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Writer's pictureBlack Iron Athletics

Memorial Day

Hey everyone, I wanted to jump on here and talk a little bit about our upcoming Memorial Day WOD "Manion".


As we began working on our plans to re-open the gym one of the first things I thought of was... What does this mean for Murph? Will we even be able to do Murph this year and if so what does that look like? We sat at the whiteboard game planning all the scenarios, possibilities, etc on how we were going to tackle the coveted "Murph". With the outbreak, this year and all the restrictions on social gatherings "Murph" was a tough egg to crack.



What it came down to was "Murph" was not going to be the same this year. No matter how you looked at it, It could not be the "Murph" we are all accustomed to.


If you have been at Black Iron for a while now you know Memorial Day is one very close to home for me. Being a combat veteran I have witnessed the sacrifice many have made serving our country and I have dealt with the grief that goes with that sacrifice. It took years for me to find the right tool to cope with those emotions, but that tool was CrossFit, and more specifically workouts like "Murph" and "Manion".


I finally found something that allowed me to physically go through something emotional and release the negative feelings that had been associated with those emotions.


When we come together on Memorial Day to pay our tribute to the fallen, we are setting aside that time to reflect on those sacrifices and suffer together. A little fraction of the suffering that those we've lost went through. For me this is a profound and even spiritual experience, a yearly pilgrimage in honor of my brothers and sisters who did not make it home. It is hard to even put it into words what it means to me but It has been life-changing. Never would I have thought a workout could have such a big impact on my life and sharing that with you all on Memorial Day has turned a once unbearable day of bad memories into something I truly look forward to every year.


So when it came time to plan Murph, realizing it would not be the same experience it hit me... "Manion" This year we are doing "Manion"! The thought of doing "Murph" this year in heats of 10 people over about 4-5 hours was just not working for me. But "Manion" that could work!


If you don't know who or what "Manion" is here goes:


TRAVIS MANION, 1980-2007 The Man Whose Life Inspires Others On April 29, 2007, an experienced Iraq war veteran from the 1st Recon Battalion, 1stLt Travis Manion, and his fellow Marines were ambushed while searching a suspected insurgent house in the Al Anbar province of Iraq. As he led the counterattack against the enemy forces, Travis was fatally wounded by an enemy sniper while aiding and drawing fire away from his wounded teammates. His courageous acts allowed every member of his patrol to survive. For his actions, Travis was awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star with Valor. His legacy continues to grow through the work of TMF, inspiring people to make an impact by serving others.


His workout...

7 Rounds for time

400m Run

29 Back Squats @ 135/95


His Mantra

"IF NOT ME, THEN WHO..." Before his final deployment to Iraq, Travis left us with a simple but powerful ethos. “If Not Me, Then Who...” describes the sense of duty felt by service members and their families. Today it is a constant reminder for all of us to live with character and put the interests of others before our own.


So this year we honor those we've lost with "Manion". This will allow us to suffer together, rather than in heats of 10 and reflect on the sacrifices made by people like LT Travis Manion. Even Lt Michael Murphy would tell you this is not about him or any one person but it's about recognizing the collective sacrifice of many.


No matter what your level is this is a grueling but easily modified workout that we can all do together. Here are a couple of ideas or options for you if you are not sure how to attack this one.


a) Do the WOD as is, RX is always an option, but it's not always the best option.

b) Do the WOD with a Vest on @ 20/14, no barbell just run and squat!

c) Scale the weight down as needed even if that means getting rid of the barbell and doing something life goblet squats.

d) Lower the volume as needed, maybe only do 5 rounds instead of 7.

e) All body weight, run and air squat, trust me this will still get the job done just fine.


All that being said, I know you will miss our yearly "Murph" but this year has already been a little different so why not try something new. Once everything goes back to normal, we can squeeze a "Murph" in later on this year.


So I want you to ask yourself...


"If not me, then who?"


-Coach Mike

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