CrossFit Competition 3: Third Time’s a Charm

You’d think that I would never, ever enter another CrossFit competition after the last disaster. But you would be wrong. It’s over a year later, I’ve been training hard and eating right, and I’ve built up strength and confidence. The My Mommy Is Stronger Than Your Mommy competition at AllSport CrossFit was the perfect opportunity to give competing another shot. As scared as I was, I knew I had to do it, for no other reason than to prove to myself that I could compete.

CrossFit Competition Standards (Scaled)

I looked at the standards very seriously before I signed up for the Scaled division. For the past (almost) two years, I’ve been a super-scaled athlete. For this CrossFit competition, I would need to be able to complete:

• Power Clean or Squat Clean/S2O – 55-65#
• Wallballs – 10# to a 10′ Line
• Kettlebell – 25-35#
• Single Unders
• Push-ups
• Knee Ups
• Step Ups (20″)
• Deadlift – 95-115#
• Slamballs – 15#+
• Rowing / Assault Bike

Save for the wallballs, everything else is within my wheelhouse. I consulted with Coach Holly, then signed up to compete. For six weeks prior to the competition, I practiced wall balls until I could do at least five unbroken to the 10′ line. It wasn’t pretty, but I practiced.

Competition Day

My friend from the box, Reene, also was competing, so we met up at a mutually convenient location to carpool. Thank goodness we did. Waze took us to the wrong Main Street (how do you do that?!), but we arrived in plenty of time to set up, check in, and warm up. We took a jog together, stretched, and greeted AJ, a coach from our box that also was competing, and I was really happy to see Ginger again. Reene was in the first heat, and I was scheduled for Heat 6, so I got the floater WOD out of the way first:

• 8 calorie assault bike ride
• 12 burpees over the bar
• 8 calorie assault bike ride

I had baby horse legs after the first assault bike ride, and the burpees were unpleasant, to say the least. Getting back on that bike made me want to cry. But I did, and I finished in 2:43, which is fast for me. The assault bike is not my friend.

I had some time before WOD 1, so I walked around to shake out my baby horse legs, stretched, and sipped some water. WOD 1 was also not very fun:

8 minute AMRAP:

• 15 wallballs
• 8 hanging knee raises
• farmer’s carry

Luckily, the wallballs were to the 9′ line! I busted them out extremely well, given my hatred of them. I think I only got three no-reps in all five rounds I did. The knee raises flew by; seriously, those are the easiest things ever for me. The farmer’s carry meant a 35# dumbbell in one hand and a 35# kettlebell in the other, hauling you-know-what for about 36′. That also wasn’t too bad.

My score for WOD 1 was 148.

This is where things get hairy. I was really hopped up on caffeine and adrenaline, because I had been dreading the wallballs so much. I had to sit down and eat, walk around, and take a lot of deep breaths. For me, I did really well, and I came in 18th out of 31 in WOD 1.

It was the rowing that got me.

WOD 2/3 was a combined WOD:

• 35 calorie row
• 20 S2o
• 70 singles
• 30 thrusters
• 70 singles
• 20 S2o
• 35 calorie row

Okay, let’s put rowing and thrusters into one WOD in a CrossFit competition! That will be great, said no competitor ever. The score for WOD 2 was the time it took for the first row. That took me a little over three minutes (which is still pretty dang good for me, according to Coach Holly and me). S2os and thrusters were with a 45# bar. I busted out the S2os, and the singles were nothing. The thrusters, though… the thrusters were brutal. Four in, and I pulled my glute. I had to stop, stretch, walk it off, and then, as in life, pick up the bar. So I picked it up and did the thrusters in small sets, babying my glute muscle. You know what? I still finished in the 18-minute time cap! I finished in 16:09, even with that second row! And Coach AJ told me I looked great out there and should hold my head high.

Which I am.

I placed 26th out of 31, and for me, that is a victory. I’m finally playing with the small dogs now (big dogs are a long way away!), and it felt amazing. AJ came in fourth in her division, and Reene placed third in hers. In her first CrossFit competition, and I am so proud of her!

I know that I want to keep competing. I know that I will get stronger. And I’m so lucky to have a great coach and a supportive CrossFit family. Before I get all mushy, I’ll wrap this up. What I learned Sunday is that hard work pays off. I’ve put in work for the past year or so to get better, and I trained on wallballs of all things, and it paid off in that I didn’t come in last.

*Thank you to Susie Tannery and AllSport CrossFit in Houston for a great competition, and to De Motu Mobility for working on my glute muscle after I collapsed in a puddle of sweat after WOD 2/3.