Going Mental – Newsletter #3

Two weeks ago you’d probably never heard of Katrin Davisdottir. Now the latest CrossFit Games women’s champ is being interviewed on ESPN. She breaks down how she went from not qualifying last year to winning this year and the mental strategies she used. (Also interesting: her vote for the toughest games workout? Murph).

Extra: One our most popular posts of all time was Camille LeBlanc-Bazinet’s Mental Tips For CrossFit

The CrossFit community was in quite the uproar regarding the events at this year’s games and the difficulty many athletes had with them. Rudy from the Outlaw Way breaks down why he thinks some of the events were simultaneously too hard and perfect.

The Agile 8 is your new pre-wod warm up (If your coach already has a warm up for you, then this is your pre-warmup, warm up). My old routine was a random mix of movements cobbled together from Mobility WOD and my high school PE class. Usually, thrown together and done as quickly as possible so I could start working out. Most gym’s do something similar. Super coach Joe Defranco crafted the Agile 8 as a ten minute set of exercises that’s easily knocked out before a workout and prepares you for whatever your box is throwing at you. In Joe’s words “the ‘secret’ to its success and longevity lies in the fact that people actually do it. This can hopefully be a lesson to all coaches and trainers regarding the power of simplicity. You can write up the greatest program in the world, but it aint worth sh*t if no one does it!”

If you’re doing a CSA you might be scratching your head at the variety of items showing up in your box during the summer (what the heck is kohlrabi?!?) The Splendid Table put together a little summer CSA recipe guide that’ll help keep some of those strange new items out of the compost pile.

With a family of six paleo eaters we go through a lot of meat. I’ve heard of people buying a cow directly but never looked into it. The Home In Disarray blog bought half a steer and breaks down the economics of it, as well a providing pictures to help you conceptualize how much beef that really is. (Hint: You need a separate freezer).

I usually only include five items in the newsletter but I want to make sure you’re getting what you need (and if there’s ever an opportunity to use a Jerry Maguire quote you have to take it). What’s your biggest challenge these days? Just reply to this message and shoot me a note and let’s see if I can help you out!