I fought the box, and the box won…
Ever since I began the Crossfit classes, I’ve been collecting a variety of bruises and scrapes. The very first class gave my shoulders quite a beating as I did the first Olympic weight lifting of my life. The burpees tend to leave my knees scraped, and, I’m not sure how, but it seems like there’s a new little bruise on my shins every day.
This morning, I looked at the WOD, and I was afraid. Very afraid.
For time:
– Row 1,000m
THEN
3 Rounds for Time:
– 20 Box jumps
– 30 walking lunges
I knew rowing 1000 meters would take me some time, but was doable. I’ve been doing walking lunges after my runs for months now, so that wasn’t a worry. But 20 box jumps. 3 sets of 20 box jumps. I just wasn’t sure if I could do it.
Sure, I did box jumps before, but in sets of 10 and sets of 6. And not after rowing 1000 meters!
At any rate, after warming up we spent some time working on a back squat. The goal weight was one and a half times body weight. I did not go for that weight, because I am not sure that I can do that, yet. I did 85 pounds, and made myself do one set of 20. I’ve got to work on keeping my knees out as I stand up from the squat.
Then it was time for the rowing and box jumps and walking lunges (oh my!).
There were only three other people taking the class this morning at 8am. We wheeled out our rowing machines and dragged out our boxes and then it was time to start.
As I expected, I took the longest to finish the 1000 meters. The row turned my legs into noodles, but I managed to get my first set of 20 box jumps done. I couldn’t do the ideal of jump up, then down and up. I jumped up, and then stepped down. It took a long time. Well, it felt like it took a long time.
Then the first set of lunges gave my legs a whole new appreciation for weakness and pain. And I made it back to my box and jumped up. Stepped down. Jumped – fell.
Kinda.
I mean. I missed the top of the box. And my shin slid-slammed onto the edge of the box, and my knee bumped it and I fell to the ground and cried out.
The trainer came over and looked. No skin breakage, just a nasty scrape. She asked me if I could go on, and I said yes. I turned back to the box and she told me to take a moment, take a deep breath, and go over to the weight stack and do step ups, as long as it didn’t hurt my shin.
And it didn’t. I think I was running on adrenalin at the time, it really didn’t hurt, and I finished that set doing step ups. I did the second round of lunges as everyone else was finishing their third rounds.
But I finished my third round. 20 step ups. 30 walking lunges. I yelled out my count on the walking lunges from 19 to 30. Even when I felt mildly embarrassed, because the music ended just as I got to 29, and I yelled into a quiet gym. Well. Not entirely quiet. The other people in the class were clapping and yelling encouragement.
13:07. Finished.
The trainer got me an ice pack while we cooled down and stretched. And when I got home I continued the ice treatment before I took a torturously cool shower. My shin was already swelling with a bruise, and I knew hot water would only make it worse. After the shower, I wrapped it as tight as I could stand with a bandage and I’ve been keeping it elevated and iced as much as I can stand.
I feel like I’ve been beaten. I thought I had run out of new places to be sore, but the front of my neck is sore. My abs are sore from my ribs to my pelvis. Legs, especially the bruised shin.
What can I say?
I love it.