The path diverges...

We all find ourselves in places like the picture where the path separates.  What do we do?  Which way will we go?  What is the better path?  How did we get to this spot in the first place?

This week, I start an amazing new journey, and separate somewhat from another.  I'll talk about the new journey more in a later post, but want to talk a little bit about what I'm leaving behind first:  "My" 6:30 a.m. CrossFit class at CrossFit Cedar Park.

Ugh.

Last summer, after seeing my results with CrossFit, a friend decided to give it a try, but there wasn't a class at the time he needed to attend, so he asked if I could fill the slot and coach the class.  Why not, right?  I mean, I know what I'm doing, right?

Well, maybe I didn't.  Let's back up a little...

Even though I have the title of "the first" CrossFitter at CrossFit Cedar Park, I wasn't always the most dedicated, and honestly, looking back at it, I wasn't even really very good at most of it.  I heard what David was saying, but I was strong and I didn't take things like stretching, executing the foundations, or the diet (!!!) very seriously. 

Eventually, I started getting whipped regularly by people like Fio and Carson. I got frustrated, cut some corners one day, suffered a little injury and had to take some time off and evaluate my commitment -- was I going to finally dig in and improve my functional ability and fitness, or would I be stubborn and wind up with bad knees from doing bad squats at a 3-sets-of-ten globo-gym?

Pride swallowed and hat in hand, I got some help from the other coaches at CFCP and went on a bit of a tear.  I adopted a rough paleo-zone diet, added some independent programming to the WODs I was doing in class and got on the right path.  Within a couple of months, I lost over 40 lbs. and my fitness was pretty solid -- especially for a guy approaching 40 years old.  I wound up putting my money where my mouth was and getting my Level-1 Coaching Cert. without any real expectation that I would actually coach.

Thankfully, the powers that be had enough faith to give me a shot.  And, the past 9 or 10 months have been unbelievably rewarding...

I've been witness to people taking charge of their health -- and taking as much work as I could throw at them through differentiated and/or scaffolded programming.  From the smile on someone's face after losing 50 lbs. over the past seven months, to someone else's smile for shaving a minute off of a 4:30 Fran (today), and someone else getting their first handstand (also today), these people are achieving their own goals and living a better life because of their commitment to themselves..... Overall, they are more functional, more fit, more flexible, stronger, leaner and they continue to push and pull each other past the ever-extending finish line again and again.  And, on top of that, their foundations are solid, so they have a platform to continue to advance.

So, thanks to those of you in my classes for digging in, remaining so positive, and letting me be a part of this journey with you -- I'm really happy for your successes, and grateful for what you've taught me about myself in the process. 

For those in my 5:15, sorry, but you can't get rid of me -- I'm going to continue coaching that class.  And, for those at 6:30 a.m., pack your lunch and hold on tight -- after seeing his Saturday morning programming, you're in for a great ride with Carson!

3-2-1...

To the moon, Alice!

Today marks the end of thirty years of space shuttle missions.  I remember the excitement of that first launch, the Challenger and Columbia tragedies, the excitement of Dr. Sally Ride being the first American woman in space, and the general sense of pride, amazement and wonder at the men and women who commit their lives to Space...the final frontier (sorry, Captain Kirk, had to do it).

It's impressive, you know, all of this "spaceman" and "going to the moon" stuff. And, it's challenging. Kind of like many things in our lives, achieving what we've only imagined sometimes requires us to accept a seemingly impossible (or just plain CRAZY) goal, challenge our comfort zone, and rely on individual and collective commitment. Here's a clip of President Kennedy giving a speech at Rice University describing the challenge our space program faced when he was President...Have a look:

We choose to go to moon in this decade not because it will be easy, but because it will be hard; because that goal will serve to organize the best of our energies and skills; because that challenge is one we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win.

Thirty-five years after we started flying airplanes across the Atlantic Ocean, our President told our country we were going to invent new super-strong metal and go to the moon.

And, we did.

Wow.

