Fight Gone Bad + Wendler's Plug

It seems like it's been a while since I've tackled a benchmark WOD. 

 

This summer I focused a lot on power lifting, injury prevention/rehab, and just enjoying CrossFit without feeling like I needed to "perform" during every class.

 

It was fun to see how "taking it easy" has actually helped me get better: this weekend I nailed my first Fight Gone Bad RX at CrossFit 503!

 

I struggled the most on the wall balls (per usual) but I did them to the hanging 10' target which I think is a better challenge for me than doing them against the wall...especially since it is really easy to tell if you made it or not. 

 

My best movement was definitely the #55 push press.  I told myself to hold on to the bar and do one long set each round and then take a break for the remainder of the minute.  I did have to set it down during the 3rd round, but the first two were unbroken.  This is a better strategy for me since once the bar is on the ground, it's REALLY hard to motivate myself to pick it up.

 

I finished Fight Gone Bad with an RX score of 197.  I wish I had pushed harder on the wall balls - just one more rep each round would have put me at 200.  Next time!

 

 

I am also continuing with my Wendler's cycles.  Currently I am starting week 3 of the cycle.  Next week is deload week and the week after I get to retest!  I squeezed in Week 2 of my back squat since I missed it last week.  At the end of last cycle I PR'ed (192.7 lbs) and am hoping to break #200 by the end of September.  My week 2 back squat lifts yesterday:

 

 

Wendler's has been such a huge help in making me stronger and better at CrossFit.  It's also showed me how much I truly love power lifting.  I am considering competing in the next year, particularly if I can get my presses up.  Currently my back squat is my best lift, putting me into a fairly high class for my weight and age, but my bench and my overhead need some more work.

 

Well, that's my workout update!  I get to do an "athlete testing" workshop tonight so I am using that as today's workout so I can get some chores done as well as some work on the novel now that my forensics books are in from the library.

 

Have a great day!

Weekly Workout Recap: The 100s

Monday: Bench Press + Back Squat

 

I love my lifting days so much!  Bench especially is getting easier and easier.  It's my Wendler Week 2, so I did 3 sets each at 80%, 85%, and 90% of my working weight.  (Working weight = 95% of your one rep max.)

Bench: #75, #80, #85

Back Squat: #140, #150, #160

 

Tuesday: CrossFit

 

We started light and then worked up in weight. 

I made it up to #113 for my clean and jerk.  At first I was disappointed that I didn't do more...but then I check WODHub and realized that it was a jerk PR!  Plus I know my form has continued to improve significantly. 

More PRs on the horizon!

 

It was fun to have a rowing WOD since usually if it's only rowing, it's the recovery WOD.  Jared's really been helping me with my form lately, trying to lean forward more and keep my butt from sliding so far forward. 

My fastest 400 was 1:41, which is REALLY speedy for me!

 

Wednesday: CrossFit

 

 

My overhead squat still needs a TON of work.  I only went up to #45 to really focus on good form and "pulling the bar apart."

 

I ripped my hands after the fifth round of pullups in the workout, so I finally broke down and ordered Tuf-Foot.  Jared suggested it WEEKS ago, but I told him we didn't need it...and now I've ripped my hands three times since then. I'll let you know how it is!

 

Because of my hands, I switched to strict chest to bar pullups with a band for my final round, but I RXed the rest of the WOD.

 

I stayed late to get some photos of the 7am class - they're so much fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday: Active Recovery

 

For skill work, I chose 10' target wall balls and double unders.  Kind of frustrating that these are still so difficult and inconsistent for me, but any work on them is good, right?

 

Since my hands still hurt from Wednesday, I decided rowing was a bad idea.  Instead, I ran two miles!  I usually avoid running whenever I can, but I actually had a good time and it was nice to work on so many things that need improvement in my CrossFit repetoire.  I finished in 20:09.

