"MURPH"

"MURPH"

For time:

1 mile run

100 pull-ups

200 push-ups

300 squats

1 mile run

On this Memorial Day, I did this WOD in honor of all the service men and women past and present whom give the ultimate sacrifice of their lives on the battlefield. "Murph" is named after Lt. Michael Murphy. Read about his courage under fire. 

I am really really really happy with my work today. I verbalized a goal of 75mins to finish the WOD, which I obviously succeeded. I've never done Full Murph so I don't have a time to compare it to, but let's put into perspective my improvement of fitness in the past year since I did Half Murph on March 17, 2010 . I did more than DOUBLE the work and improved my time over 2 minutes. I say more than double the work because I have progressed to unassisted kipping pull up vs jumping pull up, and my push ups are now on my feet vs knees, though I'm still using a band. 

This is how I broke up the work:

And this is how I tracked my work:

Per usual, the runs really sucked for me. Actually the first 800m was fine. It was the subsequent last three 800m that were yucky. After doing all the pull ups and push ups, I couldn't hold my arms up while running. My body just wouldn't stay upright while I ran. 

I was very impressed with my strict adherence to making sure each rep was perfect and could not be questioned as half ass. Again, that whole eating clean BS came into play with my pull ups. I thought for a second that I maybe wouldn't be able to do all 100 pull ups unassisted, but I felt like the PUs were almost "easy." The push ups were difficult but I made sure that I kept my body tight and all 200 were really nice looking push ups. Squats were squats. 

So ya, I'm pretty happy with my work. Body feels good. Never really felt like death. I think I paced myself really well. Murph is definitely a once a year WOD. It makes it special, holding it with reverence just like Lt. Michael Murphy and his bravery that fateful day Iraq. 

Valley Crossfit and Sweet Assassin= BFFs

With a clock running for 20 minutes:

Run 800, then
AMRAP-
3 Clean/Jerk (I cleaned only 65#s)
6 Pull ups (with band)
9 Push ups (knees)
At the end of the 20mins, run 800m

Your score is how many round you completed

My score: 5 rounds + 3 cleans

Soooo much to say... First, I loved this workout, even with all the running.  It was pretty crazy class with 24 peeps. We all warmed up collectively in the parking lot; 200m jog, skipping and DROM.

We paired up for the WOD. Janice was by herself with 35# bar and small kettlebell to do high-pulls instead of pull ups. I tried to do 65# clean and Jerk, but I couldn't get the bar over me. It is 2/3 my body weight. So Mike said to just clean the bar cause there were no more bumper plates for me to have my own bar. Mike told me to do a couple cleans to feel it out. I felt a lot of pressure. Now realize, that I just set that PR of 65# for my clean so the weight is somewhat new to me. I thought, I better do this, I don't want to look like a weak sauce in front of Mike :)

Well I did 2 right off, and my confidence shot through the roof and I felt good going into it. The 800m run wasn't bad at all.
During the WOD, after every clean I did I felt even more confident and strong. I felt good. My pull ups were nice, and I felt strong during my push ups.
The second 800m sucked. I hated it.

During the cool down, the first place woman at the CF Regionals walked into the gym and I got kind of excited, like a school girl. I'm such a goober.

I ate well today.

10 oz Chicken breast
4oz. broccoli/cauliflower
1 banana w/ 1Tbls of hazelnut butter

1 tangerine
Garlic Shrimp
5 jumbo purple asparagus

1 large orange

1 Sierre Nevada Torpedo IPA

Tomorrow is sooooo going to be rest day. Except that I look at the WOD and I really want to do it.

I'm fuckin' Crosffit crazy :D




I think Janice is seriously considering taking on Crossfit. I can see her coming up with all the objections... hopefully I've answered them satisfactorily.

Back squat bliss

My time- 8:39

Loved today's WOD. I think I could have done more weight, but really wanted to work on my form, get really seated at the bottom, get the bar lower on my back. Also, my shoulders were really tight from the WOD yesterday, so 60#s felt good. I did the first 15 straight through. Racked the bar. Did 5 more. Rested. Did 7. Rested. Then knocked out the last 3. Jumped on the rower, and my legs gassed out at like 300 meters, so I felt my arms compensating with bigger pulls to keep pace which killed my lungs. I got a 2nd wind at about 800m mark, and finished strong. I got off the rower and my ass was burning somethin' crazy. My glutes are tingly as I type :)

Quite proud of the fact that my 500m pace was clocked at 2:35. My goal is to be below 2:30, which is big feat considering my height. I think when I started CF, I was above a 3min 500m, so I'm super pleased.

For the warm-up, I opted for the 800m jog. If you don't know, I hate running/jogging. Hate it. My head has all these voices that turn on when I jog: "Your lung is going to collapse" "This or that joint hurts" "My lower back" all this crazy shit that isn't really happening, but used to psyche me out. And it works. So I started my jog, knowing that during an 800 I usually stop 3 times; once at the back side of the brick building, then again at the middle of Suzy building, then in front of Suzy's building. I stopped once today- the side of Suzy's building. I did my hardest to ignore all the little feelings in my body and just looked up and kept a good pace. Acheiving these little goals may seem sooo minute, but in my mind I'm leaping huge buildings.

What a great day!

Sweet Assassin- Don't get too close.