Tag Archives: Benchmark

CC Flyers kicks my butt… again

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I laugh when I think about this morning’s benchmark. CC Flyers came around again. It looks like this:

“CC Flyers”
3 rounds
400 m run
21 box jumps
12 Overhead squats (M 95# / W 65#)

Or is it 10 over head squats? Or 15? And when is the cut off?

Haha. :) I remember being so proud to finish this benchmark three months ago. But in October, the benchmark was different. They only had us do 10 overhead squats. And the cutoff was 15 min.

Today, the cut off was 12 minutes, and there were 12 overhead squats. I know it seems like a tiny change, but it made a big difference. I did not finish.

Completed 2 rounds + run + 3 box jumps RX in 12 minutes

What’s also different this time is how I feel about that. I don’t feel disappointed. I’m not angry. And I didn’t feel it was necessary to argue with Zach or Aaron about the time limit. I’m OK with the WOD being harder. It changed the rules of the game and made things a little more interesting. And Zach is absolutely right — I CAN finish CC Flyers in under 12 minutes, I just have to bring my A-game next time.

I think my running is suffering a little. I haven’t been doing any running outside the warm up. I miss it. I’m halfway considering signing up for the Cap 10K this year, even though it means I’ll probably run alone. But it will give me a reason to run again.

I haven’t forgotten that my goal is to add competitions to my schedule. I missed the Fittest Games, but I’m hoping something will come along. Maybe this Clean competition in College Station? Hmmm… anyone want to join me?

You don’t win the warmup

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My poor Google reader is feeling so neglected. Twitter has become my news feed. I find so many interesting posts and articles related to my different interests.

Wouldn’t you know, most of the people I follow talk about health, Crossfit or Paleo. I should REALLY branch out a bit.

But one of the feeds I follow is @CAthletics, and I love the quotes and blog links the post. One that really interested me is on warmups, and how they are meant to warm you up — for real. They’re not supposed to rival your workout in intensity.

I’ve been thinking about that on my warm up runs – both in class and at home. I used tear out of the gate, trying like hell to get back before everyone else. OK — I tried not to be last. That was my big worry.

Then Andy told me, “Cindy, you don’t win the warmup.” And I realized racing in the warm up is kind of silly if it wears you out before the workout. So I dialed it back a bit. It’s no JOG. I’m still running. But it’s not a max effort run. I save that for AFTER the warmup.

After this morning’s warmup, it was time for another benchmark!

“Cindy”
20min AMRAP
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 squats

Results: 10 rounds + 5 pullups + 10 pushups + 4 squats w/ strict pullups on blue band & pushups on knees

I was slower this month, but that’s because I changed up my pullups. I’m going for strength — not speed — so I did strict pullups with the blue band.

Ow. I’m going to hurt tomorrow. I’ll be rolling out in the morning.

Retest: “DT”

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Cindy holds bar with arms straight overhead

At the top of a push jerk. (Please ignore my pasty, white legs.)

There is a little Post-It in my workout log that has floated through my notebooks for the past year. It shows up every three months. It has this workout written on it:

“DT”
5 rounds
12 Deadlift (M 155# / W 95#)
9 Hang power cleans
6 Push jerk

I’ve done it a few times in Crossfit class, but this is one I picked out last December and have used as a home benchmark. There is a note written at the bottom of the Post-It:

Goal: 75# in under 12 mins

I think I wrote that goal last spring. I can’t remember. Anyway, I reached that goal Friday.

Time: 10:17 @ 75#

In deadlift position

Deadlift position (Check out Mads in the background :) )

It was the first time I tried 75# with DT. In September, I slammed through the WOD at 9:38 with 65# on the bar. At the time I had forgotten I had done the same WOD at home the week before at 70#. But I was much slower — over 13 minutes.

I’ve definitely grown stronger over the past year. Over the past several days I’ve been assessing my accomplishment, looking at where I want to change and improve. I finally have a pretty exhaustive list of specific fitness, personal and professional goals for 2012. They’re not quite done, but I should have them ready on January 1.

What do you want to accomplish in 2012?

 

Bedtime stories and a week of PRs

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Some people think we’re weird, but we don’t watch TV at my house. We ditched the TV years ago. Instead, we read.

Luke has a chair he curls up in with a book, and Mads has started bringing me books to read to her. At bedtime, Andy and I have been trading off reading chapter books to them. They listen and gradually fall asleep.

Unfortunately, I’ve been falling asleep too. That means I’ve been getting a great night’s sleep. It’s a little annoying, because there’s tons of work to do after the kids go to bed, but it’s been awesome for my workouts this week. It’s amazing what a difference a little rest can make.

“Crossfit Total”
1-1-1
Back squat → 135-145-150
Shoulder Press → 65-70-70
Deadlift → 185-190-195

Crossfit Total was split over Tuesday and Thursday.  I had PRs on all of the Crossfit Total lifts this week. I worked hard for each of those PRs — especially that deadlift. I was fighting to lift that 190# bar. I wish I had been able to lift 195#, but it didn’t budge. It’s amazing what a difference 5 pounds made. I’m sure it was partly mental, too.

