TWO done, THREE to come

Interesting numbers on The 5th Annual Open!!





















Two done, three to come.

If this is your first Open, you've got your feet wet with two WODs. You have now experienced having a Judge count your reps, maybe even heard the dreaded NO REP? You've watched the WOD announcement on Thursday followed by those AMAZING athletes going head to head. Plus you have gone to bed dissecting your first attempt and how you are going to attack it the 2nd time to get more reps. Right? I'm pretty sure I'm right!

If you're one of the returning Synergy athletes you get to compare your scores to last year. In the case of this year, 15.2 was the repeat WOD. We have come to expect each year ONE workout to be a repeat from the previous year. This is one example of Crossfit being measurable. And it's very cool. Ask some of the Synergy athletes who got their first C2B and then multiples that they didn't have last year!! So proud to hear about all your PRs at our great gym!!

Sifting through my 15.1 and 15.2

If you have followed my posts you know the chink in my armour; gymnastics, shoulder mobility and the Olympic lifts. Gee, Laurie, that's not a chink in the armour. That leaves you pretty much naked when it comes to Crossfit!, said the smart-ass blogger. So, how did we handle this large chink so far?

15.1 ~ T2B, snatches and dead lifts,  and 15.1A ~ max C&J.

The chatter in my head at the announcement:

Well I just hit a PR on my C&J. Can I do it when I'm tired? T2B. I'm way better at them than the last time I competed, but how good am I at them? Games good? At least they are in a triplet where I don't have to be back on the bar so quickly. The dead lift is light...that's where I rest in this WOD. 

Chatter chatter chatter right up until it's time to do it. I'm thankful for great programming that keeps us "doing" what we do best at Synergy right through the Open. These days it seems to involve prowlers...often.

When 15.1 and 15.1A are played and laid to rest, it's good. T2Bs went better than in the past. I C&J'ed more than I have in past competitions and didn't land too far down in the standings with a WOD that exposed my weaknesses. ONWARD!! AND I had a great looking Judge for 15.1...way better looking than this guy who's always doing these silly memes.

Who is this guy doing all the cheesy Crossfit memes?

SEE? WAY handsome! I think he no-repped me once though on T2Bs. 

15.2 ~ Never saw it coming. The repeat WOD from 2014. I heard about it at the gym since I was coaching and didn't get to watch the announcement. AND since I didn't do the Open last year, I didn't know what everyone was talking about. I did however hear very clearly that there were C2B pull-ups.  Chatter chatter chatter:

Humph. I can at least do proper C2Bs now...not many but way better than one year ago. This might go OK. (Then I find out it's a couplet with light OHS). This might not go OK. I'll be back to the bar so soon...and 3 minutes to complete 24 C2B PLUS the 24 OHS. Humph. This might not go OK. 

So we roll into 15.2 on Friday. 2 C2B short of getting into the 14's. Easy to make up 2 C2B I was told. I thought it was doable too. Round two of 15.2 was the FIRST re-take of any Open WOD where I did not score higher than my first attempt. I got the same score 2nd time through; 2 C2B short of the extra 3 minutes and easy extra reps. I decided to seriously think about doing it a 3rd time. This would be a first for me as well in the Open, taking 3 attempts at a better score.

Making the decision to do 15.2 a third time through needed to be made with someone I trust, Coach Benko. Hind site is 40/40 and now looking back,  I know I had already made peace with 15.2 not needing to do it again. What nagged me was feeling I made some mistakes by using equipment that I didn't normally use and would not be allowed in a Games workout. Did I believe I did the best I could with the skill set I had at this moment in my training? Or was my ego trumping a truth and wanting to be better than I was at that moment, in that workout?

TRUTH!!

I made huge gains in my C2B pull-ups in this past training period. BUT...I have to accept the gains that I made will have an equal and matching result. My goal is not to be "good for my age". It's to be a competitve Game's athlete. I know what that means and I accept C2B pull-ups need more work to be Games' worthy. Coach Benko said it well. This is what I heard him say regardless of what he thinks he said.  :) 

"What does the leader board mean, really? If you do your best, YOUR BEST, your 110%, you will land where you land in the standings. And at the end of it all, you will be ranked. So don't do a workout with the score in mind. Plan to do the workout with YOUR BEST plan in mind and give it 110%. Laurie, did you do that? And if you did, do you need to do this again?"

15.2 laid to rest. A workout to expose my weaknesses...and that is a blessing. For I can only experience being my best in relation to my weakest.  There are no failures, only learning opportunities. What did I learn? I know myself well. Trust what I already know. I have lots to learn in terms of refining my honed skills and closing my weaknesses and how my skills will serve me best in any given workout. I love that about Crossfit. The opportunity to be the BEST version of me can't be ignored. 

