Flexible Like a Brick

Not to beat a dead horse, but choices.  I was prepared to not go to my scheduled
CrossFit class tonight. My back (low back and sciatic nerve) went crazy right
after lunch, I had trouble sitting, walking and basically doing anything. Went
to visit @CADPRO00 and told him that I was thinking of bailing.  His response, “No, You aren’t”. End of
conversation (he did say to tell Tavia so I could do modified workouts. I’m
tired of modifying.  Suck it up big dog).
 Once I got to CrossFit Canuck I got
changed and started working on my flexibility.

As the post title states, I am not flexible.  I have lots to work on.  Shoulders (affects back squats and
positioning the bar low enough with control). Ankles (a pair of broken ankles
and ligament damage affect the angles I can get while squatting). Oh and don’t
forget the spare tire I carry around and the affect that has on my center of
gravity.  All of these things will be
worked on.  So far, I really like
CrossFit, I like the challenge, but my body isn’t ready for everything yet.

Today was a tough one. The warm-up on its own was tougher
than most of the work outs that I’ve done at GoodLife. Six minutes of all out
here we go.  Now I don’t skip.  I have never skipped. Today’s warm-up and WOD
included skipping.  I tried it and found
out that I’m not awful at it. 

1 minute – Battle Rope (2 arm up and down, 2 arm side to
side, individual up and down)
1 minute – Hurdles (1 leg knees high)
2 minutes – Ball Slams (10lb Medicine Ball)
1 minute – jumping up and down (no skipping)
*somehow I missed the pushups??

Once we had gone through that it was on to a skills
session.  We would be working on the ‘Bear
Complex’ which is a combo platter of pain (a bear claw would have been waaaayyy
more fun). Clean into a thruster, into a front squat, into a press, into a back
squat and then back down.  If the bar
hits the ground you owe Tavia five Burpees. Work your way down, reps of seven,
five and three. Throw in 50 double unders (skipping rope goes under your feet
twice) between every complex.  If you don’t
do the double unders its 150 singles.  Cash out was a five minute row (20s all out
and then 10s recovery row).

7 Bear Complex 45lbs
150 Jumps
5 Bear Complex 50lbs
150 Jumps
3 Bear Jumps 55lbs
150 Jumps
Cash Out: 5 minutes, 1,217 meters

Finished in 10m03s. Not a totally amazing time, but I worked
hard and got through it.  I’m really
liking this CrossFit thing (little redhead in Brantford you should give it a
shot), Tavia is awesome.  She’s on me to
maintain form and is helping me work through my flexibility issues. I’m going
to hang tough until I’m where I need to be.

Beez

Ps – Next time you hear from me will be on the return from
watching the Michigan Wolverines beat Iowa (sorry Doyls).  I will attempt not to totally destroy my
diet, but it might not be pretty.