14.5... a.k.a. Fran's Drunk Sister

Last night, I completed my first CrossFit Open.  I also engaged in a workout that made me cry, throw up and question my sanity.  For the first time in over a year now, a workout has made me, albeit for a brief moment, consider quitting CrossFit.

14.5 was a descending rep ladder of 65# thrusters and bar facing burpees, starting at a round of 21 and decreasing by 3 reps each time until you reach the final round of 3.  At first glance, I thought the workout looked challenging but not crippling.  I was wrong.  Thrusters have never been a strong movement for me - although they're a work in progress, they tend to be more of a front squat followed by a push press rather than a true thruster per se.  Burpees are well, burpees.  Nothing I can't do, but definitely a movement that slows down drastically once I get tired.  After my first round of 21 thrusters, I was tired.

Usually, I can find a point in a workout where I'm proud I accomplished something, a silver lining if you will.  I'm at a loss here.  It did eventually end.... I suppose that's a positive note.  This was far and away the hardest, most painful workout I've done in my CrossFitting experience thus far.  Well done Dave Castro, well done.  Please don't ever make this a throwback workout in future opens, okay?

On the whole, I'm glad I participated in the open but I'm also glad it's come to a close.  I'm ready to get back to a solid blend of lifting heavy weights, skill work and metcons, which we needed to step away from during open programming.  The open did teach me a lot about my abilities and how far I've come in the past year - I can do chest to bar pull-ups and double unders gosh darn it - but it also brought to light a lot of movements I want to work on more intensively (cough, cough, thrusters cough, cough).  While I'm no where near ready to think about next year's open, I am glad to have the experience of my first one under my belt and I'm excited to see what I can do in the coming year.

I am actually excited for the rest and rehab week we have programmed at our gym prior to jumping back into a strength cycle next week.