Another One Bites the Dust

For some reason or another I had an aching for some Queen this morning. I think my longing stemmed from the fact that it is the end of the week (finally) and I did crank out a WOD early this morning. As a result, here is "Another One Bite's the Dust" for your viewing and listening pleasure.

Today, I somehow managed to get my butt out of bed early enough to make it to the 5:30 am class. While I do enjoy working out in the morning (the GYG is always interesting and Zach always offers great advice), I often feel bad because I seem to be incapable of making it to the Fort on time. I would like to blame my parents but that is another story entirely in itself and not really fair either. I digress though. Regardless of my tardiness, I was able to join in the morning festivities.

I started with a brief 300 meter row to warm up before moving on to the morning's strength workout:

Presses

3-3-3-3

25-30-35-39.6 (Epic Fail)

For some reason or another, I continue to have trouble with my presses. I've been stuck at 37 forever and can't seem to get past it. Now, I realize since I am still feeling the side effects of "Angie" (b&^%h) and haven't been getting a whole lot of sleep may have something to do with it, but it's still frustrating and I feel like those are excuses rather than the real reason. In any case, after my epic fail, Zach had me do a max rep of presses at 25 kg. I did 20, halfway got to 21 and then put the bar down. I felt cashed, as I should have, and as Zach reminded me after I waited a minute and tried to rep more out only to fail.

It was successful though in that I was given another way to try and improve my presses so that I can finally break that 37 barrier. And as I went to set up for the metcon, I felt more confident and aware of what I needed to do in order to improve.

The metcon we did today consisted of the following:

• 10 Cleans (60 kg/40 kg)
• 50 Sit ups
• 8 Cleans
• 40 Sit ups
• 6 Cleans
• 30 Sit ups
• 4 Cleans
• 20 Sit ups
• 2 Cleans
• 10 Sit ups

I did the workout at the prescribed women's weight (40 kg) and finished in a little over eleven minutes. I was shooting for sub-eleven; however, seeing how cleans and I are not BFF's, I was incapable of doing so. My quads were wrecked after doing the first five (The first five! I'm blaming Angie...) and then I kept worrying about my form.

I want to be better at cleans (like really, really want to be better at cleans). However, I think I'm just going to have to practice them before and/or after class in order to really get that form down, so that I can (hopefully) crush WODs like this in the future.

Anyhow, it's another week down, another WOD down, and it's on to Team Saturday tomorrow.

Cleaning with Frustration

When I walked into the Fort last night, I knew exactly what to expect. The boyfriend (Matt: Look at that Tom. I gave him a name. *Smiles*) gave me the heads up on the WOD, most likely to help me wrap my head around it. As most of you know, I put my cleaning ability right up there with my pull ups; however, when I walked into the Fort that day, I was determined to clean 50 kg, a weight that has been alluding me for some time now.

The strength workout was 3-2-1-1-1 of power cleans. I did three reps of 35 kg; two reps of 40; one rep at 45; one rep at 47.2 and then moved onto 50. I stepped up, took a deep breath, told myself that I was going clean 50 kg, and then set up for a new PR. Then my lack of form stepped in. My problem this time wasn't dropping under the bar or my elbows but rather I didn't jump high enough and pulled my arms into the scarecrow position too soon. In the end, my new PR was actually an EPIC FAIL. It was frustrating and so I decided to channel that frustration into the metcon.

The metcon also included cleans, this time hang power cleans. The metcon consisted of:

7 rounds for time:

• 3 cleans (85% of PR = 40kg)
• 6 box jumps (mid-thigh = 26")
• 200 meter sprints

Essentially, I wanted this workout over and done with. I was annoyed with my lack of results during the strength WOD; I had a headache and was just generally not in the best of the moods. It didn't help that I felt like I had someone screaming in my ear throughout the duration of the workout. It also didn't help that after I finished I realized that my box was only 22" instead of 24" like I had thought, and so my box jumps were not as tall as I wanted. Regardless, I finished the WOD in due time, in a little over fifteen minutes, 15:11 to be exact. It was a tough one and I was glad when it was over.

