10AM, 11AM, and 12PM

Also, Run Club and Swim Class are cancelled tonight (Sunday).

A little bit about the man we are honoring (information found here):

Lt. Michael P. Murphy, fondly referred to by friends and family as “Murph,” was born May 7, 1976 in Smithtown, N.Y. and grew up in the New York City commuter town of Patchogue, N.Y. on Long Island.

Murphy attended Penn State University, where he was an exceptional all-around athlete and student, excelling at ice hockey and graduating with honors. He was an avid reader; his reading tastes ranged from the Greek historian Herodotus to Tolstoy’s “War and Peace.” Murphy’s favorite book was Steven Pressfield’s “Gates of Fire,” about the Spartan stand at Thermopylae. In 1998, he graduated with a pair of Bachelor of Arts degrees from Penn State — in political science and psychology.

Following graduation, he was accepted to several law schools, but instead he changed course.  Slightly built at 5 feet 10 inches, Murphy decided to attend SEAL mentoring sessions at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point with his sights on becoming a U.S. Navy SEAL. Murphy accepted an appointment to the Navy’s Officer Candidate School at Pensacola, Fla., in September, 2000.

Murphy was commissioned as an ensign in the Navy on Dec. 13, 2000, and began Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) training in Coronado, Calif., in January 2001, graduating with Class 236. Lt. Murphy earned his SEAL Trident and checked on board SDV Team (SDVT) 1 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii in July of 2002.

In early 2005, Murphy was assigned to SEAL Delivery Vehicle Team 1 as assistant officer in charge of ALFA Platoon and deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

On June 28, 2005, Lt. Murphy was the officer-in-charge of a four-man SEAL element in support of Operation Red Wing tasked with finding key anti-coalition militia commander near Asadabad, Afghanistan. Shortly after inserting into the objective area, the SEALs were spotted by three goat herders who were initially detained and then released. It is believed the goat herders immediately reported the SEALs’ presence to Taliban fighters.

A fierce gun battle ensued on the steep face of the mountain between the SEALs and a much larger enemy force. Despite the intensity of the firefight and suffering grave gunshot wounds himself, Murphy is credited with risking his own life to save the lives of his teammates. Murphy, intent on making contact with headquarters, but realizing this would be impossible in the extreme terrain where they were fighting, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his own life moved into the open, where he could gain a better position to transmit a call to get help for his men.

Murph and his men

Moving away from the protective mountain rocks, he knowingly exposed himself to increased enemy gunfire.  This deliberate and heroic act deprived him of cover and made him a target for the enemy.  While continuing to be fired upon, Murphy made contact with the SOF Quick Reaction Force at Bagram Air Base and requested assistance. He calmly provided his unit’s location and the size of the enemy force while requesting immediate support for his team. At one point, he was shot in the back causing him to drop the transmitter. Murphy picked it back up, completed the call and continued firing at the enemy who was closing in.  Severely wounded, Lt. Murphy returned to his cover position with his men and continued the battle.

On the ground and nearly out of ammunition, the four SEALs continued to fight.  By the end of a two-hour gunfight that careened through the hills and over cliffs, Murphy, Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny Dietz and Sonar Technician 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew Axelson had fallen. An estimated 35 Taliban were also dead.  The fourth SEAL, Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class (SEAL) Marcus Luttrell, was blasted over a ridge by a rocket-propelled grenade and knocked unconscious. Though severely wounded, the fourth SEAL and sole survivor, Luttrell, was able to evade the enemy for nearly a day; after which local nationals came to his aide, carrying him to a nearby village where they kept him for three more days. Luttrell was rescued by U.S. Forces on July 2, 2005.

Only survivor from Operation Redwing: Marcus Lutrell

By his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit and inspirational devotion to his men in the face of certain death, Lt. Murphy was able to relay the position of his unit, an act that ultimately led to the rescue of Luttrell and the recovery of the remains of the three who were killed in the battle.

Lt. Murphy was buried at Calverton National Cemetery less than 20 miles from his childhood home. Lt. Murphy’s other personal awards include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Ribbon and National Defense Service Medal.

Lt. Murphy is survived by his mother Maureen Murphy; his father Dan Murphy; and his brother John Murphy. Dan and Maureen Murphy, who were divorced in 1999, remain close friends and continue to live in N.Y.  Their son John, 22, attends the New York Institute of Technology, and upon graduation will  pursue a career in criminal justice, having been accepted to the New York City Police Deparment.

