We did it! Our first ever Hero Month is in the books, and I don’t know about you but I had an AWESOME TIME! Seriously though, I hope you would agree that this has been a tough but fun month of workouts, and I have the data to prove that you all put a lot of amazing effort into this challenge.
In the span of 4 weeks, we completed 12 Hero WODs (not counting “Manion” the Saturday before!) There were 271 results posted in Wodify for these workouts, which were mostly new to us but we did have a few benchmark repeats that we’ve tested before:
– “DT”, which was taken on by 35 people on May 9th! Bo completed DT in an amazing 8:48, and at least 6 of our athletes achieved personal records by smashing their old time or completing it as Rx’d for the first time! I say “at least 6” because Wodify doesn’t throw a “PR star” at you if you don’t Rx the workout – something I’ve requested as a potential improvement to the tool.
– “Michael”, which 27 out of 30 of our athletes completed as Rx’d, and 5 hit new PR’s!
– “Murph”, of course. We had 36 athletes including many first-timers and 4 drop-ins with us for Memorial Day, and the effort put out was incredible. It’s always special, if a bit chaotic, to work out in such a large group, but I know it’s something that we all look forward to every year because of the camaraderie and patriotic remembrance that is shared. You all have proven again to be brave, positive individuals that add so much to our community.
In addition to the Hero WODs, I also wanted to brag about one more noteworthy statistic that came about on May 21st. We did a 1RM Power Clean as a little strength set before a running/deadlift workout. It wasn’t even the main focus of the workout that day, but 22 people PR’d their Power Clean! Blake, Danny and Tristan all threw an impressive 255-lbs onto their shoulders that day for the first time. Yes!
The combination of increased strength and improving technique really shone through that day, and you all should be proud!
Looking forward to our 12-hour Heroes Challenge on Saturday, there are a few things I’d like everyone that is participating to keep in mind:
1. Prepare yourself. Start hydrating now and avoid extra caffeine and alcohol. Get lots of sleep. Don’t come to the gym on Friday unless it’s to stretch and say hi to your friends.
2. Don’t be a hero. Many of you will be completing multiple consecutive Hero workouts, which by themselves are super-intense and physically punishing. Some are even signed up for the entire 12 hours! Don’t try to be “that guy” (or “that girl”) that takes on the entire burden of your team, or feel the need to prove yourself by doing more than others. Lean on your teammates, let everyone participate and struggle through the challenge, and maybe you’ll have some gas left in the tank when you really need it.
3. Pay attention to your body, and your mind. We are going to put out some more guidance on proper fueling and recovery for the challenge, but in general, prepare to eat and drink a lot, and use the downtime you have to stretch and recover. Scale the workouts appropriately, especially when it comes to heavy weightlifting, and adhere to impeccable form. If an injury does occur, it’s your responsibility to be safe and modify movements or stay out of a workout so that you can address it.
Looking forward to taking on the Heroes Challenge for a worthy cause – helping Valhalla Sailing Project work with veterans to reintegrate into society after long deployments and many lost friends. Let’s get after it!
Ryan
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