Last weekend with CFM athletes out there taking care of the Malibu Triathlon course, I was on Kauai racing the Ultimate Hawaiian Trail Run. Along the lines of how Dusty described his tri training experience, I, too, relied on CrossFit programming as the huge majority of my race preparation. One week prior, I raced a 5k and over the course of the past 2 months I did a few additional runs that included 2 sand workouts and a trail run of about 3 miles and about 500ft of climb. That was the extent of the running-specific training. Every single other workout was straight off the CFM chalkboard, usually in a group class session. How do you expect that would prepare the body for a 7 mile, 3000+ ft course filled with mud and many natural obstacles? Since you are a frequent reader of the page you understand the rhetorical question! It yielded a 4th place and a pretty fast time overall… AND as importantly- a feeling of confidence at the starting line, gas in the tank along the path, and a final push that held off the 26 year old trying to over-take in the final obstacle course (no way!) Too bad we didn’t get to do Fran at the finish line… that would have gone well for me- perhaps not for the Race winners. We will never know, but we DO continue to KNOW that our type of general physical preparedness certainly lends itself to the unknown and unknowable.
The Race supported the Kekaha Foundation which runs a huge after school program for kids in a community with not many resources and in an environment with addiction problems and poverty. Kids get fed, do CrossFit, have mentors, and other scholastic and health services. Anyone want to go next year? Check out the program here: https://www.crossfitkekaha.com/give/
This post-race bath did little to remove the deeply imbedded Island mud
Friday’s WOD at 7 and 9am, and again at 3 and 5pm
For time, complete:
120 double unders
60 chest-to-bar pull ups
40 hang power snatch (45/30kg)
120 double unders
Post time, load, and scaling
Friday’s 4pm Open Training Hour