Murph

Yes, this is a long workout, but it can be scaled, and it isn’t much harder than many other workouts you have done.  Also, you shouldn’t skip this workout because it is hard.  You should do it in remembrance of a fallen hero.  You will be amazed at what you are capable of if you put your mind to it.

Jeremiah Pushing to the Brink on “Jack”

First, in the moments before I started “Amazing Grace” last week, I reflected on the special reason on why I was about to endure an extra helping of pain.  Someone asked me later that day why I wanted so badly to do “Amazing Grace” as prescribed even though it was very unlikely for me to finish with only one hand.  The only response I had was that I felt like I had to… At that moment, I became a bit overwhelmed with some emotions, considering my mom just had her second mastectomy 4 days earlier.  I realized that I would push through any fleeting, temporary pain during “Grace” to help prevent anyone else from enduring the pain my mom went through over the past few years during her two fights with breast cancer.

The New Heroes

However, I have felt these floods of emotions with WOD’s before, although they usually occur before or during a “Hero” WOD. Just realizing that I am doing a WOD for a reason provides extra motivation and drive. When it is in memory of a loved one or lost soldier, those extra drops of sweat are much easier to sacrifice when you are dedicated to something bigger than the workout.

So, next time a “Hero” WOD or CrossFit special event rolls around, try to remember why you are doing the WOD, give that little bit extra, and embrace the fact that you are still capable of giving your all.

Just a heads up: The CrossFit HQ “Amazing Grace” is going down at CrossFit Ethos down in Irvine on the 30th if anyone wants to go!!  I cannot get enough chances to support Breast Cancer Awareness and my mom, so I will definitely be there.

Workout of the Day 10/19/2010

A. Overhead Squat 3-3-3

B. “The Chief”
5 Rounds
3 Minutes of work followed by 1 minute of rest of:
3 Power Cleans (135/95)
6 Push-Ups
9 Air Squats

*Record rounds for EACH of the 5 cycles.
Compare to 6/22/2010

Each year in the United States Navy, a highly qualified and elite cadre of Sailors are selected and promoted to the join the ranks of Chief Petty Officer. Since 1893, “The Chiefs” have been relied upon by subordinates and superiors alike for their personal example, technical expertise and above all, their unique leadership capabilities. As the induction process for newly selected Chief Petty Officers is now underway throughout the US Navy, we thought it appropriate to inaugurate “The Chief” in honor and recognition of all past and present CPOs. Thanks to them and their families for their self-sacrifice, ability to adapt, tireless dedication to mission and devotion to country.

The new On-Ramp class happy after their first night of CrossFit.

I was 7 years old when I first learned how to ride a skateboard. My parents bought me a Santa Cruz Tony Hawk Eagle board and I was so excited. I was going to be just like Christian Slater in Gleaming the Cube. I stepped on the board for the first time, gave it one kick and my legs shot out from under me as if Bugs Bunny left a banana peel for Elmer Fudd. I immediately realized that i wasn’t going to be gleaming any sort of cube anytime soon. I lay there on the ground with bloody hands and a broken ego with a new found love for skateboarding.

Matt D. working on gymnastics. He doesn't want a sucky strength prowess.

As we get older it becomes more difficult to learn new things, therefore we become less apt to try new things. We get set in our ways and start to be stubborn like our parents. We become comfortable with what we are good at and avoid the all the things we are bad at. As adults we are taught that failure is unacceptable or we will permanently injur ourselves or we look ridiculous trying something new. We forget how to get up from falling down and how to stumble gracefully. Those dreams of being great are replaced with voices of doubt. We do things that aren’t even fun for us anymore because we have pigeon holed ourselves into a rat race of monotonous type-A antagonism.

Dane and I showing just how special we really are

Do something new, but have fun doing it. I’ll use Dane as an example. Dane played linebacker for the University of Arizona and is a stud at CrossFit. He is one of the best all around athletes we have at CFSB. Dane recently started playing beach volleyball. Now for those of you who have had the pleasure of watching him play, you know it’s nothing short of entertaining. Bless his little soul, he is out there flopping around the sand while having a grand ol’ time swatting at the ball like Godzilla trying to knock down airplanes. Granted, 3/4 of the time he’s playing it’s a game of ace (4-on-4 jungle ball which includes beer chugging), but at least he’s out there having fun. He doesn’t have to play AVP or even look that cool playing, but he’s as happy as a shortbus kid on free ice cream day.

