Let's get right into it today. 1200 seconds or 20 mins was the time cap on the Air Force 1 wod and in getting through all 100 reps of that wod (if we're not counting the burpees) it took a lot of athletes to the brink of their physical limits. Many didn't finish in the 20 min time cap but Heather did. And she used 1199.43 of those 1200 seconds to get it done.
This performance was something else to watch and I only wish the video in my mind could be put in a camera. When she got to the overhead squats and I saw her struggling to get depth, reps taken away by her judge I thought to myself "damn it looks like the overheads might knock her out (in terms of finishing the wod)." Active shoulders weren't there, the legs were weakening from the burpees, and 65# just looked like too much to handle for her at that point in the wod.
I literally looked up a few minutes later and I'll be damned she was knocking them out by the 2s! She figured it out I thought to myself and now it was clicking. Active shoulders in place, squat depth perfect, & this fml expression on her face on each burpee told the story of the struggle.
The seconds ticked and she finally got thru the overheads, now on to front squats. The burpees must've taken 30 seconds to do as she was done physically but she had just enough time to get the squats in I thought. And so she pushed, perservered, & got through the burpees, picked up the bar and got after the front squats when she assuredly had nothing left in the tank. The crowd was totally behind her, helping her spring up out of the bottom of the front squats and peel herself off the ground after each burpee. When she picked up the bar for the last time there was no other alternative but to finish the 20 reps and before the time cap. And of course she got it with time to spare.....57 seconds to be exact.
In talking to Heather in the weeks leading up to Sectionals she once told me that she was mentally tough and that the physical strength will come. Not that it wasn't proven to me before, but now a broader audience has a greater appreciation for how strong this woman is mentally. We all can learn from that performance, I know I did...O and of course she backs it up with a 1 rep max on the clean & jerk that drove the crowd wild again in wod 2.
Heather this ones for you...showstopper
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Sectionals Reflections Part 2
Today I wanted to cover one of the more inspirational athletes that we took down to St Charles with us this past weekend. Before I get into it I don't want to offend anyone that competed this past weekend by not including them as I go down the list in the coming posts with great moments and people because everyone did something this weekend that inspired me literally and just because I don't post about you does not mean that I forgot about what you did or don't think it was worth getting some notariety, so please don't hate me for it.
Today I wanted to talk about the big man Adam C for all he did this past weekend and in particular in wod 1 the Air Force Wod. I may be wrong but the end result officially for Adam in that wod was DNF or did not finish. In watching him first hand go through this wod I would beg to differ and say that DNF stands for Did Not Fail.
That wod, for those of us that endured it, was a tough cookie and when you get to the end having done over 50 burpees and 76 if you hung around the whole 20 mins, it's difficulty grows exponentially. In spite of that fact Adam kept fighting through the indescribable amount of pain he was in and watching him grind out those overhead squats near the end was pretty cool. A few of the judges were watching in the last few mins and I could see how impressed they were with his depth at the bottom of the overheads and there was no mistaking the fact that every rep was legit.
In watching this effort I think of the progress this guy has made in the last few months and it's definitely a testament to the hard work and consistency he's put in at the box and in the kitchen. Weight loss, strength gains, increased mental toughness and more are all byproducts of Adam's work and we were all witness to that this weekend and as he fought hard in the Air Force Wod.
I won't go on too much longer but Adam this one's for you. Solid work this weekend and there's a lot more growth left in you so keep workin hard and great results will happen.....
Today I wanted to talk about the big man Adam C for all he did this past weekend and in particular in wod 1 the Air Force Wod. I may be wrong but the end result officially for Adam in that wod was DNF or did not finish. In watching him first hand go through this wod I would beg to differ and say that DNF stands for Did Not Fail.
That wod, for those of us that endured it, was a tough cookie and when you get to the end having done over 50 burpees and 76 if you hung around the whole 20 mins, it's difficulty grows exponentially. In spite of that fact Adam kept fighting through the indescribable amount of pain he was in and watching him grind out those overhead squats near the end was pretty cool. A few of the judges were watching in the last few mins and I could see how impressed they were with his depth at the bottom of the overheads and there was no mistaking the fact that every rep was legit.
In watching this effort I think of the progress this guy has made in the last few months and it's definitely a testament to the hard work and consistency he's put in at the box and in the kitchen. Weight loss, strength gains, increased mental toughness and more are all byproducts of Adam's work and we were all witness to that this weekend and as he fought hard in the Air Force Wod.
I won't go on too much longer but Adam this one's for you. Solid work this weekend and there's a lot more growth left in you so keep workin hard and great results will happen.....
