Countdown to race time

This time last year, I was knee deep in mud at farmhouse just outside of Baltimore for the 2012 Tough Mudder. To prepare for the 10K trek, I lifted weights and did a lot of running. Afterward, I thought I could tackle any workout regiment with ease.

Then, I met CrossFit.

It forces you to combine weight lifting and cardiovascular exercise into one formidable amalgamation of pain. But, you see and feel the results a whole lot quicker After going through their ONRAMP program, it was time to see how far I’d come with a timed post-baseline test.

First, five hundred meters of rowing. Last time out I finished in 2 minutes and 18 seconds. But after ironing out my form, I was able to trim about twenty seconds off my time. No time to celebrate victories here though, as I had to quickly transition to squeeze in forty squats. After eight weeks of training, I can now get my hip below my pockets and work my full range of motion. The same can be said for my thirty sit-ups, which strengthen your entire core by touching far back behind your head all the way up to your toes, before quickly flipping over for twenty push-ups. No dipping allowed here, I have to touch my chest and thighs to the ground to optimize efficiency. One station left. Ten pull-ups, which I was able to complete with my last ounce of strength, bringing my strength circuit time to 4:18, one minute ahead of schedule.

Then, total exhaustion set in.