If you’ve been doing CrossFit for a while now and haven’t done anything else, I challenge you to take yourself out of your comfort zone and try something new. Enter yourself in a half Iron Man or organize a team to play in one of Hermosa’s intramural sports leagues. We can have a CFSB sponsored team if you decide to organize it. Or maybe sports aren’t your thing, so sign up to become an after school tutor for at-risk children. I’ve done it and it’s awesome. We train hard just about every day, don’t you want to test how you have changed both mentally and physically?

Weekly Updates

Paradiso Box Jump was a huge success. I want to personally thank David and Martina Paradiso for arranging such an awesome event. We had a fun day of volleyball and playing on the beach. Hopefully we can do it again soon. Anyone have any ideas who to invite to CFSB next?

Our Coaches’ Prep series will continue this Wednesday instead of Thursday at 6PM. We’ve had an amazing turnout and really great feedback. We will cover scaling and relative intensity, teaching the squat and “what is CrossFit?”.

We have a graduating class of On-Rampers entering in to the regular classes this week so be sure to greet them or pay your toll. We also want to welcome in the new On-Ramp class of 14 strong.

This Friday we will have another happy hour and the email will go out this week. I remember our first happy hour had 5 of us there, now they are starting to get pretty darn big. Nicole has done a great job as social chair. Also, do we want to do another day at the beach this weekend?

Our first CFSB quarterly challenge is in the works. We will hold an internal competition in an intermediate and advanced division. The challenge will be announced within the next few weeks and everyone is encouraged to enter. It will most likely consist of 2 or 3 workouts in one day and utilize our surrounding area (i.e. the trails in PV, the beach, ocean). Let me know if you’re interested.

Workout of the Day 6/22/2010

A. Power clean 2-2-2-2

You may drop at the top and regrip at the bottom as long as you begin the second rep immediately.

B. “The Chief”
5 Rounds
AMRAP 3 min on / 1 min off
3 Power Cleans (135/85)
6 Push-Ups
9 Squats

Record how many rounds and reps for each 3 minute round. Start from power cleans on each round and try to stay consistent with the number of rounds.

Compare to 1/20/2010 or 4/27/2010

Mariessa practicing giving birth to a kettlebell

Many of you have asked questions about training while pregnant, so I will share my thoughts and experiences. Keep in mind that I am not a doctor and I am not offering medical advice. Listen to your doctor and your body. Every woman’s body will react differently to the movements and intensity levels.

General Don’ts:

• Situps, V-ups, and in later trimesters knees to elbows and toes to bar
• Jumping (box jumps, double unders, tuck jumps, jumping pull-ups, broad jumps, leaping burpees)
• Lifting heavy – cut your weights in half the first trimester, drop another 20# in the 2^nd and another 10-20# in the 3^rd.
• Handstands – I am not sure if this is due to the falling danger or if there is another reason. Doctor said, “no”.
• Watch the Clock – intensity should be such that you are able talk throughout the workout
• If a movement is uncomfortable, don’t do it.

My research started with CrossFit Mom (crossfitmom.com). This is a wonderful website that guides pregnant and post partum women through CrossFit WODs. Andrea is a trainer at CrossFit Brand X in Ramona, CA (CrossFit Kids Headquarters) and is willing to answer any questions. She posts a daily workout scaled into 3 levels of difficulty that correlate to your fitness level. Great stuff!

Mariessa with her paleo "weight vest" on

First Trimester:

I was exhausted, and couldn’t get enough sleep. My energy levels were low, but my body needed to move. I was still in progesterone shock, and figuring out what was happening to me. My research was intense and my physical activity relatively low.  I followed workouts from CrossFit Mom. They didn’t feel like I was working hard enough, so I emailed Andrea. She told me that scaled versions of our WODs at CFSB would probably be fine for me considering the length of time I have been CrossFitting. Instead of the heavy “A” WOD, I did lower weight/higher rep versions of the lift or worked on skills. Some days I took more time to warm-up, rollout and stretch. For the “B” WOD I would scale the movement (or switch to a different one) and lower the weight. Occasionally I would up the reps to counter the lighter weights.

