4/5/2015

lots of mobility
+
1600m sled drag, 45# on sled


Woke up feeling really sore from Grid practice. It felt good to move around, the sled drag was very enjoyable and the weather was perfect! 

4/4/2015- Grid practice

We had our first Grid practice today and it was SO AWESOME! I had so much fun. It was definitely a huge learning experience. We had 6 people today (3 females and 3 males) and we ran everything like an actual match. The time frame was the same but Stephen cut down the reps since there were only 6 of us. We were mostly getting the hang of transitions, subbing in and out, and learning how each individual race works. Here is the summary of the day:

Race 1, 4:00, MF, trading off every movement:
5-4-3-2 of:
DB thrusters, 55-65-75-85/35-40-45-50
Burpee box jump overs, 30/24

Kelly started with the 5s, I did the 4s, and Jen did the 3s and 2s. I was paired with Tommy for this one. I accidentally ran out on to the floor too soon after he was done with the DB thrusters, I kept rushing the transitions. Oops. It took me awhile to get the hang of when I was allowed to switch out with the other person. This is why we practice. 

Race 2, 5:00, MMMFFF, bar cannot touch the ground, advance after every 8 reps:
32 hang power snatches, 175/105

This one was really cool. Before we started, we agreed we would just go 8 unbroken every time and then move to the next quadrant. It was kind of depressing how heavy 105 felt today, usually it wouldn't be an issue but I haven't really moved heavy weight in awhile and it was tough today, I really had to think before each rep to make sure I was in a good position instead of just bouncing it off my hips. Jen started, then I went, then Kelly, then Jen. I was paired up with Eric and he was being really encouraging even though he was in the middle of snatching. What a guy. Everyone moved the weight really well and we never dropped the bar, transitions between quadrants were good all the way through.

Race 3 & 4, 5:00, FF, 1 working @ a time:
20 DB snatches, 50
20 CTB pull-ups
2 rope climbs
20 ground-to-overhead, 105

This was pretty terrible. The transitions were confusing and we only had a minute rest before we had to go again. I started with 10 DB snatches then Kelly did 10. I tagged in Jen and she did 10 CTB pull ups and I finished them. She ran over and did the two rope climbs and once she was done she ran and tagged me in while Kelly started on the GTO. I think I did 6 reps and then Jen finished them out. When we did it the second time, Kelly did 10 DB snatches and I did 10, then I think Kelly did all 20 CTB pull ups? I can't remember. Jen did the rope climbs again and I started on the GTO. I think I only did 5 that time before Kelly took over and then Jen finished them. I was pretty disappointed with my performance on this one, I feel like I barely did any work and everything was too slow. My DB snatches were way too slow, although I didn't know I could just use the same arm for all of them so I think I'll do that next time. My GTO were also too slow and felt heavy. This race was really tiring. 

Race 5 & 6, 5:00, MM, 1 working @ a time:
20 DB snatches, 75
20 CTB
2 rope climbs
20 ground-to-overhead, 165

Race 7, 5:00, all go, 1 @ a time, start anywhere, can skip bars:
Clean ladder, 115-135-155-175-195-215-235-255-275-295-315

The clean ladder was one one of my favorite races, I always enjoy a nice ladder, especially if it's cleans! I wasn't sure how I would perform on this one since everything was feeling heavy up to this point. I knew I could easily hit 175 but I wasn't sure about 195, especially with no real warm up. The order was Jen, Wolf, me, Tommy, Kelly, and Eric. I ended up hitting 195! I caught it a bit low but I was pretty surprised I was able to even clean it. I was very happy with this.

Race 8, 6:00, MF, 1 working @ a time:
40 handstand push-ups
25 handstand push-ups, 5" deficit
10 freestanding handstand push-ups

This was my other favorite race of the day. I had done pretty well with the deficit handstand push ups at Pro Day so I figured this would be a good one for me. Wolfgang, Kelly, and Jen (I think) split up the 40 HSPU. Tommy and I did the deficit, he did 13 reps and I finished it out with 12. They were really easy and fast so that's good. Eric did all 10 freestanding HSPU. I've been practicing the freestanding HSPU with an ab mat, but Eric reminded me that in Grid matches they basically just do them on the ground with a tiny circle as reference, there's really no mat. So I need to start practicing the freestanding HSPU with no ab mat from now on. 

