Colin Jenkins

Reflection

Martha and Kyle, this is for you guys only because one of you is a bad ass CrossFit Kids Coach, and one of you just power cleaned 280lbs (congrats!)

The OPT Challenge was a great mental test for me, and one I did poorly on. My goal was to reach all 3 "standards" (15x bw OHS, sub 7 2K row, and sub 4:15 pullup/burpee wod) because I figured that was my only shot at winning this thing. I started off strong overhead squatting my bodyweight 17 times on my first attempt of 3. I did not attempt any other sets because I wanted to keep my legs fresh for the row workout and they were already a bit tired from a heavy squat day on Thursday. Looking back on it, I should have attempted more weight as I think I could have gotten 180 or 185 which would have bumped up my score a lot. 

My pacing for the first half of the 2K row was perfect. With 1K left, I was at 3:29, and on the last 500m I was ahead of schedule with about 1:48 seconds left to complete the row in under 7 minutes. Then something happened with 400m left. I hit a block and just broke down mentally. Nothing to explain really....I just pussied out when I needed to push past the pain of the rower. Once I had the thought that I wasn't going to go under 7 minutes, I just stopped trying altogether and just took my time finishing at 7:12. Then the double-unders just weren't working out for me either. Rough times.

By the time it was the last workout, I just didn't have it in me to push past my comfort zone and get a decent time. 

Although I haven't been training for this type of event for the past 6 weeks (conditioning is not a top priority this cycle), and did not do any real kind of tapering for it (worked out mon-thurs, with a rest on friday), I don't think I did poorly because a lack of being in condition. It was mostly because I failed to focus on the rower, and then failed to reagin composure for the third workout.

I tend to have this mindset that I need to get 1st in these competitions and then when I don't, I just break down and do terribly. Kind of like Josh Everett when he dropped the sandbag at the Games and gave up on that workout and the 2 after it. It's something I am working on fixing, and it's partly why I decided to compete in the Sectionals this year. The more practice I can get pushing through distractions that happen in competition, the better off I'll be for 2011.

I'll thank Greg for the OHS, he has been an awesome coach

Collected Training - Cycle 1/Week 5

 

thoughts about OPT Challenge #3 coming soon...

Collected Training - Cycle 1/Week 4

Weekend competition workouts to be released on late Friday for Saturday/Sunday.

There will be 3 workouts on Saturday that have to be completed with time constraints.

There will be points awarded for each workout based on placing,extra points will be given if the athlete is able to complete them under certain conditions (i.e. finish in a certain time, lift a certain load, etc...).

These points will also go towards the overall standings and point scoring

These athletes that get an extra point for all three workouts will qualify to compete head to head virtually on Sunday

Prizes go to top male and female winners; good luck to everyone

Kicking My Own Ass...

Dutch Lowy asked a really good self-reflection question that definitely got me thinking:

"Can the current you kick the past you's ass?"

As OPT Challenge #3 is coming up this weekend, I wonder if I could kick my past's ass this weekend. Would the past me (who won challenge #1 in September) or the current me do better?

I think physically, I am in much better shape overall. I am stronger, faster, and much more technically sound than I have ever been. I am also much more recovered than I have been in the past, and that makes a unbelievably huge difference. What I am lacking compared to before is the ability to maintain composure and keep moving while experiencing severe discomfort. 

Seems like a toss up to me. Either way, I'll be trying my hardest this weekend to get back on top of the "Big Dawgs" (right now, I'm tied for 3rd overall...)

Can you kick the past you's ass? 

Collected Training - Cycle 1/Week 3

Ask Yourself

Is CrossFit your training program, your hobby, or is it your sport?

...and yes, there is a MAJOR difference

 
 

Collected Training - Cycle 1/Week 2

Checking In

I haven't written for a while, so I figured I would just check in with a little post about what I've been up to.

For a few weeks this holiday season, I worked out less than I ever have in the past 2.5 years. There are only so many stressors athletes can handle before full focus and concentration can be placed on their training. Most people, including myself, can really only handle 1 stressor before athletic development comes to a halt. That is one of the reasons why it is so important for many of us to get our shit together and dialed in. 

My training is finally starting to slowly come back together. It will be another few weeks before I start performing well, but at least I am getting back there. Finally having a coach has done wonders towards bringing me to that end, and I stand firmer on my belief that as the sport further develops, those without good coaches will not have a chance at competing with the best (just like every other some-what developed sport).

2010 is going to be an amazing year for CrossFit Ventura. We've been crazy busy, from developing new programming for the next 6 weeks of group classes (which I believe will be tremendously beneficial), the systems to track the data allowing us to accurately access that programming, a new re-vamped "On Ramps" program, the ability to provide a weekly "Collected Training" video showing displays of the week's most well executed lifts, an exciting day planned for the Affiliate Cup, and the upcoming Goal Setting Seminar which I feel is something that both vitally important and has not been educated well enough to all our athletes. We also just got a sweet flat screen TV and HD video recorder that will immediately prove to be very beneficial to allowing our athletes to get a nice visual picture of exactly what they need to be working on.

I will be traveling up north to Calgary 5 times this year (February, April, May, August, & October) to learn from James FitzGerald. This is something which I believe will be invaluable.  Even the small amount I was able to learn from him during the infamous BlackBox Seminar has proven extremely useful, both as a coach and an athlete.

There is more in the woodworks, but this is my check in for now. I will be back soon enough.

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"It's the same each time with progress. First they ignore you, then they say you're mad, then dangerous, then there's a pause and then you can't find anyone who disagrees with you."
-Tony Benn