JENNA AT THE GAMES RUNNING BLOG: EVENT ONE
I know some of her events have not been covered and when they are she isn’t being featured enough, so I am going to do a running blog on some of the events going on to give you a feel for things. I am going to try to get these out fairly quickly, so please excuse the typos and grammar.
The CrossFit Games are a blast but it goes to an all-new level when you get to follow a fellow Covie.
EVENT ONE
Three Ways Down
1,400-m run
4 rope climbs (20 ft)
21 DB shoulder-to-overheads
1,200-m run
3 rope climbs (20 ft)
15 DB shoulder-to-overheads
800-m run
2 rope climbs (20 ft)
9 DB shoulder-to-overheads
I had a flight delay, some issues with my tickets, and had to drive an hour to get to my hotel from Milwaukee. Bedtime is 2 AM and wake up was 7:20. I am exhausted, I haven’t even had my customary Diet Coke (I have a problem) but I can’t help but be excited. You can’t help but feel the adrenaline hit you and I am doing nothing but watching. I am wide awake and pumped.
I go over the wod in my head and feel like this is a good one for Jenna. Jenna’s strength is her well rounded nature, the very epitome of what we strive for as CrossFit athletes. But one thing I know she is secretly good at is running. Not just fast but super efficient in the movement. She will have a great pace and be fine for whatever movements comes next.
For the 2022 Games they run all the teen athletes together, boys and girls. We have 40 athletes at the starting line and it feels like a giant workout, like Murph, but with professionals. There is a special energy to the event.
They count down the workout and the athletes are off. Jenna has a great stride going and I am feeling good for her. I rush up to the top of the stadium steps to see the athletes running. It’s kind of too far to see them and I just wait for Jenna to come on back. It takes her a bit longer than I expected. She isn’t killing the run as I hoped and I start to have that feeling of fear for her.
But of course, what do I know, And she proves once again that she is a CrossFit genius. While others struggle with rope climbs, she is making up time. She passes an athlete or two climbing the rope.
The dumbbells are brutal for her but they are for everyone. This wod looked hard but it is more likely impossible. She is through the first round and wow, she just caught up to a bunch of people. SHE’S A PACING GENIUS.
Onto round two and once again she is running her race. She makes it back and in fact looks even stronger (relative to the other athletes). It’s hard to figure out placing but appears to be passing people.
On to round three and it’s “go for broke” time. I head up to the top of the stadium waiting for her to come back from the short run (only an 800 after all the work!). She is trailing a girl by 15 seconds. I watch this one athlete chalk up and get herself prepared for the final rope climb and Jenna appears out of nowhere. No chalk, no thoughts, no fears. Just a giant leap and she scaled that rope like nothing. JENNA JUST PASSED her and is off to the brutal 50-pound dumbbells. She goes unbroken and sprints to the finish line to complete an amazing event and passes yet another competitor. It was a special moment to witness.
There are times that I think watching a competition of people exercising is really stupid but in moments like this it isn’t. It showed so much character, fortitude, and the emotions and characteristics that we all love in sports. Event one is in the books and super excited for the rest of the weekend.
Jenna leaving the stadium after leaving it all on the floor