Crossfit Games Open 15.3: So You Didn’t Get that Muscle Up

by ~jenniferlynn on March 19, 2015

in CrossFit

Spoiler alert. The title sums up my quest to log an RX score all of the 2015 Crossfit Games Open workouts. If you missed my first two events you can check them out, though nothing too revolutionary in there:

Crossfit Games Open 15.1
Crossfit Games Open 15.2

I’m not sure what it is about this Open that has just left me less than excited. I’m really trying to stay pumped, motivated, positive, but it’s just not happening this time around. It may be that my box hasn’t done as many organized events for the Open as they’ve done in the past, or because I’ve been following different programming from the Box that I feel a bit disconnected, but my heart is just not set this year (though seems to be a recurring theme with others I’ve talked to).

While I completely accepted 15.3 workout for what it was, and was up for the challenge, I had to consider the options if I didn’t get a muscle-up. I had done all my progressions. I worked on pull-ups and dips and played on the rings a lot lately. I’ve watched all the videos and tips and tricks and tutorials.

I went in on Saturday, pumped up, ready to display the result of my efforts; the culmination of all the progression drills that I had done. After countless attempts on the rings, I just blankly stood there, watching others complete the workout.. and then I cried. It has been a long time since I cried in a workout (other than that one lifting meet..), but I was just so upset with myself that I just couldn’t do it.

As much as I wanted to avoid skimming instagram and seeing everyone’s #firstmuscleup, I was crazy inspired when I did see them. I was excited to see so many women just crushing it, surprising themselves and hitting that pinnacle, both figuratively and literally. I wanted it even more. Some looked effortless. Some fought for it so hard. I wanted the struggle. I wanted people to be watching and cheering as I push through that dip, just as I have a million and one times before in my sleep. I dream about muscle-ups. I think about them all of the time.

Do you know I even wrote on my bathroom mirror, “I WILL get a muscle-up!”?

Suffice to say, Sunday I went into the box on my day of rest, ready to get back at it. Last week I had that thought process in mind with my chest-to-bar and it worked out well, so figure extra practice wouldn’t hurt. Two and a half hours later, all I walked out of there was with a bad attitude, more frustration, and ridiculously sore arms and lats, bruised hands, scraped wrists.

After a pretty heated debate about attempting the WOD RX and potentially logging an invalid score of zero vs completing the workout scaled, I was conflicted, confused, and even more mentally drained. Maybe I’ll get into it another time, but point was, I had to get one rep RX. Or make a decision to scale or not.

Monday was the day.

Nearly two more hours of warming up, mobilizing, pushing through the pain in my lats, ignoring the bruises on my hands in places I didn’t even know could bruise, becoming more and more mentally and physically exhausted, it was after 7:00 EST and I needed to make a decision.

failure is not the opposite of success. it is part of success.

So… after overhearing a conversation with a coach and one of our strongest girl athletes (who can outlift most guys, do HSPU away from the wall, yet doesn’t have her MU yet) about how it’s stupid to log a 0, and just give it your all, I grabbed the 10# wall ball, set up my jump rope, and painfully pounded through the reps. With each extension of my arms to throw the seemingly light ball up overhead, my muscles were screaming. Wall balls are quite up there in my suck bucket, and regardless of the weight, these were terrible. I was pushing through as my training partner was screaming at me not to put the ball down, reminding me that this is the Open, and that I have to fight for every rep.

My quads burned, my shoulders were smoked, my lats were on fire. With straight up metcon endurance not being anywhere near my wheelhouse, this workout was hard for me. Straight up struggle bus between already lagging endurance plus my biggest goat plus mental and physical fatigue in full force.

When they called, “Time!” I sat down after trying to catch my breath, signed my Open scoresheet with shaky hands, logged my score online, and surprise, cried.

No doubt that this workout was a tough one for everyone but for me, it was just so mentally draining. Tuesday morning, everything hurt. I couldn’t lift my arms from so many MU attempts. I slept miserably because I couldn’t get comfortable. It was one negative thought after another.

So I took a step back, forced a rest day, and re-grouped.

Now that I have taken a day to re-evaluate my life (okay, just re-evaluate this week), I am in a better place physically (I swear by epsom salt baths) and definitely a better place mentally.

