The Filthy Fifty

For time:
50 Box jumps (24/16 inch box),
50 Jumping pull-ups,
50 Kettlebell swings (1 pood/3/4 pood 35/24#),
Walking Lunge 50 steps,
50 Knees to elbows,
50 Push press (45/30 pounds),
50 Back extensions,
50 Wall ball shots (20/14 pound ball),
50 Burpees,
50 Double unders

Nothing focuses your training like getting ready for an event. And if staring down the barrel of the Filthy Fifty doesn’t get you fired up, you might want to have someone to check your pulse.

Qualifying:	Saturday June 18th at 9:30am
The Finale:	Saturday July 23rd at 9:30am
Entry Fee:	$5
Prize:	T shirt that can only be WON!
Winner:	Fastest Man & Fastest Woman

How the Challenge Works

• Games Standards for Movements.
• This will be a judged event. Your judge will determine if your rep met the standard and count your reps for you.
• No Crying (Hey it happens with the 50.)

I’m not really big on traditions. They usually don’t live up to expectations.

“Murph” on Thanksgiving is one of mine. Hero workouts were named after soldiers, police officers, firemen and CIA agents who had been CrossFitters and died in the line of duty, usually quite heroically.  The first time I did Murph I was new to CrossFit there were maybe 6 or 7 Hero WODs(there are over 40 now.)  I knew he was a SEAL who had died in Afghanistan. I knew this was one of his favorite Workouts and that he did it with a 40 pound weight vest. I knew this work out sucked. After Turkey dinner I went to the playground behind our house. The “Pull-up bar” (ie jungle gym) was 6 feet off the ground. Good thing too because I hadn’t learned to kip yet. It was dark, cold and I was alone. It was worse than I expected and I expected it to be bad.
I expected Michael Murphy to be a hero and he was a bigger hero than I expected.
—
Operation Red Wings was a counter-insurgent mission in Kunar province, Afghanistan, near the Pakistan border involving four members of the United States Navy SEALs Matthew Axelson, Danny Dietz, Marcus Luttrell, and Michael Murphy . Murphy led the four-man reconnaissance team on a mission to kill or capture a top Taliban leader, Ahmad Shah, who commanded a group of insurgents known as the “Mountain Tigers”. The group was dropped successfully inserted by helicopter. During the mission local goat herders stumbled upon the SEALs’ hiding place. Unable to verify any hostile intent from the herders,Murphy asked the team what should be done with them. Sonar Technician (Surface) 2nd Class Matthew Axelson reportedly voted to kill the Afghans, and Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Danny Dietz did not offer an opinion, causing Murphy to state that he would vote the same as Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Marcus Luttrell, who said the herders should be set free. Hostile locals, possibly the goat herders they let pass, alerted 80 to 200 nearbyTaliban forces, who surrounded and attacked the small group. At the end of the two-hour battle, approximately 35 Taliban, Murphy, Dietz, and Axelson were killed in the action. Marcus Luttrell was the only surviving American sailor from the squad; he was protected by local villagers who sent an emissary to the closest military base allowing a rescue team to locate him.

All three of Murphy’s men were awarded the Navy’s second-highest honor, the Navy Cross, for their part in the battle making theirs the most decorated Navy SEAL team in history.

I’ve condensed the story of operation Red Wings from Wikipedia. Marcus Lutrell wrote a book; Lone Survivor about his experience growing up, becoming a SEAL and operation Red Wing.

In reading the book you learn that after Murphy had been shot multiple times and one member of the team was already dead he knew he had to act. The satellite phone wouldn’t work from behind the rock/embankment he was taking cover behind. He walked out into a meadow in full view of the 50-150 Taliban who were left. He gave his coordinates, requested air support and evacuation. He had to repeat it several times.  Every time he spoke it was about my guys, his guys, my men.  He knew as soon as he stepped into the clear he wasn’t going to be rescued.

He did make it back to cover though. And stayed engaged in the fight until the end.

He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously.
—

I’ve always been a little sheepish about doing the Hero WODs. I’m an average to sub-average athlete at best. I thought they deserve a better performance than I can deliver but it isn’t about my performance, It’s about their memory. Not every Hero will have a book written about them but they all deserve our memory and these workouts are how we remember and honor them.

I’m thankful for men like Michael Murphy and his team. I’m thankful for God, Country and family. I think America is the greatest country on earth. Second place isn’t even close.
If you are an American everything that you are grateful for today is made possible by living here.
—
I never imagined 3 years ago staring at the stars while I was trying to catch my breath enough to walk home that one day over 20 of my friends would do ‘Murph’ with me on Thanksgiving.

thank you
jakers

“Performance is directly correlated with intensity. Intensity is directly correlated with discomfort.“ ~ Greg Glassman Founder of CrossFit

CrossFit can create some discomfort. Our focus is on intensity not duration. Your current fitness level is largely irrelevant. Everyone from Sponsored marathon runners to the sedentariest of office workers the first time they try The Baseline work out think “WOW that was really hard.”

Our definition of Fitness is broad, general and inclusive. Fitness requires endurance, stamina, strength, power, speed, flexibility, agility, balance, coordination and accuracy. Because our definition of fitness includes so many components (not just endurance) the marathon runner isn’t necessarily going to out perform the office worker. Bummer for the Marathon dude. Score for the cubicle jockey.

We have a fair amount of members who are trainers somewhere else. They thought they were fit when they showed up. They got shelled by the average Tribal member. Sometimes they took it in stride. Doubled down on their efforts and did the hard work it takes to create elite performance. But every once in a while their pride keeps them from being able to accept that they weren’t a superstar as soon as they walked through the door. CrossFit is humbling. Chances are no one will be in awe of your performances for the first 3 months. After that, hey anything is possible. While the other members won’t be in awe, everyone will cheer for you.
And in 3-6 months when you are rock staring the WOD it will be your turn cheer.
Welcome to the Tribe
Hard Fun, Creating Hard Bodies

One of my first jobs was working for a Mason. I think my dad got me the job so I’d stay in school. It was horrible work. Setting up scaffolding, carrying hodge, bricks & block up said scaffolding. I was a skinny little kid. I might have weighed 120#. A bucket of mortar weighed almost 100#. But I did it all day. I woke up the next morning I could barely move but I got up put my boots on and went to work. The next day, I could barely move. But the day after that, I could barely move and my hands were raw & bloody from moving block. But the next day, the next day, you guessed it, lets say it together, I could barely move. Not days, not weeks but months later it stopped hurting. And after it stopped hurting I wasn’t carrying mortar & blocks up the scaffolding like a crippled grandmother anymore. Nope. I was throwing them up there.

If you just want to lose a little weight and get a little faster, stronger, better, go ahead take a rest day when you are sore. It’s reasonable.

If you want to be the best, if you want to achieve beyond your wildest imagination you don’t take unscheduled rest days. It will hurt. Your performance will get worse, probably for weeks, maybe for months. Those are the dark days of training. You will find every reason imaginable to not come to the gym. The only question you need to ask is, Do we need to go to the ER? Then keep training & keep training & keep training.

Because one day after all that it will happen. After giving 100% in a work out; fifteen minutes later you’ll think, I can do it again. Right now No problem. The dark days are over & you won’t have to look at them again.

Although the next summer I did get a job as a life guard.