120801

Yesterday I received something I’ve been waiting on for 2 years…

Those are 35 inch “Trail Grappler” tires, and I’ve wanted them ever since I bought my truck. Yes, they’re only on stock rims right now, but soon those will be sprayed blacker than night. You may think off-road tires are ridiculous on a vehicle that’s used mostly to drop little girls off at camp, haul trash away from the gym, and ferry me to any of the 76 Starbucks strategically placed throughout the city of Alexandria. You may be right—hell, I may never use them for what they’re actually made for.

I wonder how many of you use the full potential of what you’re equipped to handle. My truck is equipped for mud, snow, dirt, brush, steep grade, extreme terrain, or a Target parking lot. I will surely get a little less gas mileage, but if the Commies attack I’ll be able to get deep into the woods to cook cans of baked beans and plan the revolution with John Welbourn over a ham radio (WOLVERINES!!!). How many times in real life do any of you use that 110kg Snatch, or sub-6-minute mile? No, I’m not talking about the athletes competitive exercisers, I’m talking about those of you who are following in your garages or local affiliates and are basically just here because you want to be the best you can. This whole discussion has to lead to a question: are you all just wasting your time with workouts, special clothing, supplements, and expensive gym memberships, just like I’m wasting money on expensive tires and extra gas?

I got an email about a month ago, it was a thank you note from some gentlemen who were downrange. The note said they were on a support mission one night and the unit they were supporting got themselves into a bit of trouble. They said they needed to get a few comrades into a chopper, but they had actually gone out on the mission heavily understaffed. When the time came, the two of them were able to do a job that’s normally performed by five men. They said they had the strength/power to move “objects” which were in the 170-200# range, and they said they had the power endurance to maintain those efforts for an extended period.

I will likely never have the chance to “prove my fitness” like the gentlemen in the previous paragraph. I use my strength for the most part to move furniture and put carry-ons into overhead bins. I use my power to toss a 55# redhead high enough out of the pool to make her think she may never splash back into the water. I use my (minuscule) endurance to install pull-up bars, mow lawns, and push strollers through airports while carrying a myriad of toys, bags, and formula delivery devices that feel an awful lot like a 40# vest when they’re all added together. It’s great to have the ability to do all these things, but these are not life or death scenarios and situations. I wonder if my time might not be better spent reading a book, or learning some sort of a craft or new skill.

My tires waste gas and look fairly ridiculous. However, if there is a place that takes special equipment or an off-road vehicle to get to; I will be able to access it. There are very few vehicles that could say they are equipped for almost any weather or geographic malady. I’ll lose $50 a year on gas to have that piece of mind. My knee always hurts and some days I lift for three hours. However, if there is any object that needs to be lifted or displaced, I will be more likely to be able to handle the task than 99.9% of the population of earth. If I am a victim of some sort of blunt force impact, am assailed by an attacker, or simply need to move out of harms way quickly; I am more equipped to handle these and other “wrong place – wrong time” scenarios than I would be if spent my free time outside of the gym.

I’ll take a little knee pain, and the $200 I paid for my Romaleos, if it means I don’t have to live with the fear of being unprepared for whatever physical test life may throw at me.

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WOD 120801:

BB Gymnastics

1) 5X2 Power Snatch – heavy but not maximal, rest 60 sec (exactly).
2) 5X2 Power Clean + Push Jerk – heavy but not maximal, rest 60 sec (exactly).

Strength

1a) 3X8 Good Mornings – heavy, rest 45 sec.
1b) 3X8 Reverse Hypers – heavy, rest 45 sec.
1c) 3X8 DB Seated Strict Press – heaviest possible, rest 45 sec.

Conditioning

Row 50 Calories
150 Double-Unders
Row 50 Calories

For time.