I am not putting this goal of a muscle-up on hold, but I am approaching it with a more structured plan and not stressing anymore about it!

And who knew – taking a mental rest day led to two PRs this week!! 😀

Your turn..
Have you ever let an Open workout get to you mentally?
Do you listen to your body/mind when it says to take a day off?
What were your initial thoughts on hearing that 15.3 had muscle-ups?
How did your body feel during/after the scaled WOD?

Lisa
Twitter: fantabulouslisa
March 19, 2015 at 12:23 pm

I this workout had been announced last year when I didn’t have my muscle up, I definitely would have cried! But last year was my second open in a row to be standing in front of a pair of rings with MINUTES of extra time to fail attempts and muscle ups. So I started working harder for the next several months and I finally got one around July! 9 months later, the open is upon me again, and though I didn’t feel confident with having to do muscle ups while fatigued as they were programmed in the open in years past, I knew I could DO them! So when 15.3 was announced my hands started shaking. I was excited because I knew that since they were at the beginning I could get some reps because I would be fresh! but SEVEN! I had never attempted to do a set of seven at one time during a WOD. Unsure what to expect, I was extremely pleased to finish two whole rounds. Get inspired to face this workout again in a year with confidence! Make it happen–you can do it!
Lisa recently posted..15.3 + Romaleos!My Profile

Jen @ Chase the Red Grape March 19, 2015 at 12:38 pm

You put in so much hard work effort and determination – sometimes it is enough and sometimes it’s not. You will get many muscle ups and soon, but this time around it just wasn’t to be. Your CrossFit attitude inspires me and helps me to understand my own ups and downs in the CrossFit world.
And yes sometimes the answer is just a good cry and an Epsom salt bath!
Jen @ Chase the Red Grape recently posted..CrossFit – You win some you lose some!My Profile

Chris March 19, 2015 at 1:45 pm

The other side of the coin here. I did get my #firstmuscleup but still didn’t celebrate or feel too special about it. I guess when you post a 20 and then a 2 for my last two workout scores… it is a little less than impressive. My body has been quite exhausted lately even though my scores indicate I haven’t had too strenuous of WODs! And after the Open, I’m taking lots of baths and close to a week off to recover, physically and mentally.

You’ll totally get your MU soon, and you’ll be in a less stressed place when you do. =)
Chris recently posted..2015 CrossFit Open WOD 15.3 RecapMy Profile

Lisa March 19, 2015 at 4:26 pm

I feel that we are in EXACTLY the same place on this one. This is also my third open and the excitement is just not there. I was so pumped to get my first muscle up…. I didn’t.
I beat my 14.2 score, but only by a handful of reps. Somehow this is making me feel like a failure that after all the work that I have put in I should be ‘fitter’. Sigh!
Just gotta suck it up and move forward. Bring on 15.4…

Madeline March 20, 2015 at 11:47 am

I love your honest point of view. I think this is always the confusing part of the Open. It’s for everyone to participate, but at the end it’s really to find the best of the best. I love that the Games Team has made the effort to add in a scaled division, but with there being so many A-types in the community, who actually wants to do that if you’re not BRAND new to CrossFit? LOL. This is my first Open season sitting out, which is hard since I’ve been to the Games since year 2 in Aromas. I still am enjoying it as a spectator, and seeing how others who are in the arena are feeling about the growing and ever changing sport.

Lindsay @ liftinginlilly March 22, 2015 at 8:16 am

Loved your post! I completely understand how you feel- this is my first Open and it’s certainly not fun- definitely not what I expected. Yes, it has made me do things I didn’t think I could do, but I also feel very defeated by the whole thing, which I didn’t think was the point!

Keep doing your MU progressions, keep wanting it, and keep loving CrossFit- I think a lot of people are feeling a little turned off at the moment, but it’s almost over and we can get back to the normal fun!
Lindsay @ liftinginlilly recently posted..15.3My Profile

Brad Longazel March 27, 2015 at 9:44 am

Your blog is awesome. There is something about your combination of lifting and life that is just honest and yet profound. I’m looking forward to more of your posts during the future workout releases.
http://www.strongsidecrossfit.com
Brad Longazel recently posted..Thursday March 26th 2015My Profile

~jenniferlynn March 27, 2015 at 9:47 am

Thanks for reading, Brad!! 🙂 love seeing male readers!

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