Quote of the day: “You just had to find a way to make burpees harder?” ~ Sherry on the lateral jump burpee
Jenna and Nan in the Checkout and Jorge hitting a PR on his 3RM:
Congrats to Mark N. and Don who hit their 100th WOD today! That’s at least 6 people in the last month who hit that milestone. We are getting shirt sizes for the next order of 100th WOD shirts. These should be faster than last time since the screens are done and it’s a re-order.
Also several of you started the DU challenge today (Check yesterday’s post for the rules). Let’s see how far we all get and how our DU’s improve by month’s end.
Notes:
Sectionals and Regionals are all complete. In a little over one month the CrossFit Games will happen in Los Angeles at the Home Depot Center (7/16-7/18). We are going to be down there that weekend to see some amazing athletes do epic sh*t. Latest update: “All eyes on the Games“
Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer, Go Speed Racer Go! Some of you today clearly had extra “go juice” for this WOD. Especially Erin! Mad props to being pregnant and blazing through this!
We are starting a new daily challenge to improve everyone’s skills with a jumprope:
“On the Double”: The Double-Under Challenge
Get a jump rope.
Starting tomorrow and for the 1st week, each day perform 5 sets of consecutive double-unders for 5, 10, or 15 reps. Singles in between, snags or missed reps means that set DOES NOT count.
After the 1st week, increase the number of reps for each set by 5, completing 5 unbroken sets per day.
Continue to add 5 per set every week through week 4.
At the end of June, we will have a WOD that will test your double-under skills!
If you cannot do 5 in a row to begin with, don’t sweat it! Just pick your current PR to start with (i.e. 5 sets of 3 reps). If you can’t do more than 1 consecutive rep without a single in between, pick a number that you can still perform with alternating singles and doubles. Add 1 rep to that number per week.
Who’s in?
Notes:
Welcome to Michele who joined the 7pm crew for her first WOD tonight. Michele is coming to us from our good friends Nadia and Eric over at CrossFit Belltown where she has been training for quite some time. We are lucky to have you!
With each jump land with 3/4 of your feet firmly on the box (not just your toes)
Jump off and forcefully push your hips forward to the “open” position as you come off the box (see above)
If you cannot jump off and open the hip then stand tall on the box and step or jump down
Do not get in the habit of keeping your hips “closed” or “muted” as you come off the box; that negates one of the primary benefits of the box jump (training powerful hip extension)
Benchmark day! Who loves wall balls? Congrats to all of you for pushing through a WOD that looks easy on paper and jumps up and bites you around 30 to 40 wall balls in. This WOD makes me nervous every time I do it. Each rep becomes harder and more painful. By 150 the legs and shoulders are on fire right there with the lungs. Even though it’s a short workout it is hard. Painfully hard.
Full range of motion is key and not only hitting the target (10ft. for men and 9 ft. for women) is required but also fully squatting to ensure the hip crease drops below the knee. To help with that today we employed “peer coaching”. I even coached, I mean harassed Michelle through her shot at Karen. We like this because it allows each of us to have not only a counter and spotter, but also someone to help push you through when you want to rest or take a break. We all got to take turns as “judges” for each other and that builds a stronger gym. When each of us are accountable for what “right looks like” we are all better off for it.
Coaching Tip: The Deadlift with Jenna – Maintain a lumbar curve and tight core, shoulders and hips rise together, shoulders in front with scapula over the bar, and weight in the heels. The bar should rise straight up the shins as you stand. Fully open the hips at the top.
Notes:
Jessica Pamanian’s (2nd Place finish overall) inspiring 170lb x 3 Clean and Jerk at the Northeast Regionals by CrossFit Again Faster – video [wmv] [mov]
Memorial Day Weekend Schedule:
Saturday will be normal class schedule and the first 8 who sign up for 10am get priority (Right now only 2 spots left!)
Sunday closed
Monday schedule is: 0930 and 1100 class times only. We will honor those who served or paid the ultimate sacrifice by allowing you to choose a Hero WOD (out of three choices). The start times are to account for a potentially larger group and longer WOD times. Each Hero WOD will be something different and likely not one we have done previously. We will publish them on Saturday or Sunday to allow you to pick.
