I Did It!

July 30, 2012

Imagine that day? However I would like to think of it more as “days” than just one day! With CrossFit you are constantly setting and resetting and resetting goals, so to reach a goal is only stepping stone to the next one. Though, I cant stress enough the importance of celebrating the fact that you have reached a goal you set for yourself, whether it be big or small, whether it’s a weight loss, a 1RM, a certain time on your mile run, withstanding a smorgasbord buffet of non paleo food … or even fitting into a piece of clothing you have wanted to get back into, or looking in the mirror and thinking “yeah, I worked hard for this!” Its so important to not let these milestones pass without recognition. If you let them sink into the background you will never be satisfied.

As a beginner at CrossFit there was PR’s left and right for me. That’s natural to happen when you first start up. You work hard and do things you have never done before, push yourself to new heights, its bound to happen. Seriously, in the first few months it felt like I was on fire. I couldn’t believe that I was doing pushups (modified of course) in multiple sets, that soon progressed after proper instruction to negative pushups…. and eventually into REAL pushups!! The first time I did Pushups RX in a WOD I was over the moon! Seeing as how I remember my first time doing them thinking “oh god, these are awful.” My lifts all progressed pretty quickly as well. I had prior lifting experience, but never actually made myself work as hard as I could, and I didn’t know that until I realized how hard I could actually work in the CrossFit Gym. I was PRing, surprising myself almost every day… and really, what more motivation did I need than that!! I craved that feeling!! I still do!!

I may have been CrossFitting for almost a year, but there are loads of things I still need to work on! Yes, I like to compete, and yes I have come quite a long way in my “transformation” but I absolutely consider myself a “work in progress.” I am sure that I always will. I could sit here and rattle off all the things that need work, all of the things that make me frustrated, all the things that I know with more practice and attention to the proper technique will improve over time, but I am not going to, there is no reason for it. A few months ago I officially changed my train of thought on things, and this whole “positivity” thing… its working out pretty good for me! The PR’s have slowed down, but that dosent make me work any less hard. It actually makes me work harder. It makes me realize that its not all about the numbers, that as long as I work hard and give it my 100% every single day that I am doing what I set out to do. The PR’s, the goals, the advancements… they will all come with time… the excitement, motivation, determination, drive… its still there. Every damn day. That right there is the best thing about crossfit, there is no end.

Today’s WOD was a benchmark for me. I am still on cloud nine after completing it. In February during the Open I was faced with my first encounter with chest to bar pullups. If I wanted to complete the WOD Rx, I had to be able to do them. That day I surprised myself and completed the WOD. I had used a reverse grip on the pullup bar and kipped each one up dropping between, even if I needed 5 kips to get up there, I did it. Since than I have been developing my lat strength a lot more. I completed “Hope” both at our gym and when I was on vacation as well as some other WOD’s/Warmups over the last few months that have included Chest to Bars and my confidence in them (as well as my regular kipping pullups) was growing.  Today, I put that to the test.

What a rush! I completed the whole WOD Rx! All 50 chest to bar pullups! Yep, you bet that some of them required a “double kip” but I was able to keep my grip forward and I passed on the gymnastics grips as well (you were right K, I can hold on longer without them). It didn’t matter how tired I was, I was going to complete this WOD and I was going to work through the whole round. There was a built in 1 minute rest between the thrusters (which were effing heavy) and the pullups, so I used that to catch my breath and shake out my arms. When the 5 rounds were up, I was totally ecstatic! I did it! Victory!

Every day is a challenge… it dosent matter if you are a beginner who has never done a pullup before, someone who is advancing from one band to another, someone who is just learning to kip, someone who can complete chest to bars but is trying to beat their last time… we are all working together, we are all supporting one another and guess what? We are ALL making ourselves better, faster and stronger with every WOD!

WARMUP:

3 Rounds

- 5 Pullups

- 10 Man Makers

- 15 Air Squats

- 20 Double Unders

Group: Thrusters

WOD: "Lacquer"

5 Rounds for Time

- 10 Chest to Bar Pullups

- 10 Thrusters (95lbs)

*1 Minute Rest Btwn Rounds

(15:59 Rx)

SKILL/STRENGTH:

Back Squat 5-5-5+

165 (5), 175 (5), 185 (9)

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