11/29/2013

35:00 airdyne @Z1

11/28/2013

A. power clean and split jerk, 8x1 @75-85% of 1RM, begin a set every :90
B. Ring dips, 4x3-4, 20x1, 2:00 rest
+
For time:
30 CTB pull ups
100m farmers walk
10 kipping handstand push ups
20 CTB pull ups
10 stone to shoulder, 95
10 kipping handstand push ups
10 CTB pull ups
50m forward sled drag
50m reverse sled drag
10 kipping handstand push ups

A. 165
B. 4(unweighted), 4(5#), 4(10#), 4(12.5#)
+
24:04
180# on sled

11/27/2013

3 sets of:
500m row @85%
2:00 rest
+
6 sets of:
:25 row @100%
3:35 rest
+
3 sets of:
500m row @85%
2:00 rest

2:02.0
2:01.5
2:02.4
+
1:35.1
1:34.5
1:35.3
1:34.8
1:35.3
1:35.3
+
2:03.3
2:03.6
2:03.5

11/26/2013

A. Front squat, build to a tough 3 in 10:00
+
for 22:00
evens: 1 squat clean + 1 front squat @160
odds: 1 muscle up
+
AMRAP in 6:00
10 pull ups
25m heavy prowler push

A. 190
+
complete
+
complete with #90 on prowler

11/24/2013

A. Snatch pull, build quickly to an explosive single @ 100-110% snatch max, just to prep the CNS
B. Power snatch, build to touch-and-go 3RM
+
5 sets for reps & even run times:
AMRAP handstand push-ups
10 pull-ups
15 wall balls
400m run
4:00 rest

A. up to 150
B. 120 (125 for 2 reps, failed the third)
+
1. 15/2:08
2. 13/2:10
3. 10/2:15
4. 8/? clock was reset before I came back
5. 8/2:20


I was really pleased with the power snatch 3RM. I only thought I would get up to 115 at the most, but Stephen was telling me to put more weight on so I did and as usual he was right. 120 felt really easy, I thought for sure I could get 125 but I failed the 3rd rep. Oh well. I am very happy with this considering my power snatch 1RM is 125, so I know that number is definitely higher now if I can touch and go 125 for two. The wall ball/running workout felt pretty terrible. HSPUs were alright, I wish I didn't fatigue so quickly on those. Pull ups felt good, wall balls felt bad. It was one of those days where the ball was going all over the place, hitting me in the face and shit. The runs were just fucking cold, I could barely breathe. I wasn't able to keep the runs consistent, it's hard for me to keep a consistent running pace once I start getting tired. I think I'm going to start taking a stopwatch outside with me when I run, it's harder to pace running when you can't see a clock. 

11/21/2013

A. Power clean & split jerk, 6 x 1 @ 75-85% 1RM; begin a set every :90
B. Ring dips, 3 x 4-5, 20X1; 2:00 rest
+
For time:
800m run
100m sled drag, heavy grinding effort
25 pull-ups
35 burpees
25 pull-ups
100m reverse sled drag, heavy grinding effort
1000m row

A. complete @165
B. 5(unweighted), 5(5#), 5(10#)
+
29:49
180 pounds on sled
this one was weirdly awesome


Great day today. The power clean and jerks felt really light, although it was a little strange to power clean since all I have been doing for the past few weeks is squat cleans. Dips went better than I thought they would, I am getting better at those. The sled drag workout was actually pretty awesome. I was dreading it all day, because long chippers are not my strong point at all, especially when it involves running, sled drag, and burpees, but it actually went really well. I took the run at a pretty steady pace and felt great the whole time. The first sled drag was rough but not as bad as I thought, although that is the heaviest sled drag I have ever done. When Leah and I were setting up for the workout we weren't sure exactly how heavy the sled was supposed to be. Stephen said we should look like we're masters athletes dragging a sled at the CrossFit Games. In my mind I was thinking it would be around 100-115 pounds but that was way too light. Leah ended up putting 180 pounds on there and I didn't think there was any way I would be abe to drag it, but I actually did alright with that weight. All pull ups were butterfly and felt really good, the first time I broke them up 9-9-7 and the second time through was all sets of 5s. The 35 burpees were reaaaaal slow but steady. Thank you Stephen for keeping me on track through those, I'm sure that was not the most exciting thing to watch haha. Once I got back to the sled I had to drag it in reverse and jesus that took forever. I was so tired by this point and breathing pretty hard, I was stopping probably three times during every 25 meters. I finally made it to the row and it was pretty slow, I probably should have gone a bit faster. I did get a little kick around 250 and was able to power through until the end, finishing just under 30:00. I'm very happy with that, I thought this workout was going to take me a lot longer. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this workout. My engine has improved so much, I was breathing heavy the whole time but never felt like I was going to die, and I recovered relatively quickly after it was over. I was able to keep moving at a relatively steady pace the entire time. This is definitely encouraging, I know I am slowly getting better at my weaknesses. 

