18.4 and world ranking report

My CrossFit ranking has been updated. For 18.4 in the Southwest region I finished in 804th out of 1380, and was in the 41st percentile. Worldwide I finished in 14,400th it off 28,357, ranking in the 48th percentile.

Overall so far I've finished 14,381/28,357 and am in the 49th percentile. Overall in the sw I'm 782nd, in the 43rd percentile.

18.4 report and stupid diet decisions

This morning I did the CrossFit open 18.4. I woke up feeling beat the hell up because of the powerlifting meet yesterday. But I love deadlifts, so I was still excited. I finished the first set of 225lb deadlifts in 44 seconds. I wasnt able to get a single set of handstand push-ups. So my total was 21 reps. That's a really sorry 18.4 total!

I got really motivated about dropping more weight after yesterday's powerlifting meet. I know I shouldn't continue to try to lose weight. After 6 moths of dieting hard I should maintain awhile. But I'm not going to. I want to get to 220.

18.3

Crossfit open workout 18.3 was going to be horrible for me. It was a lot of exercises I knew I couldn't do.

 2 rounds:

100 double-unders

20 overhead squats (115 pounds)

100 double-unders

12 ring muscle-ups

100 double-unders

20 dumbbell snatches (50 pounds in each hand)

100 double-unders

12 bar muscle-ups

The time cap is 14:00.

I knew I'd suck at the CrossFit open 18.3. I've never done more than 7 double unders. I assumed I'd be stuck in the first 100 double unders the entire 14 minutes. But somehow I did 100 double unders. I had enough time to finish all 20 of the overhead squats and then 4 more double unders. I know 124 reps isn't very good. But for me, it was fantastic.

Somehow my ranking keeps going up instead of down. I wasn't expecting me to finish higher in the last workouts because the workouts get more technical.

For 18.3 world wide I ranked 10,936 out of 28,358 and was 61st percentile. That puts my over all place for the open at 14170 out of 28,358 which is the 50st percentile. 

For the Southwest region for 18.3 i ranked 591st out of 1,380 which is the 57th percentile. Overall in the Southwest region I'm 740th out of 1380 which is the 46th percentile 

CrossFit open 18.2

Even though im in horrible shape and probably shouldn't have. I joined and am competing in the 2018 CrossFit games. I was worried about workout 18.2. It was:
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 reps for time of: Dumbbell squats with a 50lb dumbbell, Bar-facing burpees. Then is completed in 11 minutes Workout 18.2a is a 1- rep-max clean. 

I honestly didn't think I'd be able to finish the squats and burpees within the cut off time. A month a go I couldn't do a burpee the way CrossFit said I had to do them. But somehow I did them all. I finished 18.2 in 11 minutes and 56 seconds. That left me with 4 seconds to do a max clean. I barely had enough time for one attempt. The bar was loaded with 205lbs. I did it. It was close. But I got the weight up in time. I finished the 18.2 and 18.2A in time with a 205lb clean. I finished 18.2 a with a world ranking of 17,061 Wich is in the 39th percentile. I finished 18.2A in 8,595th in the world which is in the 69th  percentile. In the southwest region I finished 18.2 in 851st, 38th percentile. And 18.2A in 514th, 62nd percentile. Over all between the 18.1, 18.2, and 18.2A I'm racked at 14, 604th, 48th percentile. In the southwest region I'm talked in 768th, 44th percentile.

The 3rd annual CrossFit Hellbox triathlon race report

I really wanted to compete in the 3rd annual CrossFit Hellbox triathlon in Rio Rancho NM. But the 2nd WOD looked brutal. So instead of competing I spectated. Turns out the WODs weren't as bad as they looked. I could have completed it. I may have been one of the slowest. But I could have done it. I should have done it. I only need 14 more triathlons to complete my bucket list of 100 multi-sport events. And I've never done a CrossFit triathlon before. 100 multi-sport events completed would have looked great on my athletic resume! Earlier this year I also chickened out of competing in the New Mexico games track and field meet. If I'd have signed up my finishing time would have put me in third place in my age group. Am I turning into a coward in my old age? I used to sign up and compete in ANYTHING! Even if it was something I'd never done or had very little experience. I have a new resolution. I'm going to stop being so cautious and tentative. I've gotten soft since turning 40. That's going to change! I have no clue how long I'm going to be on this Earth. So I want to make the best of it while I can. I'm going to register for all sorts of stuff next year. Anything at all that I'm doing or have done in the past I'm going to compete in. Especially if it's considered a "state championships". I'm putting this out there now. Next year I'm going to compete in the:
1) 2018 NM games for weightlifting
2) 2018 NM games for track,
3) the state state championships USPL (powerlifting)
4) the state championships for NASA (powerlifting)
5) the state championships for USPA (powerlifting)
6) some sort of 2018 CrossFit games, local or otherwise
7) the 4th annual CrossFit Hellbox triathlon
8) and possibly one or more other multi-sport events.

