Crossfit Day 10

I guess it isn't really a big deal. Not for people accustomed to athletic endeavor. But it wasn't all that long ago that I would have taken a week or more off of any exercise at all after injuring myself like I did yesterday. And it is backpacking that prepared me to work through the injury instead of quitting on myself. Because if I injured myself on a backpacking trip, then I would need to figure out a way to get myself back to the trail head. I need to be able to think through an injury, and make decisions.

So the new, athletic me, iced, compressed and elevated, resting as much as possible and taking acetaminophen (since aspirin is counter-indicated for contusions). This morning when I looked at the WOD, I was really happy that there would be no box jumps today. Instead...

“10,000 lbs”
Set up 2 Barbells, one each for:
Deadlifts and
Strict Press
For time:
Alternate between 3 DL and 3 Presses until you have accumulated 10,000 pounds lifted.

At least it didn't involve my shin, right? And I had on a double layer of knee socks to keep the bruise compressed for the workout, because I didn't want to chance the bandage coming unwrapped as I moved.

I did have some dread for this when I calculated how many reps it would take me if I had 50 pounds of weight. 200 is an awful lot of reps. But it didn't end up being quite that many.

I only needed 180 reps.

30 rounds of 3 deadlifts at 65 pounds followed by 3 presses at 45 pounds.

I felt kind of pathetic using weights that were so low, but I couldn't even do one rep of the presses with 55 pounds. And it was a struggle to finish the presses at the weight that I had. Everyone else (okay, that was only three people, this morning's 9am class was not heavily attended) had 18 rounds or less to complete, and they were all done before I was halfway through.

I hated it, in some ways. Having to press on, and on, and on, while everyone else watched. But they didn't just watch. They encouraged me. They helped me count. They helped me finish.

It took me 18:47 to get through all 30 rounds (and I only know that because someone else noted the time for me).

But I did it.

I lifted 10,000 pounds.

After my last press, I dumped the barbell to the ground and got high-fives from the other three participants and the two trainers. Then I collapsed for a few moments while they began to put up their equipment. I was drained, finished, dizzy and flushed with satisfaction.

One of the guys afterward talked to me about how he thought of ultra-marathons while he was watching me. He ran a 100 mile race, and the winner did it in 18 hours. He finished in 33 hours. But it's hard to tell who worked harder - the one who finishes faster, or the one who keeps pushing, even if it's slow.

I might not finish fastest, and I might not lift the heaviest weights, but I will finish, and I will challenge myself.

But first, I need to take a nap.