No Rest on Sunday

After getting Nancy off to the airport for her trip to Ottawa this morning I went to the gym intending to do "Micheal" but everyone already there had othr intentions. Saturday's WOD was still lingering in the depths of their muscles and the running/back extensions combination wasn't doing it for them. I'm easy (not like that, you're thinking of a different Blog) so joined in on the workout they built before I got there. AMRAP in 12min. of 7 hang Power Cleans, 7 Push Ups, 250m Row ... I was up for it but cautious of the weight I was going to use for the HPC's (85lbs) since I'm still working on the fuel piece of my morning Crossfit challenges.

I had read Simon's piece on "The Wall" when I first woke up and it was still fresh in my mind. I've hit that wall many, many times and continue to learn from it. Everytime I get ready to begin a WOD I mentally prepare myself and I know before I even begin if that wall will appear. I mentally quite before I even begin, that's where Crossfit has made me stronger. That mental failure I have happens less the more I continue with Crossfit. Today I was ready ... 5 full rounds and finished the HPC's and PU's before my time was up. For me it wasn't about the rounds I completed or the weight I lifted, it was about going all out for the full 12min without hitting that "Wall"!

WOD "Firefight"

"Firefight"
21-15-9 of:
Deadlift (195lbs)
Glute-Ham Raise
Wall Ball (20lbs)

Today's WOD definitely told me that I need to fill the gas tank more efficiently than I have in the past. Coach Coop gave us a 12min time limit on this one and I never finished. I knew at the beginning that the energy wasn't there and should have, at that point, lowered my DL weight to match the way my body felt. Although disappointed at my performance, I'll take this as a learning opportunity and re-evaluate how I fill the tank before the WOD, especially Saturday mornings. I seen this coming as my last few WOD have been sub par in my eyes and the only reasoning I can conclude is how I'm fueling the engine.

We're not talking a fall Sunday drive through the country in a station wagon fueled with reg unleaded gas; We're talking about a fuel mixture of nitromethane/methanol to run a Funny Car down a quarter mile track in the least amount of time! No one just fills the tank of a funny car and goes down the track...you do your homework, you learn the do's and do not's, you talk to experienced and successful drivers, then you go out and fail! and fail! and learn from your failures so you can succeed more and fail less! Now, let's remember ... I won't BLOW UP from failing at Crossfit which allows me to make more mistakes with minimal damage! And I have!

You can't go the distance without the right fuel and the right amount of fuel. For a walk in the park all one needs is an apple. For a WOD at "MY Park" you need a full course meal ... yeah, you might "Blow Chunks" but you'll finish what you started!!

WOD 102009

"Tabata Something Else"

Complete 32 intervals of 20 seconds of work followed by ten seconds of rest where the first 8 intervals are pull-ups, the second 8 are push-ups, the third 8 intervals are sit-ups, and finally, the last 8 intervals are squats. There is no rest between exercises. SCORING: Sum the lowest-rep interval for each exercise for total points. SCRATCH THAT!!! Sum ALL reps to reveal your score!

This was a great workout for me ... no weights and no running! Where else can you complete a hard a$$ workout within 20min and leave nothing behind but a puddle of your sweat and skin still stuck to the pullup bar you cursed for the first 8 intervals. Done the pullups right into the pushups ... not much arm left, face plant only to leave your mark on the rubber mat below and explode back up .... that's 13! Push, Push, Push ... Damn Philsy, beat me by 1 again! Coach Coop yelling in the back ground "GET UP!!" Only 7 more intervals then situps and a chance to rest? Haha Situps, abs burning but that's OK, I'm beating Phil for once, that doesn't happen often. I'll take it. Then the all dreaded SQUATS, my weakness and still feeling the effects in my legs from Saturday's WOD ... the pain and tightness followed me throughout the whole 7 intervals then I heard Coach Coop, "LAST ROUND, LAST CHANCE TO GAIN POINTS!!" I pushed out an extra 4 reps above my last interval. It was over ... 296 points or 296 reps however you want to look at it.

A sense of accomplishment for a moment then ...Could I have pushed harder? Did my mind quit somewhere within that WOD? Am I improving or is it hit and miss? These are questions that go through my mind after almost EVERY crossfit workout, these are my own demons, I own these and I don't have the answers yet. Crossfit at Catalyst http://catalystgym.com/ is a big piece of my life right now -- My wife is a crossfitter and my son is becoming increasingly more involved at Catalyst (running/training) and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Day 1 - A New Beginning

It's ironic that I begin my 'NEW' Crossfit blogging adventure on a rest day for me. I started doing Crossfit around April or May but it's only been in the last few months that I have become more serious about it. Not as serious as some of my Crossfit friends but I'm at the gym 4 or 5 days out of the week. I'm still feeling the effects from Saturday's WOD, mainly because the Thrusters included in the workout killed my legs which are one of my weaknesses. I'll get into why they're a weakness later, I don't want to give everything away in my first entry.