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