Next Time, I Won't Wear White

[shanmonster]

I just got back from my first CrossFit session. I biked out to the studio, only to find out that today's class would be held outdoors at the new, under-construction location. So I followed one of the students on my bike out to the new, much larger, place.

I had thought we'd be doing an indoor workout, but today was the first outdoor workout held at the new facility. In fact, it was the initial workout at the location, period. We were broken into teams of four and given a series of tasks:

• Resting
  
• Pushing a sledge with a high grip across a parking lot to a wall
  
• Leaping over the wall
  
• Carrying a sandbag over to giant tires
  
• Flipping the tires over and over again
  
• Carrying the sandbag over to the wall
  
• Leaping the wall
  
• Pushing the sledge with a low grip across the parking lot
  
• Deep squats then throwing a medicine ball overhead onto a target on the wall
  

The resting didn't last long enough for my liking, but I'm pretty lazy.

Did I mention this was all done under blazing sun on a scorching day? Yeah. That too.

When I first saw the wall, I looked at it dubiously. How the heck was I going to jump that? I haven't jumped a wall in a couple of years. Yet despite my reservations, this was the easiest part of the routine (aside from resting. I can rest like a champ.). The high-grip sledge push wasn't too bad, either. I had a hard time with the low-grip push--not because of weakness, but because of a lack of traction. My feet kept skidding out on the gravel. But with a bit of help from the coaches, I was able to get it going.

We did this for 20 minutes, straight. It was hard; it was hot; it was awesome. I want to do it again, although honestly, I'd prefer shade. I have never done all that great in heat or sun.

I am filthy, drenched in sweat, scraped up, tired, and feeling great. Gotta do this again.

Oh, by the way, I think I was the puniest one there.

Comments

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Except for the blazing sun, that sounds fucking awesome.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

It sure beats aerobics! I sure do hate aerobics.

[dj-fos.livejournal.com]

You know, the workout that you described doing at the site of the under-construction facility bears a lot of resemblance to the labour required to construct said facility--moving bags of material, dragging tools around, etc. Maybe they should have planned it that way. You could have moved actual bags of cement, mixed them, hoisted them over the wall, etc.

[shanmonster.livejournal.com]

I've done my fair share of construction, forestry work, and farm work over the years, and I must say, at no point was I doing deep squats and throwing a weight over and over again at a small target. I did jump quite a few fences escaping cranky animals, and I've pushed sledges, but never all of these things at high speed over 20 minutes.

[harukoraharu.livejournal.com]

It's not too dissimilar to an outdoors MMA workout (if you throw in some tyre bashing with sledgehammers, battle ropes and harnessed sprints). The high ball throws are typically Crossfit, strength and accuracy. I train at a fight gym though

[zitronenhai.livejournal.com]

Your arms look amazing. Good arm pits are no easy feat! You are a fitness inspiration!

[forestmaster.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a lot of fun... it's also interesting to read what happens at different crossfit locations. We don't have any tires to flip, sledges to pull or push or walls to jump... but I've experienced wallballs. (I've heard of a variation called 2for1 wallballs where you get to squat twice for every toss of the ball to the target. I missed the one day we've done them so far though).

Puny is relative. You were there and kicked ass just like everyone else. :)