11/20/2013

3 sets of:
500 meter row @85%
2:00 rest
+
6 sets of:
:20 row @100%
3:40 rest
+
3 sets of:
500 meter row
2:00

2:02.2
2:02.0
2:01.7
+
1:34.4
1:34.4
1:34.1
1:32.5
1:33.5
1:33.0
+
2:03.4
2:03.1
2:02.4


I am really pleased with these numbers, I am getting so much better at rowing. I don't even hate it anymore. I feel pretty comfortable with rowing now and actually enjoy it sometimes. Progress! During the :20 sprints Stephen told me to play around with the damper a little bit, so I put it on 5 for the first set, 6 for the second, and then kept it on 7 for the rest. The second set of 500s were a bit slower than the first set because I was pretty tired from the sprints. Stephen said the goal is eventually to have the second set of 500s be the same as the first set. I also recovered pretty quickly between all the rows which is a good sign.

11/19/2013

A. Front squat, build quickly to tough 5
+
For 20:00:
Evens: 1 squat clean + 1 front squat @ 155
Odds: 1 muscle-up
+
AMRAP in 6:00:
25m heavy prowler push
2 rope climbs

A. 180
+
complete
+
2 rounds + prowler & 1 rope climb
70 pounds on prowler 


Front squats felt good today, I think the bees knees helped a lot. I think I could definitely get a new front squat PR soon. The 20:00 EMOM went really well, the squat cleans felt easy and I didn't have any misses on the muscle ups which is good, I am getting my confidence back with those, although I don't know if I can string two together anymore. The 6:00 AMRAP was alright, I was resting way too much between rope climbs though. The prowler was fast and only got difficult on the last round but it was definitely making me out of breath, especially having to turn the prowler around every time, that was a little bit of extra work haha

11/18/2013

35:00 airdyne @Z1

Gobblers and Gobblettes recap

Yesterday was the Gobblers and Gobblettes competition at CrossFit Covington. It was a male/female partner competition and there were three different workouts throughout the day. I have done a team competition before but this was my first partner competition and it was so awesome! I loved it. It was definitely a learning experience, and it's more pressure than competing as an individual because you don't want to let your partner down or end up having them do most of the work. Also strategy comes into play more, you have to figure out how to split up the work load and also how to communicate during the actual workouts. Here is a recap of the WODs:

WOD#1
In 10 Minutes: partner #1 will row 250m, while partner #2 completes AMRAP burpees. Then the partners will switch. They will continue switching until the 10 minutes is complete.
*When the rowing judge calls switch, the person doing the burpees must STOP and the partners switch immediately.
Score #1 – Total # meters rowed between the 2 partners.
Score #2 – Total # burpees completed between the 2 partners.

Total meters rowed-2280=23rd place
Total burpees-133=36th place

This felt like the longest ten minutes of my life. It was so tiring. I tried to do the burpees at a steady pace, I didn't want to go out too fast and burn out too quickly. I kept the row between 2:00-2:05 which felt pretty good, it was mostly the burpees that were killing me. Jeff and I had good transitions on this, I tried to start pulling as soon as I sat down on the rower and he would immediately start doing burpees. Looking back on it, we probably should have picked up the pace a little bit on the burpees but we did pretty decent overall on the row. We were both glad to get this one out of the way first.

Row/burpee workout!