"Your responsibility is to be the Greatest Version of the Grandest Vision 

you ever had about yourself. In this, you have total responsibility. " 

~ Neale Donald Walsch ~ Conversations with God

And always, always....consider the lilies.

24 Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! 25 Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? 26 And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?

27 “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. 28 And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?

Luke 12:24-28New Living Translation (NLT)

Two done, three battles to win!!

Random fun

Some fun and random thoughts from me and about me before we head into The Open. I know this will be the final little push you need to register. 

Let's me honest. There will be ONE workout in The Open where some equivalent of this will happen. AND tell me...WHY would ANYONE want to miss the opportunity of experiencing it and surviving? 

This is the great thing about Crossfit. It really has something for everyone. No need to leave your fancy behind, John and Colin. Get registered. 

This kinda made me think of the day, Courtney, you discovered that standing in just the right spot while looking in just the right direction gave you a perfect view of the Synergy men's urinal. 

I'm hoping Coach Benko will have some Nutella to go with the Bananas and Burgers. I promise not to put my fingers in the jar. 

OH wow! For sure on this one. "Darn flatulence. Please don't smell." "Shit Coach Tron, my arms are NOT bent." "I love it when I'm ahead of Matt." "Please God, don't let me pee too much on these box jumps." 

That's a cute baby.

I know he's not cute like the baby but I love him.

Except pistols. One has to half-ass pistols.

We all know the answer. 

I am for sure going to use this when I coach. I think I'll wait until Carson shows up. 

hahahaha. See? Random is fun. 

Bet you'll never look at your nut butter in the same way.

Really, they just get in the way of so many movements. Personally I want a bigger butt and smaller breasts. I know that's going to improve my performance.

And we all do this. Run our hands over parts of our body? Right? Tyler Siwak, I know you kiss your biceps before going to sleep. 

Love, 

Jonah

How I felt after Round 3 of 6 today in the Strongman Workout. Why...am...I...breathing...so ....hard???  I remember breathing like that one other time...the first time I was introduced to D-ball slams.

Random picture of the most beautiful Crossfit athlete. 

The squat and back I want.

Coach Chad, can you get these in the pro shop? I'll take two.

I love the fact that at our gym, Synergy, we DO care what your time was. We are all so darn competitive that none of us want to be left behind. We put in the work to see results. Results in ALL and ANY areas. AND we keep that fire burning for our gym mates 'cause we know without them, we don't win either.  

TRUTH. 

BUT none of us are going to die in The Open. John, Steve, Colin, Quinton, Laura...and all of Synergy, get registered.

Anyone who does The Open starts to looks like this, can suddenly do this and...what more do I need to say?

And this is it!! Synergy athletes don't give up and we don't get beat except by thoughts of shortcomings that don't exist except in our head. 

How excited are we??

PRETTY DARN EXCITED!! 
                                                                                                                                                                       

NO...we're not talking about sex OR running.
We are talking about......

THE OPEN...whoop whoop!!

I remember my first OPEN...2011. There was this buzz in the gym about 5 weeks of workouts NOT programmed by Coach Chad. Who else could program a good workout but Coach Chad? That's how naive I was. AND then over the next few weeks we were practising all these movements at crazy weights. It made me wonder if Coach Chad really knew what he was doing 'cause he didn't have us doing any of this!! And we had to do how many reps at that weight?

But I showed up anyway. Coach Chad told me I had to. In that first Open I think the only movement I didn't succeed at was a muscle up. I NEVER got my chest close to the bar until this Open. NEVER did that many OHS before this. NEVER did box jumps that fast (fast for me). There were some very cool firsts for me in that first OPEN. Oh yes...and I qualified for the Crossfit Games too in this year. It was Matt Bathgate who told me I qualified. When I asked him what the Crossfit Games were about he told me that too. I didn't know Matt all that well at this time except that when he looked at me with his squinty eyes, I always stepped it up.

And so I took a trip to Carson, CA in July 2011, to the Home Depot Centre with my biggest fan, my daughter Justine, Coach Chad and our crazy, wonderful team of coaches. We won a 2nd place finish that year.  

Tron thought I'd be REALLY heavy with that Silver Medal

2012 rolls around. I'm ready this time for these crazy workouts. NOPE...got it wrong again. Wrong in the sense that I had it all figured out, that nothing would surprise me. Well, I was surprised. I was surprised at how much I learnt again about myself. I got the MU's this year and a ticket back to the Crossfit Games. I learnt more about how I reacted to pressure, how I under-performed when I didn't manage it, how passion can over-fuel intensity, throw off physical - psychological balance which too causes performance below ability. Does it sound like life? Every year I got better at life because I chose to show up for the Open. Sound cheesy? You're going to have test it out. 

