Thursday 12.22.11

**Reminder: Our Holiday Happy Hour is TONIGHT at The Brew on Iowa Ave. 

Party officially starts at 7:30 PM following the 6:30 PM WOD.**

Today marks the winter solstice. The longest night of the year and the shortest day of the year. "Solstice" is derived from the Latin phrase for "sun stands still." The sun seems in balance - rising and setting in the same two spots for several days. A quiet stillness seems to settle over the Earth as the solstice marks the beginning of the winter season. The desire to reflect rises as another calendar year winds down. Solstice. Balance. Quiet. Reflection. It is a time to slow down, rest, and regroup.

None of these words sound like CrossFit, do they? The clock is always racing, we're burning through reps, speeding through sprints, gasping for air, playing mental gymnastics to get through that last set, and never quitting until the WOD is done. And then we're right back at it as soon as we're able. However, rest is often the most important WOD you can perform. CrossFit.com programming follows a schedule of 3 days on, 1 day off. Rest is incorporated as a critical part of the programming cycle. The rest day is not only an injury prevention measure, it is also a recovery measure.

Building muscles requires giving the muscles adequate time to complete construction of new muscle fibers. I know we all get frustrated when contractors end up taking longer than estimated on any construction or renovation project; however, sometimes it simply is that the parts are just not in stock on the date they're needed. It is the same with your growing muscles. Sometimes, recovery has not taken place within the 24 hours between WODs. They need more time!

I urge you to read the following post about the importance of rest and recovery from the crew over at The Whole9 (the folks who bring you the Whole30): The Path of the Buttercup. The post is authored by an intensity-loving, addicted-to-training woman who knows what she's talking about. You might be rolling your eyes saying:

"Yeah, yeah, rest...it's important, blah blah blahdie cakes. It's my stress release!" 

"I've got a marathon/tri/huge meal to train for...no time for breaks!" 

"I just feel tired because I don't sleep."

"I'm just tired/slow because my shoulder/knee/back is little sore." 

Well, you might not be sleeping or sore in the joints because you're overdoing it a bit. Your body might be trying to say, "Hey, give me a BREAK." And maybe after reading The Path of the Buttercup, you might recognize yourself. I know I did.

Plus, rest doesn't have to mean holding down the couch watching all your DVR'd TV shows. It can mean yoga, a walk, a short hike, ice skating, or playing with your kids or your pets. Rest does not mean inactivity, it just means taking the intensity down quite a few notches.

We love having you here at WCFM and we want you to take care of yourself through training, mobility exercises, and rest. We want you to find the ideal balance between activity and rest. This will help you progress here in the box. We want you to find joy in the quiet of rest, as well as in the chaos and noise of a WOD. We want you to reflect on how far you have come here with us, and think about where you would like to go. You will progress over time. And we will be right there with you the whole way.

WOD

Skill: kipping pull-up

THEN:

"Coe"

10 Rounds

10 Thrusters (95/65)

10 ring push ups