After completing a workout, I tend to have one of two reactions:
- That was good/acceptable. I beat/came close to my goal. There are positives that I can take from that workout and I imagine I'll improve the next time it shows up in the programming.
- That was an unmitigated disaster. My strategy/planning for that workout was ill-conceived. I am super disappointed in my cardio/mental strength. When am I ever going to figure this shit out?
It goes without saying that reaction #2 occurs quite a bit more often than reaction #1. On Wednesday, I experienced something new. When I was cooling down after the workout, I had a mix of both reactions. I couldn't tell whether I should have been happy with how I did or if it was just a circumstance of which class I had been in that day. It was a very strange moment (probably brought on by dehydration) that had me re-thinking how I should feel during a workout and how I should feel once it was over with.
Yes, I realize that is a pretty convoluted way to start today's blog post, so let's get back to basics before we head into the downward spiral that is my mind. Wednesday's WOD was one that had a lot in common with a workout that had been programmed only a month earlier. In that workout, we did 10 DB snatches on one arm, then 3 bar muscle-ups. When we got back to the DB, we did 10 snatches with the other arm before completing 3 more bar muscle-ups. That was one full round, with the workout requiring the completion of another two rounds. Fast forward a month and you had a super-sized version of that workout:
Wednesday's WOD:
3 rounds
40 DB snatches (50/35) - alternate arms
5 ring muscle-ups
So we were going from 60 DB snatches to 120 DB snatches and from bar muscle-ups to ring muscle-ups. That gave me the impression that doubling my time from the workout a month ago would provide a reasonable goal for me to aim at. I completed that one in 9:10, so I was hoping to finish this one in about 18 minutes. There were some slight differences that could affect that time. One was that I was using a lighter DB (50 pounds) in this workout than I had used in the one that took place in September (used 55 pounds there). Also, since I have nothing in the way of a muscle-up, I'd have to see what the scale would be. In last month's WOD, I attempted to hit my hips to the bar in lieu of doing bar muscle-ups. Scales for the ring muscle-ups could range from jumping muscle-ups to transitions to pull-ups with dips.
Coach Jenna had us practice our DB snatches with a DB that was 10 pounds lighter than what we planned on using in the workout. Jenna had given me those same directions just a week ago, but I had overestimated how much weight I could handle for DB thrusters. That made me a little hesitant to grab the 40 pound DB (as I had planned to use the 50 pounder in the workout), but then I remembered that I had gotten through that WOD a month ago with the 55 pound DB. I should be able to handle the RX weight for this workout. After a bunch of practice reps, Jenna moved on to the next part of the workout and discussed the scales. If we didn't have ring muscle-ups, we could do pull-ups and ring dips (banded if necessary), but we needed to do double the reps. I wasn't excited about 30 pull-ups. My time estimate for the workout was now creeping up to the 19-20 minute range.
As we got ready to start the WOD, I found myself at the far end of the gym between Noel and Actuary Mike, with Julie Foucher to his right. I don't know Noel very well, but he looked like a guy that would be good at pull-ups and dips, so I lumped him in with Mike and Julie as people I had to keep up with if I wanted a good time for this workout. Jenna got the clock ticking and all of us began to do DB snatches. Another minor difference between this workout and the one from September was that we got to alternate the arm that we used for each snatch, whereas last month we had to do all 10 reps in a set using the same arm. Being able to alternate arms kept them from tiring out as quickly. I made it through 22 reps before needing a break. I could tell that I was doing my reps faster than the people around me, but I was also the first one to step away from my DB. I had no faith that I could get the last 18 in a row, so I did a set of 8 (so wimpy!) and then a set of 10 to wrap up round one. Unexpectedly, I was the first one to head to the pull-up bar.
My lead was very tiny as Noel soon joined me at the pull-up rig, while Mike and Julie began their muscle-up scale in reverse order, attacking the ring dips first. I wasn't sure how the pull-ups would play out and was pleasantly surprised when I got 3 in my first set. After a break, I did 3 more. I knew I wasn't getting the last 4 reps in one set, so I broke them up into 2 sets. That wasn't a bad performance for me in terms of doing pull-ups. I'd be ecstatic if I could pull that off two more times.
I moved over to the rings and had some trouble getting up into my band. It took me 3 tries before I was secure in the band and able to begin my dips. Because I have so much trouble getting into the band, it was important to get all 10 dips in one set. Who knows how long it would take tired Dave to get back into that band for the last couple reps? I had a little sway going as I did my reps, but I got through all 10. First round time: approximately 4:30.
When I came back to my DB, Mike was already there, so I'd need to play catch-up if I was going to stay on pace with him. Julie and Noel were right behind me as well. My mental game wasn't very strong in terms of doing large sets because I told myself to just do sets of 10 as soon as I began my second round. I'm sure that felt more comfortable to me, but this was the point in the workout where I should have been pushing myself more. The only aspect of this workout where I was strong mentally came in keeping my breaks fairly short. It seemed like everyone around me was continuously working, so I couldn't be standing around doing nothing. I've been told that taking breaks isn't horrible as long as you keep them short and that is definitely something I've been working on in WODs. I did a decent job of only taking mini-breaks on the DB snatches, but Noel got to the pull-ups before me.
