Eva, my February friend
Eva is my go-to workout the first weekend every February after a strict refresh to start the year each January. If you’ve ever participated in an annual Crossfit Memorial Murph, Eva is like Murph's smaller, more ferocious sister.
Summary
Eva is my go-to workout the first weekend every February after a strict refresh to start the year each January. If you’ve ever participated in an annual Crossfit Memorial Murph, Eva is like Murph's slightly smaller, more ferocious sister.
Today’s Topic: Activities that force you to mentally prepare
I’m a firm believer that every month there should be at least one activity (ideally 2-3) that you think about in the days leading up to it for what it will require of your mind and body. This doesn’t mean it has to be the hardest thing you’ve ever done; and it’s not meant to strike fear. You might be excited for a long hike, or mentally preparing for a weekend on the slopes, or giddy about your upcoming first surf lesson. All of these count - the key is that it should be a meaningful punctuation to accent your typical activity levels.
For many crossfitters, there is one such activity that punctuates all others - Memorial Day Murph. As a “Hero” workout (named after a fallen US service member), Murph is exceptionally challenging, combining 600 total body weight movements with a mile run on each side. Most Crossfit gyms hold an annual event around this workout, and many spend the weeks leading up to the event programming workouts to help their members prepare for the mental and physical load it takes on the body.
I want to introduce you to another similar workout. One that occupies my mind for two weeks leading up to it.
My first time completing Eva was in 2008 and I remember thinking about it for days in advance. Now, Eva has become a tradition for me on the first weekend in February. I’m not sure how this happened - I typically do a variant of Dry January (often with extended water or bone broth fasts you can read about in other posts), and in some ways Eva felt like an exclamation point on that fresh beginning to the new year.
I challenge you to try Eva - it’s an absolute monster of a mental effort and the fitter you are, the harder Eva pushes back.
This Week, Join Me and Try This:
Eva is a combination of 800 meter runs, pullups, and heavy kettlebell swings. The physical stimulus depends largely on how hard you push the run (and secondarily on your muscular stamina for the other two movements), but now matter how you do it, Eva is a mentally and physically transformative.
Alex
For tips on maximizing this workout, check out my detailed guide here.
And here's a video from Crossfit with some additional strategy (it's in French, but there are subtitles - and the content is good).