10/24 Mobility Monday

Today you're doing my (Coach Leslie) favorite workout. Consider it my birthday gift to you!
Before you do Grace, you'll be working on your clean and jerk technique. Follow the mobility drills to get your shoulders ready for those 30 jerks.
I strongly believe that CrossFit is a sustainable fitness program as long as we scale appropriately, do regular mobility, and follow good post-workout recovery practices.
Today is my 45th birthday and I have been doing CrossFit for 6 and a half years. Yes, you got the math right, I started CrossFit when I was 39. I learned within my first few months that in order to do this sport, CrossFit is the sport of fitness, I needed to take care of myself like an athlete. I had to stay on top of my nutrition, stay flexible and be consistent in my workouts.
Currently I get in about 3-4 CrossFit workouts, 1-2 yoga classes per week, and I climb once a week at the climbing gym. On the weekends James and I get outside and play as much as possible.
To keep this level of activity, in my mid-forties, it is imperative that I recover and practice daily mobility. I'm not without issues in my tissues. I have osteoarthritis in both knees, I have a very old compression fracture in my back, and I nearly broke both ankles in a very serious rappelling accident in the Marines. Not to mention the stress fractured ribs from rowing. All of these old injuries could keep me down, they could severely restrict my range of motion, and sometimes these old injuries do make me hurt.
But, with good hydration (1/3-1/2 my body weight in ounces), fish oil supplementation, daily mobility, regular yoga, a clean diet (80% of the time) I can continue to perform CrossFit, climb, bike and ski at a level that makes me very happy.
Often I hear folks say CrossFit is too intense or too difficult. Here's the deal - It is what YOU make it. The intensity is what YOU bring to the table. The difficulty lies in not being able to meet yourself where you are today. It lies in not taking care of your body after your workout.
Is CrossFit hard? Yes, it is so by design. We are forged into great beings through hard work, discipline, consistency, focus and humility. CrossFit is hard. Life is hard. Turning 45, 50, 60 is hard. I'd rather face these challenges with a body, mind and spirit that breathes fire and is indomitable. How about you?

Today's Workout
Skill: Clean and jerk technique
then,
Grace
for time: 30 Clean and Jerks 135/95#
Compare to Feb. 18, 2016