Race 9, 6:00, FFF, all 3 on the floor working @ once, cannot advance until all reps @ all 3 stations are completed:
7 OHS, 105
15 TTB
100 double-unders
10 pistols, 25
7 muscle-ups

This race was harder than I thought it would be. The overhead squats actually weren't that bad,  neither were the toes to bar. When I got to the double unders, things started getting iffy. I did 92 in a row and then stopped for a brief second before finishing the rest. This was really tiring. The 10 pistols were no problem because I did them all on my right leg, so they were really fast. I went over and finished Jen's pistols for her. This was another race where things were sort of confusing, I wasn't sure when to go over and help finish reps. Once the pistols were over, all three of us sort of just stood there and stared at the rings for a few seconds. My plan was to go 4/3 on the muscle ups but that didn't happen. I did 3 in a row and was shocked at how bad they felt. I did another rep, then I was able to string together two more. Kelly came over and did one rep on my rings to finish my set, and Jen finished Kelly's set. I think Kelly and I were both pretty surprised at how bad our muscle ups felt, because I know muscle ups are a strength for both of us. I like the aspect of being able to finish each others reps, that's pretty cool.

Race 10, 6:00, MMM, same as 9:
7 overhead squats, 185
15 toes-to-bar
100 double-unders
10 pistols, 45
7 muscle-ups

Race 11, 6:00, MMMFFF, relay:
15 wall balls, 30 to 10
80' handstand walk
10 burpee DB box-overs, 30/hand
9 bar muscle-ups
6 ground-to-overhead, 225

The relay was pretty fun. Tommy started with the wall balls, Kelly did the handstand walk, I did the DB burpee box overs, Eric did the bar muscle ups, Jen did 15 hang squat cleans at 85 (we added that in) and Wolfgang did the 6 ground to overhead. I was kind of hoping I would be able to do either the handstand walk or the bar muscle ups but Kelly and Eric were more efficient at those so I did the DB burpee box overs and those are no joke. It actually sucked a lot. It was also a 24" box which is tall for me. I knew I was going too slow but I really don't think I could have gone any faster, I was trying my best. I've never done those before and they are pretty awkward, and it got harder to step up on the box once my legs got fatigued. Looking back, I probably should have done the 15 hang squat cleans since Jen is taller than me but it doesn't really matter, I should be practicing all the movements anyways. 

This was a really fun day and I learned a lot. I definitely need to work on speed and quick turnover on all movements. It was pretty tiring, we were doing a lot of work for two straight hours. I'm looking forward to practicing again next week now that I have a better understanding of how the races work. I'm really thankful that Jen, Wolfgang, Tommy and Kelly took the time out of their Saturday to come down and do this with us. Also, it was really nice of Stephen to set this whole thing up so Eric and I could practice. Thanks Stephen! Can't wait to do it again next Saturday!

4/3/2015

10:00 gymnastics skill work of choice, keep everything easy
+
2000m row @Z1
+
800m sled drag easy outside OR 15:00 airdyne @Z1

complete
+
complete
+
complete with 60# on sled


It was so nice to get back to gymnastics skill work, and it was fun working with Brandie! I rotated between ring muscle ups, bar muscle ups, and legless rope climbs. Muscle ups felt great today, easily hit 3 every time. I practiced on the fat rings AND the skinny rings because I want to be prepared for everything when I go to the combine. The skinny rings actually weren't bad at all, I don't know why my muscle ups were so terrible when I had to use the skinny rings at Boston Pro Day. 

Legless rope climbs are getting better. I did the first one using a kip but it's just too slow. Stephen told me to try using the "bicycle kick" because it's much faster and more efficient. I did three rope climbs with the bicycle kick and it's so much better! It really doesn't fatigue my arms any more than using the kip and it's twice as fast. Neat! Now I just have to work on touching the top of the rope before I use my feet.....

