01
Apr 2014
0

Thank goodness the Open is over!

Competitions, The Open , , , Sandy Kim

madonnaThat feeling in your lats and quads, that’s accomplishment; well that and the carnage of 14.5. Two days later, I can barely walk and my legs MIGHT have given out on me as I walked up the stairs to my office… I might have gone splat on the stairs…

Who is glad that the open is over? This gal is! It has been a roller coaster ride of muscle pains, demoralizing and remoralizing (it’s a word now) emotions, sucking air (followed by wine to forget the muscle pain) and thinking I could have done 1 more rep.

The breakdown by numbers…

205: Number of athletes registered for Team Trident

50: Team Trident’s place out of 330 teams in the Mid-Atlantic region

502: Team Trident’s place out of 4237 teams worldwide

1: One team, One community, One Team Trident

Be proud and give yourself a pat on your backs for being awesome then go hunt down the following people and give them a booty bump for contributing to the team score:

  • Katie Wasalaski
  • Jennie Cooper
  • Jill Forbes
  • Luc Tripp
  • Lindsay Williamson
  • Chriss Smith
  • Brandon Maupin
  • Will Brody
  • Alex Johnson
  • Karen Angeles
  • Maron Kim
  • Nick Libert
  • Katie Beal

14.1 was doable, as our alumni blue shirt Matt Kirkpatrick would say, “In fact, I haven’t seen anything that doable since myself in the mirror this morning.” We came out of that one with whip marks, our first consecutive double under or even our first double under!

The announcement of 14.2 sent most of us ladies on the hunt for a sports bra that resembled Madonna’s cone bra and hoping for her ripped arms to get boobs to bar. Most people were in an outrage thinking how dare Castro program chest to bar so soon in the open, does he want to weed everyone out? Of course not!! By definition, CrossFit is CONSTANTLY VARIED, just like life, you never know what is going to come next and it certainly does not come in a certain order weeding out people out at the end. Expect the unexpected.

14.3 compared to 14.2 was a breeze. WHEW! Some of us pulled a weight off the ground we never thought possible! It gave me the redemption I needed to feel good about the Open. Then came 14.4 and like a roller-coaster the 50 toes to bar made me want to crawl under a rock with my lady like calluses. Who else wished there were 50 cleans and 30 toes to bar?

14.5 has left us wrecked. I really did fall walking up the stairs to my office. My legs just could not take it… It was a good feeling to know I worked hard to finish, but not a good feeling to be face first on the stairs while people walked over me.

Overall, it has been a VERY eye opening OPEN. Lots of weaknesses have been exposed and so have lots of strengths. Take note of what you want to work on and write it up on the Trident board; hold yourself accountable!  Even if you did not sign up for the Open or log your scores online, keep track of your scores somewhere and use it as a baseline. I will guarantee you will see one of these WODs programmed at Trident or even during another Open.

Now raise your right hand, high up to the sky! Bend at the elbow so that your hand is behind your back. Now go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back because you survived a brutal Open! BOOM!!

24
Feb 2014
0

Show your Trident pride and register for the Open!

Competitions, The Open, Trident Blog , , , Sandy Kim

13-1

Warming up for the first WOD of the 2013 CrossFit Open.

Did you know that last year we had the second largest team IN THE WORLD? We came second only to CrossFit NYC… impressive for Trident’s second year registered as a team!

You may not have any strong feelings about the Open or why you should participate but I do, so bear with me as I step on to my soapbox!

Last year I could not quite put it into words why the Open meant so much to me, but after my first full year as a coach at Trident, I have come to realize why it does… I have Trident Pride! I am honored and proud to be part to be part of this great community of athletes. I learn something new EVERYDAY I am at Trident. I am thrilled to be able to pass on my lessons learned to the rest of the Trident community and am thrilled when I see you all pass on that knowledge to the next generation of athletes.  I have Trident Pride and want everyone to feel that pride and be proud of what we are doing here at Trident.

For me the easiest way to pass on that sense of pride to the athletes is through The CrossFit Open. Not everyone comes to Trident for the sense of community. Not everyone that CrossFits knows that with their membership comes a community that will support them. The Open is a way for them to bond and cultivate a community of their own within our over 600 members.

There are many reasons that Trident CrossFit stands out among the 20+ boxes in the area: the amazing coaches, the ginormous box, the awesome programming, the up to date equipment, the strong athletes, the community…  We come together in times of hardship, celebration and in remembrance.  Let’s honor what we have built at Trident by reaching out to those at Trident that may not realize the community they have backing them, let’s bring them into the fold, into the community that has enveloped us and enriched our lives.

