Earlier this year I mentioned that some changes were forth coming. I suggested it might be time to hit the Reset Button. For several reasons, that time has come.
I must admit, I have delayed making this decision for months because I love my daily routine. I like gathering with my friends at dawn, striving to better ourselves. I love the camaraderie and the encouragement. I have grown very fond of many of you. Some of you are like brothers and sisters to me. The thought of stepping back has been a very emotional decision.
Health is No. 1
I will be taking a sabbatical from CrossFit WODs for a couple months, as I shift my physical activity to tackle some health issues. I have noticed my stamina and strength have decreased. My weight has increased, which wouldn’t phase me if I was stronger and gaining muscle mass. And my blood sugar and my blood pressure are rising.
This is not simply a plateau, but a regression. It is contrary to my wellness goals, so it is time to make some adjustments.
Stats and Metrics
I will be taking some time off to tweak and measure, and tweak again. I will be adjusting my diet. Once again I will log my food intake, track calories and macronutrients. I will track my weight, glucose, blood pressure and heart rate variability. I will look for trends, and use that data to reset my path to improved health. Yes, I am a Geek.
My Conceptual Plan
I discussed this with Coach Nicole and she is eager to help me get back on track.
I will take a step back from high intensity stuff, like daily CrossFit WODs, for a brief time to focus on weight training in my humble little garage. I will be backing off heavy lifting and 1 Rep Max, to lower weights with higher reps, paying attention to form over PRs. I will limit metabolic conditioning to Tabata Style activities that last four minutes instead of fifteen to twenty. I will work on flexibility and mobility. I will force myself to do more bodyweight exercises. I will pay more attention to rest and recovery.
So my plan is not to be sedentary, but to regain metabolic health. That was lost long before CrossFit became part of my life. CrossFit is not the cause, but the intensity has exacerbated things, so I am ratcheting back on it for a brief while.
I expect that my biggest challenge will be between my ears. Over the past 18 months, my coaches and box mates have encouraged me. They have coaxed me to go further in every workout. Now I will be forced to flex my “self-motivational muscle”, as I make the shift to 100% intrinsic motivation.
My plan is to visit the Box several days a week. Though my routine will be out of sync with my friends, I will still be a part of the community.
I’ll still be writing about my pursuit of health and fitness, so I hope you’ll still follow my stories and motivate me with your comments. Be patient, I’ll be back in the saddle before you know it. I have to be ready for my partner WOD with Julia in the fall.
Happy to hear you being smart about your health Chuck. And CrossFit isn't always about intensity but a good mix of everything you are setting out to do. It should always be form over PR and mobility is SO important for us 50+nCrossFitters! I am anxious to see you and Julia back for WOD4Paws in September! That makes me very happy! Hope you figure out what's going on… all my best to you!
B, thanks for the wise counsel. It is exciting to see the attention that Masters are generating in the CrossFit Games and in the many Facebook forums that are popping up.
We have a large population of Masters at our box and all of our WODs are written to accommodate the athlete for their level – be it age, ability or injury. Everything in CrossFit can and should be scaled depending on the person. So, I am very happy to hear you are paying attention to that! : )
Yes, there are some great CrossFit Masters Facebook groups – they can be very entertaining!
I'll have to start studying your programming for some ideas. BTW, I am thrilled that your sister is going to the Games. It's pretty cool. I'll bet it has created a great deal of excitement at Cynergy.
Good points in your post: 1) knowing when to take a sabbatical is a sign of wisdom, 2) being patience with yourself is always difficult but necessary, and 3) I want a rowing machine, too, color immaterial. I took a week off to let some joint swelling subside, and though difficult, it made all the difference. PR today Deadlift 175#. Keep us posted. Bonne sante!
Julia, thanks for your comments and congrats on your Deadlift PR. I look forward to seeing your next blogpost on Barbells and Boomers. http://barbellsandboomers.com/