Aware that I was tiring, my new plan on the pull-up rig was sets of two. First set was okay. Second set was not. I failed on the second rep. I could go right to fast singles, but I didn't want to bail on sets of two yet. I did one more double before giving in and completing the last 5 reps one at a time. When I got to my band, I successfully hopped on to it on the first try. The momentum from getting into the band caused me to sway wildly as I did my dips, but I tried to ignore that as much as possible. I made it through all 10 dips uninterrupted, leaving me 1 round to go. Time after two rounds: approximately 10:30.
While it is all well and good to try and keep your breaks short, there is a consequence for those of us who are out of shape (the blog author would be one example). As much as I wanted to push quickly through the final round, the truth of the matter was that I was one hurtin' puppy. Sets of 10 DB snatches were the plan for round three, but the third set fell apart, causing me to do 5 sets instead of four. I went 10-10-6-8-6 to finish off my final 40 DB snatches. When I reached the pull-up bar, I put aside thoughts of stringing reps and went right into singles. I had one failed rep during this round. When it happened, I took a longer break and shook out my arms. Eventually I got through my 10th rep and headed to the rings. There were no issues with getting into the band in round three and I managed to keep the swaying to a minimum. I couldn't do all 10 in a row though. I got through 6 to start and put together a set of 4 to finish up. Final time: 17:30.
That was good, right? I mean, I had originally looked at 18 minutes as my goal for this workout. I had even considered revising that upwards when I learned I'd be doing a bunch of pull-ups. I finished between Mike and Julie in the WOD. Noel ended up falling further behind because he was doing dips without a band and his arms started to give out on him in the last round. Overall, this seemed like a positive workout for me.
That was until I looked at the main whiteboard at the front of the gym. Listed there were the times from earlier classes. In a couple of classes, everyone had finished in the 12-13 minute range. Damn, maybe 17:30 wasn't that good. What if I had been in one of those classes instead of this one? How would I have handled being 4-5 minutes behind everyone? How would I have dealt with the inevitable pity circle? It was interesting to think about. Would I have pushed harder and gone faster in one of those classes or would I have fallen apart mentally as the class pulled away from me? By the time I left the gym on Wednesday night, I wasn't even thinking about the workout I had just done. I was only thinking about how I react when different situations like this come up in class. (Note: This is my 375th post on this blog and I've never had a harder time coming up with a title because the actual workout consumed so little of my thoughts post-WOD.)
So what were the takeaways? I guess I shouldn't be satisfied just because I keep up with certain people in class. And I suppose I shouldn't be so hard on myself on those days when the pity circle comes calling. I doubt I'll be able to change my perspective overnight though. Rather, this falls under the category of double unders and pull-ups: just another thing I need to work on at the gym.
Thursday preview: Endurance comes to an end for the year. And my new favorite hero WOD is programmed for the last time in 2016. It's a rare double-dip for me.
Yes, I realize that is a pretty convoluted way to start today's blog post, so let's get back to basics before we head into the downward spiral that is my mind. Wednesday's WOD was one that had a lot in common with a workout that had been programmed only a month earlier. In that workout, we did 10 DB snatches on one arm, then 3 bar muscle-ups. When we got back to the DB, we did 10 snatches with the other arm before completing 3 more bar muscle-ups. That was one full round, with the workout requiring the completion of another two rounds. Fast forward a month and you had a super-sized version of that workout:
Wednesday's WOD:
3 rounds
40 DB snatches (50/35) - alternate arms
5 ring muscle-ups
So we were going from 60 DB snatches to 120 DB snatches and from bar muscle-ups to ring muscle-ups. That gave me the impression that doubling my time from the workout a month ago would provide a reasonable goal for me to aim at. I completed that one in 9:10, so I was hoping to finish this one in about 18 minutes. There were some slight differences that could affect that time. One was that I was using a lighter DB (50 pounds) in this workout than I had used in the one that took place in September (used 55 pounds there). Also, since I have nothing in the way of a muscle-up, I'd have to see what the scale would be. In last month's WOD, I attempted to hit my hips to the bar in lieu of doing bar muscle-ups. Scales for the ring muscle-ups could range from jumping muscle-ups to transitions to pull-ups with dips.
Coach Jenna had us practice our DB snatches with a DB that was 10 pounds lighter than what we planned on using in the workout. Jenna had given me those same directions just a week ago, but I had overestimated how much weight I could handle for DB thrusters. That made me a little hesitant to grab the 40 pound DB (as I had planned to use the 50 pounder in the workout), but then I remembered that I had gotten through that WOD a month ago with the 55 pound DB. I should be able to handle the RX weight for this workout. After a bunch of practice reps, Jenna moved on to the next part of the workout and discussed the scales. If we didn't have ring muscle-ups, we could do pull-ups and ring dips (banded if necessary), but we needed to do double the reps. I wasn't excited about 30 pull-ups. My time estimate for the workout was now creeping up to the 19-20 minute range.
