The Thursday Morning WOD

Thursday mornings have changed…

This time last year, I was often found with a laptop on my knee, a muffin in my hand and one overflowing on my jeans. A child would be running around the room, and a hot cup of milky, steaming tea was my way of getting warm.

This year, Thursday seem to put me encased in lycra, see me leaping on boxes, and trying to match my chin to Bruce Forsyths and get it over the sodding pull up bars.

My goals have become related to double unders, pull-ups and squats – half the time even I don’t know what I am talking about.

Thursdays are slowly becoming the highlight and agony of my week.

Clearly I am talking about CrossFit

For the non CrossFitters reading, let me explain how a ‘normal’ session works (sometimes).

You turn up, change your shoes depending on what is written on the board.  CrossFitters love shoes, no wonder I fit right in, you can have nanos, trainers, lifters, and I am sure there are more I have not discovered as yet.

You then apply copious amounts of kit, knee sleeves, wrist straps, hand protectors, and chalk – I bloody love chalk.

Then you get ready to start.

At my box, we kick off with a bit of strength work and technique.  So working on the Olympic lifts, improving squats, mastering the impossible clean and jerk.

Then you move into the WOD.  (Workout of the Day)

It can be vile, it can be fun, it will always be different, it is high intensity, and it makes you feel fantastic afterwards.

I love a good WOD.

One WOD.

Then Thursdays came along,

And something changed…..

The board looks different, as I turn up every week in my gear, I am starting to see not one WOD, not two WODS, but three WODS, which so far seem to involve every movement in CrossFit that I have encountered and some that I think may be made up….

And holy Jesus it is knackering, whilst being more fun than you can shake a stick at.

Last week, I attempted to throw a 6kg ball at a target in synchro with a partner.  The fact that the ball bounced off my head at one point probably gives you an indication of how skilled I was….

This was today….

My poor brain could barely process it….

My body was quaking in my lifters at the thought of doing it…

And my bladder protested at the thought of attempting a double under…

But yet, I cracked on regardless (after changing my shoes.)

The joy about CrossFit is, once you walk in the box, odds are you ain’t walking out until you have sweated, laughed, maybe had a sob, and have worked most areas of your body.

It is mayhem with a beat, the music screams as your team mates encourage, cajole and motivate, there is no option to stop, no time to pause.  Suddenly jumping on a wooden box becomes your lifes sole focus and doing burpees with two kettle bells seems like a great way to spend two minutes.

Trying to move in synchro with another person makes the whole event even more explosive, energised and comical.

Thursdays, despite causing me to swear in frustration, weep at the sight of weights that need thrusting, and cause me to channel my inner Jane Fonda, are quickly turning into the best day of the week!

What on earth has happened to me!