Best (Crossfit) Birthday Cake Ever!

My awesome friend Sharon made me the most amazing birthday cake this weekend - the decoration is spectacular so I thought I'd share photos - it's completely Crossfit related and most definitely not Whole Life Compliant... did anyone care - nope.  The details are amazing - 16kg KB's...  50kg loaded onto the bar... super-extra long arms...

6/1 - double day (again!)

Yesterday was a well earned rest day.  My quads aren't so much sore as they're just tired.  I am still trying to work out the best way to get stronger doing more WODs and recovering from those same WODs in less time.  If anyone has the secret let me know.

WOD
4-8-12-16-18-20-18-16-12-8-4
Double unders
Box jumps
Mountain climbers (count each leg as 1)
14:59 (DU's/24" boxjumps)

There was a 15 minute cut-off on this WOD and I snuck in just under the wire - literally just had time to turn my head after finishing the last box jump and see the clock before it turned to 15.  Since we were sharing boxes I started on the mountain climbers which was good but I still managed to catch up to Sharon pretty quickly as I was doing DU's which save a lot more time than I think SU's do.  Sharon was awesome (and trying to slowly work back from a bad knee) and let me go at the box when I needed to which meant that I was able to string a bunch of consecutive jumps together which was awesome - I'm happy that I've been practicing at the higher height and that they're coming together.

The DU's were mostly unbroken as were the mountain climbers - the numbers were such that it would have taken more time to stop and rest than to just push through and get them done.  It was good.  I was happy to finish.

Neil front and center and me (blue shirt background) mid jump - Source

AfterWOD
5 minute AMRAP
5 burpees
10 squat jumps
shuttle run
6

My legs rebelled on this one.  I can't believe that the burpees were the rest for me on this.  Quads on fire during the squat jumps which then made the transition into the run very difficult.  Coach Match also hid the clock on us on this one and we didn't get to count reps but only completed rounds so it was also a bit of a mental game pushing through more reps without knowing how much time remained.  Definitely a good (challenging) change up.

Afterwards Tim was nice enough to let me stand in his ice cold pool while Sharon laughed at us both for being so crazy.  It was freezing but good, my legs are still fatigued but definitely didn't feel as bad as they would have otherwise.  I see the benefits of ice baths for sure.  I'll take ten minutes or so of cold over dead muscles any day - if only I had a bathtub/pool.

We did another Friday night competition training session and it was a lot - I'm going to put that in a separate post.  It requires it.

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

2/24 - 2012 Open WOD 12.1

CrossFit Games WOD 12.1
Complete as many reps as possible in 7 minutes of burpees
81

Completely happy with this number.  I was aiming for 80 (based on previous times for 100 burpees) and just squeaked it in.  I was steady throughout - no stopping except quick breathers where I'd adjust prior to jumping up to touch the ring.  Also, apart from maybe 2 or 3 reps I dropped quickly to the floor, pushed right back up to lock out my arms and jumped my feet back up (rather than stepping up which just felt like more work).  My knees are a little scraped up from the rubber mat but I didn't notice in the moment.
I remember Tim coming by and telling me I had completed 50 reps (I couldn't really hear my judge) and I saw I had only 3 minutes left so I knew I'd have to be quick on the last bit to meet my goal which I barely did but I'm happy I did.  There was NO CHANCE that I was going to be attempting this WOD again for a long time (though some people are - crazy!). 

Bonus WOD
7 min AMRAP
3 air squats
5 KB swings
7 sit-ups
1 shuttle run
9/9 = 153 (16kg KB)

This was a fun little WOD and after having my lungs screaming at me during the burpee WOD this one almost felt relaxed.  I went 'lighter' than my (now) typical KB weight which also felt good.  I can get the 16kg KB straight over my head from the ground (vs the 20kg KB which I need a half swing on first) which helps go quicker.  The sprints were all out which also felt awesome.  I'm glad the girls (inadvertently and unknowingly) guilted me into doing it.  Thanks Sharon and Brenda!

Sharon, Brenda, Hun and I - 12.1 Games Scores