As we got ready to start the WOD, I found myself at the far end of the gym between Noel and Actuary Mike, with Julie Foucher to his right. I don't know Noel very well, but he looked like a guy that would be good at pull-ups and dips, so I lumped him in with Mike and Julie as people I had to keep up with if I wanted a good time for this workout. Jenna got the clock ticking and all of us began to do DB snatches. Another minor difference between this workout and the one from September was that we got to alternate the arm that we used for each snatch, whereas last month we had to do all 10 reps in a set using the same arm. Being able to alternate arms kept them from tiring out as quickly. I made it through 22 reps before needing a break. I could tell that I was doing my reps faster than the people around me, but I was also the first one to step away from my DB. I had no faith that I could get the last 18 in a row, so I did a set of 8 (so wimpy!) and then a set of 10 to wrap up round one. Unexpectedly, I was the first one to head to the pull-up bar.
My lead was very tiny as Noel soon joined me at the pull-up rig, while Mike and Julie began their muscle-up scale in reverse order, attacking the ring dips first. I wasn't sure how the pull-ups would play out and was pleasantly surprised when I got 3 in my first set. After a break, I did 3 more. I knew I wasn't getting the last 4 reps in one set, so I broke them up into 2 sets. That wasn't a bad performance for me in terms of doing pull-ups. I'd be ecstatic if I could pull that off two more times.
I moved over to the rings and had some trouble getting up into my band. It took me 3 tries before I was secure in the band and able to begin my dips. Because I have so much trouble getting into the band, it was important to get all 10 dips in one set. Who knows how long it would take tired Dave to get back into that band for the last couple reps? I had a little sway going as I did my reps, but I got through all 10. First round time: approximately 4:30.
When I came back to my DB, Mike was already there, so I'd need to play catch-up if I was going to stay on pace with him. Julie and Noel were right behind me as well. My mental game wasn't very strong in terms of doing large sets because I told myself to just do sets of 10 as soon as I began my second round. I'm sure that felt more comfortable to me, but this was the point in the workout where I should have been pushing myself more. The only aspect of this workout where I was strong mentally came in keeping my breaks fairly short. It seemed like everyone around me was continuously working, so I couldn't be standing around doing nothing. I've been told that taking breaks isn't horrible as long as you keep them short and that is definitely something I've been working on in WODs. I did a decent job of only taking mini-breaks on the DB snatches, but Noel got to the pull-ups before me.
Aware that I was tiring, my new plan on the pull-up rig was sets of two. First set was okay. Second set was not. I failed on the second rep. I could go right to fast singles, but I didn't want to bail on sets of two yet. I did one more double before giving in and completing the last 5 reps one at a time. When I got to my band, I successfully hopped on to it on the first try. The momentum from getting into the band caused me to sway wildly as I did my dips, but I tried to ignore that as much as possible. I made it through all 10 dips uninterrupted, leaving me 1 round to go. Time after two rounds: approximately 10:30.
While it is all well and good to try and keep your breaks short, there is a consequence for those of us who are out of shape (the blog author would be one example). As much as I wanted to push quickly through the final round, the truth of the matter was that I was one hurtin' puppy. Sets of 10 DB snatches were the plan for round three, but the third set fell apart, causing me to do 5 sets instead of four. I went 10-10-6-8-6 to finish off my final 40 DB snatches. When I reached the pull-up bar, I put aside thoughts of stringing reps and went right into singles. I had one failed rep during this round. When it happened, I took a longer break and shook out my arms. Eventually I got through my 10th rep and headed to the rings. There were no issues with getting into the band in round three and I managed to keep the swaying to a minimum. I couldn't do all 10 in a row though. I got through 6 to start and put together a set of 4 to finish up. Final time: 17:30.
That was good, right? I mean, I had originally looked at 18 minutes as my goal for this workout. I had even considered revising that upwards when I learned I'd be doing a bunch of pull-ups. I finished between Mike and Julie in the WOD. Noel ended up falling further behind because he was doing dips without a band and his arms started to give out on him in the last round. Overall, this seemed like a positive workout for me.
That was until I looked at the main whiteboard at the front of the gym. Listed there were the times from earlier classes. In a couple of classes, everyone had finished in the 12-13 minute range. Damn, maybe 17:30 wasn't that good. What if I had been in one of those classes instead of this one? How would I have handled being 4-5 minutes behind everyone? How would I have dealt with the inevitable pity circle? It was interesting to think about. Would I have pushed harder and gone faster in one of those classes or would I have fallen apart mentally as the class pulled away from me? By the time I left the gym on Wednesday night, I wasn't even thinking about the workout I had just done. I was only thinking about how I react when different situations like this come up in class. (Note: This is my 375th post on this blog and I've never had a harder time coming up with a title because the actual workout consumed so little of my thoughts post-WOD.)
So what were the takeaways? I guess I shouldn't be satisfied just because I keep up with certain people in class. And I suppose I shouldn't be so hard on myself on those days when the pity circle comes calling. I doubt I'll be able to change my perspective overnight though. Rather, this falls under the category of double unders and pull-ups: just another thing I need to work on at the gym.
Thursday preview: Endurance comes to an end for the year. And my new favorite hero WOD is programmed for the last time in 2016. It's a rare double-dip for me.
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