#spealler
Surprised. But Saw It Coming.
When I saw Web Smith‘s Tweet this weekend, I knew something was up…
— Web Smith (@web) May 28, 2012
I KNEW Chris Spealler would be on the Update Show, but I didn’t think he would be on Saturday’s. For some reason, I just knew. I knew what was coming.
Here’s the full show for you junkies:
But if you want to skip to the #spealler segment, go here. If you just want the “big announcement,” click here.
And My Prediction Was Right
They would...lol...
Between the crazy weights increasing each year at the Games, running his box and new business 321Go Project, and spending more time with his family, I had a feeling this would be Spealler’s last CrossFit Games as an individual…
…for now.
I’m not gonna lie…part of my heart sank when I found out. Yes, all the hints at the “big announcement” on this Update Show made things seem really obvious, but it still hit me like a pile of bricks.
Yeah, I did write about 4 things we can learn from Chris Spealler and his performance in the South West Regional. However, I just want to stress upon the fact that he was one of my main CrossFit inspirations since the beginning.
While Rob Orlando was really the first CrossFitter I looked up to with his videos on YouTube and all, it was Spealler who I identified with right away. It was most likely the height factor haha.
Then His Influence Was More Than That
The guy is one of the most efficient mofos out there. If you want to learn the right form in almost anything CrossFit, watch #spealler. Just check out any of his YouTube videos. The guy’s squeezing out the most from his 150ish pound frame and is competing head-to-head with the big dawgs out there.
It’s through Chris that I learned to take a “work smarter, not harder” approach to CrossFit. Of course, I’d still work hard, but a lot of the time, going RAMBO on a WOD right off the gate won’t work in your favor. Thinking like him has helped me focus on things like pacing during a WOD, not Rx’ing to get the desired effect from a workout, and CONSTANT GAINS.
Like with all the good things in life, progressing in CrossFit is like a marathon, not a sprint. Sure, there are some naturally gifted athletes who can become Games-worthy within only a few months of training, but for everyone else out there, like myself, shooting for consistency is key.
More importantly, this “working smarter” approach has carried on to other aspects of my life.
For almost ALL my life, I tried accomplishing EVERYTHING…meaning, I had to do well in this, that, and EVERYTHING. What a scattered approach…
It stemmed from my approach to schoolwork and studying. Okay, back in elementary/middle school, there wasn’t much material, so I could do really well just by memorizing everything. Then about halfway through high school, I realized…shit. I can’t do this anymore. This was basically my approach to everything else in my life.
As expected, I’d get overwhelmed by many things. STRESS allll around…not fun.
Just from watching Spealler perform and through his instructional videos, I really embraced overall efficiency in my life. And the cool thing about making these changes? They really only involve little tweaks. Small tweaks to make BIG changes. Now that’s a HIGH return on investment 🙂
This approach/mindset has made my life more manageable and enjoyable. I’ve accomplished so much inside and outside the box in the past 2 years. Rather than try to succeed in everything I WANT, I’ve learned to cut the fat and focus on the things in life I NEED.
Chris, I just want to say thanks 🙂
Kip it real, my friends.
