12.1 +12.2 = 13.1 - There's no place like Reflexion

Hey Fellow Crossfitters - So, instead of a traveling blog, I would like to share with you all about my experience at 13.1.  Besides, I haven't been to a new box during my travels in a while to report on.

Some history first, this time last year at the 2011 Crossfit Open on 12.1, in 7 minutes , I got just over 100 burpees and on 12.2 in 10 minutes, I got 44 snatches, which means I did all 30 snatches at 75 lbs and 14 at 135, which at the time was pretty good but I will tell you and anyone who was there can vouch for me when I tell you all 14 were ugly, but in Crossfit they counted.

Fast forward to the present and when 13.1 was announced, that it was a 17 minute amrap of burpees and snatches, I was really nervous and did fret over it for a few days before doing it, but come game day, I was ready and feeling quite good. 

In preparation for the WOD, our coaching staff Jesse Udom, Shawn Wilson and Erick Echeverria at Crossfit Reflexion (www.crossfitreflexion.com) laid out the plan based on our goals.  From knowing the pace for the burpess, how much time to spend at the 30 reps of 75# and how much time we would need at the end to reach our goal .  Each athlete at Reflexion had different goals..for some, the 75 lb would be a new PR for the ladies and 135 lb a new PR for the men. All the athletes were given very clear guidelines on what we needed to do to get to our goal.

Out of the gate my pace on the first 40 burpees were solid and they felt great, then the 75# snatches went up nicely and I felt good about my form, time was my friend.  Soon after the first set of 30 snatches, I hit 30 burpees and all was going according to plan. My original goal was to have enough time to attempt 1 rep at 165 but after watching videos earlier that week on several people doing this wod, I felt I needed to adjust my goal.  So instead I would plan to have approx 9 min remaining to finish all the snatches at 135# and if I did approx 4 per minute I would have some time at the end to finish off the burpees, that was the plan anyhow.  So, I was pretty close to plan, I started my first rep of the 135# at 8:44, this was after setting up the weight and putting on my oly shoes( good luck shoes that I actually bought from our oly coach, Jesse).  I knew that my first rep would be the determining factor, and as I approach the bar, I could see my coaches and hear them yelling at me, first it was Coach J with dowel in hand " fire those hips!" ( insert picture of Jesse doing his trademark hip thruster with expression of power)" and then Coach Shawn's turn "get your ass under the bar!'  and I knew right then and there that all was well in my world because the 135# went up and I had one rep under my belt!

Last year, I failed twice on the #135 and proceeded to muscle it up which resulted in a shoulder strain that took months to heal. Proper form and technique is EVERYTHING in Olympic lifiting and I learned the hard way what happens to your body when you lack in both form and technique. The snatch is one fluid motion from the ground to overhead and you know when it is done correctly, because it just looks so DANG GOOD! and you also know when it is not done right, because it is UGLY! So, if your snatches are not where they should be, my suggestion would be to attend the Olympic lifting class they have at Crossfit Reflexion and let Coach J teach you the proper way to lift!

Now back to the Open....
I proceeded through all 30 reps, some with better form than others but through the excitement of the moment and the many cheers from the crowd and the constant reminders from the coaches I was done, but it had taken me longer than anticipated and I only had 55 seconds to get the last 20 burpees.  Here is where I knew that I had to dig deep and go as fast as hell or I wasn't going to make it and thanks to all who cheered me on, I did it, the fastest 20  burpees I have ever done and with 5 seconds left before the time ran out. I felt great, I did it! Total reps, 150! Not bad!

As I look back at how I did last year vs. how I did this year, I can't thank the coaches at Crossfit Reflexion enough for the training, skill work, programming, Oly lifting, nutritional guidance, mobility work and the constant focus to work on the fundamentals day in and day out.  It's the magically programming combination that they put together that has upped my level of performance because at age 45 years old, mostly bald, a striking 5'7' and a solid 152 lbs , I was able to snatch 135# 30 times this year and I was only able to do it 14 times last year.  So I tip my hat to Jesse Udom, our Oly coach, for the skill work on Cleans and snatches , I know that there is still so much work to be done, but I like the progress so far and to Shawn Wilson (gonna get those Du's to someday beat you) and Erick Echeverria for the constant push and strategy to be better every day at the everyday movements of Crossfit.  Here comes.....13.2

Hail to the Prowler!

When you live in Beaverton, OR, it's not often that you get to use a prowler (insert video of a crossfitter pushing a weighted sled across the pavement) or even better when you get to use one outside on a sunny day in early Jan.  Well, thanks to Crossfit Core Fitness in Phoenix that's exactly what I got to do.  Actually, I have been to this location before and when I arrived, the person who greeted me was so nice.  She just asked that I log in with my phone number and that there would be no charge for a drop in! 