I'm always impressed with loose collectivism -- people who share a common dream towards the success of a mission, or idea, and then see it through. Our space program has operated in that manner for most of the last century, and I'm sad a big part of it (at least where my life experience is concerned) is coming to an end.

Anyway, enough with the sadness, it is time to for me to: be bold; accept the challenges ahead of me with the excitement and confidence of a kid running into the waves at the beach; keep loving the ones I care about with everything I have; keep challenging my mind, working on my fitness and...

...figure out how I'm going to get my happy a** to the moon one day.


:)


Take us home, Blue Eyes...



3-2-1, GO

Advanced Principles of Education through CrossFit, Part II

Some of You May Be Wondering Who The Best Is...

TOP GUN!

So, what do you get for being The Best? Your name on a plaque. That's what you get for being the best fighter pilot, in command of a $40million machine, trusted by 350,000,000 Americans to keep us safe.

Cool.

Okay, I'm exaggerating, you know you get more than that... When you are The Best, you get stuff like respect, your choice of assignment, the ability for advancement in your career, access to cooler stuff, and even if you are like Tom Cruise and stand only slightly over 5 feet tall -- if you are The Best, you get the hot chicks.

So, there is a reason to be the best. But, does being "The Best" mean you are the best scorer, or does being "The Best" require something more? After watching the LeBron James fiasco last summer and seeing JaMarcus Russell turn into the biggest bust, "evah," I think being "The Best" takes something more. Let's explore...

Foundations

If we want to get to Bestville, we have to start by laying a proper foundation. A good foundation helps us understand  information and gives us a platform from which we might advance. At this stage, we have to learn how to think, and learn how to move.

At this cognitive level, we process information, apply the result of that process and develop preferences. Through the application of proper foundations (taught to us by good teachers and coaches!), we see improvement, and we start to learn.

Whew...Finished. Tough WOD, thanks!

Easy there, Trigger -- the proper application of foundational principles isn't going to get your name on any plaque (well, maybe if you play soccer, but that's a different story). You'll have to push deeper, farther, faster if you want Top Gun.

Deeper, Farther, Faster!!!

Once the foundation is in place, we are capable of moving on to higher order thinking, or metacognitive skills. This is where we start thinking about thinking. We learn to evaluate ourselves, the landscape ahead, and how to best approach it. We problem solve at this stage, and through awareness, we make some critical gains.

With great metacognitive ability layered on top of a solid foundation, we achieve the potential to become the best scorer. But don't be complacent -- even though we may have developed the capacity for excellence, if competition exists, we may not be "The Best."

Wait, did you just say what I thought you said? Did you just say, "But...I'm the best scorer! How can I be beaten?" Ask Kobe.

Let's recall how Maverick and Ice Man became The Best (or, at  least "their best"). Maverick and Ice Man were excellent pilots when they arrived at school, but they weren't The Best -- Hell, Jester got Mav below the Hard Deck three minutes into the first hop!

Immeasurable or Never Measured
 

To be the best, Maverick and Ice Man had to tap into and develop their non-cognitive skills. Things like the effective and efficient use of interpersonal skills, ethics/morals, as well as elan, perseverance, self-discipline and consistency, etc. all come into play here.

Non-cognitive skills are tough to measure (and tough to teach), because they are sort of like hugs (note to Fio: No, sporting a "Free Hugs" sign won't make you The Best). Hugs are great, and they make people feel good, but admit it, some people seem to be better huggers -- they are either more in touch with you, or more in touch with themselves, or both, or "something."

It really comes down  to this: If you want to be The Best, you have to have some "human-ness." It turned out that Mav and Ice were better when they realized they needed each other. When they acknowledged their individual limitations and how relying someone else actually provided an opportunity to enhance their abilities, they became The Best.

Where I See The Best

We see people become The Best - or let's say "their" best - in lots of settings, but most frequently and most measurably, I get to see it at my CrossFit classes. In the six months I've been coaching, I've seen individuals achieve individual success, I've seen groups of individuals become a class, and I've seen classmates become friends.

