One Sleep ‘Til Sparta… Or, Bear Crawls and Benchmarks

Main Entry: bench-mark
Function: noun
Date: circa 1842

a: a point of reference from which measurements may be made
b: something that serves as a standard by which others may be measured or judged
c: a standardized problem or test that serves as a basis for evaluation

I woke up thinking about the workout again this morning. Yesterday, it was the pullups that had me by the throat; today, it was the box jumps and the floor wipers.

95-lb. floor wipers.

Have I lost my marbles?

I’ve been reminding myself — and just about everyone else within earshot — that tomorrow is a benchmark workout. It’s designed to test me and to establish a baseline so that at the end of the 6-week Challenge, I can celebrate improvements.

I’m really hoping I can fight my way through the workout quickly enough to finish in the 20-minute time limit. But I might not.

Last year, I made it with 45 seconds to spare, but that was with jumping pullups, the 12-inch box, 80 lbs. on the deadlifts, and just 65 lbs. on the floor wipers.

Tomorrow, I’m doing this:

Spartan 300 Workout
For time, 20-minute limit:
25 pullups, blue band
50 deadlift, 95 lbs.
50 pushups, all toes, chest to floor
50 box jumps, jumping on the 20-inch box
50 floor wipers, 95 lbs.
50 kb clean + press, 14 kg (I think)
25 pullups, blue band

How hard can that be?

I take comfort in knowing that my CrossFit peeps will be there for support… Maggie and Erin and Mindy and our coaches… plus Bonita and Bernie are doing their own Spartan 300 in the park. How cool is that?!

My plan for the rest of the day is drink plenty of water, think happy thoughts, eat wisely, then get kickass sleep tonight. I’ve been averaging 9 hours a night this week, so I’m feeling really good. Tomorrow starts with Weight Watchers at 6:30 a.m., then pinching/measuring at the gym at 8:00… workout at 8:40.

Think of me at 8:50 and send me some good energy! And maybe chant “Benchmark. Benchmark. Benchmark.”

This morning we celebrated the questionable air quality with a whopper of a workout from Crystal (with bear crawls!), and because Jeremy was visiting our class with guests from other CrossFit affiliates, there was extra pressure to not look like chumps.

Our workout
Part 1: 3 rounds for time:
30 jump squats
cone-to-cone: R1. plank crawl / R2. bear crawl / R3. broad jumps
25 pushups
cone-to-cone: R1. plank crawl / R2. bear crawl / R3. broad jumps
sprint approx. 50m

My time: 12:12. Touched my chest to the ground on every pushup. LOVE THE BEAR CRAWL!

Part 2: 2 rounds w/ 10-lb. med ball:
20 around-the-world
20 situps w/ overhead ta

Part 3: 2 rounds up the snake w/ 6-lb. med ball:
16 walking lunge w/ overhead press
sprint to the top
jog to the bottom

Part 4: 45-second planks
basic, left, right

* * * * * * * * * * *
In case you want to get outside and play this weekend, here are some demo videos. Go play in a park! You’ll love it…

Plank Crawl:

Bear Crawl: