I finished the CMC race which is all I wanted out of this beautiful Saturday run. This was probably my most challenging and amazing race yet. All athletes were in top shape and very motivated which gave the race an amazing buzz. Seems like no beginners here…
The race really starts with a tough WOD consisting of maximum thrusters, box jumps, burpees and kettle bell swings  - each for 90 seconds. Then 2 minute break and off to a 5.4-mile mountain run on Camelback mountain. This year they had over 20 military obstacles and I certainly lost count of the ladder climbs and inverted walls… Everyone will likely remember the three uphill runs in the forest and on one of Camelback’s black ski runs. The last one was very rough – many athletes climbed up on bear crawls… The finish line was in the waterpark’s lazy river pool, just for kicks. Awesome day, lots of fit people and fun all around…

Like any race, good gear did make a lot of difference. My Inov-8 F-Lite 230 shoes could handle anything from swimming, creek running and wall climbing. Very good choice. Same with the 2XU compression clothing especially on the calves. But my most fun gear was my waterproof iPod (from waterfi). That thing had the music blasting through icy waters, mud baths, creeks and all… A great find.

Today is rest day before the CMC race tomorrow. And speaking of adventure running and grueling mountains I couldn’t help thinking of China… I have to admit last time I visited the Great Wall I made an error in judgement – I didn’t turn the hike into a proper WOD. (I know, I know, what was I thinking, right?…)  It needs to be corrected on the next trip.
I will pick the steepest section of the wall (Mutianyu, Simatai or Huanghuacheng) to be off for a riveting 5-miler to celebrate the occasion. My vision is outlined below:

The first time my chiropractor applied kinesiology tape to reconstruct me after a particularly vicious bout of a Hero WOD, the taping industry was still more focused on running and biking than CrossFit. If you are a runner or cyclist it is relatively easy to figure out which muscles need support and protection. With CrossFit it is much harder – does Murph or Angie need leg, calf, shoulder, back support? All of it… Compound movements will require several joints and muscles protected and healed….

Cool to know that Rocktape (no affiliation) now has dedicated instructions for Crossfitters with specific recommendation of injury prevention and training support. I certainly starting taping up for my last training runs….

Race Prep – Day 4
-  5 mile run
- mobility for CMC pit movements

At least the tourist and convention side of Orlando seem to be resistant to any slowdown. It was pouring rain for days, humidity was extreme, the cab drivers were on strike, Disney transportation ditto – yet the town, the airplanes and restaurants were jam packed full. I’m sure city planners all around the country try to figure out how to sell bad weather this well. Muggy air, rain and humidity could be destination travel for adventure racing… The alligators would be cheering on judging from all the warning signs around my hotel during this morning’s run.

Race Week Prep – Day 3
3 mile run
then
Angie Half Asleep
- 50 pullups
- 50 pushups
- 50 situps
- 50 squats
then
1000m row

Over a decade ago I spent two years in Tony Robbins’ Leadership Program (which also inspired me to run marathons and change careers and run two startups). Tony used to quote Jim Rohn what I still consider the most important life lesson:

“The quality of your life is a direct reflection of the expectations of your peer group. Choose your peers wisely.”

This is actually two important lessons in one:

1) Choose friends who will challenge you to higher standards
2) Step up to those new standards

When I worked with startups noone went home at 5 o’clock or ever quit creating new, amazing things. For most in the firm it was not a “job” but a “mission”.  Interestingly, since I returned to the corporate life I ended up seeking out or creating similar high performing groups with a sense of mission and passion for making a dent in the universe (thanks Steve J. for naming the phenomenon…). People that get to work in such environments always produce results noone thinks they are capable of. Let alone themselves. Yet there they are.
CrossFit takes this to even higher standard for me. I have never found a loose federation of people so committed, passionate and determined that I find in CF athletes. Can you imagine your work colleagues staying behind cheering you on until you finish your project? And never letting you off the hook? I’ve yet to have someone tell me that ‘you can stop now, you’ve done enough pull-ups’. Yet it happens all over work in America and beyond. We allow each other lower our standards and be less that we can be.
For those of us fortunate enough to be challenged to ‘one more rep’ by our friends of the highest standards: I’m looking forward to making a new dent in the universe with you…

