Monkey Business

Workout date: 5/12/15

I had told my new friends from Crossfit BYOB that I would try my best to make it back for the 7:30 class the next day.  If I could get out of my work obligations by, say 7:20, I would be fine.  How hard could that be?

Fast forward nearly 23 hours and I was desperately trying to make my way to my car after one of the most awkward work dinners I have ever had.  (Note: the phrase "you're Korean...well, close enough" should never come out of someone's mouth during a business meal.)  It was now 7:15 and I was not feeling confident that I'd get to the gym on time.  Maybe there would be traffic on the way to the restaurant.  It was not looking good.  I finally broke free and raced over to the gym.  I made it there with three minutes to spare.  Erica was at the front desk and I asked her where I could change out of my work gear.  A quick change and a 6:30 class running late ensured that I would be ready for the beginning of the 7:30 class.

The workout had a similar feel to the one from the day before.  We started with a 400 meter run, then went through a series of drills.  We then did 3 sets of back squats at 70%, 80% and 90% of whatever 95% of our 1RM was.  Having done this fairly recently, I knew what numbers I would use.  It also let me know that the weights I used on the shoulder press the day before were a tad light.  Oops.  For the final set, we were to try and knock out as many reps as possible.  I really wanted to try the new setup that Keith had taught me where you hold the bar lower on your back, but I felt awkward about trying it here.  Most of the people in class seemed to be on the newer side and the owner was stressing proper form to everyone.  Trying something different might lead to confusion and I was a guest at the gym.

I did a warmup set at 135, then did sets at 185 and 210.  235 would be my last set and I wanted at least 6 reps.  I might have had a higher goal if I had my lifting shoes with me.  Since there was a good chance that I could start rolling up on my toes, I felt that six reps would be a victory.  I methodically moved through rep after rep, trying to maintain solid form the whole way.  I reached 5 reps.  Then got a sixth.  And then kept going.  It was only after fighting through rep #9 that I put the bar back on the rack.  I was very pleased with that result.

The cash out had four parts to it: 2 minutes of double unders, then 1 minute of slam balls, followed by 1 minute of burpees, before finishing with 2 more minutes of double unders.  Between each movement, we got 1 minute of rest.  I was not psyched about 4 minutes of double unders, especially after sucking it up on Annie recently.  I'm also starting to suspect that my rope might be too long, so I might be trimming it back in the near future.  We got going and my performance was typical of how I've done with double unders the last month or so: some small sets, one big set, fatigue, etc.  I finished up with 59 reps before getting 60 seconds of recovery time.  For the slam balls, I used a 30 pound ball and did 27 reps before moving on to burpees.  My goal for the burpees was to try and incorporate the tips that Jim C. had given me.  I was getting tired, so it wasn't spectacular, but I did manage 17 burpees during that minute.  Finally, it was time for more double unders.  And I was sucking wind now.  Only managed 33 reps the second time around.

That was it for my Crossfit BYOB experience, although there is an ugly rumor I may have to return in a month.  Before I left, I wanted some t-shirts and came across this guy in the corner:

I asked if he was for sale as well, but sadly he was not.  Apparently he comes out when they have kids classes there and has basically become the box mascot.  Such a bummer.  I was really hoping to top this picture:

"Carmelita" and "Derek" (names changed to protect the innocent)

I paid for my t-shirts, said my goodbyes, and got ready to head home.  Needed to get back to KOP for the start of the Mobility Challenge!  More on that in my next post.