 Next year will be epic. Did I really just use the word epic? What am I 12 years old?

to much competitive spirit?

Earlier this year I found out NASA (natural athletes strength association) powerlifting has a power clean division. Not many powerlifters in New Mexico have competed in the clean division. Consequently there's almost no New Mexico state records in the power clean divisions. When i found this out I became very excited. I told all the athletes I know at The Miller Gym, High Dessert Athletics Club, Praxis, and Santa Fe CrossFit that they could compete in the upcoming New Mexico state NASA powerlifting championships held on April 2016 in Gallup New Mexico. I told them just showing up and lifting the bar would make them both state champions and a state record holders in the power clean division! I let them know i could fit 9 athletes in my vehicle if people wanted to carpool. I assumed everyone would be as excited as I am about going to a new venue, setting new records, and becoming state champions just by essentially showing up. Not a single person seemed interested. I asked my wife, "How could this opportunity not get everyone fired up? If I heard I could set a state records in something even if it was something I sucked at I'd still show up. For the experience and memories if nothing else." My wife told me most people just aren't as competitive as I am. On a basic level that makes sense. But on the other hand I REALLY don't understand. Everything about competing is awesome. I never feel as alive as when I compete. I'll compete in anything. Even if it's something I don't really enjoy or know anything about. You name it I'll try it. Not only are they fun, but I find it's a great way to gain back dwindling motivation for weight loss, training, or life in general. In the last 11 years I've competed in 86 multi-sport races, 8 running races, 2 Jiu Jitsue tournaments, 7 weightlifting meets, 1 powerlifting meet, and 1 CrossFit games. That averaging almost 1 competition a month. To me that's what makes life worth living! With all the options and opportunities out there nowadays why the heck would people not want to try something new and exciting all the time? Perhaps my wife is right. Maybe I'm much to competitive. And perhaps, as unbelievable as it sounds, maybe a new adventure and finding new adversaries just isn't as appealing to others as it is to me. Could there be such a thing as to competitive?

cardio for CrossFit and Olympic weightlifting

When I first started doing CrossFit the athletes and coaches told me I shouldn't do any long and slow workouts, or "base training" as endurance athletes call it. At the time I vehemently disageed. I used to be a hard core triathlete and saw first hand how beneficial base training was to me for fat burning and endurance. It wasn't until I watched the CrossFit games that I realized the things CrossFitter's are training for uses almost exclusively fast twitch muscle fibers. If they did any long and slow training at all it would build slow twitch muscle fibers, which would minimize the amount of fast twitch muscle fibers they could build. It would also recruit some of their fast twitch muscles to act more like slow twitch muscles. Ultimately they were right, the long slow workouts that build endurance will hurt the performance of CrossFit'ers and also Olympic weightlifters. The entire 6 weeks I've been training for Olympic weightlifting I've had a very hard time giving up endurance workouts. I justified doing long slow workouts by telling myself, "I have to lose more fat to get out of the super heavy weight division and get to my goal of being able to lift in the 94k weight class (187-206 pounds)."

After yesterdays workout I realized that I'm weak. My lack of strength is partly because I've only been Olympic weightlifting for a month and a half and partly because I'm still doing the long slow workouts that an ultra endurance athlete would do. I have finally come to grips with the fact that to be good at Olympic weightlifting I MUST give up slow twitch muscle fiber building workouts. Today I did my first high intensity cardio bike ride. I had to bust out my old cycleOps indoor trainer to do it.

I was a little worried about using my bike on my indoor trainer at my current weight of 262 pounds. I was afraid I'd crush my carbon bike or the trainer, but amazingly both held up! I did a tabata on the bike which consisted of a short 5 minute warm up, then rode HARD for 20 seconds, then peddled softly for 10 seconds. I kept that up until I could no longer hold a 20 MPH pace on the hard sets. My legs gave out at the 15 minute 19 second mark of the workout. When I calculated my results on Dietpower I was pleasantly surprised by the results. I burned 300 calories in a little over 15 minutes.  I'd only burn a little over 400 calories in 30 minutes when I was doing long slow cycling. I think I could get used to this high intensity cardio training! More calories burned in less time plus I'll be building the type of muscle tissue that will make me a stronger Olympic weightlifter! Boom goes the dynamite!

