Thursday, May 21, 2009

The After Glow

Well, it's over. the Rocky Mountain Regional Qualifiers have come and gone. Not in the way of a passing cloud, but like a thunderstorm with lightning bolts and a torrent of wind and rain. The utter intensity of the weekend is still affecting me as I sit here in the aura that follows such a cataclysmic event. Not only was the qualifier the culmination of months of training, but it rejuvenated my addiction to crossfit and brought me closer to the other warriors of CFO. This experience has made me want to push harder and get faster in preparation for next year.

Here is a brief recap of the events:
WOD #1
3 rft
8-300lb DL
400m Run
6:19

I tried to play it smart on the run for this one. First run, don't worry about anyone just keep your pace. Second run, pick someone out and keep his pace. Third run, pass as many people as you can. Also, I didn't break any sets of DL (I was pretty surprised, but I didn't) and I didn't waste much time getting back on the bar.

WOD #2
3 rft
10 C2B Pull-ups
10-165lb front squats
10 Burpees
5:25

My goal was not to break any front squat sets, and I didn't (niiice). The whole thing hurt though. My first set of pull-ups was crap as I looked like an uncoordinated monkey or something. I broke up the rest of the pull-ups into two sets of 5, and learned if you want to really know how hard burpees can be, do this wod. Toughest burpees of my life.

WOD #3
7000lbs from ground to overhead
74-95lbs clean and jerks
6:55

I thought I had a plan, but it didn't work. I was going to follow ZachR's countdown from 12-5 and then 6, but I kept thinking maybe I'll knock out the first two rounds in a row, maybe the first three... I started and the adrenaline really hit my around, I can't remember, maybe 12 or 15 reps, but it kept my going through what I thought was 28 and the counter said was 27. I wish I could have kept going because once I took a break everything slowed down. I got through the first 27 in about a minute and the next 47 in about 6 minutes. But I have never had such an intense rush of adrenaline, it was awesome. The rest was a fog, I would do a few and rest, then do some more and rest. Sometimes I thought I did 7 but the counter said it was 3 other times I thought I did 4 and the counter said 7. Next time I'll try to slow the initial pace down and see if I can keep it up for longer. Awesome WOD though, and the atmosphere made it a truly amazing experience.

Total: 18:38
23rd Overall

After coming back, I have not been able to get enough Crossfit. My body is still worn down a bit, but I just can't quit it. I've already done three wods this week and don;t plan on resting until Sunday. I'm also trying to get as much time in at the gym since my days are numbered.

The past three days

Tuesday:
42-30-18 reps for time of:
PVC Pipe Thrusters
Jumping Pull-ups (C2B)

Finish each round with a 400 meter run
13:24

This one hurt more than I expected, probably since I was still recovering from the weekend.

Wednesday:
5 Rounds
10-20lb Med Ball cleans
10 Burpees
Not timed, no breaks either.

Thursday:
4 rounds for time of:
7 Overhead Squats, 132/88 pounds
21 Dead-lifts, same weight/same bar
10 Box Jumps, 30/24 inches
10:04
I need to work on OHS, my shoulder has been feeling great, so I think I'll start widening my grip little by little. Otherwise a good workout. Those DL's got tough.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

T minus 3.5

No, I'm not going to be posting every half day until the games, but today really escalated quickly; I mean it really got out of hand fast.

We worked on the 2nd WOD for the games this morning and one again concluded it will be tough. I tried two full rounds with 175 lbs and mixed the order around to see how it felt. First round I went straight through (hello gut check). Then I took a break and did another round starting with the squats. Pull-ups were tough, but my goal it to do everything without breaking sets. I am still very excited for this weekend and know it will just be amazing. However, the only normal thing to happen today was crossfit...

Driving out of the gym's parking lot I heard a clunk, thought nothing of it and continued driving. As I was turning left on 88th street, another car was turning right from 88th and I heard a load screech. I thought, "Really, is it necessary to be showing off in a beat up truck?" Then the thought crossed my mind that I could have been making the screeching noise. I continued driving. After one too many corners I heard a whump whump whump coming from my tires. At first I thought one of them was flat. However, when I got out of the car neither tire was flat, they were just pointing in opposite directions. My driver's side tire pointed left and my passenger side tire pointed right. My car had become splayfooted. After investigating for a bit I found that the steering part of the car was no longer connected to the right front tire. It was almost as if a dislocation of sorts had occurred (hopefully not an omens of what's to come...). After a few clever maneuvers with a little rope and some duct tape, I temporarily fixed the joint with hopes that it would hold for the trip home. Luckily it did.

Once home I called upon my trusted friend and fellow crossfitter, ZachJ, inquiring about a good mechanic in the area. He responded quickly and with expert advice. The shop was trustworthy, quick, and had a good track record, but it was 7.6 miles away. The trouble wasn't getting there, my duct tape repair was holding surprisingly well, it was getting back. Normally I would ask my roommate to give me a ride, but today and for the past week I have been holding down the fort solo. My only option was to drive there and bike back, so I threw my bike in the back and got to it. I thought 7.6 miles should be no sweat, I'm a crossfitter, I bike regularly, heck many people bike ten times that in a single shot. Today I learned something about Omaha. It is not as flat as I once thought. The bike wasn't so bad and I averaged between 15 and 20 mph since it took less than half an hour to get home. In fact the bike ride was so great I will probably do it again this afternoon. So much for that taper I guess.

As if this wasn't enough to warrant a mid day entry, within 30 seconds of returning from the auto shop I hear the doorbell ring. My doorbell never rings. My door faces an alley, an alley where someone was shot last October. Why was my doorbell ringing? I cautiously peeked out to see who it was and opened the door. The tall man standing just outside my door knew mine name. Shortly after the door opened, I shared in the reciprocal knowledge. His purpose was to give me a subpoena. I was required to testify in the shooting case that had happen back in October. We exchanged stories and spoke for a bit as he worked out the details with the district court over the phone. As it turns out I am now required under penalty of the law to appear in court tomorrow at 10am to say that I saw the results of a shooting in my alley. This is going to be interesting.

What a day it already has been. All this activity before noon no less. I wonder what the rest of the day will bring, besides another 7.6 mile bike ride that is :)

The latest:
My car won't be done until tomorrow, so no bike ride later :(
Also, the defendant just plead guilty to attempted murder so I won't have to appear in court.
What started as an adventurous day has dwindled away into nothing more than a rainy Tuesday.

The Most Latest (for those who still care)
My car is done and the aforementioned honorable crossfitter, ZachJ, is going to give me a ride.

Monday, May 11, 2009

T minus 4

So here we are. Four days out and ready for battle. I can't wait. Everyone seems excited and ready to go. I love it. I'm not sure what else to say except this is going to be amazing.

Workouts have been good. I'm glad my shoulder will not hold me back on Saturday and can only hope Sunday will hold the same fortune.

Another thing, as some of you know I have been talking about shaving my beard into a fierce mustache for the weekend. I am curious as to what the general populous thinks about this decision. This idea started as a team wide thing, but now it appears I would be doing it solo. This makes it not as funny. So what do you think? Beard or mustache?

Sorry for the short post, my mind is racing and I can't think straight. Let's Rock this thing!