Today was another inspiring day at the gym watching my teammates go through WOD 11.3. Pretty much every single person PR’d, and Dru-Tang hit a 1 rep max Squat Clean and Jerk PR at 165lbs… and the hit it 3 more times. Pretty epic stuff. More on that on another post, though!
We are staying on the topic of inspiring stories, though! Lu, thanks so much for sharing this story with me. I LOVE stuff like this. For the emotional ones… grab the box of tissues now 🙂 Incredible.
My friend Molly King is awesome. She also finds awesome things on the internet. Sometimes, she shares those things with me. This is one of those things.
Most of my friends know I am a huge fan of Michael Jackson’s music… huge. So when she sent me a link to a group of people on YouTube who made a series of “Literal Video Version” videos (that go and show just how ridiculous some music videos can be in terms of their plot and content), I was happy to see one on MJ’s Billie Jean.
It’s a silly video, it has nothing to do with fitness and it’s Friday.
Enjoy!
I came across this video from Chris Spealler and Clay Weldon, the founders over at 321GoProject. I have never really been into Rock or Mountain Climbing, quite frankly because I think I’m scared of heights when you’re THAT close. This video took it to another level, though.
As I sit in an office building with the temperature regulated around me, my heart was racing and I found my body tense up. This stuff is INSANE, and I am amazed every time I hear about someone like this in the world.
PLEASE be careful out there, admire the true Masters of their Craft and most importantly:
DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME
Ski and Snowboarding season is almost over here in Denver, so give me a least one or two more posts showing epic scenes from these sports.
Today’s video (which I learned about through my buddy, Jack Cerchiara – Founder of the “Apres Powder” blog) comes from skiier Jamie Pierre, completely loaded up with GoProHDcross cameras! Not only is the snow beautiful, some of the shots he gets are incredible. Enjoy!
(Video originally obtained from the Point of Release website)
I never thought I would be posting videos like this on my “CrossFit Blog”, but this makes me really happy. A few weeks ago I posted a proposal video from the CrossFit Dallas Central Crew, and now I am posting one a little bit closer to home.
Just yesterday, actually, I posted my thoughts on Teachers, and mentioned my good friend Broderick Turner. (Which is probably why I feel so compelled to share this with you guys today!) This morning Broderick let me know that he had proposed to his girlfriend. Check out the awesome way he chose to do it, too. This is the Broderick I know and love. 🙂
She said yes, by the way.
CONGRATS, BRODERICK!!!!!!
In my opinion, good teachers have the ability to influence kids in a way no one else can. They have a different impact than parents, siblings or friends, and can spark intellectual curiosity to an extent that in some ways cannot be matched outside of their “classroom” setting. I have always been truly inspired by good teachers. I can list the names of a few of mine over the course of my 16 years of schooling that I know I will never forget.
This is one of the reasons I am so proud of my very good friend, Broderick Turner. Broderick, (who used to introduce himself in business meetings to Senior Vice Presidents as “Broderick, like Mathew Broderick… only black”) is a math teacher at Grady High School in Atlanta, Georgia, and has found a way of connecting with his students unlike any other teacher I have seen. This type of stuff makes me strive to want to be more like him as a teacher and a coach. I’m really proud of him and what he’s doing.
Some of you may be wondering: “How does any of this even remotely relate to CrossFit?”
First of all, to me, being a CrossFit Coach is much more than just helping people learn about how to do a squat. It’s about explaining the “WHY’s” to your athletes, showing people the benefits of efficient movement not only in the gym, but outside as well, and then sitting back and marveling as you see their lives change for the better through the knowledge you’ve helped them learn. We are more than just “trainers”. Each one of us has the title, each one of us should have the skills, but most importantly, each one of us absolutely has the obligation and responsibility to be teachers in our gyms.
Here’s a video of how Broderick took a potentially boring task (teaching the Quadratic Formula to his 9th and 10th graders), and related it to his students. He didn’t sacrifice the integrity of the subject matter, he didn’t settle for below “standard”, but he did break the subject matter down in a way that probably got the attention of his kids a lot more than standing at a chalk board and preaching in a monotone voice.
Mr. Turner, great job on keeping your teaching “Constantly Varied” and very “Functional”!! There are a lot of CrossFitters out there who will appreciate your efforts and creativity, and I can only hope that more teachers out there take this kind of pride and passion in their work. With that, our educational system is going to grow and change in ways that are nothing but positive!
*****The video had an error while he uploaded it onto YouTube! When we get a complete version, I’ll post it on here. But this will still give you an idea of what he’s doing!*****
Well, it’s the weekend! I hope this weekend brings you TONS of fun, and that you can make the best of whatever your current city has to offer.
Personally, if I was near Squaw today, I’d probably want to enjoy myself like these guys.
Check out one of the best ski movies ever made:
GNAR!!!
This week it snowed over 4 feet in the ski resorts 90 minutes away from where I live. That makes me very happy.
Today, it is going to be 70 degrees in Denver. That ALSO makes me very happy! In preparation for what is surely going to be an EPIC summer here in D-town, here’s a little clip of a fun summertime activity!
Yep. Another day with 2 “Moments of Awesomeness” posts! Thanks to the guys at LifeAsRx again for sharing another gem.
This one I found fitting for two reasons:
1- I love kids.
2- I am convinced some of our conversations before, during or after our workouts sound like this. Either by one party being tired and speaking in tongues when they’re done, or when you’re exhausted and someone comes up to you right after a workout and tries to use big words or get more than a grunt out of you. This is what it sounds like to me, at least.
Awesome! Board sports and my generation of video games.
This was back when soundtracks were simple and graphics were gnarly.
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