 

 

Friday: Deadlift + Strict Press

 

Watching this video from my friends at Stoneway CrossFit helped me out with my strict press form.

 

Deadlift (3 reps each set): #155, #165, #180

Overhead (Strict) Press: #55, #60, #65

 

Saturday: CrossFit Olympic Lifting Class

 

I SO did not want to to this workout.  Snatch is my weaker of the Olympic lifts, and the 100s (even scaled!) looked so intimidating.

 

 

I did the wall balls as RX, which took me forever!  Wall balls are one of my weakest movements, and being 5'2" doesn't make that 10' target any easier!

I knew with my hurt hand I couldn't do much kipping, so I used a green band and mostly did strict chest to bar pullups...until the end when I was so beat I HAD to kip cause I couldn't do any more.

 I did the pistols to a 16" box, and was able to get through with only 2 no reps.  I was hurrying cause I REALLY wanted to make it to the dumbbell snatches!

I only used #15 for the dumbbell snatches since I didn't know how heavy to go...I could definitely have gone much heavier, but going light allowed me to race through the 40 reps and finish under the 25 minute time cap!

 

Not exactly Regional level performance, but still really great to be challenged so much after all the inspiring performances last weekend:

 

 

Sunday: Rest/Walking

 

This was a planned rest day, but we had some really sunny weather (unusual for PNW June), so Jared and I spent most of the afternoon walking around Juanita Bay with his sister and brother-in-law, and then I took my mom for a spin in her wheelchair before dinner.  So nice to feel a little bit of summer!

CrossFit Open 13.2 (Workout Recap Week of 3/11)

Monday - Back Squat and Bench Press

 

Week 2 of my Wendler's Lifts.  Made all the lifts I was hoping for and saw a lot of improvement in my form in both my back squat and my bench press.  Probably the 20 minutes of mobility before lifting really helped.

 

Tuesday - CrossFit

 

Showed up early to get in at least 5 minutes of work on my double unders.

 

Dude.  I was tanked from the Open on Sunday and from lifting on Monday.  I was really pleased with my front squats but decided to scale weight and reps on the WOD.

 

 

Tore up my right hand again on the kettlebell swings and pullups.  Annoying.

 

 

Wednesday - Rest

(Watch Iceland Annie versus Lindsey Valenzuela)

 

After Tuesday's WOD took me SO long even with scaling, realized I needed a total day off.  Got home and had protein/peanut butter/kale smoothies for dinner while watching the announcement for the Open 13.2

 

 

 

Thursday - CrossFit (Active Recovery)

 
Showed up early to get 50 double unders in.  It took me five minutes but I am not giving up on these!  I need to get proficient in this skill.

Worked on overhead squats, keeping inside of elbows pointing up.  Used a #15 kettlebell for the hip extensions.
 

Didn't want to be gassed on the Open the next day so did the recovery WOD.  Sprinting on the rower is something I rarely do so it was good to push myself and work on form.  Kept all sets within 3 seconds of each other!

Finally got my hair cut on Tuesday.  Working out so much means tons of showers and I just didn't have the time to wash my uber thick long hair.  Already so much faster with the new do!

 
I danced for 2.5 hours Thursday afternoon as I'm now part of a musical production going up in May.  Fun to see how CrossFit has helped me with choreography!
 

Friday - Racquetball

 
Work kept me really late and I missed both the 4pm and 5pm sections of the weekly throwdown.  Glad at least I got to move (and play pretty well) on the court.
 

Saturday - Open WOD 13.2

 

Got to take on shoulder to overhead, deadlifts, and box jumps with some of my favorite girls at the box!

 

Amy was retesting to beat her Friday score, and Heidi and Jess B were in for the first time, like me.  We made a fairly impressive showing:

My overall goal for the open this year was to have a score for every workout.  My goal for this WOD 13.2 was 6 rounds...I was HOPING to break 200 reps but 180 reps would have been 6 rounds so 195 wasn't too bad.