Wow, I love it when Crossfit boxes open their doors to travelling Crossfitters for free! That's what Crossfit should be about!

The WOD was: 

Deadlift 3x4  - I am nursing an minor lower back injury so I opted to not do deadlifts and instead do heaving snatch balance which was what was what we were doing at my crossfit.  This has also changed, but I will get to that later.

WOD
30 KB Swings - 44lb
30 walking lunges
1 prowler push, down and back

15 min AMRAP

First off, I would like to give big shout out to all the Crossfitters at Core Fitness, you are a great bunch of people and very welcoming.  Stephanie the trainer that evening who by the way is 6 months pregnant , congrats! was so fun to WOD with and what a great trainer.  She did a super warm up  (I liked the fire hydrants) with some light stretching that I have never seen or done, so Thanks!  I would also need to point out that Matt, one of the other trainers and (OPT athlete) was kind enough to take the photos!  Thanks Matt!
As I noted above, just recently I have decided to join a different Crossfit, called Reflexion.  Both Parisjat and I are now working out at this new crossfit.  This past November I turned 45 and realized that in order to grow and change as a Crossfitter, I must make a change, so that is why I have decided to join Reflexion.  Over the past several months I had the opportunity to workout with the trainers at Reflexion(Coach J and Shawn) and really like their approach to Crossfit.  The programming is a mix of OPT and Outlaw programming with WODs that are short and very intense and a huge attention to form and technique.  They also have a very specific Olympic lifting  program too(snatch, clean and jerk)!  Onward and upward!

Until we WOD agan.....SAU

Crossfit - West Sacramento

Hey Fellow Crossfitters - I am so sorry for the recent lack of communication just haven't been in the blogging mood.  But there is good news cause on my visit to Sacramento I had the opportunity to WOD at West Sacramento and I did something I have never done before.....

After a full day of travel and work I arrived at Crossfit West Sacramento (CFWS) for the 530 pm class about 10 minutes early which left just enough time to change from work mode to Crossfit mode.  This is a really nice location, just off the freeway in a business park.  They have a really open space and lots of equipment.  The trainer was super nice and best of all no drop in fee.

After introducing myself to the trainer, I took a look at the WOD, see below

Warm up
sprints
knee high's
butt kickers
goblet squats - 10 reps
10 push ups

Back squat  - strength work 10 sets of 2 reps with a 30 sec rest between sets @ 70 % of your max


WOD - 12 minute cap
500 meter row
20 wall balls (30lb)
30 ground to overhead with 40Lb dumbbells
40 pull ups
10 front squats - (185lb) 

So, I said to myself this looks pretty spicy but I have been working on squats and cleans so the front squat might be doable, I would soon learn that I was horribly incorrect. Before the WOD we did a really great warm up listed above.  

There was only 6 of us in class so we broke it up into 2 waves and I would go in the first wave.  The 
trainer told us to get our equipment ready and so I set up my rower, grabbed 2 of the 40 lb dumbbells, 30 lb wall ball (And I remember thinking this in my head, this doesn't feel so heavy and man would I pay for that thought).  

SO, it was 3-2-1 go time....I hit the rower a bit fast but I was dealing with a 12 min time cap so I felt I had to, then I got to the fu$%%$ing 30 lb wall ball, it felt so heavy.  At first I could only do 2 or 3 reps in a row but then I actually got it up to 4 in a row with rest in between sets, those really sucked!  Next up was the G2O with the dumbbells and at first you think that 30 reps is no big deal but I tell you now that it seemed like forever, not that it was heavy, it just seemed like I was going in slow motion, and I could now feel my pace beginning to slow a bit.  I honestly don't remember the time at this point but I was on to pull ups, and I could hear the trainer cheering me on which lifted my spirits a bit.  I thought I should butterfly some of these and I did, but there was a problem, the trainer was "no repping" on each one because my chin was not getting above the bar, so I lost 4 reps, so I had to reset, catch my breath and start over with kipping pull ups but now the sand in the hourglass was running thin.  I managed to do 5 reps at a time and get all the pull ups in and then I looked at the time and panic struck, I was almost out of time, Damn it, I had just under a minute to get 10 front squats.  I headed over to the bar quickly set up and attempted to clean 185# but failed....."hold crap that feels heavy" so I caught my breath and went in to clean it again, but failed yet again! Now with only 15 seconds left I heard the trainer say, just get the bar up and get one rep, SO I approached the bar and gave it all I could and finally got under it, but it took everything I had to stand up, and I had time to try one more rep so I lowered myself down and got one more rep......and that was it.  TIME HAD EXPIRED!

SO that's it, the first time as a crossfitter that I have never not finished a WOD,  what a wonderful humbling feeling!  Honestly, I did not think that this would happen but there is a first for everything!

Until we meet again. Happy Crossfitting!  SU