Crossfit after

Monday, August 27, 2012.

Well, I survivied. Haha! Actually, it wasn't too bad. I was certainly nervous, like trying to fill out paperwork and my hands were shaking so badly nervous. Ugh. I was glad Paul was there with me. Once we got into the gym we kinda stood around, and because Paul is still new too it was just a teensy bit weird because there was nothing to do but watch the class in front of you try and pull through the end of their class.

Then our coach told us to go run. It's 400 meters, so roughly a quarter of a mile. No big deal, except A) I haven't had a decent run in over two weeks and B) My nerves had me feeling nausea and running in the humid heat was not exactly ideal. I was trying to find my stride and sucking quite a bit of wind, just trying to calm my self and my breathing down. When we got back I remember thinking "nobody is here timing us? Oh, so it's a warm up thing and not a time thing. Pressure off, kinda."

Next, our coach gathered us around the white board. He went over the notes on the board (about upcoming box events) and about todays workout. Okay... no big deal, it's quite a strenuous workout, but all I can do it give it my all. It included Cindy (5 pull ups 10 hand release push ups and 15 air squats) and I've done Cindy before. Big breathes. Stretch time. Everyone stretches together. Okay, cool. I like this. I LOVE to stretch. I'm rather flexible, and enjoy staying limber. Next up is Strength Training... Overhead Squats and Snatches. Um... (shakily) okay. I know not how to perform these moves. No worries, because I'm not doing it! (Whew!) I get to Baseline. Huh?

Yes, coach sets everyone else up with their strength training moves (I stand by and watch his demonstration, ah... so he shows you what to do then walks around and helps you out. Cool). Back to me. Okay, we are going to Baseline. I will perform the following for time: 50 Air Squats, 40 Butterfly Sit Ups, 30 Hand Release Push Ups, 20 Pull Ups, and Row 500 Meters. GULP! He demonstrates each move, giving me the option to do strict or assisted push ups (you know I did assisted) and then he was kind enough to listen to my terrified and trembling voice state that I have never in my life performed a pull up. No Big Deal....they've got rubber bands. Like Big Girl rubber bands to help you get up there and assist you. It was a BIG rubber band and I was sure when I ran though a few reps for him that it was too light and not challenging enough for me. He smiled and said that it would be fine. Okay, Jen... going for time. Ready Set GO!

And I begin. Air squats, I got those.... Not Unbroken of course (lol). I think I got to 29 unbroken, then took it 4-5 at a time. A bit winded and quads-a-burning I controllably collapsed onto the ground and started in on my butterfly sit ups. I got to 20 and then somehow lost count around 27 (was is 37, maybe I was wishing it was 37). I went with 30 and set out for my last 10. At this point the burning in my core has replaced the burning of the quads. Oh good. Now roll over. Hand release push ups. I got to 18. I wanted to cry because my shoulders were on fire and I still had 12 to go. Two at a time, I got through them. Whew. Arms.Are.Jello. Take a quick sip of water, and walk over to the pull up bar. Dear God Almighty. How on earth am I gonna do this. Oh that's right.. Big Girl rubber band. (Thank you sweet baby Jesus). I climb atop the stool and can't seem to pull the band down to get my foot into it. Shit. I try just getting my foot up and into it (yeah, try standing on a stool and raising one leg up to your face and into a protesting rubber band... I'm gonna eat it!) Thankfully, a good Samaratin of the box (mid-his own workout) came over and held it down so I could get my foot it. Nice guy. And we're off. I'm pulling myself up, trying to bounce off the band and get whatever spring it gives me to get chin up to that damn bar. I'm literally bouncing all over the place, not just up and down but in front, in back, to the sides... I can't keep still and look like a damn fool. But I keep using that band to bounce this big girl up. Pulling and aching and burning I get through my 20 (if I'm being completely and utterly honest, I would have counted at least two of those no rep, but my body just would not do it, I swear I gave it everything!). I jumped down and walked over to the rower and happily sat down to bang out the last of my workout. 500 meters. Coach yells 6:49 Jen, doing great. Cool, I got this. Sit down, strap feet in, sip water bottle quickly and pull. 3 meters. Pull, 2 meters, Pull, 4 meters. And I continue to pull a bajillion times, each hundred I hit I quickly do the math in my head to calculate how much more, how much longer. My arms are sore, my quads are sore, and my chest is burning within... almost there, almost there. And before I know it... I yell TIME!!!

I look for a clock. I look at my coach, he's busy. I call him, but he doesn't answer. The Nice Guy acknowledges my finish and congraulates me (and might I just say, he was super Nice Guy the entire time yelling over his shoulder every few seconds that I did was doing a good job and to keep it up, Super Nice Guy).

My breathing slows, I take a sip of water, and before I realize it coach is in front of me. "When did you stop?" he asks. I stare, like I can't respond. After another prompting, I look at Nice Guy and start rambling that I don't know. I tried to call him and I tried to find a clock, and I even yelled TIME. Nice Guy says "Like, Five Minutes Ago" and I'm fairly confident he's being fececious and coach looks at me a gives a little lol and says, "so like three three and a half minutes ago." And again, with no concept of time I stare blankly and blush. "Ok" and he walks away.

I get up and walk around and am truly surprised that I feel super woozy and my legs and arms like jello. I decide to watch the workout. Actually, I wasn't asked to join in, and I think coach knew I was pretty well spent. To my shock, I started to feel the nerves again, followed quickly by a wave of lethargy and straight up naseau. "Oh my God," I think. "I'd better not faint. I'd better not throw up. What the hell is going on. I've done tougher workouts that this. Maybe I didn't eat enough today. Holy mother, keep me together. Please don't get sick."

And I didn't. Thank God.

Watching the workout, seeing how hard these people were working, seeing how hard the hubs was working, made me question if I can really do this. Do I want to do this? Yes. Yes I do... I've made the commitment til the end of the year, and I will give it my all. I may not be the fastest, or the fittest, or the strongest. But I will give it my everything and I will not give up. And I will be better than I was yesterday. Yes.

After the workout, I glance at the white board and see that the coach has my Baseline time at 7:02. I know that can't be right. He must not have counted the row, which was 2:38. So am I officially declaring my baseline time at 9:40. Under 10 minutes is okay with me. If I (roughly) refer to this link I am a classified Beginner (although I'd give myself the benefit of the doubt and say Novice, right people? lol) and am thoroughly happy that I did not come close enough to the 11 minute cut off time. I can only improve from here. And that is what I plan to do.

Next workout: Today at 3pm. It's Metabolic Conditioning... 4 rounds of jump rope and row. This I can handle. This I can stomach. Going to my first class by myself. It is currently 1:52pm, and yes my nerves are still there. But... this is the class I want to be in, an I will go in there are try and make as many friends as I can (maybe I'll even become the coach's pet, lol).