Sunday Stories…The Road

 

To the Games part 9 (day 3)

Saturday morning arrives and I am alternatively excited and a little apprehensive. All of my previous day's distress seems to have melted away. The workouts have been announced and the “Rinse and Repeat” workout in the pool falls solidly in my wheelhouse. On the other hand, even though I have a solid lock on 2^nd place, anything can happen. No laurels to rest on yet!

 The first workout is definitely not in my wheelhouse. Carry heavy stuff and do wall balls, a lot of wall balls. We start with a thing called a Husafell which looks like a triangle and weighs 100# but it turns out we don’t get that, we get a sandbag instead which is not as easy to carry. Then do 50 wall balls with a 14# ball (a small favor!). Then jerry bags at 70# and 40 wall balls, and a sled push and 30 wall balls. When I get off the sled my legs are jelly. It was a struggle to get into the rhythm of the wall balls. Then we work our way back with the implements and down to 10 wall balls. I finish the 10 wall balls as time ends.  Just as well because that sled was going to leave me with nothing left. I finish in 5^th and maintain my 2^nd place standing but the margin does narrow some.

 Rinse and Repeat is a simple workout…2 minutes to swim 50 yards, get out, and hit the ski erg for calories. The calories start at 8 and increase by 2 for 6 2-minute rounds. If you complete the 18 calories in the sixth round you get 2 more rounds to do max calories. Honestly, I couldn’t have designed this better for myself. I’ve been practicing on the ski erg regularly and swimming almost every week all summer. I can do 50 yards in less than 30 seconds if I really push it.

The University of Wisconsin facility is beautiful The practice pool is nicer than most and the locker rooms are first class. It was a pleasure to swim in a world-class facility like this. We are handed a cap and goggles for the event but I am going to forego both. The reason for no goggles is simple…I have never been able to practice diving into the pool with them on. This is not the time to do so! Nothing is worse than losing your goggles and having them drag as you swim! Besides when I was a kid…lol.

 This is going to be continued, stay tuned to next week for the big finish!!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story…The Road

 

To the Games Part 8 (Day 2)

 

We are up early Friday, and my stomach is better but not 100%. I feel ready but my diet has been very limited, so I am watching my energy carefully.

Our first workout, Parallel Elizabeth, is going to showcase a new skill…the parallel traverse walk! We are going to travel from one end to the other on a set of gymnastic parallel bars using our hands. This looks like fun! Combined with a 21-15-9 115# squat clean and the 5-3-1 traverses this is a fast and furious workout with a 9-minute time cap.

The strategy is simple…cycle the barbell quickly on the squat cleans ad then go quick on the traverse. I have played on these things before so I ‘m not real worried. But, like Mike Tyson is quoted as saying, “everyone has a plan until they get hit in the face!” I decided to go a little more conservative and do quick drop singles. The traverses go well. I slowly fight my way into contention. The traverses are an obvious strength until the last one when I get over my arms and miss! I rush back as time is running out and mange to finish in 8:58! Just under the time cap! I end up placing third.

 

The second workout is 3 x 3-minute rounds with a 1-minute rest between them. 15 ring muscle ups lead off followed by a 60-meter obstacle run, 20 snatches @95# and the run and then a 30-calorie row with another run. We know we are going to have long straps on the rings but when we hit the competition floor the straps are super long, and the wind is blowing the rings all over. It is very difficult to lock the rings out at the top of the dip with that much strap. I struggle, get numerous no-reps but somehow manage to get 7 in before the time cap. The snatches look promising as I did 20 unbroken recently at home but the competition floor in front of a judge is more difficult. I do 10 and 5 and 5 and finish the run under the time cap. I sell out on the rower and finish that round as well. Another third!

 

At the end of the day, I am sitting solidly in second place. My body is feeling pretty good except the bruised pectoral muscle from falling on the parallel bars. A quick visit to the Airrosti tent and some kinesi-tape and I am right as rain! Now to recover and see what day 3 has in store.

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

 

 

 

Sunday Story…The Road

 

To the Games Part 7

 The second of 3 workouts is a run/rope climb/dumbbell squat clean. This is going to be the test of LSD. It starts with a 1400-meter run. Certainly, not my wheelhouse, and I finish last of the men and most of the women. But I walk right to the rope and go to work. 4 rope climbs and then 21 DB squat cleans later I finish the round in 2^nd or 3^rd. Back out to the run and my placing is looking good and the runs are getting faster. Although I time cap out (30 minutes) I end up a surprising 3^rd overall.

The last workout throws new skills our way…A Pegboard and pistols! What! We have a pegboard here at CrossFit Odyssey, but it gets used about once a year (maybe). It’s a tough skill and every competitor is worried about it. 2 guys don’t make it up at all. I do but certainly not very quickly. My double unders are missing in action (again) so I do single-double (it’s only 30) and hit the handstand pushups. These go well for me and I’m back to the single doubles. I put my rope down but there’s some confusion as to where it goes so, I only get 1 attempt at a pistol. Which is just as well because 1 is about all I have! But it’s good enough for 4^th place.

 

At the end of day 1, I survived and sit in 3^rd place. Considering how the day started and my overall health I am pleased with my performance. 3 workouts done, a 3^rd, a 4^th, and a 7^th, and I actually feel pretty good. Now to eat, sleep, and recover.

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412

Sunday Story…The Road

 

To the Games Part 6

 

The time has arrived, it’s Games week. We check in on Tuesday afternoon to get uniforms and all the swag. This is the most fun part of the week! New shoes, socks, shorts, and shirts are all in various colors and permutations. It’s fun and exciting to see what No Bull brings to the party. I must admit I am excited to wear the new lifters! But I will be wearing all my tried and true…breaking in new shoes in a competition is a bad idea.

Wednesday is orientation and the first athlete briefing when we find out what the first workouts will be. Unfortunately, I woke up Wednesday morning in severe intestinal distress! Headache, stomach bubbling and churning, extreme fatigue, and dehydration are all at the forefront. This is not good. I do my best to soldier on and manage to get through the day. The athlete briefing reveals some workouts both good and bad for me but none of that matters if my gut doesn’t cooperate.

Thursday is day 1 of the competition. We open with event 2 which is 5 minutes on the Concept 2 bike (a new implement for me!) for calories, followed by 3 minutes to establish 1 rep max strict pull up followed by 3 minutes to establish a 1 rep max front squat. The pull-up I am looking forward to, but the judge is not allowing any knee movement whatsoever and her definition and mine of chin over the bar are clearly at odds! I manage to get 70# but not 75#. Obviously, my personal record of 95# must be using a different standard!

I do manage to get 215# on my front squat which was the plan. With good timing, I picked up the bar at 2:59 and got the rep in as required under the rules. My gut has cooperated to get the job done but is still roiling and unsettled.

 

More on day 1 next week!

 

John Mariotti

www.crossfitodyssey.com

www.sunday-stories.blogspot.com

775-338-2412