{"id":1616,"date":"2012-06-11T09:47:50","date_gmt":"2012-06-11T16:47:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/libernetics.com\/?p=1616"},"modified":"2012-06-11T09:48:37","modified_gmt":"2012-06-11T16:48:37","slug":"crossfit-hope-revisited","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/libernetics.com\/?p=1616","title":{"rendered":"Crossfit: Hope Revisited"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last April the CFES box did the Hope workout<\/a>. \u00a03 rounds of burpees, power snatches, box jumps, thrusters, and chest-to-bar pullups. \u00a0No rest between stations, 1 minute between rounds. \u00a0So five minutes on, 1 minute rest, five minutes on, 1\u00a0minute\u00a0rest, and a final round. The bars were 75# and the box was 24 inches. My total was 115, which I felt was less then what I was\u00a0capable\u00a0of.<\/p>\n

Last week (June 9th) we did the Hope WOD for real. \u00a0We had about 100 people from various boxes participating. \u00a0My plan was to get 50 reps per round: 15 burpees, 15 box jumps, 5 snatches, 5 thrusters, 10 chest-to-bar pullups. \u00a0But I actually didn’t have a real plan — which is to say a detailed means of execution — I just had a “goal.” That was problem number one.<\/p>\n

Problem number two was that I was obsessed with multiple shoulder injuries. \u00a0My shoulders felt like somebody had hit them with a sledgehammer. \u00a0So I was (and still am) really afraid of a\u00a0permanent\u00a0rotator cuff problem. \u00a0This had been coming on for a while, starting with sore biceps. \u00a0I think what finally<\/p>\n

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did me in was wall walks a couple of days before the Hope event. \u00a0Anyway I wasn’t working up to the event properly, and I was distracted.<\/p>\n

I managed to get 127 reps, which is a substantial improvement. \u00a0But it was ugly: snatches were all muscle, I was leaning into the thrusters, I couldn’t find a\u00a0rhythm for the chest-to-bars. \u00a0In other words my form was poor. \u00a0I was in a hurry and I was not\u00a0properly\u00a0focused.<\/p>\n

Interestingly enough, I didn’t suffer any particular shoulder pain. \u00a0Which is something to be really thankful for. \u00a0Right up to the “3-2-1” go I was worried burpees would finish me before I got to the bars. \u00a0But I made it through. \u00a0In fact my burpee form was pretty good the whole time.<\/p>\n

So here’s the analysis: first, I had no business doing the men’s Rx. \u00a0I should have scaled down to the woman’s Rx. \u00a0Secondly, I should have been working on burpees and box jumps to build up\u00a0technique\u00a0and confidence. \u00a0Third, had I taken a moment or two to actually work on 75# power snatches it would have helped — I needed to get 5 per round. \u00a0Practice would have told me whether I was prepared or not to get there. \u00a0Which would have taken me back to square 1: scale it!<\/p>\n

Perhaps the hidden culprit here is ego. \u00a0My partner for the Hope WOD was Chris Bacas, who did 254 reps. \u00a0Not that I could have predicted that (I had never met him before, nor did I know who my partner would be.) But it’s the whole\u00a0ambiance\u00a0of crossfit that is seductive: get beyond your best, go to\u00a0unexplored\u00a0territory. \u00a0I’m surrounded by really fit, competent\u00a0athletes, and it is so tempting to want to perform at a higher level.<\/p>\n

All that said, I’m glad I did it. \u00a0I actually felt great during the workout. \u00a0I felt great afterwards too. \u00a0And I don’t mean felt great as in “glad it was over” — I mean tired but\u00a0exhilarated. \u00a0And I got to see dozens of\u00a0athletes\u00a0I had never seen before.<\/p>\n

I still think I have a long way to go to find the end of my fitness level. \u00a0It’s just going to be a slower curve then I had imagined.<\/p>\n

Cheers.
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