Category: Burpees

90 DC Results

I realized I never posted my results from the 90DC. I PR’d on every benchmark!  See below:

The 2013 90 Day Challenge. January 1, 2013 – March 31, 2013:

Benchmark WODs: 

(to be completed first week of Jan., and again last week of March)

1. “Fran” – RX (95/65)
2. 1RM Snatch
3. 7 Minute AMRAP: Burpees
4. 10K Row 
5. 1RM BackSquat

Benchmark Results:

Benchmark WOD 1/1/13 3/31/13
1. “Fran” – RX at 65lbs. 5:24 5:19
2. 1RM Snatch 85 lbs. 105 lbs.
3. 7 Minute AMRAP: Max Burpees to 6” target 64 total 69 total
4. 10K Row 44:40 43:53
5. 1RM Back Squat 165 lbs. 185 lbs.

Benchmark Update

“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo.
“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien

10K ROW

4 of the 5 Benchmark workouts are complete. While we have until April 5 to submit results I’m on a strict timeline and must have all benchmarks completed by Sunday. The only thing left to do as of this morning, 1RM Back Squat as well as attempt a 300lbs. Deadlift since that too has been a long time goal.

Last night I tackled the 10K Row after Strongman and beat my last time by about a minute. PR! Amazing the things you can do when you have no time to waste.

4 of 5 Results as follows:

Benchmark WOD 1/1/13 3/31/13
1. “Fran” – RX at 65lbs. 5:24 5:19
2. 1RM Snatch 85 lbs. 105 lbs.
3. 7 Minute AMRAP: Max Burpees to 6” target 64 total 69 total
4. 10K Row 44:40 43:53
5. 1RM Back Squat 165 lbs. 185 lbs.
6. 1RM Dead Lift 260lbs. TBD

Change.

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” ― Lao Tzu
Why is it some WODs haunt us more than others…?
Scene, Starbucks, 7:30am this morning:
Me: Could I have a Venti Coffee, please?
Barista: Room for cream?
Me: I have to do 7 minutes of burpees tonight.
Barista: – ** –
Me: Yes, room for cream. Thank you.
I. Strength:

Establish a 1RM Snatch

* 20 Minute Time Cap

Completed: at 85lbs. not a PR. But given Sunday’s John North Seminar and PRing at 105lbs. I’ll take it. I’ve been on a non-stop WOD train since last week and I’m getting tired. The goal is to finish all the Benchmark WODs, plus WOW 13.4, concluding with a final Strongman, by Sunday.

II. Conditioning:

7 Minute AMRAP of:

Burpees

* Burpees are done to a 6″ target.

Completed: 69 total. Woot! Beat my January score by 7. Thanks to Mike I. for standing by and cheering and counting as I lost count somewhere around burpee no. 29. You would think one wouldn’t lose count during reps during a WOD, but you do, oh, you do and more.

Change. It’s inevitable. We usually do not see it coming. It can be unsettling and is altruistically unpredictable. Out past the surprise and joy or heartbreak or blithe indifference in reaction to change there ultimately lies acceptance. While change may be difficult and unsettling I’m of the mind-frame that it is always, always for the best. It is brought to life by the thoughts and actions and karma of hundreds of thousands of millions of souls, including yours, all reaching and moving and colliding an infinite number of times per second in the blink of an eye and you are best served accepting its inevitability and focusing more on how you react to it. It’s how we react that defines us and set us out on our next path.

Change is in the air, there are changes with our beloved coaching staff at ACF, changes in my personal life, changes in my health, changes that suddenly happened by surprise and certain unnknowns to come as a result. My job is to maintain focus and do the best I can with what I’ve got.

Good to know.

“There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth.” ― Leo Tolstoy

Technically today should have been my rest day. But, screw that. I was up and at ACF at 8am to cheer on the Westside Powerlifters, many of them fellow Strongpeeps, who were completing the last of their 6 week training course. If you’re like me and had never heard of Westside, take a look, they are legendary. As I was getting ready this morning I harkened back to an earlier time in my life when I would have considered getting up at 8am on Saturday morning by choice, complete and utter insanity.

As additional fellow ACFers started to stream in for the 9:30 WOD I began to consider joining them. Until I read the whiteboard and processed today’s WOD:

Conditioning:

1) In 10 minutes:

50 Burpees (as fast as possible)

Establish a 3RM Hang Squat Snatch in remaining time

2) In 10 minutes:

50 Burpees (as fast as possible)

Establish a 3RM Touch and Go Power Clean and Push Jerk in remaining time

3) In 10 minutes:

50 Burpees (as fast as possible)

Establish a 3RM Front Squat in remaining time

If you’re paying attention, that’s 150 Burpees in total. When I text the word ‘Burpees’ on my iPhone, it autocorrects to all caps: ‘BURPEES.’ No idea why. But I’m thinking my iPhone is pretty damn smart. Because the word deserves being written in all caps. Show a little respect people.

A river of thoughts as to why I did not need to do this particular WOD dutifully presented themselves. All valid in one way or another. But I was already there, inspired by the Westside gang, and the other good people who were steadily walking through the door to get the job done. The decision was made: I’m in.

