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| Mid thrusters. I always seem to make that same face when doing any front movement. Breathe much? |
Well once I was reminded of what 14.5 was I remember that day very well. It was my very first being introduced to CrossFit Guild and a gym that I would later start coaching at. I was there with some good CrossFit friends and former boss, Randy, with is wife and family friend Keith. I remember breaking up thrusters A LOT and burpees being my saving grace because I can move through those at a steady pace and not really have to rest. Well flash forward 2 years later and here we are again...
16.5 is 14.5
Well, so what is 16.5 and what was 14.5?
This was the shocker in 2014 with a workout that was For Time. This had never happened before. Usually Castro puts a cap on the workouts because it would be a nightmare for headquarters to try and get everyone's scores right and not to mention the videos they might have to watch.
So without further ado 16.5 is
16.5
thrusters 95/65
OTB burpees
(OTB = over the bar)
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| Mid burpee during 16.5 Thank you Vibrant Photography/Christina Roth for the photos! |
Although I was nervous about doing this one again because of my performance this year I was happy about one thing... I would be home with my family at CrossFit Northlake to complete this last and final workout. I found Northlake back in 2012 right before I moved at the beginning of 2013. I was talking to the owner Jason about being a coach there. It would have been my first opportunity to start coaching, and to think where I would be now if I would have stayed there and not have moved. But they welcome me with open arms every time I come home for a visit and always include me in their events even though I'm 2.5 hours away. I'm apart of their family and feel truly blessed that I am. My friend Fidget knew I would do well and had faith in me that I would. He was encouraging saying that I had gotten stronger over the past year. And he may be right but my strength numbers now aren't showing it haha. He had more faith in me than I did in myself when I told him of the workout! Kind of sad huh.
I got to Northlake 30min early so that I could warm up which involved a lot of rolling out my quads because it was my smart idea to run sprints on the track the day before hand. My legs being sore was the only reason I was regretting running sprints and then having to do a total of 84 thrusters and burpees that evening. Everything started at 6pm and I was a little nervous because I told them I would help judge. So that didn't leave me a lot of time to warm up on thrusters. I helped judge the first heat and we were placing the time cap, even though there wasn't really one, at 30 minutes. After judging the first heat I got FIVE minutes to warm up and take a pee break. I got my bar set up and already have my oly shoes and wrist wraps on. My judge was Kelly and we discussed how I wanted my reps called out and she encourages me along the way to just keep me moving. The only thing I really asked of Kelly was to not let me know what time was on the clock, well unless it was getting close to my old time of 18 minutes and some change, then she needed to tell me to move my ass!
That daunting clock is placed high up on the main wall of the gym and I intentionally faced away from it. I didn't want to know what time was going to be on the clock throughout because I would mentally mess myself up. So face the rig I did, and keep my eyes down almost the entire time. Funny thing is is when I concentrate, even when I was in gymnastics, I would look down and not straight ahead. It never messes me up, it's just how I stay focused. I had already planned out how I was going to break up my sets. If I had to break up my set of 21 I would into 15 & 6 and I was trying to decide if it was a good idea to go unbroken on it. Well at least my legs would have a break during the burpees! :)
So at 3...2...1....go
21 thrusters at 65#, unbroken. Now when it comes to the burpees I told you I could just move through those, definitely not fly through them though. I don't rest on the ground because I'm just flopping my body. As soon as my chest hits the floor I'm pushing myself back up and jumping over the back. I angled my body a little bit as my goal was to just pop my feet up and they would be right at the bar. I usually end up in a straddle stretch position so I don't have to bend my legs into a squat position. I was trying to save those suckers as much as I could. Well my method for my burpee didn't exactly work but that's okay. I saved myself some time by turning as I was jumping over the bar. Another thing I noticed also was that other athletes, mind you this was not while I was doing my workout that I was paying attention to them just when judging, would walk back around their bar to the direction they had started there thrusters if they ended their burpees on the opposite side. If that makes since at all. (If they started my thrusters facing the clock and finished their burpees facing the clock, they would then walk back around to start their thrusters so they were facing the clock). I did't bother walking back around the bar. After my last burpee in the set I just grabbed the bar and started my thrusters again, facing the clock or not. The less I faced the clock the happier I was.
I broke down the rest of my thruster sets like this:
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| I'm glad Kelly kept track of my times for each set! This was awesome to see! |
set of 18 = 11-7
set of 15 = 10-5
set of 12 = 9/3
set of 9 = 5/4
set of 6 = 6
set of 3 = 3
I only looked at the clock I want to say on my set of 6. I wanted to see where I was at because I was almost done. My legs weren't killing me like I thought they would have been but they were definitely in pain. I remember how hard it was to get through thrusters that first year. I would rest my bar overhead instead of in the front rack position. It's easier for me that way because my triceps get tired holding it in front rack and it's more fluid to hold it up top and then go straight back into a thruster when I'm done resting.
