Friday, January 29, 2010

The Double Seize: In Defense of Leaving Houston

A former commanding officer of mine had a profound and oft-repeated philosophy, "Wherever there is Chance or a Challenge, seize it. Where there are both, go. Go now." Seizing the Double C's, as I would call it in college, have permeated my thoughts in the past year. When will I encounter an opportunity to seize the day? This is the question that I visited and re-visited.

Back in May of 2009, I wrote the second-ever blog post on the Chronicles, "On the Road, 9.3 Miles out of Austin." After Lindsey qualified for the 2009 CrossFit Games, we made a pact to take the six-hour round trip every weekend that we had available. The plan was that Lindsey would benefit from training alongside Carey Kepler and Crystal McReynolds. And I, badly, wanted to test my mettle against the likes of Lance Cantu, Jeremy Thiel, Mike Gregory, Kris Kepler and Andy Lewis. She was unhappy with her fourth place regional finish and I sought a remedy to my top 30 regional disappointment. What began as a training arrangement soon became a lot more.

It was only a matter of time. I saw this happening months back but I refused to acknowledge its possibility. Austin, Texas has been calling our names since May of 2009.  Something felt normal about driving to Austin two to three times per month. The drive felt serene and almost dutiful, like we were going home--not leaving it.  Lindsey grew closer to some of the CrossFit Central Women faster than I had ever seen her befriend anyone (collectively, Carey, Lisa and Crystal get as much phone time as I do). Postponing the purchase of one of my (admittedly) odd dream-vehicles, the Vespa Gilera Fuoco, to pay for a last second flight (et cetera) for Jeremy's Vegas bachelor party felt completely logical. "Who needs a Vespa when I drive 25 miles to work in Houston, anyway," I thought. The Vegas trip was epic.

What I should have been thinking was this: how much longer was I going to lead my family away from the inevitable? That brings us to today, Saturday January 30, 2010. One day away from leaving our home in Houston and moving to a city that is altogether different. I am still receiving the same questions from my now-former colleagues at the office, "Why in the world would you leave?"


The answer to this question is one that many of us have had to relay to our friends and family.  Why CrossFit? Why a garage? Why sledgehammers, kettle bells, and rings? Why leave a "normal" job? Well in the same context for our family, Why Austin?  In short, I see a chance and a challenge. I see greatness in the leadership, the coaches and the clients. I see greatness in the SICFIT team. Like the campaign-seasoned Chief-of-Staff who joins a rookie's presidential run, hoping that others see in the candidate what they do, I had the same urgency to get involved.  I know that my intuition will pay off.

I am a native Houstonian and I will always cherish my time, friends and experiences here: Fifth Ward is where I was born, Strake Jesuit was where I grew, Lanier Law is where I found my way. My daughter was born here. This is where I proposed to Lindsey. There is a lot of history! I've left before with the intent of coming back and living a full-life in Houston. With this move, I just don't see myself returning. Sorry, mom. While our departure may not make sense to many, consider that I am taking my family a bit north and  leaving a deep history and comfort behind. Leaving all of this should communicate that maybe I foresee a better future.

So this was my thought process as pertains to CrossFit Central.  I signed on to help CrossFit Central make SICFIT.com a powerful presence. More importantly, I signed on to work with people who recognize that I have yet to see my best. Likewise, Lindsey committed to helping Cassidy Phillips and Trigger Point Therapy reach every corner and crevice of the respective worlds of professional athletics and elite fitness. What began as a trip to Austin in an overbearingly hot May, a trip chosen over two game four playoff suite tickets to the Rockets v. Lakers, became a significantly life-altering visit. Often enough, no matter how hard you fight against it, you will succumb to the centripetal pull towards what and where you were meant to be.