As classmates (and friends), I've seen people who have finished their workout not only cheer for their classmates, but also jump back in and do the workout (again!) with those classmates to give their (less advanced) classmates some extra motivation to finish. When those who are behind see a classmate get back into the workout (despite being dead tired) just to help them, the people who were lagging get inspired -- and they often finish several minutes faster than if they were working alone.

This push/pull community helps both the advanced and beginning student. First, the advanced student gets to do more work (further developing their true score I talked about last time) and second, the beginning student layers their foundations, sees first-hand application of those foundations, and gets some touchy-feely inspiration to be better. The bottom line is that just like Mav and Ice Man, some "human-ness" made both better.

So, is it the teachers, the students or the school?

Yes -- all of them, and then some!

People often talk about "the community" of CrossFit, and we definitely have it at CrossFit Cedar Park. We have exceptional coaches and we regularly send athletes to the CrossFit Games, but in my opinion, we do more for the "everyday athlete" who enjoys the competition that the sport invites, as well as the opportunity to really achieve their goals while being part of something bigger than themselves. The sense of connection through community is non-cognitive, and its power leads to massive gains and success. In short, our "community" is what makes individuals Their Best.

Viper knew what being The Best meant the first day of Top Gun School -- but it took Mav and Ice Man the entire movie (and a lot of heartache) to learn it...

Goose: [as Maverick is looking around the room] What are you doing?
Maverick: Just wondering who's the best.

Viper: In case some of you are wondering who the best is, they're up here on this plaque on the wall. The best driver and his RIO from each class has his name on it, and they have the option to come back here to be Top Gun instructors.[turns to Maverick]

Viper: You think your name's gonna be on that plaque?

Maverick: Yes, sir.

Viper: That's pretty arrogant, considering the company you're in.

Maverick: [pauses] Yes, sir.

Viper: [smiles] I like that in a pilot. Just remember, when it's over out there, we're all on the same team.

If you are selecting a school (or a CrossFit) be diligent about your selection process. Be sure the curriculum offers you the opportunity to establish and properly develop a solid foundation. Be sure that as your skills and awareness advance, you will be afforded the opportunity to push yourself and continue to advance towards your goals (whether they be to get into a good college or jump tires that are stacked 52" high).

But most importantly, talk to the person who will be your teacher (or coach!) before you start school and make sure you understand each other's goals, styles, etc. See if you can sit in on some classes and visit with other students. See what their community is about! See if you are someone who holds values similar to the people you'll be sharing time and knowledge (or sweat!) with. If you have a match, go for it.

Don't be a number.

Be "The Best."

P.S. - I'm developing an idea called "The Hero Course" with Fio and Dave that I feel captures the message of today's blog. It will run from Memorial Day weekend through July 4th weekend. Stay tuned for what I'm certain will be an amazing CrossFit experience (both from a community and individual standpoint) for everyone who participates... Lots of work, LOTS of reward.

-----------------

Okay, again, I was a little thick. But, if nothing else, remember there are two "O's" in "Goose..."

Peace, health and happiness, y'all.
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The author of this blog is a proud parent, devoted, happily married husband, early morning CrossFit Coach at CrossFit Cedar Park, recently certified to teach 4th-8th grade and is pursuing a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. He also loves to cook (especially Cajun food), work in his garden, watch LSU and the Saints play football, and he has a law degree. If your school could use an excellent teacher with some real world experience and amazing credentials, please let him know!

Advanced Principles of Education Through CrossFit (a series)

Part I: The True Score

It is CrossFit Games season. At last count, nearly 20,000 athletes from all over the world were competing for the title of "Fittest on Earth". I am among the 20,000, but at 40 years old, I have no disillusions that I will win. For me, it is about the test, the competition, and the community - and I suspect it is that way for most folks.

This year, qualifying rounds for The Games are being handled differently. Once a week for six (er, "seven") weeks, a workout (or "WOD") is posted on the CrossFit Games website. Those who signed up have a week to execute the WOD and submit their scores. At the end of this "Open" round, qualified individuals will advance to live rounds of head-to-head competition in the Regional Competition. Those winners then proceed to The CrossFit Games, held in Los Angeles later this summer.

