Open 16.1

20 minute AMRAP

25’ overhead walking lunges (95/65)

8 bar facing burpees

25’ overhead walking lunges (95/65)

8 chest to bar pull ups

Wod 1 for the 2016 Crossfit Open is complete. My first attempt last Friday night gave me a total of 218. After every wod I say aloud, “I’m not doing that shit again.” Then I wake up on Saturday morning & think I could probably get a few more reps if I do this or that differently. Let the insanity begin! It happens every Open season – just get a few more reps. I drive myself crazy. So, of course, on Monday night I repeat 16.1, along with several of my fellow teammates, & completely change up my strategy. Instead of stringing sets of chest to bar pull ups, I switch to singles thinking this will keep my heart rate down & save my hands in the long run; I tore on the pull ups during my first attempt. I’d like to say I was on a pretty good pace in the beginning, but who the hell knows; all I was thinking about was how much I couldn’t breathe. When the timer ran out & I collapsed on the floor, I KNEW that I had tied my score from the first time around (218). I even said to my judge, “I tied didn’t I?” He confirmed it. I was so pissed off at myself for getting the exact same score, no better, no worse, just the SAME. To say I was disappointed in my performance is an understatement. I could come up with excuses & I actually want to sit here & list them all, but I won’t - time to move on to the next one. I can’t change anything now that moment has officially passed.

If you couldn’t tell from above, I’m extremely competitive; not only with other people but with myself & my own performance. I need to remember that this whole process/experience is supposed to be fun. I know I can’t find one person who doesn’t have fun when they win. Or set a new PR. Or kick someone’s ass in a wod. I know I totally do! I suppose when things don’t go the way I want them I need to step back, shake it off & push forward. So here we go…what’s next? Open wod 16.2…whatever that might be.

Our box is lucky enough to have a photographer as one of our box members & she captured our pain during 16.1 - here are a few of my favorite photos from Kaila Drayton Photography: