Category: Thrusters

connecting. Open WOD 12.5

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” ― Mother Teresa

Sometimes after a long day it is everything I can do to get through the front door at ACF. Sometimes the draw of simply going home and going to sleep can be more powerful. But when successful in getting to ACF and showing up for the WOD, the result is consistently the same, gratitude for making the extra effort.

Today was one of those days. Hard to motivate. Until the moment I walked through the ACF doors wherein the subsequent lifting of my heart and mind commenced:

First by being greeted with hugs and high fives from Dean;

Then with informative and personal coaching from Kevin, Theresa, and Clark. ‘Good form, Mary, you’ve got this, nice job, you nailed it girl…’;

Followed by shout outs of encouragement and smiles by Kim from all the way across the hall in the double wide;

Matched by fellow Strong Person, Nancy watching and cheering right to the finish. Only to then step into the triple wide as the WOD ended to say Great Job and help me break down my bar and put the bumpers away. Thanks, Nancy.

And therein lies the beauty of Crossfit, the connection it builds between its athletes. It’s intangible, powerful, untouchable, strong, persistent, delicate. This video tells the story of Connecting well.

WOD:

I. Barbell Lunges in Front Rack

3 sets, 10 reps (5 per leg)

Completed: first at 55lbs., then 75lbs.

II. Open WOD 12.5

AMRAP in 7 minutes of the following progression:

3 Thrusters (100/65)

3 Chest-to-Bar Pullups

6 Thrusters

6 Chest-to-Bar Pullups

9 Thrusters

9 Chest-to-Bar Pullups

and so on….

Completed: This is Crossfit Open WOD 12.5. Means was the 5th WOD of the 2012 Open. I did this at 55lbs. Clock ran out at Round 15, with 15 Thrusters and 11 Ring Dips.

65lbs. was RX for women. I do believe I could have gone 65lbs. and will remember this if/when the WOD reappears for the 2013 Open.

It’s interesting this WOD appearing today. As I keep thinking about the Masters Division. You can see their results for the 2012 Open posted here. It is very possible for me to achieve similar results. I’m getting close to a full pull up. Very close indeed. With more than a year to train, sky’s the limit.

Last Place is still crossing the Finish Line.

One year ago this week I stepped through the doors of Crossfit for my initial meet and greet with Lebby (I know, lucky girl). I had heard about it, but really didn’t know what the heck it was. Since then, as many have happily or reluctantly heard, I have discovered something that I never knew existed. Something within me. Very grateful, indeed. If you haven’t already, check out this video. Especially the part about cheering on those that finish last, a place I know well. Don’t forget, Last is still crossing the Finish Line.

Friday Night Fights Partner WOD:

30 Minute AMRAP:

9 Burpees

9 Snatches

9 Thrusters

Team Barbell Carry to other side of gym. Repeat.

Completed: @ 45lbs. 12 Rounds total. Total Beast. Thanks, Nancy, for working so hard and pushing me to do the same.

slow

WOD:

I. Pausing Front Squats

5×3

*Hold for 3 seconds at bottom of each squat, ass-to-ankles, bounce up from bottom

Completed: paying special attention to form, at 85lbs, then 95lbs.

II. WOD #1 at 2009 CrossFit Sectionals

AMRAP in 12 Minutes:

5 Thrusters (135/95)

10 Burpees

Completed: Thrusters at 55lbs. 5 Rounds plus 1.

Hit the 5:45am Morning Mahem class today. The coach, Brett, is awesome. He’s patient, explains movements well, and gives great pointers. Still moving slowly today. Still sore and tired from super-awesome Strongman Competition on Saturday. More on that to follow.

Friday Night Fights

Nothing like a little friendly competition to get the blood moving. Friendly. Damnit.

I’m a competitive person. Call it growing up in a large family with lots of older male siblings, I don’t know. But, when the Team WoD’s come around, I show up. The gloves come off in my head, and I’m in it to push. I’m still cheering for everyone else, but I also want to be a serious Competitor.

20 reps of each equals 1 Round. The Team with the most Rounds wins.

20 Burpees

20 Power Snatches @ 75lbs.

20 Box Jumps, 24″

20 Thrusters @ 75lbs.

20 Pull Ups (scaled to Ring Dips for yours truly)

Completed: As a team 7 total rounds.  Great Team.  We didn’t win, as far as I can tell. But we were not afraid to compete. PR on the Box Jumps. First time on the 24″ Also on the Snatch and Thruster. 75 lbs. is a beast. I got some reps in, but mostly as a team, we learned quick who could do what with the best efficiency and fell into line behind this unspoken strategy, supporting one another and taking up slack and sweat at each step.

mahem

Warm-Up:

Row 250

20 Spiderman Lunges

15 Inchworms

WOD:

I. 7 Sets:

5 Tough Thrusters

10 Burpees (As Fast As Possible)

Row 25 Seconds @ 90%

Rest 6 Minutes Actively

Completed: Thrusters at 55lbs, then 65lbs. for rounds 6 and 7. Average time per round 1:35. This was a bi@tch. somewhere around round 5 and burpee no. gagillion pretty sure I went to the dark side. Thank you Ali for encouraging me to head towards the light, finish the last bitter burpee and tackle the last 25sec. row.

