All athletes have their demons.  And these demons come in all shapes and sizes.  It may be a movement that terrifies them, a poor performance that haunts them, a dread of the unknown, or the most common one, a fear of failure.  Whatever your demons may be, you can either beat them into submission or you can let them get the better of you.  Exorcising these demons takes drastic measures.  Meeting them head on is the only way to go.

In your early days here at Intrepid, you may have had the jitters when you came into class.  Wondering what the workout will do to you physically, you were afraid your body will give up on you– or worse, your mind–in the middle of the workout.   You may loathe running or be petrified of box jumps and you feel that giant butterfly beating the inside of your stomach when you see it posted on the workout in the morning.  When this happens it’s easy to let a meeting run long or find a reason to miss class.

Or your demon may be more subtle.  Have you had that voice inside your head that tells you not to go 100% so when your times don’t measure up to your friendly competition you can tell yourself it was on purpose?  Or load heavier weights on a bar knowing that a heavier weight will give you an excuse for a slower time?  This form of self sabotage will stand in the way of you realizing your true potential.

Perhaps you are the athlete that allows yourself to be consumed by perceived failure?  Do you stay up at night wondering where you could have cut time in the WOD or replay your clean and jerk over and over to see where your technique failed?  Do you hate stepping into the arena because of what it may do to you if you didn’t win?  The truth is, having the courage to put yourself out on the line by competing IS a win already.

It’s only human to have demons.  But what you do with them is what matters.  The Intrepid Games are 5 weeks out and the deadline to register is fast approaching.  This is a great way to tackle a gaggle of demons and give your training direction and purpose.  Train hard, eat clean, employ sound recovery techniques, and you will see incredible results regardless of who stands on the podium come game day.

Be sure to wish a happy birthday to Daniel, who is a newer Intrepid and a evening regular.

WOD 08.13.13

Back Squat 3×5 or Wendler

21 Heavy Thrusters (135/95)
21 Burpees
Run 400m
15 Power Cleans
15 Burpees
Run 400m
9 Front Squats
9 Burpees
Run 400m

20 Minute Time Cap