Mark and Jeremy decided today would be the day where they wake up, call each other to coordinate outfits, and then do the same WOD. That would be the “Chipper of Doom” AKA the last WOD from the Northwest Regionals that included epic climbs and falls. Pics follow:
Buck Furpees! Jorge wears his thoughts on his chest:
Question: What do these burpees have in common? Answer: Good form! Open hips, clap overhead, and a jump. Simply awesome. This WOD is from the 2008 CF Games and one we last did back in December. Fast and furious, this WOD packs a punch in a very short amount of time.
Congrats to Rona for achieving another PR. That would be her 100th WOD!
Welcome to the Gun Show:
Tonight after the WOD I was talking with Rona about her milestone and she brought up her list of goals she has kept in her log since she joined. She has methodically been checking each one off a long list for over six months now. They have ranged from fun to really hard. And there are still some left. Regardless of difficulty, they are important. They are individual, they are motivating and they are fuel. As each one disappears, it brings a large sense of accomplishment, and is accompanied with results. It is also addictive and leads to more goals. Without goals we become stale, stagnant or at best complacent. Without goals we get bored and plateau. Worst case we get sidetracked and slip backwards against the progress we have made. This short talk left me feeling not only stoked for her and what she wants to accomplish, but also renewed and inspired me to reset my own list of goals and get started on them. So how about the rest of you? Pick a goal, write it down, cross it off and move onto another. I personally can’t wait to see how many more of you hit 100 WOD’s and then move onto 200!
Notes:
In CrossFit there are beasts; there are not however many Rob Orlando‘s. Watch intensity defined at the Northeast Regionals last weekend (Rob took 1st overall and 1st place in 3 out of 4 WOD’s):
Happy birthday! Two birthdays! Two WOD’s! Today we celebrated Bridget and Annie’s birthdays and decided to go big or go home. Why not come in and crush two WOD’s in one day? Heck one should even be a benchmark since Annie shares the name with that WOD. Coupling them together made for a good opportunity to train your ability to come back after a very short recovery period to see how you handle upping the intensity and maintaining focus after you are thrashed from “Annie”. I also thought this was a good opportunity to get creative with the programming and account for the potentially large group that is typical on Monday’s. Hopefully the rolling waves were successful for everyone.
Notes:
Here are two awesome highlight videos from the Northwest Regionals:
Challenge Alert! We will have a new “Out of the Box” Challenge to kick off starting on the 1st of June! If you want to do it it will require you to get a speed rope. NOT one from the gym though. We kinda need those. Hint: Think Double Unders…
A few other things in the works:
May 30th we are going to teach a WOD in the park for lululemon athletica at Bellevue Square. Come and enjoy a nice outdoor WOD with Michelle, Moe and me on Sunday morning. Details coming.
June 19th, Saturday is the Fall City Days Fun Run! There is a 10k, 5k, and kids 1k. Laura brought this race to our attention and a couple of you I know are planning to run it. If you are a “go” then go register.
Late June we are planning a 1 year Anniversary Burp-B-Q at the box! Plan to come hit a WOD that morning, then go clean up and come back to celebrate with food, friends, fun and a Fish Tournament! Details coming. Start your Fish Game training on the rowers now. Winner will get a prize.
We are planning to hold “Skills and Drills Days” starting in June on one Saturday each month for the summer. Rather than a normal Saturday class schedule, we will have a different focus on fundamental movements, lifts or skills. Then we will work drills that build on what you learn and wrap up with a WOD that ties it together. We hope to also have some other CF certified trainers participate if available.
Ryan rocking a SDHP while completing the Hero WOD “Tyler” today:
Preparation, trepidation, anticipation, frustration, determination, resignation, desperation, concentration and finally exhilaration. Those words more than most summed up my experience this past weekend at the Northwest Regional Qualifiers for the 2010 CF Games. I spent these past couple months since the Washington Sectionals back in February training harder than I ever have before. Not only just training myself but also coaching and training our affiliate team to help get them ready as quickly as possible for the unknown and unknowable. All of the effort paid off and honestly exceeded my expectations.
