CrossFit provides a method for a personal journey to constantly improve oneself physically, mentally, and spiritually. The intensity of the workouts often makes you question your physical and mental capacity. I heard Greg Amundson say that "The biggest improvement that CrossFit athletes experience is between the ears." The mind can allow us to achieve greatness or cause us to fail. There are only two ways to fail...quit or die.


Since starting CrossFit I have always had a deep appreciation for the Hero WODs. I grew up on various Military Bases as my Father served in the USMC as a helicopter pilot. I remember when we got the news of a helicopter crash involving his squadron while lifting off from a carrier off the coast of Okinowa. He lost good friends, most of which had their families living in Hawaii while they were deployed. I remember seeing these families pack up and move back to the mainland. I often wonder what happened to the children.


I was introduced to CrossFit by a fellow Police Officer back in 2005. "Fight gone bad" on my first day? Really Rochet? Well, I was hooked. "Murphy" came to be my favorite workout. I remember the days when every six months or so we would see a new Hero WOD. Now, I think it's almost three a month. I went to "Randy" Simmons funeral. (Hero Workout #10). I was a new SWAT officer myself at the time and was taken back at how he died. More so, I was incredibly moved by what type of man he was outside of law enforcement. He left two children behind that loved and admired their father. He led a group of inner city youth from his Church who were left without a great mentor.


My personal desire to become a better husband, father, and find some inner peace pushed me to find a way to appreciate life and honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and to those left behind. Since opening my own CrossFit affiliate with my wife in 2009, I have missed completing many of the new Hero WODS. The Challenge I came up with for myself was to complete all the Hero WODs, as prescribed, in the order they were posted. To add to the challenge, I decided I would do one Hero WOD a day, six days a week, resting on Sundays. When I started the challenge there were 50 Hero WODS.

20110405

Monday - April 4th, 2011


Navy Special Warfare Operator Chief Collin Trent Thomas, 33, of Morehead, Kentucky, assigned to a Navy Seal team based out of Little Creek, VA, was fatally shot on August 18, 2010, during combat operations in Eastern Afghanistan.

He is survived by his fiancee Sarah Saunders, his parents Clay and Jean Thomas, and his sister Meghan Edwards.

First posted November 21 2010






Day 43 of the Hero WOD Challenge.

"Collin"

6 rounds for time of:

Carry 50 pound sandbag 400 meters
115 pound Push press, 12 reps
12 box jumps, 24 inch box
95 pound sumo deadlift high-pull, 12 reps

Time: 32 minutes 9 seconds


I was really excited about this WOD.  It sounded like the sandbag carry would be fun.  Typical CrossFit, it was fun until the fourth round and then it felt like someone was adding more weight while I did the other exercises.  Part of me wanted to take it easy once it felt hard so I could save myself for tomorrow.  Then I remembered why I was doing the workout in the first place, to honor these brave men as best I could.  There may be no tomorrow.
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