Day 30 “Who says I can’t jump?”

Day 30

Routine stretch

Warm up

Strength- Front Squat

WOD 8 min AMRAP

10 Push ups

10 Box jumps

10 Pushpress (15lbs bar, no added weight)

TAVIS- This morning when I looked at the workout I had programmed for Jane today, I thought it might be too much for her because of the 10 rep scheme of each exercise. But I always go into it with the idea that if she feels it’s too much we can adjust it. When she and I talked about the WOD she said she didn’t think she could manage 10 Push Presses. I reassured her that we could change the number to 5 reps if she felt more comfortable, and also reminded her that she didn’t have to do them all unbroken, that she could set the bar down, take a break if she needed.

Then she asked me if she could use the smaller box for Box Jumps. I was a little confused as to why she would want to use the smaller one because she has been doing so well stepping up on the bigger one. She explained that she wanted to see if she could manage actual box jumps. I couldn’t believe it! I had to double check that I’d understood her properly and she assured me I had heard her right. Last week I had her try jumping up on to something just to see if she could do it and a lot of fears came up around  what she can and can’t do. This morning, completely on her own she decided she wanted to give it a shot. Awesome!

Jane did great on today’s workout. Not only did she have the courage to try jumping on to the box, but she pushed through all of the Push Presses. The Push Ups were probably the most challenging for her and when she started to struggle, I reminded her that it’s okay to take a rest, catch your breath, shake your arms out and then try a few more. Jane ended up doing 3 complete rounds + 10 pushups. I couldn’t be more proud of her this morning. When I asked her how she felt, her response was that she felt clumsy and she really wants to get all the movements down so she feels like she does them well. A good day!

JANE- Today’s workout was a mixed bag, but upon reflection it was a great one! I saw improvements as well as saw myself being really clumsy. It’s a funny thing, because on the one-hand I know I’m making significant steps, but on the flip side it seems as though my steps are miniscule when I compare them to someone without MS. For example, today I elected to try jumping on the small box rather than stepping on the big box. I managed it – it wasn’t elegant or very pretty, but I did it. My legs were wobbly and a little unstable, and Tavis needed to catch me sometimes, but the thing is, I did it. First time for years! Pretty cool.

I know I’m making improvements and am incredibly happy and hugely grateful to Tavis and the CrossFit crew for all the encouragement and support.