Today I met Fran. For those familiar with Crossfit, Fran is a benchmark WOD. Long time Crossfitters all know their “fran” time.

Fran:
21-15-9
65lb Thrusters
Pull ups (green band assisted)
Fran time: 6:35

Some caveats to my time: For some reason I had it in my head to power clean every rep in the beginning so that obviously affected my time. I also have yet to conquer a ‘Kip’ so my pull ups were a bit of a challenge.

One of the great things about Crossfit Impavidus is they really are great coaches. So the workouts are great, but the coaching you get makes all the difference. After ‘Fran’, Jerry worked with me on Kipping. He helped me get the first part which is the swing. I haven’t been able to get that in the year that I have been trying. He set things up and we worked on the first part, which is the swing back and forth. I didn’t realize that I was bending my arms during that time — and also I am not very flexible in the lower back. So I am going to start doing some extra lumbar/lower back exercises to help loosen me up. It will help me with the Kip swing we think. So we did the swing – and sure enough with his coaching – I got it and did at least one Kip Pull Up! SUCCESS yet again. I am going to work on it to get the feel right and then I will figure out the transition from the Kip Pull up back into the swing to do another — step by step. It really is all about technique.

Another validation that switching trainers was the right thing. My old trainer never spent one on one time with me, really watching what exactly I was doing and adjusting my form so that I could nail the technique. I have the arm and shoulder strength, so it definitely is technique. So first the Double Under technique, now the Kip Swing. 2 things I have been working on for well over a year — I wouldn’t say I nailed them down, but I am farther than I have ever been and I know that I will get them this year.

Now after Fran, I was spent. It may not seem like a big deal — 21,15,9 but holy heck! It is. Jerry was helping me with learning the Kip Swing and we were finishing up. I went to step on the box to release my foot from the band and lost my footing and didn’t grab the pull up bar in time — and BOOM! went down, hard. I sat there for a sec. You know that shock you get as your body is trying to figure out WTF happened? Well I don’t have any major injuries – some scrapes and bruising. I fell on the side of my back side — so I know that’s gonna hurt bad. It’s already starting — I got home and my kids said – Mom, you are tough. It looks cool!