Anyone see the Crossfit Games yesterday?

what about the principal of specificity? there's nothing in a football player's or a triathlete's training that would prepare them for a bunch of burpees

superstud wrote:

... Either way, why make fun of people for exercising and competing? What they are doing is more impressive than what most people are doing.

Why make fun of them? Because these Crossfit boneheads come on LRC and tell us that we'd be better, faster runners if we quit training properly and do Crossfit training instead. Only 2 guys in that video managed to do a 7 mile run over a mountain in less than 2 hours. That's pathetic. I'm 49 and can run 11 miles over a mountain in 1-1/2 hours. Should I start doing Crossfit so I can get my time up to 3 hours?

Blowing.Rock Master wrote:

Why make fun of them? Because these Crossfit boneheads come on LRC and tell us that we'd be better, faster runners if we quit training properly and do Crossfit training instead. Only 2 guys in that video managed to do a 7 mile run over a mountain in less than 2 hours. That's pathetic. I'm 49 and can run 11 miles over a mountain in 1-1/2 hours. Should I start doing Crossfit so I can get my time up to 3 hours?

dont you need to know the height of the mountain before you make generealizations like that?

Blowing.Rock Master wrote:

Why make fun of them? Because these Crossfit boneheads come on LRC and tell us that we'd be better, faster runners if we quit training properly and do Crossfit training instead. Only 2 guys in that video managed to do a 7 mile run over a mountain in less than 2 hours. That's pathetic. I'm 49 and can run 11 miles over a mountain in 1-1/2 hours. Should I start doing Crossfit so I can get my time up to 3 hours?

While I didn't think the times were all that impressive from a distance runner's perspective, the 2 hours was including the swim and the bike.

I think the coverage is pretty cool and plan on watching as much as I can this weekend.

BTW, it's your own fault for getting trolled by the "Crossfit boneheads".

UsedToBeKnowItAll wrote:

While I didn't think the times were all that impressive from a distance runner's perspective, the 2 hours was including the swim and the bike.

Watch the video again, the 2:00 time was for the run portion only. They gave a separate time for the swim/run. Then the clock reset to zero.

friendz wrote:

dont you need to know the height of the mountain before you make generealizations like that?

Check a topo map for Camp Pendelton. Most of the peaks near the ocean are in the 250' to 500' range. Here's a photo of Microwave Mountain:

I doubt the top of that even makes it to 500'.

Flattop Mountain in Blowing Rock, NC, where I do the 11 mile run, is 900' higher than the start at Bass Lake.

Blowing.Rock Master wrote:

friendz wrote:

dont you need to know the height of the mountain before you make generealizations like that?

Check a topo map for Camp Pendelton. Most of the peaks near the ocean are in the 250' to 500' range. Here's a photo of Microwave Mountain:

http://peak360fitness.com/wod-the-unknown

I doubt the top of that even makes it to 500'.

Flattop Mountain in Blowing Rock, NC, where I do the 11 mile run, is 900' higher than the start at Bass Lake.

900' at the start. Ok, but what is the greatest CHANGE in elevation WHILE you are running?

tttttt wrote:

Precious Roy wrote:

Pro crossfitters (if there ever were such a thing) would do the same weight and speed sessions that NFL players, the same endurance training as triathelets and then spend a much smaller amount of time practicing the actual crossfit routines.

what about the principal of specificity? there's nothing in a football player's or a triathlete's training that would prepare them for a bunch of burpees

There is no reason for that much specificity training for burpees or kiping chinups or for most of the various crossfit workout elements. There is nothing techincally demanding about a burpee. It is not like trying to shoot a three pointer or make a soccer ball bend around defenders. Anyone can do a burpee. The best way to improve the burpee portion of your crossfit workout is to do various strength routines on your abs, back, legs and shoulders. Burpees will only go so far to improve strength in the areas that burpees target. That is because it is a combination movement that sacrifices gains in strength for additional movements.

The fact is that a cross fit routine is not the optimal strength, speed and endurance routine. It can do just fine if your goal is to improve these elements while paying $160 a month to workout with other guys with tribal tatoos. You will get stronger, faster and have better endurance. But, if you really wanted to maximize those elements on a truly professional level, you would do what professionals do because those routines are backed by decades of exercise science and practice.

I appreciate the fact that they got a helicopter up there to get aerial footage of people walking up a mountain. Riveting stuff.

Check 21:09...guy sidestepping down the hill haha

I liked the part where the announcer started saying "Look how steep these hills are...that's like a 50degree grade!"

Clearly it wasn't, they were just walking because they were tired.

That is hilarious. They are well built, but look ridiculous trying to do this minor triathlon. You'd think they were out doing an ultra run or a longer triathlon with all of the hyration packs.

I am embarassed for them.

Built - yes

Athletic - not so much

Fit - depends how you view fitness

Blowing.cock Master wrote:

superstud wrote:

... Either way, why make fun of people for exercising and competing? What they are doing is more impressive than what most people are doing.

Why make fun of them? Because these Crossfit boneheads come on LRC and tell us that we'd be better, faster runners if we quit training properly and do Crossfit training instead. Only 2 guys in that video managed to do a 7 mile run over a mountain in less than 2 hours. That's pathetic. I'm 49 and can run 11 miles over a mountain in 1-1/2 hours. Should I start doing Crossfit so I can get my time up to 3 hours?