Second Trimester:

Energy spark!! My second trimester was great. Lots of energy and couldn’t wait to workout. I continued with my scaled CFSB WOD recipe, and kept the weight and breathing in check. I really enjoyed working out with the 5pm classes, and feeding off of everyone’s intensity. You all are so encouraging! There are a few things I stopped doing: unassisted ring dips (my abdominal muscles decided they were done with that), and some of my demos. I was fine for a long time demonstrating one broad jump or one leaping burpee. Body said, “no more”. Now I ask you to demo for me. You all do such a great job, and I am so appreciative!

The belly started to get in the way. My deadlift stance widened or I performed sumo deadlifts to make room. My rowing technique adjusted a bit for the same reason. Pushups became increasingly harder as my center of gravity shifted. My balance was off when performing some movements due to my new found belly as well.

You can't tell, but every time Mariessa kips, the baby does a burpee.

Third Trimester:

Though I just entered my last three months, I am already slowing down a bit. My joints are noticeably looser, and I get winded faster. My body doesn’t like working out everyday. I find every other day works well. When performing squats and lunges I am much more careful about depth and form, and focus on controlling the movement. Ballistic squatting is dangerous due to the joints loosening. Squat and lunge depth should also be limited to above 90 degrees. For the Olympic lifts, I recommend power catches instead of a full squat. One can argue that wallballs should be modified to a higher squat depth due to their ballistic nature. My squats and lunges feel increasingly different. As my hips widen and loosen, and my center of gravity changes; my body compensates with different muscles supporting the movement. My quads are more engaged now, and I find the ligaments around my knees and hips get sore more often and more easily.  I will not stop doing pull-ups until my body says so.

General Tips:

• Listen to your body.
• Eat paleo – cheating is much worse when pregnant. Your system slows down to make sure the maximum amount of nutrients is absorbed for a growing baby. Crap stays in your system longer and the effects (hangover) last longer as well.
• Support group – surround yourself with great support. I am lucky enough to have all of you wonderful people to help me through the goofy changes of pregnancy. Ladies, you have been amazing. All of you mom’s have given me great advice, share your valuable experience and continue to answer my questions. Those of you in the medical field assure me that all my changes are normal, and help me to understand the science behind the fun. Everyone has been open to listening to me and laughing with me during this amazing process. The guys have surprised me the most. Many of you are protective and oh so caring. You show a sweet curiosity, and cautiously ask questions. The dad’s have offered helpful advice, including some great websites; and share in my delight and excitement. All of you have shared my joy, and continue to offer support and love. I thank each and every one of you from the depths of my uterus, uh, heart. EMO!

WOD 5/18/2010

“Hansen”

5 Rounds
30 Kettlebell swings (2 pood)
30 Burpees
30 V-Ups or sit-ups (Rx’ is GHD sit-ups but we are subbing in v-ups)

Marine Staff Sgt Daniel Hansen died February 14th in Farah Providence, Afghanistan when an IED he was working on detonated. Daniel is survived by his mother Sheryll, his father Delbert, his younger sister Katie, and his twin brother Matthew (also a Marine).

Rebecca trying to out swing her shadow

Ask people what they like to do and you will generally hear that they like to hang out with friends, watch movies, travel and try new things. Who really doesn’t like to hang out with their friends (except for me on Sundays when I lock myself in my house)? Movies and travel are pretty much awesome all of the time. It’s the trying new things that people have a problem with. Sounds great in concept, but a lot of people really don’t like breaking out of their every day routine to try something new.

Trying something new is awkward, strange and downright scary. Not scary like getting lost downtown after 10PM, but scary like being a volunteer at a magic show. Mainly you’re afraid of the unknown. How will you do at this new thing you’re trying? Will you fail? Will people laugh at you? Will you end up homeless on the streets (my personal favorite and also a question I’ve asked myself)?

“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark. Professionals built the Titanic.”

Mariessa and I decided to partner up last August to help take CFSB to the level. We both shared a dream to expand the operation to provide the best facility with the best coaching possible. I had never operated or managed a gym before, nor had I even worked in one. My experience in gyms only went as far as being a member of some pretty bad local gyms. It was scary, but we decided to put in a decent chunk of money and move forward with our dream. We knew that we cared about our clients and we loved CrossFit, but we didn’t know how we would put food on the table. Running the numbers, I often asked myself if I was going to end up homeless if it didn’t work. How was I going to eat in those tight months? How would I look to everyone if I failed?

