My Saturday was packed with excitement. A group of CrossFitters in Charlotte have started a Throwdown series where different CrossFit boxes take turns hosting a free friendly Saturday afternoon competition. Yesterday was our turn to host the Throwdown and it was so amazing! We had a huge turnout – over 150 people – and Sean, our Director of CrossFit, did a wonderful job with planning and organizing the event. Everyone had a great time and we received so many compliments on the event and our new space.
We wanted to keep the WOD simple but challenging. Sean designed a WOD where we could run timed heats (there were cut off times to finish the workout) and the athletes could move through in lanes. You started with a 500 meter row, then 40 kettlebell swings, 30 box jumps, 20 plate burpees and finally 10 handstand push ups or wall balls.
Sean welcomed everyone and talked them through the flow of the event and the standards and then it was time to get the competition going!
The energy in the gym was crazy and fun. We had the workout area roped off and spectators gathered around to cheer and watch.
I wasn’t going to participate because of all the work that needed to be done to keep the event running smoothly but I couldn’t stand watching everyone and jumped into one of the final heats. Oh my god…it was such a hard workout. Everyone commented on how tough it was cardiovascuarly.
The row got your heart rate up and your legs burning and then the kettlebell swings drove your heart rate up even more. I wanted to stop and take a break during the swings but I knew that it wouldn’t help so I knocked out all 40 unbroken. The hardest part for me was coming off the row and swings and doing box jumps. My legs felt like lead for the first couple jumps and I was so slow until I got into my normal pattern. I was actually able to bring my heart rate down a little on the box jumps but the burpees killed me.
Honestly, the handstand pushups at the end felt like the easiest part of the workout. I was so happy to be using my arms and upside down! I finished the WOD in 8 minutes. It was a brutal 8 minutes.
I had so much fun celebrating with Sean and Denise (our owner) after the last heat was over. Love my team and love my job!
I treated myself to a lululemon shopping trip and a salad after the event before coming home to get ready for the second exciting event of my Saturday…the Georgia/Missouri game!!!
My friend Lelia invited me over to watch the game. I loved this Skinny Buffalo Chicken Dip that she served with pita chips, celery and carrots.
We also had baked zucchini with marinara sauce.
The game was crazy! So many turnovers, penalties and missed plays and field goals but the Dawgs got it together in the second half and we beat Missouri 41-20. I got to finish my Saturday with a Bulldog win and an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie with ice cream. Perfect!
Ooooh you make me want to do cross fit! Sounds like a perfect Saturday Jen and I love how you treated yourself to a Lululemon shopping spree afterwards. That’s my kind of treat!
This sounds like an awesome workout!!
I am on my first week of Crossfit and I am becoming addicted.
Love the environment & motivation it gives me.
Thanks so much for all your post and motivation. You are one of the first blogs I have ever read and truly thank you for my change of heart and lifestyle. I have fallen in love with the balance that a healthy lifestyle brings. Reading your blog weekly is fantastic because I always know I’ll find out something new, exciting, healthy, or fun! Happy Sunday 🙂
you are my idol.
The handstand push ups look so bad ass! Your posts about CrossFit are alway so motivating. A new box is opening up right outside of ESPN where I work this week, and they are offering a huge discount to ESPN employees. Now I have no excuse to not try CrossFit anymore!! 🙂
What an awesome WOD and it looks like a really fun throwdown! Your new space looks so awesome too! I love the idea of a throwdown series! Such a neat way to get a bunch of different boxes together!
That sounds incredibly insane, but also fun because of all the people around. Holy moly.
What an awesome workout.
Those baked zucchini sticks with marinara look super delicious! Yum.
I can’t believe how fit you are. I can make it to 29 kb swings unbroken – maybe I will make it to 40 eventually. I would be staggering around after that WOD. Forgot about Mizzou being in the SEC now. How weird!
it is so weird to have mizzou in the SEC…and texas a & m!
a little tip on the kettlebells…my coach told me one time that when you’re doing things like burpees and swings, it’s going to burn the same whether you take a break or not so i just repeat that when i want to put it down. most of the time i can keep myself going!
Whew – I’m tired just looking at you working that hard! haha
That’s a great turnout. I’m sure everyone enjoyed themselves.
Killer WOD! Is the host gym/box in charge of the WOD? Whoever it was should have to complete the craziness 🙂
yes – the host gym designs the WOD. most of us participated and it was brutal!
Please tell me what shorts you are wearing during the throwdown! Love them!
lululemon speed shorts. i have them in tons of colors. they’re awesome!
Your game day snacks were similar to mine yesterday – baked sweet potato fries and fresh tomato with cottage cheese. Not typical tailgate fare, but still tasty. Wish my Packers would have been victorious like your Bulldogs too.
your snacks sound great! i prefer healthy snacky things so i don’t feel gross after!
Sounds like an awesome Saturday afternoon!! Love the shoes you are wearing at the Crossfit event!! The baked zucchini sticks look amazing too 🙂
I’m a reader from Columbia, Missouri (and a life-long Mizzou Tiger fan) and went to the game on Saturday. It was a crazy game, and I was sad we lost, but it was so much fun to see all the Georgia fans that came! I’ll have to get used to dressing up for football games now that we’re in the SEC 🙂
i know how tough it is to lose. we were definitely nervous going into that game. it was crazy!
you will love being part of the SEC. it’s awesome!
Looks like a really cool event!!!