I was going to talk about my CrossFit Games 17.5 WoD today but the power is totally out in as in a major neighborhood blackout. Therefore, I am typing this out on my iPhone. Thankfully I put it on the charger when I got home.
So I am sitting here in the glow of my iPhone, my Sheltie at foot. My Lab is in the master bedroom, on the bed, while my husband is outside investigating the issue.
And that is my big post for the day. It ain’t all about me.
8:40 p.m.
58/365
Today was a great WoD for me. After a bout of bronchitis and then getting gobbed smacked last Wednesday with a horrific sinus headache and sinusitis I was not sure how well I could do much of anything today but today was my day.
Saturday I did a thirteen minute test run doing 25’s in deadlifts, wall balls, calorie row, and push press from the 17.4 Masters scaled. I managed to get to three failed attempts with the 45lb push press and had to drop to a 35# bar. (I have a problem with my shoulder.)
Today I did all 55 in the deadlifts and wall balls, then made it to the 24 cal in the row. My breathing was the best it has been in about six weeks time. It was good enough for me to be fairly steady for the entire thirteen minutes. My only falter was my arms just quit moving at the 22 cal on the row. It made me laugh a little because I was thinking what the heck just happened to my arms? I’ve got to make it to 25 cal!!!
Thank goodness my Coach Charles yelled, “DON’T STOP! KEEP ROWING!”
I just barely made it to the 24 cal.
Oh well. I know I did my best. Way better than last year.
51/365
My teammates, all of them younger than me and way more involved in competitions than I am, had a friendly back and forth guessing game as to when and what this year’s CrossFit Games repeat WoD would be.
…And as competitive teammates sometimes are there was a little friendly WoD wager regarding what the winner would choose as a WoD for the loser to do.
…And of course there was an upping of the WoD ante as the final results played out in the process last week.
Then today was the day of reckoning. (dun-dun-dun!)
In exemplary fashion, Johnny-The Winner worked out with Keith-The Loser in an unquestionable show of Esprit de Corps.
I love my teammates.
49/365
I came. I saw. I did the 17.3 Open WoD. Uh, and I do not look anything like this when I did my #LOGHL Scaled version. It is one of those WoD’s that I do not want to do again to better my score. Then again, I could change my mind by Monday. (I can hear my Coach’s ting already in my head.)
That duly noted, thanks to my wonderful Coach Charles for letting me be the last person and for staying to coach me through the process. Special thanks for treating me like like a serious competitor, even when I was rolling my eyes and snark-laughing to myself.
The great news is my Coach/teammate Susan Thomas, was really happy with her WoD results when she saw the btwb press Preliminary Analysis!
Yeah, I am at the other end of her score – the way other end. With only two more WoDs to go I have a chance to come in higher than last place. Well, at least I hope not last!
Susan will keep going, hopefully, to Regionals if she keeps up her great pace! I am truly rooting for her to break into the top 100 for the 2017 finals!
42/365
It is a miracle. I did the WoD Saturday and again today and I managed to shave off some time on my tie-breaker score. It is the most awesome feeling. 
It has been rough recovering from a flu bug that left me with bronchitis. The Doctor gave me an inhaler, in addition to a Z-Pak. This is the first time ever in my life I have ever had to use an inhaler so it was not a happy moment for me.
When I did 17.1 it was rough breathing. I did not use the inhaler. It was so difficult trying to suck in enough air to get through the WoD so when I did the 17.2 last Saturday, I broke out the inhaler. It helped me get through it but it was still rough trying to get enough air into my body.
Today I wanted to do 17.2 inhaler-less because I have been coughing less, sleeping well, and it was not humid today. The temperature felt pretty great too. It felt perfect going into today’s second chance fairly relaxed.
It could not have gone better today. I tried to focus on my breathing. I made sure I opened up the ribcage to breathe deeply. I concentrated on how many steps for the lunges. I only lost concentration on those stinking chest to bar jump-ups (cough, cough jump ups, barely). And before I knew it, it was Times Up!
Spectacular, in my own mind, I was really feeling like something special when Coach Charles (#Ting), told me I beat my tie-breaker time.
Yeah. Life is Grand for the #LOGHL. #ImNotLast!
37/365
March 1st was the beginning of month eight for me at Guns Out CrossFit (GOCF). From where I started until now, I cannot believe how quickly time has flown by, and even more so, I cannot believe how the transition from box to box has been so wonderfully fluid. This year I celebrate completing three years of CrossFit. Thanks to Coach Charles, I am heading into year four with gusto.
