When Aimee released the benchmark workouts for 2017, I saw several WODs on the list that I had never heard of before. The Google searching began. What the heck is Gwen? What is involved in Holbrook? As I did my due diligence on the new workouts we'd be taking on this year, I found one that really tickled my fancy. It was called Bull. I was fairly certain that I would be one of the few people in the gym looking forward to this workout. Here's why:
"Bull"
2 rounds:
200 double unders
50 overhead squats (135/95)
50 pull-ups
1 mile run
That seemed like an insane amount of work to do within an hour timeframe. A little more research let me know that even top athletes (translation: not me) needed over an hour in most instances to complete this monster. The longest hero WODs that we do in class tend not to go beyond 40-45 minutes, so I was a bit confused as to how we were supposed to finish this workout, assuming scaling wasn't mandatory. (Note: There are workouts that we do which usually take over an hour, such as Murph and Wolverine. However, those aren't done within the confines of a normal one-hour class. They generally take place on a holiday in an open class setting where athletes can work for 90-120 minutes.)
Why was I looking forward to doing this workout? Because this seemed like a workout where stubbornness might triumph over athleticism. I was getting better at double unders and felt like I could peck away at the large number required with medium-sized sets. Overhead squats are one of my favorite things to do at the gym. Pull-ups certainly are not, but I had recently had some mild improvement with those. I'm definitely not one of the top runners in the gym (especially having skipped Endurance this year), but I rarely ever stop running in a workout. Plus I had already done two miles during Murph, so this wouldn't be a new experience for me. This workout was piecing together four items that people tend to complain about frequently at the gym. I felt like I could grind through all of them.
I missed out on Bull when it was scheduled in March, so Monday night marked my first encounter with this WOD. Maybe if I had tried it back then, I might have had loftier goals. Perhaps the class I took it in would have been smaller and the gym might have been much less humid. (It would be impossible for it to be more humid than it was on this night. Or any other night during the summer.) All I knew walking into the gym on Monday evening was that I wasn't taking on Bull in its full form. It was oppressively warm inside KOP. Just a thick air that was unpleasant to breathe while you were sitting down, never mind doing an intense workout like this one. There were also 15 people attending the 6:30 class. That meant crowded conditions while jumping rope and performing overhead squats. As for the pull-up rig, you'd simply have to keep your fingers crossed and hope there was space available when you got to that part of the workout. At least there would be plenty of room during the run.
I decided to make two adjustments based on the conditions in the gym when I showed up:
- I would do half Bull: 2 rounds of 100 double unders, 25 overhead squats, 25 pull-ups, and an 800 meter run.
- I would scale the overhead squat weight to 115 pounds. I could probably handle 135 pounds, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't dead when I got to the pull-ups in this workout.
Coach Giulz made life better for all of us when she let us know that we'd be running this workout in two heats, with the second heat starting two minutes after the first wave began. I was designated to be a member of the second heat which made my inner procrastinator very happy. Giulz had us get our equipment out (jump rope, barbell) and we all stalked out space for the WOD. The plan was to have athletes perform their double unders in the space between the barbells. If you're good enough to stay in place while doing a lot of double unders, you'd be fine. If you were the type that hops around in various directions as your set of double unders progresses, then you were in danger of clipping a barbell while you had a good set going. Take a wild guess which type I am. Giulz had us do some single unders and double unders as part of the warmup and I felt like I was destined to hit one of the barbells at some point in this workout. There was a small uninhabited strip in the middle of the gym that looked usable, so I made plans to sneak in there once the second wave got started.
Because I was part of the second group, I didn't have a lot of concern that I'd clash with someone doing double unders as I did my overhead squats. If that happened, then I was really far behind the class. (There was no chance that I was going to start two minutes after the first group and somehow complete 100 double unders before them.) I felt confident about my choice of 115 pounds for this workout. I envisioned completing the 25 overheads in 3 sets. Over at the pull-up rig, I had some concerns about congestion. If I did my double unders efficiently and moved through the overhead squats as quickly as I thought I could, there was a real chance I could arrive at the pull-up rig at the same time the first wave was finishing up their pull-ups. That would mean a likely wait. I tried to avoid this traffic by coordinating with Adam, a drop-in who was warming up on the bar next to me. (We got some extra fitness to begin class when Giulz had us all do 15 burpees for not learning the drop-in guy's name during the 400 meter run. With 15 people out on the run, I honestly had no idea that there was a new face in the crowd.) The bar on my right wasn't really a pull-up bar. It was a thicker bar that basically connects the usable parts of the rig. Adam told me he was fine with using that one though. Problem solved! Should be no wait on the pull-up rig.
