This was my first meeting with Helen...
Runs were over broken, hilly ground (400m).
60lb. DB, didn't have 55lb. or a 1/5 pood KB.

11:58

No breaks, no pukes. I need to speed up my swings and pullups to improve. The runs were pretty quick (~1:30).

Greg Amundson, whoever and wherever you are, you're a sick sick man...and someday I hope to be as sick as you.

That's 1.5 pood KB, not 1/5 (one-fifth).

29:34 with a 3/4 pood KB -- includes time to unlock the front door and run upstairs to the pullup bar. First half of the run is up a steady hill.

13:56 with a 45lb power block and I was hurtin.

14:07

Tough, but I can really go for it on 3 round workouts. I was not feeling great at the end.

Matt G - Great time.

12:30 minutes but rowed 400m instead of running.

14:48.0 substitute 500m C2 for run.

500m 1:42.0 31s 330.2w
21*52.5# db swing
3*(4-4-4) pullups

500m 1:43.6 31s 314.6w
21*52.5# db swing
3*(4-4-4) pullups

500m 1:46.0 31s 293.9w
11-10*52.5# db swing
3*(4-4-4) pullups

155 hr avg / 165 hr max

Lots of trouble doing pullups in this sequence. First time with this session, and Helen kicked my butt.

14:52

Runs were pretty good (1:40, 1:38, 1:41) but upper body work is another story. _Definitely_ needed some help finishing out all 12 reps of pullups. Ah well, one day...

16:10
better than the 18:32 back in January

Three rounds for time:
Run 400 meters
50** pound dumbbell swing X 21 (21/11,10/11,10)
12 Pull-ups (No breaks)
Total Time= 14:23
1st Rd in 4min, 2nd in 5min, 3rd in 5:23
**New PR weight

Rowed a 30min C2 piece last night after the front squat WOD
7372 total meters
crossed the 5K mark @ 20:15
ave. 500m split 2:02

I guess I'm starting to get a little better at the CrossFit workouts. Today makes it 30 days of CrossFitting for me! I could still stand to improve significantly. As, I am still a wuss compared to some of the posters here. But, it still does feel like quite an accomplishment.

Also, this was my first meeting with "Helen." Total Time was 13:49. The runs went very well. I did 45 pound dumbbell swings; they were unbroken. I still struggle with PullUps. Due to a pretty hard PullUp workout yesterday, I could only manage about 4 PullUps per round. But, I did have about a 50 meter jog between my runs and where I could do my swings and PullUps.

My first week o crossfit. Still trying to work out the kinks. Not sure how long it took, but well over twenty. We had to hold off on doing the pullups until relocated to a place with a pullup bar. I can only do 3-4 at a time and am only getting 12-15 swings with the kettlebell. I'm looking forward to better days. I'm thinking this will help a lot for the highland games.

13:44

did this one in the apartment, so i substituted 2 minutes of air squats each round for the running, and did 11 singles of the dumbbell swings for each arm using a 25 lb. dummbell.

13:53
Used 55 LB dumbbell

3 minute improvement over last time, made up by doing unbroken swings and shorter rests on pullups. Yeah.

First timed Helen:
13:58
Pull-ups: all Sets 4X4X4
KB Swings: 1 pood X 21 all sets

Finished off with 3X5 Ring Dips (Legs supported)
3X5 Ring Push-ups
3X5 sec hold L-Sit

Second WOD for me. Did front squats yesterday. First time in a LONGGGGG time.

Substituions:

Did I-beam pull-ups. Basically just pullups on an I-beam alternating head to right and head to left.

Did swings with a 3.5 ft 52 lb roll of shrink wrap. It was kinda odd.

Did Helen in ~17.5 minutes and I have to admit I am pretty beat.

Are these kinda substitutions ok for Crossfit? Also, if I am still ready to go after a Crossfit WOD should I do something else to finish myself off, or just stick with the plan?

16:30
55# kb; runs on tmill. A whopping, blazing, 9 seconds faster than last Helen. Not exactly inspiring improvement!

That hurt! Time 19:25

55# DB

Broke up most sets. I don't like the time but this is my first "Helen" so I have something to beat next time.

13:00 today. I felt good but was running slower than I wanted.