Those of you who follow this blog know what we are passionate about, by now. We have an incessant passion for helping others, sharing our faith, trying to stay fit, all-the-while, writing about our lives' experiences. I suppose the difference between me then and me now is that I've learned to accept my path. And with that, I urge you to take a look at where you are. Take a look at your relationships, your spirituality, your passion, and your daily grind. Are you where you are supposed to be? Are you at least on the right path? Do you feel excited to wake up and do whatever it is that you do best?

Are you running along on a treadmill or climbing a mountain? If you answer "yes" to the former, I insist, "Carpe Diem."  Where you find a challenge and a chance, you find opportunity and ultimately, success. You will never regret seizing that day.

Monday, January 18, 2010

SICFIT


Visit SICFIT.com for more CrossFit Blogs and Videos

This is a short video highlighting Carlos and Lisa's new box near downtown Houston, CrossFit Houston and then performing Jackie/Helen.

February is a big month for us! I recently put in my notice (resignation) at the law firm to team up with the business-savvy Jeremy Thiel, the-ever-talented Elliot Schrock (who would have produced this video much better), the super creative Nicole Hughes and other members of a talented group. We are going to take SICFIT to the top! SICFIT is for affiliates by affiliates.

Check out more content (here) and be on the look out for some great stuff in the near future!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Haiti, As I Remember.



The summer after my senior year in high school I had the privilege of joining a group of students from northern Indiana on a trip to the Mission of Hope, just north of Port Au Prince, Haiti.  The poverty was astonishing, the landscape was breathtaking, but most of all, it was the people that left a lasting impression on my heart.  The relationships that I built during this week of my young life will forever remain dear to me.  I have been absolutely consumed by the images and stories captured by the media since the devastating earthquake that wrecked Port Au Prince less than a week ago.  My heart breaks to think of the challenges this country now faces.  It is such a long road that lies ahead, a road that only God alone is capable of repairing.


During my time in Haiti, I spent my days working to help paint a local school and orphanage, handing out food and clothing in the nearby villages, playing games with young children in the streets, and sharing the love of our Almighty God with anyone who was willing to listen.  Now, I look at these pictures and I wonder if these young, beautiful faces are still walking the streets.  Do they still dream of a better life?  When will they smile again?


The funny thing about taking this trip is that I left the comfort of my home thinking that in some way I was going to change the world.  I easily convinced myself that God would use me to make a lasting impact in their lives.  Really though, God used the people of Haiti to change my life and to teach me to appreciate the simplicity and reality of His love.  I remember one middle aged woman who was hopeless by America's definition.  She did not have a home, she did not have a family, and she did not have any money.  What did she have?  She had joy.  She had joy that surpassed all understanding.  She had a joy that comes from life in the Spirit.  I will never forget this woman, but does she even remember my face?

The mother in the picture to the right all but begged me to take her young son, in the blue, home with me.  She knew I could offer him a better life and opportunity she could not.  This deeply touched my heart and was the perfect definition of sacrificial love.  I will never forget this interaction.


I consider myself privileged to have met the wonderful people of Haiti.  To my friends in Haiti, the young, innocent smiles in these pictures, my prayers are with you.  I hope to return to your homeland again.  I long to share in hope filled, joyous moments with you soon.

Friends and family, I encourage you to follow the Blog of Brad Johnson, pastor and director of Mission of Hope, in the upcoming weeks, months, and years, as God works in and through his ministry.  If the desire to give, contribute, serve, or sponsor a child, is on your heart,  there is not a better place than the Mission of Hope to do so.

From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Psalm 61:2

Friday, January 15, 2010

Taco Bell's Killer Marketing

Everywhere we turn, we see the consequences of effective multi-million dollar advertising (Click Here). No consequences have been more severe than those propagated by the American food industry and the American Dietetic Association. People are wondering why they can't make progress. They wonder why calorie counting doesn't work. Are Splenda, Truvia, Estevia and agave nectar bad alternatives? Is fat-free bad? Is "low-carb" the way to go? Is high fructose corn syrup in everything? Can I eat bars for protein sources? Is juice a good substitute for fruits and vegetables?