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Sectionals Reflections Part 1
He's BAAAAAACK! Finally back to posting here after a good week off. A lot has gone on so it'll take a few posts to get caught up. First of all last weekend at the Midewestern Sectional in St Charles, Missouri CF Chicago tore it up and represented VERY well. The athletes, judges, volunteers, and spectators all were a part of something special. We had some athletes do things they've never done before, set new pr's, push their physical and mental boundaries like never before, and in general grow as athletes, crossfitters, and people.
Our sport truly is different than most others in the camaraderie it has as we also got a chance to meet, compete with, and watch some other great athletes destroy the wods we were asked to complete. For all of us these competitions serve as learning experiences and launching pads for the future as it's easy to get caught up in the small world of our individual boxes day to day. When we go out and see who and what else is out there we gain a new perspective on our training methods and also new ideas from others who do the same things but may be getting different or better results. Never stop being a student of the game and you'll never plateau. I think that statement reigns true in all aspects of life because if you think you've mastered something (especially something as complex as crossfit) then you truly don't know what you don't know.
I could probably go on for the next 30 mins here but like I said it's going to take a few posts to get all caught up so we'll chip away at it. Good to be back and next up we'll start getting into some of the more inspirational moments/performances from this past weekend, the wods themselves, and then where we go next. Stay tuned we're just getting started....
Our sport truly is different than most others in the camaraderie it has as we also got a chance to meet, compete with, and watch some other great athletes destroy the wods we were asked to complete. For all of us these competitions serve as learning experiences and launching pads for the future as it's easy to get caught up in the small world of our individual boxes day to day. When we go out and see who and what else is out there we gain a new perspective on our training methods and also new ideas from others who do the same things but may be getting different or better results. Never stop being a student of the game and you'll never plateau. I think that statement reigns true in all aspects of life because if you think you've mastered something (especially something as complex as crossfit) then you truly don't know what you don't know.
I could probably go on for the next 30 mins here but like I said it's going to take a few posts to get all caught up so we'll chip away at it. Good to be back and next up we'll start getting into some of the more inspirational moments/performances from this past weekend, the wods themselves, and then where we go next. Stay tuned we're just getting started....
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
FIGURE IT OUT!
So now you've seen the wods, maybe seen others do it, or actually done them yourself. Do you have a plan in place for how to attack the Air Force Wod? Will you try to squeeze all 20 reps of each movement in 1 minute intervals? Will you try to go for broke and continue to move with the burpees as your only break? Will you try sets of 5s or 10s on each movement or your weakest of the 5? No right or wrong answer to these questions. At this point in your training you ought to know which strategy will work best for you and play to your strengths. Just be sure to stick with that plan of choice come game day.
As for me because I know myself, my tolerance for pain, my commitment to the journey to eliteness, and because of my ego I will probably be employing the go for broke method whereby I just hit the wod as hard as I can and stay in the "Red Zone" until the wod finishes. I usually save a little bit of mental toughness and physical exertion for competition environments so I do not want to practice going there often especially a few days before the event because it is not an enjoyable place to be, but the results that come from it are very pleasurable. I think the last time I really there was last September for Fight Gone Bad 4 when I set a big time pr. I had all these people watching me, expecting great things of me, and I was dealing with pain that was greater than usual as I wanted to stop moving on several occasions but the mental coach in me propelled me to go where I hadn't gone before physically. I hope the same result comes this weekend in the most intense and energetic of environments. If you know me or see me workout you don't usually see or hear much emotion from me but in these type of situations I do get extremely fired up but only when I go to that dark place and come out victorious
Almost time to unleash the beast within....
As for me because I know myself, my tolerance for pain, my commitment to the journey to eliteness, and because of my ego I will probably be employing the go for broke method whereby I just hit the wod as hard as I can and stay in the "Red Zone" until the wod finishes. I usually save a little bit of mental toughness and physical exertion for competition environments so I do not want to practice going there often especially a few days before the event because it is not an enjoyable place to be, but the results that come from it are very pleasurable. I think the last time I really there was last September for Fight Gone Bad 4 when I set a big time pr. I had all these people watching me, expecting great things of me, and I was dealing with pain that was greater than usual as I wanted to stop moving on several occasions but the mental coach in me propelled me to go where I hadn't gone before physically. I hope the same result comes this weekend in the most intense and energetic of environments. If you know me or see me workout you don't usually see or hear much emotion from me but in these type of situations I do get extremely fired up but only when I go to that dark place and come out victorious
Almost time to unleash the beast within....
