Back squat x5, Snatches, Row

Back squats 10x45lbs, 5x88lbs, 5x110lbs, 5x132lbs, 5x142lbs, 4x152lbs F on 5, 5x147lbs

Snatch 12x2 on the top of every minute at 70% max (105lbs) so working weight of 85lbs. Felt great, no misses. Finally getting more aggressive after the snatch since recent injury. First time I've gone for more than 75lbs. I felt that I was hesitant for my first couple and then I started getting under the bar quick. You know what they say, "Nothing feels quite like a good snatch."

Coaching the noon class and then I'm on to the C2 that I avoid.

4x400m with 2 minutes recovery. 2 minute rest after the last 400m and then 100 double unders.

row #1 139.3

row #2 138.8

row #3 136.9

row#4 136.6

100 DUs 2:12

Hopefully they'll want us to run and not row at regionals. It's all my mighty 115lbs can do to muster a sub 2:00 pace. I noticed that my three strong pulls that I would do at the start of each row helped me feel strong for the next 100m after which it was hard to pull under 2:03. So, the 2-4th sets I started doing three strong hard strokes at the start of each 100m. No clue if this is effective, but it enabled me to hold around 200 and sometimes under the last couple.

I am bad at practicing double unders as well. Sometimes I do a quick set or two once a week to serve as my general warm-up, but I rarely spend any time "practicing double unders". This has changed.

Sunday April 27th, Shoulder Press

Shoulder Press

80x5, 84x4, 84x4, 90x1, 95xF

push press

35x5, 55x5, 75x5, 85x5x5

"The Hangman"

3 rounds of:

15 hang power cleans 88lbs

15 burpees

4:31

Sunday May 17, 2009

I thought I would sleep like a baby after Saturday's torture. Perhaps it was the ice coffee I had at 3:45 before my row, but I was pretty amped most of the night. Heading into the finals in the last position with a workout that ended with 30 snatches only 7lbs less than my present 1RM. Yikes.

I finished dead last, but worked my way through it. It was a mental barrier for me. Mostly, to not get pissed that I was last. The old me would have been cursing up a storm, and thinking how much I sucked over and over. This time, I was proud to be out there. I think I was the only one left working for something like the last 7 minutes of the workout. All the ladies gathered around the crowd cheered for every rep that I caught and pressed out to overhead. (this is NOT how you snatch for those unfamiliar).

Above you can see a video of a few of the reps.

30 reps Clean and Jerk @ 95lbs (~5-6 mintes), 400m run and 30 reps snatch at 75lbs. Overall time ~19 minutes. The cut off was 20 minutes so at least I made it!

Back at it!

Wednesday May 20, 2009:Sleep 6hrs

Strength/Skill Work:

Shoulder press 3x 56, 65, 75, 80, 85, 90(3 rep PR), 94F, 85, 85, 85lbs

L-sits (I hate) 29secs, 33, 29, 25, 26seconds

Good day back. Nothing too intense, but a good work set on the shoulder press. Gonna break into triple digits for my one rep here VERY soon! I'm finally getting through some solid work sets as well. Something I've always neglected.

Thursday May 21, 2009 Sleep 6hrs

Friday May 22, 2009 Sleep 4hrs Ouch.

1 legged box jumps 24"

30 burpee pull-ups for time from 7.5ft pull-up bar

3:40

Saturday May 23, 2009 Sleep 10 hrs

WOD

4 rounds 400m run 50 squats

10:50

CF Regional Review WOD 3

Chad Caden also from CrossFit Asheville and I after the completion of our first day.

Saturday May 16, 2009 WOD 3 (4:00pm):

Row 2,000m for time.

8:28
After the second WOD I crashed on a blanket in the grass for a solid hour. Corey went to buy more water, honey and a coffee to get me ready for the last workout. We decided honey would be the best option about 20 minutes before to give me a lift and avoid feeling weak and dizzy without filling me up causing me to want to hurl.

