9/24 - Squat Cleans and WLC Day 9

Today it was back to routine and it felt good.  After another Sunday afternoon spent preparing for the week ahead I felt exhausted but ready to take it on.

I think the swim helped minimize sore muscles but the fatigue is still definitely there but it was back to regular Monday training anyway. 

Warm-up 
Run 300m
Shuttle sprints back and forth across box (x5)
Shuttle sprints back and forth across box with increasing number of burpees in between (1-2-3-4-5)
Leg swings
Bar work – warm-up in to squat snatches 

WOD 
12 min AMRAP
9 snatches (45/60kg)
6 pull-ups
100m run 
4 (30.5kg/ Rx)

Going into this one I knew I wouldn’t be able to make Rx weight – it’s well above my snatch PR so there’s that, there’s also the tiredness and the number of reps.  I thought I’d be anywhere from 35kg on down.  As we were warming up and making our way up to the weight we were going to use 28kg felt heavy and so I figured 30.5kg would be a good weight for me today and it was.  It was challenging (and heavy at the end) but I was still able to squat snatch it throughout with (fairly) decent technique.

I dumped the bar on the first rep (again!).  I remember the last time we did squat snatches (or was it cleans?) in a WOD and I dumped the first two in front of Kayla and remember her both laughing at me and telling me to get my shit together (in that friendly way only Kayla can)… anyway, it happened again.  And I realized that I’m trying too hard to rush that first rep in order to “catch up”.  You see most people in the WOD get into their set position as the clock starts beeping down 3-2-1 so on ‘Go!’ they are pulling their first rep.  I try and stay upright until ‘Go’ as these are typically competition standards – I always notice in my peripheral vision that Kayla does this too.  I then try to ‘catch up’ which I should know better than to do as it usually leads me to having poor (rushed) form and clearly dumping the bar more than I should.  Slow and steady… I need to remind myself of that – tortoise!

So after dumping the first rep I slowed myself a bit and focused on good technique – slow movement until the knee then exploding, full extension, elbows high and dropping under the bar.  It was working well though a few times Coach Match commented that on my set up my butt needs to be down more – hips back – not sure if this is bad form that I’ve fallen into or merely a case of hurt from the weekend.  Will have to be mindful of this.  I managed to do solid sets throughout – I think mostly in the 3-3-3 fashion while only dumping one more early in the second round as I just didn’t drop as I should have – too much going on in my head and I lost my focus.*

The pull-ups were fairly solid.  I love now that I consistently go Rx that I can just jump on any bar that is free to bang them out.  I think I did 3-3 or 2-2-2 for most rounds.  They went quick – I actually looked forward to them and wanted to get through the squat cleans merely so I could do the pull-ups and then was out the door for a quick run. 

On the last round I could see the clock as I was nearing the last 3 squat cleans and had about 30 or so seconds left.  I knew I could finish them and quickly push through the pull-ups aiming to get out the door before time expired (as you get to count the run if you’re out before time ends – since you can’t see the clock).  I had just gotten around the cars when I heard the beep on the clock and finished off the run to complete a total of 4 rounds.  It was a solid effort.  I’m happy with it – again, slow and steady is my new mantra on things like this.  I need to just focus on me doing the work with good form and technique because ultimately this makes me faster overall.  As others around me burnout I just keep going even if I’m slow off the blocks.  Dumping the weight because of rushed or poor form only slows me down more in the grand scheme of it all.

*In terms of losing my focus on the lifting – I set up at the back of the room closer to the pull-up bars partly because Coach Match was teasing me the other day on how I always set up right at the front in the same spot all the time so I figured I’d switch it up a bit. I didn’t like it because there was too much movement going on around me.  Since I was going heavier and therefore slower I was on the squat snatches longer/ behind everyone so as people were transitioning to the pull-ups bars (which I was right in front of) they were walking very close to me sometimes while I was about to pull the bar off the ground which would steal my focus for a fraction of a second because I was afraid of hitting them/ them hitting me/ dropping the heavy weight/ etc. and it was definitely challenging.  Perhaps there is something to me setting up at the front where no one would be walking past me.  Another lesson. 

Mobility 
Shoulder mobility before class – left shoulder is a bit achy from so many things (including not resting it)
Rolled out my back and quads after class
Rode home (oh, guess this doesn’t count but it sure was fun). 

WLC Day 10
Another perfect day today – Monday to Friday it’s easy for me – I’m in a routine and I regularly bring all my food.  Picked up Brenda’s co-op dish which is waiting for me for dinner tonight – chicken and baked veggies… it looks very tasty!

Dinner last night was some pulled pork that I’d made overnight in the slow cooker slathered in tasty (and garlic/spicy) bbq sauce that I made – I’d give the recipe but it was pretty freestyle – started with a base of WLC compliant tomato paste, added some apple cider vinegar and mustard powder (in substitute of the mustard the recipe called for and which is not WLC compliant).  I spiced it up with some garlic powder (too lazy/tired to chop the garlic in the fridge), chili powder and paprika – didn’t measure anything.  I also added a few of my ‘date paste ice cubes’ to give it a bit of sweetness.  I simmered that all up on the stove and then mixed with the pulled pork.  Tasty.  I hope Angie and Brenda feel the same.  Hee.