WOD #2 – Deadlift, Hang Clean and Double Jerk Ladder
Women’s Ladder: 125, 135, 145, 155, 165, 175, 185, 195
Men’s Ladder: 185, 205, 225, 255, 275, 295, 305, 315
*You will have 1 minute to complete the complex. There will be a 10 second transition between each lift.
Score = We will be counting the women’s and men’s scores separately. We will also be giving partial credit for lifts.

Jeff- 275.03=14th place

me- 185.01=12th place

This was really fun, I love ladders. I didn't get as high as I would have liked, everything up until 185 felt very easy, I really thought I might be able to get to 195 and at least clean it, but that didn't happen. I got to 185 and failed the clean three times, arggg. Very disappointing. For some reason I was catching it forward and wasn't able to stand up with it. I think the minimal rest between the first and second workout was also a contributing factor. Jeff did really well, he took 14th place overall on the ladder which is great! We had a lot of fun doing this one.

WOD #3 – 3 Parts – **1 Minute Rest between each part**

Part #1 – You have 6 Minutes to complete as a team:

40-30-20

Deadlifts – (225/135#)

Alternating Partner Box Jumps (20″)

*On the deadlift, the partner must hold their bar at the top of the deadlift, while the other person is working on the deadlifts. You may switch at any time.

Score = Time to Complete the WOD

5:28=27th place

This was a lot tougher than we anticipated, the deadlifts were not heavy but very taxing, and the hold got very tiring. Jeff and I split up the deadlifts 10-10-10-10 on the first round, 10-10-5-5 on the second round, and 10-10 on the third round. We never got no-repped on any box jumps which is good. This one was definitely a breather. 

Part #2  - In 6 Minutes as a team, complete AMRAP:

100 Double Unders

12 Thrusters (135/85#)

*For the double unders, one person working at at time.

*For the thruster, the partner must hold the front rack position, while the other person is working on the thrusters. You may switch at any time.

Score = Total # Reps completed within the AMRAP

336 reps=15th place

This was definitely the easiest of the three workouts. We were able to split up the double unders 50-50 on the first round and then after that it was basically as many as we could do and then we would turn it over to the other person. We split up the thrusters 6/6 each round which worked really well, the front rack hold position was terrible though, it made it impossible to breathe. We had really good communication during this one which was cool. After this one was over I wasn't sure how I was going to make it through a third workout with only one minute to rest.

Part #3 – You have 6 minutes to complete as a team :

3 Rounds:

10 Snatch (135/85#)

10 Muscle Ups

*One person working at a time for both movements, you may switch at any time

Score: Time to Complete the WOD

6:16=16th place

Holy fuck. At this point, we were both so tired. I couldn't imagine gripping the rings to do muscle ups. The plan was for me to do all the snatches in the first round and then Jeff would start on the muscle ups, and I would try to do one or two when he needed a break. That plan kind of fell apart a little bit. I thought I would be able to do all 10 snatches unbroken but that did not happen. I ended up doing 5-3-1-1 on the first round (I was going to do a set of 2 at the end but the bar was so slippery it slipped right out of my hand). I walked over to the rings while Jeff was doing muscle ups, he was able to knock them out in a few sets so I walked back over to the bar and started doing snatches and he stayed over at the rings. When I was finished I walked back over to him and asked if he wanted me to do any, secretly hoping he would say no, and he said he could handle the muscle ups if I did all the snatches. That was perfectly fine with me, I was so tired I couldn't imagine doing any muscle ups at that point.  We were both dead. All of Jeff's muscle ups looked really strong though, and my snatches felt good but I wasn't able to do more than a few at a time by the end. Ugh. This whole workout was extremely tiring. I think we were both very glad when it was over. I actually had the most fun doing this last group of workouts because it required the most partner communication so Jeff and I got to interact a lot which was fun :) 

At the end of the day, Jeff and I ended up getting 21st place overall. We were a little disappointed because we wanted to get into the top 20. Before the final results were announced, Jeff said "I just want us to make it into the top 20" and I said "Yeah, watch us get like 21st place or something" and then we did haha. Oh well. There were a lot of really good teams there, the competitors were all very talented and strong.

