Lisbeth Darsh's Words & AR Blog "Inside Voice"

I loved what Lisbeth Darsh wrote about recently when reflecting on Chester Bennington and her early experiences with CrossFit.  I was never a big fan of Linkin Park but having started CrossFit in 2009 I can recall some of the same feelings she describes, as I remember gyms playing "Bleed It Out" like it was on repeat (this was before I could dictate the playlist during my own workouts):

"Bennington’s singing has always felt athletic, determined, wildly urgent."

That's exactly how it felt. I think for a good year or two in the early glory days of CrossFit -- 2008/2009 -- I played "Bleed It Out" every time we did "Fran" (and we did Fran waaaaay too many times back then).

But it was exhilarating. Here was this thing that people feared, this workout that combined things with an intensity that scared people, even those of us doing it. Who knew that such discontent lived in our souls and could bleed into those barbells and pull-up bars? But the glorious thing was not our admittance or expression of pain, but that we were willing to go somewhere not nice inside of ourselves and live through it ... and then use that knowledge to improve not just our fitness, but ourselves as human beings. And in our rising as individuals, many of us somehow managed to help everyone around us. I can only speak for myself, but what I learned in that pain made me in a new way and I think others made themselves anew as well.

To this day, just hearing that opening riff of "Bleed It Out" makes me a Pavlovian CrossFit dog of some sort, eager to grab a barbell, start those thrusters, and dive deep into the well of pain for few minutes, and then emerge on the other side, hacking and humbled and full of a hard-won knowledge that helps me to live another day.

R.I.P., Chester Bennington, your music influenced more people than you ever knew.

-Lisbeth Darsh     

The AR blog will take a bit of a quieter tone over the next several days while Sarah and I are away in Colorado.  Not to worry, the daily WOD will still be posted as usual so you can see what's in store for you at the gym - and our team of amazing coaches will be holding down the fort in style.  Consider it as the blog using its "inside voice" for a little while ;-).

Hope you all had a great weekend!   

WOD for 07-24-17:

2 Power Snatches + 1 Overhead Squat:

5 Sets of (2+1)

Climbing as technique allows

-then-

AMRAP 8 Minutes:

21 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft

12 Power Snatches @ 95/65 lbs 

(Compare to 10-14-16)