Pullups are coming along too. I have found that my pullup-under-cardio-strain ability has dramatically improved since I have been finishing with negatives (if I can only do 8 real pull-ups consecutively I will do 4 negatives to finish the set up).

13:45
1:30 to 1:40 on the quarters
KBs were a killer. I used to see a few people in the gym using kettle balls and I thought to myself "that looks kinda lame and effortless..." Live and learn.

I have a modification to yesterday's WOD. I started with a 1600m run on the treadmill at a minimum of 4% grade and a max grade of 8%. I then started on the weights. Using the same # of sets 3-2-2-2-1-1-1-1 I started with a clean and press. I hope I am describing that correctly. I started on the ground, cleaned to chest then pressed over head. Then lowered the weight back to the chest and did a full front squat as one continuous movement. I started light (probably too light in retrospect). Time on run = 9:35
Weight on modified lift = 115,125,135,145,155,165,175,185,195. Next time I think I'll run either faster or farther (or both) and go heavier. Then I ended with shrugs and lunges (done separately). Anxious to see if anyone will try this. I know many of you out there are must faster and stronger. Just thought I would try and mixed it up a bit and see what others' results would be.

Stryker

tired and sweaty 23:12
worst time ever felt good though thank u.

17:49. Improved from 19:01 previously.

12:11; DB swings were the limiting factor after trying to push the 400 meters on the t-mill.

10:31

It's amazing how much faster my time is when my tools are close to the track.

LIVE STRONG!

RUTMAN

My wife Lisa and her friend Leah just started crossfit. They started this week with the WOD for Sunday and Wednesday. They are sore but completed the WODs. Watch for their postings and give them a welcome. They are sore and have come close to meeting pukie already.

Charles

First time doing "Helen"

Substituted 400m Row for the 400m Run

400m Row - 1:37
21 reps 1.5 pood KB Swings
12 Pull-ups

400m Row - 1:38
21 reps 1.5 pood KB Swings
12 Pull-ups

400m Row - 1:40
21 reps 1.5 pood KB Swings
12 Pull-ups

Total Time: 19 min.

Did the 1st round with no breaks between exercises and and completed all reps without break. 2nd and 3rd rounds finished Rowing and KB Swings with no breaks, but had to break the pull-ups in half to complete. My heart rate was sky high by third round. Looking at the times above I am very impressed with the level of conditioning of some of the folks here! Kudos to all the CF's out there. This workout was a barn burner.

Jim

Subbed .38 mile efforts on the aerodyne for each 400m run, averaging about 1:44/round. No broken sets or breaks. Only used a 40# db for the swings. Although my time did improve (down to an 8:58 from last time's 9:29), I feel that the reduction in weight and aerodyning instead of running may have had something to do with it. I'm glad I have matts in my basement - collapsing on concrete after one of these wouldn't be fun.

I did this one in 12:45. Had to do a break down on the last set of pullups to get them all. I made sure to try to arrange things so that it takes minimal time to get from one station to the next.

14:45

Better than last time, but Greg is still safe . . .

Ran on a friend's horse ranch - warm enough in Texas for t-shirt and shorts! Ran from shade patch to shade patch (averaging 2:30 each round), 50 squats and 25 pushups for 5 rounds. Started the day with tabata floor HSPUs in the motel; began with 16 and ended with a grand total of 4.

substituted 90 sec of rope work instead of running.

90 sec rope work/1.5pood KB swingx21/5 pullups
" " " " 4 pullups
" " " " 4 pullups

12min 24sec

25:50

Lots of work to do...

13:56. Used 55 lb. dumbell. Pull-ups as usual the limiting factor. I've been focussing on throwing the last couple weeks, and have put on 8 pounds (233). Not recommended for pullups. It's amazing how much difference Crossfit makes metabolically.

16:21 Used a 55lb DB. Could have knocked a few more seconds off but we ran out of coffee yesterday.
Kurtis

12:58

Cool, I got under 13 minutes. Substituted jumping rope 1.40 for run and used 40lb DB because it's the heaviest I've got.

12:14 - 59 seconds faster than 040108! Running on uneven hilly ground, 52# kettlebell and ring pullups.

700 meter runs on trail around local lake.
40# dumbell swings x 21
12 pullups.
time-16:40