I didn’t want to do it. I woke up this morning thinking I’d just do something else. Afterall, I really wanted to make up Thursday’s WOD which I had missed. Of course I wanted to do that one, 3 rounds of a barbell complex consisting of three sets of hang squat snatch + overhead squats. Right up my ally! Woo-hoo! I am doing the barbell complex today… forget that 5k, NOT DOING THAT! I’ve done that 5k test before, several time as a matter of fact. Why should I do it again? Why today? I’d really rather get under that barbell.
I started explaining the workout to the athletes, briefing them with goals and strategies on how to approach the 5k. I was aiming to get them pumped up to take on the 5k row. I could see the excitement and nervousness in their faces. It started to make me feel that same sort of excitement and nervousness too. Then I remembered why this is such a great test.
It is much more than a physical endurance test. It is a mental test as well, maybe even more so. The goal is not going out too hot or too fast resulting in a big drop in pace. The goal is not ending up crashing and burning, resulting in a grueling and miserable experience. The goal is to go out moderate paced but not too slow because you can’t really make up lost time at the end. The goal is to be able to keep yourself at a pace where you can increase at the end, a sprint to finish sort of feeling. The goal is to be within your best and worst times… no pressure. There’s a point in the second half where you start to think you should be going faster. It’s a trap, it’s a trap. Keep the pace and avoid the want to get faster. Wait, wait, hold onto the pace, stay focused and on course. Watch the monitor and listen to your breathing. Legs, arms, arms legs. You can do it. Victory isn’t in the PR (unless you have a PR). The victory is in the satisfaction of completion. The wobbly legs standing up after putting in the work. The victory is doing something for yourself that is a positive contribution towards your health and well being. The victory is getting sweaty and out of breath.
Needless to say, I never touched the barbell today. I still plan to make up Thursday’s barbell complex at some point, maybe next week. But it’s days like today that make me feel accomplished, capable and proud of myself. This is why I love CrossFit.
By the way, I did not set a PR today but it was between my best and worst times. It was 4th best time overall and off 9 seconds from by PR.