</div>Michael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-16547979527915358522011-06-23T18:46:00.001-04:002011-06-24T08:57:21.976-04:00Thoughts From, Of, and About a Simple Life<div class="MsoNormal"> This is an attempt to jump start my blog. The original experiment, I am confident, succeeded. That is, Crossfit and the Paleo diet will whip you into shape in no time. I am not currently Crossfit, Paleo, or any combination of the above. I have a four month old daughter, so I am simply in survival mode. That goes double for the little monster’s mother. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboqrdHLDydhu66duGsBi-AtLTzI4RJau8Sy5_9eLooXDUOlJZOXYtrEulBjbYXKdR_l2qKGA0Gpun-lWKykV38YcmszAhY4AAmqR7IHI-WOmXNcPOQTj7dN4KxyeF-tbt25O_35fkFW9I/s1600/IMG_1090.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhboqrdHLDydhu66duGsBi-AtLTzI4RJau8Sy5_9eLooXDUOlJZOXYtrEulBjbYXKdR_l2qKGA0Gpun-lWKykV38YcmszAhY4AAmqR7IHI-WOmXNcPOQTj7dN4KxyeF-tbt25O_35fkFW9I/s200/IMG_1090.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hungry little monster.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table> </div><div class="MsoNormal"> I recently caught my reflection in the mirror, which served as a stark reminder that I was not in great shape at the moment. It’s always my intention to return to my little home gym, but I also thought that I should revisit this blog as well as the weights. After all, the gray matter deserves a work out as well. My synapses fire double time when not obsessed with work on questions and ideas from all subjects. So a blog on diet and exercise is limiting. So for starters, what would a more broadly interpreted paleo lifestyle look like? </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The thrust of the paleo diet is that we are still essentially identical to our cave man ancestors, who evolved prior to the agricultural revolution. Therefore, we should eat what they ate to the extent possible: nuts, berries, vegetables that resemble more or less the wild plants they ate, fish, and meat. The more organic and natural you can obtain these items, the better for your health. Therefore, grass fed beef sans antibiotics is superior to the typical feed lot beef. If you can get wild game, even better. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> The agricultural revolution introduced domesticated grains into the diet: wheat, barley, rice and others, which we had not evolved to eat. Anthropologists saw a decrease in the size and stature of humans in the post-agricultural revolution era. Grains provide energy but little nutrients as compared to spinach or broccoli. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> So we currently eat foods that we did not evolve to eat, to the great detriment of our health. An extension of this theory calls into question our entire hamster-on-a-treadmill lifestyle. Our bodies did not evolve to spend hours behind a desk followed by hours in front of the television or computer. More importantly, neither did our psyche. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Technology has made more available to us the essentials of life: food, shelter, and clothing. But what’s next? What are we working for after we achieve the essentials? The latest flat screen TV, designer label fashion, or luxury car? Your average cave man’s rat race was a matter of survival, of gathering food and finding shelter. What joy he had was derived from his interaction with others in his group. What is our rat race about? And to what degree can we opt out?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"> Obviously, if I thought I had all the answers, I would start my own religion. But there are some guides. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">The Pew Research Center released a study on happiness in 2006. It showed that happiness was related to income. But the percentage of people stating that they were very happy has been fairly stable since the early 1970s. But real income has risen in those forty years. Why hasn’t the number of happy people gone up? Researchers have found that it’s not what we have that makes us happy, but what we have relative to others. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">We work as hard, have more, but are no more satisfied. Our lifestyles are consumed by goals we never meant to have for things that didn’t exist in the wildest imagination of our prehistoric ancestors. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">Warren Buffet said something that sums up our lifestyles. I am paraphrasing here: Greed doesn’t run the world. Envy does.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">The search for a way out begins. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;"><br />
</div>Michael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-88482280234029825142010-09-19T09:35:00.001-04:002010-09-19T09:36:02.864-04:00Fran and FrustrationI have been somewhat frustrated by my progress in my workout goal. In particular, I have tried to stick to a program of 3 days working out, 1 day off, 2 on, 1 off. I have been stymied. I just can't seem to recover enough. All the more frustrating since the official Crossfit program is 3 on, 1 off, all the time. So I reviewed my workout log, which goes back to January 08. I looked at the workouts that I did when I considered myself in my prime. My schedule was very haphazard back then. 3 on, 3 off, 5 on, 1 off, 2 on, 2 off, etc. But I looked at an average for a month and found that I was consistently working out an average of 20-21 days per month, ie. the equivalent of a 2 on-1 off program. I have been somewhat relieved to find that I was getting decent results working out 67% of the time. So I'm going to implement a consistent 2-1 rotation. We'll see how it goes. Oh yeah, this all underscores the importance of keeping a record of your workouts. <br />
