My friend from Krav Maga, Jericho, started doing CrossFit in Alabang recently and, today, he tagged me on a post about it on Facebook, the link to which can be found here. In it, Jericho writes about overcoming his fear going into CrossFit everyday.

I understand that fear. Although mine stems from an entirely different place. His has to do with being faced with a task he cannot do. I’m way head of Jericho there. I already know that I cannot do squat. I’m the first to admit that I have zero skills. When it comes to anything that involves having fun, going crazy and getting as royally fucked up as possible, I’m your girl. Me and my many personalities run Crazy Town. But when it comes to anything constructive, productive – ummm, no… Zero, zilch, nada. No, I’m not afraid of being unable to perform a task. I’m afraid that I’m going to DIE trying to do it. I’m afraid of the inevitable, inescapablepain that is sure to come.

Have you ever had your heart beat so hard that it feels like it’s jumped from your chest into your head and it’s beating so loud that there’s nothing else that you can hear? Have you ever been so out of breath that you think your next gasp is going to choke you? Every CrossFit session feels like that. It’s like being brought to the brink of death and back.

And this is me we’re talking about. Gai Olivares, who won’t lift anything more than a 25-lb. bar over her head. (Give me a break, I just restarted.) There are those who can actually do what we’re supposed to do (pull-ups, double unders, handstand push-ups) and lift the required weight (Rx) of 110 to 165 lbs.

Can you believe that there’s this hard-core group that does the 10 AM WOD and the 11 AM Boot Camp??? Okay, I know I said I’m crazy but my madness involves alcohol, not extreme exercise.

The trick to getting to CrossFit is to not think about the torture that lies ahead. Keep your mind as blank as possible. Or on anything but CrossFit. And, whatever you do, don’t check out the Workout Of the Day. Get dresseed, get out of the house, and go!

Today’s MetCon looked deceptively simple.

8 minutes AMRAPs overhead squat clean thruster or push-jerk.

8 minute rest

8-minute cap, 4 rounds of:

• 15 medicine ball sit-ups (- I used the 3 kg. ball.)
• 15 kettlebell swings (- I used the 12 kg. kettlebell.)
• 30 double unders or tuck jumps

Because I only used the 25-lb. bar, I was able to do 40 squat clean thrusters, and the 8-minute rest was long enough for me to get my heart rate back to less-than-erratic. But, man, those tuck jumps slayed me.

I know that that guy in the video makes them look like a piece of cake but I can assure you that they are designed to kill. I would do five tuck jumps, stop, attempt to die, survive, do five more, etc.

Suffice it to say that I didn’t finish the four rounds. I only did three.

See you back in the box on Monday!