I used 60# on the sled drag so I could keep it moving the whole time. 

Excellent day, looking forward to Grid practice tomorrow!

2015 CrossFit Open Recap

The 2015 CrossFit Open ended a few days ago and it's hard to believe it's actually over. We spent so much time thinking about it, talking about it, and training for it, and now it's done. I had mixed feelings going into the Open this year. I've never been a huge fan of it because the workouts were usually all about long metcons and light weight on the barbell. I always felt like the Open exposed my weaknesses instead of my strengths, and it usually just ended up making me feel bad about myself as an athlete. However, part of me was looking forward to it because I have made leaps and bounds in my training this year, and I also knew it was something I would get to do with all my friends. There's always a great energy surrounding the gym during the Open, and I really enjoy that aspect of it. 

I'm not going to go through each workout week by week, I already did that multiple times in previous blog posts and no one wants to read that shit over and over. Instead, I'm going to make a list of what I thought were the best moments during the Open. So, here it is (in no particular order).

My Top 5 Best Moments from the 2015 CrossFit Open

1. Seeing a large improvement in mental strength
I have never been very mentally tough as an athlete. Usually when something would start to hurt, I would tell myself it was okay to slow down or back off. I've never pushed myself mentally in the Open, I would talk myself out of doing well before the workout even started. I would tell myself it was okay to do poorly because these workouts didn't showcase my strengths anyways and I knew I wasn't going to get that good of a score, so why go all out? That was not the case this year whatsoever. From the very first workout, I could tell something had changed for me mentally. I wanted to do well and I wanted to leave it all out there. I wanted to do my very best on every single workout, even if they didn't play to my strengths (looking at you, 15.2. A-hole). I wasn't afraid to hurt and I actually wanted to repeat every single workout so I could get the best possible score. I pushed hard every time, I did what Stephen said, I shut off my brain and kept going. This was my fifth Open and I can honestly say this was the first year I gave my very best on every workout. It was something I wanted for myself, to prove to myself that I could push beyond the pain and push past the point of wanting to quit. This was a huge growing experience for me, and I made myself very proud. 

2. My performance on 15.3
When I heard muscle ups were the first movement in 15.3, I basically reacted like this:

Muscle ups are definitely one of my biggest strengths. I was really excited about 15.3 because I was still nursing my wounds from the soul crushing blow delivered by 15.2 and I needed a win. Stephen told me I needed to get into the third round of this workout and that's what I did. This was by far my best performance on any Open workout ever. It was one of those moments where it felt like the stars had aligned, everything went according to plan from start to finish. I was feeling great, my muscle ups were on point, I never failed a rep, I never go no-repped on any wall balls, and I did exactly what Stephen told me to do from beginning to end. I was breathing hard but I just shut off my brain and ignored the pain. When it was over, Stephen told me I didn't have to redo it because it was a max effort. I was so proud of myself. This was also the first time I had ever been the top female contributor for our gym, so that was really cool. More importantly than the score, I had gotten my confidence back after feeling so deflated the previous week. 15.3 was the workout that showed me just how far I've come in the past year. If this had shown up last year, I would have been doing muscle ups one at a time and I would have been bent over with my hands on my knees resting way too long between every set of wall balls. Progress is the coolest!

Just two fit friends doing cool stuff together

3. Making it my #1 priority

Last year the Open was just kind of another thing going on in my life. At the time, I was working at the bank, not eating well, not getting enough sleep, stressed out and distracted. This year, the Open was front and center. I had basically taken the past year and dedicated it to training, and I wanted to make sure I gave this my absolute best effort. I made sure I was getting enough sleep, I ate completely clean, I did everything my coach told me to do and I didn't let anything else get in the way of a good performance. I basically told my friends that unless our plans ended before 10:00, I was out of commission for the next five weeks. It paid off because I had my best finish in the Open so far. I'm proud of myself for giving it my all and I have no regrets. 

