Why 15.2 Made Me Cry

When I saw the CrossFit Open workout for 15.2 I may or may not have said a curse word under my breath. Listed on the WOD was my CrossFit arch nemesis–Overhead Squats.

Immiediately I knew I was going to be doing the scaled version which was:

Every 3 minutes for as long as possible complete:

From 0:00-3:00

  2 rounds of:

  6 overhead squats (65 / 45 lb.)

  6 chin-over-bar pull-ups

(If you passed that round you did the same thing only 8 reps, then 10 reps, and so on.)

Prior to this workout I had made some progress in my overhead squats after doing a lot of mobility and then using a training bar (30lbs). The problem was I had to do 45lbs for the scaled version of the Open.

I started out with some PVC pipe. My coach and I worked to get the basic move down. Then we added some weight to the PVC. Then I did some mobility because there is a spot in my back that always pinches in overhead squats, so I rolled around on a lacrosse ball for awhile. I used a band to stretch out my shoulders too. Then I grabbed the PVC again.

Soon I had moved up to the 30lb training bar and made some progress with that and started to add a little bit of weight. But more mobility had to follow. I was having my triceps pulled. I was hanging from the bar and having my back pushed and stretched. I was in a pike handstand position having my shoulders stretched. I was consistently stretching my hips. I was as mobile as I could possibly get in one hour.

Time was cutting close so I loaded up 45lbs so I could make my attempt at 15.2. After a practice attempts I completed a few reps at 45lbs and my 15.2 workout began.

3…2…1…My first and only 3 minute round began . I completed 5 overhead squats with 45lbs in the first 3 minutes. I made a handful of attempts at number 6, but couldn’t complete it. Once the clock went off my coach asked if I wanted to try it again. By this point I was super frustrated. My body was tired. I was over overhead squats.

Tears started coming to my eyes as I said “no.’ And there was no denying it: I was crying over overhead squats. I was crying out of frustration. I was crying out of anger. I was crying from being worn out. I was crying because I only wanted to get one more overhead squat but I couldn’t. I was crying at Dave Castro for having OHS in a workout. I was crying over 15.2. 

As I discreetly tried to hide my tears in my tank top, my coach came over and reminded me how much progress I had made. I did 5 overhead squats at 45lbs which I couldn’t do when I walked in an hour ago. He shared how he also struggles with overhead squats. Then another guy came over and told me how much he hated overhead squats and gave me a high-five.

And this is what’s great about CrossFit and the CrossFit Open. It pushes you. It challenges you. It keeps you accountable. It gives you a community of support. It gives you an idea of where your abilities lie. It shows you that you’re capable of more than you think. It gives you a goal to keep working towards. Walking in that day I didn’t want to do 15.2 because I knew it would be tough, but with some push I did it. If I were working out alone in a weight room, I could easily give up or not go as hard, but not here. At CrossFit there is always someone pushing you. Today it pushed me to the point of tears, but I have much more hope and confidence in the future of my overhead squats.

To top it all off I had 15 minutes to log onto the CrossFit website and submit my 15.2 scores. Well I was using my phone and for some reason the username & password combo I was using wasn’t working. I tried every possible combination. So after all that work I didn’t even get to submit my measily 5 OHS score. Go figure. 

As I’m laying in bed, I can rest a little easier knowing that snatches and overhead squats shouldn’t be a part of the remaining Open workouts 15.3, 15.4, and 15.5. Any other move I know I can definitely do and can scale if I need to. So bring it on 15.3. Try to make me cry. I dare you.