I like the sleep I’ve been getting, but I’m trying not to let myself fall asleep that early every night. If you know me, then you know I have a zillion side projects and chores to take care of. TV? I don’t have time to watch TV!

“Annie” RX

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I’ve had an unofficial goal since last May’s Garage Gym Throwdown: master the double under!

It bothered me to scale the double unders in the competition. I decided then and there that I would stop talking about double unders and actually do it!

I’ve been practicing over the past few months. My speed rope is showing its wear. the wire is showing through where it hits the pavement. I create sparks in the driveway (fire hazard!).

On Sunday, the speed rope and I disagreed over where I should land my legs, and I got a little ripped up.

View of Cindy's bloody leg with jump rope on floor

Battle scars! Merely a flesh wound!

All of the practice paid off Tuesday morning when I tackled the WOD RX for the first time ever.

“Annie”
50-40-30-20-10
Double unders
Sit ups

This was not my first run-in with “Annie.” I’ve taken her on here, here, and here, but never RX’d. I wasn’t sure I’d finish. But as the WOD wore on, I realized my double unders were getting easier, as long as I focused. On the last set of 10, Zach was watching, and I messed up several times. So I stopped, took a deep breath, and refocused. That got it done!

Time: 12:43 RX

I had an extra spring in my step all day. Yay!

The time has come

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Instead of listening to NPR on the way to work Tuesday morning, I blasted my absolute favorite song. It’s my go-to tune — the one I play on my way to the gym when I want to get pumped up.

Us v. Them by LCD Soundsystem starts with this line: “the time has come.” It sets the tone for me. I love it. I was blasting it Tuesday because I was already jazzed about checking off yet another goal — I finished a particular benchmark WOD in under 15 minutes RX.

“CC Flyers”
3 rounds
400m run
21 Box jumps
10 Overhead squats (M 95# / W65#)

Three months ago, the cutoff was 15 minutes, and I did not finish. I decided I would the next time around. This time, they didn’t cut us off at 15 minutes, but it doesn’t matter.

Time: 14:04 RX

It felt absolutely amazing to reach another goal, especially after struggling this summer and fall. I really feel like I’m hitting my stride again. The changes I’ve made and hard work are making a difference.

The goal was incremental, but it was a rung on the ladder toward my goal to be strong.

Time to set some new goals for my ladder.

Benchmark: “Cindy”

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The benchmark WOD we do every three months, “Cindy,” is so simple looking, and yet so brutal. It’s amazing how a seemingly small number of pullups, push ups, and squats can absolutely destroy you.

“Cindy,” one of my favorite WODS, was this month’s benchmark. I missed it the last time it came up because I was on vacation. I love it because it’s one of the first Crossfit workouts I ever did where I thought, “Pullups, pushups and squats. I can do that.”

“Cindy”
AMRAP 20 min
5 pullups
10 push ups
15 squats

Results: 13 rounds + 10 push ups + 6 squats (using 1 purple band and pushups from knees)

Argh! If only I had pushed harder and I would have finished the 14th round. Next time.  But hey! I only used 1 purple band! I have to admit, my pullups were feeling, and likely looking, pretty darn weak after just a few rounds. But you only get stronger if you push yourself, right?

(This is where you nod your head.)

It’s time to get some sleep so I can get up early and do some mobility work and rolling out. My legs are sore!

Blowing away “DT”

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There is a fine line between looking at yourself with a critical eye and bashing yourself, and I am hanging out on the bashing side. I’ve decided it’s time to take control of my inner critic.

I’ve been thinking about it for a while now. Disappointment has been evident on my face after lifts. Friends are reluctant to tell me about their accomplishments for fear it will cause me to tear myself down. My husband sometimes feels like he has to treat me with kid gloves.

Then this morning Jeff asked who did Fight Gone Bad 6 and how we did. My answer: “Meh.”

“Cindy, you’re always disappointed with how you do,” Beth chimed in.

Hmmm… you know, she’s right. Why can’t I celebrate my accomplishments more? Why do I always have to tear myself down?

Later on, I came across an article that really struck a chord with me. I even Tweeted it out. It’s geared specifically toward web design, but I think the basic principles can be applied toward anything, even working out and Crossfit. I love the tips at the end, and I plan on practicing them. Here’s a link to the post:

Banishing Your Inner Critic from A List Apart

The article is great about putting the inner critic in perspective. It’s not about ignoring that inner critic — because it means well. In fact, it’s what drives us to be better rather than complacent. But the inner critic should be controlled and used in a more positive way.

So I need to keep that in mind while looking at how I did in this morning’s WOD. We revisited a benchmark from 6 weeks ago that I’ve been doing every few months for the past year.

