Surprises and Training in Non-CrossFit Related Things
It's been a bit since my last post but yesterday's WOD inspired me in more ways than one. I have to tell you what happened.
So the workout* involved a lengthy run and some toes to bar. (see bottom for full workout). I can do a pull up but only a couple, not a lot. And toes to bar, forget it. So I plan for sit ups. I don't hate sit ups, they are fine, easy and I am pretty quick at them. As I am discussing my plan for the WOD a fellow CrossFitter tells me, you can't do sit ups, you're too advanced for that!
Me?! To advanced?! When did this happen?! But in the end he was 100% right. I informed the group and my coach that I was unable to do toes to bar. As attempted to show her a failed effort, I managed a couple. Damn. I didn't even realize I could do a toes to bar. Okay, so I practice toes to bar and do 10 sit ups and 5 toes to bar. It goes pretty well. Lesson learned: when you think you can't do the advanced movement, you probably can. No more easy way out for me.
So as you can see from the workout there is running. The run to the trail is about 600m one way, a total of 1200m just to start. It's not super hard but it's not easy. Ever since I stopped running due to my foot, I haven't been nearly as consistent with my pace. I usually struggle quite a bit with a run that long. But I wasn't thinking about that. My coach says there is a 25 minute time cap. I look at the board and see other times close to 30 minutes. I don't know if I'll make it.
The WOD begins and I am at the beginning of the pack, with the girls. I start next to another CrossFitter but she slowly drops off. I thought she would be by me the entire time. I am not too far behind the last guy. I keep going. I get back and for the 3 rounds, I go light. I knew I would because my Overhead Squats are horrible and need work. So I do 55lbs only. I do 20lbs on the Clusters (a clean to thruster) and like I said, 10 sit ups and 5 toes to bar. The initial 600m run took me 6:30, fresh. I finish the 3 rounds around 17:00 minutes and I am the first one to head out for the run, which surprises me. But I did go light.
The initial run is tough because I am out of breath from the lifting. However, I get my groove. I realize as I am half way through the second run portion, this is NOT that hard. My pace is consistent, I am breathing okay and I might actually get under 25 minutes.
I finished at 24:02. The second run took me about 30 seconds longer. Barely anything since I had done lifting before! But why was my run so good? Orange Theory Fitness.
Orange Theory Fitness (OTF) is a cardio class. I have been doing it for about 5-6 weeks now. You wear a heart rate monitor and switch between running, rowing and what they call floor work which is a combination of light dumbbells and TRX. They call it the new science of fitness. I call it my saving grace.
I had been doing CrossFit for about 8 months before I realized I needed just a little something more. They opened an OTF in Walnut Creek and I tried a class for free. Half way into the class, I was hooked. I signed up for 4 classes a month. 1x a week. It was perfect. It's just enough to give me something extra and make me sweat.
What I didn't know is how much my running had improved. At OTF we do a lot of treadmill running. Sometimes 27 minutes straight. They break it into blocks, base, push and all out. I don't think I need to explain these, you get the picture. The other stuff, rowing and floor work is easy enough. Too easy really considering what I normally lift but I try to focus on going slow. This is difficult because in CrossFit you're always going for the fastest or the most, not the slowest, in a Met Con. It takes some work.
When I did the run yesterday and finished the workout in what I consider to be a great time, I was thrilled and immediately knew OTF had helped me when I didn't know it would. I was just trying to get a variety in and in the end, I ended up improving my run.
Training in other things besides CrossFit is perfect for me. 1x a week. I don't get bored. I still lift a lot and I get to sweat. If you have an OTF near you, check it out. They normally offer 2 classes for free. If you like to push yourself, you'll be hooked.
So the workout* involved a lengthy run and some toes to bar. (see bottom for full workout). I can do a pull up but only a couple, not a lot. And toes to bar, forget it. So I plan for sit ups. I don't hate sit ups, they are fine, easy and I am pretty quick at them. As I am discussing my plan for the WOD a fellow CrossFitter tells me, you can't do sit ups, you're too advanced for that!
So as you can see from the workout there is running. The run to the trail is about 600m one way, a total of 1200m just to start. It's not super hard but it's not easy. Ever since I stopped running due to my foot, I haven't been nearly as consistent with my pace. I usually struggle quite a bit with a run that long. But I wasn't thinking about that. My coach says there is a 25 minute time cap. I look at the board and see other times close to 30 minutes. I don't know if I'll make it.
The WOD begins and I am at the beginning of the pack, with the girls. I start next to another CrossFitter but she slowly drops off. I thought she would be by me the entire time. I am not too far behind the last guy. I keep going. I get back and for the 3 rounds, I go light. I knew I would because my Overhead Squats are horrible and need work. So I do 55lbs only. I do 20lbs on the Clusters (a clean to thruster) and like I said, 10 sit ups and 5 toes to bar. The initial 600m run took me 6:30, fresh. I finish the 3 rounds around 17:00 minutes and I am the first one to head out for the run, which surprises me. But I did go light.
The initial run is tough because I am out of breath from the lifting. However, I get my groove. I realize as I am half way through the second run portion, this is NOT that hard. My pace is consistent, I am breathing okay and I might actually get under 25 minutes.
I finished at 24:02. The second run took me about 30 seconds longer. Barely anything since I had done lifting before! But why was my run so good? Orange Theory Fitness.
Orange Theory Fitness (OTF) is a cardio class. I have been doing it for about 5-6 weeks now. You wear a heart rate monitor and switch between running, rowing and what they call floor work which is a combination of light dumbbells and TRX. They call it the new science of fitness. I call it my saving grace. I had been doing CrossFit for about 8 months before I realized I needed just a little something more. They opened an OTF in Walnut Creek and I tried a class for free. Half way into the class, I was hooked. I signed up for 4 classes a month. 1x a week. It was perfect. It's just enough to give me something extra and make me sweat.
What I didn't know is how much my running had improved. At OTF we do a lot of treadmill running. Sometimes 27 minutes straight. They break it into blocks, base, push and all out. I don't think I need to explain these, you get the picture. The other stuff, rowing and floor work is easy enough. Too easy really considering what I normally lift but I try to focus on going slow. This is difficult because in CrossFit you're always going for the fastest or the most, not the slowest, in a Met Con. It takes some work.When I did the run yesterday and finished the workout in what I consider to be a great time, I was thrilled and immediately knew OTF had helped me when I didn't know it would. I was just trying to get a variety in and in the end, I ended up improving my run.
Training in other things besides CrossFit is perfect for me. 1x a week. I don't get bored. I still lift a lot and I get to sweat. If you have an OTF near you, check it out. They normally offer 2 classes for free. If you like to push yourself, you'll be hooked.
*Matte Black LandRover
3 Rounds For Time
Trail run
then 3 rounds of:
5 Overhead Squats NL: 135lbs, ADV:*: 85lbs, RX: 55lbs
10 Dumbbell Clusters NL: 45lbs, ADV*: 30lbs, RX: 15lbs
15 Toes to Bar RX: Sit Ups
then finish with a trail Run
then 3 rounds of:
5 Overhead Squats NL: 135lbs, ADV:*: 85lbs, RX: 55lbs
10 Dumbbell Clusters NL: 45lbs, ADV*: 30lbs, RX: 15lbs
15 Toes to Bar RX: Sit Ups
then finish with a trail Run
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