Rest Day/Theory

What does it take to write a book? Hilary Achauer talks to Samir Chopra and bestselling novelist Eleanor Brown about the joy—and pain—of writing.

When all she wants to do is stop, Eleanor Brown breaks her task into manageable parts.

“Small goals are important. You have to make it achievable,” Brown said.

Samir Chopra doesn’t enjoy the process, but knows he’d be even unhappier if he stopped.

“I wish I could stop, but if I stopped, I’d be… Continue Reading

Former pro cyclist Jeff King recounts the spread of cycling’s drug culture from Europe to North America.

The first thing I noticed in Belgium was the speed.

We were racing at a pace at least five miles per hour faster than anything I had ever done in North America and not taking the usual rests that would allow me to survive three-hour races like this. I was getting my legs ripped off.

It… Continue Reading

Phil Eich makes a case against traditional physical education, in which sports form the foundation but provide little motivation toward lifelong fitness.

The CrossFit Kids curriculum is effective because it creates a physical learning environment that builds on the idea that all children have differing abilities and need to be challenged at their individual point of development in order for effective learning to take place. This differentiated instruction allows a… Continue Reading

In July 2012, Stockton, Calif., became the largest U.S. city to file for federal bankruptcy protection under Chapter 9. The same year, it ranked 10th on a list of most dangerous cities in the country, and it was ranked second in the state. This year, Stockton was named the third-most-illiterate city in America, with fewer than 17 percent of adults holding a college degree.

“A lot of our families are struggling financially, so the focus… Continue Reading

On Sept. 11, 2012, in Benghazi, Libya, former U.S. Navy SEAL Glen Doherty died during an attack on the U.S. Consulate. The native of Winchester, Mass., was 42.

A CrossFit.com Hero workout honoring his memory was first posted Oct. 12, 2012, and it was a suitably challenging tribute involving 30 135-lb. clean and jerks, a 1-mile run, 10 15-foot rope climbs, a 1-mile run, and 100 burpees.

“He was just… Continue Reading

Dr. Jane Drexler asks who we are between the first rep and the last.

“He is superior to his fate. He is stronger than his rock.” —Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus

If you want to wax philosophical about CrossFit, few better moments will capture your attention than the Dog Sled event of the 2011 Reebok CrossFit Games.

Picture the now-iconic image of Chris Spealler, and you see an unforgettable moment: all eyes were… Continue Reading

Pat Sherwood addresses the concept of clever simplicity in fitness and life.

CrossFit places great importance on the concept of elegance.

In my pre-CrossFit life, I only associated the word elegant with “fancy.” I was half right. Fancy is shorthand for the first two definitions:

1. Tasteful in dress, style or design.

2. Dignified and graceful in appearance, behavior, etc.

Yet there’s another definition, with which I was unfamiliar:

3. Cleverly simple… Continue Reading

CrossFit-funded collection systems are freeing Kenyan women from the burden of transporting water, allowing them to pursue education and take important steps toward equality. Marty Cej reports.

Their ambitions are the same as those of kids everywhere, but the opportunities in the Kasemeni Division of eastern Kenya are very different.

Across this 250-square-mile region, small villages of mud-walled huts and… Continue Reading