Memorial Day, Murph, and Gratitude

Crossfit has a cool tradition where they name workouts in honor of service members who have died defending our freedom. This Memorial Day, our gym did the workout Murph. The workout honors Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, NY, who was killed in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005.

The workout was brutal. First you run 1 mile, and then you do 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, and 300 air squats. You finish by running another mile. It took me forty-seven minutes and forty-eight seconds.

Gratitude and Appreciation

I felt a unique sense of gratitude and appreciation while doing Murph. There were times during the workout where I felt absolutely spent—like I couldn’t do one more push-up. But I reminded myself that my temporary discomfort doesn’t even compare to the sacrifices that our service members make defending our freedom. I bet Murph would have loved to do this workout with us on Memorial Day, but sadly that isn’t possible anymore. But because of his sacrifice, we can.

Freedom is not free. But I’m grateful for it.

Discussion

What are your Memorial Day traditions? How do you remember and honor the service members who have given their lives defending our freedom?