<br />
Today was dedicated to Fran, a Crossfit legend. The giants amongst Crossfit giants do this workout under 2:30. I guess that makes me a pygmy. My time was 10:09. My best ever was 6:55 on 7/31/08. <br />
Fran <br />
21-15-9 reps of<br />
95 lbs Thruster<br />
Kipping Pullups<br />
<br />
Another important lesson for today: strength plays a huge part in doing these workouts quickly and successfully. I wasn't slowed down by lack of cardio, but by a lack of shoulder strength and leg power to drive out of the bottom of the front squat. I'll try to do Fran again as I near the end of my goal to see how much I can improve. At this point, 15 workouts down, 42 to go.Michael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-38338896833158075852010-09-17T07:37:00.000-04:002010-09-17T07:37:50.413-04:00ElizabethI'm feeling a little beat down, but charged ahead anyway.<br />
Elizabeth<br />
21-15-9 reps of<br />
135 lbs. Squat Clean<br />
Ring Dips<br />
<br />
My time 19:24. <br />
Not even close to a PR (14:40 on 12/18/08). <br />
Still, 14 workouts down, 43 to go.Michael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-70860569176745681572010-09-12T09:01:00.000-04:002010-09-12T09:01:20.078-04:00Nancy - Thirteen Down, Forty Four to GoToday I did Nancy. (My wife scowls.) As previously noted, many Crossfit workouts are named after girls. I should name one after my wife, Lisa. I'll have to think on this awhile to come up with a workout that matches her personality. <br />
<br />
Anyway, Nancy: 5 rounds for time of<br />
Run 400 meters<br />
15 Overhead Squats, 95 lbs.<br />
My time: 22:02. I was hoping for better. In fact, I had imagined a sub 15 min workout. But the squats were much harder than I anticipated after running 400 m. <br />
After Nancy, I got to use my new rope. (Cue Angelic chorus.) I felt like an eight year old on Christmas morning. The rope is hanging 15 feet up. I did 5 ascents in 4 minutes. Rope climbing is deceptively difficult. It also exhausts your entire body unless you're actually strong enough to climb without using your legs. I'm not that strong.<br />
<br />
I had hoped to do a hero WOD yesterday in honor of 9/11. But my body just wasn't up to it. I did a shortened Murph as best I could. Run 1 mile, 6 rounds of 10 pullups, 20 pushups, 30 squats, run 1 mile. <br />
<br />
At this point, I've done thirteen named workouts. There are 57 on the list. Forty four to go.Michael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-75790817828246702012010-09-10T13:55:00.000-04:002010-09-10T13:55:02.111-04:00Helton and StephenAnother day, and sadly another hero workout appeared on the Crossfit main site. U.S. Air Force Security Forces 1st Lt. Joseph D. Helton was from Monroe, GA, which is a town just an hour and a half away from me. Five more hero workouts have appeared since I took on this goal about a month ago. It's tough to have moving goal posts. I fully expected that more heroes would be added to the list. I didn't expect them to come at a rate of one per week. But all I can do is keep chugging through the list of workouts remembering how fortunate I am to be able to attempt them. <br />
<br />
With that in mind, today I did the hero WOD "Stephen." <br />
For time: 30-25-20-15-5 reps of <br />
Situps on Glute Ham Developer<br />
Back Extensions<br />
Knees to Elbows<br />
Stiff legged deadlift 95 lbs.<br />
My time: 25:59. <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.crossfit.com/cf-assets/180x180/stephen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.crossfit.com/cf-assets/180x180/stephen.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Third Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry member Corporal Stephen Bouzane, 26, was killed by an IED strike June 20th, 2007 in the Panjwaii district in Afghanistan. He is survived by his parents Fred and Moureen Bouzane and his sister Kelly. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Michael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-60822892123419676612010-09-07T18:28:00.001-04:002010-09-08T10:56:24.183-04:00Early Festivus Feat of Strength: RandyFestivus and my birthday arrived early this year. Today I received my new Olympic bar and bumper plates. Even though I didn't sleep well and thought that I should probably rest, I couldn't resist the smell of new rubber. Such a wonderful Festivus present deserved an appropriate feat of strength. So I did the hero workout Randy.<br />
<br />
For time: 75 power snatches at 75 lbs.<br />
My time: 9:52.<br />
Yes, for some reason, Olympic lifting has very suggestive terminology. But it isn't the only sport. Take the football phrase for instance: "muffed a punt." Who comes up with these terms?<br />
<br />
