At CrossFit Bartlett we row, we run, we lift heavy weights. These are all parts of the WODs we do everyday. These are also things that can be done at different speeds. That is the issue I am going to discuss in this blog, the speed at which you attack certain workouts. There is no magic speed that will work for every WOD we do. There is no magic speed because we are doing constantly varied workouts every day. This means that every workout may require a different speed or distribution of effort.
This is where people run into problems. ?Some people, like myself, go fast and furious as soon as the clock starts. This is great for workouts like Fran, that are short and sweet, however when you are doing Murph running a PR mile the first mile is probably not the best strategy. Strategy is important whether you compete with other people or not. Whether you beat someone else or not, if you misjudge your efforts on a WOD you may miss out on the intended stimulus of the workout and therefore the intended results.
So how should you mitigate your effort in a workout? Well, it depends on the workout. If it’s short and sour, like Fran or Grace, then absolutely go as hard as you can for as long as you can. It will be over before you know it. If it is a longer workout like Murph or Nancy, you probably should reel the throttle in a little bit and not run the fastest you have in your whole life the first 400. You may keep asking, why does it matter? Isn’t CrossFit about intensity? Yes CrossFit is about intensity but not every workout is a 2-minute barn burner. We all know that after going through tabata burpees you are flat on your back, praying for a quick end. That is perfectly acceptable…if the workout is over after that. If a WOD starts with 30 burpees and you go as hard as you can for 30 and are then spent afterwards, you are missing out on the rest of the WOD.
In conclusion when you see the WOD from now on think to yourself is this a fran-esque suck fest? Or is this a long drawn out affair? If its a quick suck fest then push as hard as you possibly can until you are done, if it is a longer one reign-in the throttle and save some of that gas for the end.
What strategy do you use? Are you a fast starter? Do you take a while to get rolling?
Josh and some of the staff getting down and dirty at the Mud run. click here to check out more pics on Flickr!
