Strength, Community, and Adversity

JT Scott | 08/25/2013 | 14

The gates of Black Rock City opened at 12:01am this Monday morning. Some of us were here earlier, building the infrastructure for the city – laying out roads, erecting the Man and the Temple – and building some of the larger art projects, but most of the city starts to arrive in a long stream from Reno at midnight as Sunday turns to Monday.

Entering Black Rock for the first time is different for everyone, but it’s common to be invited to take a roll in the dust and get a big hug with a “Welcome Home” from one of the Greeters. It’s silly and wonderful, and it’s a pointed reminder that we’re all going to get dusty out here. No matter how much you try to stay out of it, from this point on we’re all in this together. We’re all getting dirty. (Given how much chalk I’ve seen some of you use it wouldn’t feel all that different from a Monday at CFSV.)

With a carload of everything you thought you’d need to survive for a week in the desert, you arrive and look for a place to build your shelter. The likelihood though is that you don’t have everything you’ll need – and even if you brought everything, some of it might blow away or burn or otherwise get destroyed by the environment.

This place is truly the embodiment of the unknown and unknowable. My first year it was so cold that it hit freezing at night. The next year it never got below 70 degrees. Prepared for the hot and the cold? Surprise: this time it may rain. And rain in this desert turns it back into the muddy lake bed that it once was… before everything sinks into it. And then it dries into cement.

All we can do is prepare to handle as much as we can, as well as we can… and build a community to help us deal with the rest.

Did anyone remember to bring a hammer?

(When you’re making bloody marys and you’re just flat out of celery, somebody can pick you up. Black Rock City is still the kind of place where you go next door to borrow a cup of sugar you need for a recipe.)

I think every person brings something different to the city their community life and we’re all learning from each other. I think the more each person brings the better off we all are. If I can be stronger and more prepared, I can make this a better place for me and my neighbors. If I can help my neighbors be stronger and more prepared, they’ll be ready for whatever happens to them – or to me.

I’m trying to imbue CrossFit Somerville with that community building process and spirit of growth. You’re all unique and wonderful, and I love learning from you. I am grateful to have the chance to help make you all stronger and more capable humans, because I didn’t bring everything I need to thrive in this world.

I can’t make it alone. Ultimately we all need each other to survive. We certainly need each other to thrive. We need other people. And one of the best ways I can help all of us is to help you become stronger of mind and heart and body.

(Maybe we should have people roll around in the chalk and grime during their free trials. Or maybe the bear crawls and inchworms already do the same thing.)

The Man Burns in 5 Days.

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We got a lot of positive feedback from y’all about our Snatch Day recently, and that’s good that you liked it. We liked it too, and we like spending a full hour building the proper sequencing and drilling it into our movement patterns.

Clean and Jerk Day
Monday August 26th, 2013

Skill: Clean Drills

WOD:
EMOM 20 – 1 Clean Pull, 1 Clean Pull from the Hang, 1 Hang Power Clean, 1 Jerk

Athletes may increase weight on the bar every 5 minutes if your form is good and you feel in control

Holiday Reminder: CrossFit Somerville will be closed this Monday, September 2nd, for the Labor Day holiday.

Travel Reminder: JT is at Burning Man. If you have time-sensitive membership questions or need for assistance, ask your coach in class or email Nick for help.