Last Friday I did two things that pushed me WAY outside of my comfort zone..
1) Registered for the CrossFit Games Open.
2) Completed the first Open workout and achieved a new snatch PR…13 times in a row.
Let me back up. Many of you have probably seen the CrossFit Games on ESPN. There is a long road to get to that level. The competition starts with five weeks of Open workouts where athletes around the world complete weekly workouts and record their scores online. The competition is broken down by country and region. I am in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Performance in the Opens determines who will compete in Regionals that run from May 17-June 9. Top performers at the Regionals proceed to the actual CrossFit Games which will be held July 22-28. It’s quite a process.
Clearly I am not aspiring to compete at a higher level but we encourage all of the athletes at our gym to register for the Open because it’s fun to complete the workouts together and to see where you fall in the grand scheme of things. I was really on the fence about whether or not to sign up for the Open this year but took the plunge at the last minute and I’m already so happy that I did after the first workout. The workout was announced on Wednesday and you had until Sunday at 8 p.m. to report your score.
CrossFit wasted no time getting right to business. The first workout was a crazy combination of burpees and snatches that got progressively heavier as the workout progressed. Do you remember how last week I was really excited that I was able to complete a workout with 55 pound snatches for the first time? Well, this workout included 75 pound snatches in the second round of work so I pretty much figured that I would be done once I reached that point.
We separated into two heats because CrossFit requires that someone count your reps and make sure that you hit a target 6 inches above your reach for the burpees. I was in the second heat and walked around taking photos of the first heat while I got more and more nervous about whether I would survive the workout. Soon enough it was time for me to go. I didn’t feel adequately warmed up or stretched out but I told myself the burpees would get me plenty warm. Let me tell you, jumping up to a target takes burpees to a whole new level. My quads burned like crazy from the extra jumping effort.
This is Heather from Multiply Delicious jumping up to a target just to show you how that worked. I was okay during the burpees. Bodyweight exercises are kind of my thing so I kept a pretty steady pace through the first set. I broke them into two sets of 20. The first set of 45 pound snatches were no problem and I did those in sets of 5. I finished the first round of burpees and snatches in 6:23. I knew I had 10 full minutes to get as far as I could with the workout so on I went towards the 75 pound snatches and completed the second round of 30 burpees. I think I broke them into three sets of 10.
And then it was time to put 75 pounds on my bar and pray to God that I could at least get it up once. My first attempt went nowhere and I immediately turned to my friend and co-worker that was scoring for me and said, “This is not going to happen.” She immediately replied back, “Yes, it is. Try it again.” I walked around, got back to my bar and told myself it was going to happen…and it did! It wasn’t pretty but I got it up.
And then managed to complete 12 more in the remaining time. I actually started to get stronger and stronger with my form and felt more confident with every rep that passed. When the clock ran out at 17 minutes I was beyond excited with my effort. I came in 2,243rd in my division but I could care less. The personal feeling of accomplishment was incredible.
We popped open beers immediately after finishing.
And took a big sweaty group picture. Had I been on my own in the gym trying to do this workout there is no way that I would have performed as well as I did. I don’t think I even would have gotten the 75 pound snatch once. I am so thankful for all of my fellow athletes and that we motivate and push each other. I can’t wait for 13.2!
Fellow CrossFitters…who did the Open workout? How did it go?
I think it’s AWESOME that you signed up!! Great job on the 75 lbs 🙂
Great Job!! I did the open and felt exactly the same way about the snatches…it was going to be a PR for 75#. BUT, I finally got 75 up once! Also, not pretty, but it happened!
congrats katie!!! that’s awesome!
Eeeek! I had a similar HOPE that I’d be able to get one snatch at 75lbs after all the other fun beforehand (77lbs is my snatch PR). I ended up getting 6 and feeling like a boss! 🙂
Great job. I can’t wait to see what comes next!
cheryl – that’s awesome! congrats on 6 75# snatches! i am so excited for tonight!
Congrats!!! I love hearing all these stories about people PRing during 13.1, its crazy! To think after all that work you are PR is amazing. Congrats!
I did 13.1 Saturday and boy am I feeling it today. My goal was to at least attempt a 100# snatch (which would be a 5lb PR) but fell a little short at 147 reps.
Pumped for 13.2 though 🙂
i think it’s crazy how many people PRd too…especially after all of those burpees! i think it was adrenaline!
you did so amazing! i’m so impressed that you go 27 of the 75# snatches in! i bet you could have gotten the 100!
Awesome!!!!!! I would like to get involved in CF, but I really don’t know when I would or if my body will let me! Ha! I teach group-ex and train at least 6 hours a day.
colleen – you sound pretty maxed out already! you’d have to let something else go in order to be rested/ready enough for the crossfit intensity to work for you.
It was seriously brutal! I got 150 reps..my snatch is 105 and only got in one failed attempt at 100 before the buzzer… burpees=death for me! I am so glad you PRed, I have heard so many people are doing that and it is a great way to get a PR! I was not going to sign up either since I cannot do some things Rx still but was convinced by my coaches and am glad I did. It is fun to be able to talk to people all over the US about it! Good luck with 13.2 and let’s hope it is… SHORTER! P.S. Great idea with the post WOD beer 🙂 burpees and beer!
joanna – you are AMAZING! congrats girl. i am so impressed by how far you’ve come with your crossfit. you have been working so hard!
i can’t believe i got that PR after all the burpees. they were death!
i’m really happy you decided to go for it and participate. it is fun even if you know you aren’t a serious competitor!