I would hope that Trident has touched all of you in some way, good touch never bad touch! So reach deep and figure out why you are at Trident, what it has done for you and what you want to pass to the rest of our community that may not have been touched.

18
Feb 2014
0

Sign up for The Open and join Team Trident!

Competitions, Events, The Open, Trident Blog , , , , Sandy Kim

crossfit-open-2014

Get your game face on!

It’s that time of year again where if you are part of the CrossFit community there is a buzz in the air—it’s the Games Season, baby!

For those new to CrossFit you may be asking yourself what is “The Open” and why do I care?  The Open is the first step in the annual CrossFit Games and to finding the fittest man and woman on earth. But more importantly, the Open is a chance to bond with your Trident community and cheer on your friends.

There are 5 workouts starting on Feb 27 and ending on March 31. Workouts are released Thursday and need to be completed and entered online by the following Monday. At Trident, we’ll be doing the Open workouts as our regular WOD during all class times Friday, with opportunities to make up the workout over the weekend and on Mondays.

Everyone has different reasons why they CrossFit. For some it’s a requirement for their job so they survive, for others it’s a way to survive all the things life throws at us; be it a stressful schedule, screaming toddler, hoisting 5 gallons of water up to the water cooler, or lifting your couch up to vacuum all the potato chips hidden underneath. Recovery, survival or just plain vanity (hey, we all want to fit into our clothes), we all have our reasons we come back day after day to lift heavy things.

I like what the Open stands for, an all-inclusive way to participate. Last year, almost 140,000 athletes competed in the Open, and we had 250 Trident athletes participate. It’s more about the community and pushing yourself a little harder than you thought you could.

My goal is to do better than last year, to see if my technique has improved, if I have improved. The first year I signed up for the Open we did a WOD with snatches… I was not able to get the weight up over my head and committed to work on this weakness. The second year, I was able to easily move the RX weight but not for the full 30 reps the WOD called for. This past year I have been practicing my technique and working on my strength and can’t wait to see how I have improved! Without realizing it, the Open has become my own personal baseline and check-in with my goals each year.

Everyone contributes to Team Trident whether you know it or not. Your enthusiasm and spirit motivates! So, get your game face ready and sign up to be a part of Team Trident!

Register for The Open here!

08
Apr 2013
0

The Open is over. What did you learn?

Competitions, The Open , , , , Sandy Kim

Team Trident taking on 13.5.

Team Trident taking on 13.5.

I learned that if you never attempt the heavier weights or attempt to learn a movement or perform a movement during a WOD you will never know if you can do them. I learned that if you don’t track your performance you won’t know if you improved. That sometimes you need to fail in order to succeed. I have also been reminded that the Trident community knows how to come together to support each other. What did you learn?

During the past 5 weeks, I have seen some truly amazing feats of strength, endurance and courage. Athletes surprising themselves and doing movements they never thought they could or lifting a weight they never imagined would go over their head. I have also seen the frustration and disappointment on the faces of the athletes that expected more from themselves. I have watched athletes turn into coaches, coaches turn into mentors and the gym turn into a tighter stronger community.

To those that came across a WOD where they think they disappointed themselves…. don’t beat yourself up, take every victory and remember the losses, they both will help you improve. Couldn’t push press 95#’s overhead? Next time we do push presses, don’t choose a lighter weight, choose a weight that is challenging that will eventually lead you to 95 lbs. Couldn’t’ do double-unders? Next time we have a WOD with double-unders, attempt them instead of doing 3 singles for every doubl-under. Feel free to grab a red shirt or a blue shirt and ask for help if you want to work on technique, we are always more than happy to help! If you never try you will never know what will happen. I’ll get off my soap box because you get the point! 🙂

Now pat yourself on the back because you finished The Open; five weeks of WODs that challenged you mentally and physically. You have made this tiger mom proud and fiercer than ever! Congratulations on your first second, or third Open experience. Now go hit that WOD at full capacity, because training for the 2014 Open starts TODAY!

High Fives!

Sandy

20121015-trident-kim

 

05
Apr 2013
0

The CrossFit Comparison Game

The Open, Trident Blog , , , Chris Kelly

This blogpost was originally posted by Trident athlete Ericka Andersen on her site sweetlifeericka.com

Workout of the Day at Trident (You can see me, nose to the ground, behind the #30 box)

Been loving my crossfit workouts the past two weeks. Could it be because they have included lots of running? Probably.

Lots of shoulder work, rounds and reps of moves I really enjoy like push press, clean and jerks, toe to bars and kettle bell swings.

I feel awesome and strong when I do these things. I walk away sore and feeling accomplished.

And yet…

I am disappointed in my personal progress. I’m really trapped in the comparison game.

I read how many reps others have gotten in the Open — the crossfit bloggers I read — and I feel so weak.

One girl I know just started a few weeks ago and started OFF doing higher weights than me.

I’m not trying to be a body builder. But, I feel like it takes more effort for me to build muscle than a normal person. I’ve been back at Crossfit for three months now and I feel no real change. My arms still look completely untoned.

I couldn’t even get one rep in the Open last week (because the prescribed weight was too heavy so my reps didn’t count) — it’s very discouraging.

While I knew that I wasn’t signing up to win a thing when I entered the Open, it still puts a certain mentality in your head.

Competition. 

I also wonder — am I missing something? Am I doing something wrong? I go 4-5 times a week — should I be doing other exercises (aside from the supplemental running I already add)?

I don’t know. Maybe my body is just used to working out and is resistant to changing form. After all, I’ve been doing these for years:

And I know I shouldn’t focus on this. I do crossfit because it makes me feel awesome — I love the variety, the intensity, the fun.

Even so, I’d like to have toned arms for all the work I put into them.

This has been a real whine-fest, hasn’t it? Just a moment to share my frustrations. Many many more important things in life but for this moment, I’m venting.

Ericka
The Sweet Life

02
Apr 2013
0

13.4 was a jerk, but Team Trident persevered

Competitions, The Open, Trident Blog , , , Chris Kelly

post2

One victory at a time.

To those who got 95 or 135 lbs over your head for the first time or touched your toes to the bar for the first time… BOOM!!! Now you have to do it every time we have it programmed into a WOD! We knew you had it in you, so huge high fives!! You know who you are and so do we, no sandbagging.

Sandy

20121015-trident-kim

01
Apr 2013
0

13.3 raffle winners – come get your swag!

Competitions, The Open, Trident Blog , , Chris Kelly

13-3-raffle-winners

Paging Patricia Gibson, Adam Hudson and Pauline Khamo – please pick up your swag at Trident for battling through 13.3!

Sorry for not posting this sooner, but we wanted to make sure the winners knew they won. Send us an email at staff@tridentcrossfitva.com to claim your prizes.

We’ll have the 13.4 raffle winners posted shortly.

Keep up the hard work Team Trident.

25
Mar 2013
0

For those who did 13.3, give yourself some props!

Competitions, Events, The Open, Trident Blog , , Sandy Kim

Let's not do these again for awhile. (Photo from CrossFit Brier Creek)

Let’s not do these again for awhile. (Photo from CrossFit Brier Creek)

Doing 150 of anything is a daunting task, but then follow that up with 90 double unders and 30 muscle ups, then tie a ribbon on that and make it a 12 minute AMRAP! Welcome back 12.4, I did not miss you.

Big huge congratulations to all that came in and attempted 13.3. The first time Trident posted Karen (150 wall balls for time) as the WOD, I tucked my tail between my legs and called it a rest day. Last year when 12.4 posted this ditty of an AMRAP, I hardened my chassis, came in and took my punishment for skipping Karen the year before. I didn’t finish the wall balls in the 12 minutes allotted, so when we did this WOD again a few months later I was excited to redeem myself! I was able to make it through and complete 69 double unders, redemption felt good! This round my Karen time was a minute slower and I was only able to get through 7 double unders, I can’t wait for this to come around again so I can redeem myself (again)!

Getting over your fear of what is on the board is a huge feat; it’s also the first step in conquering it! So to all of you that saw the 150 wall balls and scoffed and still came in, give yourself a pat on the back and a some icy hot for your legs!

13.3 sure was a doozy, I can’t wait to see what 13.4 brings!

High Fives!

Sandy

20121015-trident-kim

21
Mar 2013
0

13.2 raffle winners – come get your swag!

Competitions, The Open, Trident Blog , , Chris Kelly

13-2-raffle-winners

Hard works pays off.

If your name is Tracy Ocker, Reid Owen or Mark Espinoza – you should email us at staff@tridentcrossfitva.com and claim your prize. You’re our lucky winners of the 13.2 prize drawing.

Thanks again to everyone who came out for 13.2 last week and 13.3 today. As someone who is terrible at wall-balls, anyone who did today’s WOD is a champ.

Onward to 13.4!