February 28 WOD: Open 14.1

The Open is upon us! After the live announcement by Dave Castro, Garrett Fisher and Marcus Hendren went head to head to do this:

Screen grab from the CrossFit Games site

So 14.1 turns out to be another repeat as it was the first Open workout last 2011, the first year Rich Froning won. He got a score of 448 that year, and surprisingly, neither Fisher nor Hendren was able to beat Froning 2011. That just shows how crazy good he already was at that time.

Anyway, the 10 am class was the first to do the workout at the box. Since I'm not registered for the Manila Throwdown, I scaled and used 45# instead of the prescribed 55#.


My score: 3 rounds + 16 DUs, or 151 reps (45#)

February 27 WOD: Open 11.3

One more day until Open workout 14.1 is announced!

A. BBG/Skill

EMOM x 12 minutes: Clean

Loads per minute by %: 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 80-85, 85, 85-90, 90, 90-95, 95, 95+

B. Metcon

Open 11.3

5 minutes AMRAP
Squat clean (165/110#)
Shoulder to overhead (165/110#)

The squat clean is counted as 1 rep, and the jerk is counted as another rep.

My loads for the skills work: 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 95, 100, 105, 105, 115#


My score: 115# (squat clean); 36 reps (75#)

February 26 WOD: Plyo Wednesday!

Since I'm so bad at body weight movements, I don't go to the box on Wednesdays because they're plyo day. I usually pick Wednesday as my rest day but I didn't work out yesterday so I had to come in today.

A. Resistance band sprints

B. Plyometrics: 4-square drill

C. Metcon

3 rounds, FGB style

1 minute max reps of:

Wall balls (9/7 kg)
Box jumps (24/18")
Kettlebell swings (24/16 kg)
Burpees
V-ups
1 minute rest

D. Core work: partner Russian twists with med ball

The plyo part wasn't bad, it was the metcon that sucked. Ideally, you should rest only during the 1 minute rest period but I love to rest so my score wasn't that good. We weren't able to do core work anymore though because there was no more time.


My score: 195 Rx

February 24 WOD: Cheeper

I think I've acquired the habit of deliberately mispronouncing words. Hence, cheeper (chipper, if you still don't get it).

For time or reps (10 minute cap):

70 double unders
50 bar-facing burpees
30 clean and jerks (135/95#)
10 muscle ups

The burpees were neverending and just awful. I completed 123 reps at the end of 10 minutes but the others wanted to finish and even though my mind was screaming no, I did it. Well, just until the 30 C&J at least. By the 13th C&J I wanted to stop but Anton sat in front of me and kept count and I had no choice but to see it through.


My score: 123 (75#)

February 20 WOD: Step ups

First workout in a week! I missed getting DOMS. The day is just not complete when none of your muscles hurt.

A. Skill

6 sets of the following complex:

Power clean + Squat clean

B. Metcon

For time:

60 step ups with front racked barbell (box height: 20/24"; weight: 115/75#)

I was going to scale but Coach Jordan said I might find the WOD too easy if I go light so I did it as prescribed.


My score: 95# (clean complex); 9:17 Rx

February 13 WOD: Snatchees

Snatchee (n.) - the combination of a snatch and a burpee

A. SWOD

5 sets of the following:

2 strict press + Max reps push press

Rest 15 seconds, then

45 seconds max reps push ups

Rest 2 minutes

B. Metcon

EMOM x 10 minutes

7 ground to overhead
3 burpees

I felt like my shoulders and triceps had bulged after the SWOD. Guess that's how people came up with "swole". Ugh. Anyway, Coach Jordan recommended that we go light on the ground to overhead so we won't rest too much, and we dutifully followed his advice. We had the choice of doing either a clean and jerk or a snatch. Most of us chose the latter because it is just more efficient.


My score: 57 (push press); 87 (push ups); 2,520 (8 rounds at 45#)

February 11 WOD: Bergeron Beep Test

One of those WTH workouts they make us do from time to time.

A. Metcon

"Bergeron Beep Test"

EMOM until failure
7 thrusters (75/55#)
7 pull ups
7 burpees

B. BBG

In 12 minutes, work on snatch technique.

I did a super scaled version of the WOD (35# thrusters and jumping pull ups) and it was still hard. Imagine doing all those 21 reps in one minute?! You know you have to sprint it but you also want to pace yourself so you don't burn out too soon. According to the creator of the workout, Ben Bergeron, this is his test for pure conditioning and mental toughness. Kinda reminiscent of 13.5.


My score: 2 + 1 burpee (35#; jumping pull ups); 70# (power snatch)

February 10 WOD: Team WOD

There was no strength or skill work today, just the metcon workout.

Team WOD (teams of 3)

4 x 5 minute AMRAP

3 box jump overs (24/20")
6 push press (95/65#)
9 kettlebell swings (24/16 kg)
Rest 2 minutes between quarters

A team member does one whole round and the next team member does the next round, and so on. After 5 minutes, there's a 2 minute rest, and then the next 5 minute AMRAP begins. I teamed with Rhona and Mau, and Coach Jordan said that we should aim to do 9 rounds during each set. Apparently, about 2 teams were able to do it. Unfortunately, we weren't one of them.


Our score: 26 + 8 KBS (18"; 55#; 16 kg)

February 6 WOD: Of jerks, lunges, and not DNF-ing

It is such a good day.

A. BBG

EMOM x 12 minutes

Clean and jerk x 1

Loads per minute (%): 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 80-85, 85, 85-90, 90, 90+

B. Metcon

For time (18 minute cap):

400m run
20 front rack lunges (135/95#)
40 chest to bar pullups
20 front rack lunges
80 double unders

Even though the jerks didn't feel so good, I still loved doing the C&Js. My triceps are still sore from last Tuesday (because of the push ups? or the pull ups? I don't know anything anymore). But in other news, I actually finished the WOD! I thought that the pull ups would do me in but they weren't so bad today. I just kept chipping away at the reps. One at a time. Also, my DUs didn't abandon me today.


My score: 100# (clean and jerk); 17:03 (65#)

February 4 WOD: BS and Mini Cindy

A. SWOD

Back squats

Set 1: 6 x 60% x 75#
Set 2: 4 x 70% x 85#
Set 3: 2 x 80% x 100#
Set 4: Max reps x 85% x 105#

Rest 3 minutes in between sets.

B. Metcon

Mini Cindy

8 minutes AMRAP:
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 squats

You know that brief period of amnesia when your mind is a total blank and you can't remember what the WOD was the day before and why you feel sore? I don't know if it's an age thing or I'm just really forgetful. Sometimes I can't tell anymore which movement made whichever part of my body sore. Or maybe it's just a CrossFit thing.

I feel like my pull ups are finally coming together. But I need to remind myself to keep my feet together the whole time when I'm hanging on to the bar, even when kipping (maybe especially when kipping).


My score: 105# (8 reps back squat); 5 + 8 push ups Rx

February 3 WOD: Shoulder to overhead

A. BBG

In 15 minutes, work up to a heavy push jerk (no split jerks).

B. Metcon

For time (15 minute cap)

25 shoulder to overhead (115/75#)
10 toes to bar
20 S2O
8 TTB
15 S2O
6 TTB
10 S2O
4 TTB
5 S2O
2 TTB

Every time I come to the box, there's always someone already there working out alone, preparing for the Open and the Regional. When I first started CF, I thought that was what I wanted to do. Now I know it's not for me. If I had to go to the box during off hours to do 3 or 4 workouts to prepare for a competition, I will probably stop finding joy in the WOD. I know some of our athletes love it and live for it and are really passionate about it, but I'm just an ordinary girl who stumbled into CF wanting to get stronger. I'm passionate about CF, just not about CF competitions. I may do the occasional throwdown but I wouldn't turn it into a regular thing.

Just my Monday morning thoughts.


My score: 100# (push jerk); 11:23 (55#)