Mid-Atlantic Hopper Challenge 2010, WOD 1

So as this competition was approaching, I won't lie: I started to freak out a little. I still have vivid memories on how the wods last year crushed me, time and time again. Due to the Bronchitis, I had basically taken two weeks off right before the competition. So just when I should be upping the intensity, I'm hacking up a lung after running 400m. So I'm worried, I know what's possible, and I worry that the wods will have all kinds of pistols, handstand push ups, and other stuff I can't do.

As the competition showed me last year, if you want to be a real crossfitter you have to be able to do it all, no excuses. Can't snatch 150#? too bad. Can't do 30 muscle ups under 5 minutes? Too bad, because that's all the time you have. The idea of being shown how much you lack to the crossfit ideal can be a real unpleasant wake up call, and I was afraid that was all I would experience.

So with much trepidation, I waited for them to announce the first wod. And it was....

30-20-10 of
Wall balls, and
Hang power clean(65/95).

So much for difficult movements. I saw some people warming up with the hang power clean, and they were really making look smooth. I tried it out a couple of times with the bar and it was real easy. After that I tried 95 and was really surprised with how light it was.

Going into, I was thinking I was going to kill it. Standing over my med ball, I waited for the explosion that is my workout. 3... 2... 1...

I burn through the 30 wall balls, and grab ahold of the barbell. I burn through the hang cleans as well, I'm very much in the mix, not too far or ahead of anyone else.

Then the second round hits, and I hit a wall that I'm not used to hitting. I slow down considerably, and am getting mad at myself. A few of the wall balls come up short, and I drop the ball a couple times as well.

It's at this point in time I know I need to just suck it up and do it. I know that for people with a Fran time of 2:05 it sucks just as much for them, if not more so since they're pushing themselves harder. But I just can't seem to move any faster. I go through the hang cleans fairly quickly, but my forearms are starting to fail.

The last ten wall balls are horrible, I'm really sucking now and just keep telling myself to just. do. one. more. I then finally get to the barbell and tell myself that I'm going to finish in one set. However, after rep 6 the bar slips out of my hands. Pick it back up and finally finish the wod.

I felt good after this. This was waay better than last year, I knew what I was doing and just felt... better. Last year the WOD crushed me, and while I didn't crush the wod this year, I didn't let it crush me either. My time was 9:04, 71st out of 82 men. I know it doesn't sound that impressive, but I feel like it was a huge improvement over last year.

One down, three more to go.

I can do this.