Making It Look Easy

The Winter Olympics are just a few weeks away and my excitement continues to build.  To me, there are few stages in life that represent the culmination of hard work, dedication and sacrifice like the Olympic Games.  Of course, my favorite competition in the games will be the hockey venue, but there are also other events that hold my attention.  Events like figure skating, skiing (moguls and giant slalom particularly) and snowboarding events will also make their way onto my DVR.

My enjoyment of these sports is based on my admiration of the athletes' abilities to execute some of the most dangerous, intricate, challenging and complex movements, perfectly.

As with our daily work in CrossFit, Olympic athletes push their minds and bodies to the edge of "what's possible" for strength, speed, agility, balance, accuracy, power, endurance, etc. in pursuit of personal best performances. While I admire the accomplishment of winning a medal, I am more focused on the execution of the task at hand.

Growing up an athlete, I can remember my father and I watching the Olympics together and hearing him say, "Boy, he sure makes it look easy."  For many years now, that concept has stuck with me as the greatest athletes, no matter what their sport of choice, make their performance look easy.

But, how is it that triple sow-cows, reverse 360 flying squirrel air and racing down a mountain at 70 mph on toothpicks can be made to look easy?  Well, while there are many facets to the perfect execution of movement, the art of making it look easy is seated deep in the psyche of the athlete.  It is the combination of confidence and faith, both of which are derived from countless hours of practice, repetition, training, visualization and preparation.  The end result is a performance that is masterful, graceful and inspiring.

In CrossFit, we too, have the opportunity to make it look easy.  Yes, we can wrinkle our faces, grunt, groan and yell, but, in the end, which athlete ends up with more eyes on her?  The one that is making it look easy.  When there is precision and accuracy in the movement, moving large loads long distances can be made to look, well, almost artful and graceful.  It is for this grace in which we strive.

At some point in our earthly development, we open our minds to the realization that life is about energy.  Energy we spend and energy we conserve.  To exude struggle, turmoil and pain is work and requires copious amounts of energy and is the classic sign of the neophyte, or amateur.  Not only in sport, but in life as well.  We all know when the average person is struggling.  They express it physically and verbally in everything they do and with everyone they encounter.  The same is true with athletes.  The amateur wants everyone to know how hard they are working, how much they are sacrificing and how great their struggle.  The amateur has bought into the notion of spending energy so that if I look like I am working hard, struggling and battling, then I must be.

The master, on the hand, has learned the art of conserving energy.  There are few signs of struggle or pain in the master's body language, attitude and conversation.  The master, in sport and life, has learned the value of making it look easy.  Does the master struggle? Yes. Does he have pain? Of course.  Is life challenging? Absolutely.  However, the master knows that the more energy she can conserve, the better performance she can offer which ultimately leads to reaching more goals.

My challenge for you this week is to work on making it look easy in the gym and life.  Pay attention to how you feel at the end of your workout and at the end of your day when you consciously conserve energy, rather than carelessly spend it.  Making it look easy is a principle of life that will serve you well all the days of your life.