Owen, AKA Secret Squirrel, testing our barbell to see if it's regulation while Mariessa and Allyson check out his...ugh...form.

We could have procrastinated taking the next step, but we didn’t. The ironic thing is that the “3-2-1 Go!” mentality of CrossFit gave us the courage to not sit around and wait to make the move. Think about those 15 seconds before the clock starts. That time when you suddenly have to pee and get a drink of water at the same time. Those thoughts of “I could just not do the workout today” go through your head. You are afraid of those random 45 pound push-presses in the middle of the WOD and you don’t know why. You’re afraid that you will come in last, but fear not being able to finish even more. 3 more seconds and your coach yells “go!”. Those thoughts all leave your mind and you are focused on the WOD. No more are you thinking of failing, you’re thinking of doing. You’re chipping away at the behemoth one burpee at a time. Each rep brings you closer to success. So what if those wallballs crushed you in the last round? You have to keep on moving, because to stop would be to fail.

CrossFit is not unlike the business of CrossFit. We tried something new, but applied the CrossFit principals to it. Every day we have to make decisions on how to allocate our resources whether it be on marketing, equipment, staff or expansion. We set three, six and twelve month goals and do projections five years out. Not all the decisions we make are easy, but we make them. Every single day I am trying something new and never second guess myself. CFSB is growing rapidly and our athletes are becoming exponentially more fit.

Attack aspects of your daily life like you do the WODs. Try something new and dive in head first just like the first time you did Fran. Don’t ever let failure be an option, just take a deep breath, tell yourself you’re going to get through it, grunt and go get it. See how your life changes.

WOD 3/30/2010

“Murph”
For time:
1 mile Run
100 Pull-ups
200 Push-ups
300 Squats
1 mile Run

Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you’ve got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it. Scale the workout down by cutting down the reps (i.e. half murph, 3/4 murph). Note that the 1 mile marker is the bench down the green belt or to the 400M mark and back 4 times.

Before doing this workout, you have to read an excerpt from the book Lone Survivor about Lt. Michael Murphy and the rest of his SEAL team. Courtesy of Army Times

It was almost noon on June 28, 2005, when three Afghan goatherds stumbled upon a four-man Navy SEAL reconnaissance team high in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan. The SEALs — Lt. Michael Murphy, Sonar Technician (Surface) 2nd Class Matthew Axelson, Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Danny Dietz and Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Marcus Luttrell — faced an agonizing decision …

The question was, what did we do now? They were very obviously goatherds, farmers from the high country. Or, as it states in the pages of the Geneva Convention, unarmed civilians.

The strictly correct military decision would still be to kill them without further discussion, because we could not know their intentions.

How could we know if they were affiliated with a Taliban militia group or sworn by some tribal blood pact to inform the Taliban leaders of anything suspicious-looking they found in the mountains?

Mike Murphy said quietly, “We’ve got three options. We plainly don’t want to shoot these guys because of the noise. So, number one, we could just kill them quietly and hurl the bodies over the edge. That’s probably a thousand-foot drop. Number two is we kill them right here, cover ’em up as best we can with rocks and dirt.

“Either way we get the hell out and say nothing. Not even when the story comes out about the murdered Afghan goatherds. And some f—ing headline back home which reads, ‘Navy SEALs Under Suspicion.’

“Number three, we turn ’em loose, and still get the hell out, in case the Taliban come looking.” …

Axe said firmly, “We’re not murderers. No matter what we do.

“We’re on active duty behind enemy lines, sent here by our senior commanders. We have a right to do everything we can to save our own lives. The military decision is obvious. To turn them loose would be wrong.”

If this came to a vote, as it might, Axe was going to recommend the execution of the three Afghans. And in my soul, I knew he was right. We could not possibly turn them loose. But my trouble is, I have another soul. My Christian soul. And it was crowding in on me. Something kept whispering in the back of my mind, it would be wrong to execute these unarmed men in cold blood. And the idea of doing that and then covering our tracks and slinking away like criminals, denying everything, would make it more wrong.