On a side note, I will get that 50 kg clean if it kills me. Seriously.

A Whole Lot of Random: Cleans, Mr. Big, Sled Drags & the Green-Eyed Monster

Yesterday, I went to the Fort and we were doing cleans as a part of our strength workout. As far as my cleaning ability goes, I am better with a vaccum than I am with a barbell; however, I'm trying to be positive (Yay cleans!) and improve my form so that I can cross cleans off my list as something that I am less than stellar at. It would actually make me really happy to be good at cleans. Lucky for me, I have Bill and Jennie there to pinpoint my exact problem and then outline the correct steps to correct it. Also, lucky for me, Mr. Big came on the satellite radio yesterday in between sets so that Jennie and I could have a sing-a-long. I realize that Mr. Big is the atypical workout song but it helped lighten my mood in my otherwise frustrating situation.

Unfortunately, Mr. Big had to go away with the rest of the 80's (of course, that is otherwise very fortunate in many cases), and I was immediately brought back to present day to complete four sled drags across the drive. I'm kind of weird, but I like sled drags, even when Mrs. Yundt is beside me and kicking my ass. (She is speedy, people... and super strong and looks fantastic. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'd hate her if I didn't want to be like her.) Regardless of Speedy beside me and the green-eyed monster gnawing on my quads, I only remember the time of my last sled drag, which was 20 seconds to drag the tire across the driveway.

Overall though, it was more of a successful day than not. I got some great advice on correcting my clean form, did fairly well during handstand practice (yeah... we did those too), got to drag a tire behind me (which oddly enough I enjoy) and was able to listen to some Mr. Big. If that's not a good Monday, I don't know what is.

The Head Case

There is something wrong with me. (Well, actually there are a lot of things wrong with me, but I'm being specific here.) Yesterday, while I was at the Fort and we were practicing our Power Cleans, I kept having college basketball flashbacks. I could see the bleachers filled with people donning white and blue, the giant bluejay over the court designating this Bluejay Country, and the refs herding the other players around the free throw line; I could feel the fabric of my jersey clinging to my wet skin, the way it scratched against my shoulders when I'd tuck it under my bra straps, and, most importantly, I could still hear my coach's voice ringing in my ear from when he called me over while both teams set up for free throws:

"You're not in high school anymore, Brit. Wrap your head around it, get back in there and shoot the damn ball."

Apologetically, these were words I heard often. So what does my former college basketball coach's words of wisdom have to do with power cleans? All high school angst aside, the latter part of his advice is still as true for me today (particularly yesterday) as it was so many years ago: I am (or am sometimes) a head case.

Throughout high school and college, I was a respectable athlete. I was never a stud, but I was decent. In fact, in some cases, I seemed to have some kind of untapped potential that (no matter how much my coaches tried to coax or even scream out of me) I could never get to and a lot of that seemed to be because of my head. Now, I'm not trying to get all sad and throw some sob story at you because I don't have one. I've come a long way in regards to confidence in my abilities since that freezing day in February so many years ago. Yes, I still have a way to go but we all struggle at some point or another with our confidence; however, the point I'm trying to make is that so much of what we do in athletics, and particularly in CrossFit, is mental. Take yesterday's strength workout for example.

We were completing three sets of three power cleans. I did one rep at 30 kg just to see how it felt because I haven't lifted in awhile. It was too light so I moved onto 35. I did three reps at 35; it still felt pretty light and so I then bumped it up to 40. I did three reps of 40 and then was told that it still looked too easy for me. So we put 50 kg on the bar. I stepped up, thought to myself "This is going to be heavy," and sure enough, epic fail - not once, but three times. Jennie then suggested that I end on a good note and try it at 45 kg. I did one rep and then failed the remaining two. Now, I know that my form was a little off and prevented me from catching the bar, but there was a part of my epic fail that was all thanks to my head. I had cashed out too early; I thought it was going to be too heavy - and guess what, it was.

