8/16 - cockroaches!

Still felt pretty sore tonight mostly in my traps and neck and was hoping to get to the box a bit earlier to do some mobility but I really didn’t. It’s hard enough getting there on time for the 5pm class now that my commute over is longer so it didn’t really happen – a tiny bit of rolling out in my traps but that was it but the WOD tonight had nothing heavy and nothing overhead so that helped a bit.  I’m really missing picking up a heavy bar though, it feels like it’s been a while for me!

Warmup
300m easy run
Skipping
Then:
1 single skip, 1 push-up, 1 sit-up
2 single skip, 2 push-up, 2 sit-up…
Continue sequence for 3-4-5-4-3-2-1
Then same sequence of 1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1 of
1 mountain climber (equals both sides)
1 cockroach (equals both sides)

In the warm-up I really felt my core working hard, in that way that you definitely know it’s working, a lot.   I was a little worried in the second sequence of mountain climbers and cockroaches given how it felt to be doing reps that low knowing that the numbers were going to be much bigger for the WOD

WOD
3-6-9-6-9-12-9-6-9-6-3
Cockroaches
Single unders x 10
Mountain climbers
Hollow body rocks
12:56 Rx

It must be noted that for this WOD one cockroach/mountain climber meant each side so in effect 2 singles equaled one rep here.  That definitely made it hurt more.  I would have preferred to do DUs instead of SUs but Coach Match said he wanted ‘fast single unders’ – um, my single unders are definitely slower than my doubles.  Ah well, it’s good practice.  This WOD was quite tough on the abs most definitely.  The hollow rocks especially though they weren’t as bad as the 3x1 minute sets we did one day at Crossfit Kits.  Shout out to Coach Pete who I always think of while doing these though, I swear they are his favorite!
I was happy with this one – I rarely stopped and when I did it was only for a quick breath or two.  I couldn’t believe also the amount of sweat that was pouring off me about half way through.  I am however still missing heavy weights and with the new class times and me not being able to get there much earlier before the start I can’t work on my own stuff before or after which is a tough change – hopefully at some point in the future there will be an open gym session because there are just some days I need to lift heavy/ play on my own.

AfterWOD(s)
300m row & 30 med ball lateral jumps
1:58

Was super happy with this time – I had no expectations going into it but when I started rowing and saw a 1:48/500m split I knew I wanted to hold that and I did on average.  I finished the 300m in just over a minute then proceeded through the jump overs as best I could though mostly only managed 2 or 3 at a time before I’d just skim the top of the med ball and stumble a bit.  It was quite amusing.

Max hold L-sit

Played around a bit on the movement but never actually tried a max hold attempt.  I really need to work on my hip flexors and whatever else is needed to keep my legs up because right now that is the hard part.  It reminds me of the pistol day where at the end Coach Match had us hold up one leg over the box for a long as we could – and that was only one leg at a time. Definitely a weakness I need to work on.

skipping focus - source

7/5 - more pistols...

Warm-up
DU practice
Pistol practice

As mentioned earlier in the week it's the month of pistols at our box so this was day three this week of focusing on them and having them in the WOD.  The rule is that we can no longer hold our foot/leg when doing them which means scaling in order to focus on form.  There are a few options available to scale - the first is to use a box at a height in which you can lower yourself under control to touch your butt on the box and then stand back up - this can be any height (as you get better you use a lower box).  The other option we used was to hold a KB or plate in your arms straight in front of you which acts as a sort of counterbalance while killing working your shoulders.  The weight can be whatever you need it to be - lighter as you get better at balancing.  Obviously the objective is to be able to do pistols without scaling - or as our Coach told us - while doing a one legged OHS. 

WOD
12 min AMRAP
20 double-unders
10 pistols
5 push-ups
RxTra – 8/12 KB for pistols
7/25 Rx (5kg plate)

This was a challenging WOD in that it seemed like I was forever doing pistols.  The DU's I managed to do all unbroken so they went quite quickly as did the push-ups.  The pistols took a lot of concentration and my shoulders were killing.  I started with an 8kg KB but quickly dropped that in favor of a 5kg plate which still felt heavy.  I was sweating like crazy - it was flying off of me while I was skipping.  Definitely tough.  That being said, already I feel like my pistols are getting a bit better - I'm starting to realize that the trick is to get to the bottom quickly and bounce out of it.

Also, last night was the last class I'll have Coach Pete coaching... he's leaving soon to move back east and I'm heading on vacation next week and won't be back til after he leaves... I'm going to miss you Pete - and while I typically make fun of your music on this last night it worked it's magic - it was loud and angry and perfect for this WOD (especially as I was right in front of the speaker).

