09/18/2009

My one-year CrossFit anniversary. Suffice it to say, my life has been tremendously changed for the better. A longer, more detailed write-up to follow.

Today is a REST day and tomorrow is 2009 CrossFit Games SoCal Regional Qualifier WoDs #1 and #2. I am going to CRUSH those WoDs.

8/18/2009
PF 1830 with Andy

3-3-3-3 Back Squat

185-205-225-245 PR

Um, this CrossFit stuff works. Previous 1RM was 235!

Max Pullups: 40 PR

Did I mention that CrossFit works? I’m pretty proud of this number considering I weigh 185#. Fifty consecutive pull-ups is definitely doable.

L-Sit: 30 seconds PR

Strict, knees locked L-Sit. Good times.

8/17/2009

Cindy

15 rounds (+5 pullups)

Pushups, not metcon are the limiting factor for me here. Nonetheless, PR by 2 rounds since we did it last three months ago. At this pace of improvement, I will catch Speal’s 37 round PR sometime around Christmas 2014. Good times.

~10 minute rest

500m row: 129.9

Hello board again. Third fastest time rowed at the gym and I know I can go even faster (this was less than 10 minutes after Cindy!) Thanks Ben for the encouragement and Michael for witnessing. I’m coming for you Jonesy!

8/15/2009-8/16/2009

REST.

8/14/2009
NOLA in my hotel room

3 rounds
10 wall squats
10 pushups
3 HSPU

30-20-10 Burpees, situps : 5:55

8/13/2009
PF 0600 with Becca

10 x 1 min row, 2 min rest

328, 328, 320, 309, 304, 294, 297, 296, 302, 296 - 307.4 avg.

We did this workout back in March. I improved my average by 17m. Nice.

Max consecutive double unders - 111

Hello board. Sorry Burch. Thanks to Jen for witnessing/counting.

8/12/2009

REST

8/11/2009
CFLA 1830 with Andy

Snatch
Complete 5 single snatches (5 reps)
- Increase the weight by small to medium increments on each rep (training partners help to keep rest time between reps at a minimum). This means you’ll have to start at a low enough weight to make increasing the weight on each rep possible.
- Your goal is to successfully complete all 5 singles without a miss, increasing weight each time.
- keep time between each rep to a minimum
- Repeat 4 - 5 times
- Post the weights of each rep of the set of increasing loads you were able to successfully snatch 5 times.

65, 75, 85, 95, 105m
75, 85, 95, 105, 115
85, 95, 105, 115, 125m
105, 115, 125, 135 (PR), 145m

Just missed 145# and the board for 1 rep snatch! I know I have it, too. The weight felt light, I just need to perfect my form.

8/10/2009
CFLA 1830 with Becca

3 rounds

17:27

Thank you Michael and Zeb for cheering me on. This was a fast time.

8/9/2009
CFLA 0930 with Jonesy

5 rounds - AMRAP 3min, 1min rest

2 2/3, 2 1/3, 2 1/3, 2 2/3, 2 2/3

8/8/2009

REST.

8/7/2009
CFLA 1730 with Jonesy

10 min jump rope (10 pushups everytime the rope stops) - 50 pushups

1RM Deadlift

295-325(PR)-350(PR)-375(PR)

Hell yes. ‘Nuff said.

8/6/2009
CFLA 1830 with Becca

“Jackie Goes to Pieces”

7:48

I blew through this workout and felt fantastic (read: I went so hard I could hear the blood rushing in my ears 15 minutes after the workout was over).

8/5/2009
CFLA 1830 with Jonesy

1RM Squat Clean

185-205m-195(PR)-200m

195# was kinda ugly, but it was a full-fledged squat clean. Got under 200, but couldn’t front squat it, so it spit me out the back.

AMRAP 12 minutes

4 rounds

I was done. Everything hurt at this point…

8/4/2009
CFLA 1830 with Jen

Jen’s first time coaching the advanced class and damn did she do a fantastic job! The wrist stretching we did is something we have never done in that manner and is something we should be doing before every Olympic-lifting movement or OHS.

“Nancy”

18:51

Whoa baby! Where do I begin… All OHS’s were unbroken! Back got tight during round 3 run, but I pressed through it. I’m absolutely convinced that the run is longer than 400m. I was and continue to be super-stoked with my performance. Sorry fellow classmates for my incessant talking (I get excited about CrossFit), my periodic outbursts, and the once a WoD primal scream to get psyched. Please feel free to tell me to shut it if it annoys you! You won’t hurt my feelings.

