Deja Vu all over again. I am back at the festivus games after an almost 5 year absence. Should I still be in this beginner style fitness competition? The answer is complicated. Fitness level wise I’m absolutly at a festivus level, but at an experience level I am likely far ahead of most of the competitors. Since I’m essentially a born again CrossFitter, and because I’m nowhere near a fire breather, I feel it is appropriate for me to be here. Hopefully for the last time. Unlike my first attempt at festivus, this time I am much more prepared. If you’d like to figure out how I did in my first attempt you can read here: http://www.reformedfatty.com/quick-summary-of-festivus/ or to see a description of the 2011 workouts go here: http://www.reformedfatty.com/release-the-wods/ .
This year, the workouts were released many months in advance giving me ample time (that I wasted) to practice and get strong at the movements. As I did the first time around I’m going to set some goals in each workout and for the competition as a whole.
WOD #1
10-minute time cap …
– 25 wall ball
– 25 air squat
– 25 no-rock hand-release push-ups
– 25 double unders OR 50 single unders
– 25 American kb swings
– 25 double unders OR 50 single unders
– 25 no-rock hand-release push-ups
– 25 air squat
– 25 wall ball
A nice chipper that I have practiced one time in November. Strategy is to go unbroken on first set of WB’s and air squats. Board the struggle bus for the HRPU’s. Rock out on the DU’s. Break up the kb swings into 2 sets (I hope). On the way back down it will be rock out the DU’s, somehow try to survive the HRPU’s. Bang out the air squats. Then…that last set of WB’s. Eeeek. I’d like to get 10, 10, 5. But more realistic will likely be 7-7-7-4.
Gold: 8:15
Silver: 8:45
Bronze: 9:15
WOD #2
6 minutes to set a 1-RM Thruster
I’d feel a lot better if this were clean and jerk. But alas it is not.
Gold: 180 lbs
Silver: 170 lbs
Bronze: 165 lbs
WOD’s 3 & 4
Part 1 – 12, 9, 6, 3 for time
With a running 8 minute clock …
– Sumo-stance high pull (115 lb)
– Hang POWER clean (115 lb)
– Shoulder to overhead (115 lb)
Part 2 -Total Bar-Over Burpees in Remaining Time
This one is the pukee workout. Though lowish rep count, those SDHP are just gonna be nasty. I practiced this at a lower rep scheme in November and was just blasted by how hard the second set of SDHP were. Singles all day cause the core and arms are just torched. The Shoulder to overhead is kinda heavy but I think I can get through that UB each round. The hang power cleans will be broken up into two sets in both the first and second round (12 and 9) with hopes of doing the 6 and 3 rounds unbroken.
WOD 3:
Gold: 6:30
Silver: 6:45
Bronze: 7:00
WOD 4:
Gold: 25
Silver: 20
Bronze: 15
Floater WOD
With a 3-minute running clock…
Row 20 Calories and then Bench Press Maximum Reps in Remaining Time (Score is total tonnage)
The idea of a floater WOD is fantastic…except that I don’t love that people can steal strategy. If it was a set weight for everyone then sure, but this one requires some strategy. I am not a bro so I have never been big on bench pressing. In fact I’m terrible at it. I’ve never benched more than 200lbs. When I saw this workout I almost did not sign up for the competition. I hate it. But alas, I’m sure some people HATE that there are double unders in a workout so it should even out. I’ll put my strategy out there for all to see. First off, since I’m in the last heat of the morning, I’m going to start the day off with this workout to get it out of the way and then recover for the first WOD. I’m going with 85lbs on the bench, and if I”m sore that day I may only do 75lbs and just rep the fuck out. Get off the rower at about 40 seconds and then just go HAM on that bench.
Gold: 5100 lbs (60 reps at 85lbs)
Silver: 4675 lbs (55 reps at 85lbs)
Bronze: 4250 (50 reps at 85lbs)
Final Standings
Figuring out where I’ll finish in this competition is difficult because I do not know everyone that is competing but thanks to the open nature of the CrossFit Games Open, I could stalk everyone there. Though I could not find 5-7 people, I did find most of them and I would come in a tie for 7th if the open workouts were the workouts in festivus.
With that said, I do not know if any of these workouts favor peoples strengths or weaknesses. So I’m setting my goals accordingly. I have no pipe dream about finishing on the podium.
Gold: top 5 and in the final workout
Silver: Top 8
Bronze: Top 10
In any case, it looks like it will be beautiful out on Saturday and I’ll be spending a lot of time with good friends and a number of other CrossFitters. Should be a good day regardless!
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