CrossFit Santa Clara Throwdown

In the runup to the CrossFit Games this summer, several of the Bay Area affiliates are hosting throwdowns each month. CFEB is a little late to the party, but we sent three teams to last month's party at CrossFit Diablo. I was covering classes that day so didn't go, but thankfully Shira took classes today, so I could go to the meetup down in Santa Clara.

We showed up pretty early to scope out the situation, which took all of 15 minutes, then we spent the next hour hanging out, playing with the toys and watching a beautiful day unfold as we waited for the details of the WOD to emerge. It wound up being a little complicated. It was a team workout, which meant four people, at least one of whom had to be a different gender from the others.

1. 100 Clean/Jerk 155/95 (2 people working) - scaled to 95/65
2. 150 KB Swings 2/1.5P (2 people working) - scaled to 1.5/1P
3. 200 45# Thrusters (3 people working)
4. 400 Squats (4 people working)

Stations are 200m apart (ie, you have to run around the building after each movement). You must complete all reps at one station before moving on. Your team must all move together and only 3 people may touch the ground at any given moment during station transfer. 7 burpee penalty for the entire team if 4 people touch.

Team Bleach - 20:47 scaled

11 people from CFEB came, which made team formation somewhat awkward. Only one team would be able to attempt the workout RX'd, Team Comfort (Max, Gita, Polly and James C). Team Milk and Cookies, the only team fully intact from last month (Alex, Rebecca H, Raphael and Elaine) went in the second heat, followed by Comfort. I don't remember what Comfort got - 24 something, I think, but Milk and Cookies got 20:48. The three of us that were left comprised Team Bleach (Rebecca R, Ynez and I). We didn't really know what to do about the fourth member until it was almost time to go, at which point the organizer conceded that we could have a five-person team, since we were scaling anyway, and take two competitors from our other teams. So Rebecca Hodges and Gita, showing incredible fortitude, stepped up to do the workout AGAIN. For which we are immensely grateful.

I should really be working, and not goofing off in Photoshop making montages like this.

The clean & jerks were heavier than I thought they'd be, which bums me out - getting weight over my head continues to plague me. The KB swings went by very quickly, and we entered the thrusters strong. That's when things headed south. Between 200 thrusters and 400 squats, even spread out among five people, our legs were jelly, and the partner carries were pretty damn difficult - by the last round, we were doing them in 50m shifts, with Polly running alongside yelling encouragement.

We came in 1 second faster than Team Milk & Cookies, but they A) only had four teammates, and B) did 2 pood KB swings for the guys, just because they could. Gita and Rebecca H did an amazing job, considering how tired they were from the last go-round (poor Gita met Pukie afterwards). On the whole the event was a LOT of fun, and it was enjoyable watching the other teams compete as well - though I could wish for more cross-pollination. The affiliates didn't seem to mingle much. I'm not positive, but I think Santa Clara barely edged out Oakland for the #1 spot, and I don't know who came in third. The top RX times were all 20 and something.

Next month is San Francisco, where I've long wanted to try doing a workout. I hope to be able to go!