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Gameday Routines and Rituals
So now that game day is approaching do you have all of your routines set to go? Have you practiced your rituals pre & post wod so that you're in a state of comfort when all of the madness is going on around you? Have you mapped out your pre-wod & post wod meal for competition day? At this point you probably should have a good idea of what you're going to eat pre-wod and immediately post wod on Saturday. If you've tested the 2 a day format you know how your body feels after the 1st wod and before the 2nd, so do you know or have you tried to find the optimal foods to keep your energy level at it's best so that you have everything still in the tank for both wods?
Adrenaline will for sure be a part of the picture but it will only last for so long. If you don't have a clue what your pre/post wod nutrition will be then you've still got a few days to think about it and test it out. The 2 wods will probably be 3-4 hours apart so again make sure you have the correct nutrient timing and such to maximize your a) recovery from wod 1 and b) your preparation for wod 2. When in doubt concentrate on carbs/protein both immediately before and after wods and without getting overly specific fruits/vegetables and lean meats are the way to go although there are exceptions (ahem - I'm a confessed protein-bar-aholic so don't mind me opening my "candy" bar in front of you). If you find solids tough to swallow either before or after wods go to liquids like smoothies, shakes, protein powders etc which are easy to digest and give you the nutrients you need in the most crucial moments for your body.
No two athletes will function the same from the same foods so just continually experiment to see which mix works best for you and when you find it stick with it.....
Adrenaline will for sure be a part of the picture but it will only last for so long. If you don't have a clue what your pre/post wod nutrition will be then you've still got a few days to think about it and test it out. The 2 wods will probably be 3-4 hours apart so again make sure you have the correct nutrient timing and such to maximize your a) recovery from wod 1 and b) your preparation for wod 2. When in doubt concentrate on carbs/protein both immediately before and after wods and without getting overly specific fruits/vegetables and lean meats are the way to go although there are exceptions (ahem - I'm a confessed protein-bar-aholic so don't mind me opening my "candy" bar in front of you). If you find solids tough to swallow either before or after wods go to liquids like smoothies, shakes, protein powders etc which are easy to digest and give you the nutrients you need in the most crucial moments for your body.
No two athletes will function the same from the same foods so just continually experiment to see which mix works best for you and when you find it stick with it.....
Monday, February 8, 2010
Good "Luck"
Well tomorrow is the day we find out our wods for Sectionals Saturday. Are you nervous? Anxious? Terrified? Ready? Happy? Excited? If you've been working hard the past 6-8 weeks and addressing your weaknesses and things that needed work as well as refining your strengths then no matter what comes up tomorrow you're ready or as ready as you're going to be for this weekend. Sure a wod with pullups, double unders, hspu's, box jumps, front squats, heavy jerks, or whatever movement(s)gives you nightmares at night, may come up and if it does chances are the next wod will have movements that you are confident in.
1 wod will not knock you out of this competition in my opinion. If you have a wod with weaknesses in it you have to take that as an opportunity and believe in yourself and just get through it. It's often said that luck is when preparation meets opportunity so we've all prepared very well for most anything they can throw at us so it's up to us to make our luck when we get the opportunity to show off what we've worked for.
If all the wods have movements I'm not that great in I'm still going to hit them as hard as I can and get the results I deserve, so to be honest I'm not worried about what the wods will be because I know I'm going to crush them all....don't you???
1 wod will not knock you out of this competition in my opinion. If you have a wod with weaknesses in it you have to take that as an opportunity and believe in yourself and just get through it. It's often said that luck is when preparation meets opportunity so we've all prepared very well for most anything they can throw at us so it's up to us to make our luck when we get the opportunity to show off what we've worked for.
If all the wods have movements I'm not that great in I'm still going to hit them as hard as I can and get the results I deserve, so to be honest I'm not worried about what the wods will be because I know I'm going to crush them all....don't you???
Friday, February 5, 2010
A Fan of The Game
Ok I admit it I've been seeing some of the competitor profiles on the 2010 Crossfit Games Site and it's firing me up. The athletes they've profiled all look legit and you can definitely see that the game is getting more competitive on the top end. Athletes who competed last year are back with a vengeance and are twice the athletes they were last year. As an avid crossfitter, competitor, athlete, & sports enthusiast in general I can't help but be excited to watch the men & women hit the wods HARD next weekend. Sure I'll be a part of that and working to put up a good time or weight in the wods as well but I'm just as excited to watch the other athletes of all levels compete and take themselves to the limit.