I didn't do a whole lot to warm-up for this one. I was set to be one of 9 to go on to tomorrow's regional assuming that I could row 2,000m in under 10 minutes. I did a 2,000m row solo back on April 25th in 8:28 so I was hoping to go under 8:15 today. However, I also had the idea of just maintaining on this workout and save a little extra energy for whatever they are going to throw at us tomorrow. I was a solid 5 minutes behind and being that not only am I short but a smaller build, rowing is NOT my forte.

Rowed 8:28 holding 2:07s for essentially every 500m. I won't complain when I equal my PR after the havoc on my body from earlier today.

They announced the workout for Sunday after the completion of the last round of men's rowing. I was hoping for like a 10k run and maybe 100 overhead squats at 65lbs. haha Anything endurance favored people?? Give me a shot for a dramatic come from behind. haha

No such luck instead...
30 clean and jerks at 95lbs
450m run (no 10k)
30 snatch at 75lbs
For time.
20 minute time limit

Glad I got my snatch up over 80lbs on Monday. Too bad it's not up over 100lbs, but I know I will be able to complete it.
I'm glad to be in the finals and looking forward to ending with a solid effort.

CF Regional Review WOD 2

Saturday May 16, 2009 WOD 2 (1:00pm)

5 rounds for time of:

7 double kettlebell thrusters (35lbs each)

11 burpees

Time 10:31

I was feeling pretty good after the first work-out. My roommate from undergrad, Dawn, and her husband were passing through Columbus from Baberton on their way to Indiana. We were able to go out to breakfast to catch up for a bit between work-outs. I felt like a freak ordering two over-easy eggs while the rest of the group chowed down on pancakes and sausage. When the waitress asked if I wanted toast I was tempted to accept to avoid looking like one of those "carb-free idiots" but hate wasting food and passed. What she didn't see was that I had eaten a pear, banana, cashews, almonds, mango, and string cheese beforehand. Oh well.

After breakfast we went back to the venue and I caught a 20 minute period of shut eye. I can't say that I slept, but I relaxed as much as possible while visualizing myself moving through the second workout. I was quite pumped as I definitely saw it as my time to move up in the standings. I don't mind thrusters and can knock out burpees for days if I need to (not that I like to:). Yes, I was a bit concerned with the fact that the thrusters were with two 35lb awkward as hell kettlebells and not a straight forward barbell or even dumbbells. I was shooting for about a 5-6 minute time.

Corey pulled out the table and worked on my mid and low back a bit after my nap. It felt great and certainly seemed to help out. The one part about the warm-up which was particularly significant to me was when I actually gave the KB thrusters a try. I was in the practice gym and did a set with the 25lbs KBs. Not too bad. Then, I picked up the 30lb KBs and struggled just to get them up into the front rack position. From there I also worked fairly hard to thruster with them. Corey was watching from as far as he could get at the door. He was all positive for me telling me I looked strong and what not. However, what he didn't realize is that I still had to go up a total of 10lbs. I didn't even pick up the 35lbs before I went out. I didn't feel it was necessary. The 35 thrusters I had to do out there would be MORE than enough.

My judge this time was a big guy named Dan. He was pleasant and very helpful even asking how I wanted the KBs positioned in between rounds. Plus, he recorded my splits for each of the 5 rounds. (I love knowing splits and seeing where time was lost/gained.)

3,2,1...Go and again we are working. I can't remember how many thrusters I did straight but it must have been at least 4 followed by a set of 3. It took me a few rounds to really get the clean down with the KBs and I ended up essentially curling the bells up each time I had to put them down. I finished the first set of thrusters and hit the burpees.

