My time at Solcana CrossFit has been a series of personal records and success with new skills and, luckily, very few setbacks.
It’s week 5 of the 12 week Magnusson progression you might remember me talking about back in Week 21. If you’re interested in following along with the weights I’m lifting, you can check out this handy Google spreadsheet. Up until now, I have hit all of my goals and weights, with multiple PR’s thus far. It’s been awesome and I have been terrified and excited to complete each progression. Week 4 was a resting week, so October 27 was actually the last time I had lifted in this progression, successfully completing the following:
- 4×4 (4 sets of 4 reps) at 200lbs
- 1×2 (1 set of 2 reps) at 225lbs
- 1×2 at 255lbs
- 1×8 at 200lbs
According to my spreadsheet, Week 5 is/was a repeat of these same frequencies and weights. Since I had already completed this once, I felt confident I could do it again. Don’t get me wrong, these weights/reps were tough, for real, but I felt positive about it since I had already hit these numbers a couple of weeks ago.
Let me back track a bit. As many of you know, I recently have started doing sets of 6×3 (6 sets of 3 reps) of pushups from the floor in class each time I go. Check out the video below of the first time I did them for Coach Hannah (you can hear the hesitation in my voice!). This video exemplifies real and true progress because 5 months ago, I tipped that box you see next to me to 30″ and did elevated pushups on it. Until I didn’t anymore.
http://instagram.com/p/ut9NJoOmkd/?modal=true
Or, let’s take into consideration that I – up until a couple of weeks ago – had been working on modified pull ups from a plank position and have graduated to using the pull up bar with bands, similar to this. And, after last night’s workout, I even hung on the bar to help increase my grip strength for the longest amount of time yet, as I work to complete one unassisted pull up by February 14. WE ARE GONNA PARTY WHEN I COMPLETE ONE UNASSISTED PULL UP, JUST WAIT PEOPLE. See what I mean? Personal records and successes abound! (Coach Hannah, if you’re reading this, I even jumped up and hung onto the bar twice without height assistance!)
I have a lot to be excited about and proud of. I know this. Part of this journey has been about discovering confidence in myself, the things I am capable of accomplishing, and pushing myself to go beyond them. I’m grateful for that. Hell, I still celebrate that 5k I ran this summer! But that doesn’t make it sting any less that last night I failed to complete my deadlift progression successfully. Deadlift is my favorite lift because I am able to lift a pretty decent amount of weight and I love the measured success I have been able to see through this progress. In September, my one rep max was 231lbs and as of last night, my 2 rep max sits at 255lbs. That is a 24lb increase in just over 2 months. I am proud of this. That is probably why it is/was especially disheartening that I completed (though ugly at times) the Week 5 progression nearly to the end, before failing:
- 4×4 (4 sets of 4 reps) at 200lbs COMPLETED!
- 1×2 (1 set of 2 reps) at 225lbs COMPLETED!
- 1×2 at 255lbs COMPLETED! (though terribly ugly!)
- 1×8 at 200lbs 1×6 – 2 reps short of completion. UGH.
Failing. I hate that word. What’s the opposite of that – passing? Because in all truth, I passed a whole hell of a lot before I got to my 6th of 8th rep and FAILED. Ugh. That reminds me of the 3 times I tried to take Anthropology in undergrad and FAILED because I didn’t ever show up. I again registered for the class at 29 (long story) and actually took it PASS/FAIL because I was terrified of what grade I would get. I finally passed, and learned a valuable lesson that showing up is 95% relative to your success, and that holds true with CrossFit, too. When I dropped that barbell on the ground after my 6th rep, I was mad. I even got choked up for about 2 seconds, because I am now a person who strives to attain these goals set before me. Last night, I didn’t make it. Today, I am trying to take comfort that this is a sign that I am definitely pushing myself. I am up against a threshold and I am going to break through it – it’s just a matter of when. Coach Ariel was in class with me last night and she, as has been noted here before, has the most positive outlook on everything. She just shrugged, smiled, and stated a simple “It will come” about her own lift progress. I am going to go with that, too.
My time at Solcana CrossFit has been a series of personal records and success with new skills and, luckily, very few setbacks. This is one of them.
I’m not worried. It will come.