Thrusters and Med Balls and Burpees... Oh, My

You're kinda required to listen to this song while reading this post. Come on: rock out!


When I heard October at CrossFit Central was going to be devoted to the benchmark workouts – those vicious girl and hero workouts that are both an honor and a nightmare to muddle through – I asked Crystal if we could do "Annie Are You OK."

I've only done it once, so I don't know how it earned the mythology of being one of my favorite workouts, but for some reason I've convinced myself I love it. Maybe because it was so traumatic (in that very good way) the first time I did it... which was (holy cow!) July 2008. (That was also Stacey D's first CrossFit workout EVER. Yay, Stacey!)

Annie Are You OK?
21-15-9 reps for time (22:00 cutoff)

• Wall Ball, 14 lbs.
• Thruster, 25 lb. dumbbells
• Sumo Deadlift High Pull, 20kg kettlebell
• Burpees
• Med Ball Cleans, 20 lb. ball

(As RX'd it also includes rowing, but the other class was using the rowers this morning, so we were short one station.)

I was literally jumping up and down at the beginning of class. Excited. Energetic (like, off the charts). Ready to rip. it. up. Our 400m run was cool and rainy and invigorating (and the sprinting I've been doing on Saturdays is paying off in 400m feeling Good).

So how'd I do on the WOD? I'm giving myself an A+. That sh*t was Hard. Like, Really Hard. I called time at 21:50, just squeaking it in under the 22-minute cutoff... but I used weight on every station that was challenging. Like, REALLY challenging. The first two rounds were 5 reps at a time, but on the 9 round, I was down to 3-at-a-time 'til they were done. I'm feeling pretty good about that. I wish I had a photo of my sweat-drenched hair and the really sexy mascara raccoon eyes I was sporting at the end of class.

And I've been eating like a bear all day!

• Breakfast: Sweet potatoes, 2 eggs, and an egg white for breakfast
• Snack: 1/2 cucumber, 1/2 cup snap peas, 1 oz. almonds, 1 oz. shrimp
• Lunch: organic turkey burger, 1.5 cups cauliflower, 1/2 cup zucchini, 1/4 apple

Later, I'm repeating that snack, and then I'm having my favorite homemade chili and brussels sprouts for dinner (with a pre-sleepytime, Sunbutter-on-a-spoon chaser).

There is no better feeling than working up an appetite and feeding it with good fuel for tomorrow's workout – which is, in case you're curious, heavy front squats (5 X 5) and partner pushups.

I don't know about Annie: Who is she? What's her problem? And will someone please find out if she's OK?

But me? I'm way, WAY better than OK today. Gold star.

And now, for your motivational pleasure, here's a video of a warehouse full of CrossFitters taking on Annie Are You OK? as Rx'd.