Painstorm

Run 1/2 mile w 1/2 bodyweight.

As Many Rounds As Possible in 20 min of:
5 deadlift, 1/2 bodyweight
5 hang power clean, 1/2 bodyweight
5 front squat, 1/2 bodyweight
5 push jerk, 1/2 bodyweight
5 back squat, 1/2 bodyweight

Run 1/2 mile (no load)

This morning, I weighed 183 lbs.

I used about 90lbs for the weighted run and 95lbs for the barbell work.

I got 10 rounds + 5 DL + 2 HPC during the AMRAP and my total time was 29:06.

Isabel and 400m "sprints"

Isabel rx'd is 30 135lb snatches for time. A couple warm-up snatches at that weight helped convince me to drop to 115.

With 115, it took me 5:13.

Next time, I will do this with a heavier weight, even if it takes longer.

Afterward, we had to do 3x400m sprints, resting between. The rest was as long as the previous run.

1:22
1:37
1:47

“Kryptonite”

AMRAP in 20 minutes:
10 Wall Ball – 20lb
10 Push-ups
200m Run

It looks like Superman is going to have to DNF his pull-ups.

I actually did used to be a mild-mannered reporter (well, the "mild-mannered" part is disputable) but I don't recall splitting my time as a superhero in red and blue long johns. So why, then, did Kryptonite fuck me up?

Oh, that's right, because it was an AMRAP WOD, where the only reward for doing well is MORE FRICKIN' WORK before the clock runs out.

I did every set of wall balls unbroken, but the push-ups started to slow me down, especially toward the end. And I wasn't running all that fast after the first round.

It was raining pretty bad at lunch, I'm not sure if I would have been able to do the runs a little faster without it, but I doubt it made much of a difference.

I got 9 rounds + 10 WB + 10 PU + approximately 97m.

Ten rounds would have been nice. Next time.

Front Squat / Snatches

Front Squat 5-5-5

I did 185 lbs, 205 lbs, 215 lbs. I came really close to failing on the 215 .

Then for load(not time): 15-12-9 reps of Snatch. Select a weight and each set must be unbroken with no rests. Increase weight for each set. Penalty for broken set is immediately do 7 burpees, adjust weight if needed and repeat set.

Burpee penalty? REPEAT SET? Eff dat.

95 lbs, 105 lbs, 115 lbs.

Canada Regional Team WOD #3:

Teams of four:
600m run - Two members do this
25 95lb OHS - Everyone does the 25 reps, two members working at a time
80 Burpees - Teams split the work, one at a time, in sets of ten
25 95lb High Pulls - Everyone does the reps, two members working at a time
600m run - The two team members who didn't run at the start run now

I worked with Giles, Sarah and Giles's bro Warren.

Our time was 16:08.

Individuals Event #4

For time:
50 double unders
10 speed burpees
40 DUs
10 speed burpees
30 DUs
10 speed burpees
20 DUs
10 speed burpees
10 DUs
10 speed burpees

I got 7:49


Then I did three sets of 5 x 210 lbs. Surprisingly heavy.

Individuals Event #4

Rowing Sprints

5 x 500m, resting four minutes between.

1:38.8
1:41.5
1:45.3
1:43.8
1:43.2

SCFC - "Spring Fling"

57 competitors, three events, one freaking crazy day.

Read about it on the CrossFit Regina website here.

See the final results here.

See pictures from the event here.

My voice was hoarse from screaming at other competitors. There was a great energy in the gym all day, and there were some incredible athletes gathered in one place. But just as inspiring were the regular people who pushed their bodies and spirits to the absolute limit, cheered on by friends and people they had never even met. I am not exaggerating when I say that there were a few times that I almost teared up just watching.

WOD 1 "Bottoms Up"
Concentric back squat (one rep max) plus ring dips.

This was like a max backsquat, except the bar was racked low and you start from that position. Your score on this one was the weight that you lifted plus five points for every ring dip.

You get four attempts at a lift. I did 245 and then 265. I failed on 285 and 275. After the fail on 285, I had a brief but entirely ridiculous spaz-out episode, which subsequently embarrassed me way more than actually missing the lift. That may have messed with my concentration when I went for 275. I didn't even lock the bar down properly on my back before standing up, so it rolled back and was ruled no lift.

I got 15 ring dips, which I think was a PR. I thought that was pretty good, but nearly every other guy in Div 1 beat it.

Total score was 340, which put me at 10th out of 14.

Even though adding the ring dips hurt me as far as the standings went (I would have finished a couple of spots higher if only squat numbers were counted), I thought adding them to this event made it a good balance.