I tried to move through relatively fast to make up ground. I finished that first round in 56 seconds (right on pace, haha) and then it hit me. I didn't feel hungry at all going into the workout, but during those burpees I started to feel weak and dizzy. Corey was right in front of me through the fence and I made eye contact thinking "oh boy, not sure if I'm gonna be able to do this." The bells were heavy and awkward as hell but I just tried to stay as focused as possible not missing any reps. I would usually get sets of two out every time I picked those suckers up and every once in awhile I would squeeze out a 3rd before dropping them. Every time I put the bells down it seemed that devil was screaming from my shoulder that I couldn't do it and that I would never make it out to the final. Once I picked them up I more easily gained focus but it's like once you drop them the last thing you want to do is pick them back up and all the negativity sneaks in.
My pace on the burpees had slowed significantly. Dan kept yelling at me to "Just drop!" to the ground rather than lowering down and doing a push-up to ensure my chest and thighs touched. I appreciated his advice but I was feeling so out of it that one time I even knocked my chin on the ground and was concerned that dropping too quickly would cause me to rock my melon on the ground.
Rounds 2 & 3 were the worst and then it seems by the 4th I started to see the light and feel hope that maybe I would finish. It helped that I could see and hear the other ladies around me all struggling as well. Although once again I felt as though I must certainly be in dead last place and kept having that feeling of wanting to press some sort of "escape" key to allow the ground to open up and I immediately disappear from the scene without having to walk past everyone to throw in the towel. Yes, I had MULTIPLE thoughts of quitting.
If this had occurred during my college years I more than likely would not have finished. Thankfully, I finally have gained a bit more patience and maturity to focus in and get the job done. It feels good to be able to put a plug in that evil devil on my shoulder. It is a constant challenge and I hope eventually I can compete with a purely positive mindset, but for now it is a big step personally.
My time was 10:31. The slowest of those who finished, but this time 1 of 9 to complete the event and have a chance to move on to Sunday's finals. All that was ahead of me was the row.

CrossFit Midwest Regional Review WOD 1

I wanted to write down some of my thoughts surrounding each work-out of this past weekend. Overall going into it I was certainly a bit nervous and anxious but definitely not anything compared to how I've felt in the past with running races. When it came time for the work-outs I felt fairly cool and collected and just went in with a "well, let's see what I've got" mindset.

Saturday May 16, 2009 WOD 1(9:00am):

21-15-9
185lb Deadlift

chest-to-bar pull-ups

Time 11:22

Thoughts: First, I found it interesting that almost exactly a year ago (May 14, 08) my 1 rep record for the deadlift was 185lbs. Thus, there is NO way that I would have completed this workout within the 15 minute time limit. My husband Corey joked that I would have been on my first set of 21 deadlifts within that time period and he's probably right. I was hoping to finish a bit faster, but I think I paced myself well. Both ladies in front and behind me pulled the first 21 deadlifts consecutively and went straight to the pull-up bar. THAT in and of itself was a bit intimidating. I will completely admit that I felt like I was going to be the last one done with that workout and had the fight the devil on my left shoulder questioning me why I thought I belonged in this kind of competition. While Sarah Dunsmore (winner of the Regional) was the lady right behind me, the girl in front of me did exactly what I was afraid of and burnt herself out on that first set of 21 to the point that I'm not sure she made it within 15 minutes. Those heavy deads were well, HEAVY!

The plan Corey and I had was to pull until I started to slow. At that point rest. Put the bar down, take a few steps away and come right back. The idea was to not completely wipe myself out trying to muscle out too many and not be able to do any in the rounds of 15 and 9. It really worked well for me. I pulled 5, rested and then started pulling in sets of 2 and 3. During the 15s and 9s I continued that 2-3 with an occasional single.

The pull-ups were my strong suit, and I made up some ground on people there for sure. It is evident that many do not do chest to bar pullups on a regular basis. Every since they required chest to bar at the Games last year that's literally all I've done. At first it was really hard and now it's no big deal. I make all my clients strive for chest to bar as well. Sometimes I know they hate me for it, but it will get them more prepared for the muscle-up as well.

After those 21 pull-ups I came off the bar and saw from my judge's clock we were at 5 minutes so I felt far more confident from then on out. Just move through and finish with something left over for the other work-outs to come. This sweet lady named Heather was my judge for this first workout. I dont' remember much after that first round except for her encouragement and positive voice. It made a big difference as I was in the back corner and couldn't really hear Corey or Laura too often. Although I particularly remember making eye contact during some of my rest periods during that first set of 21. I recall thinking, "Help me, here." haha

12 ladies finished this first work-out. I had the 10th fastest time. They take 10 to the finals on Sunday so I was where I needed to be at this point to get into the finals.