Also, congrats to everyone in the session - Coach Match said it was the first(?) WOD where everyone did DU's.  Sweet!  The progress over the past month has been pretty outstanding.

Paleo Banana Walnut Chocolate Muffins

The latest paleo recipe that I tried. Noticed that I have another similar recipe that includes almond butter but I much prefered this version. They are lighter and bundles of bite sized goodness. I was quite amused after Pete and Tim had tried them and Pete's first question was 'are those paleo?'... see - eating healthy can also be tasty!

I don't know the source of the original recipe (sorry), my changes/ additions are in bold.

Paleo Banana Walnut Pecan Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas (I just used the ones I had - probably about 6 or so small ones and added more almond flour/ coconut at the end to make up to muffin consistency)

2-1/4 cups almond flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 TBSP cinnamon (sadly I forgot this)

4 TBSP coconut oil (approximated as mine was solid)

3 eggs

tsp vanilla

1 cup Enjoy Life chocolate chips (used dark chocolate chips but can also coarsely chop up a dark chocolate bar)

1 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans and approximated based on what looked tasty to me)

1/4 cup (approx.) flax seeds

1/2 cup (approx.) coconut flakes

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl mash bananas with a fork

add eggs, coconut oil, and vanilla, mix

whisk to get rid of any large chunks

I'm lazy so the bananas, eggs, coconut oil, and vanilla went into the blender until smooth

In a smaller bowl combine the dry ingredients (almond flour, baking soda, and cinnamon)

Slowly stir dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until fully mixed.

I added wet into the bowl of dry ingredients and mixed with a fork - I then added a bit more almond meal and coconut because I had excess bananas (it's all very scientific - clearly)

mix in Walnuts pecans and chocolate chips

drop spoonfuls into lined muffin pan

Bake for approx. 15 mins (this was a good time for the mini muffins, the large ones needed another 5 minutes)

Eat!

5/22 - tired legs...

Back at it today and man my legs are really feeling tired.  The warm-up on it's own was pretty tough (your workout is our warm-up? ya, about that)...  that being said, it was Coach Pete's warm-up - always dynamic, varied and sure to include hollow body holds (that last forever)...

Warm-up
300m jog
2 rounds
10 hand release push-ups (I did ring rows instead)
10 jumping squats (ouch my tired legs)
10 deadlifts (using biggest blue bands)
45 second hollow body hold (told you)

We followed this up by doing partner sprints... but wait, there's a catch (isn't there always) - we did these with resistance - using the blue bands - one partner had the band around their waist, the other was behind them trying to hold them back.  I was partnered with Kayla and she could stand there and hold me back even as I was running as hard as I could - so not fair.  She did manage to ease up on me (a tiny bit) to allow me to get to the other side of the room.  We each did 5 sprints and then again - two each - but this time with the partner holding you back by your hips for a few strides then letting go - it was like a rocket launch - you had to be ready or you would fall over your feet.  It was fun.  And... that was the warm-up.  I was definitely feeling the millions of box jumps and quad work I've done over the past week but... I kept on going.

Strength
Work up to 3 RM back squat
30-40-50-55

Stopped at 55 due to fatigue.  Not even my PR but enough for the day.  I need to find the balance between getting below my hip crease and not getting too low where I lose the connection to the squat (which I'm trying to get away from doing).  Was good to be working in partners for this and getting the instant feedback.  I also managed to keep the bar lower on my back this time (improvement from last go round - yay!)

WOD
15 minute AMRAP
1 x 200m run
3 x back squat (around 70% of 3RM - used 45kg)
5 x burpees (subbed forward burpee things)
7 x box jumps (used 24" box)
9 x push-ups (subbed ring rows)
5/1

This was structured a bit differently and was quite fun.  We worked in pairs (or threes for some groups).  the first person ran 200m and then 'tagged' their partner.  The 15 minute clock didn't start until the first person got back from the run.  From there on out you just proceeded through the WOD - there were no other tags or waiting on partner, etc. but you *could* pass your partner if it got to that point.  Thankfully Kayla didn't lap me though if the WOD had been longer she might have (she finished her 6th round as I finished the run on my 6th).

The first round of back squats was really hard - I swear my legs were barely functioning after the run - it was quite a weird sensation.  The 'forward' burpees are (still) horrible but five wasn't too bad - it's not the getting up part but rather the jump to reach the bar that gets me (and my tired legs).  The box jumps were a lot of fun.  I've been practicing!  I try to set myself up at the top so that I can hit the ground and rebound up.  I'm starting to just ignore the fact that I could do some serious damage to my shins and just go for it and it's working.  Fingers crossed it stays that way.  The ring rows were solid and I think I did all but one round unbroken.  It was a good one.

