Tuesday, 22 Feb, 2011

QOD: I understand the concept of an Open instead of Sectionals... CrossFit is getting too big for a zillion Sectionals... yada yada yada. Maybe I'm just old school, but this format just doesn't interests me all that much. Reminds me of the difference between playing poker at the table and video poker. Or, maybe the old "it's like kissing your sister" is a better analogy. Yeah, it's the same thing... only different. Maybe it'll be great, but at this point I'm ho-hum about the whole thing.

QOD: I like the idea. This interests me more than traditional sectionals. With my work/school schedule I have to request off for events. This format allows me to compete, have a weekly short term goal and the fun of cheering on my peers weekly. For me, this is a win win. More competition and more intensity on a weekly? I'm in.rs2d

27:18 rx'd
Really great work by Tye. He dominated this one.

31:17

wow, I'm tired. Tye kicked this one in the rear end. Awesome work!

QOD: I think the new format will get a higher quality athlete than Sectionals. Integrating the performance over a period of time will give the super athlete that had a massive sinus infection on the weekend of sectionals time to recover. Integrating over time will give a better overall athlete to the competition. I am going to compete. I will be traveling a bit in march and April, so keeping up on training will be a challenge.

rx

I got butterflies checking the site today. Can't wait to be back and meet Kelly for the first time!!

Welcome back!!!!!!!

20:46 RX'd PR by 5:06

I can understand the thought process behind going to the open format, but one thing I don't like about it, is the recovery aspect.

With the sectional format, an athlete had to be able to recover from previous workouts quickly, just like you are required to do at regionals and the games, and that seems to be a huge part of an athletes ability. Consistently performing at the top, even after already doing two workouts or whatever. The open approach lets an athlete that may not have great recovery ability, to hide that weakness.

Ultimately those athletes will be weeded out at regionals, but the fact that they could take spots away from other athletes that have better recovery ability, and ultimately as a result, work capacity, bothers me.

All that said, I'll be competing, and I'm looking forward to it.

Tye,
You are absolutely right, the recovery aspect is non-existant in the Open format. This is, however, very intentional. For one, it prevents what Larry mentioned, which is the great athlete having a "bad day" and missing the opportunity to compete ( I think I would say this is what happened to me last year).
The biggest reason why it is going to be more effective in my mind however is that it gives us the opportunity to test 6 different workouts on people when they are fresh. If this was over the course of a weekend, it would be an unimaginable workload for the brand new CrossFitter who might never compete due to the intimidation factor. The other option would be to cut them down to 3 or so, but every data point you cut out is less opportunity to refine the test. This gives us lots of data points, and lots of participation without the insanity of live events thrown by gym-owners with no event-planning experience.

I also would argue that the ability to handle volume at a competition is the icing on the cake, not a major component of fitness. If someone can't make the cut on 6 different workouts done completely fresh, then their ability consistently perform over high-volume isn't that impressive because they aren't doing that much work. If someone can CRUSH 6 workouts fresh, THEN it's time to test their ability to do the same amount of work on 6 workouts done in a weekend. make sense?

Yes, that makes total sense and is a point I've thought about. Overall, I'm sure it's the best option for the reasons you detailed and I'm looking forward to it.

I'll be honest, the best part is not paying to travel to and compete in two completely different qualifiers just to get to the games.

39:27 (rx'd)

Ran out of time to post yesterday - Annie during 6am 8:51 with SUs, couldn't do a DU to save my life during the WOD.
Did Annie again at home with DUs (and kids) and finished in 11:05. Weird.

I don't like the new format for the games but then again I'm not in charge of a multi-billion dollar fitness program that is growing like crazy. I understand the need for HQ to change the format from last years sectionals to this years open but I still miss Sectionals being an event over the course of one weekend.

From an athlete's aspect it does benefit me to do one workout every 6 weeks because that means I have a better chance of competing poorly on one workout and still having a shot at making Regionals.

I don't care what anyone says, there WILL be cheating. I have been to other affiliates who's ROM standards are complete crap and they don't even know it. Sure, will that person get humiliated at Regionals? Absolutely, but that's one less person who deserved to be at Regionals and got cut. Yes, I know we're only concerned with finding the FITTEST person on the planet, not the 61st fittest of their region but that still rubs me wrong. Someone put the work in and deserves the opportunity to represent their affiliate and themselves at Regionals.

Also, I don't see how HQ can program a 400m run or even a row for that matter in any of these workouts and expect it to be legit (granted you can measure fitness without running or rowing). Everyone's run course is different and every gyms layout is different. I'm sure our rings are closer to our ropes than another gym who is hosting the opens every weekend too. But when you're competing against thousands of other people 1 or 2 seconds will seperate you from a possible 50th place finish to a 150th place finish if not worse.

Regardles, just be faster than everybody else no matter what the circumstance, and none of the things I listed above matter. Period.

Looking forward to it!

"just be faster than everbody else"

I freaking love it!

I've thought about how much I would miss the sectional environment, and many of the same points Jake and Tye brought up.

However, I've come to the conclusion that I personally don't really care how or when we do it. I'm just going to do it. That's my mentality towards most things in life, and CF is no different. Show up and put it all on the line. If you give it your all no matter what then at some point you will "just be faster than everybody else".

