Summer Challenge at CrossFit Houston

This past weekend I participated in the Summer Challenge at CrossFit Houston. The day started at 8am with the first workout, which was:
15 sandbag get ups (100#)
30 lateral burpees (24")
15 sandbag get ups (100#)
Then, about 3 hours later we did wod 2 which was a 1.5 mile trail run, pretty hilly and definitely HOT, with a 20 pound vest on. The combination of your time on wod 1 and wod 2 determined whether or not you advanced to wod 3.

Wod 3 was brutal:
Push a Prowler Sled down and back (45# about 20-30 yards)
9 db thrusters (50#)
Push a Prowler Sled down and back (45# about 20-30 yards)
6 db thrusters (50#)
Push a Prowler Sled down and back (45# about 20-30 yards)
3 db thrusters (50#)
Push a Prowler Sled down and back (45# about 20-30 yards)

Only 6 of the athletes even finished this workout under the 15 minute cut off time. From there we had about an hour and a half until the fourth and final wod:
500m row
5 squats (185#)
5 kb swing (55#)
5 box jumps (30")
1000m row
10 squats (185#)
10 kb swing (55#)
10 box jumps (30")
500m row
15 squats (185#)
15 kb swing (55#)
15 box jumps (30")

The whole day was HOT and very demanding of the lower body. I really felt like the first workout was my least favorite and makes me want to order some sandbags for our box so we can work on those. I ended up placing 3rd at the competition, I am still amazed by this. I feel blessed to have been able to compete and to have recovered well enough to push hard on all the workouts.

I want to share something that I thought was really inspiring on Saturday. After the first workout my dad, my wife and I went to a little taqueria across the street to cool off and so they could eat breakfast. We met a couple who was there eating breakfast but also at the competition supporting their son (Zach Stewart). I actually know Zach, he went to A&M and now he lives in Spring working as an athletic director for a community over there. Anyway, he trains at a box in Spring - CrossFit Silverback. His parents were telling me how much of an impact CrossFit has made in Zach's life, how he has lost 25 pounds and really gotten in great shape. (On a side note, Zach took 1st place in the scaled division at Saturday's competition - great athlete). They explained how he has inspired them and how it motivated them to sign up at CrossFit Silverback. They began sharing their "CrossFit Story". Telling me how hard it was at the beginning, how they couldn't even do "this" or "that" and how now they can do "this" and "that". Zach's dad said he has lost 30 pounds and Zach's mom has lost 20 in the 3 months since they started crossfitting. So in total, this family, including Zach, have lost 75 pounds! WOW! He is 52 and she is 49 years old, they said that they had not worked out in several years and how much they now enjoy going to "the box" at 5:30am. I'll bet that CrossFit has strengthened their relationship and I know it has improved their quality of life.

There are many stories out there just like this one, many of you have a "CrossFit Story". I encourage you to share "your story" with someone this week, or share it with several people, you never know when you might motivate someone to get off the couch and lose 25 pounds.



If God simply handed us everything we wanted, He’d be taking from us our greatest prize – the joy of accomplishment.

2 Timothy 2:4 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”