Day 94: Benchmark day: ANGIE

Monday; November 18th, 2013 - the wall @ ROCK JUNGLE CROSSFIT

Warm-Up:

3 Rounds:

-  10 Frog Squats
-  10 Ring Rows
-  12 meter Inch Worms
-  10 Clean Pulls with bar
-  10 Kettle Bell Swings
-  30 Double Under or 90 Single Unders


SKILL/STRENGTH:

A)   4  x  3    3 Position CLEAN

B)   4  x  4    DIPS


BENCHMARK WOD "ANGIE":

FOR TIME

100  Pull-Ups
100  Push-Ups
100  Sit-Ups
100  Squats


Today Coach:  Jodaye
Assistant Coaches:  Kylie, Matt W., Chace F.


My Thoughts:

Warm-Up; frog squats to get that mobility going.  It certainly made the inch worms easier, or at least that's how I felt.  Kept the Kettle Bell Swings light @ 35 lbs (it's a warm-up).  Skipping is coming along, still whipping myself in the most unusual places even if it's just Single Unders.  The focus is for us to do Double Unders, at try and practice it.   I'll try next week after one of the workouts and spend some quality time on it.  

SKILL; focusing on the technique.  3 Position CLEAN.   Started at the bottom with the bar and bringing it to mid-shin and then bring bar back to ground.  Next position is below the knee, bar back to the ground.   Last is to do a CLEAN after bringing the bar to above mid thigh.  Making sure you keep the bar close to your shin.  Remembering while your doing this, the bar is moving upward in a straight line.  I know, a lot of information to keep in the mind.   Thus why the focus is on technique.   My transition to the CLEAN from mid thigh is still wonky. I have to keep remember to keep my hip back and then open it up, at the top to shrug the shoulders backward while the bar is coming up; and then get under neath it.  Racking it on the shoulder.   Looks easy, but practice will get me there.   I just have to get over the "wonky" part first.  Wonky = Tony's over analytic mind working over time breaking each movement into it's part; which results in a non fluid movement.  As my coach, Jodaye would say… "Stop over thinking it!!!"  I keep reminding myself to turn of my mind on this..
Second part of the SKILL involves doing DIPS.  I used the machine and with a 70 lb assist.

WOD Results @ 8PM; Name / Time / Pull-Up Assist (lb)

WOD; benchmark day and it's 'Angie'.  Reviewing the benchmark book, and saw no mention of this. At least nothing from when I had started this back in January.  Leanne confirmed this with her little notebook.  So; no idea how this will work.  Best tactical decision for long WOD's like this is to break it down into parts.   Half the challenge is mental, the other half is physical.   We had the right idea in the beginning; however, there was one catch we didn't expect.  Normally, you can break it down to whatever number of reps and sets.  Example:  do 5 sets of 20 for each.   But today; we had to complete all 100 of each before starting the other. Meaning, all 100 Pull-ups must be done before starting the 100 Push-ups.

Fine; change of plans.   I initially used 100 lb assist on the pull-up machine for the first 25 and then realize it was best to add another 10 lb of assist.  (110 lb) for the remaining 75 Pull-ups.  I even went and chalked my hands to help with the grip.  However, I did rip/cut my callus. It didn't fall off and it's didn't bleed.  Just a small cut.  I'll live.   I only notice it when I touched my hand afterwards and notice it was wet and somewhat red.  You tend to forget about pain when doing this many reps.  Anyways, it took me over 11 minutes to complete the 100 pull-ups.

Next was the Push-Ups.  First 20, doing them 10 each was fine.  However, each batch that I did started to drop by two, until I got to doing only about 3 at a time.   Probably by the 75 mark; I had to drop down to doing push-ups from the knee.  Jodaye advise me to lock my core.  I found that after the Pull-ups, my arms were fairly swollen.  I hope I'll be able to bend them tomorrow..

Once the Push-ups were done, it was off to the next task of 100 Sit-ups.  We perform butterfly Sit-ups.  Full Sit-ups with an Ab-mat to help.  Chace, one of the new assistant coaches was suggesting to use the full arm (reaching back) and swing forward; while my legs were spread like a butterfly.   It was easier; broke it down into 25 reps with a few seconds rest before starting my next 25.

The last 100 was Squats (air).  It went by pretty quick until the last 30.  My quads were burning..   I just had to suck it up and finish.   One of the classmate, Mike B. who had finished earlier came by to cheer me on.   That's one of the pluses about a cross fit gym.  People always cheer those who are trying to finish at the end.  Motivates you to finish.

All completed; took 30 minutes and 55 seconds to do this benchmark - ANGIE.   Was that good?  I dunno; but it has set the tone for me.  This is my benchmark, and I plan to beat this the next time ANGIE, comes around!  

Misc: so we have 7 full time cross fit coaches; of which one of them is an Endurance Crossfit Coach.  5  assistant coaches, two new ones that were introduced today.  Chace F.  and Matt K.  Our cross fit gym is starting to grow, as well as our evening classes.    It's good to see more people joining the fun/cult.  :)

Until next time…    .. tackling one WOD at a time!!!