But then I had a CrossFit emotional meltdown.  I was really disappointed in myself because when I was done I had so much left in the tank and I know I could have done a lot better.  I actually was so upset with my performance at CrossFit in general that I cried to Jared later that day.  Boy this sport is so intense for me!
 

Sunday - Rest

We went to the box and did an hour of much needed mobility work.  I decided not to try to retest 13.2 because I had only had Wednesday off and I have learned my body needs at least 2 rest days out of every 7.

Jared was a champ and treated me to date night St. Paddy's style.  We watched an uber-fun kids movie with drinks and Irish whiskey cheese and crackers.

Then we shared a beer with Jared's awesome creation of bangers and sweet potato stew!
 

Kinda glad the week is over, not gonna lie.



You tell me: Is the Open fun, or stressful?  How many times do you try each WOD?  What are you hoping for in 13.3?

Marianne's Handstand & the 2011 Open (Workout Recap Week of 2/25)

In preparation for the 2013 CrossFit Open, Mercer Island CrossFit programmed a week of workouts from the 2011 Open.  We'd get to practice being judged during a workout and get a sense of what the intensity might be like for the upcoming 2013 WODs.
 
Monday: Rest

 

Had a headache and a busy day...did some shoulder stability and took a short walk.

 

Tuesday: CrossFit and Running

 
Went to the 6am class.  Skill work was handstand holds and plank holds while Coach Jared gave everoyne a quick talk on Competition, Ego, and Respect.
 

Next we were on to the WOD.  My goal for the 2013 Open is to RX everything except muscle-ups (even if my scores are really low).  It was nice to be able to RX the first WOD from 2011: double unders and power snatches!
 

My double-unders are still weak, but I kept chipping away at them, and Sara, who was judging me, was really encouraging.  It felt like forever before I was done with the first 30, but then it was great to move on to something I knew I could do pretty well!  I really focused on good form and efficiency for my power snatches.  It's so much faster and less tiring if you do them right.  My second round was actually way better on both double unders (I linked 13 at one point) and the power snatches.  I got through the 3rd set of double unders and 6 of the power snatches before the 10 minute time cap.
 

 
After the workout, Ray asked if anyone wanted to run 20 laps (our track is little, so a mile is about 18.5 laps).  Normally I would say no, but I have realized that I need to work on my running a lot, particularly my attitude about it.  I had time before work, so I said I would come and run!  We took the first 14 laps or so at a pretty chill pace (okay, chill for Ray) and then he asked if I wanted to pick it up at the end.  He told me to set the pace and he'd be right behind me.  SO much more motivating than if we had each just run our own pace.  I pushed really hard and worked on my mental game.  I was totally panting and leaning on the wall for support after we finished, but I felt super proud of myself for doing it. 

Plus I was wearing my new shirt from Stoneway CrossFit:
 

 

 

I came home and did about 25 minutes of mobility, focusing mostly on my neck and traps because my headache was getting worse and I thought it was likely a tension headache.

*Alert the Media* My mom came to the 6pm class and got her very first handstand hold against the wall!  She had help kicking up but held the position for 15 seconds.  So proud!

 

Wednesday: Active Recovery

 

If you have access to an ERG (rowing machine) this is a great recovery workout!

 

For time (but at light effort):

Row 400m

Rest 2:00

Row 400m

Rest 2:00

Row 400m

Rest 2:00

Row 400m

 

I still had my headache from Monday night, so after my row I did 30 minutes of mobility, including calves (sore from running and double unders on Tuesday!), forearms, and traps/neck.

The great thing for me is I take my recovery SUPER light so I don't get sweaty which means no need to shower and change...I can head straight to work which saves me a ton of time.

