Day 98: Benchmark Annie; handstands and other things...

Monday; November 25th, 2013 - the wall @ ROCK JUNGLE CROSSFIT

Warm-Up:

3 Rounds

-  30 Double Under or 90 Single Under
-  12 meter Inch Worm
-  12 meter Reverse Bear Crawl
-  10 Clean Pulls with Bar
-  10 Frog Squats
-  10 Sit-Ups


SKILL/STRENGTH:

A)   BUILD TO A CLEAN AND JERK

B)   4 x  5  PULL-UPS


WOD -  Benchmark ANNIE  (FOR TIME)

 50 - 40 - 30 - 20 - 10

 DOUBLE UNDER (or 1/2 Burpees)
 SIT-UPS

TIME CAP:  20 Minutes

 CASH OUT - 2 minutes CALF SMASH a side


Today Coach:  Jodaye
  Assistant Coach:  Kylie



 My Thoughts:


Warm-Up; the focus lately is to push to do double under.  Something that I'll practice each time as I'm trying to get the technique down.  It looks easier than it is, while I can hear the other individuals spinning/swinging the skipping rope at a much faster pace and getting air while doing their double under.   The warm-ups are never easy and for me, it always welcomes my body with sweat.  My challenge today was doing the reverse Bear Crawl.  Jodaye suggested taking smaller steps while going backwards as this will help in accomplishing the move. 

SKILL/STRENGTH; continuing the skills we have learned the weeks before.  We are now putting all the pieces together and building up to a CLEAN & JERK.   We were to do this 4 reps per set, and then perform a set of 5 Pull-UPs.   I was so focus on my CLEAN and JERK that I had overlook the second part (PULL-UP) until Jodaye came around.  Oops...  She kindly reminded me...  Seems like a few of us had forgotten as well.


WOD;  Ooh, benchmark day.  I love these challenges!  Did a quick search on my blog and don't see anything that resembles this Benchmark.  Another one to set myself up for future time to beat.  We had a 20 minute time cap to finish this Benchmark.  One modification for this benchmark was to do Burpees at 1/2 the number of Double Under.  That's for those who haven't been able to successfully do Double Under.  But the remaining number of Sit-Ups will be as prescribed.   After the WOD is done a stretch which in this case is called CALF SMASH  per side.  It's our Cash Out.  So, how hard was this WOD?  Well for me, I think the hardest component was the Burpees.  Even at half the number of double under for each... it really shows the areas that I'm weak at.  I still manage a fair time when I compared to what was written on the board.  
I managed to finish it in 14 minutes and 38 seconds.  That's 75 Burpees and 150 Sit-Ups (Full Butterfly Sit-ups).    

WOD Results @ 8PM; Name, Time, Double-Under/Burpees

Misc: with some additional time after the class; Leanne and I stuck around to work on our personal items.  Tonight's goal for myself was to do an Handstand against the wall.   I was so close on Saturday that I had to retry.  Leanne gave me the inspiration for the last two months as I had watch her worked on her handstand after each class, until her current point of perfection.  While I was working on mine, she worked on her Handstand Push ups.   I think success was in the air for both of us. 
Leanne managed to do achieve her goal of doing the Handstand Push-up; each time she would add one more rep to them.  Way to go Leanne!!
As for me, I finally got the hang of it and managed to do 3 Handstands against the wall; each time being able to hold it for a longer duration.   It's all those weird feeling you get when figuring out how your muscle suppose to feel, locking in your elbows while inverted, squeezing that butt and holding that core strong.   Yah, it's was easier when you were a kid; but as you get older; you tend to not want to be inverted.  It reversing that thought; being outside that comfort zone of being upright all the time.   All one needs is a bit of confidence in themselves and you will be able to accomplish anything. 
What's next for me?  I'll focus each night after the class on one of my other weakness.  I need to strengthen these components so I can better myself.

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