"Fran"
21-15-9 of Thrusters and Pullups.
For time.
(That last line? It's the scary part.)
This morning, dozens of CrossFitters will throw themselves under the Fran bus. 'Fran' is a very short workout – under 3 minutes, for some – but requires an immense output of energy in that small window. Veterans and first-timers will come together today to place themselves under the heavy thumb of the 'fastest WOD on Earth.'
This is superstar Jason "Rhabdo" Kaplan doing Fran in one minute, fifty-three seconds:
…and here's Rhabdo's advice to you, the Catalyst community, from last year:
Learn to embrace the pain, everything must be done unbroken. Chalk up the hands only in the beginning prior to the start. The first 21 is the mountain, once you're done with that its all down hill. 15 is just keeping the flow while 9 is pure muscle powering you through till the end. Once you're done either walk away if you can, or collapse from relief that you are done.
…and here are 300 words by newbie (but hardcore) CrossFitter, Sally Moore:
…300 more by veteran, Nadia "Anxiety" Amaral
When Coop asked me to write down some words on how I was feeling leading into Fran, my first reaction was..are you sure? Yes…No? I needed him to confirm..3 times. This pretty much sums up my confidence when any Catalyst Event nears. Flashback this summer to the day I was leaving the Park and Chris asked me one last time about the Games..”Are you in? Commit now, you have 15 seconds” Josh standing beside him..both in a stare down with me..It felt as though I was in a cowboy movie standing at the saloon doors. Everything slowed down, I looked back and with an air of confidence, finally committed. I’m IN!!” As I turned to leave and took my first step outside the Park, that quiet little voice in my head started laughing, hysterically..and I knew. I was out.
Back to reality, tomorrow is Fran. I remember sitting watching Fran last year as a newbie to the gym. I remember watching Josh and Ray throw the bar up, their feet almost leaving the ground on every thrust. I remember Michele sacrificing a tooth, I remember several athletes pushing to finish and collapsing afterwards and I remember the awesome shirts people had made. As I type this, the butterflies have overtaken my stomach, the doubt has been trying to squeeze into my mind and the anxiety attack is waiting to make its move. But something greater is with me this time…to the point where I catch myself in moments of comfort; looking forward to whatever time Fran will bring me, as long as I finish, Lisa by my side. Tomorrow I get to make my memory and start the chapter of my book…I think I’ll call it ‘will’.