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CrossFit Games Recapt pt. 3 – Pendleton cont.
Coming in from the run at Camp Pendleton was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I had one goal and it was to perform my best. I’m proud to say that on the final downhill and flat section, I didn’t stop once. I rolled into the finish line at 2:24 and change. Right behind fellow Canadians Lucas ‘Teen Wolf’ Parker and Michele Letendre. The only thing that got me through that final few kilometers was the thought of a bone chilling, muscle relaxing, cramp soothing ice bath at the finish line. Here is where I will voice my one and only complaint about the CrossFit Games. We were promised ice baths… When I rolled in, 10-15 minutes behind the first place finishers there was ONE ice bath ready to go. Rich Froning and Dan Bailey were enjoying what must have been their 12th bro sesh that day, shooting the shit over the horrors of microwave mountain, intimately entangled in the one and only ice bath. (all kidding aside, Rich and Dan are great guys). The CFHQ support staff was scrambling and working their tails off to fill up more Rogue Ice Baths… Meanwhile, military first aid personnel were holding back tears of laughter while they took a break from bandaging fallen soldiers to tend our blistered feet. It was like asking Picaso to do a sketch with some Crayolas.
CrossFit went above and beyond again, providing us with water, fruit, nuts, lettuce wraps, and for us non-paleo eaters, sandwiches and cookies. I definitely had a cookie. And a brownie.
With everyone fueled up, bandaged up, and feeling as ready to go as one could, it was off the the O-Course. Camp Pendleton’s obstacle course intended to train soldiers for scaling obstacles they may encounter in battle. This event was genius. This event set the 2012 Games apart from all others in that it finally tested all 10 of the General Physical Skills. For years CrossFit has been a test of ‘work capacity across broad time and modal domains’. But it’s clearly been focused on testing it against the CrossFit model. For the first time we will see how CrossFit has prepared us for a real life scenario. CrossFitters be proud. Kenny Leverich put on an absolute clinic on how to attack this course. Marines were talking as they watched this ninja cruise through the course, “We’ve been doing this thing wrong for 8 years…” Though we did skip a few of the more dangerous obstacles, CrossFit proved itself as a viable training program for an event like an obstacle course. My only gripe with this event is that they couldn’t have found a way to make it worth more points. I don’t think that this event alone garnered 100 points but perhaps they could have added in another event similar to this, worth an additional 50 points.
The O-Course was originally intended to be followed by a standing broad jump for an additional 50 points but it was pushed back. My assumption is that they were worried about all of the cramping muscles. Guys were literally cramping part way through the O-Course and having to be rescued.
Special notes: Rich Froning once again making his presence felt, participating in the final heat of the O-Course. This guy has no weaknesses. Also, Graham Holmberg kicked Lucas straight in the face coming over the 9′ wall in the first round and edging him out in that heat. Lucas qualified as a wild card to move on to the second heat, finishing strong. Finally, 6’2″, 210lb Spencer Hendel won this event – dude has some serious athletic talent.

Snatch complex:
Hang above knee
Hang below knee
Floor
4 rounds:
5 Front squats
10 Pullups
15 Box jumps
Rest 3 min