This is the part that makes our sport different than most. I said it last year when I went to Regionals out in Denver and I'll say it again - literally my favorite part of the competition was when the entire crowd gets behind someone who's finishing the wod - and it might be an elite crossfitter putting up an impossible time to beat or the last athlete to finish fighting for their life to come in under the time cap. We all count the reps out loud seemingly lifting the barbell with the athlete, knowing exactly what the pain feels like and the energy is inimitable, impossible to explain to the layman or casual onlooker.
Those moments are what I'm anticipating the most. I'm ready to be a spectator and fan of the games to go on. Get your popcorn ready....
REST DAY - back at it tomorrow
This is the part that makes our sport different than most. I said it last year when I went to Regionals out in Denver and I'll say it again - literally my favorite part of the competition was when the entire crowd gets behind someone who's finishing the wod - and it might be an elite crossfitter putting up an impossible time to beat or the last athlete to finish fighting for their life to come in under the time cap. We all count the reps out loud seemingly lifting the barbell with the athlete, knowing exactly what the pain feels like and the energy is inimitable, impossible to explain to the layman or casual onlooker.
Those moments are what I'm anticipating the most. I'm ready to be a spectator and fan of the games to go on. Get your popcorn ready....
REST DAY - back at it tomorrow
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Ready To Go.....It's About That Time
I'm at the point where I feel like I've done all I can do. I've prepared for most everything. Worked on my weaknesses and strengths. Been eating well (but still with my usual cheats), getting enough sleep, stretching post wod, and have no major aches and pains. I mean it's time.. All the hard work over the past 6 weeks is about to come to a boiling point in 9 days. I've got 4-5 more wods to finish up before the Event so what I plan on doing is going into a competition mindset with those remaining wods. Time to practice taking the next step in intensity where I give everything I have and then that little extra, where my mind blocks out and purges the pain and I laugh at the challenge in front of me with unwavering swagger. The solo training is starting to get boring and I need more stimulation, energy, and action going on around me. All the business has been taken care of and now it's time to lay it all out on th eline and have some fun and of course WIN,
For Total Reps - Pace reps/don't drop off
120 sec Squat Clean & Split Jerk - 185# - 7 reps
120 Sec Double Unders - 124 reps
90 sec Squat Clean & Split Jerk - 5 reps
90 sec Double unders - 81 reps
60 secs SC & SJ - 3 reps
60 sec double unders - 60 reps
30 sec SC & SJ - 2 reps
30 sec double unders - 33 reps
Total - 315 reps
Nice, didn't realize I was supposed to do all split jerks until I just now posted it so I probably missed out on 2-3 reps on the clean and jerks. Goal was to stay at 1 rep every 15 secs and I was just behind that pace. Double unders I usually avg 1 per sec and I was about there so that was fine. Jerks were all over the place today - some push, some push press, some split jerk , some splot jerk. Didn't fail any though but didn't do the wod as Rx'd (d'oh!). In any event I'm actually starting to like cleans in wods which I never thought I'd say. It's a movement that requires me to focus, maintain good form, and use some mental toughness to keep going. Still not great at it but a more positive attitude towards them will carry me far I believe.
For Total Reps - Pace reps/don't drop off
120 sec Squat Clean & Split Jerk - 185# - 7 reps
120 Sec Double Unders - 124 reps
90 sec Squat Clean & Split Jerk - 5 reps
90 sec Double unders - 81 reps
60 secs SC & SJ - 3 reps
60 sec double unders - 60 reps
30 sec SC & SJ - 2 reps
30 sec double unders - 33 reps
Total - 315 reps
Nice, didn't realize I was supposed to do all split jerks until I just now posted it so I probably missed out on 2-3 reps on the clean and jerks. Goal was to stay at 1 rep every 15 secs and I was just behind that pace. Double unders I usually avg 1 per sec and I was about there so that was fine. Jerks were all over the place today - some push, some push press, some split jerk , some splot jerk. Didn't fail any though but didn't do the wod as Rx'd (d'oh!). In any event I'm actually starting to like cleans in wods which I never thought I'd say. It's a movement that requires me to focus, maintain good form, and use some mental toughness to keep going. Still not great at it but a more positive attitude towards them will carry me far I believe.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
A Part of History
In a week and a half we become immortals...Think about it we're lucky enough to be a part of the 1st ever Sectional Qualifier for the 2010 Crossfit Games. We'll be the 1st group to have athletes qualify for Regionals, the first athletes to be tested in this new layer of qualifying which is pretty cool if you think about it. How will you make your mark? Whether you're a judge, volunteer, spectator, or competing athlete we're all going to be a part of it, so soak it up take all the pics and videos you need to because it's going to be a good show. Short post today but I think the meaning behind it is significant enough to be as thought provoking as some of my other posts. Way behind on wods so here's the latest
Today
5 rds for times: - Go for broke each round.
