I'm goin down...

I'm yellin timber....
Seriously -- I went down
I hurt myself :(

On April 6, somehow, I damaged my back .
the WOD was push presses, overhead squats, and russian twists. It could have been any of these movements, but the likely culprit was the Russian Twists.
So now I have to take it easy. No jumping or weights for awhile.....

Certainly no line dancing, lol. I love working out to this song. But the video...yikes!



 I'm working on mobility and upper body strength....

I miss the WODs.

OMG -- I'm addicted to CrossFit. They told me this would happen....

Rowing and Thrusters! Yay!

Well, rowing, yay! Thrusters, not so much yay. My thruster max has been, like 35 lbs.....

Workout 15.5

27-21-15-9 reps for time of:
Row (calories)
Thrusters

Men use 95 lb.
Women use 65 lb.

 
Luckily, I can do the scaled workout!

Scaled
(Scaled Men, Scaled Masters Men 40-44, Scaled Masters Men 45-49, Scaled Masters Men 50-54, Scaled Women, Scaled Masters Women 40-44, Scaled Masters Women 45-49, Scaled Masters Women 50-54)

27-21-15-9 reps for time of:
Row (calories)
Thrusters

Men use 65 lb.
Women use 45 lb.

I was really nervous about this one. But Alli talked me through the whole thing. Thanks Alli!! That's what so great about crossfit: the peer support :)
My goal was finishing in under an hour. Mags told me that I'd better go fast, because he was cutting me off in 20 minutes, lol. So I did it. 16:57. 

I LOVE rowing. Seriously -- it's my favourite exercise! (not rowing on the water. Least favourite thing ever)

Anyway-- this ended up being my most successful workout (I know, don't compare...)

15.4 -- Handstand Pushups -- I knew it :)

 So 15.4 was handstand pushups and cleans. Hahahahaha. I'll work towards them for next year :)

Workout 15.4

Complete as many reps as possible in 8 minutes of:
3 handstand push-ups
3 cleans
6 handstand push-ups
3 cleans
9 handstand push-ups
3 cleans
12 handstand push-ups
6 cleans
15 handstand push-ups
6 cleans
18 handstand push-ups
6 cleans
21 handstand push-ups
9 cleans
Etc., adding 3 reps to the handstand push-up each round, and 3 reps to the clean every 3 rounds.

Men clean 185 lb.
Women clean 125 lb.

This is what I did:

Scaled
(Scaled Men, Scaled Masters Men 40-44, Scaled Masters Men 45-49, Scaled Masters Men 50-54, Scaled Women, Scaled Masters Women 40-44, Scaled Masters Women 45-49, Scaled Masters Women 50-54)

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 8 minutes of:
10 push presses
10 cleans

Men push press 95 lb. and clean 115 lb.
Women push press 65 lb. and clean 75 lb.OMG - push press and clean. It almost killed me -- but it didn't :) This has been my best result so far.  

Muscle Ups, seriously???

So, 15.3. humph.

2 more Super Strong women in the announcement challenge.

Workout 15.3

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 14 minutes of:
7 muscle-ups
50 wall-ball shots
100 double-unders

Men use 20-lb. ball to 10 feet, Women use 14-lb. ball to 9 feet


Whew, no muscle ups in the scaled version..... but wait! Where are the double unders??? I have practiced so hard and have finally mastered them. Singles don't feel "right". I really think that double unders are a basic skill and can be chipped through a few at a time :) Grrrrrr...... but I was very happy to see that the weight of the ball was 10 lb though. I've been practicing with an 8 lb ball and the jump to 14 was a bit much for me (I tried). But, dammit, I could have done the RX version had the muscle ups been at the end --  like the over 55 masters!!! (and just taken a 150 score) (oh well, something to look forward to for when I'm 55....). BUT we can't pick and choose our favourite parts in a workout, so lets move on.....

Scaled

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 14 minutes of:
50 wall-ball shots
200 single-unders

Men use 20-lb. ball to 9 feet, Women use 10-lb. ball to 9 feet

So, when I did the workout on Friday at the gym, I was judged by Tom, who I don't know. I got to the skipping and he counts 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10...1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,20... etc and I kept tripping. I had to stop and ask him to count straight through. He did it for me (even though it tired him out). But I stopped tripping. 
Again, this was one that I wished to have a second go at (but I won't). I'm sure it will come up in one of our regular WOD's after the open. But, of course, then I'll do double unders :) 

Anyway -- made it through 2 sets of 50 wallballs (with many breaks) and a full set of 200 singles and then 104 more. 
It is what it is. 
(special thanks to Mags who taught me how to do wallballs -- I still have difficulty catching, but the thrust and throw is going fine)

So, what's coming up? Burpees, I'm sure, ....  box jumps? thrusters? rowing?
and more lifting, ugh.  
I would wish for handstands if they didn't include the push up part :)

oh, and bye the way, I'm sore today in places I've never been sore before. My forearms. My wrists.
And my quads are killing me. But that's nothing new :) 

15.2

So, this week's WOD for the Open was a repeat of last year's 14.2. Since I didn't do CrossFit last year, it's all new to me :).

Workout 15.2

Every 3 minutes for as long as possible complete:

From 0:00-3:00

   2 rounds of:

   10 overhead squats (95 / 65 lb.)

   10 chest-to-bar pull-ups

From 3:00-6:00

   2 rounds of:

   12 overhead squats (95 / 65 lb.)

   12 chest-to-bar pull-ups

From 6:00-9:00

   2 rounds of:

   14 overhead squats (95 / 65 lb.)