Overall, it was a great day. CrossFit Covington put on a very well-run competition. All the workouts were challenging but not over the top, and the partner aspect of it was really cool. My partner, Jeff, was the best partner I could ever ask for. I never felt like he was disappointed in me or stressed about the standings of the teams. He was there to have fun and I had a blast competing with him. He is an amazing athlete and an awesome person as well. Also, congratulations to Megan, Stephen, Michael, Kathryn, Jessie, Jason, Heather and Cody. It was fun getting to compete alongside my friends from CSC. Now we look forward to the 2014 Great Lakes Invitational in January!

My amazing partner Jeff!

Team Gobble Squatters and Team Treat Yo Self after the competition

All the CSC competitors!

11/14/2013

A. Close-grip bench press, build to a max
B. Pull-ups, 1 x AMRAP
+
5 rounds for time:
250m row
15 burpees

A. 140 (PR+2)
B. 23
+
12:31


Really happy with the bench press PR, I was not expecting that today. 140 felt really easy but I failed 145. I am a little disappointed with the pull ups, I would have liked to get closer to 30. My grip is what failed me, I couldn't hang on to the bar anymore. 23 is the most butterfly pull ups I have ever done in a row, so that's good, but I still would have liked to get 30. The row/burpee workout went better than I thought, I figured I would be around 15:00 so I was happy with my time, but it was still too slow. I think I went out too slow on the first set of burpees, I was trying to pace myself since I knew I had 4 more rounds to go. I felt like I was moving the whole time and my transitions were quick but my burpees were too slow. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up the pace Saturday for the competition, I don't want to let Jeff down and have him end up doing all the work on this workout to make up for my lack of speed. 

11/13/2013

3 sets of:
7 touch-and-go deadlifts, 135
:25 AirDyne @ 95-97%
4:00 rest
+
2 sets of:
:30 row @ 100%
4:30 rest
+
2 sets of:
:45 row @ 100%
5:15 rest

complete, all sets around :43
+
1:36.2/156m
1:35.9/156m
+
1:38.2/229m
1:38.6/228m


Rows felt great today. I mean not great, I didn't enjoy them, but as far as my lungs and recovery go, it was great. I think that is the fastest pace I have been able to hold so far during the :45 sprints. I noticed my recovery is getting so much faster too, I don't feel like I'm going to die anymore after sprints. 

11/12/2013

A. 1 clean-grip deadlift + 1 hang squat clean + 2 shoulder-to-overhead ladder
B. Muscle-ups, 5 x 1; begin a set every :60
+
AMRAP in 6:00
50 double-unders
8 thrusters, 85

A. 175 for one clean and jerk, failed the second jerk. Arggg.
B. complete
+
4 thrusters short of 4 rounds 


Everything felt really good today, I am getting more and more excited for the competition. I am a little disappointed in how I did on the clean and jerk ladder, I was hoping to get up to 185. Everything up to 175 felt super easy. I failed a clean at 165, I was too far forward but I was able to make it up in the remaining time. As I was getting higher and higher in the ladder I noticed my bees knees were really bothering me, almost to the point where my whole leg felt numb. Once I got up to 175, I couldn't really focus on anything else other than how numb my legs felt, it was very weird. When I failed the second jerk at 175, I didn't even really care, I just wanted to take my bees knees off. Stephen told me to wear them around my ankles until I get high enough in the ladder to where I think I'll need them. I know I can get higher than 175 on Saturday, I just wasn't focused and I think I was also rushing my cleans. I know I will do better on Saturday. Muscle ups felt really good today, turnover was quick. The double under/thruster workout went well, I almost got 4 rounds. The thrusters felt really light, I just kept tripping up on the double unders for some reason, it was frustrating. I was happy to almost get 4 rounds though because Jeff got 4 rounds. 

