athlete journals

After this week's training and a successful meet, I'm feeling very optimistic on being able to set the world record in Toronto in June. Monday Today was my snatch workout. I only did full squat ... Continue Reading

This week was dead week at school, but it seemed like I was doing more catch-up work than studying for finals. I found some time to study, but it was still difficult while catching up on lab work and ... Continue Reading

Coming off of last week’s 515lb miss on block pulls, I needed to carefully weigh my decision-making about my deadlifts this week. Given that I’m only a month away from competition, this would be my last ... Continue Reading

Last year, Patrick McCarty shared his journey to the CrossFit Games in his athlete journals. This year, he's on his way to the Games again. So what lessons can we all learn from a three-time ... Continue Reading

With my competition less than two weeks away, I will have to be cautious with both my wrist and elbow. Today’s snatch workout will be light to see if all this rehab is paying off. Monday I did speed ... Continue Reading

I knew ahead of time that the Chicago StrongFirst Certification weekend was going to be big, but only after the experience did I understand how massive it truly was! This was a new record in kettlebell ... Continue Reading

I listed a failed lift this week as one of the “noteworthy lifts,” which might strike you as odd. But I’d like you to notice something about that miss that can be instructive. Even though I was struggling ... Continue Reading

Having two injury-free training weeks in a row was not something that was looking likely in 2014, but it finally happened. I started rolling harder, lifting more, and dialing in my diet. Sunday got ... Continue Reading

"Unless you know who you are, you will always be vulnerable.” - Dr. Phil Can you believe I’m quoting Dr. Phil? I can’t. But I do love that quotation, and I do believe it’s true. Lately I’ve been ... Continue Reading

I’m so close to being done with school I can almost taste it! I’m so excited to be free and not have the weight of the world on my shoulders. Balancing school and training can be super difficult, and it ... Continue Reading

This week was pretty awesome! I had five days off for Easter break, which wasn’t enough at all. I thought I would get so much school work done, but instead I caught up on some much needed sleep. That’s ... Continue Reading

This week was full of more ups and downs. On the positive side, I finally got back into the weight room after almost five weeks of not being able to train due to injury. I tried to take it easy and ... Continue Reading

"Commitment is an act. Not a word." - Jean Paul Sartre I had a very rough workout yesterday. I was so sore and super tight. I couldn't get my lats to release, despite time spent mobilizing. And as ... Continue Reading

This will be the last entry before the StrongFirst Level 2 Certification weekend in Chicago. Next week will be light workouts, low volume with double 20kg, and a few sets with the double 24kg. See you ... Continue Reading

I come to you from my comfy bed on the first day of Easter break! I’m really excited to have a break from school, even it’s just for a few days. It’ll give me a chance to catch up on some work and get ... Continue Reading

The story around here lately is that ramping up my training volume, especially on weak areas and without sacrificing intensity, is doing me a lot of good. I’ve definitely put some meat on my quads in ... Continue Reading

In 2012, Valerie Worthington shared the story of her road to the Abu Dhabi World Championships and Mundials. Valerie has a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu and has competed in multiple BJJ world ... Continue Reading

Last Saturday I competed in the New York Open and lost my very first match to a guy who beat me two years ago when we were both blue belts. When I saw who I drew in the first round, I got pretty ... Continue Reading

I woke up in a hotel in Mansfield, Massachusetts on April 5, 2014. The time was around 6am. The previous night was rough, considering I was still coming off of my cough. I remember waking up two or three ... Continue Reading

I’ve had a few questions about how I’m periodizing my squats, so I thought I’d start this journal entry with a quick explanation of that for everyone. Here's how I'm managing my squat training. I’ve ... Continue Reading

“A mind that has been stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” - Unknown What do you do when the thing you thought you loved is actually making you miserable? ... Continue Reading