Grace: Barbells for Boobs...Blooper

Behind the Barbell

Each year the CrossFit community comes together to do an event called Barbells for Boobs. It's our Susan G. Komen 5k for breast cancer. We all sign up for different heat times, and deck ourselves out in as much pink as we possibly can or own. Yes, even the guys deck themselves out in pink. From pink shorts, socks, headbands, and even tutus; you name it we will wear it!

The workout is the same every year and it is one of the CrossFit benchmark workouts named "Grace."

"Grace"

30 C&J for time 135/95

"Grace," is 30 Clean & Jerks (C&J) for time (as fast as you can) with the weight at 135lb for men and 95lb for women.

Okay, okay, even though we might get a little bit competitive and get the best time out there. This is by no means a competition for any of us, it's all about the fun and the community. Now don't worry if you can't lift the 95lb if you're a lady or 135lb if you a dude, we make the weight so that you are able to do the workout. From the beginners to the elite of CrossFit. There is always a donation made to help a breast cancer foundation.

CrossFit Ferus

This is the name of my new box that I not only train at but am currently a coach at. Two of our athletes, Holly and Taye, both came out and participated in the event. Myself and Randy were the two coaches from our box that participated. Randy's wife, Angela, and son, Coyle, also participated in the event. It was nice to see some people from our box be there to help such a great cause.

Holly did amazing and her form was great. She kept an amazing pace and could have definitely done more weight.

Our athlete Taye.

I believe Taye just got nervous, so some weren't perfect but that's okay. I am by no means calling anyone out because I know myself that my form is not perfect and could use some improvement! But as all CrossFitters do, we coach each other throughout the workouts and cheer each other on.

Holly, CrossFit Ferus athlete, and I

Big Wigs and Crazy Outfits

There are usually some local big CrossFitters that come to local competitions or benefits. We have a couple of those. They were set up in the premier heat, which was set at a sub 3 minutes completeion, which was not problem for these guys trust me!

Nate Schrader, local Games competitor

One is Nate Schrader. He owns is own box in downtown called Iron Forged Athletics/CrossFit. He has been to the Regionals and Games several times. Watching that man complete "Grace" is basically a blink of an eye. You look away for one second and he is done. How he did that was just amazing to me. Wondering what is time for 30 C&J was?

1:07

Another one of our local celebs is probably one of my favorites, and partly because I don't know Nate.

We call him by the name of Juice, which when I asked him he nicknamed himself that when he was young and it just stuck.

I met Juice doing the 2013 CrossFit Open WODs at Anderson Creek CF. I believe it was C&J and toes to bar. I had no idea who he was just a big guy with a full head of dreads. But the biggest sweetheart. He was in the lane right beside Nate, and is always fun to watch. He was decked out in his pink headband that CrossFit Sanford was passing out, keeping the dreads out of the way and ready to go!

Juice

Will some of use only wear slights amounts of pink in support of breast cancer awareness, you have others that break out the tutus (men and women) and some that are just covered from head to toe, as much as they can be at least. This is a picture of a fellow friend, David, who rocked this full pink outfit for the event. An outfit he agreed to break out once a year!

David all decked out in his pink!

"Grace" Blooper

How on earth do you blooper "Grace?"

Well just leave it to me to come up with that one! I had signed up to go in Heat 2, 10:35 am, because the longer I wait the more I get nervous. Also, when I'm out on the floor about to or, whether it is a podium or anything else, I stand around and dance and just move back and forth to work out my jitters. Yes, believe it or not I get nervous and quiet at times before competing even though this wasn't a competition.

I was set up in lane 3 for my heat and walked out onto the floor after taking a picture with my fellow CrossFitters I was in the same heat with.

Heat 2

I should have known better is how this is going to start. I was all jittery before hand and they had good dancing music playing so I was dancing around while waiting for my heat to start. Nothing like busting out some moves in the process right. I had taken my own weightlifting collars with me so I wouldn't have to worry about adjusting them during the WOD.

3...2...1....GO!!

I was flying through this WOD like it was light weight! What the heck was up. All of a sudden I'm on rep 10 was I imagining things or did this just become really light weight from all of the adrenaline pumping through me? So while I was in the middle of my reps, which I luckily had my friend Cortney counting, I asked, "Is this really the right weight?"

I started to slow down a little bit after rep 15, which I had gotten through in under a minute? How in the world was I pulling that off with what I thought was 95lbs! She started counting the weight while I was in the middle of my reps, all the while keeping track of my reps. That's talent!

Mid "Grace"

After finished in a blazing 3:20, and breathing hard because I realized I was starting to get a little bit of a cold. I went to cheer everyone else one and also to talk to the people who were cheering me on as well. After socializing for a little bit Samantha and Cortney came over to tell me my bar was only 75lb. I knew something felt wrong!

So this was my blooper and I should have known better considering I had made the same mistake on the CrossFit Open 13.1 WOD. The bar was already set up from the heat before me. I didn't pay attention to the weight of the barbell when I walked out there, and just assumed it was 95lb.

The Real "Grace"

I was completely irritated that I had done the wrong weight the first time around. Why had I not bothered to check the weight? I was more concerned with getting my collars on the bar so that my plates wouldn't move around during the WOD, petty I know. So after being told that I had done "Grace" once at the wrong what, they gave me the option of doing it again Rx weight. You better believe that I was doing it again. I could have either signed up for the heat right after I had just gone, or wait for Heat 4.

I waited for Heat 4!

Heat 4 aka Round 2

My buddy Chris was my counter this go around and he was nice enough to set up my bar while I was in the athlete's gathering area, and that of course meant putting my collars on the bar.

Okay so yes, I will admit I have my own personal collars because they gym I used to train at had crappy ones that would always move around on the bar while in the middle of a workout. Who in the world wants to have to adjust their weights on the bar while working out because the collars don't stop coming loose. And yes those things are my babies.

My plates were right, my collars were on the bar, now just to wait for the 3...2...1...Go! I got set at my bar and waited. I knew this time around it was going to take me longer, and probably longer than it would if I had just come into it fresh. One thing everyone told me when I told them I was going it again was that my first time around was a good warm-up.

My real "Grace" had finally started. I did one Clean & Jerk at a time, dropping the bar from overhead every time. I had gone over technique earlier in the week to try and make things a little easier for me that day. Things like getting under the bar quicker so it would be a little faster to do, and trying to hit closer to my hips so that I wouldn't basically swing the bar around my body to get it up every time. My technique is always a work in progress, not only as an athlete but as a coach as well. What I learn from people coaching me I teach others as well.

I had friends cheering me on, Chris yelling my number rep by rep, Randy helping me with my technique during the whole thing and me trying to fix it also. Trying to have fast feet to get under the bar so I wouldn't use my upper body a lot to get the weight up. I finished the WOD in 7:04. I sat down at my bar when finished and helped cheer on the guy that was next to me. I can't believe I just did that twice, but on the other hand I can because I'm so stubborn haha.

My CF Family and Fellow Athletes

My head coach from the box and his family came out to the event, and they were nice enough to show up for my heat so they could watch, cheer me on, and take pictures. It was great to have them there and their support.

It was great to two of our athletes out there becoming a bigger part of the CrossFit community. I'm glad they got out there and did this event. It gave them a great first time experience to what CrossFit events are all about.