Assorted flotsam from my brain

1. Scaling Crossfit

I got onto the treadmill this morning for my cardio, and was really confident that I was going to have a good run today. It was still hot in the gym, but I could feel that I had my wind and was going to do well. At about the seven minute mark, my calve suddenly turned into a knot on me. I tried to run through it, walk through it, and stretch it out, but I realized that I shouldn't continue to push on it unless I wanted to get hurt. I jumped onto the Concept 2 rowing machine to finish off my HIIT, alternating one minute of all out rowing with a slower recovery minute. When I've done Crossfit workouts, I haven't scaled them at all. I've found that my muscles and joints have been much stiffer for a few days after a Crossfit workout than when I do a BFL workout. Even though I can complete the workouts, perhaps I should consider scaling them and gradually moving up. There is a LOT of leg work on Crossfit, and my body needs to learn to accommodate that load.

2. Supplements

It's the time of the year when a lot of people make promises to themselves to get into shape and live healthier lives. Although I've removed myself from the BFL Tracker site, I do still pop in the once in a while to check things out. It's also the time of the year that I get frustrated reading posts that deal with supplements. People that haven't eaten right or exercised for years suddenly decide they want overnight results. While the results you can get in a twelve week program are substantial, it really is about changing your habits for good. Inevitably, people reach for a shelf full of supplements to make it all happen faster. Isn't this exactly what the BFL program is supposed to prevent? Loading up on all sorts of crap sounds like a fad diet, not a lifelong plan for health and fitness. Other people write about how great the supps are. More people end up taking them because they don't want to fall behind in the challenge, or want faster results, or whatever. People write about how safe they are. Let us not forget that a few years ago, EAS was one of a number of companies that were selling a certain supplement (I can't remember the name) that was found to be very harmful. These things are not FDA approved. Our bodies weren't designed to load up on supplements. They were designed to eat real food. As great as the BFL program is for getting people to make positive changes in their lives, it does force the use of supplements if you want to enter the BFL Challenge. I understand that this is a business. Go ahead and mix some protein into your oatmeal. But I'll let you in on a little secret. Health and fitness will never come from the inside of a bottle. It will only come from inside you.

3. The BFL challenge winners are up. Once again, the transformations were amazing. That being said, when I look at the winner in my age category, I'm kicking myself for not completing a formal challenge in 2007. I coulda been a contender! I'm telling you...damn.