Thurs June 9

WOD

For Time:
20 Snatches (95/65)
30 Pistols
40 Chest to Bar Pullups
30 Pistols
20 Snatches (95/65)

RESULTS

55#, red band pistols and pu's

16:14

ANALYSIS

I was super speedy on the snatches - its where I made up all the time lost on my pull-ups. I should have done 65# - snatches were more about flexibility vs. strength at that weight.  Pistols were fun! Need more sleep and more consistent crossfit sched. Looking forward to this LAST trip for work and then back to routine!

Crossfit Games Open WOD 1

WOD
Clean 1-1-1-1-1-1-1
THEN...
10 Minutes AMRAP:
30 Double Unders
15 Snatches

RESULTS

110# clean

20DUs, 55# bar; 4 rounds +10DUs

ANALYSIS
Ok, I think my counting may have been off on this WOD.  I thought it was 4 rounds, but now am thinking 3... either way, this WOD was an ass-kicker. I was going to complain about being three days on, really really sore from yesterday, but in reality the snatches really f*ck with your ability to move your arms for the DUs regardless of whatever other factors one has going on.  Surprisingly so.  In any case, I was off today and couldn't string more than 5 DUs at any given moment which just frustrated the hell out of me and made them that much more impossible.

Clean felt good, though lower back and quads are still tight from yesterday and I felt it every time I lifted. I was focusing on my extension and I think my form was better for it. Definitely feeling more comfortable with the lift.  Got 110 up smoothly.  I am however doing a new thing where I just sit in the bottom of my squat (with the weight) re-adjusting (ahem, getting my elbows up) before I stand.  Very interesting. Its almost as if I am thinking about whether to toss the weight or actually get up. LOL!  Lucky for me I have a fantastically strong squat and sitting on 110 is fine.  As I get heavier though I will need to get over this new little tick! :)

Fuzzy Math.

WOD
Back Squat
3-3-3-3-3
Then for time*:
40 Snatch
40 OHS
40 Power Clean
40 Push Press
*One Kettlebell (1.5/1). Divide amongst arms as much as necessary.

RESULTS

155# back squat

20#, 8:25

ANALYSIS

Thanks to my inability to count, I actually got155# up for the back squat. I thought it was 150# ... either way, it was a piece of cake weight-wise for a 3 rep back squat. I definitely could have gone heavier but we were working the threesome rotation on our rack and ran out of time. No worries; I got the work done.

The WOD was ok.  Lots of squatting. I always find my footwork to be be weird when we use dumbbells for lifting movements.  But with 40 reps a pop, I got comfortable around rep 20. Think I should have challenged myself with 25 or 30#.  That seems to be my theme for the week ...

Layne, Billie and I - oh and Robin joined us! - completed our 100 sit-ups for time. I improved! A lot!! down to 3:19.  Still working to get that below 3 minutes.  Pull-ups were ok. I strung two together easily and then kinda puttered out.  Still working my way to stringing 5... I have faith its gonna happen soon. Was also able to do my one strict pull-up still. Thats kinda cool and makes me feel really strong while I am doing it. I can feel my (HUGE!) muscles working ;)

You know it's hard when the thruster is your rest!

WOD

Snatch
2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2

400m Farmer’s Carry (50lb/35lb)
Every 10m do 1 Thruster.

RESULTS

55-65-75 on out ...

25# 11:28 (I didn't look at my time, but Billie says this is where I fell out...)

ANALYSIS

I really wanted to use this snatch time to work on my form so I stayed at a comfortable 75 for 6 of the 8 lifts.  Still having problems opening my hips and getting under the bar and I am pretty sure I have moved into over-analyzing mode.  Sigh... the one thing I am confident that I do really well is stay active in the bottom of my squat - legs and shoulders. So there's that :)

Farmers Carry. So hard.  Its quite frustrating bc the muscles are working, but the hands/grip won't. I just couldn't hold on more than 1-1/2 or two rounds towards the end.  I wimped out and didn't do the burpees every time I dropped the weights - that would have added another 4mins or so to my time I think.  But its hard to opt in when things are optional - and maybe thats what divides me from the true competitors ;)

Mix and Match

So I didn't blog after Tuesday's WOD... because there wasn't much to blog about.  It was a lovely lifting lesson: snatch and clean & jerk, but I had to leave early so I missed the C&J piece.  For the snatch, we had two minutes to complete one rep - and only three rounds.  I believe I maxed out at 75#s (?).  I think I was concentrating on the movement too much because I only had the opportunity for one rep.  My three rep max is 85#... its great to work on technique though - we all know my feelings on these two lifts ;)


Today's WOD was lovely. I have been a bit congested this week so breathing hasn't been the easiest. I powered through however and am 95% happy with the results - would have liked to make it to 8 complete rounds.


WOD
5 Overhead Squats
10 Wall Ball
AMRAP 10 minutes


RESULTS
OHS - 50#
Wall ball - 12 lbs
7 rounds, 5 OHS, 4 wall ball


ANALYSIS
I thought this was going be challenging on my heart and arms - I was wrong.  I burned out fast in my thighs.  This was basically 10 minutes of squatting - yeah, I forgot about the legs.  I am glad I went with 50# on the OHS - I could have done 55 but think it would have just been enough to really slow me down.  And surprisingly, the 12# wall ball felt light (or, lighter than expected)!!  Probably because the last few WB WODs I have completed with 16 - and I can't sugar-coat it, that shit ain't light!  All in all, I was happy with the way I performed. Next time I will hit 10 rounds for sure!!  I do continue to struggle with pushing myself over "the physical line" during workouts.  I know I can push my body through , and I think Crossfit athletes who are over-performers know how to do this... still trying to figure that mental piece out.  I am looking forward to getting a strong workout in tmrw and then laying by the pool with friends.  


