12/26/10 - "Bull"

For time, two rounds of:

200 jumpropes
50 overhead squats, 85 lbs
50 pullups
Run 1 mile

source: a modified crossfit workout
time: 52:20
works: shoulders, legs, back, endurance, balance, core
difficulty: 9
my effort: 7

The first day back to the gym after a holiday is either the best of times, or the worst of times. It's not my favorite, primarily because my body tends to get stiff after a day or two of no activity. So the first day back sometimes is a little rough. Today was an exception to that; I actually felt pretty good. This was a difficult workout for me though, because it incorporates the overhead squat, a movement that, as I mentioned before, I'm very slow at. So my overall time went way up due to these. I think it's a balance thing; it takes me time between each rep to make sure I'm set for the next one. I also take care not to overstress my shoulders in the locked-out position, as I've hurt them before and I want to avoid that experience.

The original crossfit workout called for double-unders as opposed to regular jumpropes, but the ropes at my gym are so flimsy, they don't really allow for this movement. A lame excuse, I know.

The pullups were an easy part of this workout for me. I split them into quick sets of 10, and had no trouble getting the 100. I did regulars, not kipping.

The miles were ok. I'm not an overly fast runner to begin with, but I can usually mile in about 6:00 - 6:20 without a problem. However, running these at the end of the rotations made them difficult. I ran the first at a 7:00-ish pace, and dropped all the way off to a 9:ish pace for the last one. That's the main reason a only marked my effort as a "7"; I think I could have run the last mile faster.

Image credit: http://www.crossfitwestsac.com/what-is-crossfit/