To be honest, I’d have been happier to stand ’em up and shoot them right out in front. And then leave them. They’d just be three guys who’d found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time. Casualties of war. And we’d just have to defend ourselves when our own media and politicians back in the U.S.A. tried to hang us on a murder charge. …

Lieutenant Murphy said, “Axe?”

“No choice.” We all knew what he meant.

“Danny?”

“As before. I don’t give a sh– what you decide. Just tell me what to do.”

“Marcus?”

“I don’t know, Mikey.”

“Well, let me tell you one more time. If we kill these guys we have to be straight about it. Report what we did. We can’t sneak around this. Just so you all understand, their bodies will be found, the Taliban will use it to the max. They’ll get it in the papers, and the U.S. liberal media will attack us without mercy. We will almost certainly be charged with murder. I don’t know how you guys feel about that … Marcus, I’ll go with you. Call it.” …

I looked Mikey right in the eye, and I said, “We gotta let ’em go.”

It was the stupidest, most southern-fried, lamebrained decision I ever made in my life. I must have been out of my mind.

I had actually cast a vote which I knew could sign our death warrant. I’d turned into a f—ing liberal, a half-assed, no-logic nitwit, all heart, no brain, and the judgment of a jackrabbit.

At least, that’s how I look back on those moments now. Probably not then, but for nearly every waking hour of my life since.

No night passes when I don’t wake in a cold sweat thinking of those moments on that mountain. I’ll never get over it. I cannot get over it. The deciding vote was mine, and it will haunt me till they rest me in an East Texas grave.

Mikey nodded. “Okay,” he said, “I guess that’s two votes to one, Danny abstains. We gotta let ’em go.”

After releasing the goatherds, the SEALs moved back up the mountain and took up defensive positions. But within two hours, a force of about 140 Taliban fighters was upon them. Battling desperately, the SEALs retreated downhill, trying for the flat ground where a village offered the opportunity of cover to make a stand. But Dietz didn’t make it, succumbing to a shot to the head — the sixth bullet he had taken in the fight. Murphy and Axelson had also been shot, but were still fighting hard when Luttrell reached their position …

Finally I caught up with them. Axe was out of ammunition and I gave him a new magazine. Mikey wanted to know where Danny was, and I had to tell him that Danny had died. He was appalled, completely shocked, and so was Axe. Although Mikey would not say it, I knew he wanted to go back for the body. But we both knew there was no time and no reason. We had nowhere to take the remains of a fallen teammate, and we could not continue this firefight while carrying around a body.

Danny was dead. And strangely, I was the first to pull myself together. I said suddenly, “I’ll tell you what. We have to get down this goddamned mountain or we’ll all be dead.”

And as if to make up our minds for us, the Taliban were again closing in, trying to make that 360-degree movement around us.

And they were doing it. Gunfire was coming in from underneath us now. We could see the tribesmen still swarming, and I tried to count them as I had been trying to do for almost an hour.

I thought there were now only about fifty, maybe sixty, but the bullets were still flying. The grenades were still coming in, blasting close, sending up dust clouds of smoke and dirt with flying bits of rock. There had never been a lull in the amount of ordnance the enemy was piling down on us.

Right now, again tucked low behind rocks, the three of us could look down and see the village one and a half miles distant, and it remained our objective.

Again I told Mikey, “If we can just make it down there and get some cover, we’ll take ’em all out on the flat ground.”

I knew we were not in great shape. But we were still SEALs.

Nothing can ever take that away. We were still confident. And we were never going to surrender. If it came down to it, we would fight to the death with our knives against their guns.

“F— surrender,” said Mikey. And he had no need to explain further, either to Axe or me. Surrender would have been a disgrace to our community, like ringing the bell at the edge of the grinder and putting your helmet in the line. No one who had made it through this far, to this no-man’s-land in the Afghan mountains, would have dreamed of giving up.

Remember the philosophy of the U.S. Navy SEALs: “I will never quit. … My Nation expects me to be physically harder and mentally stronger than my enemies. If knocked down, I will get back up, every time. I will draw on every remaining ounce of strength to protect my teammates. … I am never out of the fight.”

Those words have sustained many brave men down the years.

They were engraved upon the soul of every SEAL. And they were in the minds of all of us.

Mikey suddenly said, above the rage of the battle, “Remember, bro, we’re never out of it.”

