Perhaps if I'd dressed up as a superhero for our Halloween workout, I would've fared better.
At CrossFit Palo Alto, we were treated to (tricked with?) our second annual Hallow-Bata -- a Tabata-style workout that looks like this:
- 8 Tabata rounds of "green, slimy" grasshoppers
- Rest 30 seconds
- 8 Tabata rounds of "headless horsemen" (a variation on kettlebell palm presses) (24kg / 16kg)
- Rest 30 seconds
- 8 Tabata rounds of "cauldron jumps" (jump on/over a plyo box and onto the floor on the other side for each rep)
- Rest 30 seconds
- 8 Tabata rounds of "deadly" double-unders
Score = Total reps.
With a dozen of us in class, we split up into groups to start at different stations. I opted to hit the cauldron jumps first -- mostly because it was the least crowded station, but also because I knew I wanted to tackle the jumps while my legs were still fresh.
Cauldron jump results: 11 / 12 / 10 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 7 / 8
Next up: Double-unders. I got tripped up more than I'd care to admit, and with my swollen right wrist, I had trouble whipping the rope. Needless to say, I got nowhere close to my performance last year, when I managed to crank out 34 double-unders in 20 seconds. Argh.
Double-under results: 20 / 21 / 15 / 19 / 22 / 14 / 16 / 15
Then, it was grasshopper time. From my experience last year, I knew it was better to go at a steady clip rather than explode right out of the gate -- but even if I'd tried to hustle through the grasshoppers, my right wrist would've held me back. I can't flex it right now, so I did the grasshoppers while gripping dumbbells. Done this way, the grasshoppers felt fine at the beginning, but by the third set, my wrist felt like it was going to give out. You can see the drop-off in my reps:
Grasshopper results: 13 / 11 / 7 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 10
Last but not least: Headless horsemen. Tim and I agreed that I shouldn't do 'em with my right arm -- but that my left arm still works fine. I did all the kettlebell presses from my left side. Let's just say it was slow going.
Headless horsemen results: 5 / 5 / 5 / 6 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 6
Total: 326 (compared to 335 last year). My goal for next year (assuming I'm not injured): 350 or bust.
Cauldron jump results: 11 / 12 / 10 / 8 / 8 / 8 / 7 / 8
Next up: Double-unders. I got tripped up more than I'd care to admit, and with my swollen right wrist, I had trouble whipping the rope. Needless to say, I got nowhere close to my performance last year, when I managed to crank out 34 double-unders in 20 seconds. Argh.
Double-under results: 20 / 21 / 15 / 19 / 22 / 14 / 16 / 15
Then, it was grasshopper time. From my experience last year, I knew it was better to go at a steady clip rather than explode right out of the gate -- but even if I'd tried to hustle through the grasshoppers, my right wrist would've held me back. I can't flex it right now, so I did the grasshoppers while gripping dumbbells. Done this way, the grasshoppers felt fine at the beginning, but by the third set, my wrist felt like it was going to give out. You can see the drop-off in my reps:
Grasshopper results: 13 / 11 / 7 / 8 / 7 / 6 / 10
Last but not least: Headless horsemen. Tim and I agreed that I shouldn't do 'em with my right arm -- but that my left arm still works fine. I did all the kettlebell presses from my left side. Let's just say it was slow going.
Headless horsemen results: 5 / 5 / 5 / 6 / 5 / 5 / 5 / 6
Total: 326 (compared to 335 last year). My goal for next year (assuming I'm not injured): 350 or bust.