   14 chest-to-bar pull-ups

Etc., following same pattern until you fail to complete both rounds


Overhead Squats and Chest to Bar? Really?

Have a look at these 2 super strong women competing immediately after the announcement of the workout. (fast forward to the 9 minute mark if you want to skip the preamble)

This is what I'll be doing :)

Scaled
(Scaled Men, Scaled Masters Men 40-44, Scaled Masters Men 45-49, Scaled Masters Men 50-54, Scaled Women, Scaled Masters Women 40-44, Scaled Masters Women 45-49, Scaled Masters Women 50-54)

Every 3 minutes for as long as possible complete:

From 0:00-3:00

   2 rounds of:

   6 overhead squats (65 / 45 lb.)

   6 chin-over-bar pull-ups

From 3:00-6:00

   2 rounds of:

   8 overhead squats (65 / 45 lb.)

   8 chin-over-bar pull-ups

From 6:00-9:00

   2 rounds of:

   10 overhead squats (65 / 45 lb.)

   10 chin-over-bar pull-ups

Etc., following same pattern until you fail to complete both rounds
Overhead Squats at 45lbs.... maybe.... but Chin over Bar??? not yet!


I did this workout on Friday night -- and almost keeled over during the 6 squats. I did banded Chin to bar pull ups -- so my pull ups didn't count. I think that I made it to 4 squats into the next round... so my workout was finished in 3 minutes. The fastest WOD I've ever done :) Unfortunately, fast time is a bad thing in this workout, lol. And thank you, once again, to Steph, who insisted that I could do those 45lb squats.... and I did :)

So, 15.2 -- score of 6

If you check out the Leaderboard, you will see that I am in good company with my score of 6. Even many RX people scored 10! Those C2B's are hard! 
BUT, the upside? I've kind of got the rhythm of the pull up movement now, so I will practice them a lot from now to next years open!
And really, for me this is all about the workout -- and doing my personal best. I am breaking all of my previous "records", so I'm very happy that I am doing something right!

p.s. The Lovely Miss L is competing as well. Her score for 15.2 was 132. Holey smokes she's strong :)

The Open

So, I have been coerced into participating into the Open. Pressure from the homefront (Miss L) and from the Gym (Tidal).
I just LOVE that I am competing in the Masters category :) I'm a master. hah!

Workout 15.1 and 15.1a were announced on Thursday night. I didn't sleep very well Thursday night. From worry.

Workout 15.1

9-minute AMRAP:
15 toes-to-bars
10 deadlifts
5 snatches
  (M 115 lb. /  F 75 lb.)

Workout 15.1a
1-rep-max clean and jerk
  6-minute time cap

(I look just like her when I'm competing)

I had to perform the "scaled" version of the workout. I can't lift the Rx weight (yet) and I can only do 2 toes-to-bar in a row, lol. 

See the explanations of the scaled workout HERE.

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 9 minutes of:
15 hanging knee raises
10 deadlifts (85 / 55 lb.)
5 snatches* (85 / 55 lb.)
*ground-to-overhead allowed

I was a bit lot worried. I can deadlift 55lb in a workout, no problem. But snatch? uh uh. My max snatch was 40lb :) But ground to overhead? maybe?

But on Friday I did it! Yay me!

But most impressive (to myself, don't burst my bubble)
I clean and jerked 80 lbs! My PR was 45! 

My biggest surprise -- Those hanging knee raises whipped my butt! 

A HUGE thanks to Coach Stephanie who talked me through the whole workout. 

So, I am totally pumped and even feel that I could have done better -- part of me wanted to try again right away :) (Yes, I know that I still could, but I won't).

The reveal for 15.2 will come this Thursday night - 8pm EST (March 5). I really hope that it doesn't have box jumps. Because I'm just ready this week to move up to a higher box and I'm not even sure if it will be high enough to be the scaled version! But, I'll try :)

 

You are far too smart to be the only thing standing in your way

Today's lesson:

Have confidence in yourself, and trust in your coach.

Friday's  WOD included thrusters. For you non-crossfitters - that's squatting (my least favourite thing), while bringing the barbell to your chest/shoulders, then as you stand, you push the bar up over your head. NOT my favourite move.
The WOD was 3 rounds 4 time -- of 10 burpee facing bar; 15 thrusters (Rx 55) ( me - empty 35 pound bar:); then 10 chest to bar pull ups ( I scale it back with some bands).

So, I got to my 3rd (last) round of overhead squats and I was pretty sure I was going to die faint collapse. I was shaking. So I ran to switch out my heavy bar for a practice bar ( yes, I know --  in the middle of a workout) .

 

Mags stopped me " What are you doing???"
Me - " Uhhhh, switching my bar"
Mags - " No you're not," " You're finishing with this one "
Me  (scuttling sheepishly back to my bar)
Mags "3 at a stretch-- we're finishing this!!!". And he begins to count for me....
Me ( I do 5, then 5 more, then 5 more), then skip off to do the pull-ups. And pretty much look sheepish, like someone who has tried to get out of something (well, I tried).
and Mags is giving me this smug, told you so, kind of look....

So after the pull ups, I get a different from Mags, the 'what the hell were you thinking?' look,  then the lecture.
Crap. I'm a teacher. I give that look and the exact same lecture every day. But I like to feel free to thrown in the towel myself, when life gets a little tough. Yes, people, I am a quitter :)

You finish what you start. You don't scale back in the middle of a WOD ( unless the coach tells you to). The coach ( or teacher ) will not ask you to do something that he/she truly believes that you cannot do. You can do it ( and you will).

Self confidence and trust. Sigh.

Okay, I need to begin practicing what I preach :)