Photography: Oscar Bravo
I am in the process of redoing every CrossFit Open workout. These are my results and reflections from the 4 workouts of 2014. To learn more about the #OpenParkerProject, read this blog post.
I’ll start by detailing my results for each workout. I’ll list some things I did well, and some things I want to improve on next time. Afterwards, I’ll summarize my learning experience for this leg of the Open Parker Project.
Reminder: on some weeks, I checked my historical score, while on other weeks, I went in blind, not knowing what number I had to beat.
| 14.2 advancing 3 Minute AMRAPs only 2 rounds of: Overhead squats (95) Chest to bar sets of 10,12,14, etc. 2014 score: 266 I did NOT check my old score |
Things I did well:
I transitioned quickly to the overhead squat Things I want to improve on: I want to relax in the earlier rounds, then squat faster through the 18s |
| 14.3 8 Minute AMRAP Deadlifts 15 box jumps Deadlift reps go: 10, 15,20, 25, 30, 35 weights go: 135, 185, 225, 275, 315, 365 2014 score: 160 I DID check my old score |
Things I did well:
I held a steady pace overall Things I want to improve on: I want to transition/change weights even faster |
| 14.4 14 Minute AMRAP 60 calorie row 50 toes to bar 40 wallball 30 cleans (135) 20 muscle ups 2014 score: 201 I did NOT check my old score |
Things I did well:
I pushed hard through the wallballs with no breaks Things I want to improve on: I want to rest less on the muscle ups |
| 14.5 For time: 21-18-15-12-9-6-3 Thrusters (95) Burpees over bar2014 score: 10:25 2016 score: 9:11 2017 score: 8:57 I DID check my old score |
Things I did well:
I had efficient technique on the thrusters and burpees Things I want to improve on: I faded slightly on the rounds of 12-9; I want to push a more consistent pace |
The first thing I noted while reflecting on this chapter of The Open Parker Project was that all my efforts were victorious.
Some by a narrow magnitude (only 2 reps on the squat/pullup WOD), and others by a larger margin ( over 40 seconds worth of extra time on the deadlift workout. I loaded up the plates for 365 but unfortunately hit the time cap before I could lock out my rep!).
Most notably, two of the workouts in the 2014 season were repeated in future seasons: the squat/pullup WOD resurfaced in 2015, and the dreaded thruster/burpee WOD served as the finale to the 2016 Open. What a treat! In this regard, the 2014 season stands as the richest pool of data to pull from.
I want to focus in particular on 14.5 here. I had the option of only racing my score of 10:25 achieved in 2014; after all, I am currently focused on that season’s string of challenges. However, I knew inside that if I only surpassed 10:25, and fell short of my far superior 9:11, I would be disappointed in myself for possibly holding back and not chasing my full potential.
I set a goal for myself of finishing under 9:00. In order to achieve that, I would need to focus on the following: “rack and shove” was my cue for the thruster. To stay efficient, I want to place the bar quickly and fully on my shoulders in the rack position – I don’t want to let my elbows drop and slide the bar down my chest; then, I want to shove it overhead with help from my whole body. For the burpees, I wanted to focus on “deadlift and bench press.” This is something I teach in my workshops – hinge up and down like a deadlift, and bounce of the floor like a bench press.
For me to go even faster in this workout, I will need to shave a couple seconds off of my transitions, and maintain a slightly faster pace on the burpees. In particular, the round of 12 and 9 really got me here. OUCH!