When did it become so difficult to discern real food from fake food? With documentaries like Food, Inc., Killer at Large and King Corn gaining popularity over the past year, one would assume that corporations like Taco Bell and KFC would wise up. When leaders in the food industry weighed the impact of the recent flux of educational books, documentaries and cable news coverage, they settled on a thoroughly researched conclusion. The average American isn't going to pay attention to education on food quality; they care about quantity and taste. And in a unique paradox, upper middle class Americans are more easily influenced.  It is the gym-membership carrying, health food store visiting, supplement popping and point/calorie counting class of Americans for which Taco Bell designed their latest enter into the multi-billion dollar weight loss market.

The Beginning of the Fad Diet
The history of the diet industry can be traced to the creator of point counting, Weight Watchers, as early as 1963. (pictured to the right: Weight Watcher's equation) Ironically, the health magnate and fast food producer's headquarters is still located on Madison Avenue, the quintessential marketing and branding capital of America. After decades of microwaved meals branded with terms like "healthy", "lean", "whole grain", "nutritious", and "low fat", the processed food diet has become the norm.  Fast food companies began implementing one or two changes to existing cheap, food products and then branding them as healthy lifestyle choices.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Parts II and III: Business and Community

On the morning of Christmas day, my jumbled, complex thoughts shone through the proverbial fog.  All it took was a bit of curiosity from Lindsey. On the way home from the Christmas Eve church service, Lindsey said, “Web, can you believe that we almost didn’t go?” Sometimes we try to imagine what life would be like now, had we missed the the Southwest Regional qualifier in May of 2009. It was at that moment that I realized just how important CrossFit was to us. I drafted this post 11 times since Part One of the Affiliate Mega-Church Debate. In that time, a lot has happened in the CrossFit community. Some events were good, some not so.  My perspective on the succession of these events altered the way that I framed the message in Parts Two and Three but not in the way that you’d imagine. You won’t see a negative thread here. Rather, you’ll find love, strength and triumph.

Herein lies the peculiarity of CrossFit and its internet-spawned community. CrossFit's relevance would seem so far-reaching and cliché to people who haven’t experienced the friendship and fellowship that we have, since May of 2009. For some, CrossFit is just a website; it is just an internet presence, a workout methodology or an old mechanic shop-turned gym in town. These are reminders that I detected in the fragility of my wife’s voice, “Web, we almost didn’t go... How different would our lives be, had we not made the drive to the Southwest Regional Qualifier in May 2009?”

For Lindsey and me, CrossFit was just a workout and the community was just an internet message board. To really understand the issues of late, you have to consider that CrossFit, the business and the community are symbiotic.  One can not be healthy without the other; by definition, they need one another.  Only a sliver of businesses have this sort of symbiotic relationship with their users.   Apple Incorporated is an example and it just so happens that both CrossFit Inc. and Apple Inc. grew out of California garages.

The Business
CrossFit is at its tipping point. Things are changing quickly and the community is growing in some places while contracting in a handful of others. People seem to be focused on the negative, at the moment. When compared to Apple, another California-garage incarnation, there are countless similarities and an obvious irony.  Greg and Lauren Glassman's contribution to fitness will be a noted historical shift in philosophy and practice.  Before the Glassman's, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were incredibly passionate about revolutionizing the personal computing industry.  They turned a collection of enthusiasts into employees and those employees helped build the billion dollar conglomerate that exists today.

It's been said that passion is when you would do what you love, for free. Steve Jobs began one of the world’s most powerful corporate communities by employing passionate people. Apple grew by making their products available to eager, educated consumers.  Why make this connection to CrossFit? It is only fitting that two organizations grew similarly, before their respective tipping points.  Apple would suffer casualties and dissension, along the way, including Steve Jobs' oust from the company. Yes, Steve Jobs, a man now synonymous with the company’s success, was away from Apple for twelve years.