There are not enough songs written about jet lags. At least none that you can work out to… Without belaboring the point, “constantly varied” prescription for CrossFit now includes plenty of “no idea what time it is, really” type of intervals. Today it was synchronized to the corporate gym’s speakers blasting out loops of “Titanium”.
Off to Orlando tomorrow which will be great weather for some longer runs. I will steer clear of the alligators… This week continues with the CMC race preparations and some fun extended endurance WODs. Weather forecast is clear for raceday so far. No mud would sure be good…

Race Week Prep – Day 2
Warmup: CMC PIT
90 seconds each with 30 sec break:
- thrusters 75 lbs
- kettlebell swings 45 lbs
- box jumps
- burpees
[ SCORE: 114 ]
Mock  Race
10 rounds for time:
- 100m run
- 10 pushups
- 10 bar dips
- 10 deadhang pullups
[TIME: 23:01]

There must have been a great reason why I forgot about this workout format until today… Death by 3 is simple and mean… You do 3 PITs and then run 15 times 3 minutes with some extra work between rounds… I picked Ridley Creek Park for this post-jetlag walk in the park and considered it a proper warmup for next Saturday on Camelback Mountain…

PIT1 “CMC Warmup”
90 seconds each of the following – 30 sec break in-between:
- Thrusters 75 lbs
- Kettlebell Swings – 40 lbs
- Burpees
- Box Jumps
PIT2 “Prep the Run”
- 10 pullups
- 10 bar muscle-ups
- 10 pushups
- 10 situps
Hill Run for 45 minutes
Every 3 minutes stop and perform one of the following then keep running
- 10 clapping pushups
- 10 V-ups
- 10 handstand pushups
- 10 broad jumps
- 10 one-armed pushups
PIT 3 – “Cool the Run”
- 10 Pullups
- 10 Toes to Bars
- 10 Pushups
- 10 Squats
[DONE]

I got a nice note today from Sean Rogers, co-founder of the Civilian Military Combine:

“Your message on your site and how you view life is exactly why my business partner and I started the Civilian Military Combine.”

Sean and CMC team – you guys rock!  I’d like to encourage my last minute straggler friends to join the most amazing race in America and let’s collectively test our fitness mantle… In more ways than one, it also pays to be a winner… See you all there…

In London one of the coaches called me a ‘CrossFit Tourist’. It made me think about how much CF has shaped my approach to travel. Admittedly I would never consider traveling without planning my drop-ins to the Crossfit boxes along my itinerary. Typically an email to the head coach is enough while some gyms insist on scheduling drop-ins in their system or signing up for daily membership. So that is how I am now a punchcard member in half a dozen boxes around the world…

Crossfit gyms are rarely located next to our offices, clients or popular tourist sights so by definition I get to meet more interesting people, fascinating parts of cities and countries I would otherwise never get to see. I made friends around the globe with people who had to sweat alongside me, shared my interests and sometimes had the best tips in local (paleo) foods. I simply would never know so much about diverse cultures if it was not for local CF athletes.

‘CrossFit Tourism’ took me to the mountain highlands of Hawaii, to Juhu Beach and the real inner city of Bombay, the largest condo complex in Hong Kong, the most fun Art Center in Munich, the real Irish quarter of Boston, the greatest city box in New York, the levees of New Orleans, the Sea Soldiers of Singapore and so much more.

I count on these journeys to keep shaping how I think of this amazing new world full of friendly, healthy, happy and athletic people.

I found an amazing box at CrossFit Munchen. It is inside an industrial site turned office complex. More importantly this area called Kult Fabrik transforms into a great restaurant / party scene at night. Still the workout the locals prepared for us was fairly devastating with 3 miles of sprints in the early summer heat… Munich is easily my most favorite city in Germany. The people are amazing, the city is vibrant, the architecture is astonishing and the food is outstanding. And I don’t even drink the beer that established ‘Oktoberfest’ in human consciousness…

CF Munich Endurance WOD
- 2 x 800m sprints
then
- 4 x 400m sprints
then
- 6 x 200m sprints
There was some rest in the sequence but I lost track…