Weekly Workouts: CrossFit Open 16.3 & 16.4

Hello!  I made it to the gym 3 times this past week and I didn't want to miss the chance to blog about 16.3 and 16.4, so here we go!

F - 0.9 mi with the pups + CrossFit

• WOD CrossFit Open 16.3: 7 minute AMRAP
• 10 Snatches (75/55)
• 3 Bar Muscle Ups

I had never attempted a bar muscle up before, so my expectations were pretty low, but I knew I was going to do the Rx version anyway since the 10 reps would rank me higher than any amount of scaled reps.  After getting through the 10 snatches, I attempted to get my body over the bar quite a few times, but the whole sit up portion just doesn't compute and I completed the rest of the workout with chest to bar pull ups (which are still challenging and exciting for me).

S - 2.1 mi with the dogs and Dave

S - Rest

M - CrossFit

• Strength: Back Squat 3 x 4 at 75% - I did these at 140 lbs and they were tough, but good.
• WOD: For Time (12 Minute Cap)
• 50 Calorie Row
• 40 Thrusters (95/65)
• 30 Burpees Over Bar

I was hesitant to Rx this workout because I knew the 65 lbs thrusters were going to be rough, but I also think 65 lbs thrusters are coming in one of the next two Open workouts, so I figured I should give them a dry run before Friday.  My row was slow but steady.  My friend finished when I was only half way done!  Rowing is not my favorite haha.  The thrusters were not as bad as I thought they would be.  I chipped away at them 5 at a time and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I didn't hate them.  Burpees always suck, especially when you have to clear the bar.  I had 6 or 7 burpees left when the time cap hit, so I just decided to finish.  I was done in 12:50.  My coach pushed me to Rx and I'm glad he did.

After I caught my breath a little, I started to cheer on the athletes that were still working because they started a few minutes behind us in the second heat.  I honestly didn't think much about joining one of the girls for her last few burpees since I definitely know how much it sucks to struggle through the end of a workout when everyone else is already done.  When I got home from the gym, I saw that my coach had posted this :D

• After Party: EMOM 5
• Strict Pull Ups - I did 5 pull ups each time with a red band for assistance

T - CrossFit

• Strength: EMOM 9
• Min 1-3: 2 High Hang Clean (power or full)
• Min 4-6: 1 Hang Clean (power or full)
• Min 7-9: 1 Clean (power or full)
• I got up to 110# with power cleans, my legs were way too sore to do any squatting! 
• WOD: For Time (10 Minute Cap)
• 1 Power Clean (155/105) - I used 85 lbs
• 10 Sit Ups
• 20 Double Unders

After doing so poorly on my dubs in 16.2, my only goal for this workout was to just string some together and not get overly frustrated.  My friend had me try her jump rope (because mine is on the thicker/heavier side) and tried to help me out with some tips and then my coach gave me lots of cues and actually gifted me a jump rope!  The same coach lets me use her barbell, another girl just gifted me her old lifting belt, and my lifting shoes were a gift from a previous gym member last year.  Everyone at my gym is so generous!  I know I've said it before, but the community aspect of CF is the best!  The workout went pretty well.  I was glad I didn't Rx the power cleans for the sake of my back, which has been feeling great (yay).  My dubs were ok, definitely better than both of my 16.2 attempts.  I was able to get a couple good strings and even though I still violently whipped myself more than a few times, I will call it progress.  I finished 8 rounds + 1 clean.

• After Party:
• Tabata Handstand Holds
• 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest, 4 minutes total
• These are shoulder killers! 

W - 3.0 miles with the dogs at the park

Th - 1.1 miles with the dogs

F - CrossFit

• WOD CrossFit Open 16.4: 13 minute AMRAP
• 55 Deadlifts (225/155)
• 55 Wallballs (20/14)
• 55 Calorie Row
• 55 Handstand Push Ups

Heavy deadlifts, exactly what I did NOT want in the Open.  When I got to the gym, I discussed the workout with my coach and she told me to warm up and just see how it felt.  I kept adding weight to the bar and I was shocked when I had no back pain at all.  I decided that I was going to do the Rx version at 155 lbs (scaled would've been 95) and just take my time and focus keeping perfect form.  I knew my workout was just going to be 13 minutes of as many deadlifts as I could get.

My counter for the workout was one of my coaches who is specifically very form focused and he watched every single rep.  He told me they looked great and the workout started off awesome.  155 lbs definitely isn't my max and the reps were feeling good.  I was somewhere around 20 when I felt the first twinge of pain in my back.  I took a good minute and a half break to stretch and grab some water.  When I came back to the bar, I felt a little something when I bent down to grab the bar, but the lift felt fine.  I kept cruising through the deadlifts one by one, with my coach confirming that I was still using proper technique.  With 15 seconds left, I picked up the bar for my 50th rep and felt a horrible shooting pain.  I don't know if I rushed the lift to try and get one more before the clock ran out or what... my coach said my form was the same as the rep before.  Maybe it was just the high volume.  Maybe I should've stopped when I felt the first sign of pain halfway through the workout.  Ugh!  I was in a lot of pain for the rest of the night, but I felt so proud that I was able to get 50 reps when I thought I wasn't going to be able to do any.

 

One more Open workout left!  I'm kind of scared they are going to make us repeat 15.5.  I'm really hoping my back feels somewhat normal by Friday.  I'm taking it super easy this week, doing lots of push aways, and spending some quality time with my heating pad... so we'll see.  

Does your gym feel like a community?