On a serious note, it is great to be thankful for new gifts and remember that there are things more important than weight lifting sets, like family. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2CJpGsWcqt94UX9OnICHE-8IycMA8KwLmiQVCuIxbUTxNAETfwyhg14A0aiubTyqU3-pm-PVDvRiWU7U2tm7DGCDRYVbvHUu0gCBM5xf_N79RTBrbrMP-nGAMJNKyJYSdnauWCF2DkklC/s1600/baby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2CJpGsWcqt94UX9OnICHE-8IycMA8KwLmiQVCuIxbUTxNAETfwyhg14A0aiubTyqU3-pm-PVDvRiWU7U2tm7DGCDRYVbvHUu0gCBM5xf_N79RTBrbrMP-nGAMJNKyJYSdnauWCF2DkklC/s320/baby.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My beautiful wife and her baby bump.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Here's to Randy and his family.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.crossfit.com/cf-assets/180x180/randy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.crossfit.com/cf-assets/180x180/randy.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In honor of Randy Simmons, 51, a 27 year LAPD veteran and SWAT team member who was killed February 6 in the line of duty. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Officer Simmons' wife and two children. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Michael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-16291842904615998662010-09-05T07:44:00.001-04:002010-09-05T09:30:30.900-04:00Erin and a New Hero WorkoutI've been struggling a bit to return from my 5 day layoff. My legs have been very sore, which has limited my workouts a little. My shoulder is also a little sore. I guess this is to be expected 2 1/2 weeks out from my 37th bday. But just in time to keep things in perspective, a new hero workout appeared on the crossfit.com site today: "Severin." Given that he was 43 and in the middle of a warzone, I'll count my blessings and do the best I can. <br />
<br />
I felt rested enough to tackle another hero workout - Erin. This workout is a reminder that its not just Americans sacrificing everything in Afghanistan, but Canadian soldiers as well. The work out is<br />
5 Rounds for time:<br />
40 lbs. dumbbell split clean - 15 reps<br />
21 kipping pullups<br />
My time: 17:48 <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.crossfit.com/cf-assets/180x180/ErinD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.crossfit.com/cf-assets/180x180/ErinD.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Canadian Army Master Corporal Erin Doyle, 32, was killed in a firefight August 11th, 2008 in the Panjwaii District, Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. He is survived by his wife Nicole and his daughter Zarine. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>I guess it's too much to hope for that no new hero workouts will appear.Michael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-83237920297323876942010-09-01T07:09:00.000-04:002010-09-01T07:09:43.897-04:00rest up and then CindyI had to take a few days off, 4 days to be exact. I had been tired and lethargic. I didn't realize it, but I had slipped into the realm of overtraining. But after 4 days, I've come back energetic.<br />
<br />
Today I did Cindy.<br />
As many rounds as possible in 20 min of<br />
5 kipping pull ups<br />
10 push ups<br />
15 squats<br />
<br />
I got 14 rounds. Not very good. My personal best was 18 rounds and 5 pull ups on 3/25/09. But at least I'm back.Michael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-38092036105101579242010-08-23T09:28:00.001-04:002010-08-23T09:28:29.061-04:00AngieYet another Crossfit post.<br />
<br />
Angie:<br />
100 kipping pull ups<br />
100 push ups<br />
100 sit ups<br />
100 squats<br />
<br />
I did the sit ups on a roman chair down to parallel to the floor (not touching the floor).<br />
Time: 28:38. Sadly, not even close to a personal record, which was 22:29 on 4/8/09.Michael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-89930417312969759842010-08-21T07:34:00.002-04:002010-08-21T07:36:25.218-04:00Field Trip Day for GriffThis morning I took a field trip to the local high school track for Griff, today's hero.<br />
<br />
Griff:<br />
Run 800 m<br />
Run 400 m backwards<br />
Run 800 m<br />
Run 400 m backwards<br />
<br />
Result: 14:19<br />
<br />
Running backwards is deceptively difficult with respect to both coordination and leg endurance. Two laps around the track is not enough to make running backwards feel natural. And I was surprised at how fast my legs began to burn while running backwards. The most interesting part was turning around for next 800 meter run. My legs momentarily forgot how to run forwards. Fortunately it was very early in the morning and I was alone because for a few steps I suspect I looked like a newborn just learning to walk. It was not a terribly difficult workout because I couldn't run fast enough backwards to keep my heart rate elevated. But with a bit of practice, this one could be intense. But I'm not sure that running backwards is not particularly practical skill to devote a lot of time to. So I'll let this one stand.<br />
<br />
My opinion of the workout does not lessen my respect for a guy who sacrificed everything:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.crossfit.com/cf-assets/180x180/griff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.crossfit.com/cf-assets/180x180/griff.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In honor of USAF SSgt Travis L. Griffin, 28, who was killed April 3, 2008 in the Rasheed district of Baghdad by an IED strike to his vehicle. Travis is survived by his son Elijah.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Michael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-5971008432896910892010-08-20T18:51:00.000-04:002010-08-20T18:51:40.586-04:00NicoleAnother Crossfit posting - Nicole<br />
