It’s hard to believe that it has only been a month since we all experienced the Great Disappointment of 2013, when thousands of eager CrossFit fans logged online to buy tickets to the beloved 2013 Reebok CrossFit Games, only to be met with a message saying “SOLD OUT”.  Oh, the horror.  As the head cheese in charge of buying Games tickets for our staff and members, you can imagine the stress I’ve had to endure when I, myself, was kicked out of buying tickets within the first ten minutes of them going on sale. It broke my heart to hear that so many of our Sea of Green did not get a chance to purchase a ticket.

Well, fellow Invicti – here is our second chance.  On Wednesday, June 19th at 10:00am Pacific Time, the CrossFit Games will be releasing another round of Silver tickets for sale, with some Gold tickets thrown in.  How many?  Who knows.  Unfortunately, I don’t have a number for either.  According to the article, “This year, the number could grow to 24,000.”  The first round of tickets sold totalled 12,000, plus I believe roughly 2,000 in reserves. So I’m hoping that means they will put up another 10,000 Silver tickets on sale.

In the blog below, you will find two links; the first link is to the official CrossFit Games website. The second link is to the direct site the CrossFit Games article will take you for purchasing tickets – or so I believe; this is the link I used for round one.  My suggestion is to have both open and continue to refresh starting around 9:45am.  Back in May, I was able to “log in” to the Axs website around 9:45am and I was put into a virtual waiting room.  Yes folks – there are now “waiting rooms” on websites.  I highly recommend you get yourself into a waiting room and then when the clock hits 10:00am PDT – don’t hesitate and buy!  I know everyone wants Gold tickets, but just remember that a Silver ticket is better than no ticket!  Good luck, Sea of Green!

Official CrossFit Games Site: http://games.crossfit.com/

Direct Link: http://www.axs.com/events/242067/the-2013-reebok-crossfit-games-tickets

B.
Two sets for max reps of:
60 seconds of Muscle-Ups
Rest exactly 60 seconds

C.
For time:
Row 1000 Meters
20 Shoulder to Overhead (135/95 lb)
30 Squat Cleans (135/95 lb)
40 Burpees Over the Barbell
(lateral jump over is fine, but must be two foot jump and two foot land)
———–
Remember, this is a testing week! Please perform the workouts . . . AND POST YOUR RESULTS! The next phase of the Competition program will be determined by the numbers reported from this testing week.

B.
Three rounds for time of:
Push-Ups x 40 reps
400 Meter Run

B.
Five sets of:
Row 250 Meters
Push-Ups x 20/15 reps
Rest 90 seconds

I wanted to take a minute to share an athletic accomplishment that I truly believe came about as a result of being a part of the Invictus community.

I ran the Boston Marathon this past April, and unexpectedly PRd with a time of 3:27. My original plan was to run it as a long run and go for a new PR at Ojai at the end of May. After PRing in Boston, my running coach told me I had zero chance of PRing at Ojai, and that I should just switch to the half.

Well, I went on to PR at Ojai with a time of 3:20! Not the most amazing time, but a pretty significant PR just 6 weeks after running Boston and battling a foot injury I am about to get operated on.

But what really shocked me is that one week after Ojai, I ran the San Diego half marathon and ran a 1:34:50 – a 3 minute PR for my half time. Even I was stunned when I crossed the finish line, as I had to consciously hold back during the race, afraid that the fatigue of a marathon six days prior would cause the wheels to fall off.

I was amazed how I was able to pull this off, and thought about why and how I did it.  I really feel that Invictus played a significant part, particularly with the mental aspect. Invictus has become a place where I have rediscovered the intense pain (and joy) of pushing myself athletically, that I haven’t experienced since college athletics.

I often get asked by running friends if CrossFit helps my running. I have always said it doesn’t hurt it. Now I would say I don’t know about CrossFit in general, but Invictus has definitely helped. This house you have built is filled with inspiring athletes from beginners trying their absolute best, to astonishing CrossFit Games athletes. The coaches and programming have steadily proven to me in the last 2+ years that I am still capable of growing as an athlete, and getting faster and stronger. I couldn’t ask for more.

Coach’s Note by Nuno Costa

The following is a great example of what it means to re-define what is possible.  Melissa has been a member of Invictus for more than two years now, and while she has continued to attend our group classes regularly, I know that running has always been a top priority of hers and something she did not want to lose as she continues to get fitter through CrossFit.

There were a couple of things that really stood out to me as a coach as I read her email:

As a coach, you never want to limit your athletes capabilities – telling an athlete they have zero chance of PRing in a race is probably not the best way to motivate someone.  In this scenario Melissa took that as fuel and turned out a personal best week after week.

After setting a personal best in Boston with a time of 3:27, its pretty incredible that she was able to take 7 minutes off her time in the race six weeks later.  Thats a significant improvement over a short time period. When you look at what she was able to accomplish – any of the three race times are pretty incredible, and to know she did them in the span of seven weeks makes it even more astonishing.

Melissa makes clear that we can continue to get better physically and mentally, continue to push ourselves to new limits and redefine what fitness means.  I couldn’t be more proud of Melissa for all her hard work. The PRs are well-deserved – you earned them Melissa!

B.
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 9 minutes of:
Dumbbell Thrusters x 10 reps
100 Meter Run

B.
In eight sets or fewer, build to a 1-RM Bench Press
* Set 1 – 50% of possible 1-RM x 5 reps
* Set 2 – 65% of possible 1-RM x 4 reps
* Set 3 – 75% of possible 1-RM x 3 reps
* Set 4 – 85% of possible 1-RM x 2 reps
* Set 5 – 90-95% of possible 1-RM x 1 rep
* Sets 6-8 – Test 1-RM
Rest 60-100 seconds between sets 1-4, and then 3-4 minutes between
attempts over 85%.

C.
Eight sets for max meters of:
30 seconds max effort row sprint
Rest 2:30
(List meters rowed for all 8 sets – e.g., 1. 189m, 2. 186, 3. 188, etc…)
———–
Remember, this is a testing week! Please perform the workouts . . . AND POST YOUR RESULTS! The next phase of the Competition program will be determined by the numbers reported from this testing week.
Please also remember that testing is different than training. These tests are designed to provide information, not necessarily leave you in a pool of sweat on the floor . . . although tomorrow (and Saturday) may accomplish both tasks. Please avoid additional work – it can skew the results. Be patient and you will understand why we test and adjust fire appropriately.

B.
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 9 minutes of:
135/95 lb Ground to Overhead x 3 reps
Ring Dips x 6 reps
Toes to Bar x 9 reps

B.
Five sets for times of:
Wall Ball x 15 reps
Pull-Ups x 15 reps
Rest 60 seconds

B.
Three sets of:
Rope Whips x 30 seconds
Rest 30 seconds
Sit-Ups x 30 seconds
Rest 30 seconds
Burpees x 30 seconds
Rest 30 seconds