Heat one began and I used my two minute wait as an opportunity to run to the restroom. The coaches always tell us how important it is to hydrate before class, but the combination of a long warmup and a full bladder usually mean I have to run and pee before every workout during the summer. I got back in plenty of time to join my comrades in heat #2. I took up residence in the center of the barbells and I got ready to begin my double unders. The clock hit two minutes and I twirled my rope. No rep. My rope hit something along the way. I stayed calm, got ready to go, and for the second straight time, it felt like my rope snagged as I twirled it. I was confused for a second, but then I looked up and realized why this area was empty. While I had been in St. Lucia, the gym added two ropes for climbing in the middle of the gym. These ropes didn't hang all the way to the floor like the others. Instead they were similar to the ones that have been used at Regionals the last couple of years. They force the athlete to climb legless for a few pulls. If you get high enough, you can then use your legs the rest of the way. I had seen them at the beginning of the day and was interested in trying them out, but now they were a major thorn in my side. My jump rope was hitting one of these new ropes as I stood in the area that everyone else was bright enough to avoid. I was forced to move back between the barbells.
My goal for the 100 double unders was to do four sets of 25 reps. While I wasn't able to do 25 reps exactly in each set, I was able to do a couple bigger sets to make up for the smaller sets, allowing me to complete the first hundred dubs in 4 sets. I dropped my jump rope in the center of the gym (I knew it wouldn't be in the way there) and headed to my barbell. After a short break, I started my overheads. I completed 9 reps in my first set. Now I just had to do two sets of 8 and I would have met my goal here of 3 sets. I'm not sure whether I rushed into the second set or whether I underestimated the effect that those 100 double unders would have on my legs, but my next set ended earlier than planned. I made it through 4 reps before dropping the barbell. I took a longer break, wanting to make sure that I could get at least 6 reps in the next set. I had 12 reps left and having to break this first round of overhead squats into 5 sets would have been deflating. I managed 8 reps in my next set, leaving only 4 for my final set. I finished those and headed to the pull-up rig.
I had been efficient on the double unders. I had been relatively quick on the overhead squats. And naturally I ran into the problem that I tried to avoid via negotiation earlier. Adam was in the first group and got to the pull-up rig before me. Seeing that my bar was free, he got to work using that one rather than the thick bar that I didn't think anyone really wanted to use. I could either use the thick bar or wait on him to be done (or keep my eye out for another open spot somewhere on the rig). I had no idea how close he was to being done, so I did a few singles on the thick bar. As I took a break from doing singles, I saw Adam head out the door. I could move back to my bar. Once I was on the regular bar, I tried to do sets of 3-4 quick singles before stopping to catch my breath. Those breaks would end up being longer than I would have liked, but the combination of stifling humidity and a killer workout were breaking me down. And this was only round 1 of "half Bull"!
Eventually I completed my 25 pull-ups and headed out on my first run. I definitely wasn't moving fast. It was the speed that I run when I hit rounds 3-5 of Nancy. Plod along and just get through it. Cline and Rob P headed out on the run at the same time as me, with Cline getting back to the gym before me and Rob getting back after me. The first round took me slightly under 15 minutes to complete. Giulz had wanted us to finish our workout in about 30 minutes and the deliriously optimistic side of me thought I could still make that happen. Repeat what you just did. That's all. Riiiiight.
When I got back to my jump rope, I noticed that there was an area in the front of the gym near the GHD machines where some heat 1 athletes had been jumping rope and doing overhead squats. Those folks had already moved on to round two of their pull-ups, so that area was free. Not detecting any ropes hanging from the ceiling over that area, it felt safe to do my double unders over there. It took me four sets again to reach 100 reps, although the breaks between sets were significantly longer this time around.
