Injuries Suck. Cherry Picker. CA-H2O $. Ikea Hacks. Epic Journey. The Week Ahead 6.21.21

“It doesn’t matter who my father was; it matters who I remember he was.”  Anne Sexton

INJURIES SUCK .. but they are likely with ANY type of sustained physical activity, from walking to weightlifting. When the human body is put to work, great things happen but, overuse, faulty technique, strength imbalances, genetic issues or accidents can create injuries. What matters most is how we react to injury and move forward. In my 50+ years of exercise and sports participation, I’ve endured many injuries and witnessed many more. I’ve learned that the 3 most common reactions are:

  1. Denial. The individual ignores the injury and grinds through the pain or compensates improperly. Denial almost always ends badly, with a worsened condition coupled with a longer recovery period.
  2. Quit. The individual escalates the severity of the injury and assumes that severe injury is likely frequent and quits the activity entirely.
  3. Attack. The individual assesses the injury, researches remedies, seeks professional consultation, adjusts workouts accordingly, puts in the rehabilitation work, and resolves the issue.

To be honest, I’m a bit of a denier (#1) – and that has led to more issues and much longer recoveries for me. I’m currently dealing with plantar fasciitis and shoulder mobility problems. I’ve finally thrown in the towel and started to attack the injuries with proper remedies and workout scaling (though, I still struggle to scale). Once I’m recovered, I’ll be back at it again, working on improving my overall fitness.

Unfortunately, in CrossFit, most affiliate owners have seen lot’s of #2’s..the quitters. This happens with people who are newer to fitness and/or CrossFit and misjudge minor injuries as long term issues. If you’re thinking of quitting (any fitness – running, weightlifting, Pilates, or CrossFit), don’t. Stay the course! Attack the injury with rehabilitation. You’ll be a smarter and healthier athlete on the other side.

And, if you’re a Diablo member, start by talking to a coach! They’ll have great advice, because they’ve ALL been there, done that. Or, send me an email and I’ll get you on the right track to healthy fitness.

TWEET OF THE WEEK: “If you see me in my old @CrossFitGames shorts, I have definitely cherry-picked the workout.”   (Likely: wall balls, rowing, power cleans or farmer carries)

PROGRESSIVE PROGRAMMING

The week ahead:

CRAIG’S LIST (Stuff I’m Reading, Listening To or Watching)

New Rule: Getting It in the Nuts | Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) – Last month I drove to San Diego on Hwy5 and was blown away by the amount of almond trees and grape vineyards planted in the deserts that stretch from Los Banos to the Grapevine. This is an incredibly dry area that must have water diverted in order to produce crops. I did a little research and learned that 80% of the almonds grown in California are exported internationally. Yet, California is experiencing another year of severe drought – and we’re literally giving away our most precious resource, while allowing water brokers and industrial farmers to profit. Bill Maher makes the point brilliantly. As we are asked to cut back, remember that almond farmers in CA consume the same amount of water as SF & LA in an entire year. 

If you want to learn more about our crazy water policies, read these two articles from several years ago: 

Ikea HackingI’m really late to this one. I love the trend toward “fixing” vs. “replacing”!

 A Land So Strange: The Epic Journey of Cabeza de VacaJust getting started on this audio book. This is an amazing true story of human survival In 1528. A Spanaird explorer, Cabeza de Vaca became stranded in Florida after a hurricane and traveled across the Gulf and through the Southwest over several years – and survived. It’s gripping from the start.

Make it an awesome week!

Craig