We are seeing athletes of all levels compete this year and this experience has further solidified my interest in CrossFit and its relationship to education. In this week's blog, I will detail why CrossFit is a better learning/testing pedagogy than we use in our public schools, and in my next, demonstrate how the intangible / non-measurable aspects of CrossFit (i.e. - coaching and community) fulfill educational goals that our current system does not. I'm not sure how many times I'll write on this correlation, but we'll at least get started with those two.

CrossFit, in its purist sense, relies on a "true score." In other words, a valid and reliable test is employed against an individual's physical abilities to determine their "fitness." For CrossFitters, "fitness" = "work capacity."

In CrossFit, the "valid and reliable test" of an individual's fitness is determined through a series of workouts (WODs) that combine three fundamental fitness applications: weightlifting, gymnastics and traditional cardiovascular / metabolic conditioning movements like running and jumping.

In order to achieve "fitness," an athlete has to demonstrate proficiency in ten basic (aka - fundamental) domains: cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance, coordination, and accuracy. Importantly, CrossFit is scalable, making it available to anyone, regardless of experience.

Okay, that was a lot of words, this is what I was saying:

CrossFit measures your actual physical ability by using workouts comprised of gymnastics, weightlifting and running/jumping. Things like the amount of weight used in a WOD, number of repetitions, etc. vary from one WOD to the next, and are established to give a benchmark to measure against individually, and summatively. The "most fit" use the prescribed weight and repetitions, but "newbies" can scale back the workouts to their ability, gradually increasing the weight and repetitions as their mastery of the fundamental movements improves.

Importantly, there is no "final fitness score" in the sense there is in education. You might win The Games, but you never actually "win" or "graduate" from the School of Fitness. This unknown finishing point and the fact that you are ultimately testing only against yourself is what makes CrossFit a pure, or true test. To borrow a Billy the Kid quote from the movie Young Guns, "You have to test yourself every day, gentlemen. Once you stop testing yourself, you get slow.... And that's when they kill ya." 

Okay, that quote is a little extreme, but the truth is we don't really have a similar application in our education system. We look at collective scores of a standardized test or a grade point average based on a 100-point scale and see how we (or our kids) measure up versus another individual or group, but we never really know our personal "true score."

Additionally, tests are too often used to measure rote ability, and not metacognitive ability (where Bloom's higher levels of analysis and synthesis might be employed.) In other words, we don't spend the time developing and mastering the fundamentals, and then test the logical extended application of those fundamentals (i.e. - advanced cognitive skills). Instead, we layer foundation on foundation with an ultimate goal of a standardized test score - and sadly, those scores determine funding for school districts (Title IX funds under NCLB, for example.)

Further, the information tested is typically based on a curriculum defined by people who are disconnected from any particular school, and without consideration for individual limitations or distinguishing cultural factors -- these tests are not "true," yet they define our education system and ultimately, the success and failure of individuals and their communities.

Accountability is important. Taxpayers should "get their money's worth" for their tax dollars, but they should also get good citizens who are taught to think beyond the book and not merely to it. Without the proper foundation and a true test, students will never achieve this potential. Instead, we will continue to work towards the middle, and ultimately wind up with a bunch of people who know nothing more than ACCA-CCA-CCAA, DABACCA-CCA-CAA, CA-DACCA-CAA-CAA...

BTW - at 40 years old, after the first week of the CrossFit Open, my true score vs. the rest of the world puts me in the top 1/3 against all male competitors -- lotta young punks should be ashamed an old dude like me is kicking their ass. Okay, that was mean. What I meant to say was "keep trying young punks, there is still plenty of time to try to catch me!"

Congratulations to my fellow team-members at CrossFit Cedar Park for being 9th in our region after week one of the Open!

