Ah, the last week of the 2019 CrossFit Open! Although, technically, there will be another Open in October of 2019, so it isn’t quite the same as years past.
Except for the workout. As has been the case for the last 5 fifth workouts, we were once again presented with a couplet of thrusters and chest to bar pull-ups.
To be fair, this was an exceptionally hellish version of the couplet. 33 of each, then 27, then 21, then 15 and finally 9. A 20 minute time cap so it could only end quickly if you finished.
Last year, when the rep scheme was 3 of each, then 6, then 9 until 7 minutes were up, I went Rx and got a number of chest to bar pull-ups. This year, with figuring out my abdominal pain issues and being on antibiotics, I chose to scale. That meant instead of 65 pound thrusters, I had a mere 45 pounds to work with, and instead of chest to bar pull-ups, I got to do jumping chin over the bar pull-ups.
Normally, the workout would be tough but doable. But this week, I was on a course of antibiotics that interfered with my appetite. I ate maybe a third of my breakfast before this workout, and I hadn’t been eating enough since I started the antibiotics on Tuesday. So I was low on fuel. And I had some additional digestive issues going on that necessitated too many bathroom visits.
I didn’t ask for a judge, since I’m not signed up for the Open online this time, and I picked a spot in the back so I wouldn’t feel the need to try and show off. Not that I could have. But someone did find me back there and cheer me on. He even started counting my reps for me, even though I didn’t need to be judged formally. I think, if he hadn’t shown up, I might have quit.
I don’t like to quit a workout, but I was feeling like I had no energy, and a bit dizzy. It was not my best effort, though my unofficial judge did praise my thruster form. I know I could have gotten it done faster if I had been fully fueled. But I didn’t quit. I did my very best for that day. It wasn’t an ideal day, and that’s okay.
I got through the torture session in 17 minutes exactly. My body felt awful, but I was finished. I got to spend the next heat just watching and cheering – while sitting. And then the Open was over. For some reason, there were less people who wanted to do this workout than any other week… I didn’t even get a chance to be judgmental this time. But there’s always October.
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| Let the pain begin! |
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| It’s not a heavy bar, but this was a lot of reps… |
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| So many reps. |
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| And jumping pull-ups aren’t as easy for me as I think they should be. |
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| Just gotta break the plane of the bar with my chin. |
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| I got advice to use my lats more, and that helped – when I remembered to do it. |
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| I definitely got over the bar better when I remembered to squeeze my lats. |
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| I promise, I didn’t lift the bar from this position, this was just on the way down to a proper pick up. |
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| A brief rest before the next rep. |
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| That face! I’m all, seriously, I have to keep going here? |
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| I’m almost in sync with the gentleman in green – except he’s doing chest to bars. |
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| A little chatting and spectating after I finished. |
