20 Minutes to work to a heavy complex of:
1 Shoulder press
1 Push press
2 Push jerks
Then:
Every minute on the minute for 5 minutes:
1 Push press + 1 push jerk @ 75% of todays complex
30 Double unders
Post loads to comments and BTWB
That’s a wrap!!
The 2016 Open has come to a close and if you were here on Friday you may have cheers to it’s end with some Titos and Tasty. If by chance you did not experience this amazing concoction, I highly recommend the next time you need to cheers to anything, you do so with Titos vodka and Kill Cliff Tasty. Barb would agree, it’s pretty. . . uhhh, what’s the word I’m looking for. . . tasty.
Well this week also brings to a close my last shot out to two pretty inspiring Verve athletes and their pretty noteworthy performances in 16.5.
Stan Sloan
Stan has been a consistent presence in the evening classes for over 2 years. And over those 2+ years Stan has worked hard, pushed himself through many grueling workouts, practiced his form and increased his weights. . . Stan has been working his way into being a bit of a CrossFit badass. Proof is that Stan put up a time of 14:46 in 16.5. Now before you ooh and ahh over a very impressive time, I want you to know the most impressive part about it. . . in 2014 when Stan performed this workout as 14.5, his time was 21:29. Now you can ooh and ahh. Stan was only 5 months into CrossFit when he signed up for the 2014 Open. Stan entered a score for all 5 workouts that year and considering there was no scaled division that year, being able to, in only 5 months of CrossFit, put up at least 1 rep for every workout is awesome. Now we fast forward 2 years. . . 2 years of mechanics, consistency, and intensity, and Stan has absolutely proof through a benchmark workout that he is without any doubt, stronger and more fit. Congratulations Stan on getting more and more badass every year!!
Connie Luu
I never sat down with Connie and talked with her about her goals for the 2016 Open, but I feel like I may have a good idea of what they were. I’ve had the privilege to train with Connie and work along side her during some pretty intense training sessions. I’ve seen her push herself to finish long after I’m certain she wanted to quit. I’ve seen her struggle and work through things that were an obvious weakness until she made them a strength. My guess was that Connie wanted to attack the 2016 Open with some fury and she wanted to crush it. I know for a fact she did not want to be injured right before it started. Which is unfortunately what happened. Several weeks before the Open Connie had an injury she was certain would effect her performance in the Open. She still signed up. From day 1 Connie has come in to Verve on Friday nights, looked at the workout, pieced together what she could and could not do, and then she attacked it. She did what she could to enter a score but continued with what would allow her to work hard and complete a whole workout. The first week she entered a score of 1 rep, but I watched her sweat it out for 20 whole minutes. Every Friday she came to Verve with an amazing attitude of “I will do what I can and I will work hard doing it”. And when she was done, she helped judge the next person, and would often stick around even longer to cheer on even more people. Connie came to open gym times to help judge and cheer, even when she had no plans of working out. After 16.5 I asked Connie her time for the workout, she told me “1”. I had to unfortunately remind her she could not turn in a score of 1 rep for this workout as it was a time based workout. As far as the Open was concerned, she would not be able to enter a time. She simply smiled, said oh well, and moved on to cheer on her partner. I know this Open did not go the way Connie would have liked but she is one of the most inspiring performances for the whole Open. I’m so proud of how involved Connie was in something she could have let be a big personal disappointment. You are one strong lady!!
Nate Rader, Eric Clancy, Walter Lopez, Sean McAleenan and more all improved their scores from 2014. Sarah LeGasse (Lev) did every Open workout while approx 9 months pregnant. Over the past 5 weeks we have highlighted some great athletic moments and some inspiring moments of pure heart and spirit. Everyone that signed up for the Open and came back every Friday ready to tackle the next WOD deserves a high five. . . and a party to celebrate all that hard work.
Saturday April 2nd, starting at 12pm, Verve is opening it’s doors to an Open themed BBQ. Didn’t sign up for the Open or do any of the workouts?? We don’t care, we still want you there. Come on down and get inspired to sign up for it next year. Did the Open and got some things you want to brag about?? What better place to do it then surrounded by people who will actually understand your brags. For details about what to bring, please see the FB event page or check out any one of the many flyers posted around Verve. Drink and eat up, laugh and be merry, you all deserve it!!
Till next year. . . . #Open2017