That does make since. Im nervous!

After Eva on Sunday and Kelly today....even my ear lobes are sore. Tye is a beast. Good to see these benchmark WODS coming round again. Feeling like old times, or maybe I'm just feeling old.... Kelly: 5 rds 36:21, scaled to 20 WB shots per round. On the QOD: Some of us low level types might compete at a sectional but would never make it to the regionals. Having the experience of competing at a sectional event someday would have been fun.

Rx'd 40:14 (Got my box jump back!! Not a single miss!)

Kelly scaled to 1 island run + 200 m row
20" step ups x 30
WBS rx'd
36:14
Reviewed the notebook. Looks like I've been avoiding metcons for months... It shows.

34:47 as Rx'd. Making up EVA yesterday, then doing KELLY today was a little bit ruff. But I knew that making it up solo would equally suck! Thanks Kevin for the push!

22:58 First time doing Kelly. Aweful WOD! Honestly my box jumps were not competition legitimate but I was focused more on speed and consistency than full ROM standards. I'll need to clean those up for sure come sectional events. Started the WOD with cramping left over from Eva (but that's my fault since I did no mobility or foam rolling). Now....I'll be lucky if I can finish my work day. My legs are TRASHED!

Great energy in the gym for the 12:30 class.

Way to go! Glad your box jumps came back!

anyone up for getting a team together?

http://www.dixiederbygirls.com/dball.htm

Where did they go? I hope I find and KEEP mine today....These shins can't handle much more.....I'm depending on your good box jump vibes, Christy!

21:26 PR

That was terrible. I felt like I was having an asthma attack on every run, it just got hard to breathe. Tye, you're an animal.

Would have been a good two minutes slower if Kevin wasn't breathing down my neck the entire time. Thanks for the push KLowe

28:43 rx'd

Like Jake, if it weren't for KLowe pushing me and Ryan chasing me on the WBS I would have been way slower. WBS kicked me in the nuts today.

26:12 rx"d

Yes....Tye. That is a sick time! That leaderboard spot can be forever yours as far as I'm concerned. I don't ever want to do Kelly again.

Jake,
I had the same breathing issues. Most noticeable on rounds 4 and 5. Wheezing like a champ. I wonder if it is due to allergies or just the general suckiness of the WOD?

QOD: I'm indifferent really. I definitely understand why HQ moved to this format. Just way to big now to have sectionals....cause what is next? City? County? Sectional? In some areas it could be pretty close to that scenario. Think Atlanta.

I think the video also is truly an all inclusive format. Hopefully some backwoods freak that only wod with rocks and piles of dirt will come out of the woodwork and represent. I'd love to watch that happen.

I also have my concerns about shitty standards being accepted and "cheating" whether it be purposeful or inadvertent due to crap standards being counted by a gym that has "opted in". I share Jake's thoughts about this. Yeah....they will be separated out at regionals but they are also keeping a more deserving athlete from getting a chance in regionals. My goal is to make regionals and then do well. I don't have high hopes of making the games. Missing regionals due to upholding strict standards with a slower time to a person with a great time and shit standards would burn pretty deep. I'm not losing any sleep about that scenario....because all I can do is the work that I need to do. Worrying what other athletes may or may not be doing is a complete waste of time and anxiety.

The video about the new games website seems pretty cool. It will be fun to see where you rank in the world of competitive CF athletes. I know this will be very humbling : )

Last. With the Again Faster Video things I've kindof gotten used to the video WOD format. It's been nice practice. I encourage everyone to enter the AF video WOD series. Once again....it is a lot of fun to see where you stand next to known alien,freak,firebreathers.

This will be fun. It will evolve. It will make for good watching in July. It will find the fittest. We as a gym just need to really come together and create an extremely competitive and supportive environment so that CFHSV can send our best and most prepared representatives to regionals. This will show the CF world the work we collectively do (because no man is an island) and will also show our daily integrity as a gym.

I'm calling Fran as the first WOD. Glassman already said so.

^^^ I second this.

Also, this eliminates some intangibles such as travel stress, planning all your meals, and crappy sleep due to sleeping somewhere unfamiliar.

Plus we have a brewery across the street which makes the post WOD party very easy to plan.

Hadn't thought of that... starting to like this Open format more and more.

4 rounds in 34:09. Sad to say but this is a PR (last time was 3 rounds in 31:00).

I had the same wheezing thing during the run and wall balls in the last couple rounds, box jumps I don't remember having it though. I was in as much pain after that as I've been in any WOD so far, and the sick thing, is that I liked it.

I don't feel prepared to compete just yet but I love being around competition. Does the open format lend itself to an environment where fellow members can cheer each other on? I think there's a certain level of excitement and energy that are crucial elements for competition.

As far as today's WOD, I have to thank the 7 am class for the encouragement. WBs are even worse for me than DUs, and it was nice having a cheering squad. My calves are killing me.

29:33 (5rds)

row 400's for running, cut my reps in 1/2....

so 15, 18" box jumps, and 15, 10# wallballs.

sucked

4 rounds 25:00