This brings me back to my original point: So much of what we do at CrossFit is mental. If you believe that the push ups are going to suck; believe me, they are really going to suck. If you believe that you can't run that 10k, then you're right. You'll be walking while dozens of other people pass you by. Further, if you believe that you're not going to be able to complete those handstand push ups, then be sure you have a spotter nearby because you're probably going to fall on your head (Side note: You should probably have a spotter around anyway. Be safe, people.) Yes, CrossFit is physically tough, but it's just as Michele Vieux of Crossfit Invicus said: "In CrossFit, mental toughness is maybe even more important than your physical ability or God-given athletic talent. CrossFit requires mental toughness to be able to perform at YOUR peak level" ("Mental Toughness" King CrossFit). You hear that? You need mental toughness in order to perform well. Weird.

While you may be saying "No duh, Brit" to my latter point, we all need to be reminded from time to time that it is sometimes our head and not our abilities that are holding us back. Confidence comes from good performance, and with practice and persistence, you will eventually gain the needed confidence to perform at your peak level. Here are some other tips that Vieux provided (and I've only very slightly altered) to help you through those difficult times:

1. Psyche yourself up, not out: Think about what you need to do to complete the task at hand and NOT how hard or heavy it is going to be. Don’t let fear hinder or block your performance.
2. Don’t hang onto prior mistakes or failed attempts: Instead use them as learning devices and stepping stones to success for your next try.
3. Set a goal: It may be a pace time per round, completion of the WOD in under a certain amount of time, getting in a set number of reps completed before resting, giving yourself the best prep for your upcoming race, or even keeping a fellow member within your sights. Remind yourself of this when you want to stop.
4. Start next round or exercise BEFORE assessing if you need a rest: Getting in at least a couple of reps of the next task not only gives your mind a confidence boost but also gives your body a chance to assess if you still need the break. Sometimes moving in a different way can relieve some of the stress on your tired body parts.
5. The countdown: Stick to it! If you do need to rest, no problem, but give yourself “the countdown” of a preset time limit in which you solemnly swear to restart your WOD. ("Mental Toughness" King CrossFit)

These are all good points and are ones we should heed as CrossFitters. We all want to perform well, especially in regards to those WODs, movements and lifts that we feel we are less than stellar at. Now, I fully intend on taking Vieux's eloquent advice and applying it to my own workout regime as well as continue telling myself what I tell Jennie all the time in regards to running and she aptly pointed out to me about my cleaning: "Take that [insert chosen hated WOD, movement, and/or lift here] and own it."

Zoology Lesson #1: The Badger

Awww... Ain't he cute?

Today kids, we'll be talking about the Badger. The badger is short-legged, heavy set carnivore that is a part of the weasel family. They primarily shelter underground in intricate burrows, which are otherwise known as "setts," and may either live alone or in clans of 2 to 15 (www.wikipedia.com). While the badger may appear to be cute and cuddly, they can be fierce animals, particularly when they go up against gophers, wolverines, Chief Illiniwek, wildcats, Spartans, and so on. They will also go to any lengths to protect themselves and/or their young, in which case, they look more so like this:

"Grrrrr... Don't f*&^ with me."

Now kids, if you ever encounter a badger that looks like the one pictured above or if you encounter a badger that looks like this:

3 Rounds for Time of:

30 Cleans (40kg/30kg)

30 Pull Ups

800 M Run

Make sure that you either run away or have a really big stick with you to take that sucker down.

I had an unfortunate run in with Mr. Badger yesterday. It was not pretty. I think he knew I was from Minnesota. He was fiesty; those jaws clamped down on my legs as I was trying to clean and front squat and would not let go, and then he crawled up my arms and sat on my shoulders, growling in my ears as I tried unsuccessfully to kip him off. Luckily, I was able to escape him for a bit when running. His short legs don't carry him very fast, but whenever I finished those 800 meters there he was - waiting, baring his teeth, and growling at me to go faster.

Eventually, I was able to outrun Badger; however, the whole ordeal took much longer than I hoped. It was more of a mental battle for me; it has been awhile since I have taken on or been attacked by an animal. Next time I'll be more prepared though and be sure to carry a big stick with me just in case I need to knock him out.

