13.1

The CrossFit Games Open season is upon us. 5 workouts in 5 weeks, and an opportunity for every CrossFit athlete globally to compete against each other in an attempt to qualify for The Games in July. How cool is that we get to compete in the same workout, judged and logged on the CrossFit website, as the best athletes in the world like Spealler, Froning, Foucher & Valenzuela. Awesome.

With much anticipation last Thursday we logged on and awaited the global release of the first WOD. Lots of speculation about what it could be and the announcement caused groans around the world…a combination of 2012 workouts.

17min AMRAP

40 burpees (with a jump to a target 6inches above your maximum reach)
30 snatches (20kg)
30 burpees
30 snatches (35kg)
20 burpees
30 snatches (45kg)
10 burpees
Snatches 55kg (use remaining time for as many reps as possible)

Immediately my heart sank. My first Open and I didn’t think I was going to be able to register a single score. Simply I didn’t think I could jump high enough to hit that target on the burpee’s.  My open season would be done in week 1.  I was very very stressed about it. I put a target on the wall at home and for 2 days tried and tried to hit it but each time fell short.  As a child my muscles didn’t develop as they should have so I never developed the explosive power I needed to jump & run, so those elements are usually a challenge for me.

I had no intention of withdrawing from the Games, I was always going to attempt it. Even if I had to spend the 17mins jumping up and down till I hit that damn target.

Many of my friends and members of a CrossFit page I am part of were all scoring around 100reps or more. I just felt so crap about the thought of actually failing, it was to be honest quite upsetting to me.

D Day arrived and I fronted up to the box and was allocated a heat time for my turn. I was getting some very cool messages from a couple of close friends to encourage me and they helped more than they will ever know.

Finally the time had come and I found my place and was measured for the burpee target. Once again I tried and tried to hit the target and the only way I could do it was taking a running jump, sadly this was not allowed in the event. I said to my judge & coach Jody that she wouldn’t have to count very high as I couldn't hit that target.

My friends in the box were just saying to me just get one rep, that’s all I needed to progress to week 2.  I doubted I could even get that and that was my focus, just one rep. To me that would be a win.

3….2……1…..GO and we were underway. I dropped into my first burpee, stood up, looked up at that ring, took a deep breath and just leapt. 

And to my complete astonishment I hit the damn target.  I will always remember the cheer that my mate Jan let out when I hit that ring. So back down I went and kept going. I anticipated I would take the entire 17mins to get through 40 burpees. Each and every single rep I stood under that ring and had to make a conscious total effort on that leap.

Jody was awesome pushing me on for every rep, reminding me to breathe, and focus on each jump. She counted me down and before I knew it I was onto the first round of snatches. I totally surprised myself. I was pretty shattered as I had given everything on every burpee. The weight of 20kg was manageable for me so my next goal was to finish them.

Started throwing the bar overhead and focusing on making each rep a good one. I didn't want to redo any.  Again I could hear people yelling my name, which just helps so much. Jody once again was wonderful and counting me through reps and making sure my rest was short. Half way through the snatches I started to think about what I was doing and how hard it was and how I wasn’t going to score anywhere near my peers. Felt tears coming and desperately didn’t want to lose my shit there so wandered off, got chalked and pulled myself together and kept going.

To my surprise again I got through the snatches and still had time for burpees.  In the remaining time I manages another 8. So my score for 13.1 was 78 reps. Not where I wanted to be but not the worst in the world.  And for me the win was in just getting one single rep. To overcome all that up until that moment I could not do.

I am not the fittest, strongest or fastest when it comes to this stuff. But every single time I step into that box I give 100% of myself. Sometimes I’m disappointed in what I can achieve, and other times I surprise myself with what I can do. I always try regardless.

So now we’re waiting to hit 13.2. The workout is something I can do so will post the results once I am done!!