<br />
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of <br />
- Run 400 meters<br />
- Max rep kipping pullups<br />
<br />
Results: 7 rounds of running and<br />
Pullups - 20, 15, 12, 10, 12, 11, 8<br />
<br />
Pull ups were harder than I thought. I didn't realize the running would take so much out of my arms. At any rate, another named workout completed. 6 down, 48 to go.Michael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-57285138140047481752010-08-16T19:23:00.000-04:002010-08-16T19:23:20.292-04:00DanielAnother for the Crossfitters (as if I had anyone at all reading this).<br />
<br />
Today was for Daniel.<br />
50 kipping pullups<br />
Run 400 m<br />
21 thrusters 95 lbs<br />
Run 800 m<br />
21 thrusters 95 lbs<br />
Run 400 m<br />
50 kipping pullups<br />
<br />
Previous best (and only) was 29:04 on 11/18/08. Today (8/16/10) was a new record - 26:15. Thrusters killed me (as usual). It was - I hope - an effort worthy of today's hero. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.crossfit.com/cf-assets/180x180/daniel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.crossfit.com/cf-assets/180x180/daniel.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dedicated to Army Sgt 1st Class Daniel Crabtree who was killed in Al Kut, Iraq on Thursday June 8th 2006.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Michael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-18147235962141774802010-08-14T20:42:00.017-04:002010-09-19T09:38:17.394-04:00Workout Progress TrackerGoal: Complete all the Crossfit "Girls" and Hero workouts <b>as Rx'd </b>starting Aug. 7th, 2010, finish by March 5th 2011.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 376px;" x:str=""><colgroup><col style="width: 100pt;" width="96"></col><col style="width: 18pt;" width="24"></col><col style="width: 129pt;" width="172"></col><col style="width: 70pt;" width="84"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl25" height="17" style="background-color: #fce5cd; height: 12.75pt; width: 72pt;" width="96"><b>Date</b></td><td class="xl25" style="background-color: #fce5cd; border-left: medium none; width: 18pt;" width="24"><br />
</td><td class="xl25" style="background-color: #fce5cd; border-left: medium none; width: 129pt;" width="172"><b>Workout</b></td><td class="xl25" style="background-color: #fce5cd; border-left: medium none; width: 63pt;" width="84"><b>Time/Result</b></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;">8/23/10</td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">1</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Angie</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">28:38 </td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">2</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Barbara</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">3</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Chelsea</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;">9/1/10</td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">4</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Cindy</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">14 rnds</td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">5</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Diane</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;">9/17/10</td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">6</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Elizabeth</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">19:24</td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;">9/19/10</td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">7</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Fran</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">10:09</td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"> 8/12/10</td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">8</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Grace</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> 13:55</td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">9</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Helen</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">10</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Isabel</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">11</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Jackie</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">12</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Karen</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">13</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Linda ("3 bars of death")</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">14</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Mary</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;">9/12/10</td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">15</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Nancy</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">22:02</td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">16</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Annie</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">17</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Eva</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">18</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Kelly</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"> 