I'm finally done with the season! My first feelings about the season being over were of relief, then that feeling that you get when you've accomplished a goal and the object of your striving has been overcome. I have no more meets to look forward to! Then I remember I have lots going on this next week. I will tell you about them, but first an update.
As I mentioned earlier Regionals was in White Fish. Unfortunately I didn't perform to my potential, but I think more good came from it than anything else. I qualified for the Western National team in fifth place in my age group, came in second on bars(with a fall!!!), and second on vault.
Westerns was held in Bartleville, Oklahoma which is about 50 miles north of Tulsa. This was a blessing because Mom lives in Tulsa! She brought Chip and Holly and Augy to cheer me on. The meet went very well. After being a little dissappointed of my Regionals experience I decided that I was going to go with no expectations to win or score high. At Regionals I had set my standards too high and it made me tense resulting in a less than satisfactory performance. I was nervous for Westerns because I wanted to finish off the season on a good note, especially because it was my last meet at level 9. Region 2 started on beam, which is not the event I would've chosen to start on. The first event usually sets the tone for the meet, so there is a little more pressure to hit. I felt that I overcame a major mental barrier with my performance. I hit my routine almost perfectly, my only mistake being that I disconnected a couple dance elements so my routine started at 9.9. I posted a solid 9.2 which made me very happy. On floor I had a couple major mistakes, but I wasn't angry. A week after Regionals I had severely sprained my ankle and it has been slow healing because I have had to train on it. I hadn't done a floor routine with my full tumbling since I hurt it, a I wasn't even sure that I would compete that event. Because I started the meet off well it gave me a little extra confidence and my tumbling in the warmup room was satisfactory. I ended up falling on my second pass, back 1 1/2 twist, because my timing and punch were off. I recieved an 8.5. On Vault my landing was a little off but I still did my best of the season which was worthy of a 9.175. Bars was the least of my worries. I was very confident and determined to finish well. I recieved a 9.45 and to top it all off I placed third!
After the competition I went home with Mom, Chip, Holly and her boyfriend Augy. Because I was exhausted and desperately needed some fuel after the long meet, we stopped at an IHOP in Broken Arrow, the little suburb of Tulsa where Mom lives. They entertained me by joking about their jobs and I was nearing delirium after the long day at the meet so everything seemed so exciting and hilarious. Toward the end of our meal, Mom asked me to tell them about a day in my life. I admitted that after their hilarious stories I couldn't make my life sound half as exciting. After listing off the normal events of my day including working out and training in CrossFit LiS, Augy asked "So what do you do for fun?" I laughed, because it is true that I'm always working or working out. From the outside it appears that I never have any fun. My life is all about fun work and hard play. That's how I roll. Some people say I work to hard, but I love what I do. When we finally arrived at their home in Broken Arrow, Mom showed me around their house which is very has a beautiful spacious back yard. The dogs, Bob and Blondie, are old but still hanging in there. Bob is in much pain, which is very sad. But Blondie's tongue is still very active. I've missed them a lot. We arrived after midnight (central time) so it was officially mother's day. I signed all six of the CrossFit Games posters mom purchased from the CF Store.
Mom dropped me off at my hotel around 1:30 am and Papa and I packed for the flight out at 6:30 that morning. We got a short 3 hours of sleep and then hit the road to the airport...
On the first plane home(we had to catch a connecting flight in Denver) I was so exhausted from the last night that I just slouched down very uncomfortably and slept through the whole leg of the trip. The second flight I was so intrigued by the view out the window of the plane that I couldn't sleep. A third of that flight was spent enjoying the view of the snowy mountains and ravines and rivers from above. My favorite sight was of the Grand Tetons which looked so puny from where I sat. It was terrifying because I was reminded how vast the earth is.
Now that the season is over, I will be preparing for level 10.
Saturday is the Northwest CrossFit Games Regional Qualifier. The Workouts:
One rep max:
Clean and Shoulder Press
Deadlift
WOD:
5 rounds for time:
3 muscles-ups MEN / 2 muscles-ups WOMEN
30 wall ball: 20 lb medicine ball MEN / 12 lb medicine ball WOMEN
6 sumo deadlift high-pull: 60k MEN / 40k WOMEN
I'm feelin' pretty good about this one, but just like everything else I'm going to go without expectation, give it my best shot, and have some friggin' great fun!!
Traveling and competing takes a lot out of us so Yulia and Guennadi gave all the level 9s this Monday and Tuesday off. When we go back tomorrow, we will probably take it easy and then began to ramp up to more intense skill training in a couple weeks. I am so stoked to be done competing! I can't wait for next year!
These rest days from gym have not really been rest days for me. I've been doing some last minute training for the Qualifier. Though I haven't been doing any hard core strength I have been working more on skills and cycle time on the elements of the workout. Yesterday I did some high weight high rep SDHP so the 40kg will seem light and easy. I doubt it will be easy, but at least I'll know what to expect. Today I worked on my cycle time for Wall Balls. It's going to suck, but it's the pain I love. I'm excited in my sick little way. :)
Saturday night after the Qualifier Papa and I will fly out to Annapolis for Laurel and Chad's graduation ceremony on Sunday! I'm excited to meet their Johnny friends and tour the east coast a little bit. We'll be going to D.C. and Philadelphia. I'm especially excited to see these sights because I've been reading a lot about the beginnings of the U.S. government and the first Congress and such. We will be on the east coast till Wednesday I think. Stoked!!
By the end of the month we will be moved out of our Corson Ave. apartment and into a smaller one a couple blocks away. It will be very weird when Aimee moves to Annapolis to go to school at St. Johns. I'll have my own space! In the meantime she'll be storing all her stuff in our little room in the new apartment. For the next two months it will be a little cramped, but I'll miss her when she goes. :(
"No eyes has seen
no ear has heard
no mind has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love Him."
Isaiah 64:4
