Veni, Sustuli, Vici: I Came, I Lifted, I Conquered

Me in my crazy Nike capris
swinging the #53 kettlebell!

Last week at the box we retested the WODs from the 2012 CrossFit Open.  Due to my schedule (and the fact that my body doesn't do 5 days in a row with no rest), I made it in to retest just two of the five.  I was picky about which WODs to retest, since I wanted them to really show me my progress.  (I had only started CrossFit a few months before the open, and there were a lot of movements I couldn't execute, besides not being able to lift much.)

I started with Open WOD 12.2 on Tuesday:

"Proceed through the sequence below completing as many reps as possible in 10 minutes of: 30 Snatch #75/45 30 Snatch #135/75 etc."

Previously, I'd been able to get 30 reps at #45, but zero at #75.  I'd finished out the workout with 18 reps at #55, but my "official" score was 30.

This time, I was pumped because my snatch form has gotten much better and I know I'm stronger.  If I could do just one rep at #75, it would show a big improvement!  I got through the 30 reps at #45 fairly easily in about half the total time allotted.

I loaded up for #75, and failed my first attempt.  Before I got serious about CrossFit, I think the old me would have said, "Ah, well.  I tried."  But new me said, "I bet if I focus on everything Jared was telling me about my form last week, I could do this."

The next one went up!  I couldn't link reps because I was actually in the fitness center instead of our box, and the weight plates are not the sort you can drop or bounce off the ground.  It took me a while, but I managed 8 reps at #75 before running out of time.

I was so stoked!
 

On Friday, I came in for Open WOD 12.5:

"Complete as many reps as possible in 7 minutes: 3 Thruster #100/65, 3 pull ups, 6 Thrusters, 6 pull ups, 9 thrusters, 9 pullups"

I was particularly stoked to retest this WOD since it was the only one of the five that I couldn't RX anything!  I originally did the thrusters at #55 and used two bands (blue and purple) for the chest to bar pullups for a total score of 56 reps, but an official score of zero.

I had high hopes of RXing this time...I have been working on my chest to bar pullups and I know my thrusters are WAY stronger. 

Well, I tried a few times to get an unassisted chest to bar pullup, and it just wasn't happening.  Coach Jared told me to try the red band for the workout - it would still be a challenge and would be an improvement from last time, but not be so difficult that I couldn't get through any of the WOD.

I loaded up my bar for the #65 thrusters and told myself that I just wanted to get through the end of the round of 6 and 6.  I actually was pretty strong for 3 and 3 AND 6 and 6, which made it kinda tough to keep pushing as hard when I'd "made my goal" way earlier in the time than I'd expected.  The round of 9 was okay on thrusters but the pullups took me FOREVER.  We had to no rep ourselves, and chest to bar makes it REALLY easy to know if you made it or not...if you didn't feel yourself make contact with the bar below your clavicle...it didn't count.  Finally I got into a little rhythm where I started with a "trashed" kipping pullup and used it to get momentum to have a strong kip into linking a few chest to bar reps.  I took too much rest on the set of 12 thrusters and finished with 50 total reps, and an official score of 3.

Not what I'd hoped, but still definitely an improvement.  I'll take it.

After the WOD, we had to "cash out" with a 500 meter row and 30 kettlebell swings.  You were supposed to either pick a weight at which you knew you could link all 30 reps without setting the bell down, or a really challenging weight.  With a little encouragement from Coach Jared, I decided to try the #53 for the first time ever!

I managed to link 10 reps 3 times to finish out my swings! 

Made the PR board!

I was so proud of myself for trying - I love seeing my hard work pay off, not only in my physical capabilities, but in my mental game and confidence!


You tell me: What are your recent achievements?  Did you nail your first double-under (my mom!)?  Qualify for Boston (my mom's friend who is incidentally my friend's mom!)?  Pack your lunch?  Avoid chewing out the guy who cut you off?  I wanna know!