It was also a lot of fun to cheer for others during the run and provide motivation when possible.  There was one run that Glen was struggling on and as I caught him he said 'I'll run this with you' so that was good even as he called me some names at pushing him to keep at it... it was good and the fist bump at the end made it all worth it as I could tell he was happy to have pushed himself just a bit more.  Sometimes it's all we need - that little outside voice to keep us at it.

Rest tonight and my legs are really looking forward to it.

5/5 - WOD Team Championships

I probably should have written this recap either after we finished on saturday (was too busy passed out on my sofa) or on Sunday (too sore to even think about moving) but alas, I didn't and I am now stuck wondering where to even start.

The basics I guess - Cooee had two teams (one Rx, one scaled) entered into the WOD Team Championships - an online competition.  From their website:

The main purpose of The WOD Championships is too successfully host a range of online events in which the community can test not only themselves as individuals but also as team members in a team environment.... The WOD Championships will aim to remain the biggest alternative for online competition outside of the Crossfit Open...

I was lucky enough to find myself on a solid, strong and awesomely fun team with Kayla, Pete and Tim in the Rx division.  The WODs came out Friday morning so we had all day to plan, prepare and strategize for how we wanted to attack both the order of the WODs and the WODs themselves.

WOD 1
"Get over it"
6 mins of hanging squat clean and jerk (50/30kg) and partner over-unders.
Score = (women CJ + men CJ) x total over-unders
(53+39) * 67 = 6164


Kayla and Tim (both beasts) started on the CJ's while Pete and I partnered up for the over-unders - basically just as they sound - one person on toes and hands while the other crawls under then jumps over and you switch.  Harder than you would think and most definitely get your heart racing.   I also think I know Pete so much better after this one - at least it was the first WOD and he still smelled good.

Our only strategy for this was to switch both partners (guy and girl) whenever one person who was lifting was starting to tire (but before fatiguing).  This worked well, our transitions happened pretty quickly however we probably missed 5 or so over-unders by not finishing the jump over before moving into the transition - oops.

Tim and Kayla did the majority of the lifting on this one while Pete and I switched out for short bursts - 30kg felt heavy for me personally but I managed - my quads however were burning throughout on the squats - pretty sure the over-unders were taking more out of me than I realized.

WOD 3 (did this second)
"Wall Ball KB Swing"
Progress as far through the ladder as possible in 12 minutes
1 x 6kg wall ball (11ft/9ft)
1 x KB swing (32kg/24kg)
2 x wall ball
2 x KB swing
3 x ... etc.  Increasing reps each round with each team member staying in the same order
Score = total number of kettlebell swings completed for your team
10 rounds + 20 reps = 240 reps

We ordered ourselves as follows: Kayla, Pete, Jac, Tim and practiced a few rounds of our transitions.  The hardest part of this WOD (for me at least) was that you had to catch the final wall ball of the person ahead of you (if it was dropped it was a no rep).  For some reason Pete's wall balls came down hard - each one I had to catch felt like a body slam especially by the end when I was too tired to even try and absorb any of it.  I was catching it underhanded as well, not even in the rack position.  Still, it worked well.

The previous Saturday was the first time I'd ever tried to swing a 24kg KB and this was also only the third time I'd ever done wall balls (only ever in competitions) so going into it I wasn't sure which movement I was more afraid of.  Turns out my wall-balls were solid and it was the KB swings that were killer.  Somewhere around round 5 my back seized up and made the rest of the WOD painful to say the least.  I kept at it though.  Ric (from team Body Snatchers) was counting the KB swings for the girls and was amazing at keeping me going - always positive and encouraging even as I struggled for each rep.  The best was near the end when Kayla (who was doing wall balls at the time) yelled at me to pick up the KB and get finished as she was coming for it - she was quite loud, aggressive and not exactly PG and I loved it!  Got those last two reps out of me pretty quick!

I think overall as a team this one worked well for us.  We moved fluidly through out and communicated well during the transitions.  The first 4 minutes seemed really long and then the last 8 flew by, really strange how that happens in WODs.

After both teams had completed the first two WODs we stopped for a bit and had a pretty solid (paleo) feast as evidenced by one of only two photos I took on the day.

Midday Feast - Yum! And Paleo!

