Last night I bothered Michael Kelley to find out what our wod was going to be for today. In my defense, I never ask, he was late posting it. Once I saw it, I was excited.
You see, Alex P. (who's last name will remain P because I can't spell it, or pronounce it), just became a Doctor of Physics. Therefore, to celebrate, we did a wod of three of his favorite things.
"Dr. Pron"
AMRAP 12
5 pull ups
7 toes to bar
9 box jumps
I'm excited because I'm good at box jumps. I'm ok at pull ups, and I've much improved on toes to bar. So today's wod would be a fun challenge as opposed to yesterday's mess.
Arriving at the gym this morning, I caught the tail end of the six am class. They were killing it. They were also very sweaty. And Coach Paul was on all fours after the wod, that was the point that I knew today would be killer.
After rolling out, our strength portion was:
Low Bar Back Squat (percentages are of 5RM, mine was 113#)
5 @ 65% 73#
5 @ 75% 83#
3 @ 85% 98#
2 @ 95% 108#
2 @ 105% 118#
2 @ 105% 118#
2 @ 105% 118#
LBB Squats went ok. I feel as though I still let the weight intimidate me a little too much. The one time I maxed out at 133# Michael Kelley was just putting weight on the bar and I didn't know what weight it was. When I do the weight myself, I let it get in my head. I mean, I'm squatting my weight twice by three sets right now. I start to think of what if I can't. That's my problem. Today I tried to change that. Today, I tried to remind myself of yesterday, and how defeated I felt by my own mind. I was determined not to let this happen today. Once I did my three sets at 118#, I felt like I could have done a little more. I let the feeling slide as I know we will start Westside programming next week, and therefore be maxing this squat out.
Then, it was time for the wod. This was the real test for me. I jumped on the bar and did two body weight pull ups. They felt ok. Michael Kelley looks at me and says, "don't waste it on that". He's right. Save it. I ask him, "should I get an orange band?" He tells me no. Okay then. I do a few box jumps on the 24 inch box, which is what I normally use, and he tells me I should go higher. Normally, I would, however, after 100 wall ball and two 400 meter runs yesterday, I politely decline. He doesn't raise a fuss, so I know I might have a point.
So Michael Kelley starts the clock, 3...2...1...and I jump up for pull ups. The first set goes unbroken. With NO BANDS...what??? I drop, take a second, and then back up for toes to bar, also unbroken. Box jumps go well too, although my legs are tired from yesterday, and I can absolutely tell a difference. They are tougher than normal. I'm not floating like normal.
Set two, jump up to the bar. 1...2...3...4...5...unbroken again! Drop for a rest, then back up for toes to bar. Set two of these is also unbroken. Box jumps are making me feel heavy today, and set two is no different.
Set three, after a breather from box jumps, (which I now regret), I take the bar, and bang out five more unbroken pull ups. I can hear Michael Kelley saying "big hips!!!". I know I might be doing something right. Drop after five, then back up for toes to bar, third set goes unbroken.
Sets four and five are identical to that. My breather might get a second or two longer, but all sets of pull ups and toes to bar go unbroken for the day. I cannot tell you how great that felt!
My final score for the day was 6+5. I got six total rounds, and my seventh set of unbroken pull ups!!! I left the gym today feeling very accomplished.
I sent Michael Kelley a text thanking him for telling me not to use a band. I doubt myself a little too much sometimes, and Michael Kelley always has that boost of confidence I sometimes can't find. This is why our box is so amazing. There are so many people in this box that care about your performance. Not on a competitive level, but on an inspirational level. They are happy to be proud of you, they are happy to cheer you on, and they share in the joy of your accomplishments. This gym is a community that constantly has open arms for new members. I welcome anyone to come visit our gym, and to see just how friendly and welcoming this place is. Even for beginners, there's always someone willing to help and encourage you to do your best.
Damn pull ups made me sappy today.
Lemon out.
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