Endure: the IronPAX Challenge Week 1 – Rameses

August 8, 2018

WHEN: 08/08/2018
QIC: Stop Drop & Roll
PAX: Ocho, Opec, Misery, Avalanche, Appomatox, One Dimension, Graceland, Soybean, Tooltime, Village Person, Champ, Awesome Baby, Brick, Timber, Harbaugh, Prancing Horse, Blindside, Stop Drop & Roll

Alternate title: The day in which YHC begins to question this whole ‘5 days of Q’ thing…

 

A humid-ass morning brought 6 brave souls out to run the pine, 3 daring adventurers to ruck the Pine, and 18 strong men out to take on week 1 of the Iron PAX challenge… Let’s get right to it.

 

Warmup? It’s called the Pine

PAX immediately took off on a run to Hooker Field, being told they’d receive instructions once there.

Once there PAX had about 2 minutes to get their body warm OYO while YHC gave the instructions and demonstrated proper form… according to F3Greenwood – “this is a SQUAT, not a knee crinkle or a back bend”

 

Iron PAX challenge

YHC set up a large font timer so PAX could keep track of their work over as we went, and we were off.

 

4 ROUNDS – FOR TIME

 

50 AirSquats

40 WWIIs (bigboisitups)

30 Merkins

20 BonnieBlairs (lunge jumps – each leg) – these were THE WORST – especially post Pine

10 Burpees

Run Full Lap around the track

 

PAX had to finish the allotted workout 4 times as fast as they could. Some notable times:

OCHO – just over 22 minutes (our winner)

AVALANCHE – just over 23 minutes – AFTER finishing the Pine (how?)

ALL PAX – All 18 PAX finished under 31 minutes. This is quite the feat as the national average posted via F3 Greenwood yesterday is 29:55… CHURHAM DON’T PLAY NO GAMES

 

Friendly/sweaty/a bit miserable yog back to the parking lot (insert wave at ruckers Coco and Adolphus)

 

Circle of Trust

Champ – 2ndF is rolling, big things happening – make sure you’re on the slack channel 2ndf + ChapelHill2ndf – Coco won’t be leaving forever (we think), so let’s keep the momentum up.

 

BOM: Endurance – it’s all in your head:

So here’s the thing – my body hurts. Two days of EC, Plus 3 workouts that turned out harder than I prepped, and I’m feeling a bit beat up. Thinking back on the last 363 days of F3, I’m relatively certain I’ve never posted more than 3-4 times in a 7 day span, much less dropped 5 in a row. My knees ache, my back is stiff af, and I’ve had pretty intense tightness down my right oblique since Monday. But those things are all physical. Of all the things I just wrote – the part that is most keeping me from pushing through this is the fact that I haven’t done this before. Something in my head is holding me back, whispering that I need to take it easy, stop pushing so hard, take a day off, don’t give it your all on that next sprint. And while there is something to be said for listening to your body to avoid injury – all too often our brains use our bodies as a scapegoat to quit…

I recently read Endure, by Alex Hutchinson (of Runner’s Magazine).  Phenomenal mix of psychology and physiology taking a look at endurance athletes of all sports (cycling/running/free-diving/exploring – it’s got it all). The ultimate conclusion is that our brains work as form of central governor that both consciously and subconsciously works against us achieving our outer limits, or really anywhere close to them. I have my fair share of weaknesses (farmer carries are my absolute bane), but it’s my mind that holds me back more than anything else – I am constantly pulling back on the reins the minute I feel discomfort. That feeling – discomfort – and the ability to push through it is the difference between athletes and casual exercisers (consider me in the latter for now).

Today’s Iron PAX challenge gives an opportunity to work not just on your strength and speed, but on your mental grit – your ability to endure. It was incredible to watch guys like Ocho, Avalanche, Appomatox, and OPEC as you could see the visible strain, but the focus and intention simultaneously… You guys inspire me.

So the next time you hit the point in a workout where your brain kicks in and tells you to quit – to cheat for a few sets or take it easy through the next exercise – gently tell it to f off, redirect your focus, and get it done.

 

Much love, SDR