The 2012 Open meant another trip to The Home Depot Centre. It's an opportunity I am forever grateful for. This 2nd trip was a bit of an up hill journey for me as a few areas of my life were below the standards I held for myself. It was the start of a growth period for me. I'll say it again. Because I participated in the Open, my life path took a particular direction. I finished 6th at the Games in this year. Not what I saw in my mind but exactly where I was supposed to be. 

Then came 2013 and 2014, two years of balancing relationship, health and faith. I completely let circumstance into the driver's seat. Let's just sum up those two years with this and get on:

And ta-daaaa!! 2015 and it's time to sign up for the OPEN...again...OR for the first time. This next part is important. Everyone of my experiences in Crossfit have been with my community of team mates. And my experiences are not my own. A first for me meant someone witnessed it and got the courage to push outside their own comfort zone. AND I've been witness to so many awesome PR's and firsts in Open workouts that when my turn comes, I'm going out to be part of that. NONE of us achieve anything without each other. 

What's this all mean? I'm registered for THE 2015 OPEN. Do not let me be on the battle field alone. I won't make it nearly as far as with my mates. Come find out what it's really about...the sidelines are not the place to experience it. I need you ... and you need me. I need a top 20 finish in this Open to head back to the Games. And you have my permission to kick my ass...as soon as you're registered. 

Can't give this guy enough air time. 

Crossfit Skills don't just happen: Make a Plan

OK! I'm confessing right now. I stole that title and here's the article. 

Crossfit Skills Don't Just Happen: Make a Plan

GREAT read with some cool videos...and it inspired me to update myself and you on my progress plan. 'Cause it's 18 sleeps till we ALL register for the 2015 Crossfit Open. AND 59 sleeps until it starts!!  WHOOP WHOOP, right Josh?

This quote from the article hit hard, 
"There are certain movements that when we see them come up in a workout, we think, “Crap, I wish I had my [insert word here]!”

I have said that for YEARS about gymnastic movements. Actually, what I've really said to myself is, "I hope _____ don't show up." That's a sad day (there aren't many in Crossfit) when performing well is based on certain skills NOT showing up. BUT I'm thrilled to tell you and me that this is changing. AND I know for many of you, my Synergy team mates, you can say the same thing for your skills. 

This is another great quote from the article, 
"It’s the rare athlete who can walk into a CrossFit box, grab a rope, and by sheer osmosis start cranking out double unders in a few days."

This goes for any Crossfit Skill. That's where the plan comes in. Remember this...we CANNOT work on EVERYTHING. A focused plan on ONE skill will be most effective. If you have a knowledgeable coach programming the WOD's, you will still be developing a whack of skills by just showing up and following the schedule. YOU having a plan for ONE skill will hone that skill the fastest. 

So what have I been up to:

Plan ONE: to figure out my macronutrients i.e.: eat enough carbs, less fat and protein. 
This has been going well. Believe it or not, I under-ate over Christmas. Not enough of anything really. And that is as harmful as over-indulging for extended periods. It takes a day or two to get the muscles loaded ready to perform. When I'm in routine, it's dialled in well.  Protein is 150 grams or more, fat is 75-ish grams on higher carb days, 100 grams on lower carb days, carbs are 200-ish on high days, 150-ish on low days. I've figured out timing of meals and types of carbs so I'm not dealing with that nasty flatulence. Ripe bananas, sweet potatoes, strawberries, make up 75% of my carbs with my gluten free breads and wraps filling in the rest. I have yet to test out oatmeal and see how that does for me. 

I'm feeling great on this plan meaning, my workouts are feeling pretty great. We will see how my max lifts go at the Monster Lift Off.  Strong cardio is good but strength is KING :)  

AND this verse is the BEST:

"Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible but I will not be mastered by anything. Therefore, honour God with your body."

- 1 Corinthians 6:12

Plan TWO: butterfly pull-ups
Coming. Not where I want them...and where do I want them? I want to use them on the next Fran. What was the plan? First was shoulder mobility. That is 100% better. I'm not Gumby by a long shot but I feel kinda swingy on the pull-up bar.  Second was to go back to basics and get my kip stronger and more efficient. It's better, way better. And third was to turn that better mobility and kipping into butterfly pull-ups. I do butterfly pull-ups every time they are programmed so that's progress. Goal is to do them in sets of 10. This means repetition, repetition, practise, practise. 

NEW Plan: Toes 2 Bar
I liked the video in the article. Goal is to have sets of 8-10 by the Open. 

All in all, I'm pleased with where I'm at. Lot's of distance to cover and it's best done with THE PLAN. 

So get a plan and let's get ready for the OPEN!!

THE prescription

The prescription for....success, of course.

The prescription for success was one faceted when I first started thinking about it. Then I stumbled

upon something that showed me there's another cut to this diamond. So, here's my attempt at gem cutting.