WOD 2
"Max Tonnage"
24 minutes for max tonnage of:
10 chest to bar pull-ups (M) / pull-ups (F)
20 jump lunges
5 HSPU
1 deadlift
Score =  (bar one weight x reps) + (bar two weight x reps) + (bar three weight x reps) + (bar four weight x reps)
Rx - 1425kg = 3*140kg + 3*140kg + 3*105kg +3*90kg
Scaled - 2655 = 6*140kg + 6*140kg + 5*105kg +5*90kg


Each person could choose their deadlift weight however once the 24 minute clock started you couldn't change the weight - I think Kayla and I were pretty close to our deadlift PR's and the boys seemed to realize after that they could have probably gone a bit heavier (not that it was easy on any of us).  Each person started at one of the movements and you had to progress through in order each round, only moving on after each person completed their station.


I started on pull-ups having the lowest deadlift weight - we ordered ourselves by overall weight in the instance we finished with partial rotations.  It wasn't until we were warming up again that I realized how tired my body actually was - I wasn't feeling particularly sore anywhere except my lower back and yet the hspu's and pullups felt extremely difficult.  And we were off...

We started pretty solidly though (not surprising) my pull-ups held us up on the first round as again did my hspu's (though oddly these seemed to get easier for me after this round).  We communicated really well as to when to move forward and there was plenty of time to catch your breath before gearing up for one solid deadlift which everyone managed to complete each round - at times with some loud grunts and lots of bar dropping.

In our second rotation Pete started to struggle with the hspu's.  He made a very determined effort and managed to complete the 5 reps but it took a lot out of him and his shoulder was rebelling.  In the third rotation after much struggle we decided collectively to continue to complete the WOD but would scale the movements - Pete did double the number of hand release push ups as we soldiered on.  This was probably one of the highlights of the day for me, where the spirit of crossfit shone - winning is great but that's not why we do this - it's about the camaraderie, the community, and laying it all out there until you just can't any more, every.single.time.  There is no quit, ever.  It would have been easy to just end the day with those 9 minutes remaining but that's not who we are or what we do - not one of us had to think twice about it - we just moved to the next station and kept at it and it made me really proud - to be part of this team - TOGETHER.  


We managed to complete another 3.5 rounds and our day was done.  We had left all our energy and sweat and blood on the floor for those three WODs, for our team and for each other and at the end of it all it's what mattered most.  We all realized some of our weaknesses throughout the day but I think more than that we realized our capabilities, our strengths.  We all pushed farther and harder for each other and that made us great.


Overall it was a great day - I feel that through a collective 92 squat clean and presses, 67 over/unders, 233 wall balls, 220 kb swings, 110(ish) hspu's, 440 jumping lunges, 220 pull-ups and 22 deadlifts and massive amounts of sweat and icy goodness that I know Tim, Pete and Kayla so much better than I did before the day had started.  We crossfit all time as individuals but there's something special in competing as a team.  We all found more within ourselves as part of a collective than we probably would have on our own and I'm humbled by that.  It makes me want to continue to work harder every day along side them for the next time a team comp comes along.

I'm also extremely impressed and proud of the effort of the Body Snatchers (Ric, Neil, Sue and Angie) who pushed just as hard throughout the day and were inspiring to watch. I'm glad we were all in this together.


I didn't need to see two boys in their underwear or Ric ripping his shirt of mid-WOD and I most definitely didn't mean to drive my shoulder into Kayla's boob while practicing over-unders (so sorry) but it made the day memorable.  And as Ric so eloquently put it: "Number 1 lesson......do whatever the fuck Kayla says! She is one focused scary/inspiring woman!" - I'd listen to her any day and will always be part of her team.  Thanks to Tash and the kids for coming down and cheering us on and to everyone who sent messages and thoughts of encouragement and support. And Badass and Body Snatchers - thank-you for a truly EPIC AND INSPIRING DAY!! 

Post WOD Feast - well deserved! Also, um, Paleo(ish)!

5/3 - pistols! abs!

Today was going to be a light day no matter what the programming.  We have an online team comp this weekend and my body needs a break (at least a little one).  I also still feel beaten up especially now after my deep tissue massage that has left me more bruised than the heavy cleans earlier in the week have.

It was nice to see a little couplet on the board. 

WOD
21-15-9
OHS (30/45kg)
Pistols
11:11 (25.5kg)

This was the first time I've ever Rx-ed pistols and they were hard.  I was glistening all over when I finished from the sweat - unbelievable.  My left side is way weaker than my right so that's an area to work on but I was definitely happy to get full depth without any assistance even with a few no reps in there (lifting shoes definitely helped). 

OHS were solid, have been getting lots of practice with the lifting specific sessions.  I went light more because of my shoulders than anything - felt okay. 

AfterWOD
Core work – hollow body and ab mat sit-ups

This was some solid core work.  We did hollow body flutters - hollow body hold while pumping your arms by your sides - we did sets of 10-20-30-40-50-40-30-20-10 (all had to be unbroken).  It took me 2:12 - I didn't have much rest until I got into the higher numbers.  The fact that Coach Pete has been having us do so many hollow body holds has definitely helped.

We all thought this was the end of our day but we were otherwise surprised.  Yes, it is indeed ab mat sit-ups week so of course there'd be some today.  It was max attempt at ab mat sit-ups, no stopping but you could go as fast or as slow as you wanted to.  The record before us was 136 reps.  I had planned to stop at about 100 but Kayla (on my team for Saturday) kept going and I realized beating the previous wasn't far off... once at 136, 150 seemed close enough but again, others were still going.  To be honest I could have done these for a really long time - you get to a point where you just accept the ache and keep moving - Kayla stopped at 225 and I did the same.  It was a draw - though we both could possibly still be there if we didn't decide to stop.  It's not good however that I've already sneezed twice today - the general hurt isn't there but the sneezing, that does hurt.

Team WODs were posted this morning for the comp this weekend, they look fun...

WOD 1 - Get over it
6 mins of hanging squat clean and jerk and partner over-unders
Score = total over-unders x total (male + female) HSCJ
 WOD 2 - Max Tonnage
24 minutes for max tonnage of:
10 chest to bar pull-ups (M) / pull-ups (F)
20 jump lunges
5 HSPU
1 deadlift
Score = total kg of deadlifts lifted (total tonnes by all team members)

WOD 3 - Wall Ball KB Swing
Progress as far through the ladder as possible in 12 minutes:
1 wall ball/ 1 KB swing (32/24kg)
2 wall ball/ 2 KB swing...
Only one team member doing wall balls at a time - each person goes through one before moving on...
Score = total number of kettlebell swings completed for your team

Should be a fun day, we have a wicked team (Pete, Tim, Kayla, myself)... looking forward to it!

4/28 - Saturday Play Day

Met up with Tim and Pete at the box today to just practice some movements (HSPU's) and some heavier weights (24kg KB swings). 

It was a lot of fun, low key.  A nice change of pace.

I practiced my handstand pushups a bit - hands on red plates (5kg) and head down to ab mat (a little more than 60cm off the floor).  I then made myself do a set of 10 - it took about 5 minutes even though the first 5 were done in about a minute.  Need to work on endurance - I also found that kipping didn't necessarily help as I'd get stuck at the bottom while setting up for the kip.  If I can manage to just gt my head to touch and then push right back up it's almost easier (or so it seems).

Coach Match helped Shonelle and I with some muscle up skill work.  We can both get about half way up on the pull but both fail on the transition.  He had us use a low set of rings and sit on a band to allow us to practice the movement.  I still found it tricky but Shonelle rocked it.  My bets are on her for the first muscle up. 

Was about to call it a day and just do some mobility work when I realized I hadn't gone anywhere near the KB's.  Specifically trying to swing the 24kg as it's a standard for the girls for this upcoming weekends WOD Team Championships workouts.  Tim had suggested that I do 20 swings at a minimum and so I did.  I need 2 half swings to get it overhead fully but then I can easily do 5 swings (probably more) before my hands start to rebel.  I did 4 sets of 5 and called it a day.  It was however funny to pick up the 16kg KB for one swing afterwards - felt very easy.  Ha.

Fun day - low key crossfit - it's a nice change once in a while.

4/24 - squats

Quick update from Tuesday's WOD... plan was to go "light" again...

Strength
3-3-3 front squats
40-50-55(PR)

Previous PR was 50kg so was quite happy with this improvement though my shoulder was fighting the heavy weight.

WOD
4 rounds -
7 front squats (35/50kg)
14 bar hops
21 sit-ups
6:08 (28kg)

Went lighter on this one (finally) and I think it was good.  I did all the sets unbroken as it took  more time/energy to drop the bar and get it back up.  The bar hops are easier than they have been and I'm getting them pretty consistently now (hopefully the same will happen soon with box jumps).  The sit ups were just a steady slog through.

AfterWOD
Tabata squats
140

Coach Pete had us do an afterWOD because he loves us so much (/sarcasm).  Of course we did squats as we also had our snatch session that night.  I definitely felt this later in the night... more on that in the next post.

4/17...

Tonight was fun with lots going on.  Coach Pete has us at his mercy again and because  his warmups are always diverse I'll actually go through what we did for it tonight - I swear sometimes his warmups are harder than the WOD...

Warmup
100 single unders
5 15m sprints with partner banded resistance (photo below)
3 rounds of
-10 pushups
-10 deadlifts
100 single unders

Then we went through the movements of the WOD with just a bar.