This past week has been exhausting. Trying to summon the energy to go to work, then come home and help run the box with Michelle, as well as be a dad has left little energy to sit down and try to put my thoughts on this past weekend into words. Monday was a slow day but one filled with a high that I am just starting to come down off of and put into perspective. How do I sum up the experience? I think Todd Widman’s t-shirt on Sunday said it best: “Do EPIC shit.”
Really that is what the Regionals was. People of all ages doing some pretty epic shit. As hard as Sectionals was, Regionals really was that much harder. Why? For one the level of athlete was just another notch higher (as hard as that was to imagine going into it). The other reason? Only 3 men and 3 women and 6 teams would advance to the Games so the pressure was higher. This competition was the next step in a race of people I would say are definitely at an elite level of fitness who are all chasing a crazy dream. That dream is being one of a select few that want to willingly go get crushed in front of tons of people for a couple days in brutal workouts that leave bodies littered all over the arena floor when its over. The best part? That before and after every single WOD those same competitors will high five, give tips, provide strategy, and wish the next person a heartfelt “good luck” knowing that it could very well mean they don’t qualify. That is epic shit.
First off, I want to mention our Affiliate Team known as Team Squatch. Our team finished 28th overall out of 38 teams after three events (a row/run relay; a team chipper of lateral burpees, pull-ups, overhead squats, fat bar deadlifts, and muscle-ups; and a men and women’s 2 person tandem clean and jerk). Michelle, Moe, Kim, Pat, Mark and Jeremy strategized, practiced and grinded it out over two days to a very respectable finish against some extremely seasoned teams. I felt total pride watching as Team Squatch bonded, cheered and completed each WOD with total class. No negativity. No controversy. No issues with form. No stressing out. Just quietly going about it with intensity, smiles and positive attitudes. It was a huge example for me and something that truly helped me tackle the individual competition.
What a competition. It was humbling to be surrounded by such an elite group of athletes with pretty impressive backgrounds, both men and women. Some were previous Games competitors, college athletes, semi-pro athletes, military special forces, endurance specialists, gymnasts or triathletes, and more. A few were pretty well known “CrossFit-lebrities” and a couple that are among the best of the best. Trying to shut that out and think about just finishing and not embarrassing myself was a small priority!
After a disastrous first WOD that I completely took for granted I was not only out of it I was pretty unhappy inside with how I performed. I had assumed I would do well in this WOD and that it would be “easy”. I forgot who programmed it. Having no issues with the heavy overhead squats (my favorite lift), I was once again reminded that CrossFit will find your weakness. Then it will shine a giant f*cking spotlight on it for over 8 minutes in front of a large crowd. That weakness? For me it would be double-unders and more importantly how crappy I am at them when fatigued and panicked. After a good start to my first round my rope slowly elongated rep after failed rep. I didn’t slow down enough to grab a back-up (which was two feet away). Why? That would be because my brain was literally disconnected from my body and in “flight” mode, my heart was in my throat, and my legs and arms were this year’s Burning Man festival. So after a painfully slow final round I knew I had a ton of ground to make up to finish (I was sitting in 59th) where I hoped to by the end of the weekend. By the way I am thinking of training double-unders to get better by doing them in the middle of I-90 barefoot on a bed of hot coals while dodging traffic.
Next up was the Fat Bar axle deadlift. This one was fun. Choose your weight (I chose 263#), go for max reps in 90 seconds with fingers opening each rep and just…don’t…stop. I had practiced this WOD earlier in the week and had an idea of what I could get. Adrenaline and some strategy advice from Jeremy and Michelle helped to exceed that. After 33 reps of lift and drop, it was over in a flash. The cheering of the SnoRidge section was entirely motivating and helped me to keep on moving. After a 20th place finish, I was now feeling a little better. Day 1 was over, the Affiliate events were going well, the final WOD’s were announced, the ice bath torture was over and it was time to relax and prepare for the Hell to come of Day 2.
