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?

Superhero Wednesday

Ray: Investment

 

 

 

 

Ray is one of those guys who always puts up one of the highest scores on our whiteboard.  He's strong, fast, and rarely seems to get sidelined by injury.  I think I've found the secret to Ray's constant improvement: 

 

He invests.

 

Ray almost always shows up at least 15 minutes before class starts.  He makes use of the extra time doing mobility, strength, or skill work.  If the programming for the day is heavy on strength, he might come in extra early and swim at the gym, or stay late after class and get a quick run. 

 

During class he pays close attention to the coaches trying to learn something new, and never complains about the type of movements in the workout.  He comes prepared with his own Oly shoes and jump rope, and he's always refueling post-WOD with a recovery drink.

 

To get fit with CrossFit, you really only need some good coaching and a couple classes a week.  To get GOOD at CrossFit, you probably need to invest like Ray. 

 

You tell me: who's your inspiration this week?

Workout Recap (CrossFit Open WOD 13.1)

Boy what a week!  Have I been getting my WOD on?  You bet!

 

 

Monday: Lifting/CrossFit

 

The Mercer Island CrossFit programming for the day focused on skill work with a Tabata WOD, so I knew it would be a good day for lifting.  I went to the gym about an hour before CrossFit to do the first cycle of Wendlers for back squat and bench press.  I focused more in terms of time on my back squat, but I still got some good benching in as well.  My girl Jess came early to bench with me which was a ton of fun!  (And also nice to have such a cute spotter.)

 

 

 Our skill work was hard (esp after I whipped myself in the chin with a band doing assisted ring dips) but I feel like I am finally seeing some progress in my pistols!

 

 

 

The Tabata was not very high scoring for me...I stink at am still working on wall balls, and I decided to use a band and work on my chest to bar pullups instead of regular kipping pullups...and my double unders are not very consistent.  So my only "strong" movement this WOD was the V-ups.  Seriously I am desperately hoping for V-ups in the Open!!!

 

Tuesday: CrossFit

 

One of my new favorite breakfasts is two fried eggs with a mix of Trader Joe's liquids...100% carrot juice, 100% tangerine juice, and Zico coconut water.  Usually 8oz or so of carrot juice to 4oz each of the tangerine juice and coconut water. 

This works great for me pre-WOD and doesn't take a ton of time...especially since Jared fries the eggs for me.

 

Skill work was fairly straight forward.  I am now able to link 3 strict pullups...can't wait until I can do 5!

 

The Air Force WOD was absolutely brutal.  Having burpees (which I normally love) every minute just killed me.  The weight was pretty heavy for me so pretty soon I was only getting a few reps each minute.  I didn't finish within the time cap.  Yikes.

 



Our home is a disaster since we live & breathe CrossFit
It's the Open, okay?

 



Wednesday: CrossFit

 

Strength was to find your 1RM power clean.  My previous max was #110.  I am really hoping to reach #125 soon and thought I could get at least #120.  I got a little distracted with it being a full class and although I got #115, I failed #120 twice (the second one was so close!!!)  I was really disappointed...but I DID have a PR so I am at least happy with being 5 pounds closer.

 

 

 

I scaled the kettlebell swings from #44 to #26 on the WOD cause I felt a little deflated after the cleans.  Focused on great form with box jumps and pushups.  Wanted to finish under 15 minutes...and I did!

 

 

Thursday: Active Recovery

 

 

Strength was an EMOM (my fave!) of deadlifts and handstand pushups.  I scaled the deadlifts a ton to #95 cause I didn't want my forearms to be sore for the Open on Friday.  I've been working on Games' standard handstand pushups in case they appear in the Open.  I used plates (but not #45s) and an Abmat for my first 9 reps!!!  It is so fun to have made such progress on this movement when it was over a year of CrossFit before I could even do one handstand pushup!

 

 

For active recovery, I rowed for about 20 minutes at a chill pace.

 

Friday: Day of Death...AKA the Stomach Flu

 

Haven't been this sick in years.  Sheer misery.

 

Saturday: "Recovery" from puking my guts out on Friday

Sunday: CrossFit (13.1 Open WOD!)

 

I guess the upside of being SO sick was that I had no energy at all to worry about the Open.  Normally I get kinda dramatic about things and freak out unnecessarily, but this time I was pretty chill!  I originally hoped to get through all 30 reps of the #75 snatches, but after being so sick and hardly being able to eat for a couple days, I knew I'd feel happy with just a few reps at the #75.

 

Jared had done his WOD on Friday, but wanted to get at least one rep at #165.  It was awesome to watch him repeat the WOD and achieve his goal!

 

I went in "the second heat" - I was the only person but sometimes I like to WOD alone actually.  It helps me not worry about what other people are doing.  I felt a little light headed after the 40 burpees, but I was able to start the 30 snatches at #45 without too much rest and my form was pretty good on those.  I decided to split snatch which worked really well.

 

Then it was back to the burpees.  I only had a couple no-reps during my burpees which was really nice.  I tried to focus on good form and using my momentum whenever possible.

 

The snatches at #75 were not all I hoped they'd be.  I don't know if my brain was still fuzzy from the stomach flu, but all of a sudden it was like I couldn't remember how to do a power snatch.  I got distracted and failed several reps, but I was able to not feel too stressed or rushed and in the end I got 6 at #75.  Not what I'd originally planned, but with the flu being considered, not too bad.

 

 

 

 

Coach Jared submitting our scores!!!

 

Tell me: How did you do on the first workout of the CrossFit Open?  Have you ever gotten sick right before an important event?  What do you think will be in WOD 13.2?

Wonder Women Wednesday: Marianne

I wanted to do a new series of posts dedicated to the women who inspire me...and figured there was no better place to start than with the gal who birthed me!

 

Marianne: Courage

 

My mom is not the fastest or the strongest at our box.  But I kinda think she's the bravest. 

 

She keeps coming despite box jumps and the risk of the occasional barbell to the face.  She always says, "You know how you're supposed to do one thing a day that scares you?  Well, when I come to CrossFit, I do." 

 

Our coaches are always bragging about her form and proprioception.  Her fitness has improved significantly and she's an inspiration to a lot of the younger athletes around.  I'm proud to have her as a workout buddy.

 

 

You tell me: Who's your inspiration this week?

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!!!