Splits:

Run - Round 1 - 1:56; Round 2 - 2:19; Round 3 - 2:40; Round 4 - 2:55; Round 5 - 2:48
OHS - Round 1 - :53; Round 2 - 1:12; Round 3 - 1:23; Round 4 - 1:27; Round 5 - 1:18

I have begun recording my round or movement splits in order to gain some insight into my performance mid-WoD. I’d say this looks like a typical intermediate CrossFitter… degrading times from round to round, with a slight pick-up in the last round. The key is to push in the middle of the workout, as there will almost always be the adrenaline fueled push towards the end, but that is something I have to get through mentally. My back tightened up on the Round 3 run, but the drop off was fairly consistent. There is definitely room for improvement here as I was not overly taxed on the metcon aspect, but was instead limited by my tight back and wanting to make sure I didn’t push to the point of hurting it. Good times!

8/3/2009

Unplanned REST day. I had an afternoon meeting that ran late and there was no way for me to get out to SM for a workout. Instead of doing something at home, I relaxed. My body thanks me for it.

8/2/2009
1030 with Jonesy

I love Jonesy’s Sunday workouts.

2k row: 7:17.1 PR

Previous best on the 2k row was 7:38. I went out a bit too fast and paid for it, but big thanks to Burch for keeping my head in the game in the middle of this row. Looked up the WR for the 2k row… 5:36.6. Um, yeah.

3 rounds

12:24 (3:02, 4:34, 4:48)

I could have used 95#, but since I’m doing so much handstand work, I thought I’d protect my shoulders. Good decision, methinks. I’m starting to keep track of my round splits in order to gain some insight into mid-WoD performance. For example, the WoD above, I think I went out too fast. Will play with this a bit to see what comes of it.

8/1/2009

REST.

7/31/2009
CFLA 1830 with Jonesy

3-3-3-3 Deadlift

275-285-295-315 PR

Psycho Mike really made the difference for me here. He had no doubt in his voice or demeanor when he told me 295 looked easy and I should go for three plates. Thanks Mike. I think I actually have some room there. Unbelievable!

5 rounds

9:54

That time may look slow, but let me tell you I was stoked. I did the first two rounds with actual HSPUs down to two abmats. Those are my first HSPUs during a workout. Awesome.

7/30/2009
CFLA 1630 by my lonesome

3 rounds

18:21

Thank you Vanessa and Michael for cheering me on through this one. I can’t imagine the what it would take for me to use 75# and get this below 15 minutes…

7/29/2009
CFLA 1830 with Jonesy

3-3-3-3 Push Jerk

135-145-155 (PR)-165(m)

My right knee and left elbow have been bothering me… My head wasn’t in it.

20 seconds on 20 seconds off 8 times

Handstand holds

Good, long chat with Zeb. Knee a bit swollen post workout, though…

7/28/2009

REST

7/27/2009
CFLA 1830 with Michael

Jackie PLUS

14:12

7/26/2009
CFLA 1030 with Jonesy

500m row: 1:37.0

Went way too slow on that…

3 rounds
100m farmers walk (65# dbs)
20 wall balls (20#)
3 rope climbs

13:33

7/25/2009
CFLA 0930 with Michael

Tabata Mash-up

16:20/142

7/23/2009 - 7/24/2009

REST.

7/22/2009
CFLA 1830 with Jonesy

5-5-5-5 Deadlift

225-275 (PR)-285 (PR)-245

Beat my previous best by 5RM by 60lbs.

2 x 450m run

1:11, 1:14

7/21/2009
CFLA 1830 with Andy

Warm-up (bears mentioning)

3x
5 wall squats (424 tempo)
5 situps (505)
5 snake back extensions (404)
30” L-Sit

I guarantee I know friends who “workout” regularly that would have a difficult time getting through this warm-up. The tempo number is defined as the number of seconds spent on the concentric portion of the movement, followed by the number of seconds held, followed by the number of seconds spent on the eccentric portion of the movement.

WoD

~16:40 (40# db)

Tried the 50# db, but my shoulders were killing me (probably from the heavy thrusters on Saturday and all of the handstand work I have been doing), so I scaled back to 40#. Good decision, but I was still holding back during the thrusters. I have been reading way too many “I hurt my shoulder(s)” logs recently. I’d rather scale it back than get injured.

7/20/2009
CFLA 1830 with Michael

5-5-5-5 Cleans

135-155-165 (3)- xxx

My head and body weren’t in it for some reason. Bleh. I was pulling with my arms, catching em in the power clean (ugly) and then squatting down. I don’t know what was wrong with me.

50 burpees
50 pullups

6:32

Felt a bit better after that.

7/19/2009

REST.

7/18/2009

3-3-3-3-3 Thrusters

6:59 (65#)

Fantastic workout, Jonesy. Thanks Ryan for again pushing me at the end there to finish before the 7 minute cutoff!

