Day 330. Wow. That’s crazy.
Yesterday our Crossfit box did a 3-part WOD, the 2nd part of which was the workout we did in February for the Crossfit Open 14.1. If you care, HERE is my writeup about that experience.
The workout was a 10 minute AMRAP of 30 double unders and 15 25-kg (55 lb) power snatches.
In case you don’t know, an “AMRAP” is doing “as many repetitions as possible” of a set of exercises, in a time cap. “Double unders” are passing the jump rope under your feet 2x in one jump. And “power snatches” are getting a barbell from sitting on the floor to holding it up over your head, arms straight.
When I did this in February, I got the 30 double unders, which was a big accomplishment in the first place. But, though I could just barely clean the bar to my shoulders (lifting it up to your shoulders from the floor), I didn’t have what it took to push the bar up from my shoulders to above my head.
Yesterday, I had just as much trouble with the double unders as before. I’ve fallen off of practicing them for a number of reasons – more work, practicing other things (mainly squat-related), etc.
But the thing that made me inordinately happy was that I got the bar over my head 15 times. I even had enough time to do 5 more double unders – so I ended with a score of 50.
I couldn’t lift the bar straight over my head like everyone else in the box – they of course made it look like they were lifting a feather. (Average score was about 190). However, I did what would have been okay in Open 14.1 – I cleaned the bar, then “push pressed” it over my head.
It took a while, believe me. It’s not like I did them all in a row. But I did them!
We’ve been using a new software in the box called Beyond The Whiteboard. That’s another reason I stopped blogging so much – adding “one more thing” I have to log into to my day made other things fall to the wayside. The reason I like this software is that it keeps track of your maxes – so before the WOD, you can just pull up your app and see “where you have been” in whatever they are throwing at you that day. WAY easier than trying to track it how I was – here, in this blog, and on a spreadsheet.
So, I have seen improvement in various things, but this is the first time I can see what I’d call “marked” improvement in something. Part of the reason is that I haven’t been able to do much of the workouts at “Rx” (at the “prescribed” weights), so every time we do what’s called a “benchmark” workout (Fran, Murph, etc.) I’m doing it banded, or not squatting deep enough, or “whatever.” As such, it’s very hard to compare apples to apples in this area for me. As an example, when I do squat movements, I still have to squat down to something solid, because I fall over. I used to squat down to a medium box, then a shorter box, then (now) down to 2x25k + 1x10k plates. Or, I started box jumping literally just up onto the side of the gymnastics mat. Now, I can do 14″. (Lowest Rx ever for women is 20″.)
But in this case, I was able to compare an Rx workout to an Rx workout, 5 months later. February – couldn’t get the bar off my shoulders (and almost couldn’t clean it). July – got it up the 15 required times.
Now, I’m watching the Crossfit Games, Masters. We have an athlete at the Games (Pastor Bil, 63 years young), and it’s amazing to know someone there. I’m also cheering for another athlete, who is from my “online friend” Jennifer’s box. So I know two people! It’s very inspiring.
Since our vacation, I’ve “slacked” somewhat on the “working out, eating right” part of my life. I’ve also had a lot more work to do – which means sitting for hours in front of the computer (though the benefit is getting paid. Who-hoo!) Sure, I’m going to Crossfit 5x a week (well, except today – did I mention the Games?) and I’m trying as hard as I can. But I’m not doing “extra” at home like I used to. Stuff like that.
At the box, I still get really frustrated when folks who just started Crossfit pass me like I’m standing still. We have a couple gals in our box who are newbies, not all that much younger than I am, and I watch them bound up to 24″ box jumps or do tempo front squats with twice my weight, chatting like they have a feather on their shoulders. (HOW can these gals CHAT so much and lift???) I keep trying to just keep working at my hardest and best – and when things happen where I can really see how much better I am (like yesterday) it buoys my whole day!