8/11/10</td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">19</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Lynne</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Bench 165# -11,7,6,6,5 Pullups - 25,17,19,16,15 </span></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;">8/20/10</td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">20</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Nicole</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">7 rnds running, Pullups 20, 15, 12, 10, 12, 11, 8</span></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">21</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">JT</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">22</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Michael</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">23</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Murph</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;">8/16/10</td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">24</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Daniel</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> 26:15</td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;">8/7/10 </td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">25</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Josh</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> 14:14</td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">26</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Jason</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">27</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Badger</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">28</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Joshie</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">29</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Nate</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;">9/7/10</td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">30</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Randy</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">9:52</td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">31</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Tommy V</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;">8/21/10</td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">32</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Griff</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">14:19</td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"> 8/14/10</td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">33</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Ryan</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"> 30:56</td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;">9/5/10</td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">34</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Erin</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">17:48</td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">35</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Mr. Joshua</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">36</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">DT</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">37</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Danny</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">38</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Hansen</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">39</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Tyler</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;">9/10/10</td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">40</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Stephen</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">25:59</td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">41</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Garrett</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">42</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">War Frank</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">43</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">McGhee</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">44</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Paul</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">45</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Jerry</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">46</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Nutts</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">47</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Arnie</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">48</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The Seven</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">49</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">RJ</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">50</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Luce</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">51</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Johnson</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">52</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Roy</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">53</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">AdamBrown</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">54</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Coe</td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">55</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Severin</td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">56</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Lumberjack 20</td></tr>
