JENNA AT THE GAMES RUNNING BLOG: EVENT THREE
We know that many of the workouts were shown on CrossFit’s video coverage, so to give everyone a feel of Jenna’s workout I did a write up for the differnet workouts.
I apologize for any grammar. I am trying to get these out quickly.
EVENT THREE
“Skills Chipper”
For time:
1 pegboard ascent
50 double-unders
25 handstand push-ups
50 double-unders
25 single-leg squats
50 double-unders
25 GHD sit-ups
50 double-unders
Handstand walk
Time cap: 7 minutes
Venue: Coliseum
Last workout for the day and looking to see how focused Jenna can be after a little setback on the front squat from the previous workout.
Another great workout, hitting a variety of high-level skills sandwiched between small sets of double unders. It looks like a great workout and then I realize that there is a 7-minute time cap!
It is the first time the Teens Division has ever done the peg board in the Games as CrossFit continues to challenge the younger generation. Although it has never been programmed in a teen competition before, Jenna has been spending time on the Cove pegboard just in case the moment comes up. She does great, having a couple of minor issues getting the pegs out of the holes on the descent.
The pegboard was a huge controversy in the Games some years ago. It was a surprise exercise that was unveiled to the athletes and half the elites couldn’t do it. Fast forward some 4 to 5 years and I watch every one of these teen girls doing it easily. This next generation of athletes is going to push the sport to a whole new level.
Jenna smoothly hits the jump rope and knocks her doubles out effortlessly. Like a walk in the park.
25 strict handstand pushups in a short time is a disaster waiting to happen. Jenna chips away in sets from 5 to maybe 2. She is patient and then off to the jump rope and another round of 50.
And that is when I notice it, Jenna is so smooth on the rope. So effortless. The other athletes technique isn’t nearly as dialed in. They are piking, their rhythm is off, and they are actually missing them.
We all know double unders are a tough skill but once most people get them they don’t spend any time perfecting them. Jenna has spent time on ALL her fundamental skills. Her double unders are “CrossFit style rest” where she is recovering for the next movement in the chipper. They are easy bounces. She holds relaxed shoulders. Her hands make perfect circles. Her head is high and breathing easily. Her rhythm is right as if she finds the beat from a song (Is she listening to “Shake it off in her head”?)
She steps to her pistols and is looking “fresher” than her competition. She is zooming through the pistols and we are now watching her pass people.
Off to another 50 dubs and we are getting closer to the finish. Jenna finishes and walks calmly past the GHD to lay her jump rope down. She is on point and is continuing to close the gap on other competitors.
She grinds out 50 GHD situps. It’s grunt work that is perfected regularly in the back of the gym by Jenna and of course, the 5:45 AM class.
She cruises through her last set of 50 double unders and now we are off to the most dangerous part of the workout, the handstand obstacle walk. This is the scary part of the workout where athletes are failing and losing massive amounts of seconds. One slip up and you lose 20 seconds or a lifetime in a sprint workout like this.
I wonder what is going through Jenna’s head. Is there some sort of pre-workout routine? Is she visualizing? Who knows but she attacks that course. There is a girl with a 2-second head start and she is going after her. Her competitor struggles with her balance going up the obstacle and Jenna is moving up. Jenna traverses the difficult and scary downslope of the obstacle. It’s so scary to watch but she is clutch and makes it! She finishes a second behind a neighboring competitor and you can tell that the spirit of competition allowed both of these athletes to do the best they could have at that moment.
Jenna had a great workout once again and showed her breadth as a CrossFit athlete. She handled each one of the skilled movements beautifully. What I loved was that it wasn’t just the most complex movements like handstand walks or peg boards but the most “basic” like double unders that meant so much.
AND DAY ONE IS DONE!
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