Sitting in 10th place......

Pre-Game Face (Praying)

So, here I am it's Monday morning 10 am and I can finally breathe again.  I do believe that I have held my breathe as I refreshed the leader board 500 times since I entered my score on Saturday afternoon. 

I sit here today in 10th place.  And let me tell you this was a mental battle from the moment I entered my 155 reps. 

When I first entered I was in 3rd place, I entered quickly and validated my score quickly because I wanted to seize the opportunity to sit at the top for awhile.  I took a picture, posted it on Facebook and said to myself, "wow, this feels good to be in 3rd....even if it's just for a little while!" 

You see, my goal for the open was to be in the top 25% of my age group.  Which means out of 320 women ages 40-44 in the Central East Division of the CrossFit Games Open I couldn't fall below 80 in rank. 

Burpees - Yeah

So, I knew that I wouldn't be in 3rd for very long and I wanted to enjoy it while I could and each time I hit refresh I would remind myself that anything below the number 80 was "good enough!"

Then, all of a sudden my mindset changed.  I was like,  "I have totally underestimated myself."  My view quickly changed and I said to myself you WILL stay in the top 20.  Anything more is unacceptable.  I would hit refresh over and over and over.  I was in 3rd for a long time...late into Saturday evening.  I would gradually move to 4th and then 5th.  Each time I would hit refresh, I would feel my stomach drop as I waited for the screen to change. 

When I woke up Sunday morning I was in 7th place.  That is when I said, "Carole, you have to stay in the top 10!"  I can't tell you the inner pressure I was putting on myself.  I have NEVER felt the edge of competition like I did just hitting refresh. 

Jim was like, "Carole, just wait until 8:00 pm tonight and check, you're going to drive yourself crazy!"  And I just couldn't.  I was obsessive.  I had to check to see if I could hold my spot.  With my mind set at being in the top 10.  If I stayed in the top 10 then my original 25% goal was now looking towards 3%.  

I love that we had to hit a target.

Then I started looking at the girls that were beating my score.  Just to see if I knew them.  One girl in particular I was watching for.  The girl who literally kicked my butt in the Masters Competition back in October.  I kept waiting to see her score.  She posted late in the day on Saturday and she beat my by 30 reps.  REALLY?  30 Reps.  There were quite a few girls I knew......





Well, now that it's Monday.  And I have checked approximately 25 times since 8 pm last night when you had to officially enter your score....I am still #10.

Masters Women 40-44 Central East Region

What does that mean for me today?

Well, with a temporary bit of celebration, I am SO ready to keep this going.  Each workout will bring new jitters and new things for me to think about and work on.  But, I am excited to say that I am ready and raring to go now.

Snatching 75#.

Last week, was a blur of don't wanna's!!  I didn't wanna get up and WOD.  I didn't wanna eat well.  I didn't wanna....blah blah blah.  You have all been there.

This week, I'm ready to hit the ground running.  I'm excited to see what the open brings.

I'd like to elaborate a little about how I prepared for this workout. 

When the WOD was released on Wednesday.  Immediately, I had a goal.  Like before I left the gym, I knew I wanted to get 10 reps in the 100# snatches. 

With my goal in my head, I would start to work on my strategy.  I didn't really have any time allotments for this WOD.  So, what I would do is anytime I would lay down to close my eyes.  I would envision myself doing burpees and jumping and touching the pull-up bar.  Friday night, I actually counted 40 burpees as I did them with my eyes closed lying on my back on the couch.  I then walked over to my bar and literally envisioned 30 45# snatches....I got back to the burpees and in my 75# snatches....fell asleep.

So, when I awoke on Saturday morning...my mind had already been through the WOD.  What's the WORST part of any WOD?  It's when your mind doesn't let you go on.  It's when your mind stops your body from doing what it is capable of doing.  Well, I've already defeated that demon.

Now, it's time for my body to just do what it can do.  Not one single time during my WOD did I stop because my mind told me to.....big accomplishment.

With Jim as my coach and Aaron as my counter I just methodically moved through the reps literally one at a time.  Never once thinking of the big picture, always thinking of the next rep.

The End.  I gave you my all!

I didn't quite reach my goal, although my coach and my counter tried with all their might to get me there.  I was 5 short.  BUT, I have no regrets and no desire to "re-do" for a better score.  I gave my 100% all and was happy with my score of 155. 



Until week 2.......