I nodded tersely. “It’s only about another thousand yards to flat ground. If we can just get down there, we got a chance.” …

They’d knocked us back again. … But once more we landed up in a good spot, a sound defensive position, well protected by the rock face on either side. Again we tried to take the fight to them, picking our targets and driving them back, making some ground now toward the village.

They were up and screaming at us, yelling as the battle almost became close quarters. We yelled right back and kept firing. But there were still so many of them, and then they got into better position and shot Mikey Murphy through the chest.

He came toward me, asking if I could give him another magazine.

And then I saw Axe stumbling toward me, his head pushed out, blood running down his face, bubbling out of the most shocking head wound.

“They shot me, bro,” he said. “The bastards shot me. Can you help me, Marcus?” What could I say? What could I do? I couldn’t help except by trying to fight off the enemy. And Axe was standing right in my line of fire.

I tried to help him get down behind a rock. And I turned to Mikey, who was obviously badly hurt now. “Can you move, buddy?” I asked him.

And he groped in his pocket for his mobile phone, the one we had dared not use because it would betray our position. And then Lieutenant Murphy walked out into the open ground. He walked until he was more or less in the center, gunfire all around him, and he sat on a small rock and began punching in the numbers to HQ.

I could hear him talking. “My men are taking heavy fire … we’re getting picked apart. My guys are dying out here … we need help.”

And right then Mikey took a bullet straight in the back. I saw the blood spurt from his chest. He slumped forward, dropping his phone and his rifle. But then he braced himself, grabbed them both, sat upright again, and once more put the phone to his ear.

I heard him speak again. “Roger that, sir. Thank you.” Then he stood up and staggered out to our bad position, the one guarding our left, and Mikey just started fighting again, firing at the enemy.

He was hitting them too, having made that one last desperate call to base, the one that might yet save us if they could send help in time, before we were overwhelmed.

Only I knew what Mikey had done. He’d understood we had only one realistic chance, and that was to call in help. He also knew there was only one place from which he could possibly make that cell phone work: out in the open, away from the cliff walls.

Knowing the risk, understanding the danger, in the full knowledge the phone call could cost him his life, Lieutenant Michael Patrick Murphy, son of Maureen, fiance of the beautiful Heather, walked out into the firestorm.

His objective was clear: to make one last valiant attempt to save his two teammates. He made the call, made the connection.

He reported our approximate position, the strength of our enemy, and how serious the situation was. When they shot him, I thought mortally, he kept talking.

Roger that, sir. Thank you. Will those words ever dim in my memory, even if I live to be a hundred? Will I ever forget them? Would you? And was there ever a greater SEAL team commander, an officer who fought to the last and, as perhaps his dying move, risked everything to save his remaining men? I doubt there was ever anyone better than Mikey, cool under fire, always thinking, fearless about issuing the one-option command even if it was nearly impossible. And then the final, utterly heroic act. Not a gesture. An act of supreme valor. Lieutenant Mikey was a wonderful person and a very, very great SEAL officer.

If they build a memorial to him as high as the Empire State Building, it won’t ever be high enough for me.

Today’s WOD is not an easy one but I ask that you endure it with the thought of the man it is named after. Ruth has blogged about her change of view of this hero WOD after reading “Lone Survivor” which tells of the heroism of Lt. Michael Murphy. If you haven’t read the book, here is a small excerpt from a Washington Post article about the events:

The blood in his eyes almost blinded him, but the Navy Seal could hear, clattering above the trees in northeast Afghanistan, rescue helicopters.

Hey, he pleaded silently. I’m right here.

Marcus Luttrell, a fierce, 6-foot-5 rancher’s son from Texas, lay in the dirt. His face was shredded, his nose broken, three vertebrae cracked from tumbling down a ravine. A Taliban rocket-propelled grenade had ripped off his pants and riddled him with shrapnel.

I encourage you to read the rest of the article at the above link. May it motivate you to honor Lt. Murphy’s heroism with your own effort today.

WOD – 6.25.09

“Murph”

In memory of Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005.
This workout was one of Mike’s favorites and he’d named it ‘Body Armor.’ From here on it will be referred to as ‘Murph’ in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is.

For time:

• 1 mile Run
• 100 Pull-ups
• 200 Push-ups
• 300 Squats
• 1 mile Run

Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you’ve got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.