“DT”
5 rounds
12 Deadlifts (M 155# / W 105#)
9 Hang Power Cleans
6 Push Jerks

In early August I did “DT” at 65# and finished in 14:34. It was slower than my time in March with the same weight. I was very disappointed. So this morning I decided to test myself and use the same weight.

I blew my August time out of the water.

Time: 9:38 @ 65#

When I called “Time!” Zach looked shocked. He said something like, “What the hell girl?!” and fussed at me to up the weight.

Well, duh. But I wasn’t expecting to knock nearly 5 minutes off my time.

Of course, I also forgot that I did this exact same WOD on September 5th at 70#. It was one I did at home that I didn’t label as “DT” so I forgot all about it. I finished it in 13min that time.

I wish I had remembered, because I would have added weight this morning — for sure. Oh well.  Sometimes you just need to tear through a WOD. It feels good to conquer something.

Next time: 75# at least. In under 12 minutes.

Crossfit Total for September 2011

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Cindy at the top of a 165# deadlift

I have gone back and forth over what to write about this month’s benchmark: Crossfit Total.

I considered being all cheery and focusing on the positive.  I considered writing nothing at all.  And I considered being real, and perhaps revealing a bit more than I would normally, since I’m an extremely private person when it comes to certain things.

I decided to be real. A very tough decision for me, since I know many of the people who read this personally, and it’s hard putting myself out there.

I came home from class Thursday morning and cried.

I cried because I feel like something is wrong with me that is bigger than sleep and training and nutrition. And I don’t know what it is.

Crossfit Total
Backsquat
1-1-1
Shoulder Press
1-1-1
Deadlift
1-1-1

Results:
Backsquat 125-135-135
Press: 65-70-70
Deadlift: 165-185-185

There’s nothing I feel like I can add to explain away those numbers. They are lower than previous max lifts. Here’s how I did in June.  Here’s how I did in March. I’m just not strong right now. I feel weaker.

I look back at the past 6-9 months, and there is a common thread. I have been suffering from chronic hives on my trunk, a condition I have been to numerous doctors to diagnose, explain and hopefully cure. It took a while to diagnose. I’ve just gone through a second round of lab tests, knowing that there is only a 30% chance they will figure out the cause. A cure is even less likely, according to the numbers.

I have taken topical medications, oral medications, tried this, tried that. Only this week I was thrilled to be told by yet another doctor that I could stop taking one medication at night, which is kind of like Benedryl. The next morning I felt like a million dollars. It was the first time I wasn’t dragging in weeks.  Too bad it didn’t lead to a better lift day.

Andy and I talk about this craziness a lot. I’ve gotten serious about my nutrition, water, and even sleep (although it’s still not ideal, but hey — I’ve got an infant). It’s taken 6 months for us to start wondering whether the hives have anything to do with how I feel in the gym. But it’s frustrating not to know for sure.

I don’t intend to give up. I’m going to get stronger. Days like I’ve had this week remind me I’ve got a long way to go, but they are just days.

I go home, hug Andy, take my shower and move on about my day. If anything, I have come to an obstacle I must scale to overcome. I’ve done it before.

I’ll do it again.

Revisiting “Griff” with legs of lead

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I wonder what it is about “Griff” that makes my Crossfit class so… well… empty.

We revisited the hero WOD this morning.  We did this workout in early July, and there were only 5 people in class then. This morning? 6.  And only three of us were repeating the benchmark, including me and Steph.

There were quite a few differences between today and early July, including my time, which was slower.

“Griff”
800m run
400m backwards run
800m run
400m backwards run

Time: 16:33

I was more than 1 1/2 minutes slower this morning than I was right after vacation. But I wasn’t the only one.  I’m not going to say I’m not slower in general; however, it really wasn’t the SAME workout.  The lead-up was different.

In July, we warmed up and then did two different mobility exercises to open up our hips and grease our legs.

This morning, we did a 5 min AMRAP:

’10 staggered pushups
10 staggered pushups
20 situps
20 squats
(I finished 2 rounds + the pushups)

Plus, the run was different this morning.  Instead of running into the neighborhood backwards, we ran around the sidewalk to AutoZone and back, which was a bit more technical.  Plus, we had to run up and around the big storage container.  We didn’t have to do that last time.

So even though I felt a little stronger and springier — especially on the backwards runs — I was slower.

Oh well.  Andy is right — it’s hard to compare when the conditions are so different and you’re not running on a track.

We followed up the WOD with 2 rounds of max pullups.  I got 10 the first round and 11 the second with 2 purple bands.  TOUGH!

Maybe I should not worry about comparing past and present workouts for a while.  This morning, Jeff reminded us that “Griff” was a benchmark, and we should try to beat our previous time.

“Don’t put pressure on me!” I told him.

I’ve been so focused on improving lately and so disappointed with what I’ve been doing that I’ve been mentally placing roadblocks in front of myself.  I just need to focus on each workout, do my best, and not worry about how I did before.

I’ve changed the routine.  I’ve tightened my nutrition. I’ve set goals.  I’m actually working on them. Improvement will come with time. It’s up to me to be patient.