Yesterday was 9/11, a day that is especially recognized in a box of vets. Yesterday’s WOD was promised to be tough… that we would suffer for those who suffered before us.
I was nervous. I wore my Reebok CrossFit headband for extra special powers 
Seriously. I was nervous.
When I arrived for the 7pm WOD the box was already crazy!
I loved the overflowing gym bags around the cubbies. It’s fun having all that energy in one place!
The WOD was based on the lives lost from 9/11. After the group went over the workout logistics we talked about 9/11 and were encouraged to not take it easy but to feel the pain for the lost lives.
9/11 WOD:
Team of Four
Complete 343 kettle bell swings as a group
Run 1000m loop with sandbag
40 KB clean & press per member
Run 1000m loop with sandbag
60 goblet squats per member
Run 800m with sandbag
184 burpees as a group
FOR TIME
Richard and I teamed up with our friends Rhia and Alex. I half-jokingly set a goal that we’d get under 50 minutes at the start.
The workout operated in a “you go-I go” fashion where only one person works at a time which gives you enough time to recover and then push hard when it’s your turn. The group ran together but alternated carrying the sandbag.
I used a conservative 25lb. KB for the entire WOD but think I could have done more.
We were neck to neck with the other groups. There may have even been some smack talk happening… but we finished at 48:30- 2nd place!!!
It was a blast working out with friends and doing a WOD with meaning. Muuuuuch better than my last WOD!
How did you remember 9/11 this year?
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh my gosh! What an awesome crossfit workout to honor those who suffered or lost their lives. Impressive work!
Lauren @ Sassy Molassy recently posted..McKenzie River Trail 50K Recap
What does the omega symbolize? Why have you chosen it?
They’ve been writing that on the board since I started (most people acquire nicknames), but it’s actually not the omega symbol. It’s meant to be the lululemon symbol.
That’s so great. Way to go! Jessica
Jessica Washburn@sweatismysanity recently posted..Left Overs – What I Ate Wednesday
I’ve seen a lot of variations of 9-11 Memorial WODs, but most derive their rep schemes based on the date. I love that this one focuses on the number of people who lost their lives that day. I can only imagine that this would keep you motivated to push through the workout to honor their memory. We didn’t do a 9-11 WOD this year at our box, but my husband and I commemorated 9-11 by running a 5K on the Pentagon grounds for the third year in a row.
Sarah @ Run, Write, Conquer recently posted..Arlington 9-11 Memorial 5K Race Recap
I have three good friends who lost their fathers on 9/11. My own father was works in the Pentagon and was there that day, and lost several friends and coworkers. I watched the suffering of one of my closest friends (and her family as well) in the days, months, and years following that day. I have to say, this memorial WOD disgusts me. To compare the suffering of burpees and squats to the suffering that I witnessed, it makes me nauseous. Those numbers are people, people I know.
I also have a husband who is on his third deployment for the war on terror. They do CF at their little base in the middle of nowhere Afghanistan. He was equally disgusted by this post (I sent it to him) and said they would never even compare the suffering they experience on a daily basis to those people who called to give their last farewells to their loved ones, or to those receiving those calls. Comparing a WORKOUT. Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.
Alexis,
The CF community doesn’t try to compare to loss, we try to honor it. This WOD was written by my good friend, who happens to be my boss, who has served in the Marines, was a local police officer, then SWAT member, and is currently away from his family in Afganistan working as a contractor. His close friends have been killed and honored in other workouts (31 Heros and The 7). We push 110% in Hero WODs and in Memorial WODs. About half of our members are from an Armed Forces background, not to mention the LEO and Firefighters, who come wearing their full BDU’s, bulletproof/weighted vests, full firefighter gear, etc. to remember the fallen- alot of whom we know by name. If doing nothing is what you would prefer us to do, that isn’t going to happen.
“Feel the pain for the lost lives” and “suffer for those who suffered before us”? How is that not comparing the pain and suffering? It certainly does imply that pain from a workout is the same as feeling pain for someone who has died, and at least in my experience, the two feelings are totally different.
Exactly what Linn said. I think it’s great to do things in memory of those lost. I ran a 5k on 9/11. It’s not that you did the workout, it’s that you compared your suffering to the suffering of those affected on 9/11. You clearly do not understand true pain and suffering or you would know better than to compare your hour long workout to it.