Wednesday Wins — Katie Ramsey!
Katie doing her last rep of 15.5 (27-21-15-9 Thrusters/Row) @45lb Scaled
Since then she’s put in the work. She’s one of our most regular athletes. I mean, she’s exceptional (!!!) but keeps a regular schedule and comes often. She works HARD when she’s here. Yes, has fun too (that’s the idea, right?) but approached it all with the long view. Two years later she is stronger, fitter and moves SO much more efficiently — and was ready to take on the 2017 Open.
“Despite being a little more seasoned, I went into the Open this year not really knowing what to expect. I had an idea about how the workouts would feel and I couldn’t wait for Friday Night Lights – getting to judge and cheer the other athletes on is my favorite part- but I really didn’t feel like I had improved significantly over the previous year. I showed up regularly and tried to put in a little extra work when possible, but the honeymoon stage of hitting a new PR every time I walked into the Cove was long gone. My goal was to hit 4 of the 5 WODs RX, but I tried to keep reminding myself that at the end of the day, it’s just exercise.
Here’s Katie on Friday doing her last rep of 17.5 (where she did NINETY 65-lb thrusters and 350 double unders). What a difference in form and strength!
One of the things we love about CrossFit is that you can continually surprised yourself. You set goals. But in the back of your head you may think ‘there’s no way I’ll hit them’. Then you do. Then that “maybe one day” Katie talked about becomes “I did that”. And yes, she did it. “I managed to complete every workout RX. I did better in some than in others, but I left it all on the mat every time. At the end of every single one I realized that I was capable of far more than I had given myself credit for. In 17.1 my left arm DB snatch didn’t give out like I thought it would (well, not as often as I thought it would), in 17.2 I got my first ‘real’ muscle up, my chest to bars held up far better than expected in 17.3, 17.4 had a 30% improvement over the previous year, and 17.5 didn’t kill me (despite the slightly disturbing noises I made while rolling around on the floor after).”
With 16.4 and 17.4 being the same workout, she has a direct comparison. She was three reps shy of getting to the rower last year. This year was 29 calories into the row. That’s a 3 minute improvement! “That’s a big nut” as Coach Brian says. Here she is deep into the rowing ‘pain cave’ of 17.4!
And she wasn’t lying. She literally “left it on the mat”…
It two years, she went from bottom 40% to top 26% of all Maryland women. She went from doing all five works scaled to doing all five RX. She’s moving so well. She’s stringing pull ups like nobody’s business and hitting muscle ups now. And because she is so darn selfless, she gives you all a ton of the credit:
“I am thrilled with my performance this year. There are so many things I need to work on, and I will continue to strive to be a better version of myself every day. *Warning, it’s about to get a bit mushy* I can’t thank the people of the Cove enough for everything they have given me. I sound like a broken record echoing what so many other athletes have said, but the coaches and the people truly are the best. The Cove is a special place where I can always find exactly what I need. Sometimes it’s someone to push me to my physical limit – Josh Hip/Chris Franey. Sometimes it’s a big goofy smile from someone who is genuinely happy to see you or someone to make slightly twisted jokes with – Mike/Lyndsey Condon. Sometimes it’s a word of advice from someone you trust and admire -Brian/Marina Anglim. There is always someone to chase – Kim Michelotti – or a friend to goof around with – The Party Goblins… and literally everyone at the Cove. There truly is No Place Like Cove, and I had a blast testing myself in the Crossfit Open 2017 with my fellow athletes.
Remember when we asked everyone to sign up for the Open despite your ability or length of doing CrossFit? THIS IS WHY. Data tells a story. A story of growth, strength, ability and progress. It is a great way to reflect back year over year (or two!) and see how far you’ve come. You may not see it ever day. Or every week. Or even every month. But it is happening. Just ask Katie.
(retest from April 13th 2016)
10 Shoulder to Overhead
10 Toes to Bar
30 Air Squats
8 Shoulder to Overhead
10 Toes to bar
30 Air Squats
6 Shoulder to Overhead
10 Toes to bar
30 Air Squats
4 Shoulder to Overhead
10 Toes to bar
30 Air Squats
2 Shoulder to overhead
10 Toes to bar
30 Air Squats
Fitness: 95/65, Sub Sit Ups for Toes to Bar
RX (Performance): 135/95
RX+ (Open): 165/110
14 Minute Time Cap
Coach’s Tip: We love retests! Times ranged from 7 to 14 minutes last April so we’re capping at 14 minutes. There’s a good amount of volume here, so pick a weight (and a scale for toes to bar) that allows you to keep a good pace. We’re recommending sit ups as a sub for toes to bar for fitness, but if you prefer knees to waist as progression to get toes to bar one day, do ’em! Just like before, pick the scale that works for you and your goals!