It’s About.

“You are not your job, you’re not how much money you have in the bank. You are not the car you drive. You’re not the contents of your wallet. You are not your fucking khakis. You are all singing, all dancing crap of the world.”
― Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club

Warm-Up:

Row 500m

20 Jumping Squats

10 Burpees

Review Squat Clean as a Group

WOD:

I. Build to a tough single on the Squat Clean where you’re fast out of bottom but challenging; speed is key here

Completed: Maxed out at 95lbs. Felt good about this. The form is coming more naturally.

II. 3 Sets:

30 Pullups

Rest 1 minutes

15 Thrusters (115/80)

Rest 3 minutes

Completed: in 15 minutes total. At 55lbs. for the Thrusters. Was thinking should have pushed to Fran weight at 65lbs. This is basically Fran, but broken down differently. Will think through better next time.

There’s something I want to say here, but am not quite clear yet what that might be. It involves people which were once very nice but then grow large egos and start treating others with disregard. You wonder if they know they’ve changed, or worse, care.

It’s about losing site of what might be important to you, in life, in your job, in your family, in your friends. In your life. It’s about how you want to live your life, the people you want to surround yourself with, the coworkers and bosses, and friends, and your shared vision of how you would like things to be. It’s about working as part of a team to bring something to life you all believe, together, passionately about. It’s about finding passion with what you do in your own life. And waking up every day, taking the steps in the direction of that passion, no matter how small, or minute, no matter against whom. It’s about ignoring the voices, inside or outside your own head, that say you simply can’t. That you’re not good enough, that you will never be. It’s about saying good bye when you know it’s right, even though it cuts pretty damn deep and you’re not sure you will ever, truly, recover. You still find the strength, somehow, to say it; Good bye.

Good bye.

It’s about finding that extra push to say Good bye to something that you know no longer makes you happy, or is good for you, or simply just makes you feel bad, no matter how hard you try. It’s about swallowing the pit that says, this is too scary, too unknown, too much of a leap into obscurity, to risk. It’s about risk. It’s about moving ahead despite the fear, and maybe even some sadness, or is that just more fear. It’s about finding the good that makes you happy, and brings joy and good to those around you too. When you’re happy, others are simply happy too. It’s a gift.

That’s all for now. I guess. It’s all I wanted to say. For now. Good Bye.

off of which bridge

“Now and then it’s good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy.” ― Guillaume Apollinaire

Last Friday one of the coaches at ACF rode his bike to the gym and enjoyed it so much declared it, Gas Free Friday, and challenged all the ACF peeps to do the same the following Friday. And because when an ACF coach says, ‘Jump,’ I say, ‘Off of which bridge?’ I rode my bike to work today.

I used to be a pretty avid cyclist. Commuting on my bike every day to work when living in Denver. Denver is a bike friendly city. People are just more aware there of people on bikes. There are more people on bikes so you feel more a part of something. Whereas here, when you are on your bicycle, at least when I am, it feels like people are driving by and thinking, ‘What’s wrong with her.’ Just a vibe I get.

Alas, I’m a little rusty on the getting out the door in the morning to climb on top of my bike and start peddling to work, thing. I was all discombobulated, trying to pack my backpack with just the right things; like shoes for when I get to the office, a change of clothes, my CF wear because in theory I would be biking there after work. And food. I like to bring my own food to work. Salads, specifically. Didn’t exactly foresee how I was going to pack a salad without it all turning to warm salsa before getting to the office. Sunglasses, biking gloves, hairbrush, the list… oh the list, how it continued to grow. But it just doesn’t all fit.

When I made it to work the transition was easy enough. Friday’s are so much more laid back than any other day of the week. If you’re going to bike to work one day a week, this is a good day to do it. No one notices if you’re a little off center, it’s Friday.

Running out of time to continue babbling. Here’s the texted version: ate a Subway ‘veggie’ sub. Bleetch. Seriously? Gross. Got a flat tire on the way to ACF. Was ready to call it a day. A fellow ACF’er drove by. Encouraged me to do the WOD, then offered to change my flat. Thank you Laura! We rocked the WOD. Yay partner WOD’s!

WOD:

I.  With a Partner, 12 Rounds, every minute on the minute, as many reps of the following:

Thrusters (95/65)

Burpees

3 Minute Rest.

Then repeat for 8 more rounds.

Completed: at 55lbs. for Thrusters. Total reps: 71 Thrusters. 60 Burpees.

Laura is an awesome partner. And person. She just has that calm, I’m ready to go to work, helpful, nice, good, way about her. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know her. Turns out she also is a former triathatlon-er. People are awesome. If anyone can change a flat tire, she can. And she had all the tools in her car, like bike levers, bike pump. After getting the tire off, she examined the tube and thought maybe it was something to do with my rim. She then gave me and my crippled bike a ride to the bike shop. Whereby they fixed up my rim, and tire, and I was able to peddle, gloriously, all the way home.