Modification: Scarlet Letter, Or Gold Star...

Post Swim

"My greatest skill is to want little."

Last week as I'm sure many boxes have done, PCF took a break from regular programming and incorporated the 2011 CrossFit Games WODs as best we could. We don't have a killer cage, sandy beaches, Watt bikes or a few other items but all in all we had our games in Ohio.

I intended for everyone to leave the week feeling accomplished. Tired, but justified. Zapped, but motivated. Hopefully the message was clear. You don't have to be a games athlete to do the workouts. You don't even have to do them as Rxd. You just have to try. I asked Cindy to recount her week from a perspective not quite like my own, but from someone still "newish" to CrossFit. Here is what she said:

I have been a CrossFitter for 5 months and 3 weeks as of August 18, 2011…and I can count on one hand how many UN-modified WODs I have done. So does that mean I should quit? Or does that mean no matter what, I find something in each WOD to get stronger, better, faster, and more confident. I choose Option #2…go into every single WOD never thinking, “well, my name is gonna have an M by it so why try.” 

One night I was reading the WOD for the next day and I was getting so excited because it just looked awesome, it happened to be “Nasty Girls” and out of the three movements I could only do one….air squats. And my husband said, “Why are you getting so excited about a WOD that you can’t do yet?” At first I turned my head and death rays were coming from my eyes…and said, “Every day is a workout that I can’t do, how is this different?” But then I stepped back and retracted my claws…it is probably very different for someone that 99.99% of their WOD are UN-modified to actually take that (M) by their name. For me, having an (M) by my name is not a scarlet letter…it is a gold star. Because on that day I walked into that box and gave that WOD everything I had and then some, and I finished. 

This past week at Practice CrossFit each daily WOD was one straight from the 2011 CrossFit Games…and it has hands down been my favorite week of my CrossFitting life. Every single day I have looked at the WOD and asked myself where can I get stronger and go farther than I ever have.

Usually it is about just getting through the WODs for me…but this week was different. I knew that I was doing the exact same thing that Annie T did to be the Fittest Woman in the World and that is beyond awesome. I know that I can’t overhead squat 95lbs, I can’t do 20 Toes to Bar unbroken, and I have never even got to the top of the rope. But none of that matters. What does matter is that I can do is up those 90 Wall Balls to a 14lb ball and I can challenge myself to do 10 unbroken deadlifts each round or make sure that I test the limits of my strength and will. 

I have truly loved seeing where I am at as a CrossFitter this past week. I still have a long road ahead of me and it is paved with (M)’s. But I see NO failure in that. I see failure in NOT putting my foot in that garage door and not even trying…and giving up on me because I can’t be Rx’d. I find strength in trying and surprising the hell out of myself. 

My husband has learned that he can’t talk about modifying as a failure around me anymore, he’s a quick learner! And I have learned over the last months that CrossFit is not about being Rx’d or being perfect all the time…It is about the focus…the fight…and then forging ahead. So, watch out Annie T…Cindy Lou is on your tail…and I have a sled full of (M)s  AKA Gold Stars comin’ with me….and I am damn proud of that!! 

Strength:

Back Squat

5/3/1

For Time:

10-Wall Climbs

2-Deadlifts 195/275

8-Wall Climbs

4-Deadlifts 195/275

6-Wall Climbs

6-Deadlifts 195/275

4-Wall Climbs

8-Deadlifts 195/275

2-Wall Climbs

10-Deadlifts 195/275

Post impressions and time to comments.

Comments

[Ry]

Cindy,awesome post... as usual your words are inspiring to anyone who Crossfits young and old, new or veteran. It doesnt matter where they fall in that spectrum your words will pierce the toughest exterior.
-"CrossFit is not about being Rx’d or being perfect all the time…It is about the focus…the fight…and then forging ahead."

[Carrie]

9:56 M
Wallclimbs sets 8,6,4,4,4,
DL-115#

[Katie K]

Cindy, so inspiring! Great post! :)
9:26m - wall climbs (halfway up) 5,4,4,4,4. DL - 115#.

[jen w]

5/12:13 m for 155#DL

[k]

THIS is what the "M"s 'spozed to be about. nice, cindy.

4BS/21:XX
downside to having a bar that fits? it challenges your addition skills. when wall climbs are the easy part, something's probably wrong. im an idiot. #10-cant thank you enough for stickin out that stupidity w me and coaching my failing form.

amazing work holly, ty and #10...and to all the others who chose a DL weight that kept their metcon where it shoulda been.

nooners...lookin forward to ya.

[holly]

10:04

[k]

Great effort at noon. Worthy call-outs for all today.

Mo...fantastic performance. Very consistent. Keep me posted on your squatting adjustment experiment. Interested to see if anything changes.

Melissa...nice improvement on DL form. I see you thinking about those cues.

Dustin...awesome DL period and great correction by the second round on those wall climbs.

Heather T...very cool to watch you BS today as it demos how far you've come. And wall climb attempts? For someone who fears bein upside down, bravo.

Patrick...nice job w RX weight even tho we went a little beyond 15mins.

Tess...DLs are always solid, but I appreciated seein you commit to those hollow rocks each time...cuz your face said you were hatin' them.

Stac...proud of you for workin those wall climbs. Great midline and upper body strength work. A couple of them were just inches from complete. We'll get 'em.

[Mo]

4BS/11:52

will be seeing more of noon since school/volleyball/football has started ;)hate to miss anything!

16:33 on extra WOD this morn. thanks for pushing me Mitchell! that was killer but fun :)

[HeatherT]

11:25 m
Kiddos are excited to do this wod tonight!

[runmelrun]

6
13:12
I did it! 30 wall climbs!!
can I go a woohoo?

[LUNDEN]

9:04 m (65lbs). im gonna count it even tho it was an at-home WOD!

[Min]

11:13

Gotta say, really proud of my parents for doing every rep of this wod tonight :)

6:30 class- really enjoyed working with yall tonight and breaking some things down. You all pushed yourselves to do something you weren't comfortable with and thats what its about. Great work!

[Sammy]

10:30ish

[jb]

3
7:02

[Mindy]

3/7:32m
DL@85lb 2/4/6/8/10, WC 4/4/4/4/2

Could have challenged myself a bit more on the DLs, but still a little scared of the 'ol back. 1st wall climb in every set was ALMOST there!

[Cindy Lou]

12:07 (m)
Did a lighter weight...but did all deadlift sets unbroken
and finally had an "a-ha" moment with the Wall climb, big thanks to Mindy...

Great 6:30 class tonight...loved seeing my Presley demo the wall climbs and kickin butt!! sniff...sniff...tear, so proud of her :)

[Shelly]

9:59 (m)
195DL/modified wall climbs.
So good to be back after 6 days off.
Thanks for the wall climb push, ladies :)
And Miss Cindy Lou...I love this post. It is my favorite Cindy and Doug story.
As always, proud of you both!

[Teri]

Great story Cindy! Good to work out with you all this evening! Presley I am so impressed with you! Cindy, you are looking GREAT! Shelly so glad you are back and you were amazing lifting that weight! Mindy, thanks for the encouragement and help and I'm glad I got to meet your mom, even if I was doing "good mornings" and couldn't visit with her :) Can't remember my score but I DID IT!

[kara MIKOLAJEWSKI]

8
12:03