… after he did a really, really hard workout.

Today was a really cool day, I have to admit. I have never done one of these challenges for crossfit, so admittedly, I was pretty nervous. I have no idea of what to expect. But, let me back up for a second.

A month ago today, one crazy son of a bitch decided to up an go on a killing spree in Fort Hood, Killeen. He managed to take the lives of 13 people were going about their business in what is, essentially, their home. This posting isn’t about him, so that’s all I’ll say.

The crossfit community is one of the most amazing things I have seen. What happened today was a prime example of this fact.

We woke up early today, about the same time we normally do during the week. It was really cold out so we made sure to wear lots of layers.

We got in the car and drove over to Tillman Training where we met Dave, Robin, Jody, Ryan, Johnny U, and Tiffany. We then caravanned up to Fort Hood for this event. What is this event, you ask?

As I started saying above, a month ago today, Crossfit Lumberjack lost 4 of it’s members to this massacre. The Crossfit community came together to raise money for the families of these four guys.

We got to the base, went through check in, then proceeded to the wellness center. By this time, I think we were all pretty nervous with anticipation. We had all seen the workout and what we had to do. Scary.

When we walked into the giant gym, they had 10 weight classes set up. So, you had to pick the lane that you wanted to start on, then there would be heats. I really wanted to do the men’s Rx which would have consisted of 275lbs for dead lifts and a 2 pood kettlebell for swings. Being that my back is still on the mend from Tuesday’s workout, I decided to take the cautious route and do the women’s Rx.

Shortly after we got there, we were called together. They gave us a description of how things were to play out. The Chaplain said a quick prayer and then we were off to get into our lanes. I made my way over to lane #4, women’s Rx.

A woman (who I recognized from Facebook) came over and asked my name. Lucky me, I get to go first. After she made her way down the rest of the line, we stood around in anticipation waiting for this crazy workout to start. I got my hands chalked up and ready to go.

Finally, the countdown began.

5, 4, 3, 2, I bend down to grab the bar, 1, GO! 20 dead lifts with 190 lbs unbroken! Time to run. I stumble out the door, now remembering that it’s like 30 something degrees outside. This SUCKS. I think I got through this first run without stopping. The cold air burned the shit out of my lungs.

Ok, back in the door. Time for 20 kettle bell swings. I did 10, then 5, then 5, gasping for air. Stumble out the door again. I run for a bit, then have to stop to walk as my legs are giving out. I hear “LET’S GO BRYAAAANNNNN, PICK IT UP!!!”. That’s Jenn, my lane coach yelling at me. I start running again. This was pretty much the pattern for every 400m run.

Ok, back in the door again, time for overhead squats. I dead lift it, power clean it, then press it. Again, I did something 10, 5, and 5. Another run as per above, complete with Jenn yelling just as before.

Next up, burpees. Easy peasy right? Well, sorta kinda. I did them without stopping, certainly not as fast as normal. At this point, I am dragging myself through every movement and basically feeling like I am under water. I can’t breath.

Another run, complete with yelling, screaming, and more walk breaks. I see Victoria coming towards me, so I start running. Can’t let her see me walking =).

Next up, pull ups. I think to myself, “how in the fucking hell am I going to do these, I am shot?!?”. I tell myself to shut up and grab the bar. I don’t completely remember, but I think I did them mostly in sets of 3. I DO remember that I wanted to do 17-20 unbroken. My brain said yes, but my grip said no.

More running. FML at this point, why in the hell did I sign up for this?! Oh yeah, fundraiser. That’s right.

Now, for box jumps. I have never jumped a 24″ box feeling good, let alone a 24″ box when I can’t feel my legs. There’s no way I’m jumping. I should have at least tried, but I stepped up for all 20. I did them unbroken and kept a pace.

What? Another run. Kill me, please. Yelling, screaming, lack of breath, maybe some crying, but I’m not saying for sure… all of that.

Last one, OK, here we go. 20 hang squat cleans with 30lb dumbbells, GO! 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 AND STOP! Throw the dumbbells down like a baby. At this point Robin came over and was helping me through the last 15 reps. Every time I got down into a squat, I wasn’t sure if I was getting back up, but by some miracle, I did. The horrible thing is that I forgot about the last run. Fuck.

Last run… run, walk, run the rest and see my time as I come in. 32:33. Not too bad.

After walking in the door to finish the workout, I stumbled around for a bit and recovered relatively quickly. After about a minute or two, I went directly to the food area, got some water, and inhaled a banana. I also picked up some paleo trail mix which was awesome. Then, we stood around and cheered for the people that were still going.

It was great to go around and cheer on our Crossfit CP folks that were in later heats. We even helped out Ryan on his last 400m run. He was working really hard and rightfully so. The harder you work, the better the rewards, right?

So, to recap, the workout is named the “Lumberjack 20” and consists of the following:

• 20 Deadlifts (190lbs)
• Run 400m
• 20 KB swings (1.5 pood)
• Run 400m
• 20 Overhead Squats (85lbs)
• Run 400m
• 20 Burpees
• Run 400m
• 20 Pullups (Chest to Bar – Kipping)
• Run 400m
• 20 Box jumps (24" – I stepped)
• Run 400m
• 20 DB Squat Cleans (30lbs each)
• Run 400m

My time was 32:33.

All in all, this was a great experience. Together, V and I raised about $300 for the families of the men that were lost. It was great to be able to contribute and be with people who are so positive and uplifting. The more I participate in this community, the more I love it.