Wednesday, July 28, 2010

California Dreamin'

Well, it's been awhile. I apologize to my few fans. This is what I've been up to.

1.Training for the CrossFit Games as part of Team CrossFit Southside
2. Competing at the CFG
3. Recovering from the CFG
4. Preparing for my new chapter in life

So from the top...
After falling short of qualifying individually for the CFG, my roommate offered me her spot on Team Southside. It was not an easy choice for me. Although I was greatly appreciative and honored that she would give up her spot to me, I was so focused on my individual goal and journey to make it to the CFG that I didn't know if I had it in me to switch my focus towards a team goal. After a serious conversation with JB, I decided that it would be a privilege and an honor to represent the gym that gave me so much. And from then on the training began again.

We did a few two a days, some track workouts, and some workouts in 100 degree heat. We did a few tests to see where our strengths would be best for the team. I hit a OHS pr of 140# which was pretty baller, and days before the games started I dropped 4 seconds off my 500 M Row PR. Needless to say, I was feeling pretty ready.

Then came 105# Thrusters...
At the Games the first event out of the blocks was:
2 Round for Time of, 70 105/155# Thrusters, 50 C2B Pullups, and roughly 100 m partner carry all split between a four man team of Me, Michelle, Doos, and Ben. The event had a 12 minute time cap.

The first round took us exactly 6 minutes, and it took us another 6 minutes to complete 63 thrusters. We DNF'd. That was a tough pill to swallow. We definitely weren't prepared for the event. For both me and Michelle that was the heaviest Thruster we had ever done, so we set a PR, but now we know what we need to work on for next time.

The second event involved all six team members. It was a rotation of three work stations ending with a 1 RM shoulder to overhead. The work stations were max rep deadlifts in one minute, rest, max rep pistols in one minute, rest, max rep calories on the rower, 1 RM Jerk. I personally jerked 140# and as a team we placed the highest in the 1 RM event. Our performance although better than the first event was not enough to move us on to day 2. We placed 51st our of 70ish teams. We need to be in the top 48 to move onto day 2. Although we fell short of our goal, it was a huge accomplishment for our gym to make it to the games and compete at that level. I am very proud of each one of my team members. Great Job Southside!

As a spectator of the CFG, I was completely enthralled all weekend. Watching the individual competition only made me what to compete as an individual even more. CrossFit competitions are definitely a thing I want to keep doing. I think it is one of the coolest ways to test your fitness and your progression as an athlete, and I would love to do it on the world stage sometime.

Post CFG, I let loose...
I'm probably going to gain at least ten pounds if I keep it up. The sundaes, pizza, beer, cookie diet isn't exactly the best "look good" diet out there, but hey...I think I earned it! :) Only 6 days off and I felt like a complete bum. I've been back into the gym doing 3 on 1 off and I feel semi-normal. Not quite normal because I keep eating like a dessert crazed maniac...baby steps, baby steps. I'll get back to fighting weight, don't you worry. ;)

So long Jacksonville, it's been real...
I was accepted to Villanova School of Law for the Class of 2013. Pretty stoked! So I will be leaving Jacksonville August 7th to make the trek back north. I am excited for the new chapter in my life. Law school and the practice of law has always been an interest of mine and I am excited to finally be able to pursue it.

I am not so thrilled about leaving my CrossFit peeps. Southside crew has definitely become my family here in Jax and I am bummed to leave them. They have helped me grow in so many ways as a person and as an athlete I will be forever grateful. Someone once told me that, for anyone who has ever given you confidence you owe them a lot, and Southside has definitely done that for me. I am going to try and find a CrossFit affiliate up north that I think fits with my personality and I can only hope that I find people there half as cool as the folks at Southside. :)