Waking up a little sore and stiff, it was time to get ready for an event I really looked forward to. The 5 mile hill run. I had to do well in this event. I thought I would do fine with the hills and could average a faster pace. What the hell I was thinking I don’t know. That “hill” ended up feeling like a small mountain or the Bataan death march. 1 hard mile uphill, then a very fast 1 plus mile down to make up for time only to loop around and do it again. Then flat out speeding up the whole way back. The sprint to the finish for me was thrilling as so many were in full speed trying to make every second count. I finished the run 44th with dead legs and promptly got in line for more ice bath waterboarding torture.
From that point on it was resignation and desperation. I was sitting overall around 50th something place after three events and knew I was going to be in the first heat of “The Chipper of Doom”. This one scared me. I knew I could climb. Having a rope in our gym I was well aware of the combination of thrusters and rope climbs and how devastating it can be. I was not used to climbing to 20 feet however as normally it’s 15 feet. Putting those movements with rowing and kettlebells meant that grip fatigue and dead legs from the run and thrusters would be a huge factor. The time cap also added stress. My stomach felt like Space Mountain and I was worried about what to fuel myself with. I thought about how I would tackle it and break it up. I worried briefly about going out too fast and paying the price in round three. I thought “don’t be pulled into a race” by others in my heat who would row fast and just go. Michelle cautioned me repeatedly about my tendency to spazz on the rower and let it drain me before the real work started. All of that waiting for that first heat worked against my mind and I allowed myself to talk negatively. Right before the WOD was set to go and I was checking in, Pat grabbed my attention and gave me a quick and effective pep talk. He basically told me (in a much more enthusiastic fashion) to man up, do great, think great things, and stop convincing myself of a bad outcome. It was time to shit or get off the pot. That helped me concentrate and realize there was pretty much nothing left to worry about or hold myself back for.
Going over to my station I had no idea this WOD would turn into the set of the next “Gladiator”. I had an awesome judge who clearly spelled out the standards and then I settled in right in front of Michelle, the Team, the box and a ton of friends. Before I knew it I heard “3, 2, 1 Go” and opened my eyes. For the next 17 plus minutes I tried my best to methodically keep moving or taking productive rest periods either during transitions, changing weight or grabbing water. I wanted to break up the rest and manage my breathing to not stall on the rope. I wanted to climb fast and get off the rope. I wanted to keep pace with the guys around me that I could hear and see moving slightly ahead of me. What I really wanted was it to be over. After one round my body began screaming louder than normal inside. I wanted to stop and rest and curl up in the fetal position. This was truly “The Chipper of Doom”. It was harder than imagined both physically and mentally.
I could hear Kurtis on the loudspeaker providing progress of where the athletes around me were. I could hear our people and some judges yelling encouragement to just pick it up, climb, or keep moving. Then I could sense I was in either tied or near the lead. Before I knew it Aaron W. from CrossFit Basic was in my face pushing me, several friends who were judges were screaming at me, and the crowd behind me was counting each rep. Loudly. That experience was surreal. I could hear so many of you shouting and cheering with each completed set or climb. It was totally amazing and exhilarating. Once it was over I was in 1st place for my heat and literally done! Getting to watch the next several heats I realized how cool that WOD was as a spectator. For the next couple hours in heat after heat, there were amazingly fit men and women falling off ropes from seriously high spots, passing out, puking, and not being able to finish. I seriously was waiting to see Kurtis release tigers into the arena or for Russell Crowe to walk in with a sword. This WOD exposed weaknesses and chinks in people who have some very thick armor. By the time it was over I was 12th for the event. This helped me jump to a 32nd overall finish out of 65 men. Far better to say the least than what I expected coming into the weekend.
Michelle and I would like thank so many that I am bound to leave off someone so please don’t be mad if I do. First our team of Moe, Kim, Pat, Mark and Jeremy who competed together. To Jeremy for providing the RV aka the “Love Boat” to use as a base camp. To our friends and members who were outstanding volunteers: Lyndi, Eli, Rona, Rob, Sangeeta, Kelly, Eric, Shari, Cheryl, and Rich as well as all the other volunteers and judges and the Rainier CrossFit Crew. Thank you to our friends from lululemon who were in the stands cheering for and supporting us. Most of all thanks to everyone from our box who came out and cheered and represented this past weekend!
