Many of you are familiar with a CrossFit workout named "The Murph." Some of you have done this infamous workout and others of you are probably not sure whether you would like to experience it or not. Lt. Michael Murphy was a Navy Seal who created his own workout which he liked to call "Body Armor" - 1 mile run, 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 squats, 1 mile run. He did indeed do this workout while wearing his body armor and CrossFitters are encouraged to try it with an equivalently weighted vest.

What a lot of people do not know is the story of the man for whom "The Murph" is named. Hopefully, if you have been CrossFitting for a bit, you know that the workouts with men's names are the Heroes workouts. They are named after servicemen, who were part of the CrossFit community, who fell while in service to the people of this country. Lt. Murphy perished in action in June of 2005, while leading a Seal team in a battle that resulted in the largest loss of men in Navy Seal history. His workout was then made part of the official CrossFit roster and named "The Murph" in his honor.

There is a book, titled "Lone Survivor," written by the sole Seal who made it home from the battle that took the life of Lt. Murphy and eighteen other men. His story is an incredible one of will and determination. Even if you are not interested in the military or politics, this book is an eye-opening read. It is awing to know in detail what these men did for this country and the choices and challenges they face on a daily basis. This book is not for the faint of heart - it is straight forward and harsh, both in its graphic detail of the battle and also its political point of view. I had to put this book down on multiple occasions because of the emotion I felt for what these men had to endure, as well as their families back home waiting to find out if they were alive.

Amazon.com - "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell

There are those out there who do not understand the Heroes workouts and find the practice disturbing, and there are those who treat them flippantly, as if they were any other workout. I personally think it is important to learn a little bit about the stories of these men and to appreciate what they did. It is important to remember those who have served and made the ultimate sacrifice. Whether you agree with the politics of the conflicts that took their lives, these are men who were part of the CrossFit community, who sweat through the "Angie" and the "Helen" just like you, and had families that loved them. Unlike most of us, they chose to dedicate themselves to a career that involved a high degree of risk and not a lot of recognition.

The next time you do "The Josh," "The Daniel," "The Murph," or any others of the sadly increasing list of Heroes workouts, take a moment to remember it was not randomly named. These names belong to human beings - fathers, sons, brothers. It may not be a memorial or a medal, but even if it is just a workout, it is a moment in time to celebrate the spirit of these men and maintain their legacy.

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well said.

This is great. Glad to see you write it. When I teach the MCMAP (Marine Corps Martial Arts Program) to my Marines we spend time talking about Medal of Honor recipients and what it means to be a true Warrior, both mentally and physically. I think for those of us new to CF it would be beneficial if a link to the story of those names the workouts are named after was provided for ease in finding. I would enjoy knowing why...