Let The (Regional) Games Begin!

06/02/2011

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Tomorrow marks the start of the Reebok CrossFit Games Mid Atlantic Regional competition.  Three days, six workouts, a little over 30 dudes (same for women, and about 15 teams I believe), all fighting for only a few spots to the CrossFit Games in CA at the end of July. 

I have yet to feel nervous, I am excited, I am eager to hang out with so many like-minded people and I am feeling pretty positive about my fitness levels.  I have no idea what is going to happen out there, but all I o know as that when I hear "GO", I am going to do just that.  I plan to give it my all, trust my training, trust my fuel, trust my body and push myself harder and farther then I ever have.  That is what I enjoy doing, that is why I love CrossFit, and it fires me up to know that I will be surrounded by people who want the same thing.

I think the reason my nerves are so calm is that my mind has been elsewhere today (probably a very good thing when i think about it).  Today marked the two year anniversary of my Mothers death and it has been overwhelming thinking about all the good she not only brought to me, but to so many people around the world.  I have written about her many times on both this and my old blog, and I feel like I could write something new and positive about her every day.  Today I will leave it at this:  she is the main reason I push myself.  For her, if you were not working towards doing the thing you loved with all your energy, you were wasting time.  And if you were not smiling while you did it, you were doi g something wrong.  This weekend I dedicate my effort to her.   Through the pain and struggle of each rep I will relish the opportunity to feel so alive.  I will be beyond grateful to be able to be out there, healthy, happy, moving, sweating, pushing myself to new limits around hundreds of others who desire the same for their lives.  I am humbled by her every day, from the day I was born, to this day, 3 years after she has passed.  So this weekend, and for as long as I live, I will continue to challenge myself, I will smile through and enjoy each and every challenge, and i will share my love and passion for this with as many people as I can.

To all you competition tomorrow, to those of you who competed last week, to the hundreds waiting to compete over the next couple weeks, to to everyone who pushes themselves to be better; you inspire me every day.  You all freaking ROCK!

For those of you wanting to come out tomorrow and over the weekend to spectate, cheer and be totally blown away with how awesome these CrossFit events are, you;ll find the info below.  I will be updating the blog each day with posts, pics and videos.  And, I'll be posting to Facebook and twitter throughout the weekend.  be sure to follow along even if you can't be there!

George Mason University Field House
4501 University Dr.
Fairfax, Virginia
22030

Friday - 9am-6pm
Saturday - 9am-6pm
Sunday - 9am-3pm

$10 per day or $25 for a full-event pass.

Never Stop, GET FIT.

Josh Courage
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My Continued Inspiration

03/25/2011

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My favorite pic of my mom and me
I was enjoying a wonderful recovery day earlier this week when I found my mind wondering to something I tend to think about in some detail at least once a day: my mother.  March 12th marked her birthday, and while my family shared a quick email exchange in remembrance of all the gifts she brought us, I tend to spend a good bit of time enjoying some of the most memorable moments I shared with this incredible lady.

As I write this, the Cherry Blossoms are in full bloom all around the greater Washington, DC area.  These pink flowers take over the city for about a week every year, and with them come some my fondest memories of my mother (I hold a tribute to this tattooed on my back, clearly very meaningful to me).  While the majority of people hang down by the Jefferson Memorial, a lot of the locals know that the Kenwood neighborhood in Bethesda, MD is far and beyond one of the most beautiful sights one can witness.  Each year around this time I would meet up with my mother and we’d take the short drive down to Kenwood.  We’d find a parking spot somewhere off the main drag and proceed to walk around the flowing pick streets and the massive houses hiding behind the trees.  We’d talk about what might be in the fancy houses, we'd talk about nature and how things came to be; we’d talk about health and life, and, we’d just walk, silently and peacefully.  The very last time we walked these streets, I distinctly remember one small portion of it.  At this point, her around seven-year battle with cancer had worn her down to a scrawny 90 or so pounds.  Her spine was more crooked then the branches of those trees, and by any normal doctors diagnosis, she should probably have been strapped to a bed and pumped full of medication.  But, she was outside, in the breeze, in the fresh spring air.  She had this contagious smile, the one she wore more commonly than any other face.  Up to this point she clung to my arm for support, but she suddenly released from that support and took a few step away from me.  A strong breeze blew through and just like that we were surrounded by millions of floating and fluttering cherry blossom petals.  My mom raised her hands and just started spinning around.  For a moment I thought I’d have to rush over to catch her from toppling over, but nope, she just twirled around in the blizzard of pedals.  Timeless.

Another story I often recall is when I visited her while she was staying in a small little town in Belgium for what ended up being a pretty long time.  I was only able to stay there for a couple days, but in that short amount of time we ended up walking a 3-mile trail around the town, 3 TIMES!  I think about this most commonly when I am struggling for motivation to do something, or, when I am dealing with the frustration of the inactivity of the majority of our country.  On one had, we have millions of people who struggle with weight issues and easily reversible health concerns.  They just choose to eat crap food and do nothing in their spare time.  And on the other hand you have this woman: 3 different types of cancer, a scare or two of stage-four cancer in there; a disintegrated spine, osteoporosis and a handful of other major issues, and yet she still finds it not just necessary, but ENJOYABLE to head out for a 3-mile walk, twice a day.  She understood that the best way to health and happiness was eating well, smiling as often as possibly, and being active!

Those are just a couple stories amongst an endless supply that inspire me each and every day.  She was a damn great lady and I miss her like crazy.  I hope that I can have children that look up to me like I do my parents, and I am thankful for having had a mother that taught me so much, and a father who supports and motivates me just as much. 

Now it’s off to the gym for my final attempt at the Sectionals Workout!

Never Stop, GET FIT.

Josh Courage
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