First o’ the Month = Assessments

Nothing makes me miserable in quite the same way as walking up to our Bootcamp group and seeing Crystal pulling out our assessment sheets. Tabata squats, pushups, situps, sprinting… it’s pretty much a nightmare come true at 6:30 a.m.

We tried to decipher this morning why the assessments feel so much worse than a regular workout. Physically, they’re not as challenging as a standard WOD, so what’s the problem?

For me, the horror is being measured against my previous performance. As I’ve said before, I do my best when I’m just playing around, focused on doing as well as I can at that particular moment, rather than some arbitrary ideal. But with the assessments, there’s a standard against which to measure myself. The black ink scrawled on the white page may as well be my old high school gym teaching Mr. Ketz shouting, “Joulwan! You’re pathetic! You used to be skinny but now look at you… you’re fat and lazy. Pathetic.”

(Yes. Really happened. Even I, with my over-active imagination, can’t create something that heinous on my own.)

So, yeah. Assessments = nightmare.

This morning, I did 5 less pushups than last time, and I was so caught up in the “less than last time” internal criticism that I didn’t realize until I was halfway through breakfast that I’d done better on everything else.

Seriously.

I know that seems hard to believe, but it’s true. My internal monologue is so jacked, it took an hour for my other progress to register.

Thank you, Mr. Ketz. (And just between us friends… I’m 40. When do you think I’ll stop hearing his voice from TWENTY FOUR YEARS AGO in my noggin?!)

Anyway… this morning:

Tabata squats: 21-21-21-21
Woot! That’s the first time I ever maintained the same number for all four.

Pushups: 30
Bah! Down from 35 last time. But to be fair to myself, I was trying to touch my chest to the ground every time.

Situps: 40
Up from 36 last time.

Sprint 2 laps around the lot: 1:13
Three seconds shorter than last time.

Then we did abs + sprints that were really kind of fun in their painful, awfulness.

  • 20 flutter kicks, 20 scissors, 20 straight-leg drops
  • 400m sprint (2 laps)
  • 20 flutter kicks, 20 scissors, 20 straight-leg drops
  • 200m sprint
  • 20 flutter kicks, 20 scissors, 20 straight-leg drops
  • 200m sprint
  • 10 flutter kicks, 10 scissors, 10 straight-leg drops
  • hill sprint
  • 10 flutter kicks, 10 scissors, 10 straight-leg drops
  • hill sprint

Our New Project: Strong Sense of Place

My new project is taking all of my attention right now, and I'd love for you to join me for new adventures! It's called Strong...

Read More

Rants & Rave: 25 April 2020

We could all use some happy distractions right about now, right? Here are some of the things I found online lately that made me happy....

Read More

Comments

  • Team CS says:

    Thanks for your comment and support! I look forward to meeting you as well. Carla has told me a lot about you, and how good a friend you have been.
    Sean

  • Erin Clare says:

    sometimes progress and accomplishment is endurance…not always physical endurance as much as mental. Demons from long ago may never go away, but for awhile yesterday morning, after enduring the black and white text, you kicked those demons in their baby makers and went through with your workout. They didn’t stop you. And you didn’t stop to ask them: “how am I doing now?”

    To me, that is not only progress but a testament to your conviction.

LEAVE A NOTE