Cash Out: Hand Care Discussion (callus maintenance, taping)

Take a look at one of their recent ads. They prominently feature buffalo meat and espouse the benefits of higher omega-3 fatty acids than beef.

Now you probably have heard the trainers talking about cooking bison meat and we typically get ours at the farmer’s market. The rancher who we patronize has an interesting clarification on the labeling of buffalo vs. bison:

But when it comes to food labeling, it’s another story.

As it turns out, labeling laws are so loose in our country, if we were to label our meat “buffalo” we could be selling water buffalo, cape buffalo or North American buffalo.  Even if it were North American buffalo, we legally can add up to 49% beef to the ground meat product, still call it buffalo, and not tell you.

It’s all perfectly legal.

Basically the waters get about as muddy as when stores jumped on the organic bandwagon and started marketing items such as chicken as “all natural”. I’d be pretty scared to grab a package of chicken breasts that weren’t natural! So getting back to Sprouts’ ad, I saw another page that made me decide to definitely pass on their buffalo/bison.

Wait a second here… “Grain Fed”?!? I had just read over on Mark’s Daily Apple how all the omega-3 goodness from being grassfed is lost when cattle are switched to grain to fatten them up in the months before slaughter. I can only imagine that all the beneficial omega-3 profile the buffalo meat is supposed to have would be lost on a grain-based diet as well.

Buyer beware indeed!

WOD – 6.17.09

“J.T.”

In honor of Petty Officer 1st Class Jeff Taylor, 30, of Little Creek, VA, who was killed in Afghanistan June 2005

21-15-9 reps for time:

• Handstand Pushups
• Ring Dips
• Pushups

I had the privilege of attending the first CF Football Certification this past weekend at CrossFit Balboa. John Welbourn and a host of amazing coaches, both pro football and CF, put on a great cert.

CrossFit Football takes the general preparation of CF and narrows the focus to the sport of football. While the cert was laid back and so much fun, I learned a ton of information. We had three INTENSIVE warm-up sessions and one INTENSIVE stretch session. Did I mention they were intensive? I highly recommend the cert. The level of expertise is through the roof (or uprights) and as always in the CF spirit, everyone is willing to answer any and all questions. If you ever plan to work with sport specific athletes, I highly recommend attending the CF Football Cert.

WOD – 5.19.09

Buy In: Burgener Warm-Up x10 (with bar)

“Randy”

In honor of Randy Simmons, 51, a 27 year LAPD veteran and SWAT team member who was killed February 6, 2008 in the line of duty. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Officer Simmons’ wife and two children.

• 75 Power Snatch for time (75/55#)

Aside from the “Y, inverted Y, T, L, I and W” complex you should have tried by now, there are a few other stretches you may want to explore. The first one is called the Push-Up Plus. Note that you do not bend your elbows while doing this movement. This is ideally performed prior to the YTLIW complex.

If you’ve had physical therapy for your shoulder cuff before, you may be familiar with the Blackburn sequence. There are a few variations, but I prefer the dynamic version.

Lastly, there is the scapular wall slide. For this, you place your feet about 6 inches from a wall. Your shoulder, low back and butt should be against the wall. While performing the movement, the backs of your hands, wrists and elbows should all be in contact with the wall. I can personally attest that this is much harder than it looks!

Hopefully you will find these help you attack the pressing movements with more intensity. I look forward to hearing your feedback!

WOD – 4.16.09

Oakland SWAT Sergeant Daniel Sakai, age 35, was killed on March 21, 2009 in the line of duty along with fellow officers Sergeant Ervin Romans, Sergeant Mark Dunakin, and Officer John Hege. Daniel is survived by wife Jenni and daughter Jojiye.

“Danny”

Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:
24 inch Box Jump, 30 reps
115 pound Push Press, 20 reps
30 Pull-ups

Yesterday we directed you to Ruth’s new blog and she had a post about Lt. Michael Murphy. She must have a bit of precognition going on because today the workout named in his honor came up. Here’s the story about the heroism and bravery that led to his posthumous recognition with the Medal of Honor.

WOD – 3.17.09

“Murph”
For time:
1 mile run
100 pullups
200 pushups
300 squats
1 mile run

Partition the pullups, pushups and squats as needed. Begin and end the workout with a one mile run. If you’ve got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it.