Hyper Focus on Micro Goals

Hyper Focus on Micro Goals The coach hits the start button on the Rogue™ timer on the wall- 10, 9, 8, and my heart begins to pound in anticipation. 6, 5, 4, and my mind is racing with thoughts of how I will make into the last few minutes of that AMRAP. 3, 2, 1, and the timer beeps and I get after it. That was my pre-WOD mind set as I would launch into workouts and, to be honest, still is to varying degrees. I was usually in my head before I even got to the gym stoked with anticipation of the workout that waited for me at the gym. I almost always looked online at the workout before I came in for the WOD and, yes, to be completely transparent, I have skipped a workout because I thought it would be too intense for me on that particular day. Let’s start off with a quick intro to me… My name is Dustin and I have been doing Crossfit for just over two years at my local box, ClockTower Crossfit in Chelsea, Michigan. I am not a games aspirant, I am not a competitor, I am just a 47-year-old father of three and husband of one who wishes he would have started this amazing journey the day Crossfit became a thing. Like many of you, I have really taken to the Crossfit lifestyle. After joining the gym, I was introduced to an entire new group of friends and to a lifestyle that affected me in a very positive way. I cannot help but smile every time I walk into the gym and know that when I leave after a WOD, or two, I will be feeling like a kid again.

The box and our friends there have also become somewhat of a refuge. We have parties together, we occasionally enjoy a beer WOD, and, most importantly, we always make sure to encourage one another through lots of those spicy little workouts. We have welcomed new members, members’ babies, kids, grandparents, and I have met more than a few athletes who dropped in looking for the fix of fitness. I will say that when I started Crossfit, I wasn’t able to think beyond what was in front of my face or even imagine getting to a place where I could contemplate pacing a workout. I am still not there yet, but I have developed a mind trick (think Jedi) that may help you when you’re thinking too much and not pushing yourself enough. It is something I thought of when our head coach, Steve Koski, was explaining a rather grueling multi round WOD when a few little groans came from the group in anticipation of burning lungs, jelly like quads, and burning shoulders. He said just get through it one round at a time. Now, many of us have heard this from our coaches and thought, “well, no shit”, but this was the moment that I started to get the idea of hyper focusing on micro goals. Epiphany. It goes something like this and varies depending on the workout (AMRAP, EMOM, X rounds for time). What I have started doing is focusing on what I have to do right now. I do NOT think about the next round, just the one right in front of my sweaty face. My only goal is pushing myself as hard as I can without concern for the next round. Let’s take as a more concrete example of something we can all relate to, say, like Cindy. Cindy is one of the girls that is an AMRAP of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, and 15 squats in twenty minutes. Now, what I have started doing after the buzzer goes off is to focus on the set, not the round of 5-10-15, but I hyper focus on the 5 pull ups. I concentrate only on the 5 pull-ups, and make sure I get those done before I focus on the 10 push-ups. You get the picture. When all of your concentration is on the work at hand, you get the work done faster, better, more focused. I have noticed by doing this that I can see incremental improvements in many aspects of my abilities. My techniques have become cleaner, my movement and range of motion has improved, and I am now seeing a difference in the amount of weight I am able to move. Now, I get it, this is not earth-shaking news or a revelation sent from the Crossfit gods, it’s just my observation and new practice. One of the things that I have come to enjoy about the Crossfit community is that they are usually open to new ideas and ways of thinking. So, if this little morsel helps you, great, I am glad I could help. If it did not, well, keep getting to the box and grind out a few more rounds. Dustin Suntheimer Dsun1971@gmail.com

Fire it up

Good morning, gentle reader. Ah, so long the hiatus has been that I am barely able to imagine a topic to begin anew. So many things have happened in the past years, yes years, since I last put pen to paper here that it will take me a bit to get back in the habit of writing. I wanted to say, too, that I am now running this as an encrypted website and not just through a blog post. I do not know that it will make a difference in how things appear or how they will work, but I wanted to put that out there. I guess I would like to make at least one entry per week. Topics will vary and I will do my best to keep things positive, light, and open for discussion. What I will not tolerate is anyone being a douchebag, anyone spewing anything politically unfounded or outrageous, anything that is intentionally hurtful, or any comments that attack the issuer and not the argument. I want this to be a fair and open place to share ideas and be positive. Also, if you feel this is worth the two or three mouse clicks to do so, share this and let’s grow this into a positive community. Please take a look at some of my past entries. Some of them are funny, some are a bit more serious, but all are mine and you’re welcome to comment- keeping the rules above in mind. Now, let’s write;