I did want to mention the Paleo Challenge this month.  I am hesitant and excited all at the same time.  I can't afford to buy-in for prizes but told District I would participate.  I have great recipes to share after all!!  (and yes the recipe section on this blog will be updated soon :) I am nervous about traveling for work and staying Paleo. I have 10 days straight of work travel at the end of this month.. and nothing is a diet killer more than airports and black tie dinners.  I will do my best. The good news is I have a jump rope and can (no, WILL!) do travel wods while on the road.  Looking forward to losing the last few lbs of chubs on my belly and thighs :)  I know dieting and my body well, and while Paleo is not meant to be a diet but a lifestyle, I know my body responds quickly to the removal of diary and bread.. oh, and beer.  Curious about the impact on my lifts and WOD times, though it doesn't take a rocket scientist to connect weight loss and increased physical performance ;)


And finally, I haven't tried a pull-up in a few weeks - will try that out tmrw and let you all know how it goes!  Happy holiday Friday!

Demystifying the Snatch

So, last night after getting home from work I thought I would take a lil' cat nap to refresh me for the WOD.  Unfortunately, I did not wake up until 5 minutes before my ride was scheduled to pick me up.  And this my friends resulted in one cranky, tired, heavy-feeling lady.  For those of you that know me well, you know this attitude well.  It wasn't pretty and I used most of the warm-up to complain about it.  However, the WOD was fun, fast and damn my snatches are getting pretty ... ok! 


WOD

Randy - 75 snatches @50#

Results

I did this at 45#. Why??  Not really sure.  The weight was light and I definitely should have been at 50#.  Finished in 6:20.

Analysis

My snatch is definitely getting better.  I was able to "pop" the weight up and get under much more quickly last night... maybe due to the lighter weight.  My 3x5 snatches on Saturday were twice as heavy.  Also, I questioned my ability to get into a "rhythm" with snatches - ie. moving from one snatch directly into executing the next one.  You have reset at the bottom, so I didn't understand how this could "flow."  Fortunately, after watching a few videos of the fabulous Kate "Killer" Rawlings complete back/back snatches AND my coach agreeing with her technique and demonstrating it - I got it!  Once the weight is overhead, bring it back down to your hips and then glide it down your legs to the floor for a quick reset and go!  Do not let go of the bar in between reps - unless you need a break of course :)  The other piece of coaching that helped me with the "popping" movement - ie. how you get the weight up to mid-body or shoulder height - was to think about it like a kettlebell swing.  The hip motion is exactly the same with your snatch.  And we all know how I feel about kettlebell swings!  It was a helpful comparison for me.  So... I am feeling better about the snatch. For now.


The second piece that hit me after the WOD was why the F*CK did I not do it at rx'd weight?!  Clearly I am worked up about this still!  I could have gone on the leader board and DEFINITELY could have done it. I felt the light weight as soon as I started the WOD and at that point it was too late. My thoughts here - I need to get better at 1. knowing my max lifts and being able to deduce a high rep weight from that and 2. questioning my coach.  The latter being the hardest for my rule following, non-authority questioning self.  But whats the worst that can happen, they say I can't handle it?  I upgrade and the weight is too heavy so it takes me twice as long to finish?  Anything short of killing myself, I can handle.  (Killing myself, while it does sound harsh, is always an option for outcome at Crossfit, for me!).

Bottom Line

Snatch is still not one of my favorite lifts, but its growing on me.  I am starting to feel more confident in the movement and it shows when my body freely throws itself under the weight - that should not be your natural instinct.  And, I shouldn't be afraid to ask for more weight.  Only I know how hard I can push my body.

Birthday WOD

If you told me 6 months ago that I would be spending my birthday morning weightlifting, I would have laughed at you! But today, that is exactly what I am doing. It feels great to "earn my day."
WOD
Snatch 3-3-3-3-3
Results
55, 65, 70, 75, 80
Analysis
I have come to realize that I ADORE heavy lifting WODs and could really do without endurance WODs. Too bad CrossFit is all about punishing your weakness! The irony of that whole statement is that I could run for miles, for days even, at a non-sprint pace, but throw a 400 meter lap in between pull-ups or squats or you-name-it and I am wrecked.

In any case, analysis for this WOD - the snatch is my least favorite lift. I have not yet adjusted to the hook grip which btw is as awkward as it sounds, so I end up focusing on my grip way too much - and often just default to regular grip. Which is (kinda) ok for now, but as I enter the heavier weight zone, will not fly. The snatch, for those interested in learning about the lift, is comprised of three movements: the deadlift - slow to get off the ground; the jump or pop to get the weight up - the weight moves from the top of your knees to your groin area where you ideally "bounce" it off your body and it floats up into the air (I giggle bc it never floats for me!); and then the final push - you jump under the weight, and squat-stand it up. So, for me the first and last lifts are ok. The second lift however, really gets me. My diagnosis: I concentrate too hard on bouncing the weight off my body instead of just jumping and letting the weight naturally ride up. Yup, I am a thinker and a perfectionist - both of which hinder my fast adaptation to proper weight lifting technique. I like trying the lift slow and watching my coach execute it from several angles ... but sometimes you just gotta get 'er done. I do also hesitate to throw my body under the weight BUT I think that will come naturally as I stop pressing the weight up and use my hips to "float" it up instead.

Bottom line

This one needs work and as luck would have it, today's WOD is 75 snatches @50#.