WOD
4 rounds
5 push press (45/60kg)
6 hang cleans
7 deadlifts
300m run
1 min rest
12:45 - 35.5kg

Went heavier than I expected given the nagging pain in my shoulder with overhead movements but after a few reps it was good.  I managed to do all the rounds without resting the bar on the ground except a few times to regrip for the deadlifts.  I felt strong on the runs as well which is new for me - not saying I loved it by any means but felt like I could push and still be okay though knowing I had a one minute rest at the end of it helped.

AfterWOD
2 minutes of accumulated squat holds

Ouch.  I am not very good at these.  Managed to hold for the first 20 seconds but then needed help of the pole to not fall over.  This hurt and wasn't the best leading into our first Olympic Lifting Session... "The Snatch".  More on that in the next post.

4/11 - it's been a while...

It's been a while since I've had any workout to write about.  It was a blissfully relaxed 4 day long weekend where I thought about doing a WOD on Monday but woke up with a foot telling me it'd be better to take another day off than to jump on it and I didn't argue.  I needed the break, lots of sleep, lots of sunshine, lots of walking and photo taking and just enjoying life.  Oh, and there was popcorn.  Too much popcorn.  It happens.

Last night was back to crossfit... lingering aches and pains aside my body was feeling alright which was good considering the WOD Coach Match had programmed for us. 

WOD
3 rounds
5 front squats (45/60kg)
10 pull-ups
5 deadlifts (45/60kg)
10 toes to bar
5 push jerks (45/60kg)
10 hand release push-ups
14:48 - 33kg bar, Rx pull-ups, Rx t2b

For the month of April our box is not recording weights or scaling on the white board with the intent to encourage us to push ourselves in terms of the weights we choose, etc. rather than relying on a weight that perhaps someone in an earlier group used (I admit, I always do this)... it was interesting though I'm starting to get a better feel for how heavy I can go based on how my body is feeling and how many reps we have to do, etc.  My shoulders still aren't happy with the overhead movements (massage Thursday, yay!) so I held back a bit on the weight because I knew the push jerks were going to be challenging.

Once again I had a little pre-WOD chat with Coach Pete who told me last week before "half Cindy" that I'd be better doing less rounds with Rx pull-ups than more overall (paraphrased).  This week again I looked to him for that bit of encouragement I knew I'd need for again going with Rx pull-ups given that there were 10 in a round.  He said if you can do 5 you can do 10 followed by Coach Match's comment of if you can do 1 you can do 100 and Coach Kirst's comment of 10 only being 2 sets of 5 (or in my case 5 sets of 2).  Thanks guys.  I was going for it - I didn't even bother setting up a "just in case" assistance band.

I also did the t2b and push-ups Rx which are both two things I couldn't do two months ago (pre-open workouts) which feels like a great accomplishment.  Like when I was learning DU's - at some point you just have to tell yourself you're going to do the movements Rx and struggle through no matter how long it takes and you'll get better.  I finished last but it didn't even matter.

The lifts were all solid.  I think mostly done in sets of 5 though I had to readjust my grip on the bar for the first set of push jerks - we started with an easy group 300m untimed run before jumping into the WOD (we could start at any movement we wanted and I chose the push jerks) and I was a little too eager to get going that I didn't place my hands equally on the bar and was a little off balance.  Was nice to run as a group though - easy and chatty.

Managed to unfortunately tear the skin off both of my hands (why does this always happen?!?!?)... I think I was compensating on my grip trying to avoid ripping my callouses.  I swear I'd be kick ass on the bar if my hands weren't so dainty... ugh.

After WOD(s)
Sit-up Auction
85 (plus 5) situps
Untimed
1:00 hollow body hold

Not sure how this went but when I got back into the circle there was an auction going on for situps.  I think we started with 50 but somehow jumped up to 80.  Right before the going three times Coach Match added a "bonus" 5 for 85 total for the group.  Ouch!  My abs haven't been doing much lately and they definitely knew it with this one.  Good thing I didn't do "Annie" on Monday as I was thinking.  There was a bonus 5 thrown in as we kept going until the last person finished.  Definitely feeling them today - also jumped in with the 6:15 group and did 1:00 of hollow body holds so yes, my abs are going to be made of steel soon (here's hoping!).

Muscle-Up Skill Practice
Dips (on parallel bars) 3 x 3 with yellow band
Static holds on rings

First UNASSISTED DIP on the parallel bars tonight - managed two.  It was extremely hard - especially the last bit to lock out but I did it and am super excited about it.  Also did 3 sets of 3 with the yellow band - my shoulders are really hurting so the full depth was a little painful and didn't want to push it to 5 reps with the fatigue and tightness.

