2021 Crossfit Open - Retrospective

While I have not made as much progress this year.  I do feel like I have maintained a plateau on fitness and developed some skills.  I have put on 10 pounds compared to last years open.  These are the unfortunate results of eating poorly and selective programming.  I have been doing a lot more Zone 2 training with mono-structural running and bicycling.  I have been doing substantially less intense metabolic conditioning.

I was healthy coming into the Open and I was careful with programming to avoid lingering soreness.

21.1 - Double Unders and Wall Walk-ups - Rx:  I have a good handle on double unders although my conditioning could use some improvement.  I feel comfortable inverted, but the 10" standard for wall walk-ups was very challenging for me.  This was time capped at 15 minutes.  My lats were lit up for the next few days.  I am interested in trying the scaled version of this workout.

21.2 - Dumbbell Snatch (50#) and Burpee Box Jump Overs - Rx:  This was a repeat of 17.1 which I did Rx as well.  My score declined from 129 reps to 117 reps.  I felt like I was moving well.  I was comfortable with the movements.  However, my engine was a limiter.  This was time capped at 20 minutes.

21.3 - Front Squat (95#) - Toes to Bar/Chest to Bar Pull-up/Bar Muscle-up - Thruster (95#) - Rx:  For most folks this was just a prelude to 21.4 which immediately follows.  For me it was an end unto itself.  The 95# Front Squat was light even by my standards.  Toes to Bar were singles and 30 is a lot of volume.  The thrusters were heavy for me, but I was able to complete the rounds in 3 sets.  I was able to do Chest to Bar Pull-ups, but was time capped at 15 minutes before getting to the second round of thrusters.  If I did have time, the Bar Muscle-ups would have been a limiter.  My quads were lit up that night and into the next couple of days.

21.4 - C&J Complex for max load - Rx:  Deadlift, Clean, Hang Clean, Jerk.  This was a complex that I felt comfortable with, but was not ready to go heavy.  I would always be limited by my hang clean that I have not tested for 1RM in a while, but would expect it to be between 145# and 155#.

I got lucky with the absence of lunges.  My other goat to work on is OHS.

Overall, I really liked the programming.  The time domains felt long, until you consider the top athletes were finishing in 13, 10 and 8 minutes respectively.  The fact that I was capped at 15, 20 and 15 minutes may not be as relevant.  

It was weird doing the Open from home.  I do miss the sense of community and my space did not lend itself to the recommended set up every time.

While I will not qualify for the quarter finals, I may try to do them on my own anyway.  I will certainly follow the announcements.

2016 - 6,668th (MBS) 0 Rx / 5 scaled

2017 - 11,172nd (WMCF) 1 Rx / 4 scaled

2018 - (Aspire) did not register, but did workouts 0 Rx / 5 scaled

2019 - 12,031st (CFG) 2 Rx / 3 scaled

2020 - 6,263rd (CFG) 5 Rx / 0 scaled

2021 - 3,267 (unaffiliated) 4 Rx / 0 scaled

I ended up at:

87,122 / 137,220 men (37th percentile)

3,267 / 6,624 men 50-54 (51st percentile)