Thursday Announcement Party
This evening we gathered for some conversation, dessert and fun, as we eagerly awaited the announcement of 14.4.
For those of you who need to know, dessert was a collaboration which resulted in Dark Chocolate Bowls filled with fresh berries and topped with fresh lemon whipped cream. Yes, it was good. No, there were no leftovers.
Now back to the program. Within moments of the announcement, we were all cursing Dave Castro for being a jerk.
Castro described 14.4 as an AMRAP Chipper comprised of:
60 Calories on Concept II Rower
50 Toes to Bar
40 Wall Balls
30 Cleans
20 Muscle-ups
This chipper will test grip strength, forearms, biceps, and shoulders. It will brutalize the upper body. My frustration is that to date I have never succeeded at Toes to Bar (T2B). Yes, you read that correctly. Not one.
My expectation as we sit here on Thursday night is that I will get 60 points for rowing and then spend the next ten minutes shredding my hands flailing on the bar, attempting to score a single point.
My Strategy
I have no issue with rowing, unless it is 2000M for time. I figured 60 calories would take me 3 minutes if I was pushing it, but why gas myself? Since I knew I would spend the balance of the time on the pull-up rig, it made no sense to fry my arms and shoulders on rowing, so I would pace myself for a 4 minute row.
Over the next 36 hours, between announcement and my WOD, I searched various CrossFit gurus on YouTube for “Toes to Bar 101” tutorials. I figured I might be able to uncover a nugget of wisdom that would make a difference.
This paid off as I was viewing tutorials in bed just before turning out the lights. I discovered where I had been failing in past attempts. I had always attempted this move with legs and abs. Wrong! I learned that I must use my hips to provide my legs with the momentum. So now my challenge would be to take a small morsel of head knowledge and apply it the following morning.
Saturday Morning 3-2-1 Go!
My rowing was easy. I held my pace and I approached it more like a vigorous warmup. I used it to work out all the stiffness in my legs from a week of squats and deadlifts. By the time I made it to the rig for my first T2B attempt, there was 9:50 left on the clock.
Everyone in the gym knew I had never completed a T2B. They were eager to see me get one successful attempt in the remaining ten minutes. As I chalked up and jumped onto the rig, my judge, Jeff offered encouragement, telling to just focus on getting the single point.
I swung my hips and thrust my legs up and hit the bar on the first attempt! Who woulda thunk it! 12 hours earlier, I viewed this on the internet and visualized it. Now I’ve done it. Now Jeff was hollering for more. Give me five! Ten! Fifteen!
I was getting tired, my shoulders were screaming and my palms were starting to tear and bleed. Jeff hollered, “Two minutes to go, get back on the bar. I want four more. One every thirty seconds!”
I jumped up and fell short, No Rep. No Rep. “Ninety Seconds to go!” I struggled to get four more, and I did with two seconds left on the clock.
At the end of the WOD I had gone from Zero to 25 Toes to Bar. 85 grueling points for 14.4.
Tuesday Morning
The Scores are posted on the Leaderboard. I’m still in the hunt. I’m next to the last in the Northeast, but a dozen have washed out behind me.
I feel Defiantly Well, thank you.
Retro – Last Year 13.4
The Good, Bad and Ugly. But mostly Ugly!
Join the growing Defiant Wellness Tribe!
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