<tr height="17" style="height: 12.75pt;"><td class="xl24" height="17" style="border-top: medium none; height: 12.75pt;"></td><td class="xl26" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;" x:num="">57</td><td class="xl24" style="border-left: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Helton</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Michael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-9776984416971083612010-08-14T18:10:00.000-04:002010-08-14T18:10:07.451-04:00Grace and RyanAnother posting for Crossfit Geeks only.<br />
<br />
Did Grace on Aug. 12th in 13:55. Grace is 30 reps of clean and jerk at 135 pounds for time. There has been some debate about whether that means squat or power cleans. Since most videos I've seen are of power cleans, that is what I did - power cleans and push jerk. <br />
<br />
Fast forward a few days. I usually workout alone in my own dirty little warehouse gym. But when you're going to tackle a tough workout, it definitely helps to have some company, if only because you'll be too embarrassed to cop out half way through the workout. So I headed over to <a href="http://crossfitathens.com/">CrossfitAthens</a> for a workout. Adam Head is a great guy and has a great gym. Anyone in the Athens area serious about getting in shape should visit him. <br />
<br />
I saw a pair of gymnast rings hanging in the gym and decided I'd try a muscle up or two. (Muscle up? Visualize doing a pull up and moving into a dip in one motion.) They were amazingly easy. In fact I did two in a row easily even though I hadn't practiced them in over a year. So I made a fated decision: do Ryan.<br />
<br />
"Ryan?" you ask. <br />
To which I respond:<br />
Five rounds for time of:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;"><li>7 Muscle-ups</li>
<li>21 Burpees </li>
Each burpee terminates with a jump one foot above max standing reach. </ul><br />
Named for <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.crossfit.com/cf-assets/180x180/RyanH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.crossfit.com/cf-assets/180x180/RyanH.jpg" width="155" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maplewood, Missouri Firefighter, Ryan Hummert, 22, was killed by sniper fire July 21st 2008 when he stepped off his fire truck responding to a call. He is survived by his parents Andrew and Jackie Hummert.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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It was epic. The first round was a breeze. Six muscle-ups in a row, a personal best. The burpees were a litle tough but not too bad. Then I began the second round. It was like I hit the proverbial "wall." I realized I probably wasn't quite up to this workout. It was brutal. Had I been alone at home, I confess I would have wimped out after three rounds. But I pushed on and finally collapsed in a puddle of my own sweat half an hour later. Official time: 30:56. I've been wiped out all afternoon and haven't fully recovered yet. <br />
<br />
I know many (including my wife) will think I'm crazy. But the sense of accomplishment is directly proportional to the obstacle overcome. Sometimes it's good for you to bite off a little more than you can chew and refuse to give up. <br />
<br />
Here's to Ryan. RIPMichael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-35737587590547290712010-08-11T20:37:00.001-04:002010-08-11T20:38:01.903-04:00The Great Hunter and LynneLisa doesn't sleep well these days and is frequently up for brief spells in the middle of the night. Last night was no exception. I have been sleeping like a rock lately (I attribute this to the diet), and I vaguely remember waking up when she got back in the bed after having been up for half an hour. When I got up this morning, she said: "I'm pretty sure the boys caught a mouse last night. So watch out for a mouse corpse."<br />
<br />
<b> </b>Sure enough, my boys had caught one. Even my cats are Paleo.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tSmupo5AaCdXmAmvXOvtBcpiX0damKo9IEAkxlBoJRrjXgpMmymQC0afJP13FWMfdz3rPL3ErYrJMhcTV8iVPKE55yifxYGssY1AYw-23lLB_DfOHGoKPOBIXLT9OziHY6qB7CwMVyk_/s1600/IMG_3563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0tSmupo5AaCdXmAmvXOvtBcpiX0damKo9IEAkxlBoJRrjXgpMmymQC0afJP13FWMfdz3rPL3ErYrJMhcTV8iVPKE55yifxYGssY1AYw-23lLB_DfOHGoKPOBIXLT9OziHY6qB7CwMVyk_/s320/IMG_3563.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vito: The Great Black Hunter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Vito is actually quite slow. I'm surprised he caught this one. Usually Carlito is the mouser.<br />
<br />
<b>WARNING: This part of this post is recommended for Crossfit geeks only. </b><br />
<br />
Today I did Lynne, one of Crossfit's Benchmark Girls. I haven't done this workout in over two years. The workout is<br />
5 Rounds for max reps. No time component (unlike most Crossfit workouts). <br />
<ul><li>Bodyweight Bench Press (165 lbs for me) - 11, 7, 6, 6, 5 = 35 total</li>
