Sunday, June 5, 2011 So we had the worst turnout in months and months for this workout! Cherry picking workouts is not taken lightly by the coaches at CrossFit Bishop. Many, many benefits come from running and running backwards, such as stamina, cardio-respiratory endurance, coordination along with many, many others! I, myself, despise hard running workouts as it's one of my biggest weaknesses, but know that it's one of the greatest ways to increase my overall fitness so I just grit my teeth and get it done anyway. So whine and complain all you want about workouts like this, but make sure you're whining and complaining at the start line not your couch!!! This workout will continue to show up as our WOD until we get a good turnout...
"Griff"
For time:
Run 800 meters
Run 400 meters backwards
Run 800 meters
Run 400 meters backwards
Reader Comments (10)
sorry coach . . . but working 6am to 6pm shifts don't work with the CF schedule in Bishop :(
so I'm gonna do this at the high school track after work :)
Nice Jess!!! These are the kind of comments we need to be seeing more often!!! Post your time here in the comments section when you're done...
Sad, sad, sad... Running power is core to fitness baby!!! Can't run= can't compete, can't fight, can't get away, can't win, can't save your life, can't do jack S%$t! I've been taking my running to the Whites these past months, straight up the mountain baby hells yea! Ya'll do like big poppa says now and get yer run on ya hear??? Drop the hammer!!!!
Colin, your post has made me think about how CrossFIt fits into my life right now, and raised two main questions for me: How do you know that people didn't show today because they were cherry-picking? And does cherry-picking have to be a bad thing?
I know that many more variables than just what the workout is will dictate whether I show up, not the least of which is whether there is a class time that is compatible with my work/sleep schedule, and you did just switch from two Saturday classes to one; perhaps some of the 0930 people can't make 0800? I know I can't. Plus, more people are either out of town on weekends or might have a bigger block of time to play with, and therefore want to spend that time outside rather than doing a gym-based workout. Just some thoughts from my biased view:)
The bigger question for fitness, though, is whether cherry-picking is a bad thing, and I would argue that it really depends on what else an athlete is training for. If CrossFit is an athlete's main form of activity, then I would agree with you in a heartbeat. Get the broadest possible exposure, and push yourself to do things you are not good at to develop a well-rounded base. But if you are training for other events or sports, you may want to pick and choose the CrossFit workouts that best complement your other training, rather than duplicate or overbalance it. If I did a run on Friday and have another one planned for Sunday, for example, I would be unlikely to come to a run workout on Saturday (this is actually not why I didn't show up; see scheduling issues above).
There may also be financial considerations. A punch-card athlete may choose not to come to the gym if the workout is a 5k or 10k run, something they could easily do on their own. Of course they should then post up their time here to share in the fun!
Anyhow, I guess your post just got me thinking, so that's why you get a novel out of me...but maybe other people make these kinds of calculations too?
I like these kinds of philosophical discussions. And I like the ballsy move by Coach Colin to inspire it.
Individuals have varying fitness goals and come to the gym with unique genetics and cultivated abilities. Crossfit has laid claim to many facts and theories, but I have not heard them suggest that doing the scheduled WOD, as programmed by the main site or your local affiliate is the best or only way to become your fittest you. The competitive Crossfit Games athletes don't even subscribe to that idea. It is a given that sport specific training should be the biggest part of a training program for achieving a specific athletic performance goal. There is not one world record held in any single decathlon event by a decathlete. The conclusion here is that "cherry picking" may actually be smart "strategic training" in many cases.
The second rationale supporting cherry picking is logistics. I think for many of us, our work and personal schedules only allow so much. When time is limited it is important to maximize workouts. Crossfit has historically prescribed a 3 on/1 off schedule with the 1st and 3rd being the harder days. If you can't swing this it only makes sense to strategically pick workouts that best suit your personal program. Bishop Crossfit has a limited set schedule so for some it is difficult to make all of the WOD's they would like to.
On the other hand, for some of you (and I am talking mostly to myself here just in case I am one of "you"), cherry picking is an insidious expression of laziness, or an avoidance of something difficult yet beneficial. If you are not as fit as you would like to be, it is probably these types of decisions in your life that have resulted in your current state. Colin is holding Crossfit hostage until enough of you show up for this one, and I assume it is because he is taking a stand for you and your commitment to your health and fitness.
For myself, I looked at Griff yesterday and was not too psyched on it. Opted instead on making up Helen at home. Got up this morning and read the WOD - Griff again, ugh. I will be there today, running backwards and forwards, as hard as possible because: 1) I have sprayed on this forum and now need to back it up, 2) I am not running as fast as I should be and want to be, and 3) I care about this community and want to do my part to help get this lame Griff WOD off the board.
Who's with me?!
Coach Colin: Your comment DOES NOT make me want to come in and do the WOD; it makes me feel like a reprimanded and consequently defiant child. Cherry picking is an insulting term to those of us who do not skip WODs to sit on the couch and eat cookies (although I did have a few too many cookies last night).
Sarah: I agree 100% with your comments.
Howie: While I have my own excuses for not doing this WOD yesterday, your comment is the reason I will be there at 9:30 this fine Sunday morning.
Thanks for taking the time to post Howie, Margo, and Sarah! I understand completely your reasons for the occasional cherry pick of workouts. The problem is that the gym is nearly empty every time a 5k, 800 meter intervals, or any pure running workout show up. I'd be fine if it only happened on occasion, but it's just about every time! Of course there's the response, "I can go run on my own any time", but when's the last time you found yourself at the track on your own hammering through 800's and 400's as hard as you can go??? In general, two things are avoided in the CrossFit community: 1) Pure strength training and 2)Running workouts. We don't seem to have a problem here at CrossFit Bishop with people understanding that this is a strength and conditioning program and lifting heavy is an integral part of your training. Very, very regularly, though, people skip out on running or view the running portions of workouts as a rest from the rest of the workout... Unacceptable!!! A 5k run puts more fear in my heart than almost any other workout. There is no place to hide in a medium/long distance run like this, you just have to keep moving, moving, moving until it's over. 800 meter runs are the number one most difficult workout for me. The stress it puts on my system is unbelievable... I agree that scheduling of workouts is indeed a bit of a problem. Although, we do have two classes on Saturday, not one... Occasionally it makes sense that people won't be able to make a workout because of "life conflicts", but magically 60-70 athletes all can't make it to a Saturday workout and it just happens to be running? One of the biggest pieces of a program like CrossFit is to work on things that you're not very good at. So if your name is Phil, Margo, or Glidewell etc. I might not expect to see you at these workouts. If your running times suffer though, like almost everyone else in our community, then the best thing you can do for your fitness is come and work... Much more to say on this topic, but time goes on...
I did the WOD today around my house, and took two
Friends with me! Only afterwards found out
We went too far. Did 1000 and 800. Pretty hard. But
We did it.
I do miss the Saturday 7am class for the record. :)
It was nice for us to get a work out in while the
Kids were still sleeping. But we just try to get
In our workouts now during the week or whenever
The kids don't have activities. We know you can't
Please everyone with a schedule, we understand that
With four very active kids. Just thought if we were
Putting in requests, we would mention ours :)
Oh and my time for my extra long WOD was 28:37!
Nice work Cyndee! We'll see how things go with Saturdays and you never know... maybe that 7 am class will come back. Remember that CrossFIt Bishop is still very, very young and we'll see things change here and there for a while longer. As we continue to bring in more athletes and train new coaches we'll be able to offer more, and more, and more... Always love to hear feedback from all of you!