Monday, March 12, 2012

Swing Like Hell


Suck it in and swing like hell. This was one off-handed yet brilliant piece of advice posted among the flurry of comments once the 12.3 workout of the CrossFit Open was released. Toes. To. Bar. Nothing strikes as much fear in me (except maybe “I’m sorry ma’am, we’re all out of cupcakes”). A move so seemingly straightforward, yet somehow so elusive.

For those of you not following/participating in the Open, 12.3 included the following:

Complete as many rounds as possible in 18 minutes:
                       * 15 box jumps (to 20” box for women)
                       * 12 Push-press (with 75lb for women)
                       * 9 Toes-to-bar

I was fairly confident about the first two elements, but quite concerned that the third would prohibit me from participating as I’d rarely been able to complete more than two toes-to-bar in succession without having to switch to knees-to-elbows, or the ever-dreaded, as-high-as-you-can-go. So as in any other obstacle in my life, I researched.
My job as a Media Buyer (and every job I’ve ever had) involves a great deal of negotiation. After having made a rookie negotiation mistake early on in my career, and having my bluff tragically exposed, I quickly learned to plan for as many scenarios as possible. Being armed with information is the best offense and defense, I believe. Or for you guys out there: Knowing is half the battle (maybe more). Those closest to me will attest that I emotionally prepare for even the unlikeliest of situations. I’m like a human Choose Your Own Adventure story, but one that reads ahead in each option to make a more informed choice. It’s annoying, but it works for me.
No matter how many videos I viewed of veteran CrossFit athletes knocking out toes-to-bar reps with ease, I was feeling no more secure about my fate of having to sit out the last 16:30 of the 18:00 workout. I went back to the comment I read early on in my inquiry and finally saw this in its simplest form. The same kind of advice that softball and tennis coaches had used my entire life; “Don’t think, just swing.” So swing I did.
I began the workout with a goal of 1+27 (or total score of 63); 1 full circuit of all three elements plus the box jumps and push presses a second time. I wanted to get the 9 toes-to-bar, even if it took me the full 18 minutes.  Each time I approached the bar I silently recited my new mantra; suck it in and swing like hell.  When time ran out, I was 3 reps away from completing a full 3rd circuit. 9 toes-to-bar turned into 24 and my total score of 2+33 (total score 105) surpassed my expectation, and even my aspiration.
Maybe you can’t plan and research your way out of every situation. Maybe sometimes you just have to believe in yourself and go for it.

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