TWO CLASSES: 7:30a and 9:00a
“Murph”
1 Mile Run
100 Pull-Ups
200 Push-Ups
300 Air Squats
1 Mile Run
The “Murph” WOD on Memorial Day is a tradition among many CrossFit affiliates. Daybreak is proud to honor this fallen hero and the many others who have fought for our freedoms. As we get ready for one of the CrossFit staples, take a moment to read the story behind Lt. Michael Murphy. Click on Operation Red Wings below for more.
Today, we make the extra effort to stay positive, encourage one another, and remember that when the WOD gets tough, it is nothing compared to the sacrifice our servicemen and servicewomen make. Happy Memorial Day!
Under the assumed name Muhammad Ismail, Shah led a guerrilla group known to locals as the “Mountain Tigers” that had aligned with the Taliban and other militant groups close to the Pakistani border. The SEAL mission was compromised when the team was spotted by local nationals, who presumably reported its presence and location to the Taliban.
A fierce firefight erupted between the four SEALs and a much larger enemy force of more than 50 anti-coalition militia. The enemy had the SEALs outnumbered. They also had terrain advantage. They launched a well-organized, three-sided attack on the SEALs. The firefight continued relentlessly as the overwhelming militia forced the team deeper into a ravine.
Trying to reach safety, the four men, now each wounded, began bounding down the mountain’s steep sides, making leaps of 20 to 30 feet. Approximately 45 minutes into the fight, pinned down by overwhelming forces, Dietz, the communications petty officer, sought open air to place a distress call back to the base. But before he could, he was shot in the hand, the blast shattering his thumb.
Despite the intensity of the firefight and suffering grave gunshot wounds himself, Murphy is credited with risking his own life to save the lives of his teammates. Murphy, intent on making contact with headquarters, but realizing this would be impossible in the extreme terrain where they were fighting, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his own life moved into the open, where he could gain a better position to transmit a call to get help for his men.
Moving away from the protective mountain rocks, he knowingly exposed himself to increased enemy gunfire. This deliberate and heroic act deprived him of cover and made him a target for the enemy. While continuing to be fired upon, Murphy made contact with the SOF Quick Reaction Force at Bagram Air Base and requested assistance. He calmly provided his unit’s location and the size of the enemy force while requesting immediate support for his team. At one point he was shot in the back causing him to drop the transmitter. Murphy picked it back up, completed the call and continued firing at the enemy who was closing in. Severely wounded, Lt. Murphy returned to his cover position with his men and continued the battle.
An MH-47 Chinook helicopter, with eight additional SEALs and eight Army Night Stalkers aboard, was sent is as part of an extraction mission to pull out the four embattled SEALs. The MH-47 was escorted by heavily-armored, Army attack helicopters. Entering a hot combat zone, attack helicopters are used initially to neutralize the enemy and make it safer for the lightly-armored, personnel-transport helicopter to insert.
The heavy weight of the attack helicopters slowed the formation’s advance prompting the MH-47 to outrun their armored escort. They knew the tremendous risk going into an active enemy area in daylight, without their attack support, and without the cover of night. Risk would, of course, be minimized if they put the helicopter down in a safe zone. But knowing that their warrior brothers were shot, surrounded and severely wounded, the rescue team opted to directly enter the oncoming battle in hopes of landing on brutally hazardous terrain.
As the Chinook raced to the battle, a rocket-propelled grenade struck the helicopter, killing all 16 men aboard.
On the ground and nearly out of ammunition, the four SEALs, Murphy, Luttrell, Dietz and Axelson, continued the fight. By the end of the two-hour gunfight that careened through the hills and over cliffs, Murphy, Axelson and Dietz had been killed. An estimated 35 Taliban were also dead.
The fourth SEAL, Luttrell, was blasted over a ridge by a rocket propelled grenade and was knocked unconscious. Regaining consciousness some time later, Luttrell managed to escape – badly injured – and slowly crawl away down the side of a cliff. Dehydrated, with a bullet wound to one leg, shrapnel embedded in both legs, three vertebrae cracked; the situation for Luttrell was grim. Rescue helicopters were sent in, but he was too weak and injured to make contact. Traveling seven miles on foot he evaded the enemy for nearly a day. Gratefully, local nationals came to his aid, carrying him to a nearby village where they kept him for three days. The Taliban came to the village several times demanding that Luttrell be turned over to them. The villagers refused. One of the villagers made his way to a Marine outpost with a note from Luttrell, and U.S. forces launched a massive operation that rescued him from enemy territory on July 2.
By his undaunted courage, intrepid fighting spirit and inspirational devotion to his men in the face of certain death, Lt. Murphy was able to relay the position of his unit, an act that ultimately led to the rescue of Luttrell and the recovery of the remains of the three who were killed in the battle.
This was the worst single-day U.S. Forces death toll since Operation Enduring Freedom began nearly six years ago. It was the single largest loss of life for Naval Special Warfare since World War II.
The Naval Special Warfare (NSW) community will forever remember June 28, 2005 and the heroic efforts and sacrifices of our special operators. We hold with reverence the ultimate sacrifice that they made while engaged in that fierce fire fight on the front lines of the global war on terrorism (GWOT).