________________

The author of this blog is a proud parent, devoted, happily married husband, early morning CrossFit Coach at CrossFit Cedar Park, recently certified to teach 4th-8th grade and is pursuing a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. He also loves to cook (especially Cajun food), work in his garden, watch LSU and the Saints play football, and he has a law degree. If your school could use an excellent teacher with some real world experience and amazing credentials, please let him know!

Two Hands and a Vision

I rarely watch television. For one thing, we only have one. We will always only have one. My sisters and most friends think we are crazy, but the reality is that no matter how many stations they tell you they can give you, 99.9999% of the programming is garbage. There are, however, exceptions. One of those exceptions is a program called "Treasures of the Trust," which is a program that features stunning cinematography and great historical storylines about some of the 1500-1900 era estates that British families have given to the care of the National Trust. Essentially, the houses were too massive to be supported, so they are now properly maintained through public and private support.

I love that program.

Henry Hoare II is a hero of mine. Henry was born into money in the 1700s in England, and inherited early when his mother died. Henry took his fortune, bought about 1,000 acres in Wiltshire (South West) England and set about developing Stourhead, now the most recognizable feature in the National Trust's showcase of estates and gardens. Indeed, many of you may recognize the property from the film (and in particular the Temple of Apollo and Palladian Bridge) "Pride and Prejudice" -- and yes, I am a fan of Keira Knightley's cheekbones...

The thing I like about Henry more than the masterpiece is the path he chose. Henry had never so much watered a plant when he set about developing Stourhead with its fantastic reveals and brilliant surprises. In fact, developing the massive garden was a challenge that he did not need to undertake. Henry was somewhat of the father of the British Garden "movement" of the 1700-1800s, and people much more known such as Capability Brown did some of their earliest work at Stourhead before making their mark elsewhere.

Henry set about the task with a vision (and some money!) and saw it through. There was no heavy machinery for Henry to use when he had to dig the pond and fill it with potter's clay to keep it from draining off. He had to employ people to help his vision become reality. His finished product resulted in a 5-mile walk through some of the most beautiful park like and "picnic ready" landscaping you will ever see, and his legacy thrives after nearly 300 years. There are no crops to speak of, but his garden fetches nearly $10,000,000 a year in "foot-traffic" and millions more through donations to the Trust, merchandise sales, licensing, etc. Overall, a very sustainable model, I'd say.

Henry's vision inspires me. His finished product amazes me.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that Spring is coming. It is about time to get my hands dirty. I hope I see you in the garden...



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WOD BLOG
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I don't know if you could tell, but I had a rough couple of weeks staying motivated on the CrossFit front. It wasn't too tough to stay on task helping my folks in the IDI Challenge, but something about that cold weather just sucked the life out of my sneakers and I was down to 3-5 WODs a week instead of the usual 5-10. I think I was also a little frustrated that I did not compete this spring, but the reality is I don't really have time right now... But don't worry Robert -- I'm coming after you!

Anyway, this week has been better.

SUNDAY:

FRAN!

I hit a new PR. Still about a minute off my goal, but I'm closer than I used to be. Besides, I did FRAN by myself. Give me some friggin' credit!

MONDAY:

Skill work on my pistols, and helped out coaching in the evening class.

TUESDAY:

GWEN -- I still wasn't feeling it, so I just did 135 lbs. on a dead sprint. It was way too easy...

WEDNESDAY:

CLARITY!!!

8 rounds of 7 reps (touch-n-go): Deadlifts at 275 lbs.,
then
2 sets (one of 25, one of 30 reps, non-stop): Push-press at 135 lbs.
then
5k with a 25 lb. weight vest - 30 min.

THURSDAY:
(this one sucked!)

5 rounds of

25 lunges w/OH 1.5 pd kb - left hand
25 lunges w/OH 1.5 pd kb - right hand
25 goblet squats
5 Hand-stand push ups

26:32

FRIDAY:

Too early to tell, but this weather sho is nice, ain't it?

3-2-1...GEAUX!

Where Do the Mermaids Stand?