It was a stressful decision but I got sucked into the CrossFit Games 2016, thanks to the continuous “support the box” mantra from my Florida teammates. The first workout I had to scale beyond the scaled. I rolled my eyes, a lot! But I managed to get through all five WoDs, scaling the scaled. All I could do was what I could do. Unfortunately, I had to do the third or fourth WoD on a Monday, forgetting to put in the Monday results immediately following the workout. It did not count. It was so disheartening. Still I completed the next WoD, immediately putting my score in afterwards.
This year I have been fortunate enough to be scheduled to do the 17.x WoDs with my Coach Charles on Saturdays about 11ish, which is a perfect time for me. (I am remembering to put my results in IMMEDIATELY after the WoD this year!) What I am really enjoying is the camaraderie with some of the best athletes in the box, including my Coach.
What I learned about taking part in the 2016 Games at 26.2 CrossFit is the importance of supporting the Box by signing up. By being an individual athlete I still felt part of the team, even though I was pretty wonky as an athlete.
What I have learned so far in the 2017 Games with my GOCF Bama teammates is the joy in competing compared to how I did last year and, if my body and my mind hold up, is to give the WoD a second go to better my performance. (I learned that from my teammate, Susan Thomas – who placed 144 in the world during the 2016 games. Not that I plan on doing it this year.)
And then there is Coach Charles. We spent a little time chatting after everyone left today and he told me that I should do 17.2 again on Monday. (Not rolling my eyes.) He said it so with that charming smile. I could almost hear the ting of the flash of that smile as it blinded me in to agreeing with him. Then before I panicked, I remembered: Trust Your Coach!
So for anyone reading who is nervous about joining in on competitions, especially the CrossFit Games, just do it. Get in the game. It does not matter your skill level. It only matters that you find the courage to do. It makes a difference in you!
35/365
Yesterday I wrote about the 17.1 CrossFit Games WoD that I miraculously did fairly well. And I mean fairly.
Today my Coach Charles, who I truly love and absolutely adore like he was my own son, sweetly and with genuine heart sent a photo he took of me at about 18 minutes into the 20 minute capped WoD.
He was wondering if he could use my photo for a WoD meme he was about to post for the box.
Uh No. I look hideous. I look like a deranged Oompa-Loompa!
And then my husband and I belly laughed at the photo for ten minutes.
Yeah. Not so flattering. Not so flattering in the least. But thanks for asking Coach.
Now destroy all the copies!
27/365 ( just realized… I think I am off by two days so that would make this post 29 … hmmmm. Need to go back and check.)
The weather in Montgomery has been hot or cold this week. Yesterday as I watched two of my very competitive, in the best possible way, teammates do the 17.1 CrossFit Open WoD in what I consider too hot weather, I was totally freaked out in my mind about doing the WoD for myself at Guns Out CrossFit.
Johnny leaped over his last box burpee and then some how managed to stumble over to the big fan, flopping on his back, spread eagle. When he finally managed to pick himself up off the floor I realized he, at some point, had ripped his shoes off to aid in his cool-down process. It was a two stage pick-himself-up-off the floor effort. He was totally spent.
Then Susan, the adorable, took her turn. She is amazingly focused. She is the most consistent, cool-as-a-cucumber athlete. Like a duck on the water. Calm on top while her feet paddle like a fury. When she finished the WoD she headed for the other big fan, which was close to her and on the cement floor. There she draped her body as close to the fan as possible while on cement floor, shoes off, then barefoot. She was still barefoot walking out the building.
Talk about scaring the Little Old Gray Haired Lady (LOGHL). Not only are they skilled, but equally important, they have the speed. They were totally amazing. I wish I had a couple of photos for you because they are fascinating to watch in action.
Coach Charles told me I was in the Saturday 11 a.m. wave.
Yeah. I rolled my eyes. I cheesily grimaced. I left the building.
My saving grace doing the WoD today was that I am in the old group. Not the oldest division but close. 
And the weather was totally in my favor! It was in the upper 50’s to low 60’s, my perfect WoD zone. Then knowing I got to use a 10 pound dumbell just about caused my heart to leap out of my throat, pounding with happiness.
I just had to start where I am, use what I have, do what I can as my very best. That said, my best is a 14-16 inch step-up and using that step box to do my faux burpee, a plank on the step since I have limited range of shoulder motion. Basta! My head was back in my game. I was in my mental zone. I had a plan.
3-2-1 GO!
The adrenalin kicked in and there I went, hands flying through the first ten snatches. Then came the first ten of the twenty when realizing I best cool my jets to maintain a healthier pace, I slowed down a bit to maintain my pace from then on.
It is a given that I am never the fastest. I am always happy if I can keep up with good form, which I really tried hard to do. Definitely it took me the entire twenty minutes to complete as many repetitions as possible. But I did it.
I came. I saw. I conquered my mind.
Ain’t Life Grand!
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