Intensity

Warmup: 
Today's warmup included 10 pushups, 10 pullups, 10 dips.  I wandered over to the pullup/dip station having no real intention of actually doing 10 unassisted dips.  Hell, I've only gotten "close" to an unassisted dip, stationary or on rings. I hopped up there and felt strong holding myself at the top.  Down....1, down...2, down...3?!?!  I look to Jason and Logan.  J goes, "how many of those can you usually do in a row?". I reply, "um...I've never really done one before." His jaw drops. Logan give me a high five.  Just two months ago I remember her and I attempting dips on the same station and getting no where...here's to PRing in a WARMUP!   I did 7 more (3, 3, 1) and did them perfectly. whew!


WOD #1: 3x 800 sprints
Had all good intentions to do this outside with a weight vest, but time and weather kept us indoors.  On the treadmill I went for: 3:40, 3:25, 3:15. I had no clue where I would be on these, just happy every round the efforts improved. 
 
WOD#2: Snatch (55#), 30 burpees, 20 Snatch (50#), 20 burpees, 30 Snatch (45#), 10 burpees.
Time: 11:56

This was just awful.  I had thought about it all day and what weight I would use...I wish they would have been heavier, but honestly 30 snatches at about 60% of my one rep max was about right for this WOD.  This was seriously the hardest WOD and the hardest I've worked at a WOD since moving to Germany.  I had to go to that dark place where you don't think, you can't breathe, you can't feel your legs or your arms, but somehow you keep moving. It felt awesome.  The hardest part was truely the 30 snatches...just brutal! Burpees are getting easier and no longer is a number like 50 burpees daunting.  I never thought I would utter those words.


I'm ready to move on from snatches...the OPT Regional training WODs have been snatch heavy of late.  I need serious work on my cleans, jerks, and squats again.  I guess for all those who've made it to regionals everything else should be easy right? Regardless, its been really fun to push myself with these insane WODs and train along side Jason.  His intensity and drive is contagious. 

A few photos to document the day....

Power Cleans

WOD:
Power Cleans 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1
Results: 55, 65, 75, 85, 95 (2), 105 (2), 105, 110

Per usual, cleans are a suckfest for me. My form is sloppy, my elbows are slow, my hips don't always pop.   85# and 95# felt really strong today.  I really thought I could go for 110#, but I got greedy after nailing 105 and hit it too soon afterwards and I had a bunch of onlookers and I think I just freaked...

Logan, however, mastered the clean today and PR'd at 80#!! She nailed it.  She's so strong and doesn't even know it!

Little finisher:
Walking lunges (2 lenghts of basketball court)
50 air squats
25 back extensions

Then I coached/cheered Jason on through his "Fran on Crack" WOD
3RFT
21 Thrusters
7 muscle ups

What a beast....
























(What's up with the photos you ask? I'm taking a photography class...this week's lesson is "sport mode". Photo something in motion.  Unfortunately, lighting and composition are a bit off.  One viewer has kindly noted that "composition would improve if subject would remove his shirt! seriously erin.  do humanity a favor and get shots sans shirts. please?" Tehehe! J's too modest, I think, to "pull a Harold"!!)

Then, QUICK STIR FRY DINNER!
1pgk pre-cut stir fry meat
1/2 onion
1 small zucchini
1 bag of frozen stir fry peppers
2 teaspoons toasted flax seed
lite soy sauce to taste
broccoli
1 tablespoon of baking powder and H20 to thicken sauce

Brown meat-add onion, zuch, and bag o' peppers. Boiled broccoli separately then added at the end so it didn't get mushy.  Protien and veggies.  I could have used a few more carbs and probably a fat to round it out but dessert will be strawberries and a piece of chocolate!

Crossfit Ansbach

The adventure for the weekend was a trip to Crossfit Ansbach.  I've know for awhile that this was the nearest box, but it took an invite from Jason to finally get the gusto to make the hour plus trip down there.  So it was up and at 'em on Saturday morning to get down there by 0930.  I met Rob Powell, the owner, and he showed us around and said to join in the 10am class.  He was going to do a creative version of the Filthy Fifty, but not before Jason took the 15 of us through a LONG warmup of stretches, lunges, hip openers and a mini-met-con of box jumps, slamballs, and double unders.  The slamballs were just that---slam the ball, not jumping...Jason hasn't been introduced to those yet! haha. 

WOD
For two rounds:  30 sec. of work @ each Exercise. 20 sec. pause between Exercises.
Box Jumps
Jump 2 Bar Pull ups
KBS
Walking Lunges
K2E
Push Press
Sit-Ups
Wall Balls
Burpees
DU's

The WOD was a burner--you were supposed to count the total number of reps for each round, but I missed that in the German instructions. Oh well...I still worked hard! It had been a long time since I've seen a box jump and those took a little getting used to, then the "jump to pullup" and K2E were ridiculously hard since I could not keep my grip on the super slippery bars. The double unders are coming back--thank goodness!

I'm sure you're wondering what it was like to workout at a German box.  Well, I have to say it wasn't much different than being at a box at home. Crossfit really is a universal language and community. As the athletes filed in, there were lots of "Gruss Gotts" "Servous" (hi-hey what's up), handshakes, hugs, double cheek kisses.  Everyone came over and immediately introduced themselves and welcomed me to the box, which made me feel immediately comfortable. As Rob went over the WOD, there was the usual pre-WOD nervous energy and excitment.   During stretches and warmups there was lots of laughing and making fun of one another (only I didn't get the jokes). :) We started on a 3, 2, 1, go...count and then hit it hard.  Lots of encouragement throughout and collapsing bodies at the end! :)

The crew from CF Ramstein is apparently coming down next weekend and we'll probably join in again.  Saturday's in Schweinfurt are less than exciting...

even more snatch

Another Snatch WOD for Thursday.  This time, it looked like this:

Power Snatch - 2-3 x 7; rest 2min between sets
45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 70

So the actually purpose of these workouts is to take a fairly heavy load and try to do 2-3 reps for 7 rounds.  And, if you get the 3 reps, add more weight. Since I've had some trouble with snatch of late, I started light. But, after a few rounds and a few added pounds I was in the groove. Working the squat snatch on Saturday totally prepped me for this.  The body finally remembers what it is supposed to be doing! And, I'm sticking the landings like crazy--jump to land, and stick! It feels awesome when you get it right. Jason took some video but he didn't have a memory card! crap! either way, I got to review a a set and it looked pretty darn solid.

The even more exciting news is that I THOUGHT my 1RM was 85#, um no, it was 75#.  Now I just nailed two sets of 70# at 3 reps...I think a new 1RM might be 80 or 85...we shall see!

Tomorrow morning I am heading to Crossfit Ansbach to hit a WOD with Jason and his peeps there. Then we'll spend a few hours exploring a new town! Stay tuned for another adventure...