Since Christmas Kris has been really into Crossfit, the exercise craze whose goal is to reduce you to a pile of blubbering meat before building you back up again into a fine specimen! (I just made that up, but I doubt they'd disagree). She attends a "Box" here in Munich, and I started going once a week. These are really hard workouts, packing in much more punishment than I ever could on my own. Generally, something about getting older, and knowing that I tend to favor cardio/endurance exercise more than anything to do with weightlifting and pullups, I thought it would be good for me.Well maybe it is, but as I type this I can't lift my arms. Today was Kris' 40th birthday, and Marco, the coach, devised a special workout just for her (but everyone there had to follow it). 4 sets of 40 "burpees," sit-ups, kettle-bell lifts and squats. The night before I had joined her for a workout too, and my arms were still jelly from the 120 push-ups which were a component of that. It didn't take long for my form in the burpees to collapse. If you don't know, a burpee is basically a push up followed by a jump in the air and clapping your hands over your head. By the time I'd done two sets of burpees, I was an old man who could barely get out of bed. I would collapse on the ground, painfully get to my knees and stand up, jump, and collapse again. Needless to say, I was the last person to finish. I think it took me 54 minutes, with the absolute cut-off time being 1 hour. I think the best time of the day was 36 minutes. Jeez, I can't imagine doing that!
I've spent the rest of the day moaning and dropping off to sleep at odd times. Kris however, is fine. She posted a more respectable time, and has been a chatty cathy. As a matter of fact, she's about to go for an 8 mile run. :p
I only hope (and pray!) that this punishment leads to becoming "harder to kill" in the mountains. Overall, I'm pleasantly surprised at how far I can be pushed and keep pushing further. Though my abilities may never climb to "respectable" levels for a real Crossfitter, I feel certain that the extra stamina and strength will come in handy in the years ahead.