<li>Kipping Pull Ups - 25, 17, 19, 16, 15 = 92 total</li>
</ul>I rested roughly 5 minutes between rounds. The bench press was a personal best. The pull ups fell a little short of my previous best. I chose Lynne because my legs are still smoked from the last workout two days ago.Michael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-1852162587168008332010-08-10T20:37:00.000-04:002010-08-10T20:37:39.559-04:00Beefcake.........BEEFCAKE!!!!!I have been touched by all two of my readers' concern over my new diet. They are apparently concerned over my health and perhaps even my decreasing life span. But their fear is unfounded because the risk of my diet is insignificant compared to my being a smart ass while having a pregnant <i>machetera-</i>wife. In all seriousness, I know the term "low carb diet" conjures the image of all-you-can-eat bacon for every meal. But that is not in fact a "Paleo" diet. So what exactly do I eat?<br />
<br />
I eat meat. Lots of meat. But with a focus on lean meat: chicken breast, london broil, pork loin, fish, and any hapless vegetarian that strays into my path. But I also eat a lot of veggies. All I can stuff down. Most meals are accompanied by a giant bowl of spinach salad. Breakfast is usually two eggs, more meat, and coffee (milk, no sugar). I know, milk isn't paleo, but neither is indoor plumbing. A modern cave man has to draw the line somewhere. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigAafvIjBU5TRTRGxfXamwzchZkW-__Uc_X6qBbfSxImA_OdkBRMgeiDYk7Ugx78wdf_JO4z0OCuZlU-l-REtTBlfMOEjLbC4TmgZFJXZ9U5-DfMHfLalY2ASxONV2ruV3vov3jhMqCd1k/s1600/IMG_3559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigAafvIjBU5TRTRGxfXamwzchZkW-__Uc_X6qBbfSxImA_OdkBRMgeiDYk7Ugx78wdf_JO4z0OCuZlU-l-REtTBlfMOEjLbC4TmgZFJXZ9U5-DfMHfLalY2ASxONV2ruV3vov3jhMqCd1k/s320/IMG_3559.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Organic veggies from that hippie Mecca - EarthFare.<br />
Purchased by the pound.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF61naFNub0eJF0rLge9o7mnltI_02_INR6UKLE_cTqbNGwT45wsrVTKlyY6Nu0VVEwOu47sLjsbot3nDBBbMOHZcLbHmCFQ3ptwVJJFAmxEe3vgj77p7uPnGlMFSoSDDjECbkouM1cb8G/s1600/IMG_3561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF61naFNub0eJF0rLge9o7mnltI_02_INR6UKLE_cTqbNGwT45wsrVTKlyY6Nu0VVEwOu47sLjsbot3nDBBbMOHZcLbHmCFQ3ptwVJJFAmxEe3vgj77p7uPnGlMFSoSDDjECbkouM1cb8G/s320/IMG_3561.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tonight's dinner: baked fish. Alas, the vegetarian got away. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
There is also an emphasis on grass fed meats if you can get/afford them. They have been a little difficult to track down. Game meat is also highly desirable. (Come hunting season, I'll write a post that will teach you city slickers what it means to put the "hunter" back into hunter-gatherer.) This is all due to the type of fats that these types of meat contain. Many people have heard that fish has "good fat," which is omega 3 fatty acids. Our typical diet is high in grain fed meat, which is high in omega 6 fatty acids. The omega 6 is essential, but the modern diet is too high in omega 6 relative to omega 3's. Thus, fish, game meat, and grass fed meat is emphasized to restore what the proponents say is a healthy and natural ratio of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. <br />
<br />
All my reader(s) can relax. Not only is my diet healthy, it's better than WeightGain 4000.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKkgloayglJgNFOj4rw30gLkuu-crd2_wYctiaJ3VDFWFpAanD1yfd_Z7cNDM-CbBeIHIYwUCR8kiMf-InGnUcdogJtyGJzpGcV0R9As_-k3lB3cpqa0hdB-kh_MJASI_Z44CU_lO5q-G/s1600/beefcake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCKkgloayglJgNFOj4rw30gLkuu-crd2_wYctiaJ3VDFWFpAanD1yfd_Z7cNDM-CbBeIHIYwUCR8kiMf-InGnUcdogJtyGJzpGcV0R9As_-k3lB3cpqa0hdB-kh_MJASI_Z44CU_lO5q-G/s320/beefcake.jpg" /></a></div>Michael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-77673050344493978412010-08-07T10:10:00.000-04:002010-08-07T10:10:19.877-04:00JoshAs I previously mentioned, I'll now try to explain my next goal: completing Crossfit's Girls and Heroes Workouts as Rx'd. Here's a brief description of <a href="http://www.crossfit.com/">Crossfit</a> in general (from their website):<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Our program delivers a fitness that is, by design, broad, general, and inclusive. Our specialty is not specializing. Combat, survival, many sports, and life reward this kind of fitness and, on average, punish the specialist.<br />
The CrossFit program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs.</span><br />
<br />
The program is an eclectic mix of running, rowing, gymnastics, kettlebell work, power and olympic lifting. Sometimes heavy, sometimes high repetition endurance work. The workouts vary each day, but there are a few "benchmark" workouts that will occasionally resurface so that you can gauge your progress. They are named after some prominent female athletes from the early Crossfit days. There are 20 Girls workouts. The best part of this is that you can return to the house exhausted and drenched in sweat and loudly proclaim that you just did the heck out of Eva/Fran/Nicole etc. I can assure you that my wife (Lisa) absolutely loves this aspect of Crossfit. (please note sarcasm)<br />
<br />
