Fitness

I’m pretty sure my friend Molly wants to kill me.

You see, I invited her – really lured her with promises of wine and food – to a WOD and Wine event at Everproven last night, a completely ladies-only evening of Crossfit, food, wine, and fun. And since then, I’ve been getting text messages about how sore she is. (I feel her pain, my thighs are a lot sore, too.) Apparently I didn’t quite inform her how intense Crossfit really is. If I told her how sore she’d be after one workout, I don’t think she would have gone, but from the smile on her face (see above picture) to the positive response she had after the first workout, I think it was a win. (That’s just a glisten on our faces, ladies don’t sweat.)

It was tough, but she did it. Scaled, but who cares! She gave it her all, survived, and I’m hoping she comes back.

We had around 60 ladies rocking out at Everproven on a Saturday night. Yup! That’s right, a full house on a weekend night and it was so inspirational. So many women of all different ages, sizes, and levels working out together through burpees, push-ups, ring rows, lunges, planks, and more. And all supportive. That’s what I wanted Molly to see. To know that I’m not crazy when I’ve gone to a 5:45 a.m. class. To know that Crossfit allows you to be motivated by other strong women to make yourself stronger.

And Everproven is planning to do a few more of these WOD and Wine nights this year. Open to members and their friends for a free, fun evening with a group workout, some snacks, and wine. So any of my lady friends out there who are still interested in learning about Crossfit, giving it a go, or just want to see what all the fuss is about, let me know so I can invite you. What’s the worst thing that could happen? You go for a free workout, don’t enjoy it, and don’t come back. I won’t be mad, I’ll be glad you tried!

I should have posted this Sunday, but let’s be honest, I’ve been running around like a mad woman for the last few days. I’ll update you on the red, white, and blue Jello shots I made in an upcoming post, too. Totally worth the effort.

But what I’m really here to talk about is Sunday’s WOD at Everproven. I don’t complain often, but seriously, I’m still feeling Sunday’s WOD with Coach Scott. It wasn’t the warmup or even spending 15 minutes jump roping my heart out to try to get a double unders – I got 2 double unders during a singles set, but that was it. (That’s jump roping.) What killed me was the WOD. So many 50 reps, so many excercises. 50 box jumps, 50 jumping pullups, 50 walking lunges, 50 knees-to-elbows, 50 leg raises, 50 jump squats, 50 Abmats, 50 burpees, and 50 double unders (or 150 singles, jump rope). And a 20 minute cap?!

I tried folks, I really tried. I even extended the 20 minutes cap to 25 minutes, but there was no way I was going to finish. I was 30 burpees and 150 single unders (let’s be honest, I wasn’t going to get a double under) away from completing the WOD. Slightly defeated, but I was sweating so much that I don’t even care.

So if you’re wondering why I didn’t do the Memorial Day Murph, that’s partially it. I moved tables and chairs, cleaned the house, and prepped for our Memorial Day party instead. And I still feel it in my shoulders.

Sunday, May 24 Everproven W.O.D.

Warmup

6 min AMRAP alternating with a partner. 1 person holds a squat while their partner completes;
5 Wall Balls
5 Step Ups
5 Pushups
Mobility

Instructor Led Dynamic Joint Mob/Group Stretch x 6 min

Skill

Review Double Unders
Then:
15 min to complete a Double Under Flight Simulator
10-20-30-40-50-40-30-20-10 Rx
4-8-12-16-12-8-4 S
Rest when needed. Do not move on until you have gotten the prior set unbroken (start at zero for that set on every miss)
If you finish, use the remainder of the 15 min to see how many you DU’s can get unbroken.

Metcon

For time under a 20 min cap:
50 Box jumps
50 Jumping Pullups
50 Walking Lunges
50 Knees to elbows
50 Leg Raises
50 Jump Squats
50 Abmats
50 Burpees
50 Double Unders

My last day of On Ramp was bittersweet. I’m grateful to have completed the one-on-one Crossfit program and prepare for classes, but I’m sad to not have my sessions with Coach Kate anymore. So on my last day, I gave it my all.

I started with back squats. Last time, I maxed out at 100 pounds. Not because I couldn’t go any farther, but because we had set my scale to reach 100 pounds. So this time, I made a point to tell Coach Kate I wanted to break 100 lbs. So we started with 85 pounds for three back squats, and then 95 pounds for three back squats. And in the moment of truth, I went for it with 105 pounds and rocked it. Then 110, 115, and then 120!!

I can’t thank Coach Kate enough for having faith in me and pushing me just enough to reach and surpass my goal. I’m so grateful to have someone encourage me.

At the end of the night, I had one more big win. I redid my first On Ramp WOD. Last time, I completed it in 10:26 (Row 400 meters, then 21-15-9 sets of Air Squats, Push-Ups, Ring Rows, and then another 400 meter row). I really didn’t think I’d shave any time off since I set the bar so high in my first session. But Kate pushed me, encouraged me along the way, and I still can’t believe I shaved two minutes off my time (8:30)!

I can’t wait to start classes. Who wants to wake me up to make the 5:45 a.m. class?! I know I can’t do it alone!

I almost forgot to post about this! Which is insane because it’s all I’ve been talking about all week. I’m pretty sure everyone is getting sick of hearing me talk about handstand holds and Crossfit. But honestly, it’s the one thing in my life right now that’s keeping me sane.

This week I had my second to last On Ramp class. I don’t want to have to go to class yet. I really do enjoy my one-on-one classes. But I do know that is going to have to end sometime soon. At least I know I’m ready.

The one thing that we tried was getting myself up into a handstand on the wall. I’ve been told only one other On Ramp individual at Everproven has been able to get into a handstand and stay there during On Ramp. Turns out, I don’t like anyone to have anything to themselves and wanted to prove I could do it, too. So I worked at it, then got it in my head that I would get myself up on that wall one way or another.

The first time I tried, I flopped. Seriously, just pancaked onto the ground. My arm just gave up and buckled. Coach Kate was trying everything since I refused to give up. So we convinced Coach Scott to help assist (meaning pull my legs up so I was in a handstand) and feel what it would be like. Let me tell you, it was way less scarier than I thought it would be. And we even figured out how to get me to kick myself up.

I ended up setting up in a runner’s pose with my arms locked (that’s the key!) into a high V (yay, cheerleading). I don’t know how else to describe it, other than I prepped myself as if I would be starting a track race with one knee bent and the other straight. Then I used my bent leg to push myself up and threw my legs over my back and toward the wall. It took a couple tries, but I did it.

And the first time I got up there on my own, I was all excited that I forgot I had no idea how to get down. Umm, Coach Kate? Now what?! 

I kind of folded down from the wall after a 20 second hold. Then did two more, one of which I’m very sure ran upwards of the 30 second mark because Kate peace-d it for a second to go get her phone to take the above picture. I’m not mad, more super excited, because this means I can skip box push-ups and work on my strength to move to handstand push-ups. I’m actually excited to go back to Everproven just so I can try these again!