Monday, March 12, 2012

Life Lessons Learned from the CrossFit Games Open......So Far.

Seriously!? My last post was the 28th of December. I guess as a blogger, I am less than reliable for routine information and entertainment.

With peer pressure streaming throughout the CrossFit worldwide community and, at least in my world, CrossFit Reston being the epicenter of my personal peer pressure cooker, I signed up for the 2012 CrossFit Games. What? Me? An amputee who can do exactly 2 double unders and scales most workouts!? Yup! Sure did!

WOD 12.1: 7 Minutes of Burpees (Burpees are a synonym for hell in my eyes) with a jumping target 6 inches above your extended arm reach. My score: 70.

What life lesson did I learn from this WOD? I learned that I don't like doing burpees for 7 damn minutes! Seriously, who does? But I kept moving, even when I couldn't pull my legs up anymore. I devised a strategy to just keep moving by alternating which leg came forward first!

WOD 12.2: Proceed through the sequence below completing as many reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
75 pound Snatch, 30 reps
135 pound Snatch, 30 reps
165 pound Snatch, 30 reps
210 pound Snatch, as many reps as possible

My score: 37

I performed this WOD on a Friday after having set a 1RM Snatch PR of 125# on the preceding Tuesday. I have never snatched 135#. Hell, prior to that Tuesday I was told I had an ugly snatch! (Had to throw that in) As I got my bearings together for this WOD, I decided, I was not leaving the bar without getting 135# up at least once. After the first 30 reps, I changed my weight and with the encouragement of one of my coaches, I snatched 135# 7 times. I was overjoyed but also left wondering in a 1RM, what would I be able to do? You can absolutely do anything you put your mind to.

WOD 12.3: Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 18 minutes of:
15 Box jumps, 24" box
115 pound Push press, 12 reps
9 Toes-to-bar

My score: 4+24 or 168 points

Holy Shit! Before this WOD, I had literally jumped on a 24" box one damn time. These people want me to do it repeatedly 15 times!?! Aw hell, no time to quit now. I practiced a couple of jumps and then when the WOD started, so did I. I jumped like I had never jumped before. If I scaled, it didn't count. No way was I scaling this WOD! I did, however, learn some interesting tidbits from this WOD.

1. I CAN jump on a 24" box; so much so that I am now thinking I can jump on a 30" box! Why the hell not!
2. For some reason, the box jumps followed by the 115# push press meant I was totally out of breath and pressing that shit bar above my head was rough! Gasping and trying to catch a breath felt like I was drowning.
3. I am a toe-to-bar master! I cranked those out like they were nothing. I'm guessing I could breath during those!

Unfortunately I also learned another valuable lesson in week three of the CF Games Open. Make sure your scores are actually recorded. Despite my best efforts, my 12.1 score was not properly recorded meaning I am no longer in the running for the 1st prize cash. (I knew exactly what I would spend it on too!)

CrossFit really is for everyone!  always hear, "I wouldn't be able to do that!' and "I can't lift that." Sorry folks but I am calling bullshit! If you want it bad enough, you'll figure out a way to do it. Scaling is what will help you achieve your goals. You didn't run out of the womb; you shat, crawled, walked then ran. You scaled your early years, why not treat CrossFit as such and scale it until you can do Rx'd. And if you can't do the prescribed weight, who cares. We don't judge, we cheer you on and help you to get to the prescribed weight.

Now, WTF does 12.4 have in store for me........

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