I have to say, I feel both liberated and sad at the same time. 15.5 is done, and my Thursday nights and Friday nights are gloriously free.
The CrossFit Open finished with a bang. And I walked away… HAPPY.
15.5 was made for me. This was my best workout by far (and similarly, 14.5 with thrusters and burpees was my best workout last year). And the first workout that actually felt like it tested my fitness, and not my shoulder health. Thrusters and rowing.
Hell, I’d love if ALL Open workouts were like this. Why? Because a workout like this comes down to being willing to suffer. You are playing an endless mental game with yourself, trying to figure out where and when to rest.
“Does this hurt badly enough to warrant stopping?”
“Not yet.” “Not yet.” “Not yet.”
Ohhhhh, I am so good at that game.
I ended up breaking up the thrusters twice over the course of the workout: Twenty seven thrusters unbroken.
Twenty one thrusters – resting once – 12 and 9, I think. Actually, I literally dropped the bar from the bottom of the squat, not able to get up.
Fifteen thrusters – resting once – 8 and 7.
And nine thrusters unbroken.
Oh, and I remaining standing at the end. [Go ahead and make the joke of how that means I did not work hard enough. If zombies come at the end of a WOD, I am running away. You are getting eaten.]
Total Score: 11:07
I also got my first opportunity to judge. I loved it, and will do it again.
Observations: – if Rx thruster was a heavy thruster for you, you were screwed – for stronger/fitter athletes, this was essentially a hardcore pukey workout. #love – rowing was hard to pace – going faster may have meant blowing out your thrusters. – the biggest mistake people made was to rest between rowing and thrusters. Walking straight to the bar and picking it up was key – otherwise, you freaked yourself out, and spent way too much time panting.
This year’s Open was an eye opening experience for many. It definitely was for me. With greater focus on high skill movements which I do not practice in my regular training, it’s simply less… FUN.
Will I do it next year? Probably.
Hugs, SOLO