WOD for Wednesday 4-24-13 And Garage Games Recap

For Wednesday 4-24

Strength 1-  3×3 Shoulder Press

Strength 2- 3×3 Close Grip Bench Press Tempo 2-2-x-2

Strength 3- Lying Dumbell Tricep Extension 3×5

Work- for time

80 Russian (eye level) Kettlebell Swings 53/35

60 Touch The Ground Box Jumps 24/20

40 Kettlebell Push Press.  1-20 on the right followed by 21-40 on the Left.  53/35.  Try not to jerk/retreat the hip.

20 Chest To Deck, Hand Release Incline Pushups (feet mounted on any of the large tires)

10 Astroturf Lengths Backwards Tire Drag (m- Tire with sandbag, w- Empty Tire).

 

Garage Games recap

This past weekend in Myrtle Beach, Whitney, Adelynn, Jade, Rick, Wendy and myself all competed in what was called the “Vengeance Games”  so named because it was hosted by CrossFit Vengeance in nearby Surfside Beach.  Many of you have asked after the event, and while I sincerely hope more of you choose to experience one of the growing number of Fitness Competitions, I have some reservations about how this particular one was administered.

Chief among them was a profound lack of consistency from one judge to the next.  These events are staffed by volunteers who are given the most minimal of training and all of them mean well, but the integrity of the competition really suffers when, as was the case here, while heat #1 is competing, heats # 2,3 and 4 are observing the judges various interpretations of strict adherence, and jockeying for position at the station of the slackest judge (as well as avoiding the strict judge like the plague).  This is tolerable in an event for charity, but these Garage Games are for profit ventures that benefit the host facility at the expense of the contestants, so I think it;s fair to expect judging consistency.

There was an inexplicable scoring decision that led to an enormous number of teams all being tied for X Place.  The wod was a fixed 10 minute effort, and failure to finish before the time cap placed every team that failed to do so in a tie.  For example, in my division (CO-ED Rxd) 3 of the 11 teams finished the wod and were awarded 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.  8 of the 11 Teams did not, and ALL were awarded 4th place.  There is absolutely no reason to not just award place rankings based on work achieved prior to the cap.  People were livid at this development and at the failure to disclose the scoring structure more widely.

There was a last minute abandonment of the Pistol Range of Motion and Technique standard and what was substituted was an infinitely easier hybrid pistol type thing where athletes could stand one foot on top of the other and perform a squat-ish movement of sorts.

All of the above aside, there is still much to be said for having an event you prepare for, where you give your all, as does your competitor,  and at the end you see who comes out on top.  It is the next iteration of what we do every day in the gym.  It is not beyond ANY of you, and I encourage all of you to give a fitness competition a try. They are compelling.

“Yes, But How’d you do?”

Jade and Adelynn finished second of 11 teams in the Women’s Rx’d, with Adelynn in her first fitness contest.  Total points were tied at the end of 5 events with another team, so a tie breaking event settled the issue:  4 minutes row for max calories, with the displays hidden from the athletes.  Adelynn rowed the first and third 1:20 with Jade in the middle leg and our girls won 93 calories against the other team’s 82.  Picture below (and many more on CFCB’s facebook page.  If you’re not friends with us, please become such).

Whitney and myself finished 9 of 17 and all our scores were in or around them. A high point was the 1 rm shoulder press event, where we expected to struggle.  Whitney PR’d by 5 lbs at 100 and I surprised myself with a 165 and then ran out of time.  All in all, we were pleased with our efforts and communication with all our wod scores improving in competition vs when we practiced them.  The field was decently strong and based on the winner’s,  probably favored the larger athletes somewhat.  

Rick and Wendy were both first time competitors and accquited themselves well against a strange field; Strange in that the scaled division included some very fit people who probably would have been in the rxd divisions at any show that didnt have pistols or double-unders in it.  They 

did particularly well at the strength biased events.  From my personal perspective, I was particularly pleased to see Wendy rise to the challenge and take on an event like this. 18 Months ago I would not have predicted that she’d do so.  Well Done Wendy.  You have come such a long way.