Crossfit is very popular among the military, law enforcement, and first responders in general. The Hero workouts are named mostly after fallen soldiers/sailors/marines. There are also a few firemen and policemen among the group. These workouts are particularly difficult. Generally, if a workout is too difficult, you can scale back on weight, reps, or rounds that the workout calls for. My goal is to do the workouts as "Rx'd", in other words, exactly as stated on the website. If you are familiar with the exercises and workouts, you'll realize just how difficult this goal is. Some of the Hero workouts are brutal. There are 32 of them in all. There are three of them that I seriously question my ability to do as Rx'd. But it wouldn't be much of a goal if it were easy. Hopefully, there won't be any more added to the list. But given the world we live in, it is likely there will be. Of course, they get folded into my goal. I wouldn't have it any other way. <br />
<br />
<br />
In all, there are 52 workouts. Since, no action packed thriller is complete without a ticking clock, I need to set a time constraint for my goal. The date: March 5, 2011. Why that date? That's the day that I'm slated to become a first time dad. And I suspect I'll be a little too preoccupied after that to effectively pursue this goal further, at least for a while. So I need to average two per week to achieve my stated goal. <br />
<br />
So today was my first workout - "Josh". The workout:<br />
For time:<br />
<ul style="list-style-type: square;"><li><span style="font-size: x-small;">95 pound Overhead squat, 21 reps</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">42 Kipping Pull-ups</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">95 pound Overhead squat, 15 reps</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">30 Kipping Pull-ups</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">95 pound Overhead squat, 9 reps</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: x-small;">18 Kipping Pull-ups </span></li>
</ul> My time was 14min 14sec, which is abysmal. My personal best from January 2009 was 9min and some change. The high rep pull ups killed me. But at least I am underway.<br />
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Last but not least, and to keep things in perspective, Josh is not just a workout, but a soldier:<br />
SSG Joshua Hager, United States Army, was killed Thursday February 22 2007 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.crossfit.com/cf-assets/180x180/joshhagar180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.crossfit.com/cf-assets/180x180/joshhagar180.jpg" /></a></div>Michael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4649518924831374521.post-30521005253929509162010-08-06T19:28:00.000-04:002010-08-06T19:28:41.644-04:00Starting OutThis blog is meant to document two of my goals. Both are related to health and fitness. The first is to document my life on the paleo diet. The second is to complete all the <a href="http://www.crossfit.com/cf-info/faq.html#WOD0">Crossfit Girl's Benchmark and Hero workouts</a> <b>as Rx'd</b> before March 5th. Most people who are not interested or familiar with the Paleo diet or Crossfit will find this blog alien and excruciatingly boring. Those that are familiar with the diet and with Crossfit will simply find this blog excruciatingly boring. It is an attempt on my part to motivate myself by stating my goals publicly. Or at least theoretically publicly, since it is likely that only myself and my wife will follow it. <br />
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For those of you unfamiliar with the paleo diet, the concept is simple. The idea is to eat a diet as similar as possible to the diet of our paleolithic ancestors. We are genetically identical to them and therefore evolved just as they did to eat certain foods. These foods did not include what most of us are currently eating and have been eating since the Agricultural Revolution occurred some 10 or 12 thousand years ago. Namely, grains, dairy, refined sugar and legumes. So yes, that means I do not eat bread, rice, potatoes (too starchy), any sweets, beans, milk, or cheese. <br />
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The "why"? What sparked all this regarding diet? A bout of chronic sinusitis and 3 sinus infections in six weeks. The doctor's best response was to prescribe drugs, which I have been on for a year. Finally a strikingly simple thought occurred to me: <i> there has to be a better way</i>. Do I have to take these drugs for the rest of my life? Is this as good as it gets? <br />
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So I came across <a href="http://robbwolf.com/">Rob Wolf's website</a>. He and others believe that many of our ailments are brought on by our diet high in sugar, starch, grains, and dairy. The answer: replace these foods with lean meats, vegetables, and fruits. So I figured, what could be the downside? My goal became to cure my sinus problems with the Paleo diet. I've been ~85% strict Paleo for three weeks. My weight is the same but I'm leaning out and gaining muscle. I'm also sleeping much better. And the constant drainage in my sinuses is better. Some would claim it is due to my exercise regimen, but I was doing similar workouts when the whole sinus problem arose 15 months ago. So far, so good. <br />
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More on my next goal later.Michael Davishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14057970163235463794noreply@blogger.com7