11/10/2013

12:00 Z1 mixed warm-up of AirDyne, row, ski erg, and single-unders, keep it easy and stay moving
+
5 sets of:
400m run @ 90% (goal is same time/set)
2:00 walk rest (4:00 walk rest after set 3)
+
12:00 @ 85% of [7 handstand push-ups + 7 power cleans @ 85 + 7 CTB pull-ups + 35 double-unders]

complete
+
1:47
1:43
1:44
1:43
1:44
+
complete


The 400s went really well today, I think my speed was pretty good and I recovered quickly after each run. The 12:00 workout did not go as well, for some reason I had no energy by that point. My arms were tired and I just felt like I wasn't putting in as much effort as I should, I felt exhausted. I don't know if the running made me tired or what but it was very weird. Bleh. I'm glad the running went well though. 

11/9/2013

AM:

35:00 min airdyne @Z1

PM:

A. 1 deadlift + 1 hang squat clean + 2 shoulder-to-overhead, build to a tough (not max) set in 10:00, just to get an idea for next week
B. Clean pull clusters, 3 x 1.1.1 @ 105% clean max; 2:30 rest
+
6 sets for times, goal is same for all:
7 thrusters, 85
250m row @ 2:03/500m
10 burpees
3:00 rest

AM:

complete

PM:

A. 175

B. complete @210

+

1. 2:13/1:58.1 row

2. 2:18/2:00.5

3. 2:24/2:02.0

4. 2:17/2:01.3

5. 2:16/2:01.0

6. 2:11/2:01.3

Today went really well, it was cool training in the afternoon instead of the early morning like I usually do on Saturdays, I had more energy. The deadlift/hang clean/double jerk thing was more difficult than I anticipated, that will definitely be interesting next weekend at the competition. All the cleans felt really good, but it's the second jerk that might give me trouble. I made it up to 175 and jerked it once but didn't even attempt the second jerk. I knew I could get it so I went for it again and got both jerks on the second attempt. I think the key is just focusing on proper technique and also not letting the bar rest on the shoulders for too long, otherwise I start thinking about how heavy it is. I'm hoping to get up to at least 185 next weekend. The thruster/row workout was pretty good, although I need to learn how to pace correctly. Even when Stephen gives me the exact pace I'm supposed to row, I still go out too fast at the beginning. I went out way too fast on the first set, I didn't find a steady pace until the fourth set. Ughhh.  Definitely something I need to improve. The thrusters felt very light and I also recovered quickly after each set so that's good. 

11/8/2013

35:00 airdyne @Z1 

11/7/2013

AM:
40:00 airdyne @Z1

PM:
A1. Close-grip bench press, 2-2-2-2; 2:00 rest
A2. Strict pull-ups, 4 x AMRAP; 2:00 rest
+
20:00 @ 85%:
20 AirDyne cals
10 kettlebell swings, 53
1 rope climb
10 burpees
1 rope climb

AM:
complete

PM:
A1. 105-115-120-125
A2. 9-9-8-7
+
complete


Bench press felt a little tough today. I had a bit of a mishap on the set of 115, on the way up the bar hit the rack and came back down, I couldn't push it up so it was sort of stuck on me, then the weights on one side slipped off. Luckily Cody was there to help me. That will teach me to put clips on next time. Oops.  The 20:00 workout felt great, my breathing felt excellent the whole time, definitely credit to the extra Z1 work. My rope climbs have gotten so much better too, I am having to rest less before each climb. Good day today.

11/6/2013

AM:
30:00 airdyne @Z1
got off every 10:00 and did the ski erg for :60

PM:
3 sets of:
3 thrusters, heavy
100m sprint @ 95%
4:00 rest
+
3 sets of:
5 touch-and-go power snatches, moderate
:30 AirDyne @ 97%
5:00 rest
+
3 sets of:
7 touch-and-go deadlifts, light/moderate
:45 row @ 100%
6:00 rest

AM:
complete

PM:
complete @115
+
complete @95
+
complete @185
1:41.3
1:43.6 
1:42.7

11/5/2013

A. 1 squat clean + 2 front squat, 10 x 1 @ 145; begin a set every :60
+
5 sets of:
1 muscle-up
3 squat snatches, 85
1 muscle-up
:60 rest
+
3 sets of:
20 double-unders
6 kipping handstand push-ups
20 double-unders
9 toes-to-bars
:90 rest

