I Made It Through The Murph
/Today's Crossfit WOD was "The Murph," named after Navy lt. Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, NY, a SEAL killed in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The workout consists of:
- 1 mile run
- 100 pull-ups
- 200 push-ups
- 300 squats
- 1 mile run
I went in with no idea what to expect. Being Memorial Weekend, I didn't know if the place would be empty. Far from it. Close to 30 of us lined up at the back door that leads to the greenway, waiting for the clock to count down the start to the run. Several of the guys and one girl (you GO, girl!) wore weighted vests for the workout.
Lest you think I'm capable of 100 pull-ups, let me set the record straight. On a good day, I can do one pull-up. I used a thick band for the pull-ups which gives you a spring effect, using your body weight to bounce you back up to the bar. Still challenging, but nowhere near as brutal as doing them unassisted. (I'd still be there.)
Band aside, I smoked this workout. Naturally, the running gave me a time advantage. I ran a 6:45 the first mile and close to the same if not a bit faster on mile two. The squats were nothing (thank you, Bodypump) and I suprised myself by how well I did on the push-ups.
The way I (and most people) broke the workout down was to do 10 sets of 10 pull-ups, 20 push-ups, 30 squats. Much easier to digest, mentally and physically.
I came in at 36:10 overall. It's a great time but I'm unhappy with it because I didn't stay true to my recent post about getting the most out of Crossfit. I let the 100 pull-ups intimidate me before I even started. Looking back, I wish I had done a lighter band or --even better-- done jumping pull-ups.
I don't know if the Murph is only a Memorial Day workout or not, but I'll be on the lookout for it to rotate in again.
And next time, I'm going all out.
Cheers,
Dena