This morning I attended a workshop for parents of Gifted, or "TAG" kids in our school district, and at the end of the first session about gifted kids with "overexcitabilities," the instructor played the video (above). If I wasn't in a room with a bunch of parents, I might have cried.

"Where do the mermaids stand? All those people in this world who are different, who are not like everyone else, who don't belong in pigeon holes and who are determined not to give that up?" (Robert Fulghum)

Tonight, the Mrs. and I saw, "The Italian Girl in Algiers", a Rossini opera produced by the Austin Lyric Opera (note: please support the arts in your community). On the way home, I showed her "the mermaid video" and we talked about the video, this morning's gifted-student seminar, tonight's opera, and (as awfully cliche as this sounds) how the journey to peace and realization isn't always easy -- and certainly not always popular. Proverbs 16:18 tells us that pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall; on these principles I am reminded that I am blessed to have ability to do the things I love, and the support of the ones I love that allows me the freedom to pursue those things.

In my ongoing effort to determine where I "fit" as a teacher, this week I accepted sub positions at a couple of high schools, one middle school and a last minute half-day position as a substitute at an elementary school.

I showed up with about 45 minutes until lunch at the elementary school gig, and within that 45 minutes, the kids had gotten comfortable enough to ask me to stay and have lunch with them (apparently, elementary school teachers very rarely eat with their class). After lunch, we worked together on some math problems (fractions), read one story, two Shel Silverstein poems, took a short quiz and did about twenty minutes of independent reading/study before we broke for the end of the day. When the independent study time was over, four of the kids brought me "thank you" notes with pictures on them they had drawn and two kids asked me to come back and be their teacher every day.

What a great week...

...I can't tell you how happy it makes me to be counted among the mermaids again.

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WODBLOG

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One of the suggestions offered this morning for helping gifted children with overexcitabilities was to get them involved in sports or exercise, and help them better understand a healthy diet. I've noticed that I am always most at peace when "health" is a priority in my life.

This week I did several fun WODs, and had some pretty good scores on a few, and some other scores where I didn't impress myself.

Last Saturday's WOD in the "competitor class" at CrossFit Cedar Park was brutal. Carson, Dave, Deric, Janice, H.B., Ro and I tackled a monster:

10: Front Squats, Push Press, Thrusters (115 lbs.)

2: Box Jumps, pull-ups, burpees

8: FS, PP, Thr

4: BJ, P-U, Burp

6: FS, PP, Thr

6: BJ, P-U, Burp

4: FS, PP, Thr

8: BJ, P-U, Burp

2: FS, PP, Thr

10: BJ, P-U, Burp

Deric scored about 10 min, Carson and Dave around 11, me at 14. Killer WOD.

Monday, I did the WOD from Crossfit.com:

3 rounds for time:

10 Deadlifts @ 275 lbs.

50 Double unders

Out of about 250 people from around the world who posted their score on Crossfit.com, I came out 11th, with a time of 3:23.

After I finished that WOD, I strapped on a 25 lb. vest and ran a mile and a half.

Tuesday was some OLY lifting (never enough!)

Wednesday was a great Kettle Bell WOD:

4 rounds for time - 1.5 pood:

3 Turkish get ups (each arm)

3 Clean and jerk (each arm)

3 Snatch (each arm)

I think this one took me about 12 minutes -- I wasn't impressed with myself.

Thursday was a "HERO" WOD, honoring US Army Captain Jason Holbrook from Burnet, TX.

5 thrusters @ 115 lbs.

10 pull ups

100m sprint

Rest exactly 1 minute, repeat for a total of 10 rounds.

Record fastest and slowest times.

Fastest: 1:05

Slowest: 1:40

(not too bad for an "old fat guy" like me)

Friday I did another HERO WOD: "Randy"

75 Power Snatch at 75 lbs.

5:47 (again, not an impressive time for me, but sort of burnt from Wednesday and Thursday's shoulder and leg work)

As always, we encourage you to get off your duff and join us at CrossFit Cedar Park. We do things that benefit everyone ~ even folks like me who are prone to "overexcitabilities"...