The MURPH in Honour Of Murphy

As many of you may already know I just recently lost my adorable and loving cat Murphy.

Despite what anyone says, losing a pet is one of the hardest things to experience.

Our pets become part of our family, they connect with us, protect us, they don’t complain and they offer so much unconditional love.

It wasn’t the first time that I experienced losing a beloved pet. I grew up on a farm and have gone through the loss of dogs, cats, my pet rabbit and my horse of 26 years. Just because I have experienced loss certainly does not make it any easier. In fact, I think it gets much harder as I get older.

When you spend that much time loving anything that is living and anything that gives back you are affected by it.

Murphy was filled with love, he never judged, immediately was forgiving and he simply loved you as you are. Plus he gave the best hugs and even kisses!

In a world where we’re constantly judging ourselves—and unfortunately, as a result, judging others, it is such a unique and special relationship to have. I certainly was grateful for his love, as were many of the women who walked into my studio, my family and friends.

I’m sure Murphy is in heaven giving out free hugs to everyone he meets. I know that I will miss his hugs, his companionship and his unconditional love. He was definitely special.

In honour of Murphy this week I was lucky enough (enter sarcasm here) to have completed a MURPH Cross Fit workout. When I first saw that name it did bring tears to my eyes. So I decided to dedicate my workout to Murphy.

For those of you who do not know what a MURPH workout is, let me explain…

This Memorial Day marks an important day in the CrossFit community, where CrossFit boxes across the country do a Hero WOD called Murph, remembering Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, NY, who was killed in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. Leading a team of three fellow Navy SEALS on a mission to find a key Taliban leader, some goat herders discovered their hiding spot, and instead of killing them, Murphy decided to let them go. An hour after the herders were set free, more than 100 Taliban fighters opened fire. To try and save his team, Murphy walked into a clearing to make a satellite call for help and was shot, but not before signing off with, “Thank you.”

Lt. Murphy was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor after his death. The below workout was his favorite; originally named Body Armor, it is now referred to as Murph in his honor.

How It’s Done

Elite CrossFit athletes will take more than 25 minutes to finish. The sheer volume of reps is daunting, but that’s what makes this workout so special. When you’re 40 minutes in and still haven’t started your second mile run, a strong mental game is the only thing that can see you through to the end.

The MURPH

If you’re not accustomed to the high volume, make a scaled attempt first. Drop the reps by 50% and see how you recover. Assuming it’s not too bad, wait a few weeks and take a stab at the full WOD.

For Time:

• 1-mile run
• 100 pullups
• 200 pushups
• 300 air squats
• 1-mile run

I was proud of my time of 40:00 minutes, even though I did a modified version of the workout – I did push-ups on my knees – MAN, did it ever kick my ass! I was pleasantly sore for three days after but it was totally worth the pain as it gave me a taste of my former athletic days of pushing beyond my mental and physical measures and forcing myself to focus inward when things get really uncomfortable.

Thanks to my little angel Murphy to give me strength to complete the MURPH – RIP my sweet boy – you will always be in my heart XO

Murphy July 1st, 2005 – May 5th, 2018