WOD 2 "Pull Through"

45 pull-ups, then
21-15-9 of:
95lb snatch
Row for calories.

I did 26 pull-ups off the start, then finished it off with a few more sets in the 4-6 range. I had a couple of blisters, one on each ring finger. But I taped them up and I don't think they slowed me down on this one.

My strategy was to go as fast as I could though the snatches and not kill myself on the rower. Having said that, the 21 snatches were pretty awful.

There was a guy next to me who could pass for a marine and I figured he'd pull away from the pack, but going into the 15 snatches, I was right on his tail. I think I passed him around the ninth rep. Having someone to chase, and then someone to stay ahead of, really helped me push through this one. And it was nasty.

I did this in 10:28, which was good for 4th out of all the Div 1 men, and moved me to 7th overall. I was definitely surprised that I finished that high (because I went in one of the earlier heats, I was briefly in first place) and I think there were a few other people who were, too.


WOD 3 "Rain or Shine"
Three rounds:

400m run (in the rain)
20 115 lb push press or jerk
20 20" box jump


Because I was in 7th, I got to go in the final heat of the day. That was a blessing and a curse. It was good, because we got to see what worked for the other athletes.

It was bad because I got to see how this wod destroyed people. See, until then, I didn't think it was gonna be that bad.

It was THAT bad.

We had to run in the rain, which was probably better than doing it in oppressive heat. But running at the start of a round instead of the end always presents a bit of a pacing challenge.

On the first 400m run, I wanted to keep a good pace, but leave something in the tank for the push press. My thinking was that it was going to be the push press that really determined who would do well on this one. I had seen the push press just absolutely wipe some people out in earlier heats and I had also seen some freakishly strong people, like Hardcore Ange, crank them out like she was pressing a PVC pipe.

The key would be to put the bar down as little as possible. As I came in from the run I was thinking that I would have to break up the push press into sets of 7, but on the first set, I was able to do 12 straight. I then did eight straight to finish off the set. My technique must have been a bit iffy, because I heard Aaron telling my judge Shae to make sure I locked out at the top and straightened my legs. From what I had seen earlier, Shae didn't cut people a whole lot of slack, so I couldn't have been too bad.

My box jumps were painfully slow. In the previous heat, I saw Brad Flood crank out 20 straight box jumps in his third round to finish before the time limit ran out. Flood was exhausted, but jumped on and off quickly as the entire gym counted in unison. Flood was awesome and that was one of my favourite parts of the day.

I did not provide any box jump-related heroics. I jumped up and stepped down for the vast majority of mine. I just wanted to keep going and not burn myself out.

I don't remember too many specifics about the next two rounds. I think I did pretty good on the push press and when I did set the bar down, I didn'tleave it on the ground for long. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. I had Shae urging me on and dozens of other people yelling at me. The atmosphere alone probably shaved a good two minutes off the time I would get if this were just the workout of the day. The box jumps were slow and steady, but I did deviate from my stepping down to throw in about four up-and-downs. I'm no Brad Flood, but it was the best I could do.

I finished in 13:20, good for 7th in the event.

After the results were posted, I I was in a three-way tie for 7th overall, which is better than I expected.

I had a great time, and it showed me that I still have a lot of room for improvement, both in my CrossFitness and to how I respond to adversity.

UPDATE:

Here's a cool video focusing on one of the athletes who competed that day. It looks really professional.

Sask CrossFit Challenge: Taryn Romanowich from Colin Tulloch on Vimeo.

"Lift Off"

For time:
20 Snatch (squat or power) 95 lbs
Then 10 rounds of
10 Thrusters 45lb
10 Toes to Bar (sub = straight leg raises)
200M Run

The rx'd weight for the snatch on this is 135 lbs, but the competitors in this weekend's "Spring Fling" were told to do it with 95 lbs. I was going to go ahead and do 135 lbs anyway, because I am so fucking badass.

Then I looked on the whiteboard and saw a bunch of times that were all north of 30 minutes, and many that were 40-plus. So much for being so fucking badass.

Even scaled down, it took me 32:54.

The good: Did all the thrusters without dropping the bar. (Pretty lame, I know.) I was also able to string together a number of T2B before dropping off the bar in each round.

The not-so-good: Toes to Bar just absolutely suck. We were told not to tear our hands, and I didn't, but my Sissy Hands were hurting pretty bad pretty early into this. I do have a nice big blister on my right hand ring finger, so we'll see if that hampers me on Saturday.