UPDATE: Football Tryouts

Last Thursday I went to my first tryout/player evaluation for the Boston Militia!  This tryout was the first step of many, to become a member of the Boston Militia and play semi-pro women’s football.

After filling out 9 different forms, releases, and waivers about everything from insurance to pictures to equipment requirements, I arrived at the Harvard “Bubble” for an 8-10PM workout. 

Approximately 36 other women came out to the Harvard Dome with what seemed like a 50-50 split of returning players and prospective athletes. 

Small Successes in Crossfit :: Trials in Football

I kipped for the first time today!

I just thought I would try it.  I try to kip a pull-up here and there, but I usually run into one of the following issues:

1. I get too excited about my swing and can't control it
2. My hands hurt from lifting something
3. My muscles are beat after a WOD

Today, there was some time for skill work between our SWOD and our CWOD at CFB, so I hoped up on the bar. Forward-back-up!  My chin went over the bar!  I was actually so surprised I thought it was an accident.  So I got down, shook it out and hoped back up.  Forward-back-up, forward-back-up!

2 in a row = not an accident

1.31.10 crossfit mainpage

Pull-Ups: a Public Display

Public displays of data are influential: they tell us where we started, they help us track our progress, they show us where we have succeeded, and where we could do more.  Starting tomorrow (only because I do not have the materials tonight), I am going to track one thing:

1. Pull-ups 
One morning (the day after I hobbled away from my 5k run), I went to Crossfit Boston again which in itself felt like a win.  Neal Thompson, the owner of CFB, was the coach at the box that morning.  The workouts for the day were:

SWOD: Back Squat

CWOD: AMRAP in 15 min. of

5-Pull-Ups

10-Chest to Deck Push-Ups

15-20'' Box Jumps

As I went to grab my usual blue band to assist me on my pull-ups Neal told me to put it back, he asked me if I could do one pull-up, I said yes.  Neal then added the following, "That's how you will do them then, 1-by-1.  You are never allowed to use a band again.  And if I see you using a band you owe me 1,000 burpees in a weighted-vest."

Motivation enough for me.

5k WOD on the first day of winter

by, Eric Gilliland

When I first joined Crossfit Boston I was warned early on, that "unless there is snow on the ground we run outside, so be prepared."  When there was no WOD posted on the website last night I should have suspected: running in the cold (or rowing).  Unaware as to the workout that was coming my way, I peeled myself out of bed and put on my winter jacket for the first time this winter.  26 degrees, 30 percent chance of flurries.

On the train, the words of came back to me, "unless there is snow on the ground we run outside..."  "Nah," I thought.  It's too cold.

Unsurprisingly, Crossfit Boston had the last laugh.  As I foam-rolled my muscles awake, Coach Jen only needed to write for a second to tell us what we would be doing today:

Skill: OHS

CWOD: 5k

Ouch.

It was one of those moments where you just have to laugh; being ill-equipped (and by that I mean ill-dressed for an outdoor run), and knowing that I cursed myself with my thoughts on the T, I laughed.  And honestly?  The workout was pretty great.  I overhead squatted (OHS) 110lbs, which I have never done before, I ran my miles at just under 8 minutes a mile--26:35 for 3.4 miles, maintaining my barefoot/POSE technique!  

I snotted all over myself, I had a hacking cough, and I didn't realize until I got home that I couldn't feel two of my toes.  It was great.  It was great because nothing else this week will feel that hard.  

NEW OUTPUT CHALLENGE: Catch a Football Everyday!

Reasons: 
1. Because the Head Coach, Coach Beasley of the Boston Militia told me to
2. AND I just found out that player evaluations/tryouts will be held December 11th, and 16th, a MONTH sooner than I originally thought

The Plan:
To work on my wide-receiver skills Coach Beasley suggested that I find a friend and start catching a football 50+ times a day: catch with fingertips, bring the ball to the body and tuck, alternating sides of my body.  I have enlisted my roommate to help me with this (thank you for volunteering and practicing with me in the kitchen).  The back-up plan was recommended to me by a football friend, is to lie on my back and throw the ball in the air to myself.

by Brero

Goals for this Output Challenge:
1. To start feeling like this is a motion that I am performing competently and unconsciously


This probably will not take more than a few minutes a day but it needs to happen EVERYDAY.  There are only twelve days between now and the 16th (when I will be going to evaluations/tryouts), that means that I am going to make this a 12-day challenge.

Challenge Ends: December 16th, 2010


Any on point wide-receiver drills?  Let me know!