Much of this comes from an author I've become quite attached to: Dr Joseph Murphy. His work is very dated and yet, timeless. He often makes reference to "the eternal verities". 

To be truthful, NONE of the details of this post are mine. I just take others' ideas and apply them to my life. 

"There is no such thing as something for nothing. You must always pay the price, and the coin, of course, is attention." 

I've mentioned attention and paying the price in other posts...it's very important.

"Let's take the case of Albert Einstein. In grade school he was such an unimpressive student that when his Father asked the Head Master what profession young Albert should pursue, the Head Master replied, It really doesn't matter because he will never make a success at anything."  

We know how this story ended.  Although Einstein is most known for his genius mind, his unprecedented success was due to determined persistence rather than easy genius.

How about this one.

"The story of America's greatest Statesman is not a story of easy success but one dogged persistence. He failed in business at 21, was defeated for the State legislature in 1833. He was elected to the legislature in 1834. His sweetheart died in 1835. He had a nervous breakdown in 1836. He was defeated for speaker in 1838. He was defeated for elector in 1840, was defeated for congress in 1843. Finally he was elected for Congress in 1846 only to be defeated in 1848. He was defeated for the Senate in 1855, was defeated for Vice President in 1856, and was defeated again for the Senate in 1858. Finally in 1860 he was elected President of the United States. These were just a FEW rough spots in the life of Abraham Lincoln."

These humans paid the price: attention, devotion, loyalty, persistence, stick-to-it-tiveness, refusing to take no for an answer, always realising there was a Power that responded. Attention is the key to life. It's the key to success...or so I thought.

"There are a number of qualities that contribute to personal success in life. Some, like being born with good parents, or in a favourable country or social class or with natural physical and mental endowments are completely out of our control. But the ones that really count are the ones we can do something about. Among these nothing is more important than the quality of persistence.
Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. Nothing is more common than talented people who are unsuccessful. Genius will not. Unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not. The world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."

Still sounds like persistence is the key to success.

And in my Crossfit world I give my attention and apply persistence to learning pacing, to better gymnastic skills, to perfect fuelling, to better mobility, to rest and recovery. And it's the stories of my gym mates who are doing the same thing and succeeding that strengthen my faith that anything will be given to us if we pay the coin.  Is it to do consecutive double-unders like my friend Rick F. who strung a whack together after giving it attention? Or to Janyce Y. who did un-banded pull-ups for an entire WOD. WHOOP WHOOP you two!!

Persistence, attention, paying the coin...that was my first thought about success. That's what sets successful people apart.

Then I read this:

'Addicted To Passion'

The strongest emotion I know is passion. It's the cornerstone and the deepest feeling of commitment my heart has ever known. The love for that one thing that wakes you up inside makes the hardest of tasks become as easy as taking a step. The joy and the thrill of the process protects you against all the depressions and setbacks. I personally have never met someone running and building with passion for what their doing, get stuck in depression. On the other hand I've seen the lack of it lead to despair. I've become completely convinced of a few things in life and this is one of them... Building your life passion-filled is like the brightest of guiding lights that keep you on track, and it's filled with all the signs along the way that remind you you're in the right place at the right time and the well of hope that burns inside of you brings faith and all the insight and foresight you need to see your own future.

Most people that wander through life never knowing where they are going, suffer this one simple thing, and it's an easy fix... Get back to what interests you the most. Get back to love. Get back to passion. The journey is the most fulfilling and exciting thing you will ever know. It meets the greatest of challenges and it NEVER says 'Why me? It says TRY ME! 

~Rick Gutman~

After batting this around in the old noggin, it became very clear that passion and persistence are inseparable links in the success chain. Being passionate about one's purpose ensures persistence will follow with a willing and fiery heart that does NOT tire.

How does this apply to me and Crossfit? It's weird, I know. I have other passions than just Crossfit, in case you're wondering...but Crossfit is a biggy. Why?

1. I NEVER NOT want to go to the gym.
2. I feel giddy excited walking into the gym...slightly less giddy when Fran is on the menu.
3. There's something telling me being physical is one of my gifts...it will help others. That's super important to me.
4. I haven't yet stopped learning about myself while in the competitive arena. Like God is telling me to "Go again. Go harder. Do more. Learn more. Be more. I have you hemmed in. Fear nothing."
5. It makes me happy. "It" being Crossfit WODs, my coaches, my gym mates, competition...the whole package.

Obviously many people aren't as Crossfit crazy as I am. It's not their passion and therefore there's no drive to be doggedly persistent at improving.

BUT we ALL have a passion.

You have a passion. Uncover it, allow it into the driver's seat and then let your heart follow the road. Guess what you'll find on that road?

You hem me in behind and before,

    and you lay your hand upon me.

- Psalm 139:5