4. Getting to lift a heavy barbell during 15.1A

I was SO pumped when I heard 15.1A was build to a max clean and jerk. That is my shit. This made me really excited about the Open in general because I knew it was going to be different than anything they had done before. I love building to a max lift, especially in a competition setting. I feel like the adrenaline does half the work. On my first attempt at 15.1, I got 155 reps and clean and jerked 191. On my second attempt, I got 175 reps and still clean and jerked 191, which made me pretty happy considering I was way more fatigued the second time around. I made larger jumps and hit 191 pretty easily. This was one of my favorite parts of the Open, lifting heavy is the best. 

Two members of the CSC lifting team

5. Watching my friends succeed

The absolute best part of the Open was getting to watch my best friends deliver outstanding performances every single week. I was so proud of everyone and I was being inspired by them constantly during the Open. Heather didn't have muscle ups at the beginning of December and then she completed more than a full round of 15.3 in March. Dave made 185 look like nothing during 15.4. Austin did pull ups until his hands were shredded in 15.2. Emily completely destroyed 15.5, and watching Alex give absolutely everything on 15.5 was something I'll never forget. The list goes on. I watched everyone at CSC give their best every week and I feel lucky to call them my friends. Everyone supported and encouraged each other and the environment was nothing but positive. This was my favorite part about the Open. Now please enjoy some pictures of my friends being fit and awesome.

Heather with a 201 clean and jerk PR during 15.1A

Alex and Teej, 15.2

Dave during 15.4

Sammy after 15.5

This was my best Open so far for many reasons. Performance-wise, I placed 111th in the region, which is the highest I've ever placed and it's a huge improvement from my 183 spot last year. I also feel I performed my best on every single workout. My dedication to the training process paid off, I reached my goal of contributing at least three scores and I walked away each week knowing I did my best. My breathing has improved, my transitions have gotten faster, my gymnastics are better and I can still move heavy weight. I still have a lot to work on but I feel like my weaknesses are getting smaller. 

I was also in a completely different mindset this year. I was focused and wanted to do my best. I didn't mind doing the workouts twice (except for 15.5....I mean.....) because I wanted to put forth my best effort. I wanted to do well for the team and for myself. I also didn't let the Open shatter my opinion of myself. The Open can sometimes feel like that relative at Christmas who only harps on the fact that you're single and doesn't want to talk about all the other cool shit you have going on in your life. It can occasionally make you forget how far you've come and how well you've been doing. In the past, if I had a bad performance or the workouts didn't play to my strengths, I would feel bad about myself. I would tell myself I actually hadn't improved that much and that I sucked. This year, I told myself to do the workouts to the best of my ability and to not let a poor performance (Ahem....15.2...) change the way I view myself. It's just like James Fitzgerald says- you have to distance yourself from the results and don't let it define you. We don't have any control over what the workouts are, all we can do is take what is given to us and do our best. 

111th in the region!

Smiling after a successful Open

I want to thank my coach, Stephen Flamm, for always being there to guide me through the entire process. I would have been lost with him. I did whatever he told me because I trust him, he knows me as an athlete and knows what I'm capable of. He was the voice in my head during the painful moments when I wanted to stop and he pushed me to do my best every week. I think I can speak for all of us when I say he did an excellent job of coaching his athletes through this Open. He invests in his athletes and we are lucky to have him.

Dad, thanks for always cheering me on and believing in me!

To my friends at CSC, thanks for making this the best Open I've ever had. It was a real pleasure getting to go through the Open with you guys, you're the most talented and hilarious people I know. You're the best. 

Now that the Open is over, I'm looking forward to getting back to normal training. It's time to get ready for the Grid Combine in two weeks, and I can't wait. There is also still a chance the CSC team can make it to regionals, and I plan on being ready if chosen to compete. I'm excited to see what will happen in the next few months. Onward!

