Skip to main content

Why We Murph

Why does CrossFit love "Murph" and why is it so damn important?..

"Murph" is a Hero WOD named for the late lieutenant Michael Patrick Murphy of the United States Navy SEALs.  Every year on Memorial Day weekend this workout is performed by countless CrossFit gyms and servicemen and women around the world.

Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy was killed in Afghanistan in 2005 in the battle made famous recently in the films "MURPH: The Protector" and "Lone Survivor."  In which Lt. Murphy risked his life by exposing himself to enemy fire during an attempt to gain a clear signal to communicate with headquarters after his unit came under fire.  Despite the wounds he endured because of these actions, he returned to his unit’s location after contacting headquarters and continued to fight until he was killed in action. 



The workout "Murph" named in his honor was one of the favorites he would do while on deployment.  The WOD goes...

Run 1 mile
Complete:
     100 Pull-ups
     200 Push-ups
     300 Air Squats
Run 1 mile
 *If possible, perform in a 20lb vest or body armor.

For his actions Lt. Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor, the United States military's highest decoration.  In his memory, thousands of people around the globe complete this brutal workout every year.

It is truly a great memory, a large group of people honoring a fallen hero.  But it's more than that even.  Let us not forget about all those soldiers out there giving their lives for our freedoms.  As much as the incredible story of one man is important, we all fight through this horrible workout as well as many other Hero WODs year after year to honor all of our soldiers, fallen and serving.  The American men and women around the globe who willingly and without question put themselves in the line of fire to protect those of us at home.

There are many ways we can honor and support them throughout the year, and on Memorial Day we inflict just a little bit of suffering on ourselves.  Hoping that in the grand scheme of things, maybe, just maybe it will put us in their shoes for a second so that we can understand the hardships they face and we can show them that we're willing to suffer (in even just this small way) to honor them and the memories of their greatest.

Thank you veterans and service-people.  Without you we have no idea where we would be and what our world would look like.  On this most beautiful of Memorial Days, we salute you.  Our heroes and our protectors.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Sweatiest Angel - May 2017

Congratulations to our Sweatiest Angel for May 2017 - Max Lamb ! The Sweatiest Angel award is given each month to the CSC athlete who displays significant work ethic, a willingness to support others and a true sense of camaraderie inside the gym.  Every day Max brings energy, a desire to learn and the passion to motivate and elevate his fellow athletes. As with many of us he has come a long way through work ethic and a desire for self improvement. A short time ago Max wrote a guest blog post discussing his growth through CrossFit and fitness. Read it HERE . Unfortunately Max will be off soon to pursue awesome new opportunities in New York City. Never lose sight of your goals Max, and your passion for improvement. Congratulations Max. We're going to miss having your energy at CSC! Max sled pull during CrossFit Outside The Box at CWRU How long have you been doing CrossFit?   Max: Got into CrossFit in Santa Monica, California during Summ...

CSC Sweatiest Angel - June 2016

Congratulations to Lizabeth Lukesic on winning CSC's Sweatiest Angel award for the month of June! The Sweatiest Angel award is given each month to a CSC member who displays significant work ethic, a willingness to support others and a true sense of camaraderie inside the gym.  Not only is Liz always smiling and showing a positive attitude but she has also made some done some tremendous work lately - posting faster times in WODs, using heavier weight than she ever has and improving greatly at many skills. Just as she says, you get out of it what you put in, and Liz works her ass off. How long have you been doing CrossFit? I started doing CrossFit-like workouts four years ago and joined CSC in July of 2014. What do you do when you are not at CSC? When I am not at CSC I enjoy spending time outdoors with my posse or experimenting in the kitchen. When did you realize CrossFit was for you? When I realized the amount of physical and mental strength required. Everyd...

Preparing For The Murph

We are coming up on the last week of May which means one thing here in Cleveland - it is Memorial Day weekend and hopefully Summer has finally come!  In the CrossFit world, this also means it is time for Murph! If you find yourself asking who Murph is then you must be new to our functional fit world of people who do not always take the easy road, are willing to work harder than they ever have for their fitness goals, and understand that the support of a community can lift mountains.  Welcome!  And prepare to scream at yourself for 40+ minutes this Memorial Day. What Is Murph  Murph is a CrossFit Hero WOD.  More, THE CrossFit Hero WOD.  Each year thousands of gyms around the United States program the same WOD on the same day - Memorial Day Murph. Murph was created in honor of the sacrifice of Lt. Michael Murphy, one of the storied American soldiers in the movie Lone Survivor.  Click the link to read more about Lt. Murphy and the Murph Foundati...