Food for your Brain

January 31, 2012

Holy crap, where did the month of January go?!

When I arrived to work this morning after a great 5:30am ass whooping, I opened up my email and was greeted with a fantastic message. Within this message was a quote... now...  I was more than flattered that this person read the quote and thought of me, but in addition to that, it couldnt have been a more perfect morning to receive it.

“Motivation is like food for the brain. You cannot get enough in one sitting. It needs continual and regular top ups."

How true is that. It basically sums up the emotions and thoughts I have on motivation in two sentences. Its human nature to crave things that make you feel good. When you get that feeling, that "high" from doing something, anything... from something as simple as making someone laugh, to lifting a personal record weight,  you just cant wait to get back in and do it again. I have talked before about habit and starting something, keeping with it even if it sucks for at least 2 weeks, and eventually it will "stick." Motivation is different, this is something you feel on the inside, its the drive that keeps you going. Its what makes you want to find those things that make you feel good.

Its the motivation that I have that allows me to continue to do the things that make me happy and make me feel good. The happiness feeds the motivation and the motivation feeds the happiness. As the quote says, "it needs continual and regular top ups," and those "top ups" are all over the place in daily life, you just have to find what you are looking for.

Things that motivate me towards my Crossfit goals can be as simple as looking in the mirror and seeing that my hard work is paying off, that I did this, no one else... you can go to the gym 100 times a week, but if you dont do the work and think about your diet, nothing will happen. One step further, wanting to be able to compete at a prescribed level in crossfit... that motivates me to push myself harder and work the skills that I suck at, even though they... well... suck. Even more complex than that, the motivation I get from seeing someone who sustained a major major injury, pushes every day to get back to where they know they want to be and wont stop for a second until they get there. That motivation makes me think about every move my body makes on a daily basis at the gym and be thankful that I am able to do what I do and aware that I am doing my body good.  All three of those things have happened to me TODAY... all three of those things happen every day. That right there is the "food" to keep my motivation topped off. That is why I continue, that is why I havent lost it and that is why I havent given up, become content or relaxed.

I can always be better today than I was yesterday.

This mornings workout was another doozie. However, when I say that the quote I received was more than appropriate for today I mean it. There were 4 of us WODing together today. We all knew it was going to be a tough one. KP, T, Myself and a new CFWer all prepared for ""Sinewy." It started with a 500m row at the 3, 2, 1 go! K reminded us not to over exert on the row, that there were 20 (yes 20) snatches and 10 burpees ahead of us for all three rounds. Talk about motivation... those people sitting on the rowers next to me, or standing at their bar, or on the ground doing burpees next to me... motivation enough!! I was neck and neck with T through most of the WOD, pushing as hard as I could to keep up with him, and I had a feeling he was pushing as hard as he could to keep ahead of me! Meanwhile KP was killing it with the prescribed weight, which was a challenge for her with this weight (hell, it was a challenge for me too)! She never gave up! Crossfit = Motivation.

When all 4 of us completed the WOD and the times were all recorded we did what we do after every workout. We walk around to each person and high five and congratulate them on a job well done. Today I shared my excitement with KP as to how proud I was of her that she stuck with a difficult weight to push through all 3 rounds!! How fantastic it was that our new CFWer was able to get through the whole workout!! How T and I used each other and pushed and pushed and pushed all three rounds... again... Crossfit = Motivation.

Every day I put my motivation, determination and drive on the line at CF... after most WOD's we end up looking like this... 

Hubs and I after Saturday mornings make-up WOD "Bleb." EVERY DAY is motivation for the next.

For the record, I apply this motivational thinking to many things in my life... not just CrossFit, but seeing as how this is about my CrossFit and Paleo Lifestyle I thought relating it directly would be the way to go...

What motivates you and why?! Think about it... you might get somewhere!!

WARMUP:

2 Rounds

- 20 Walking Lunges

- 15 Abmat Situps

- 10 Pushups

- 5 Med Ball Cleans

2 X Burgerner

*Double Under Practice

*Pull Up Practice

WOD: "Sinewy"

3 Rounds for Time

- Row 500

- 20 Snatch (65lbs)

- 10 Burpees

(My Time 18:53 Rx)

SKILL/STRENGTH:

Mobility (1 min each)

- Couch Stretch

- Pigeon Stretch

- Shoulder Opener on Wall 

WEEK 4, DAY 2: Paleo Challenge
Post Workout Shake - 2 Scoops Protein
Morning Tea
Morning Snack - 2 Egg Muffins with Mushrooms, Onion, Tomato
Lunch - Leftover Apple and Onion Pork Chops and a Paleo Banana Bread Muffin

Afternoon Snack - Lara Bar
Afternoon Tea
Dinner - Crock Pot Balsamic Roast