Overall the Regionals was one of the best experiences in my life. For me personally it was epic. Not just the workouts were epic; but the community, the camaraderie, and the fact that our very own gym trained for and participated in it. Being out there with my wife competing together and knowing that our daughter was watching was epic. The best part though was that many of the athletes out there were also friends. What better way is there to forge elite friendships than to be out there in the dirt together one miserable rep at a time? I think I’m looking forward to next year already.
Congrats to Marc M. for hitting the 100th WOD milestone tonight. After 100 WOD’s and the adoption of the Paleo Diet, Marc has transformed himself and has lost over 45 lbs.! Amazing progress through hard work, consistency and discipline. Way to go Marc!
Highlights from the Northwest Regionals -video [wmv] [mov]
Michelle and Moe are in it for a short clip along with Cade at the very end (Eric and Kelly’s son)!
Thinking of going to the CF Games? Tickets will be on Ticketmaster sometime in June. Stay tuned…
Graham showing what knees to elbows really looks like:
As Jeremy D. would say: “The lateral jump burpee punches normal burpees in the face!”
Here’s a sequence from Sean:
I had planned to write a recap of the weekend by now but am lacking the energy. Go figure! As I have sat down each night since Regionals I have thought of pretty much nothing but sleep. I will do my best to work on this by the end of the week and publish a post that also has links to picture albums from Day 1 and 2.
Notes:
Squatch Cave announcement: Due to the potential for injury to our little squatches (which nobody wants to see), we are going to try to institute two rules and need your cooperation.
1. No more swinging on ropes or rings, jumping on boxes, climbing on the pull-up bars etc. for the kiddos after the workout. Sorry! We had a minor injury today that highlighted that safety is paramount even if its post WOD (everyone is okay). We will also do our best to have our daughter (who has to practically live in the gym) understand that she has two sets of rules; one with friends there and one without.
2. Parents will soon need to sign a waiver for bringing kids to the box and being in the Squatch Cave. This means that parents should explain to their kids that this is to keep them safe. Even if they think it’s boring! 🙂
The last time we did this WOD was back in December. How did you stack up?
Coaching Tip: The Front Squat Sequence with Michelle
Clean the bar to the rack position
Air Squat stance with toes slightly pointed out
Elbows up; loose fingers
Back arched
Weight on heels
Look straight ahead
Tight core
Squat depth below parallel
Chest high
Drive out of the bottom with your elbows (i.e. “lead” with your elbows)
Judi and Warren from the 6am Gang:
Notes:
Congrats to Jim M. and Marc M. both for achieving two new major milestones today. Jim for hitting his 1 year anniversary since joining the box and Marc for getting his 1st pull-up during his warm-up! Accomplishments breed accomplishments! Keep it up you two.
Congrats to all who PR’d this benchmark “girl” WOD today. Cindy is one of those WOD’s that looks easy. Most people underestimate this and at about ten minutes in realize they are only halfway through and can’t believe it. Benchmark WOD’s have a way of doing that to you. Some big numbers today and a really good emphasis on helping to push one another on. Keep it up! Also big congrats to Amanda who earned her 100th WOD milestone tonight!
Regionals Update will be posted soon. Lots of pictures from an amazing weekend!
Our very own Team Squatch finished 28th out of 38 teams after all three events. Congrats to Michelle, Moe, Kim, Pat, Jeremy D. and Mark B. for going after it this weekend. They worked through three tough WOD’s against some very good competition and represented well. We should all be proud!
I finished 32nd out of 64 men after 4 WOD’s in two days. It was way better than I expected and I can’t believe its over. What an incredible experience (more on that in the wrap up post I am writing). Thanks to all who supported us and the inspiration from this weekend only makes us more motivated to improve ourselves to get even fitter. For those so inclined, start training for next year! Make every rep count, make it legit, and above all make it fun.