4/1/2015

AM
5000m row @Z1

PM
A. Squat snatch, 10x1 starting @60% and building to 80%, begin a rep every :60
+
3 sets @very easy pace:
1-3 rope climbs
25m bear crawl
50 double unders
30 unweighted walking lunge steps
3:00 walk rest
+
10:00 focused mobility work of choice

AM
complete

PM
A. complete, 100-130
+
complete
2 rope climbs each set
+
complete


AM session was very enjoyable, it was nice to have something different than my usual airdyne/ski erg piece. 

IT FELT SO AWESOME TO SNATCH AGAIN. HUZZAH! I was so excited for this. I was a little nervous since the last time I snatched was before the Open. The first rep was a little iffy, I came way forward on my toes. As the reps got heavier, they got better. I had one miss at 130 because I rushed my set up. Other than that, everything felt great. 130 was a little heavy but that's probably because I haven't snatched anything other than 75 pounds in the last 6 weeks. Very excited to get back to heavy lifting. 

The rope climb/bear crawl piece was actually kind of depressing. I felt extremely heavy the entire time. I know I gained weight throughout the Open, I can feel it. I do not feel or look as lean as I was 6 weeks ago, and that's frustrating. I ate extremely clean throughout the Open, so I know feeling and looking "soft" is coming from the decreased volume of training over the past 6 weeks. I'm ready to get back to training hard 5 days a week and feeling lean again, especially because I have the combine coming up and I don't want to feel heavy for any of the gymnastics movements. 

3/31/2015

1600m light sled drag outdoors, alternate forward & backward as desired

complete


Today was the perfect day for a sled drag! I used 80 pounds for the first 800 meters but dropped to 60 for the second half because my legs were not having it, I was still very sore from 15.5. Also, this might have been the most stressful sled drag of my life seeing as every semi truck in Cincinnati decided to drive down the street between 4:15-5:00. But the weather was nice and it was a good recovery day. 

3/30/2015 (15.5- Second attempt)

AM
10:00 airdyne very easy
+
10:00 thruster mobility prep
+
10 sets:
:30 airdyne @high aerobic effort
:30 rest

PM
15.5 re-do

AM
complete
+
complete
+
complete

PM
9:51 (0:10 faster than Friday)


Going into this workout today, I was pretty nervous. I was dreading it because I knew how bad it was going to hurt and I knew I was going to have to experience that same pain again. I didn't want to go through all of it and do worse. Luckily, that didn't happen. I stuck with the plan and shaved off 10 seconds from my previous time.

I decided to break up the thrusters differently this time. On Friday I broke them up 12/9/6, 9/7/5, 7/4/4 then unbroken. Today I went 9/9/9, 7/7/7, 5/5/5 and then did all 9 unbroken for the last set. I think that was a much better plan for me mentally, the sets didn't seem as big so I just kept thinking "okay I just have to do 7, I can do 7." I kept the row at the exact same pace as Friday, 975-1000 cal/hour. During the 27 cal row I couldn't find a steady pace, it was all over the place and that made me nervous. I thought the workout was already going downhill, but I was able to control it more on the other sets. 

There was still a point in this workout where I wanted to stop. I sat down on the rower for the set of 15 calories and had an inner dialogue with myself as I was rowing. I thought about how even though I was redoing this workout, I most likely wouldn't contribute a score because Heather was smashing it, so why was I even doing it? I thought about how angry I would be if I did worse than my time on Friday. There was a moment where I was just angry at the world in general for no reason other than the fact that I was in a lot of pain. Then my dad said "I believe in you" and that pushed me to keep going. Just thinking about it makes me want to cry because I really needed it at that exact moment. So I pushed the negative thoughts out of my head, decided to quit being a little bitch, and kept going.

I ended up going :10 faster than Friday. To some people that might not seem like a huge improvement, but I'm happy with it. I gave it everything I had. I definitely recovered faster than I did the first time, probably because my body wasn't in complete shock. It still hurt like hell and laid me out on the ground for several minutes after I was done. I really think I gave it my best effort. The Open was fun but I'm ready to get back to normal training! 

All smiles because WE'RE DONE!!!