The Open workouts are becoming harder and harder, designed to separate the elite from the hoi polloi. Hint: I'm part of the hoi polloi. But I very much appreciate that even these WODs that incorporate skills that I don't have yet at least start out with motions that even noobs like me can get through. That way I wasn't actually disqualified because I can't do muscle ups.
This week's competition actually included one of the benchmark WODs of CrossFit: Karen. Wherein you do 150 wall balls without dying. My goal for this work out was to get through as many wall balls as possible without smashing my glasses or breaking my nose. After watching one of the amazing coaches do her WOD and only get a few reps into the double unders, I modified my goal from "all the wall balls" to "some wall balls." My additional goal was to keep my pants up for the work out. This was accomplished thanks to some amazing fashion statements...specifically my standard knee high striped socks combined now with my short skort- super short, super classy, but by God it stayed around my waist!
12 minute AMRAP:
- 150 wall balls (15# medicine ball, 9' target)
- 90 double unders
- 30 muscle ups
Total: 31 wall balls. Glasses and face intact.
The challenge in this WOD for me became technique. I realized pretty quickly that my wall ball technique was pretty sucky. I need to remember the following:
- Full squat = full power explosion for ball release.
- Elbows up in front rack to keep the ball close to my midline.
- Up in the air is not enough, I actually need to aim at and hit my target.
- It's ok to take a few extra seconds to breathe because if I throw the ball in the air with less than full force, it is just wasted effort.
Suffice it to say, I had a TON of no-reps during this WOD. I was probably two minutes in and had hurtled the ball unsuccessfully at the target approximately 100 times (it felt like. I wasn't counting.) and I heard Chad say, "You've got 2, Andrea! Keep going!" By the end of 12 minutes I had hit the target a mere 31 times, but my actual attempts were probably in the 70s. It was hard not to get frustrated with myself, the ball, and that damn 9' mark I was trying to hit. I feel like I gave it all, but I could have done much better if my technique was better. Something to keep in mind as I move through the WODs now: technique, technique, technique.
On another note, I glanced in the mirror as I was changing into pants after the WOD and realized I had streaks of black down my face. I don't know if it was from the ball, the floor mats, or my mascara, but it was some pretty serious war paint I ended up with. Thank heaven I did look in the mirror before going out in public....
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