Go get ’em everyone… so sad to be missing Murph with you. Happy Memorial Day.
44:13rx
84:36 Rx. Thanks for all the support, guys!
Fight to the finish.. Nice work girl!
Awesome
yes woman — way to set a goal and go for it 🙂
Your words helped me a lot…just having you tell me I 100% could do it gave me some wings.
Congrats Sara! So fun!
So proud of you for getting through this one!
You’re my hero (and hero reminder) today! Great job lady!!
Awesome Sara!
“Lake Murph” (2 miles to start and 2 to finish)
1:00:45
First 2 miles – 15:08
100/200/300 – 27:38 (Broke it up to 5/5/15/5)
Final 2 miles – 17:59
46:15 RX This would be a PR Last year – I didn’t have pull ups and only did 10 rounds.
61:50 with kettlebell swings to eye height for pull-ups. Broke runs into 300m run, 100m walk; 20 rounds 5 swings, 5 push-ups, 15 squats, 5 push-ups.
This WOD was a huge – and I mean HUGE – mental and physical victory for me. A lot of you know that I’ve been living with the repercussions of a concussion I got last April. With Mel guiding me, I’ve finally figured out how to check my ego, scale appropriately, and move through workouts in ways that protect and help heal my brain while also challenging my body. Just a few weeks ago I began running again, and to move through two miles today at a smart pace actually made me cry I was so happy. Thanks Mel! Thanks Daybreak! ❤️
Great job Megan and thanks for your encouragement on those runs! You were looking good today!
proud of you! congrats!
We love you, Megan! Way to go today.
Murph – 36:19 (1/2 mile run, 1/2 rounds, 1/2 mile run)
Murph 62:38, red band PUs, KPUs First time doing the complete workout, wasn’t pretty but finished!
Nice work Kathy! Great job!
1st time doing Murph. 47:18. Almost Rx, did the push-ups from my knees.
MURPH, 55:20, row for run, 100 PUs, 200 KBs 35#, 300 SUs. First time completing whole workout
Have a great Memorial Day everyone!
54:30 with a 35# vest…oops. Kind of like doing murph in January with a 20# one;-). Glad to know I wasn’t the only one, nice 600 squats Tony.
Nice work…I made sure you didn’t finish last. That’s what friends are for.
Sara is so generous. You’d better be thankful, Jim.
Thank you;-)
My first Murph
In Honor of all those who serve and protect. Thank you today and everyday.
56:20 (scaled – 1 mile, 75 pull ups (mostly red band- last few sets blue band), 150 push ups, (1/2 knee) 225 air squats, 1 mile )
Such an awesome morning with the whole daybreak crew — proud of and inspired by each and every one of you who showed up this morning and gave it your all to honor those who serve and protect us.. way to go!
Wrist Mod Murph-ish
1 mile run + 150 squats w 20# vest
then 20 rounds 5 strict pullups, 10 situps (no vest)
then 150 squats + 1 mile run w 20# vest
— 45:08
51:13 broke down reps to 5/10/30…yes, bad math cost me 300 Air squats.
2nd Murph, love the tradition.
OMFG. Hope you can walk tomorrow!!!
Dude… that’s the last time you’ll make that mistake. Ever!
Murph: 53:11 Not sure I will be able to raise my arm above my head tomorrow but so worth it. Great energy today at 7:30.
Murph – 42:19 RX w/ a vest. 7 minute PR from last year. Awesome day!
Murph. 35:51. 1 mi/ 1/2 rounds / 1 mile
55:03 15 rounds, blue band PU, 300 air squats…extra mile run with Dustin! Way to chip at that one Dustin! Great working next to Cory, Elizabeth and Carrie…you guys rock! 3 ciders, 1 scotch, a steak tip and way too many chips and cookies! That was my first Murph…I have come a long way since last Memorial Day – thank you Mel, rap, michele, Kate, Sara, Andrew and all of you day breakers for your commitment and support!
Always a pleasure to work out next to you…keeps me moving!! Great job today Lourdes!
34:20 rx
40:38 subbed 1600m row and then 100 cal on the airdyne for the runs
Murph – 46:44 Rx PR!
79:45 UGH!
Thanks for the help at the end everyone… talk about community.
38:18 rx… 3 mins off PR even though I felt like I was moving well. Might have been that last mile shuffle that did me in! Great energy at the 9:00a class and a heck of a turnout despite the hectic holiday weekend! So proud of everyone who gave it everything they had that day.
TONS of PRs too! Sherry, Maria, Andrew, Brian… so many others as well.
“Lake Murph” (2 miles to start and 2 to finish)
1:12:55
First 2 miles – 15:55
100/200/300 – 38:29 (Broke it up to 5/5/15/5)
Final 2 miles – 17:27
Last year I did regular Murph 2 1/2 months after Keegan and did it in 1:04, so this is a PR I guess 🙂
First Murph
51:43
1/2 the pull-ups w/ red band
Arms have been sore for days
52:38 rx, awful