Had a good chat with Coach Match about things to work on to get the muscle ups.  Lots of dips (without kicking), static holds, etc. and a few times a week which I'm trying to keep on.  Played around on the rings a bit afterwards too.  Coach Pete was helping me - have to work on turning out my hands at the top too to be more solid when I'm locking out.  Was good all around and am so determined to get that muscle up... Coach Tim - when are we playing on the rings together?

4/3 - Pull-ups!!! Rx-ed!!! (half) "Cindy"!!!

Gymnastic skills:
5 x 10 beat kicks
5 x 10 dips
5 x 10 L-holds

This was fun.  The L-holds are getting easier it seems and the beat kicks are fun (except the part where they hurt my hands).  Was fun to do more dips (muscle up practice) but I used a heavier band (orange) because I was SO SORE (caps required) from Monday's WOD.

WOD: “Half Cindy”
10 min AMRAP
5 pull-ups
10 push-ups
15 squats
6/1 Rx!!

This was a ton of fun mostly because I did it Rx and didn't die.  I was quite happy to be able to do unassisted pullups through out even if they were in sets of 2's and 1's (occasionally 3's).  This was the first time I've fully Rx-ed pullups throughout a WOD - usually it'd just be a few reps each round or whatnot so I was super stoked.  Like Coach Pete said... (paraphrased)... you'll get better doing less rounds unassisted than more rounds scaled.  So I did.  I was hoping for 5 so was quite pleased with the 6.

The push-ups (Rx!) were super tough after the pullups, I think because there were 10 to struggle through while the pullups with only being 5 were done quicker.  The squats were fine, steady all the way through.

I liked this.  Still glad today is a rest day since my chest and upper back (traps/lats) are tight from Monday.  I need a massage unfortunately not happening this week due to easter.

2/27 - 'Claudia'

So much soreness today, more so than yesterday.  So thankful today is a rest day.

I was really excited yesterday morning when I heard Sharon had Rx-ed on the WOD (you're a rockstar girl) though I didn't know what it was.   I tried to get her to reveal it but she wouldn't both stating that it would convince me *not* to go but that it was an old 'friend'.  I guessed at that point that it would be 'Claudia' but she wouldn't confirm or deny it.  I looked up my old time anyway.  Turns out I was right and 'Claudia' and I had another date. 

Agility skills
This was a good warm up though very tough on my very sore legs. 

WOD:  Benchmark “Claudia”
5 rounds -
20 KB swings (16/24kg)
400m run
15:58 Rx (PR)

This is probably my favorite benchmark WOD but I still hate it oh so much.  Claudia was my first Rx-ed crossfit workout hence the strange attraction to her.

The last time (first time) I did 'Claudia':http://todayigotstronger.blogspot.com/2011/09/last-night-i-got-it-on-with-claudia.html

Today Claudia wasn't so bad - it was challenging and it hurt but I didn't have the mental battle that I've had with her the other times I've done this WOD.  I think partly because I've been doing more swings with the 20kg KB that the 16kg KB now doesn't feel so tough.

I started out steady - almost everyone was out the door before me but I was right on their tails.  I slowly reeled in Bonnie and just kept my pace.  I could see Neil slightly ahead and didn't want to let him gain anymore on me during the run.  Back into the box for another steady 20 reps.  

I managed all KB swings unbroken in all rounds which in itself is an improvement over last go round (November) where I was doing sets of 10 on the second through fourth rounds then 10-5-5 on the last round.  This time I mentally pushed through it - when I had 5-10 reps left I would recall the first time doing Claudia and having Coach Tim in my ear counting down my reps, cheering me on and that really helped to push me.  The runs are where I struggle.

On I think the third round Neil and I picked up our KB's at the same time and started swinging in unison.  I just wanted to match him and figured if I could I could stay close.  After about 10-15 reps he put his down (he had a heavier weight) and I just kept going.  I knew if I got to 15 reps that I could muscle out the last 5 even as my hamstrings and glutes were tightening up (one legged deadlifts are killer).

From this point on I was on my own, no one to chase anymore.  On my fourth run in I heard footsteps behind me and I thought someone was reeling me in but it was Moz kicking in it on his final run.  I got lapped.  Heh.

I managed to shave a minute off my previous PR however I think we had slightly longer runs then (we've moved location and now have accurately measured run distances) so I'm not sure how to relate this to that.  I felt stronger in the swings but running is still my biggest weakness and so to get better at this WOD I'll have to focus on that.

