Arlen Ward dot com

We should run ads like this in every country, every night. Maybe we might accidently inspire some kid out there. It has to work better than previous attempts.

Alright people, it looks as if I am now signed up to do a CrossFit workout for charity. The causes are Athletes for a Cure (to support protate cancer research) and the Wounded Warrior Project (to support and aid our service men and women who are severly injured in service to our country).

The workout is “Fight Gone Bad” and there are plenty of examples of it on YouTube.

Here’s the explanation from the Emerfit blog:

In this workout you move from each of five stations after a minute. This is a five-minute round from which a one-minute break is allowed before repeating. We’ve used this in 3 and 5 round versions. The stations are:

1. Wall-ball: 20 pound ball, 10 ft target. (Reps)
2. Sumo deadlift high-pull: 75 pounds (Reps)
3. Box Jump: 20″ box (Reps)
4. Push-press: 75 pounds (Reps)
5. Row: calories (Calories)

The clock does not reset or stop between exercises. On call of “rotate,” the athlete/s must move to next station immediately for good score. One point is given for each rep, except on the rower where each calorie is one point.

So how about it? Ready to donate? Here’s my page on the charity site, you can donate there. I have a goal of $1200, so feel free to forward this to everyone you know. These are both good causes, they will do good things for your money. Knowing what I know about most of you, the additional good karma isn’t a bad thing either.

Have you donated yet? Get on it!

It has been about six weeks since I joined Emergent Fitness, so I figured it was time for an update.

I think six weeks is about the longest I have really stuck with an exercise program.

Today we did the CrossFit Total, a “benchmark” of sorts for strength. You can find a video of it here (not of us obviously).

The CrossFit Total consists of three attempts of each of three different lifts. First is the back squat, second the press, and finally the dead lift. All three are demonstrated in the video link above. You take your one rep max for all three, add them up and you get your CrossFit Total score. Today I ended up with the following:

• Back Squat: 205 lbs
• Press: 155 lbs
• Dead Lift: 300 lbs

…for a total score of 660. Now I haven’t ever been enough of a gym rat to know if those weights are good, bad, or indifferent, but on the up side it means I just blindly put them on the internet for the world to see. I think if I had it to do again, I would have pushed the weights a little higher. I made all three attempts in all three lifts, so I suspect that means I should have gone heavier in each case. I think I could have done more in the back squat and the dead lift, but pressing 155 was about right at my limit for today.

My main goal for today was to get a benchmark score that I can compare to in a few months to see what kind improvements there are. So I guess I accomplished my goals.

Today I also brought the elder resource drain offspring to the gym with me. I never realized that a CrossFit gym is really just a playground in the eyes of a 5 year old. I think he completed over 1500 meters on the rowing machine when totaled across the times he was playing on it. They did a scaled down CrossFit Kids workout at the end of the lifts, so he got to participate a little before we ate and went home. He was asleep in the car before we left the parking lot, so I guess CrossFit wears him out too.

It seems there are online quizes for just about anything these days.

You Should Get a PhD in Science (like chemistry, math, or engineering)

You’re both smart and innovative when it comes to ideas. Maybe you’ll find a cure for cancer – or develop the latest underground drug.

At least I have the internet to validate my career choices. Guess I’ll keep going.

On that note, school starts on Monday, with my final semester of any coursework. One way or another, I’ll be done with classes this semester.

Ah, the Dropkick Murphys. Good stuff.

I was out in Massachusetts again for a few days. Actually I was in Mansfield, for a two day meeting at our company headquarters. To get there I had to rent a car in Boston and drive about an hour or so. This was the first time I had to drive in the Boston area, and despite the city being originally plotted out prior to automobiles, I would say the Big Dig really made it a tolerable experience. I really only have one complaint.

Why don’t the interstate exit numbers match the mile markers? They do here in Colorado. They did when I lived in Wyoming. In fact, I think they have in every state I have ever lived in. I even drove the 20 minutes into Rhode Island to see if it was an east coast thing or a Massachusetts thing. Seems to be an east coast thing.

It drove me crazy the whole time I was there (all two and a half days).

I know, I know. Therapy is always an option.