So many of my friends have asked me already what my time was for 16.5 and I've been keeping it a secret until now.
2014 - 18:57
2016 -
14:58
Difference = 3:59
*Dang that 4min difference. Only 1 second off!
The funny part is is that I have kept all my score slips from 2014-2016 and for some odd reason the only one I can't find is 14.5 of 2014!
http://games.crossfit.com/leaderboard
Click on the link and change the year of the leaderboard to 2014. Then type in the Athlete Name: Tiffany Black and I'm about halfway down the page (place 15403)
I came in with a bang and definitely went out with one and a great PR!
Later I judged a girl named Heather and he has been to the Regionals before on a team with CrossFit Northlake and did almost the whole thing unbroken...LIFE GOALS!!
Easter & Miracles From Heaven
A lot of my family's birthday fall around Easter time. My Mom's is toward the end of March (22nd) and mine is two weeks after hers (April 5th). My sister-in-laws is on the 17th and my grandma on my Dad's side is the 20th, and not to mention the 4 cousins we have born in April and now with my nephew who is soon to arrive (due date April 25th), it makes for one heck of a month.
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| 3 generations, moms and daughters |
And so it holds a special meaning to me because she did that and I don't think she was even one year old yet. I've had trouble with this necklace because the diamond has fallen out once and the chain I want to say has broken about 4 times now! But I just couldn't bring myself to part with it. And the one necklace I did see that I liked I didn't even want to know the price of it. I didn't want my mom spending that much money on me. I've never been a big jewelry person either. I've worn this necklace everyday since I've gotten it, and it's even hard for me to take it off to wear another necklace for a different occasion. This necklace has a lot of meaning behind it besides my niece. Besides that we headed into Belk where Addi found a glasses and I don't mean sunglasses and started passing them out for everyone to try on. We all ended up in glasses and could help but take a family photo, 3 generations and all moms and daughters. But let me tell you it was hard to see Amber holding the phone to take a picture because of how blurry those suckers made everything!
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| Frosting nose |
We had dinner that night at my brother's house. My mom had gotten a ton of meat from Shelby the day before - pork chops, bacon wrapped filets, and chicken legs. My grandma makes the best cinnamon apples and broccoli slaw/salad so we always ask her to make it when we have family events. I'm not going to lie that's what I wanted to make but it was taken care of for me. My sister-in-law, Amber, got a cake from Public that was topped with fruit and had pureed/creamed fruit in between the 3 layers. It want to say the cake was a angel food or pound cake. And my brother makes some AMAZING garlic bread on the grill. It's always a crowd pleaser, but most of our meal was. My niece is always the life of the party, only 2 years old, and makes sure everyone has what they need. Like my grandpa didn't have juice (water).
Addi and I played with the whipped cream frosting from the cake. I won't lie I took a fork and stuck some on her nose and then she just had to do the same to Aunt Tiff. She was laughing so hard.
Sunday morning my mom and I joined my Grandma at church. It's something that I always do, but something I always try and do with my grandma. It's what she remembers the most. After mom and I got back from church we went to see Miracles From Heaven. I won't lie I was a little hesitant about the movie because I saw Heaven is Real and wasn't a big fan of it. I do love that Christian movies are becoming more main stream in the theaters these days though. If you decide to go see this movie do yourself a favor and take a box of tissues. This movie really hits home with what the mom is feeling with losing her faith. God tests all of us just like he did the mother in this situation with her daughter's illness. Why would God put someone through so much pain. I've been through something similar in the feelings. I had one day where I said I was done having faith in God. I was tired of always having what felt like endless problems that never seemed to go away and looked as if they would never get better, and it was recent too. How uncomfortable this little girl feels in her own body and how she wonders why God is doing this to her and why he hasn't healed her. The questions of why God does things to us and puts us through certain situations are forever endless. It is through those times that God tests our faith. The testing of our faith brings out perseverance.
"Not only so, but we also glory in our suffering, because we know that suffering
brings perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope"
Romans 5:3-4
It really hit home on that front, and how God does perform miracles or even have the right timing for things in our lives. Not only did it hit home in this way but also of how much I really want to reach people who don't believe in Christ and those who believe but whose faith is not strong. I want everyone to be able to feel the joy and hope that God provides me! I love sharing my stories of struggle with people and how I got through them even though at times I did lose my faith. And I want these stories that I tell no matter how personal and hesitant I am to share them can change someones life. That their life was changed just by hearing my story. I want to be able to change so many peoples lives and inspire others. I just wish if I have already done those things that I knew. To be a guide and mentor when someone is struggling with their faith in God.
Next week should be a fun week...I'm going to look a little different and it's spring break for the kiddos!
~God Bless
"Training strength and endurance mentally, physically, and spiritually."
