Finish?

Can I finish? There are times during a workout when we all face that doubt, where we must find a way to push through the difficulty, to finish. When we go to that place just outside out comfort zone, we make gains. We find out about ourselves and how will we function during adversity. 

Those thoughts ran through my head during my second set of wall walks today. Once we were into the second round, and I saw the end in sight, I found a second push to finish. 

Today's Work:
Warm-up:
400 meter run
3 rounds
Sampson stretch
10x overhead squats with PVC
10x push-ups
10x sit-ups
10x strict pull-ups

then

WOD
3 rounds for time
25 box jumps (24")
2 wall walks
25 deficit push-ups (#25 plates)
2 wall walks
25 goblet squats (1 pood kettlebell)
2 wall walks

I was able to finish in 12:11. I really felt this test my capacity to maintain a high level throughout the workout. The wall walk- push-up - wall walk sequence was simply brutal, my arms and shoulders were toasted! The total volume for my total training today is much lower, as I didn't ride tonight. Hopefully the couple of days off the bike will prepare me for the weekend!

Early Morning

You have to find a time to invest in your fitness. For me that is before the work day starts. I'm usually in the gym at 5:30 to start the workout of the day. This is a great time for me because it allows me to get some work in the bank before the day begins. With my job, I'm never 100% sure what the time after the end of the school day will bring (in addition to all of the extracurricular activities we have). It also ensures me of not being bound by the weather by only biking after school. So this morning, along with four of my guys who like to do work, we hit the Crossfit Countdown Throwdown WOD #2 (with some strength work before:

Warm-up:
3 rounds of

• 50 single unders
• 10 squat holds
• 10 push-ups
• 10 sit-ups
• 10 arm haulers

Then strength work with front squats

(5,5 - warm-ups) 3,3,3,1,1,1 - increasing the weights to hit 225 pounds of the last rep

then 12 minutes of work

0 - 3 minutes - run 400 meters (right at 1:30 for me)

3 - 10 minutes - 7 minute AMRAP

5 x #115 front squat

7 x toes to bar

9 x #115 shoulder to overhead

5 rounds by 16 reps (5 front squats, 7 toes to bar, 4 shoulder to overhead)

10 - 11 minutes - rest

11 - 12 minutes - Burpees (I was able to get in 22 burpees)

I really liked the scheme of this workout, constantly varied! Two areas of improvement for me would be shoulder and wrist mobility (definitely an area in which I need to invest more time) and strength. This was taxing to the cardiovascular system, but I need the strength to push through unbroken on the presses.  Also, it was definitely a strength issue because I was able to recover fairly quickly, and complete 22 burpees in the nest minute. Hopefully this will build some capacity for me for the competition in just over a week.

Like we always do about this time (yeah, lyric reference...), I start talking about the ROD (ride of the day). Short and simple Fulton Ride tonight, just spinning the legs out again. I could really feel the front squats on this ride (didn't I say something about lowering the volume earlier). We had pretty awesome weather for a January that wasn't even approaching Manurary as the temps rose to the high 40s, I'll take it!