These past couple of days, CrossFit Boom has really been pushing me. We have been doing workouts that are destroying me (in a good way). In general I don’t feel like I’m just being more intense so it must be the WODs are just set up to kill us!

In regards to food, I’m eating way better overall, so I know it’s not JUNK bringing me down. But I still have some extra fluff to shed so maybe it’s just making it harder on the ol’ body to re-cooperate. OR maybe the WODs are just killer and I’m on the path to getting that much better!

7/30/13
Strength: 1RM axle snatch
I’ve said this in the past and I’ll say it again. I LOVE THE AXLE. It has a bigger diameter than a barbell and it’s awkward but I like it. What’s really AWKWARD though is doing SNATCH with this Axle. My Barbell Snatch is weaksauce as it is with my 1RM being 75lbs. I was just hoping to get close with the Axle. Turns out I could only go to 60lbs without that FEAR creeping in. I could pull 65lbs easy breezy but dropping under the bar was not happening. It’s so frustrating that I know the problem but mentally can’t bust through it!

MetCon: 5 Rounds 10 Clean & Jerks (135,95) 10 Burpee Pull Ups
When I initially saw the post the morning of I thought it was 10 Power Cleans. When I walked into the box and saw the 6pm class doing Clean & Jerks I was all “OH NO”. I can Clean and Jerk 105 maybe 110 for a 1RM. So 95lbs for 50 reps seemed insane. I opted to go for 85lbs, just so I wouldn’t be there for 3 days trying to finish the WOD. So pretty much this was GRACE on STEROIDS. And I haven’t even begun to think what the Burpee Pull Ups are gonna do to me!

3-2-1 GO. Uh this sucks and I’m only 2 reps in. And on top of that my crybaby self is using the 45lb bar. I started out using this bar on all lifts but as 35lb bars came in and they felt so much better on my small hands I’ve become accustomed to the 35lb bar. Now the 45lb bar seems ginormous and I have a head game going on and I’m only 30 seconds into the workout! I’m in trouble! I finally got through the 10 reps and moved onto the Burpee Pull Ups. We all know I can’t do Pull Ups so I had to stack some plates up and do Jumping Pull Ups. So drop to the ground, hop up and onto plates and get chin over bar X 10. NO FUN! Rinse and repeat the round 4 more times. It was a struggle and I was spent. I didn’t know how others had finished in such good times because the whole workout was TAXING on all body parts. Finally got to the last round and had to pick up that damn bar. I did two in a row, dropped bar, 1, 1, 2. We had a fill in Coach, Nick, and he said I could do the last 4 Unbroken. I was sure I could not but I held onto the bar and finished those reps STRONG. Thanks for pushing me on! Because I would have for sure dropped the bar otherwise. The last round of Burpees weren’t fast but I just kept going. Time: 22:46. I typically feel OK anywhere from 5-15 minutes later. This WOD had me feeling shakey a whole hour later! BRUTAL! Just BRUTAL!

7/31/13
Strength: Strict Press 5rm you have 12 minutes take 85% and do Max reps take 70% and do max reps take 50% and do max reps rest as little a possible between setsAfter Push Ups on Monday and Clean & Jerks and Burpees on Tuesday my shoulders are dead. They are sore, in pain, dead! I knew my Strict Press would be weak, I just wasn’t sure how weak! I almost had 65lbs for 5 reps but failed on the last rep. I was pushing the pain factor too much so I settled with that. The next step was to drop to 55lbs and do Max Reps. I managed 8 reps. Then dropped to 45lbs and managed 10 reps. I surprised myself and I feel like I should have got more reps but the pain in my right shoulder was kicking in. Dropped to 35lbs and managed 7 reps. Too much pain! So I ended on that.

MetCon: Test Row 5K
I’m not a rower. Let’s just get that out of the way. But I want to be! I feel being short is such a disadvantage but I know that’s just an excuse to hang my hat on, so I’m wanting to be somewhat good at this just to prove myself wrong. I wish I wanted to prove myself wrong in running as well but that’s not going to happen! So ROWING has been showing up in more of our programming. That’s a good thing. But it’s been short stuff. The longest being a 1K row. So now we’re testing for a 5K! Holy CRAP! This is all post Strict Press for me and my shoulders are weak!

I got on that rower and immediately felt everything fatigued. I was already thinking I can’t finish this row at all. I wasn’t even 1K in and I was ready to call it a day. I knew I couldn’t do that but my mind was telling me to quit. Half way in, I saw the pace I was holding, and it was putting me at a 26 minute finish. Everyone throughout the day was averaging 20-23 minutes. Not that I can judge myself compared to others but those were the numbers I was seeing. I had a hard time keeping up with a faster 500 split. It fluctuated for the the first 3K. And it wasn’t until I had 1500 to go that I got a decent and consistent pace. By then it was too late to beat my 26 minute guesstimate but I was going to try. I just wish I had felt this “comfort” zone prior to the last 1500. Time: 25:47; beat 26 minutes by seconds! Unstrapped my feet and rolled onto the ground. I was exhausted. At least I have a time to compete against for the future. Never having rowed like this I feel alright about it. Let’s hope the next test comes with a nice improvement!

So this week has proven to be a beating so far. Not sure what the BOOM Box will bring tonight but I’m ready to tackle it. My shoulders are feeling much better which is GREAT. I started taking Nighttime Recovery from Advocare. Two nights in a row now. It’s hard to tell if it’s HELPING or if it’s mental. But I figure extra Amino Acids can’t hurt me so if it’s really working or just there for my brain to believe it’s working, then it’s good either way!

Also, the Get Fit, Stay Fit Challenges are up and they look like a butt whoopin too so I’m gonna try and do them but I am not making any promises! It’s day 1 of this Challenge and there’s a lot to start off with! Let me know if you are participating. It may make it easier for me to commit!

As always don’t forget there is a COMMUNITY WOD at the BOOM Box this Saturday at 9am. It’s FREE. So get your butt out there! You know the drill, Eat Clean, Do Work and BE AWESOME! Happy Thursday!