Run sprint 2 laps
20 Push-up burpees
Rest 2 min b/t rds
Times - 1:29, 1:41, 1:53, 1:54, 1:50
Well this one was about as fun as it looks. The indoor track at Bally's is my running track. After round 2 I'd had enough. Actually felt recovered by about 1:15 into the rest periods but that quickly faded about 3/4 of the way thru the 1st lap of the run. Was not going to have a round be more than 2 mins and the 3rd and 4th rounds were the toughest (CAN'T let those middle rounds beat you as I've posted before that's where the true wod is within the wod)
2/2/10
Quickly Build to a tough single of the snatch (full squat) in 10 mins - I got up to 205#. Unlike the Games version I didn't warm up before the 10 min clock started so I started cold as in with the bar and built up to 205#. Had 225# on the bar and got it up to my hips but ran out of time and I needed more rest anyway before trying that weight. Ah well it was fun
+
Overhead Squat 15-15-15, rest as needed - 3 sets only - be smart.
Loads - 155# - 175# - 195#
Wow is all I have to say on this one. The wrist tolerance for pain is what got me thru this one. Very painful. 5# away from bodyweight but trust me 195# is all I had. Nearly lost it on the 14th rep of 195# but no way I was dropping it that close to the end
+
10 rds of Cindy for time - 8:00 on the head. Pushups unbroken til round 6 and from there I started with 5 reps and usually did 3+3 to finish it out. Pullups and squats unbroken.
1/31/10
Tabata
Row for Avg Pace
Best - 1:22
Worst - 1:34
Squats for Reps - 136
Went straight to squats right after row
1/30/10
SDLHP
10-10-10-10-10, 180 sec rest b/w, no dropping the bar, must be touch & go
155# - 167# - 177# - 187# - 200#
Form becomes important the heavier you go with these guys. 1st time ever going really heavy with this movement so it was fun to see how far we could take it.
+
3 rounds for effort/speed/time
20 standing broad jumps
20 kb swings - 2pood
Time - 5:48
Different wod that's for sure. Broad jumps were rough after round 1 but i kept moving and the swings were steady. started to get mental in round 3 but wasn't going to let a little pain prevent an unbroken wod
Today
5 rds for times: - Go for broke each round.
Run sprint 2 laps
20 Push-up burpees
Rest 2 min b/t rds
Times - 1:29, 1:41, 1:53, 1:54, 1:50
Well this one was about as fun as it looks. The indoor track at Bally's is my running track. After round 2 I'd had enough. Actually felt recovered by about 1:15 into the rest periods but that quickly faded about 3/4 of the way thru the 1st lap of the run. Was not going to have a round be more than 2 mins and the 3rd and 4th rounds were the toughest (CAN'T let those middle rounds beat you as I've posted before that's where the true wod is within the wod)
2/2/10
Quickly Build to a tough single of the snatch (full squat) in 10 mins - I got up to 205#. Unlike the Games version I didn't warm up before the 10 min clock started so I started cold as in with the bar and built up to 205#. Had 225# on the bar and got it up to my hips but ran out of time and I needed more rest anyway before trying that weight. Ah well it was fun
+
Overhead Squat 15-15-15, rest as needed - 3 sets only - be smart.
Loads - 155# - 175# - 195#
Wow is all I have to say on this one. The wrist tolerance for pain is what got me thru this one. Very painful. 5# away from bodyweight but trust me 195# is all I had. Nearly lost it on the 14th rep of 195# but no way I was dropping it that close to the end
+
10 rds of Cindy for time - 8:00 on the head. Pushups unbroken til round 6 and from there I started with 5 reps and usually did 3+3 to finish it out. Pullups and squats unbroken.
1/31/10
Tabata
Row for Avg Pace
Best - 1:22
Worst - 1:34
Squats for Reps - 136
Went straight to squats right after row
1/30/10
SDLHP
10-10-10-10-10, 180 sec rest b/w, no dropping the bar, must be touch & go
155# - 167# - 177# - 187# - 200#
Form becomes important the heavier you go with these guys. 1st time ever going really heavy with this movement so it was fun to see how far we could take it.
+
3 rounds for effort/speed/time
20 standing broad jumps
20 kb swings - 2pood
Time - 5:48
Different wod that's for sure. Broad jumps were rough after round 1 but i kept moving and the swings were steady. started to get mental in round 3 but wasn't going to let a little pain prevent an unbroken wod
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)