 

Thursday: CrossFit

 
Thursdays are a fun day at the box because it's usually "athlete's choice" day.  If you have an unlimited membership and have already come Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, there will be a recovery WOD for you to do on Thursday.  That way you can still get a workout but you'll actually be helping your body recuperate from the last three days instead of just beating it down more with something too intense.  If you haven't been all three of the previous days, you can choose to do a workout that you missed.

No matter what WOD we were doing, we all started out with the same skill: retest of the February 2 minute challenge.  This month it was med ball cleans. 

Previously I'd used the RX weight (#14 for girls) and gotten 39 reps.  I was aiming to beat my previous score.  I should have aimed higher, because I took a second rest towards the end that I really didn't need and only ended up with 40.  I think I could have gotten 44 or even 45.  Oh,well.

I'd only been to class on Tuesday, so I could choose between Monday and Wednesday.  Monday included fairly light deadlifts and hand-release pushups, which I am fairly proficient at.  Wednesday included some REALLY heavy power cleans and wall balls, which as you know, I kind of hate.

I was a good little CrossFitter and picked the tougher WOD.

I took a little time to warm up my power cleans since my one-rep max last tested around #110.  I went with #103 instead of #100 since Heidi used #103 when she did Wednesday's WOD and I wanted to try to follow her.  I was hoping for 3 rounds, but I actually got 4 rounds plus most of the fifth!  I probably could have finished five except for failing a rep of the power clean in the fifth round that kinda scared me.  I had to take some time to build back my confidence and finish the cleans safely and correctly.  My wall balls saw a huge improvement!!!  I'm really glad I picked this workout because I got to work on some weaknesses and prove a lot to myself.

 
 

 

Friday: CrossFit and Racquetball

Friday was 5pm CrossFit in my new Mercer Island shirt from my buddy Jess B!

 

 

We were matchies, and so were Mom and Coach Allison!

 

 

It was a packed out class, but tons of fun with a bunch of great athletes.  Coach Jared kept everything running really smoothly and partnered us up so that we could WOD in waves.  First was two waves of the March 2 Minute Challenge.

 

 

I picked chest to bar pullups since my kipping pullups are fairly solid.  I decided to try them with only the purple band, which turned out overly ambitious...I only got 5.  Oh, well.  Room to improve.



 

I got partnered with Coach Allison for the WOD since we were the only girls in the class planning to RX.  I was in the first wave for this chipper-style WOD.

 

 

We warmed up our power cleans a little since (especially for me) that's a really heavy weight.  Then it was time to WOD!

 

It took me a long time to get through the cleans, but I really focused on trying to have good form on each rep, and I didn't fail a single one!  I got started on the toes to bar way after everyone else in my wave...and I got through 15 and was so excited to be done!  I looked at the board to see what was next...and realized there were THIRTY toes to bar, not fifteen.  Oops.  I wished Jared had put Allison in the first heat because I was afraid she would catch me and have to wait for equipment.  This actually turned out to be really motivating...she was almost done with her double unders when I had five thrusters left.  Normally I would have split them up, but I saw how close she was and linked all five!

 

The lunges at the end were brutal but I finally finished.

 

 

Some of the 5pm girls!

 

I got to follow up a great class with my weekly racquetball date with my daddy.  He's pretty much the coolest.

 

Saturday: CrossFit Team WOD

This was supposed to be my Wendler restest day for my overhead press and deadlift, but I was WAY too exhausted from Friday's workouts and knew it was just not a PR kinda day.  Plus my hands were in kinda sorry shape for holding barbells:

Thankfully Heidi asked me to jump in and be her partner for the team WOD!

Go, Team Neon!  Heidi's been super encouraging on my wall balls and I linked two sets of 10!  After class we took a quick cool down run and then I did 30 minutes of mobility.

I was so hungry that afternoon that I dropped Jared off for his soccer game, hit up a burger joint and ordered an avocado swiss burger AND a bbq chicken sandwich.  Just for me.

 

Sunday: Rest

Went for a little walk in the sun and did some partner mobility with Jared.  Long week!!!