As soon as I began my first set of overhead squats in round two, I knew I wasn't going to be able to complete 25 of them over three sets. I was wobbly after rep #3. I hung on for two more reps before letting the barbell fall to the floor. I had officially become aggravated with this WOD. Soaked in sweat, struggling to breathe, I was now having a hard time with the part of the workout that was supposed to be my strength. I had even scaled down the weight, but here I was unable to do large sets like I thought I would. I took some extended breaks before the next two sets and that helped me hang on for 7 and 8 reps, respectively. Only 5 more to go. I decided to shorten my break and try to plow through my final set. I attempted to squat snatch the barbell, but as I dropped into my squat, my body rocked backwards as the barbell tipped forward. Both athlete and barbell hit the floor a second later. I was not pleased. I started to think back to the workouts prior to my St. Lucia trip. They had frustrated me to the point that I wondered why I was still coming to the gym 4-5 times per week. This WOD was raising that question in my mind again.
I took some time to calm down and that helped me get through my final set of 5 overhead squats. I moved over to the pull-up rig, which was desolate now. I slowly made my way through the 25 pull-ups, but it had become a real struggle to breathe. I did a lot of leaning against the rig between sets, trying to resist the desire to sit in my resting squat. Most of the first heat was now finished and they tried to encourage me on, but I didn't have any reserves left to tap into. As I got closer to the end of the pull-ups, I looked down the gym to see if I was the only one working. Cline and Rob were still on the pull-up rig with me. While I was taking my last break, I saw both of them head out the door. Why in the world did I think I would like this workout?
With my pull-ups complete, I jogged out the door for my final half-mile run. Way up ahead, I could see Cline and Rob. There was no chance of me catching up to Cline on a run, but Rob looked like he was hurting. I put my head down and tried to run faster than my body wanted to. If I pushed, I might be able to catch Rob. As I made the bend around Frosty Falls, I saw that Rob was walking past the 200 meter mark. I could definitely catch him if he was walking. I continued to close the gap as we headed out towards the turnaround point.
Rob was just beyond the 300 meter mark when he stopped and turned around. I wasn't sure if he had decided that he had enough or if he forgot where the turnaround point was. When I got to him, I yelled over that the turnaround point was further up ahead. He realized his mistake, turned back around, and jogged after me. I knew I was going to finish ahead of Rob now.
There was something about seeing a dazed, struggling classmate that struck a chord with me. A couple weeks earlier, I saw a fellow runner having a hard time at the end of a 5K and I helped him push through to the end. My time for that race wasn't wonderful, but I felt good about the fact that I was able to get that guy running again when he thought he needed to walk. This was like deja vu. I didn't care about my time anymore. I didn't care about finishing ahead of Rob. And best of all, I no longer felt angry or frustrated about the WOD. I might not have been immensely productive during the last 35 minutes, but I was about to be for the next minute or so.
As Rob and I headed back on the final quarter-mile run to the gym, I slowed down and started running sideways. I kept telling Rob he was done walking. I told him that he couldn't let the old, pudgy guy beat him on the final run. I kept chatting away as we came back down the hill to the 200 meter mark and then up the incline to the final turn at Frosty Falls. When we cleared that turn, we could see the gym again. Everyone from class was standing outside to cheer us on. They even had some theme music for us. The Rocky theme was audible from over 100 meters away. I told Rob that we had to pick it up for this final stretch. Our jog morphed into a sprint that would end with the two of us collapsing on the gym floor. Final time: 35:06.
No, I did not keep my workout under 30 minutes. I didn't have my finest day with overhead squats and no one should take that long completing 25 pull-ups. But I think I figured out what makes it worthwhile to go the gym 4-5 times per week. I've always said I was a better cheerleader than an athlete. Maybe I need to embrace that a little more. Completing this WOD in 35:06 and helping Rob finish strong was way more rewarding than it would have been to complete it in 34:30 and leave Rob behind. I might just be happier dialing back the competitiveness at the gym and seizing the opportunity to help out my classmates when I can.
Tuesday preview: I get to help out two of my classmates during the WOD! I also nearly injure myself by stupidly doing something I know I shouldn't. Don't be like me: keep your feet on the floor when you bench press.
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