To Hell and Back - For Time

The CrossFit Games are this weekend. Hundreds of athletes are travelling to Aromas, California, to duke it out in the desert in order to determine "The Fittest Man/Woman on Earth" as well as the top CrossFit Affiliate. The team from CrossFit Fire is leaving today to participate in the Affiliate Challenge, which includes three qualifying workouts on Friday of: A 500 m Run Relay, Max Sets of OH Squats and Pull Ups WOD, and The Stadium Workout, a WOD that includes wall balls, rowing, the push press, kettle bell swings, box jumps, and deadlifts.

Personally, I'm anxious to hear about the relay (still love running) and what kind of terrain they will have to run on and can't wait to do the Stadium Workout sometime. If there was ever a workout made for me, the Stadium Workout may be it. I pretty much love every aspect of that WOD except for maybe wall balls, which I only like as a friend. As for the max OH squats and pull up WOD, I'll leave that workout to those who can crush OH squats and pull ups because I am not that girl. Regardless, I am excited for our team (who I'm sure will do phenomenal – we've got a great group of people out there now) and just a little bit sad that I am only able to be a part of it from the sidelines.

For those of you who don't know this, I tried out for the affiliate team. As evidence by this and previous posts, I obviously did not make it because I am not heading for sunny California, and I did not make the team for good reason. I got smoked in the tryouts by the two other women. It was like being Slowpoke Rodriguez in a race versus two Speedy Gonzalez's. Guess who won. Regardless of this fact, I was still amazed and pleased at what I accomplished at the tryouts, which I will explain in further detail momentarily.

We completed the following WOD's for the women's tryouts:

One round for time of:

• 10 Clean & Jerks (60/40)
• 1 Sled Drag (20/15)
• 8 Clean & Jerks
• 1 Sled Drag
• 6 Clean & Jerks
• 1 Sled Drag
• 4 Clean & Jerks
• 1 Sled Drag
• 2 Clean & Jerks
• 1 Sled Drag

One round for time of:

50 Double-unders

21-15-9 reps of:

• Overhead Squats (40/30)
• Box Jumps (24")
• Pull-ups

50 Double-unders

And we were supposed to complete a third workout, which was:

Three rounds for time of:

• 500m Row
• 21 Burpees
• 400m Run

Long story short: I had never done 40 kg cleans or 30 kg OH squats in a workout. The load was just a little too heavy for me in both instances (before I had only done about 35 kg cleans in WOD's, 45 kg cleans at a max 3 rep and 25 kg OH squats). Also, if you've ever read my blog before, then you already know that pull ups and I do not get along. (I seriously don't know what their problem is. I try to be nice and they just mess up my hands). In addition to the heavy weight and my arch nemesis, there was blood (I put a big gash in my leg when I dropped the bar while I was OH squatting and tore calluses on both my hands during pull ups), there was sweat (a given), there were no tears, almost (almost doesn't count though people), and I did hate my entire being several times throughout both WOD's (see the picture below for proof). Despite all of this: I completed both workouts. I did it.

Let me say it again just because it makes me feel good: I did it. I was apprehensive about both of these workouts even before I did them because neither played to my strengths. The row, burpee, run WOD was more my style; however, I did it (I know, I keep saying it...). I cleaned and OH squatted more than I ever had before. I was setting PR's in a workout. Can we say "awesome"? I also didn't stop doing pull ups even when I finally noticed that both of my hands were bleeding (surprisingly it took awhile). And don't even get me started on the people that helped me get through both WOD's. Their support was instrumental in my finishing. Through it all though, all the blood, sweat and almost tears, all I could think about was finishing and getting to that point where I could say I went to hell and back and did it for time.

In the end, my only complaint was that I didn't get to complete the row, burpee, run WOD, even though I understand why we didn't do it and appreciate that Bill did not want me to die. However, I will do that workout. And Bill, if you're reading this, I want that WOD on my birthday (August 28th - mark it on your calendar) and to have "The Eye of the Tiger" played on repeat throughout the duration. Okay, maybe not throughout the whole workout, but at least one time.

Oh... and one last thing: I don't plan on cheering from the sidelines at next year's Games. I don't care if I have to look like that picture below everyday to get there either.

Me hating life during my last set of double unders in the second WOD.