Hail To The Queen Throwdown: Part IV

Me making a bad decisionFriends, I didn't go into this competition with high expectations.  I'm small, and while I'm strongish, I'm not really that strong.  I just wanted to finish not last, and I accomplished that goal.  I finished second to last.  I'm ok with that, but my fumble during the last event bugs me because it was a very silly strategy error.

The last event was a 10 minute AMRAP* of two wall climbs, 10 medicine ball cleans/wall balls, and 20 double unders.  Wall climbs are where you lie on the ground facing away from the wall and back yourself up the wall ending in a handstand facing the wall.  Tiring, but no biggie.  Medicine ball cleans aren't bad either, and I'm used to throwing medicine balls up against a wall.  Double unders are a different story.

Double unders are supposed to be easy.  You jump rope and the rope passes under you twice for every one bounce.  They're good for getting/keeping your heart rate up.  Most people pick up double unders quickly.  A year later, I'm still struggling.  If I put two singles between each double, I can usually string together between seven and twelve doubles before I wind up tangled in the rope.

Wall ballsWhen this WOD was announced a week prior to the competition, there was no scaled option for the double unders.  For the wall climbs, I could climb only halfway up.  For the medicine ball cleans/wall balls, I could use a lighter weight ball and aim at an 8' target instead of a 10' target.  The double unders were non-negotiable.

I decided I was going to use the week to practice tons of double unders.  It seemed like a brilliant idea.  One extra-long double under practice session later, my right knee was totally inflamed.  It killed to go down stairs.  Not only was I not going to be able to practice anything for the rest of the week, I wasn't even sure I'd be able to compete.  Over the next few days, I iced like crazy.  I foam rolled.  I rested.  I bought knee bands to help stabilize the joints, and I angsted a lot.  I had knee problems a few years ago and couldn't bear the thought of going through that again.

I lucked out on competition day.  Thanks to the knee bands, my knees gave me no trouble during the first two WODs.  I felt confident about the double unders, at least from that standpoint.  Right before the last WOD began,  they announced that instead of doing 20 double unders each round, we had the option to scale with 80 singles.  We had to decide before we started, though, and we couldn't switch in the middle.

#%^!I chose double unders.  I don't know how to defend my decision except to say that I was exhausted.  Right at that moment, I felt that if I did singles, my injury and anxiety would be for naught.  (I'm fully aware that this actually makes no sense.)

I scurried up the wall.  I did my cleans and wallballs with no problem.  I couldn't establish a rhythm for the double unders, though.  I got tangled in the rope over and over again.  The crowd tried to encourage me, but it just wasn't happening.  Each round, it took ages for me to eek 20 double unders out.  Consequently, my score was lousy for the WOD, and it hurt my overall ranking.

Even though the competition didn't end on the most positive note, the endorphins were flowing and I was just too jazzed to be upset.  One way or another, I made it through the whole competition and I finished every event.  Next time, I'll take it up a notch.

-Gym Belle-

*As many rounds as possible