My 2nd Crossfit Competition…….kicked my ass

2014 Athena Classic Competition was this past Saturday. When I started this blog, my first post was how I racked up enough courage to compete in my first crossfit competition- 2013 Athena Classic. After only 3 months of Crossfit. My goal was to just do as best as I could, each workout I scaled, but that didn't matter to me. What mattered is that I went, and I tackled the wods to the best of my ability.

This year however I have been crossfitting for over a year and planned on tackling this competition RX. No matter how hard it would be, not matter if I stould at the barbell for 185 deadlifts and only got one rep in 12 minutes, I was going to do it RX. HA, yeah that changed after 2 wods and realizing there was no way in hell I was going to front squat 115lbs 20 times and deadlift 185lbs 10 times, let alone take 85lbs shoulder to over head 30 times. Yeah, that’s just funny and plain old impossible. Right now at least.

WOD 1

AMRAP
1:00 ME Pullups
2:00 ME Lunge Steps
3:00 ME 85lb Cleans
2:00 ME Burpee bar hops

This workout I was not so worried about. I knew cleans would be the hardest part for me. I’ve come to realize after this competition that I’m scrawny as fuck. I know I shouldn’t, but I compared myself to some of the other amazingly strong women, and I look like a 12 year old. So Pullups- I kipped sets of 3 getting 15 reps in 1 minute.

Lunge steps, just kept a steady pace the entire 2 mins. Then the Cleans…..Robyn (the other EPC competitor) killed them in her heat. And this was her first competition! I’m talking KILLED!! Mini Beast Squats & Stiletto’s Jen killed them as well! I got 10 in the 3:00 minutes. WTF? I wasn’t watching anyone else in my heat, but I’m sure most of them were doing the cleans touch and go. They were really heavy for me. I did one, then drop. Ugly as hell. Bad form and all. Coach Josh was saying keep your form! Stay on your heels! Hip pop! All of the normal tips, but yet I was just trying to get it up some how.

Wod #1 Cleans

Wod #1 Cleans

Then the burpee bar hops start and I just pushed as hard as I could. Last second I tried to get that one last rep….but didn’t get my foot over the bar in time. So close. Earlier in the week I did this wod and got 129 reps. This time I got 133. I wanted to lay on the ground like I normally do at EPC, but had to walk so the next heat could go. As Coach Josh, Robyn, Jen and Dave give me high five’s, I think to myself… this is just the beginning.

WOD 2

8 Mins
25 Goblet Squats – 35 lb kb
25 KB Swings – 35 lb
250m Run w/ Kettlebell
Box walkovers w/ kettlebell
DO NOT DROP THE KB- OR 5 BURPEE PENALTY

Before the competition I thought this was going to be the easiest of the 3 WOD’s. Actually the goblet squats and kb swings weren’t bad, but the running with the kb sucked.

35 lb Goblet Squats

35 lb KB Swings

I had contemplated carrying the kb up on my shoulder, but seeing as I don’t have much meat on my shoulder I know that would be uncomfortable and probably hit me in the face and bust a tooth or something. I just carried it on my side, switching hands about 3 times.

250m Kettlebell run

Then the box walk overs. HOLY HELL. By this point my quads are screaming. I would just step up and somehow keep that kettle bell on my knee and bend over to get to the other side of the box. I got 26 box walkovers in the remaining time which was 6 more than when I hit this wod the week before. So first 2 wods I have done better than when I practiced at EPC. So that was good. Needless to say my legs were shaking walking away from this one. As soon as we were done I looked over and Grant (from EPC) was there too. It’s actually great how Dave and Grant came to support us (Robyn and I). EPC represent! Courtney ended up coming too!!

Doing whatever I could to just step over the box without putting the KB down

Grant, Me, Robyn and Dave in between wods

WOD 3

400m Run
10 185lb Deadlifts
20 115lb Front Squats
30 85lb Shoulder to Overhead
40 Empty bar thrusters
12 min time cap

This is the wod I was scared shitless about as soon as they were released. 115 front squats?? I’ve never even cleaned 115 so how the F am I supposed to clean it and do 20 front squats? And can I even deadliest 185 for a 1RM? By the time it was my heat, my legs felt weak and tired already from the other 2 workouts earlier in the day. I’m like shit, I’m going to have to scale. It’s physically impossible for me to do this RX. I was disappointed to say the least, but I have to realize I only weight 114 lbs and am really not that strong. And also, it’s me against myself here. So I scaled this:

400m run
155lb Deadlifts
85lb Front Squats
65lb Shoulder to Overhead
Empty bar lunges

3,2,1 Go! Start off for the run, which actually felt good and I kind of just wanted to keep running. When I came in and up to the loaded barbell for the 155 Deadlifts, I did not expect it to feel so heavy. I load up, and pull and had to stop. I look at Coach Josh and he knew right away that I didn’t expect that. So, started over and then I pushed through the deadlifts. 1 at a time.

Vain poppin’, face squintin deadlifts

Now, onto the dreaded front squats. That means cleans. UGH. Again, crappy form. Sets of 3, Thank god for Josh and everyone else pushing me through and encouraging me through it.

Wod #3

Front squats from hell

After I finally made it through 20 front squats, I stripped the bar and made sure there was 65lbs on there. I was so tired, so ready to give up this shit. But, that voice of my coach, keep going, stay focused, you got this. At this point, I think there is about 3 minutes left until the 12 minute time cap. No way can I do 30 of these shoulder to over head and then 40 thrusters after that!?!? I can’t even tell you how many shoulder to overhead I even did. I think I got 14 reps. Timer goes off. I throw the bar down. DONE. High fives and relief that is was over.

Coach Josh and Coach Heather cheering me on

I kept thinking, wow that was so hard for me and I did it scaled. Wow, these ladies are really fucking strong. And all it made me want to do is train harder, perfect my form, and really focusing on my weaknesses.

And a shoutout to Robyn who had the courage to compete in her first competition and amazed me!!! She kicked ass. Very proud of her.

Robyn deadlifting 185lbs

I had a blast. It was a great day of busting my ass, pushing myself and hanging with friends who are there for the same reason and who love this sport we call Crossfit 🙂 I did compare to last year though, and it did make me feel a little better. 1 year ago my 1RM Clean was 65lbs. I have made progress for myself. And it’s me against myself.

2013 Athena/2014 Athena

Such inspiring women I got to spend the day with.

Our Group at Athena Classic 2014

Wonder how I will do next year?