7/17/2009
CFLA 1830

4 rounds for time

16:42

Told Naz that I was pretty sure I could get sub 16:00. I need to start wearing a watch, because while I was pretty spent at the end, I had a little bit more in the tank. Still, top 7 overall during the day, I will take it!

7/16/2009

REST Designated Hitter Softball: 3-3 with 3 doubles and 5 RBI.

7/15/2009
CFLA 1830

“Like Angie… but suckier”

27:56

Set my PR in max pullups on the first round of pullups with 25! This workout sucked. Which means I loved it.

7/14/2009
CFLA 1830 with Becca

1RM Back Squat (Low) - 235

That’s what I get for teasing Ryan… an ass whooping at the hands of a barbell with some weight on it. Suffice it to say, I’m not liking my girly-man-ishness (yes, that is a word ... because I said so). Burch told me to stop losing weight in Aromas and my reaction was “pshawww” until I weighed myself at 180lbs. I like being lean, but I need to make sure I’m maintaining my weight and not simply melting away. 2x fat begins on Monday.

My calves, by the way, feel like they got punched in their respective nuts after that 10k. DOMS (delayed onset of muscle soreness) sucks.

On a positive front, my handstands are progressing nicely and are beginning to look like actual handstands rather than their less cool brethren, the handflop and the handflail.

7/13/2009
CFLA 1830 with Michael

10k run: 50:52

Very difficult to push oneself with no pace buddy. I should have stayed with Ben and I know that afterward I felt like I had more in the tank. Armen got his first WoD win over me and it won’t be his last… I’m proud of you, bro.

Short rest

1RM Clean: 185

I got under 195 (caught it in the rack) and stood about half way up before getting spit out the backside. I’m sure I can get 200 if I’m fresh.

7/11/2009-7/12/2009

The 2009 CrossFit Games (“REST”)

This was incredible, awesome, unbelievable, and if you want more details you have to come and ask me, because the written word does not do it justice.

Andy’s performance against a field of competitors of which most of whom could have been his children was inspiring. He finished 18th on the run, dominating Josh Everett and Jason Khalipa, and then came out with a straw hat and crushed Chris Spealler in the deadlift (yes, Andy beat Chris Spealler at something).

Great job by the Affiliate Team, as well. Come talk to me if you want the lowdown on the event!

7/10/2009
The Ranch in Aromas, CA at the site of the 2009 CrossFit Games

2x
big loop run on the hill (approx. 800m)
50 squats

15:16

7/9/2009

REST

7/8/2009
CFLA 1830 with Jonesy

“Danny”

3 rounds (on the dot!)

Finished at the buzzer! Feel bad for Naz, who missed her 3 round by 2 pullups. Thanks Ryan for counting and confirming my 30 pullups at the buzzer.

7/7/2009
CFLA 1830 with Andy

Fight Gone Bad Style Scoring

436

Top score of the day! That’s a first. Beat out some of the advanced big boys, mostly because my double unders are very strong.

7/6/2009

REST

7/5/2009
CFLA 0930 with Jonesy

Partner work out (one partner works at a time)

SDHP 91/86
Situps 142/150
Pullups 78/80

Worked out with Josh visiting from NY. Had to step it up a little bit and do some extra reps on the sit-ups and pullups, but we had a great time.

7/4/2009

“Annie”

6:16

Would have been good enough to get me on the board if it were at the gym!

7/3/3009

REST

7/2/2009
CFLA 1830 w/ Becca

AMRAP 20 minutes
400m run
max shoulder press (95#)
max push press (95#)
max push jerk (95#)

5 rounds, 52 reps

I didn’t game this at all and my shoulders were a bit fatigued from Filthy Fifty and HSPU Helen the past couple of days. Matty gave me a great tip about letting the weight drop down faster after each rep instead of over-controlling it on the way down. Thanks Matty.

Also, apparently Mtanwyck doubts my jumproping prowess (even though John handled the counting and I didn’t miss once during my 3 minute max single under session!)

You want to challenge me, Michael? I’ll lay the smack down like Bugs Bunny!

http://www.trilulilu.ro/SHANA04/e156713d24ef66?video_google_com=

7/1/2009
CFLA 1830

3 Rounds for time

18:18

Great workout.

Now let’s discuss the warm-up… we started with max single-unders in 3 minutes with designated counters. I began my jump-roping and 3 minutes later I had done 608 single-unders! No rest, no mistakes, 3 minutes of fast, hardcore jump-roping straight through. When I heard 608, I thought to myself that couldn’t be right, but I was assured that it was… I beat Andy Petranek at something? No fucking way! Burch later told me that Andy’s PR is like 620 or something, but on this day, nobody who had done max single unders in 3 minutes even came close to 600. I think Andy probably would have put the odds of me topping his score at say, oh, 100-1? Awesome.