You go, Jen! That’s awesome! Nothing like some competition to push you right past those mental (or physical) barriers!
First time commenter but avid reader! I did 13.1 on Saturday and managed to snatch the 75 once. It was a PR and I didn’t think it would happen so I was thrilled. Was such a great atmosphere at our box (in Melbourne, Australia) so I’m very happy I signed up even after just a few months of crossfit. Good luck for 13.2!
gemma – congrats on your PR! i was so happy that i signed up too! so fun to do it with everyone!
Great job! Quick question: I have looked into joining a Crossfit (gym? box?) but I find the pricing very cost-prohibitive. I think it was close to $200 a month for unlmited visits, not much below that for only 3x week. As someone who usually goes to the gym 5-6 times a week, I just can’t do it. Are there any cheaper options/financial assistance/etc.? How do people do this?? It’s a shame that this program doesn’t seem to be accessible to your average-income athlete.
hey kat – crossfit is SO expensive but most people who do it only do crossfit and drop gym memberships on the side. i mean seriously, people get SO into it and it’s all they do.
that said, i am spoiled because i can crossfit, yoga, gym for free since i teach/manage. we do offer discounts for students/police/fire/military etc and most gyms do. i have also seen crossfit starting to be offered in more affordable settings like the Y but i think it just depends on your area.
it is a strange thing how expensive it is given that most of the gyms are pretty no frills but i will also say that most gyms offer really personalized coaching, smaller classes and it’s a great community to be involved in.
Congrats on your PR!!! That is so awesome and has to be such a great feeling. I just attended my first CrossFit intro class and absolutely loved it! The only negative is that I also teach Bodypump, I am training for a half marathon, and I sub teach some freestyle classes when needed…I know that you teach other classes and run too, so how do you fit it all in!?
tara – it does sound like you would have a hard time fitting in the crossfit. for maximum results/performance, it’s really best to crossfit 3-5 times per week. CF prescribes 3 days on/1 day off.
i am spoiled that i can dabble in CF whenever i have time/want to do the workout since i manage a crossfit gym and don’t have to pay for membership. i usually BP 1x a week, CF 2-3x week, run 2-3x week and yoga as much as i can. i love the mix. i don’t think i could ever focus solely on CF although i am looking to get a little more serious with it soon.
I still think it’s awesome that you managed to get that up 13 times. Wish I could have done the same with 100lbs…burpees are brutal!! Who knows what 13.2 will bring and although Friday night was exhausting, it’s fun to finish the week like that!
Get it girl! So great that your friend pushed you to keep going and get after it. Congrats on finishing 13.1! Looking forward to you and your friends going through this competition. Very cool and so ballsy for you to sign up. 🙂
Ahh you rocked the 13.1. I justed started CrossFit a few months ago and decided to sign up for the games as well. I was so nervous and had no idea what to expect or how my body would feel. I knew I would be fine with burpees, but not snatches! I set a goal for myself to at least get through the first 30 snatches. I ended up getting to 100! I impressed myself. I actually had 4 more minutes left, but I was too nervous to do 75# because I have a marathon in a week. Prob not the best idea to be sore or injured before the race 😉 Anyways, I was truly inspired and can’t wait for the workouts over the next few weeks. I am so happy I finally commited to CrossFit! 🙂
jessica – congrats on getting to 100! that’s so awesome. i’ve had to really work on my snatches over the last year. they are a tough movement to master. i am not even close to “master” level but finally feeling a little more comfortable.
i think it was smart to hold off on 75 given everything you have on the horizon. happy crossfitting! 🙂
Wow, that is quite impressive. Great job!
You ROCKED it!!!! Congrats!!!!!
I got 146 reps. I really wanted to get to 150 and attempt the 100lb snatch but I ran out of time. Still proud of myself though since I have a sprained wrist right now and had to do all the burpees on my knuckles.
helen – i cannot believe you did all of those burpees with a sprained wrist. that’s incredible! you did so well!
Congratulations!! This is AWESOME! I started CrossFit in August, but just couldn’t muster up the courage to sign up for the Open. I’m not competitive at ALL and being judged makes me super nervous. Plus, I can’t snatch 45# (I’d maybe have gotten 1 rep if I was lucky) since I’m petite at 4’10” and honestly haven’t done a lot of snatch work as I can barely snatch 35#.
But next year, I am DEFINITELY going to do the Open, no excuses 🙂
nicki – snatches are so difficult. i’m still really working on mine too. i feel like there is unlimited possibility with it and always ways to improve!
Congratulations! You look fantastic! Love your necklace – could you tell me what kind it is?
You did so awesome Jen! Way to go on the 75# snatches too! 75# was a PR for me too and I was amazed that my body was able to do what it did after all the burpees and previous snatches. It’s amazing how much mind over matter plays. So happy Debby was there to push you to give it another try….and 13 of them too! And I’m so happy you signed up! 🙂 I’m on the nervous side of what 13.2 will be but I know with the great group of people we have at Metro all will be fine. We have such an amazing group of people. Thanks for capturing all the pictures, good and bad….ha! 🙂