Christopher Nolan needs to commit to another Batman movie. Not at all what this post is about, but it does lend itself to the blatantly obvious - shoulds do not always become reality. Like it is blatantly obvious that to get strong you should lift, to maximize your workouts you should recover, to stay/get lean you should eat clean. It is also blatantly obvious that if you want people to know what happened at your first ever competition in Kentucky, you should write a blogpost and post pictures. Well today my dear friends, this should is going to become a reality. The awesome competitors from CrossFit Music City and CrossFit 615 should get their recognition for showing up with their best and putting it out there, and CrossFit Maximus should get the shout out for an amazingly organized competition and a kick ass facility.
So here's what I SHOULD have written forever ago.
So June 1 (Go ahead and judge my tardiness - I've earned it) Stacey and I loaded up the cars with eager athletes and a fidgety mascot. It would be a weekend of firsts for many - Alex competing RX, Ken "white ninja nerd" competing for the first time while also inducting Shaunna (CrossFit Barbie) into her first team competition experience, Michael (inspired by the Talon Throwdown) going scaled alongside Marc (who will certainly at this rate be a competition master before long). Stacey and I would be there to coach, with Lena, Zoya, and Rhett Butler there to steal the show - ahem I mean dutifully cheer them on.
Arriving in Lexington, a pre-competition meal should always include meat and sweet potatoes, so we went to the blatantly obvious Longhorn Steakhouse. This is a perfect moment to point out an obvious lesson - do as your coach says not as he does. As in, if your coach is not competing the next day, do not dine as he does where cocktail shrimp and a few beers a meal make. But good for you protein deliciousness should be followed by sleep - but sleep eluded our competitors, or so the laughter coming from both Shaunna/Marc's room and Michael/Ken room suggested. And who knows if Alex slept with Rhett Butler constantly bouncing around wanting to play about.Our one-day of competition started with a quick realization that we were the only group from out of town there. No worries, a quick turn on of Tennessee charm and CFMC was the belle of the ball - ok we just smiled shyly and made sure it was ok that we had brought dogs. As much as Stacey and I wanted to focus on getting our athletes' heads in the game, the bright and shiny of an amazing facility coupled with Michael's Miss America charm, flitting about from corner to corner talking to people (i smell trouble if he ever runs for office), occupied most of registration period.
The first WOD should always include burpees. Whether it should include 75 thrusters is up for debate. Our individual competitors may insist that it should not, but 75 thrusters it would be, stopping every minute on the minute to do 5 burpees. 75# for RX women scaled men (and 50 thrusters instead of 75). Given how strong Marc and Michael are now (and that double unders in WOD 2 are the only reason they didn't go RX) I am picturing them shaking their heads thinking if little Alex trudging through the same weight. It's ok guys - at least you promised to never go scaled again (and might I add have honored that promise, but that's another post). Highlight of this WOD - Stacey wanting to hurt the judge who took it upon himself to coach Alex while counting her reps.
We interrupt this post for a little time on the soap box. As someone who has competed, judged, and coached competitions, I strongly feel that judges should stick to judging, maybe with encouragement sprinkled in here and there. But as many of you have experienced in competition, fair judging to standard is hard enough - this gets exceedingly more difficult if you take it upon yourself to give advice mid-WOD. Jesus la petus, I know I am not the world's best multi-tasker, but please keep in mind, often coaches and athletes have worked out a strategy and in the heat of a competition, it can be easy for a judge to mentally throw off an athlete by suggesting a different strategy. Now back to your regularly scheduled post.
Team WOD 1: 100 thrusters for time. While partner A is working, partner B must hold a single KB in locked out position overhead (53/35). Men's weight (115/75 - don't remember the scaled weight). Shaunna and Ken were nothing short of ridiculous on this WOD. Seriously. Ken's burpees are unconventional, but fast and meet all standards. Shaunna's performance should not be described in words .... Just this face.
Individual WOD 2: In 14 minutes, find highest 5 sets of 5 in the deadlift. Between every set, perform 50 double unders (200 singles for scaled) Score = total weight moved.
This was the WOD I agonized strategy over with both Michael and Stacey. Before arriving, we were unsure of how the scoring would go, would it just be your heaviest set? Or would it be the sum of 5 sets? Would you get a DNF if you didn't finish? Nothing obvious about this at all. But CrossFit Maximus was super clear during the briefing, and so running the numbers (aka - why investment bankers should coach CrossFit) we decided that they would go as heavy as they thought they could for 5 right off the bat. Fabulous idea - Alex, Marc, and Michael all surpassed their expectations and our whole team was thrilled. Definitely made up for the strain that the thruster WOD took mentally.
WOD 2 for the team - each team must perform the following in relay fashion:
1000 m row
20 power cleans each (185/135 RX)
50 walking lunge with plate each (45/35)
CrossFit Maximus's rowers are 2 feet high - had never seen that, but luckily it didn't affect their performance. Having done this whole WOD a few weeks earlier, Shaunna and Ken soared through it happy with their performance. And Ken was more than happy to recover from this WOD by feeding his face.
Individual WOD 3 - Chipper of Death aka - How much can we destroy your grip?
25 pull ups
50 power cleans (95/65)
50 box jumps (24/18)
50 toe-to-bar
50 KB Swings (53/35)
25 pull ups
Alex kicked butt in female RX on this one. Stacey had formulated a great game plan for her since this WOD was right in her wheelhouse. Sadly however, CrossFit tends to have different plans. Your wheelhouse may feel more like a roundhouse kick to the face after a full day of competition. But nevertheless, Miss Brigham pushed through like a champ.
I personally could not have been more proud of Marc and Michael. Michael, despite several no reps, never lost his spirit and trudged through as far as he could until time was called. Marc, so close to finishing when time was called, joined up with a guy from Maximus to finish up his last 15 pull ups in the warm up area despite serious calf cramping. Talk about never say quit.
Team Final WOD:
50 pull ups total
10 partner deadlifts (455/315)(385 if co-Ed team like our fearless ebony and ivory ninjas)
75 pushups total
10 partner deadlifts
50 alternating box jumps
10 partner deadlifts
75 toe-to-bar
10 partner deadlifts
50 alternating burpees
10 partner deadlifts
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