Grouchy Husband completed his first Cross Fit Open workout a few days ago. This is a five week event where every week a new workout is released and people are scored on the workout. Even though Grouchy Husband has been doing crossfit for over a year and recently became obsessed with it, he was nervous to signup. The American in me finds something so attractive about the sweat, effort, and outperformance in this physical competition. The Chinese in me likes that the courage and strength to finish this extraordinary physical competition has not only gained face for my Grouchy Husband but also me, his wife.
Grouchy Husband was nervous about the workout and when he gets nervous he gets quiet and grouchier (hard to believe). We know to give him his space. My daughters and I even took a separate car to the crossfit gym to watch him.
He had some time before his heat so he did his best to keep himself focused but not too focused. The workout was as many rounds as possible of 25ft overhead lunges, then 8 bar-facing burpees, then 25ft overhead lunges, then 8 chin-to-bar pull-ups in 20 minutes.
About to start.
Focused and looking strong. The weight on the barbell is 95lbs! Everyone who had done the workout before him gave the recommendation to start slow and pace yourself.
Burpees are one of his favorites. What kind of a person likes burpees?
More lunges.
His weakest part of the workout were the pull-ups. He tried all different strategies during the workout. Started out doing sets of 4.
So tired at the end, he was doing singles with an underhand grip. I can’t do any chin ups and my coach said it would take me at least a year to train to do only one (yikes!).
Halfway through, tired but keeps pushing on.
Exhausted.
I cringed watching him pick up the 95lb barbell.
Finally, the finish line. Every bit of energy went to every step to get there.
Done!
The girls made him cards when he finished. I don’t even know if he could comprehend what they were saying at this point.
I am so proud of Grouchy Husband. Loved that the girls and I could be there and see him push so hard and share in his overwhelming sense of glory and accomplishment. Loved that he wasn’t grouchy after he finished.
A proud Dumpling Mama xo