Revisiting the Sectional WODs - Workouts 1 & 2

This week at CFC we've been attacking the WODs from the Sectionals in February 2010.  This was a sore subject for me since I fared so poorly at Sectionals back in February after having spent the last 6 months traveling non-stop and battling illness throughout the month of January.  I was in a bad place, and my performance showed it.  I know that my conditioning, strength, and body composition have all vastly improved since February, but I still get knots in my stomach anticipating these workouts.

8/23/10

Press 5-3-1+ (70-80-90% of 1RM)
63 x 5
72 x 3
81 x 7

It's time to get that 1 rep max higher than 90 lbs.  Need to hit pressing more often.

Sectionals Workout #1: The Air Force WOD
20 min. cap
Women's Rx: 65 lbs
Start with 4 burpees, then do 4 burpees on the minute until all 5 movements are complete.
20 thrusters
20 SDHPs
20 push press
20 OHS
20 front squats

Feb. 2010 time: DNF -- went decently fast until I hit OHS (around the 8 minute mark I think), and then I couldn't control my legs and got too dizzy to stand after a burpee.  My body essentially shut down, and I ended up on the floor surrounded by medical personnel with a bottomed out blood pressure.  Not quite the auspicious start to Sectionals I had been hoping for, to say the least.

8/23/10 time: 7:00

Quite the improvement.  Would have been 4th place going purely by Sectionals results, although I have no doubt that everyone has improved since then.  Still, it felt great.

8/25/10

Deadlift 5-3-1+ (70-80-90% of 1 RM)
(warmed up with 135 x 10, 185 x 5)
245 x 5
280 x 3
315 x 5

315 felt heavier than I'd anticipated.  Note that I used my 350 lb 1 RM, although the heaviest I've gone lately is 345.  Hoping to try for 355 or 360 after I finish the Velocity Diet (more on that later).

Sectionals Workout #2: AMRAP 5 Minutes Ground to Overhead
Women's Rx: 105#

Feb. 2010: 24

8/25/10: 36

I was shooting for 30 on this and was surprised by how easy--and quickly--the first 15 reps flew up.  I focused on resting the bar at my shoulders for as little time as possible because I tend to lose my breath faster the longer I hold the bar in the clean.  Split jerked the last 2 or 3.  This would have been good enough for 6th place based on Sectionals results. 

Wednesday was my first day of doing the Velocity Diet (more info here and here), too, which is my 28 day "protein fast" challenge that I've embarked on with my husband.  It was his idea, and he convinced me to join him.  My energy level felt good, and I wasn't hungry at all throughout the day.  In fact, it felt like I was having to force feed myself to "eat" (i.e. drink a shake) every 3 hours as prescribed.  The post-workout shake was too sweet, so I'll have to water that sucker down next time.