Murph was our coach today. During the warm up he acknowledged the group’s overall general disdain for burpees by having us repeat the following words out loud with each round of extra burpees for warmup: I. Love. Burpees! I can’t hear you, again… I. Love. Burpees. You guys are too quiet, again… And with each down and up: I. Love. Burpees. And the mood was set.

Truth, in talking with Murph and some fellow peeps, I decided to scale the burpees to 40 per round. This would leave me with enough time, and energy, to do the lifts. All told…

Completed: 120 burpees, and the lifts at the following weights: Front Squat: 110lbs., Clean and Jerk at 85lbs., Snatch at 65lbs. Not epic weights. Just happy to have entered the race.

Postscript: You can always, always do more than you actually think you can. Everything is entirely in your head. The thought of doing 50 burpees per round seemed absolutely daunting. But could I have completed the remaining 10 after completing the 40 per round? The simple answer is: Yes.

And this is good to know.

Kal Su

“Do one thing every day that scares you.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt

For me on this day, the one thing that scared me was a WOD named Kal Su. It haunted me throughout the day, from checking it in the morning and watching the demos, till the afternoon whereby I would check again to make sure by some stroke things might have changed in my favor. No such luck. Kal Su is a combination of all things that not only take me a long time to complete, but take me a long time to complete. It is a medley of all my absolute sucks wrapped up in a bow.

I fretted over this WOD all day. Trying to think of any excuse not to go. But yesterday was my rest day and no rationalization seemed strong enough. The truth is, you have to face these things and I knew if I didn’t show up and at least try I would only regret it.

Warm-Up:

2 Rounds:

15 Overhead Squats with Barbell

20 Jumping Lunges

25 AbMat Situps

Strength:

Establish a 1RM Thruster in 10 minutes

Completed: 65lbs, 85lbs., 95lbs., 105lbs.  Then onto Kal Su. My stomach was in my throat. Kevin very nicely shared a story about how when he performed this WOD for the very first time many years ago it about ruined him to Crossfit for good. That’s how much it leveled him. Kevin is one of the top coaches at ACF. Strong, very knowledgeable. Don’t get stuck in burpee hell, he said. And I knew then my best approach was to scale as best possible, and just get through it.

Conditioning:

“Kalsu”

On the minute:

Complete 5 Burpees and then perform Max Thrusters (135/95).  Continue this pattern until you’ve completed 100 Total Thrusters.

*25 minute cap

Completed: scaled to 3 burpees per round and Thrusters at 55lbs. Completed 72 Thrusters total in the 25 minute time cap. Was not looking for any personal record setting here. Just glad I showed up and did it. For me that is the grand achievement for today.

do it.

“Think left and think right and think low and think high. Oh, the thinks you can think up if only you try!” ― Dr. Seuss

Part I. Barbell Gymnastics:

Clean and Jerk: 5 x 2 – rest 30-60 seconds.

Completed: at 65lbs., 75lbs., 85lbs., 90lbs., 95lbs.

Part II of this WOD looked really difficult and I was scared going in.

Part II. Conditioning:

3 rounds for time of:

50′ Burpee Broad Jump
20 KBS 32/24kg
15 C2B Pullups
10 Thrusters 135/95#

(17 minute time limit)

Completed: in 13:47. Scaled to Kettlebells at 45lbs., Thrusters at 65lbs.

The only way out is through.

“Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.” ― Anaïs Nin

WOD:

I. Row 2k for time

Completed: 8:11. New PR! Hoping this also earned me a trip to the Leaderboard. We will see.

II. 5 Sets:

Max Strict Pullups

15 Burpees

*Rest 1 minute between sets

Completed: Barely. Was tired and simply trying not to hurl.

No one likes Burpees. No one. Okay, maybe someone does. And if it happens to be you, shoot me an email and plead your case. I’m interested.

I do not like burpees. Nay, I think I’m actually afraid of them. One, my burpee execution is dreadfully slow. Most folks are already headed back up while I’m still moving in the downward direction. If anything, doing burpees in a group has taught me to not mind being last because last is where I usually end up. As everyone around me finishes and is standing there waiting for more direction or setting up for their next movement, I’m the lone clap in the distance as my 5 point burpee execution draws to a close. Not making this stuff up. +

Two, burpees simply suck.

So, when I saw tonight’s WOD I thought, ugh. I’m so not in the mood for this. Feeling lackluster. Feeling less than awesome. Feeling slow. Don’t need to be reminded in public. But, the 2K row. This has been on my list of benchmarks that must be revisited! And so off to ACF I went.

On a personal note, I’ve often tried to put into practice the saying, ‘The only way out is through.’ Mostly when it applies to personal moments, relationships, stressful situations, life happenings. Scenarios. Crossfit is taking this to a whole new level. It is teaching me how to physically get comfortable being uncomfortable. To take whatever it is I am afraid of, what scares me most, and dive straight into it head first.

Bring on the burpees, I say!

It may take me longer. But, I’m not going to walk away, I’m not going to not show up. I’m simply going to give it all I’ve got.

Work on your sucks, and the rest will get better too. It is simply the way things work.

The only way out is through.