Conquering the Unknown... CROSSFIT GAMES RECAP!

What an intense experience. What a thrilling challenge!

Myself, my dear, fellow SoCal representatives, and a tidal wave of other, inspirational, international competitors were subjected to the ultimate physical test.

First, FIVE events in one day. An all-out battle to whittle 75 men and 75 women down to the top 16 of each for a brutal day 2.

We had all poured our hearts and bodies into extreme training regimens... the time had come to show the CrossFit community how much one could truly endure.



A hot day in Aromas... Spectators start to settle into the "stadium"


The first event... a treacherous 7.1 km run on steep hills and rough terrain


Kim starts with a smile!


Val MacKenzie (CrossFit Culver City), our SoCal sister with the highest potential for success, posted an amazing finish in the run (10th place at 46 min, 15 sec!)... But due to collapse from heat exhaustion and dehydration, she was unable to finish the Games. WE LOVE YOU, VAL!!


The race started and finished on a paved road (the middle of the course was WAAAAY steeper and unruly - trust me)... Kim chugs along, with Becca Voight from Valley CrossFit (in RED) a few paces ahead.


Kris Clever from CrossFit North Hollywood posted an amazing 4th place finish in the run event (43:47). What a great way to start a weekend of complete and total domination!


Kim rounds the corner to the finish line, completing the task in 49:11 for 31st place. The plan to avoid burning out too early, but to also avoid falling behind the pack, was successful!

Our 7th SoCal competitor, Linda Leipper from CrossFit Marina (sorry, Linda - I don't have any photos!) crossed the finish line at 47:57, good for 17th place!

*********************************************
The second event... with less than an hour to rest after the run, competitors needed to complete one deadlift every 30 seconds, with weights beginning at 185 pounds and increasing 10 pounds at every successive station. The event would end once the competitor failed an attempt.


Michele Vieux, from CrossFit Invictus in San Diego, maxxed out at 275... an incredibly powerful lift for a gal who has been rehabbing an adductor (inner thigh) injury!


Katie Hogan from Valley CrossFit posted SoCal's best deadlift result with 315 pounds (a new PR)! This pic is a fabulous depicition of her effort and determination to get those hips open!


Kim jokes around with her judge as she waits for her turn. Ya gotta calm the nerves somehow, right?!


Kim easily pulls 245 while Becca Voight follows right behind at the 205 station. Becca makes it all the way to 275 pounds. SoCal rocks!


Kim properly finishes her deadlift with 285 pounds. 295 is just as successful.


But 305 pounds doesn't quite make it up after the small amounts of rest (oh, and that run we just finished!!). But, the 295 bumps Kim up to 17th overall after 2 events!


Kris Clever always demonstrates impeccable form on Olympic lifting (and every other skill/movement, for that matter). She topped off the deadlift event with a 305 pound pull.

********************************************
Again, with enough opportunity to leave the competitor building and give some hugs to the spectators, event 3 was soon upon us. We were to complete a 170 meter uphill sprint while carrying a 35-pound sandbag. Elevation raised 100 feet during the ascent. Honestly, these types of challenges are not my favorite! But I went for it... :)


Michele Vieux (white visor, in 3rd, with sandbag around neck) keeps her eye on the finish line as she pushes up the steep hill. She finishes the run in 1:22.3 (32nd place in that event).


Katie Hogan doesn't stop, driving through the finish at 1:22.4 (33rd). Her teammate Becca Voight, completes the task in 1:29.6 (52nd). Isn't it amazing how just a few seconds can separate the pack by so much?!


As seen on the Jumbotron, the heat starts by running back toward the competitor building (the "Ranch"), picking up the sandbag, then sprinting from there. Kim is the one in all black on the right.


Surprising herself and pulling ahead of all her SoCal buddies, Kim finishes in 1:20, good for 26th place. (1st place finished in 1:07.4, 5th place was 1:11.7, 16th was 1:17... amazingly close!!) Kim is in 18th after 3 events... still thirsty for a spot in the top 16.


Kris Clever struggles a bit on the hill, but completes the ascent in 1:22.6 (good for 34th).

Linda Leipper also keeps consistent with the SoCal bunch, placing 30th with 1:22.

********************************************
Finally, a nice long break is finally given to us. But we can't go too far, because we need to be back for event #4. In an attempt to give us something unknown and challenging (throw a wrench in the competition, if you will!), we are given the task to:

Row 500 meters
Drive a 3 foot steel pole into the ground with a sledgehammer
Row 500 meters

This should be interesting...



Kim giggles a bit because of her wacky fans up in the stands. There was such a big group who made it up to Central California from CrossFit 360, how could you not smile? :)


The first 500m is completed in under 2 minutes. Kim is not the first one off the rower, but she gets a new PR for herself!


A small, steel sledgehammer (that will break if you hit it incorrectly) + a steel pole that is puny in diameter = inaccuracy for Kim! Forced to shorten her swings, she falls behind a bit.


The final row is successful yet again. Making up a bit of time, Kim finishes in 7:00.7 (31st place in the event). This, unfortunately, drops her down to 25th place overall going into the fifth and final workout.

But Katie Hogan (5:43.2) gets 2nd! Michele Vieux (6:05) gets 8th, and cannot wait to practice her sledgehammering skills further - ha! Becca Voight (6:19.5) gets 11th, Kris Clever (6:22) gets 13th, and Linda Leipper (6:30.8) gets 18th! I'm so proud of my SoCal girls!!!

********************************************
Final event...
3 rounds of:
30 Wall Balls (14 pound medicine ball)
30 Hang Squat Snatch (45 pound barbell)

Dave Castro, the announcer and organizer, mentions that we need to try and finish all the heats before the sun goes down. There are no lights in the stadium area. Did I mention that we arrived at 7am in the morning??! We are all drained. Hoping to push through into the final day... but ready to complete such a long, tiresome experience. Gotta pull it out of somewhere.


The crease of the hip needs to drop below parallel in the squat portion of the wallball.


And the ball needs to touch the green lettering on the target 10 feet overhead.


The squat snatch involves an explosive pulling movement that ends with the bar overhead and the lower body in the same deep squat position. Standing up from the deep squat and extending the hips is necessary for the rep to count.


Finishing 2nd in my heat, and 17th overall in the event (my best showing all day!!), I successfully conquer the "unknown and the unknowable".

My performance helps me to jump up to 21st overall from 25th - but it's not good enough to move on to the 2nd day.

The other SoCal sweeties joined me in a cluster of fantastic finishes. Katie Hogan ended her day in 18th, Becca Voight earned a 20th place finish, and Michele Vieux gave it her all for 23rd. After a frustrating stint with the wallballs, Linda Leipper was proud to make it through all 5 events, and to place 40th.

But, not to be forgotten, we have to congratulate our little monster athlete, Kris Clever! Finishing 6th after the first day, she moved onto the 3 brutal workouts of Day 2. The remainder of the SoCal 7 was there to cheer her on each step of the way - to an impressive 4 place finish overall!!

Did I mention that she actually tied for 3rd place....
CHECK FINAL RESULTS HERE


I couldn't be more proud of my friends/teammates/workout buddies... I couldn't be more satisfied with my performance and my stamina to get through the day with flying colors... and I couldn't be more humbled by the friends who drove far distances to scream as loud as possible all day for me and the other SoCal-ers in the heat and the dust. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

I can't wait to do it again! :)