There. I corrected your username. 11 miles in 1:30? You're pathetic really.

Blowing.Rock Master wrote:

Watch the video again, the 2:00 time was for the run portion only. They gave a separate time for the swim/run. Then the clock reset to zero.

They had a scoring checkpoint after the bike, but the two-hour time was for the whole thing.

The more I think about this, the more I think it's kind of the ultimate refutation of Crossfit's own slogan ("The Fittest on Earth") and hopefully a kind of wake-up call to the organizers of the event.

You can tell that when this course was put together the organizers had visions of their elite squads of athletes battling each other through water, sand, and mountain, providing some drama for the cameras. The believed their own hype-- hey, these people are really good at lifting weights and climbing ropes, so an open water swim and a mountain run should be no problem, right? Instead, they got conclusive proof of the limitations of their approach. First of all, none of these athletes, 90+ of the best crossfitters in the world, can swim. The leader (by a solid margin) came through the 700-meter swim in 13:30. If you give him 16:00 for an 800-meter swim, he's mid-pack at any decent-sized sprint triathlon. Most of the other athletes weren't close-- one guy couldn't finish, another had to rest on a jetski, get taken back to shore, rest more, and then go back out to finish the swim. Two women couldn't finish the swim-- so now they're out for the entire competition.

I don't know what to say about the single-speed bike over sand except that it's just fundamentally stupid and doesn't really test anything other than the ability to go slow on a bike.

The run is where I feel like this event veered almost into dangerous territory. To put it simply, most athletes of that size and limited running experience have no business attempting a run like that in those conditions. The second place finisher was taken to the hospital after he crossed the finish line. One of the pre-race finishers spent a lot of his time stopped, stretching, and screaming in pain. Three people were on IVs afterwards. Only 9 of the men were able to beat the group of 3 lead women over the run portion. One of the women was out there for over three hours-- for an 11k! That's a slow walk.

They even had to cancel one of the ensuing events, the broad jump. That's how much they brutalized their own athletes-- they couldn't even do a damn jump anymore.

Watch this recap video:

http://games.crossfit.com/video/crossfit-games-update-july-11-2012

Most of the "highlights" are about people struggling, and then they spend five minutes trying to figure out why the defending champs and pre-event favorites struggled so much. I think I know why: because they can't swim or run. You destroyed your best athletes by beginning the competition with events that they CAN'T DO, no matter how good they are at climbing ropes and throwing tires.

These folks are weightlifters. That's great. Pretending that they are these amazing all-around athletes is both disingenuous and frankly a little dangerous.

Blowing.Rock Master wrote:

Why make fun of them? Because these Crossfit boneheads come on LRC and tell us that we'd be better, faster runners if we quit training properly and do Crossfit training instead. Only 2 guys in that video managed to do a 7 mile run over a mountain in less than 2 hours. That's pathetic. I'm 49 and can run 11 miles over a mountain in 1-1/2 hours. Should I start doing Crossfit so I can get my time up to 3 hours?

Anyone else here see the irony--

First, we have a CF guy saying how "crossfit style sprint training beats slogging";

Now, we have Crossfit Games with people doing a 7 mile "run" over a mountain in 2 hours.

I mean, what gives?

Do these people not believe in running or do they?

And have they ever heard of SAID (Specific Adaption to Imposed Demand)?

If they don't believe in running, why would they then go out to do a mountain trail "run"? And if they do believe in trail running, why wouldn't they go train for it by RUNNING?

Keep in mind that 7 miles in 2 hours comes to 17.14 minutes per mile. Some of us have almost done that at altitude with 60 pounds on our backs. We didn't call it running, either. We called it the "sport" backpacking.

Somebody needs to send a link of this to The Penguin.

UsedToBeKnowItAll wrote:

Blowing.Rock Master wrote:

Watch the video again, the 2:00 time was for the run portion only. They gave a separate time for the swim/run. Then the clock reset to zero.

They had a scoring checkpoint after the bike, but the two-hour time was for the whole thing.

OK, I get that now. Everything in my post stands, other than the fact that one of the women spent three hours on the 11k run. Instead, she spent 1:50 (something like 17:00/mile). The lead men were in the 75-80 minute range for 11k. 10-11:00 miles, maybe?

113 wrote:

These folks are weightlifters. That's great. Pretending that they are these amazing all-around athletes is both disingenuous and frankly a little dangerous.

+1

What is even more disingenuous is that there are no weight classes, even though weight lifting is a major aspect of the comptetition. It is almost impossible for anyone (male) under 175 lbs to get past the weight lifting in this competition. All the guys are huge. Thus, the crossfit games are not about finding who is the best all-around athletes. It is about creating a sport for big jocks who stink at endurance sports.

113 wrote:

First of all, none of these athletes, 90+ of the best crossfitters in the world, can swim. The leader (by a solid margin) came through the 700-meter swim in 13:30. If you give him 16:00 for an 800-meter swim, he's mid-pack at any decent-sized sprint triathlon. Most of the other athletes weren't close-- one guy couldn't finish, another had to rest on a jetski, get taken back to shore, rest more, and then go back out to finish the swim. Two women couldn't finish the swim-- so now they're out for the entire competition.

For the love of God, don't leave out the fact that they each WORE A PAIR OF GIANT FLIPPERS.