AMSAP

Another week, another disappointing performance in the Open workout. But, at least this time I managed not to injure myself, and my ankle doesn’t seem significantly the worse for wear. The workout had a 10 minute time cap, and was 30 snatches at 21kgs, followed by 30 snatches at 33kgs, followed by 30 snatches at 45kgs, followed (should you get that far!) by as many snatches as possible at 54kgs. A snatch, for the uninitiated, involves a barbell loaded with weight and you must get it from the ground to overhead in one move (i.e. not a clean & jerk where the weight stops at your shoulders).

A LOT of things threw me off in this workout, but I’m not going to use that as an excuse because firstly, I let them get to me, and secondly, my form was just terrible, which was the biggest problem of all. I’m not sure if my ankle was affecting my form; I think it was even though it didn’t hurt. Poor external rotation in my right shoulder definitely does show itself in these high rep situations. I made it through the round of 33kgs with no problems whatsoever then everything just kind of fell apart. Laa-Laa was right: I should have been closer to 70 reps but I ended at 64 which was quite disappointing. If I kind of wanted a do-over of last week, I really want a do-over of this one.

But like last week, I learned a few lessons here that will serve me well in future competitions. There were a couple of external things that really threw me off my game, and in the moment you aren’t thinking about how to problem-solve … you are just trying to move! But just like landing on the rope, there are certain mistakes you do not make twice. Oh, and I do need to work that technique. But what else is, and will ever be, new?

On a more positive note, crazy excitement in the gym as a bunch of people hit snatch PRs (one girl went from a PR of 24kgs to doing about 4 reps at 33!). The energy and camaraderie were great, as they actually have been in the advanced classes in recent weeks. Although in Friday’s I came as close as I ever have to meeting Pukie, not through over-exertion but through an overly-excessive quantity of forward rolls that had me so dizzy I wasn’t sure which way was up!

But Saturday’s Open workout brought to the fore something that I had been peripherally aware of for a while in the advanced classes, which is that we really need more women. We had five or six heats, of seven athletes … and only one female per heat. That is crazy. I guess it mirrors the entire regional competition where the men’s field is really deep and the women’s … not so much.

In other news, I managed to drag myself out to be social a couple of times, for some friends’ birthday parties: one on Friday and one on Sunday. Saturday, another friend had a mini housewarming party down in Nordhoek. That was also super fun, and it gave the opportunity to see some fantastic light and clouds on the drive home. When the South Africans are also stopping to take photos, you know it’s pretty spectacular. I do love where I live.

Sunday was a very chill day. Other than the birthday party I went to yoga, grabbed a coffee at Vida, trained, gave a rugby player some coaching on his power clean technique (which then turned into a discussion of mobility WOD and CrossFit football, but I got to pick his brain about plyometric exercises he knew, so it was all good), re-potted some tomatoes and peppers, and did some experimentation with my protein shake recipes. Since I learned that many of the anti-oxidant benefits of rooibos are not transferred from the tea to the water I have started adding them to my shake. I think that almond milk – rooibos – hemp protein power is a good combo, and cacao – walnut – spirulina is another. Now one of these days if I ever get back to baking I’m dying to make some sort of honey-rooibos-almond flour cookies.

I’m feeling quite boring at the moment, actually. All I want to do is work, read, eat, sleep, and train (and not necessarily in that order). But, there’s some fun stuff going on this week, which may shake me up a bit. Much as I love it here, I’ve recently been afflicted with a burning desire to get the hell out of dodge … so the weekend after next (the weekend of St Patrick’s Day), I’m going on a trip to see a friend of mine who is staying in Joburg for a few weeks. Not sure yet what exactly we’re going to do, but it will be a change and at this point, I’d say change is good.

Focus can be good but too much focus, not so much. When I was a kid I used to get bored all the time and my mother would become very annoyed with me because she would suggest all sorts of activities and none of them would appeal to me. Well, boredom is a mindset, I suppose is what I’m saying. So is tunnel vision, and I suppose I have a case of excessive tunnel vision at the moment. Either that or 10 weeks or whatever it’s been without refined sugar has caused my brain to go a bit wonky and all I really need is some oatmeal raisin cookies.

Naaah.

• “I'm gonna laugh if he's got like a CF Devil's Spawn shirt on next week.” – Lauren
• “Rest days are the worst!” – Peter