CrossFit games 2013 rankings

Well I finished the 2013 CrossFit games. It wasn't pretty.
Workout/ world ranking/ South West ranking
13.1/  35,822/ 2,391
13.2/ 44,856/ 3,443     
13.3/ 44,271/ 3,629
13.4/ 45,763/ 2,990
13.5/ 44,464/ 2.844
overall I placed 40,230th in the world. And 2,639th in the South West.

I've been in a Paleo and fitness competition for the last 9 weeks. As of yesterday I'd lost 29 pounds and was within 9 pounds of my short term goal of 220. My diet hasn't been a problem all year. It's as if I've been a normal person in regards to my eating, which I know I'm not. But yesterday I fell off the diet wagon. One of the things I've learned is never allow myself to get hungry, angry, lonely, or tired. If I do any of these I end up turning to food. I've been working a lot of hours recently. By recently I mean like just shy of 8 years. Anyways, I got off of a 16 hour shift and was so tired couldn't even get off the couch to go to bed. But I sure as hell could get off the couch to eat. So yesterday I fell off the diet wagon. I was hoping to regain control of my eating today, but no such luck. Hopefully tomorrow.........

Speaking of being tired, I've worked 12-16 hours a day 24 out of the last 28 days. The last 2 days in a row I only got 3 hours of sleep. I've been tryingto sleep all day. I don't even remember what a good night of sleep feels like. Crap I'm tired. I'm too tired. I'm so tired my body can't sleep. Man, I wish my body would just go to sleep.
I

2013 CrossFit games: workout 13.2

After doing CrossFit for only 9 weeks I decided to compete in the 2013 CrossFit games. Last week I expected to do horrible at the 1st workout called 13.1, but I ended up doing really well.  I finished the 13.1 in the South West region ranked 2,386 out of 4,554 athletes. And ranked 35,771 out 73,032 athletes worldwide.

This week I expected to do great at the 13.2. The workout was:

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
115 pound Shoulder to overhead, 5 reps
115 pound Deadlift, 10 reps
15 Box jumps, 24" box

I'm usually very good at box jumps and deadlifts. Somehow I ended up doing horrible at the 13.2 finishing only 179 reps. For the 13.2 workout I ranked 3,455 out of 4,197 athletes in the south West and 54,642 out of 66,990 world wide. Not good, but keep in mind I've only done CrossFit for 9 weeks and this is the 1st time I've done strength training for almost a decade.

Overall between both weeks I'm ranked 2,914 out of 4,208 athletes in the South West, and 45,053 out of 67,240 world wide.

I registered for the Eagle in the sun triathlon in El Paso Texas. This is the 3rd time I've registered for that race but something always seems to pop up and I have yet to race it. I'm determined to race it this year.

the 2013 CrossFit games: 13.1 and an injury

I'd been training at a CrossFit gym for 9 weeks when the 2013 CrossFit games started. I'm one of the slowest, least fit athletes at Zia CrossFit, but I decided to attempt the games anyways. The CrossFit games will be 5 workouts/fitness tests, one a week for 5 weeks. The 1st test is called 13.1, meaning it's the 1st test of the 2013 games. The 13.1 workout is:

17 minute AMRAP (as many reps as possible in 17 minutes) of:
40 Burpees
75 pound Snatch, 30 reps
30 Burpees
135 pound Snatch, 30 reps
20 Burpees
165 pound Snatch, 30 reps
10 burpees
210 pound Snatch, as many reps as possible


1.5 weeks before the CrossFit games I maxed out (most weight I can lift one rep) on snatches at 125 pounds, so I was disappointed to see the 101st rep would be snatches of 135 pounds. I assumed I'd get to 100 reps and not be able to get a single rep of 135 pounds. Somehow I was able to accomplish 18 reps at 135 pounds, with a total score (reps) of 118!!!! That was much better than I dreamed. So far I'm ranked 2,384th out of  4,549 athletes in the South West.

One of the gym members posted a video of Matt S., Sarah B., and myself doing the 13.1. at one point I got so excited I yelled. I was embarrassed later, but the excitement got the best of me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbG6IwP1vzA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

On Monday I fell and injured my foot while practicing walking on my hands. My foot has been swollen and I can't walk on it. I'm hoping and praying I heal up in time to be able to attempt 13.2, the 2nd workout of the 2013 CrossFit games. The 2nd workout I should be able to kick butt at, because I'm really good at box jumps. The 13.2 is:

10 minute AMRAP (as many reps as possible in 10 minutes) of:
5 Shoulder to overhead, 115 / 75 lbs
10 Deadlift, 115 / 75 lbs
15 Box jump, 24 / 20 inch

I'm currently weighing 234 pounds. Since starting CrossFit I've lost 22 pounds and have gained over 3 inches around my chest and back. Since starting a Paleo diet competition with I Suck at CrossFit 4.5 weeks ago I've lost 12 pounds.