Ragin Games 2013

It was the second individual competition of the year for me, but my first in my home town! If my nerves weren't teeming on middle C then I was as calm as a bomb.

I awoke with vigor and determination, it was the moment I walked through the doors of the prescribed venue that my hubris of recent accomplishments was met with the humility of everyone else's, I was alone in a world of what was soon to be pain.

Registration was simple and the National Anthem, sang by our very own Cupid (Bryson Bernard), a competitor in my division, was chilling; again half nerves half patriotism.

The first workout approached around 0930, Power Clean Ladder. Explained, you start at a desired weight and Power Clean incremental weights until you fail or complete the ladder. I selected the 175, 185, 195, 205 ladder. My previous personal record, hereto known as PR, was 185 some months prior. I knew I can lift the first 2 weights, the rest would be a bonus.

My judge was Ronis Correa, a local crossfitter, the strong silent type, emphasis on strong. He would only say 2 words to me before the lift, "Let's Go!" In almost a whisper, the silence that followed was comforting - encouraging. My first attempt was 175, I was so nervous, I held my breath for so long, I almost passed out after I lifted it, "well done" was a mere whisper I moved on to my PR (185). "Breathe, breathe, breathe" is all I could muster mentally, then I blinked and I had rested 185#'s on my shoulders. 195# and 205# came with ease (despite the look on my face from the photo above).

The competition moved on, bars were set, met and surpassed. All in all, it was a good day. Except for the bar jump over burpees! See below! They sucked and were not enjoyed by anyone.

Ole Glory Crossfit

They're doing it right. I will start by saying just that.

As many of you know, I embarked on a desire to start doing Crossfit a couple of months ago. It was a catastrophe. The gym was super nice but the people were less than impressive. The relationship ended as quickly as it had begun. This is the point where I could say, "the search was on" for a new gym, but it wasn't, I was ultimately done. The only other gym I knew of was on Cajundome Blvd. and I wasn't travelling that far to workout, for all that I would have gotten a membership to Red's. (On a side note, I have heard wonderful things about Ragin' Crossfit)

A few weeks ago, on a Saturday, my and family and I were going to Morvant's in Broussard to grab burgers. Driving past I saw a building with a huge tractor tire out front, I thought, "I want a tractor tire!" It was then I realized I was looking at a Crossfit gym, a gym right here in Broussard, La. I noted the phone number to memory, it was easy, clearly a cell phone, and made a point to call on the following day.

I spoke to one of the owners, a husband, Bo Armentor. Everything about the conversation was delightful from the greeting to the information provided about the gym. I was really excited to give it another go. I arrived the following morning at 0500 as noted and I was immediately introduced to everyone in the gym. All were laughing and joking, at 0500 mind you, and it seemed like a good time.

Long story short I am really happy at Ole Glory. Bo and his wife Natalie have been wonderful hosts and the patrons are equally as delightful. It has been a few days shy of 1 month since I signed up but the relationship has blossomed and so have my results. Everyone is helpful and encouraging and most of the time really sweaty.

Bo & Natalie, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to get back in the swing and cult following of Crossfit. I look forward to our relationship growing exponentially over the coming years.

PS - I think there are more girls than guys at this gym!!! Perhaps that's why Bo was so nice to me, he needs me to knock down walls with him for expansion!!!!!

Conversation

So I joined Crossfit Lafayette and quite frankly I am not sure how long this relationship will last. I have been a runner for some time now and I am enamored with my running family. We feed off of each others positivity and encourage each other despite our current state. This morning was my first official crossfit class and my before my first workout even started this exchange took place: (Note, Girl #1 is mid 30's and ends all of her sentences with upward inflections)

Girl #1: Hey (speaking to Girl #2), the other day I went to the store and the woman behind the counter was all like, you must be a runner. I was like, um, do I look flabby and out of shape to you? Ugh!

Girl#2: I think she was trying to compliment you.

Girl #1: No, people who run are flabby, it's like, oh my god I work hard at this crossfit to be fit so I don't look like a runner.

Girl #2: Well that guys a runner and he's toned, look at his legs! (pointing to me)

Girl #1: You're a runner?

Me: (nodding yes)

Girl #1: Well I just can't believe he's not flabby!

Now I am fully aware of her ignorance and her implications at runners, but that doesn't mean I can't take offense to her comments. I credit my running ability to years on a soccer field, and I would take the same offense to someone who was ignorant enough to say soccer players are out of shape! I am not in crossfit to make friends, and although I will get along with most people I meet I will not get along with everyone. This woman probably has never run more than 3 miles in her life. So she doesn't understand that to run 3 miles or 31 miles it all starts with the same first step. We runners are a proud bunch. I ran my first 50k (31.1) miles in the Talladega National Forest a few weeks ago. I ran for 8:50:34 and covered over 8,000 ft. of elevation gains. I was proud of myself, and proud of every single person that finished. The only things I heard in that time of the trail were encouraging words. No negativity. Negative people don't make it in the Ultra Marathon World. I respect the weekend warrior who can only make it out for 1-2 miles at a time, and I respect the 100 milers like Edie Riedel, Brad Delcambre and Donald Cleveland for their resolve as well. My mom is 48 and ran her first Half Marathon in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago, she started running 5k's the same way every other ultra runner did.

The world of working out, this doesn't include athletics like soccer, basketball or even running. But the world of working out is a world of gateway drugs. Stepping stones if you will to the next big thing. The egotist wants more of what he is looking for, so that gym membership leads to boot camp leads to crossfit leads to crossfit game competition and whatever is next.

This post wasn't suppose to be this long. My apologies. Please file all requests for refunds of your time with Benjamin Franklin.