A. complete
+
1:30
1:20
1:20
1:23
1:27
+
1:40
1:21
1:31


Muscle ups felt good today, surprisingly they got easier during every set, I think the first set felt the worst but by the end they felt nice and fast. I think each set took too long, probably because I put on my belt before I did the snatches. Errr....I probably don't need to be wearing a belt for 85 pound snatches. Come on. That definitely wasted time. Lesson learned for next time. I also wasn't going too fast on this one because I wanted to make sure I didn't fail any muscle ups. Looking back on this, I was being kind of a bitch about it and didn't go very hard because I think I'm still mentally scarred from two weeks ago when I failed every muscle up. The second part was fun, my handstand push ups are getting back to where they used to be. I'm not sure why my first round took me so long. I just felt like I was moving kind of slow today. 

11/3/2013

12:00 Z1 mixed warm-up of AirDyne, row, ski erg, and single-unders, keep it easy and stay moving
+
12 sets of:
200m accelerating run, start @ 70 and build to 90% for last 50m)
:60 walk rest (3:00 walk rest after set 6)
+
12:00 @ 80% of [5 handstand push-ups + 10 heavy Russian kettlebell swings + 5 CTB pull-ups + 30 double-unders]

complete, ski erg is fun
+
complete, runs between :45-:48
+
complete with 70# KB. Also finally learned how to do butterfly CTBs, woo!


I'm going to start doing more of the mixed Z1 stuff, that was fun to change it up. I really like the ski erg, it was cool to do something different. The runs were a lot harder than I thought they would be, definitely not as bad as last time but still pretty difficult. I think I started out too fast and wasn't really going 70% at first, it felt more like 80-85% but eventually I think I found the right pace. I was happy to have a 3:00 rest after the 6th run, and I was able to recover relatively quickly between each run which is a good sign. The 12:00 workout was good, I felt pretty wiped out from running so I didn't have much energy but I just tried to keep moving. I also finally learned how to do butterfly CTBs! I did regular kipping pull ups the first round, then the second round I just decided to go for it and see if I could do them butterfly and I got all 5, so I did that for the next two rounds as well. Very excited about this!! 

11/2/2013

A. Snatch pull clusters, 3 x 1.1.1 @ 105% snatch max
B. Hang power snatch, build to a max
+
6 sets for times:
2 squat clean & jerks, 75% 1RM
15 wall balls
450m row @ 2:05/500m
3:00 rest

A. complete @150
B. 130 (PR+15) (135 Fx2)
+
1. 4:00 (2:02 row)
2. 3:57 (2:03.2)
3. 4:10 (2:02.3)
4. 4:10 (2:02.2)
5. 4:16 (2:03.5)
6. 4:30 (2:03.4)
clean and jerks @145


Really happy with the hang power snatch PR, I was not expecting that. I wish I would have gotten 135, I came pretty close the first time but the second attempt was not even close. Oh well, I think I could get it next time. The clean and jerk/row workout was pretty terrible, it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. The clean and jerks got pretty heavy after the 4th round and that's where I took the most rest. Wall balls were unbroken the first round, then 10/5 until the 5th round then it was 5/5/5 for the last two sets. All the rows actually felt really good and pretty steady, I'm happy with that and I was able to keep it under 2:05 each time. I'm noticing that I'm recovering much faster. Between each round I was able to recover enough to the point where I felt decent enough to start the next round, and after my 6th set it only took me a couple minutes to recover before I was feeling good again. Definitely pleased with this. 

10/31/2013

A1. Close-grip bench press, 6-4-2; 2:00 rest
A2. Pull-ups, 3 x AMRAP (-2); 2:00 rest
+
20:00 @ 80%:
750m row
6 wall walks
4 clean & jerks, 135
2 rope climbs

A1. 105-115-125
A2. 20-15-10 (stopped a little early on this one because I was going to tear)
+
complete


My butterfly pull ups are getting so much better, I think 20 is the most I have ever done. I had to stop a little early on the third set because I could feel I was going to tear soon. The 20:00 workout felt great, I tried to think about what James said about sustainability. I just tried to keep moving the entire time, quick transitions and steady movement. I thought back to the athlete camp when he drew the circle on the board, that's what 80% is supposed to be. Constant movement, steady breathing. Since the athlete camp, I see things so differently now.