Beginner Blues: CrossFit 06/30/2014

I am not sure how much I've spoken about the women at CrossFit, but let me tell you how amazing they are. In any given class, most of them are doing pull-ups or Toes-to-Bar without any assistance. They are lifting crazy amounts of weight. They Burpee and Thruster to amazing levels. Sometimes it's overwhelming to be the beginner in the class who has to scale everything and watch these women do what they do. I feel so guilty when the others in the class are gutting out a really tough workout as prescribed (Rx) and I am finished because I had to scale my stuff. That's not to say that it's not a struggle for me to get through even my scaled WOD, it's just that I can get through, say, leg lifts significantly faster than someone who has to suspend themselves from a bar and kip up their feet to meet their hands on that bar. Anyway, tonight was a rough one for everyone. I continue to be amazed at what the others in the class can do, especially the women.

Posted workout for Monday, June 30th:

Warm-Up:

Run 400 meters

What I did: Same. No walking. 

3 Rounds of:

5 Burpees
10 Thrusters (pvc pole or dowel)
15 Abmat Sit-Ups

What I did: Same.

(Editorial Comment: You've got to worry when you struggle to get through the warm-up)

Stretching:

Hip Mobility
Dislocates

Performance / WOD:

A. (Strength) HBBS E2M x 6 2 reps @ 90% 1 RM (Translation: High Bar Back Squats, every two minutes for 6 rounds, do 2 reps at 90% of your 1 rep maximum.)

What I did: I'm still trying to figure out what weights I can do for everything. Since HBBS seems to be something we do every week, I've been moving the weight up a little bit each time. Last week I did 55lbs, tonight I did these reps at 65lbs. I could have added more weight, I think. 

B. "Crankshaft"

21-15-9 for time: (Translation: 21 reps, then 15 reps, then 9 reps of the following intervals)

Bar Facing Burpees
Thrusters (95lbs men/65lbs women)
Toes-to-Bar

What I did: Looking at the posted workout just now, I realize that I totally read the board wrong during the WOD! I thought it said 21-12-9. I read the board multiple times and that is what registered in my brain. But now reading the posted WOD, 21-12-9 makes no sense. Of course it was 21-15-9, doh!!! Okay, I ended up doing, 21 reps: Bar Facing Burpees, Thrusters (15lbs bar), Leg Lifts. 12: Bar Facing Burpees, Thrusters, Leg Lifts. 9: Bar Facing Burpees, Thrusters, Leg Lifts. 

I started out doing the Thrusters with the 33lb bar, since the last time I did them I did it with the 15lb and thought maybe I could handle more but, nope. I got through about 2 barely able to lift the bar out of the squat. So, I switched back to the 15lb. Next time maybe I'll use that bar, but add 10lbs, might be a good compromise. 

The last time I substituted leg lifts for toes-to-bar, I could barely even do the leg lifts because of my very tight lower back/upper hip area and tonight was just as tough for me. It's embarrassing, really. All these people are leaping onto a bar, suspending themselves and repeatedly hoisting their feet up to join their hands to the bar and I can't even do a freaking leg lift! I had to actually scale my scale by doing knees-to-chest lifts. Sheesh. 

The workout, even with my scaling, was killer. Burpees in particular are just incredibly hard, especially when there are multiple sets. 

Anyway, my total time for the workout was 13:03. I probably shouldn't even record it since, well, I CHEATED, and with all the scaling, etc. But whatever. 

Oh yeah, there was also a Cash-Out:

C. Accrue 3:00 in a handstand hold on a wall in as few sets as possible.

What I did: You're kidding, right? I am a long way away from being able to do anything like a handstand!

I know that we all have to start somewhere but, I have a feeling I'm going to be a beginner for a long time. It's almost embarrassing when the others congratulate me after the WOD, high-five and say, "good job". I try to be accept it gracefully, but I want to respond, "Not really. I suck."

I guess I just need to embrace this sentiment for now: