Norcal Day 2

2 Wods today and they both look heinous. The first one is a chipper and on paper looks ok until you realize you do all the barbell work with Fat Gripz. Good think I practiced that ....Not. The other one was suppose to be a prowler push but it was scratching the floor so they went to wheel barrow push. That I have done before. But I suspect they will be putting some thing heavier than grass clippings in it.   They had an athlete's briefing scheduled for 6:30am and I decided to blow it all so the whole family could get a little more rest.   My motivation level was not sky high when I got to the venue as it had been a long day.    When I had posted the updates about the day 2 wods all the athletes back home were posting their support.  This one from Judy Mulladey stood out " Good luck today John! You've got what it takes! My immediate reply was " I may have what it takes but I'm not certain I want to give it up"  It was all going to come down to that.  Whether I wanted to enter the pain cave.  

The Fat Gripz Master Chipper

20/15 Cal Row
50m Bear Crawl
13 Thrusters (65/95)
13 Up and Over Box Jumps (20/24) must leave ground with both feet but no need to open hips at top
13 Deadlifts  (105/165)
13 Wall Balls (9 feet/10 feet  14/20)
13 Ring Dips.
And then back down

As we entered the competition area I went in first so I could get a rower on the end.  For some reason I dont like having athletes on both sides of me.  I had Skip Hanson who was sitting in 2nd place right next to me.   The athletes who had gone earlier warned me that the 2nd bear crawl is completely awful and Elaine Polito said to just keep a steady pace. Here she is giving me guidance.



3,2,1 go....  The first row went well. It felt easy and smooth and was over in no time at all.   Skip finished right behind me.  That should have been my immediate tip off that I was going out to fast.  Skip is 6ft tall and weights 205 and has a Helen time of 7:25.  So he is big and fast.   I made it through the bear crawls first and then hit the thrusters and plowed thru them.  Still in first.  Slowed down at the boxes but managed to get through them as well.  Deadlift no problem. Skip and I still  1 and 2.  Now I notice Freddy who had been way behind closing ground.  Wall balls slowed me down some more as I had a few no reps and then I hit the dips.  Freddy by that time had caught us and hit the dips unbroken.   Skip and I were really slowing down. Skip told me later he got no repped multiple times.   Now I was really hurting.  More no reps in the wall balls.  A slight respite int the deadlift.   The Box jumps just tried to keep moving.  Susie and were screaming encouragement and all I was thinking about was whether I was going to be able to even finish.  Freddy was now way past us.  I could see him getting to the rower just as I started the final thrusters which I broke up into 7,4,2.   The bear crawl was the worst. I actually had to stop at the turnaround and even the judge started yelling me to move it.   I was never more happy to see a rower.   20 Calories to go,  I could hear the announcer calling calories and I knew i was neck and neck with Steve Crane and gave it everything I had in the last part and then collapsed on the floor.  Here are a few photos so you can see it was no joke that I wrecked myself.  None of them are pretty.  

Yep Im drooling...

The final push. "yes Jarrod I know my knees are not suppose to bend out"

I have no idea I even gashed my finger on the box jumps until someone told me.

Susie and Christina had thought I finished second but Steve Crane nipped me by 2 seconds  12:06 to 12:08.    Freddy destroyed the field with a time of 9:55!  1 minute faster than than anyone else.  I took 5th in the event.  It goes to show you know how to pace.  Keep it under control.  I told Freddy after that I got a better workout because I blew up  :).  

So after that event I had moved up to 4th place and was wondering whether they would take the top 3 of top 5 to the finals.  They hadnt announced it.   I know its a sad thing to say but I was hoping it would be 3 and we could go back to hotel and enjoy the rest of the day.     

Forgot to mention yesterdays speakers - Susie and Christina both got to hear and then get feedback on their lifts form Mark Bell and Jesse Burdick.   Today they got to hear and speak with
Annie Sakamoto, Jim Baker and Kelly Starrett.   Photos here:

 While they were doing all that I was at the booth of   Kinetic - Chain Sport talking to Monte Spicer and Tammy Marquez.   There tag line is Treating Everyday People Like Million Dollar Athletes.  The use a combination of Sports Massage Recovery and Active Release Therapy. They both are working on you at the same time and it was like having  a pit crew.  Walked away from that treatment feeling great and I will definitely see them again.

The last event which had been modified was going to be quick with a 5 minute cutoff.  It was all going to come down to the double-unders.  Who ever blinks would lose.

"Junior " MiniWod 3:

    35 Air Squats
    run to the other end of the MiniWod arena
    pick up 2 plates (45/25)
    run plates back to start
    add the plates to the wheel barrel
    walk/run wheel barrel straight back down same path
    stop half way
    perform 35 air squats
    continue to move wheel barrel to finish line
    push entire wheel barrel and your body over the finish line
    perform 100 double unders

 Freddy and Skip went in the heat in front of me so I knew that it would take about 2 minutes to do the first part and then it all came down to whether you had the double unders.  Freddie scorched it and finished in 3:11.  He got 98 straight before he messed up.  Skip finished in 3:30.



As expected I got through the first part fairly easily.  Air Squats no problem,  had a moment of trouble getting the weights onto prowler/wheel barrel and then getting the wheel barrel to go straight.  Hit the double unders in 2 minutes.   I got a nice chunk straight away but then I ticked the barrier rope behind me as I had floated backward.  I was also worried about Eric Delgado next to me as he was floating into my lane.   Got through it with about 5 mess ups.   Not bad but not quite good enough.  Finished in 5th. 10 seconds faster and I would have been tied for 4th and 12 second faster would have been 3rd.

After that event there was a big layoff while Kelly Starett took the floor for his talk.

 It was now time to wait and ponder what they might be throwing at us.  It was confirmed that they were taking top 5 so I was in as I was still in 4th.   I  kept my eyes on the competitor area and noticed they had left up the rings and put the barbells back out but with limited weight.   When they announced the final wod I felt pretty good as it was a Squat Snatch - Muscle Up ladder.  The original time was 7 minutes which was then reduced to 5 minutes.  The rep scheme was 1 snatch - 2 muscle ups.  As I warmed up with Skip, Freddy, and Scott Taylor I felt confident in my squat snatch as I had been drilling it for a long time.  

When they called our group it felt great to be on the floor with such a great group of athletes.  I hit the first snatch no problem but go no repped on my first muscle up for not locking out.  Silly as I was up and just came down to quickly. It was the right call for sure.   I got through the first 4 rounds and really wanted the 5th and rushed the lifts but couldnt end the round.  I got 4 rounds plus 3 snatches. Good for 3rd behind Skip and the overall winner - Brad Matsik.  Wasnt able to gain enough ground to move up so finished in 4th.   Just off the podium.