Muscle-Up Skills
1 minute accumulated static ring holds

3 reps to failure of bent arm ring hold

These were hard after the WOD.  I'm sore everywhere (I think moreso from Monday's WODs).  I managed to do 15 then 10 seconds of static ring holds without assistance then grabbed the yellow band (smallest) for the other 35 seconds and I believe did 10-15-10.

Coach Pete also suggested I do some bent arm holds on the rings - no idea what to call these - see picture below (middle guy).  I did three reps of these for max time and they were really hard.  My feet were still on the ground but out in front of me.  This is definitely an area where I'll have to focus.

Funny - I was driving to work this morning and realized that I hold the steering wheel in a false grip, quite amusing to me anyway.

Source

2/21 - Rx, Rx, Rx...

WOD
3 rounds
20 push presses (30/45kg)
20 KB swings (20/32kg)
20 double-unders
13:34 Rx

AfterWOD
50 sit-ups for time
1:40

Tonight's WOD was hard... I knew going in it was going to be.  I wasn't even sure I'd finish in the 15 minute cut-off but I was determined to go Rx.  I knew I could do each movement at the Rx weight what worried me was the number of reps in each round - 20 - that's a lot.

The only thing that got me through it were the fact that I LOVE KB swings and DU's.  This helped.  The push-presses however... well, I don't have any PG-13 words to use to describe them.  They almost made me cry.  I think the first round I got 10/10 then it was sets of 5 from there on out.  In fact I needed motivation just to pick up the bar for my last 5.  Coach Pete was awesome - I caught his attention and I'm pretty sure the look on my face told him everything.  He came over with encouraging words to 'get it done' and then counted me through the last 5.  I knew with him there that I would push myself further - to not put the bar down however much I wanted to until that last rep was done.  I won't deny it - he got me through that - I hated that bar.

On the swings I needed a half swing every time I picked up the KB as I can't muscle the 20 overhead on the first one so I knew that every time I put it down I'd have that extra bit of work so I tried to avoid it.  That being said it was really a mental battle.  I remember staring at the point where the black pull-up bar meets the post - just staring at this one point as I used every ounce of momentum and strength from my legs to get that KB overhead.  The last round I concentrated, told myself to just do 5, break it down into 4 sets but I hit 5 and decided for 7, down to only 3 sets.  After hitting 7, I knew that 10 was only a few more, surely I could push through the pain.  And I did.  Half way there.  Same speech in my head the second time - knowing Brenda was watching, encouraging, seeing my pain was enough to get me there - two sets of 10 done.

The DU's were my 'rest' though being able to do them unbroken all three rounds didn't give me much time to recover, helped me finish under the cut-off though and sometimes that's enough.

When I finished I collapsed to the floor in a pile of sweat, shallow gasps as I struggled to catch my breath, the breeze of the fan to cooling my dripping sweat and I smiled.  A great big smile.  I was proud of myself.  Proud for pushing and fighting the mental battle.  Proud of what my body can do for me.  Proud of how far I have come since I started crossfit 6 months ago.  Proud.  It was a great feeling and I'm so happy I challenged myself and took on the weight of this WOD.  It hurt but it was so worth it.  I got stronger today.

2/7 - shoulder work...

Strength 
5-5-5-5 push press
18-23-28-33(PR)

Was good to do some more push presses - my previous PR of 28kg came back in early October so it was nice to know that I could break that.  Coach Pete went through the movement with us again before this and his comment on tucking in your abs/ engaging your core and glutes was really helpful as you can feel the additional power you get when you do that - it really came in handy in the WOD... 

WOD
5 rounds
5 strict pull-ups
10 push presses (30/45kg)
15 push-ups
20 sit-ups
18:11 (Rx, orange band for pull-ups)

I was really, really, happy to use only the orange band for the strict pull-ups.  I had a red band on standby but never used it even when I was doing 2 reps max on the last round.  It was determination and indication that I am getting stronger.  So happy with it.

I was a bit skeptical of Rx-ing on the push presses seeing as it's just 3kg under my (new) PR but decided to give it a go accepting that I might be slower because of it.  The first round I did 10 consecutive but then after I think I did 6-4 each round - glad to have that one extra rep in the first half as towards the end I was struggling to lock out overhead on that last (4th) rep (noticing more weakness in my right arm than my left - oddly)

The push-ups were really hard after the pull-ups and presses - painfully hard.  I mostly did sets of 5 for all the rounds from my knees - yes, I really need to get off my knees but today was not the day - not after how my shoulders burned.

The sit-ups were a nice reprieve - the "rest" from killing my shoulders.

I did it and I was so happy afterwards even though it was an insane struggle in the middle - as I knew it would be.  Thanks for the coaching Pete - your small little voice always provides the required encouragement and precisely the right time.