Botox and Burpees
Botox and Burpees
S05E100 Oh No! I Missed the Cutline in the CrossFit 2025 Open! Now What? With Guest Kristen Torres
What happens when you miss your competitive goals despite giving your all? In the world of CrossFit, where success is measured in seconds and pounds, missing qualification cuts can feel devastating—especially when you made it the year before.
This raw, honest conversation with @crossfitbison athlete Kristen Torres @kristenan explores the emotional rollercoaster that follows disappointment in competitive fitness. We unpack the experience of watching leaderboard rankings drop from the top percentile to outside qualification as scores came in, the mental battle of deciding whether to redo workouts, and the surprising reactions when realizing dreams won't be fulfilled this season.
The CrossFit Open 2025 brought dramatic changes, cutting qualification percentages from 25% to just 2% for age groups, leaving many accomplished athletes on the outside looking in. We analyze each workout in detail—from the lung-burning burpee/lunge combinations to the technical gymnastics and heavy lifting challenges—examining where things went right and wrong in our execution.
Kristen shares powerful insights about finding balance between competitive drive and actually enjoying life, revealing her training schedule, recovery methods, and the mindset that allows her to find joy in every workout regardless of outcomes. Her approach to supporting friends who qualified instead of dwelling on personal disappointment offers a masterclass in sportsmanship and community values.
Whether you're a competitive athlete or someone who's faced setbacks in pursuit of important goals, this conversation will resonate deeply. How do you bounce back when your best isn't enough? How do you reframe disappointment into opportunity? Join us for this candid exploration of resilience in the face of missed goals and discover why the journey matters more than the destination.
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Welcome to another episode of Botox and Burpees. I have with me my very special guest, kristen Torres. She is an amazing athlete as well as just human being in general, and today our topic is going to be you might as well call it oh no, I missed the cut line for the age group or for the CrossFit Open semifinals. Now what do we do so? Basically, this year, the 2025 CrossFit Open has now been completed. The cut lines are not completely official, but I think it's pretty much settled at this point, and neither of us made it this year Right. We made it last year.
Speaker 1:We did and neither of us made it this year. Right, we made it last year, we did, and so there are a lot of people at our gym that did make it. Congrats to, I think there are a whole lot of people, I think Dave Syvertson and Amy Edelman, mindy Mindy McDonald that was a huge one, right? Let's see Kathleen yeah, kathleen Staunton. Tracy McGee killed it. You know top what, 20 or 25, something like that, let's see. I think Alondra Greenlee made it, but there were a bunch of people that also didn't make it this year, including us, and we were pretty close, closer than I think sometimes the numbers show, and so I just wanted to talk a little bit about you know how you feel, like what that process was like.
Speaker 1:How does that guide you, maybe for the following year? Because I think it's not just about CrossFit but it's about any. It's basically a metaphor, like a metaphor for life, anything where you don't quite reach your goals. There's something to be said about learning how to address that, how to deal with it. Crossfit is a little bit easier because they're just like hard numbers and a lot of things that we reach for are kind of multifactorial and it's not so. It's more nebulous. So sometimes it's not. So just make a number and you succeed in life. But sometimes dealing with what we do in the gym can translate into what we do outside the gym. So tell me a little bit about yourself, kristen. What would you like people to know about you?
Speaker 3:I love CrossFit, even though I didn't make it and I was looking back and this was my seventh Open. Wow yeah, and I didn't even realize it. I think I've only been recording officially since I joined Bison and the community. There is kind of what drives that you want to be competitive or be working out alongside with somebody. So CrossFit for at least seven years. I got into it because I did a half marathon, didn't get the score I wanted and realized I needed to be stronger. Now I don't run, I only CrossFit.
Speaker 1:That's such a typical CrossFit start story.
Speaker 3:Right.
Speaker 1:Ran and no longer run, unless you're forced to.
Speaker 3:Right, even at 200. Now I'm like oh my God. And I have a full-time job.
Speaker 1:I work from home, so this is my, my outlet and this is my hour, or even more, plus a day to I don't know play with my friends and push myself in ways that I sometimes don't get to at work the type of person that looks very calm on the outside, you execute really well, but then when I talk to you I feel like you don't feel always that way on the inside, but somehow you project super calmness. Do people tell you that?
Speaker 3:Sometimes they say oh, you have more in you, Maybe physically, but everything else is shut down have more in you, maybe physically, but everything else is shut down.
Speaker 1:I will say your quality of movement is as excellent as anyone else I've seen in the gym. You execute really well and the things that you work on you certainly improve on. I've seen you for the past couple of years and the things that you focus on you really have moved up orders of magnitude. I would say what were the biggest improvements, would you say, in terms of your training and what you've done over the past year or two? I know what I think, but I want to hear what you think.
Speaker 3:So I think I've just learned every day. I did really well in the Open last year. I made it to quarterfinals Last year, felt really great and then throughout the year you start to fall off, like I think June, july, my conditioning, my endurance, running I said I need to do more, I want to get ring muscle-ups, I want to get you know better at everything. So I think training overall with certain specialties was my thing, just not what was in the Open this year.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I mean because you have pretty much every skill required, right? You know how to do ring muscle-ups, bar muscle-ups, handstand, walk, like everything.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I can fight through everything, yeah.
Speaker 1:So there's nothing that they would throw at you that you couldn't at least you know get through some of it right and yet not that much of that was actually tested this year none right and and I talked about this with dave on the last podcast like you know, it's there's a lot of luck involved in terms of just three workouts and what you can do with it. Um, how does it feel? So, let's, we'll talk about the three workouts and go through them, um, a little bit, but I just, uh, wanted to ask you about your feelings. So you finished the third workout. Where were you sitting around at that point when you, when you entered your score that weekend?
Speaker 3:On Friday I was like 1%. Yes, yes, yes, yes yes. And then, as the weekend went on, I thinkurday night I was sitting pretty close. Um spoke to dave about it and he's like you. You need to shave two minutes off this workout this last one. I was like I don't think I have 10 seconds uh-huh but I'm gonna try anyway oh so you redid it.
Speaker 1:I redid it on sunday, uh-huh.
Speaker 3:And 30 seconds better well that's huge right. So I thought I had 10. So, yeah, I was happy that I pushed myself, but I went into it knowing there's no, there was no way I was going to make up two minutes, but I tried anyway.
Speaker 1:Okay, and then where were you sitting when you entered your score on Sunday and then like looking at the leaderboard on Monday? I think I dropped three percent, or I think I was at I don't know 282 and went to 683. It was huge, Wow, Huge. So when did you know that? You're like crap, I'm outside the cut line.
Speaker 3:Probably right before I did the workout.
Speaker 1:No, no, you know.
Speaker 3:Yeah, monday afternoon.
Speaker 1:It was late. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and how'd you feel?
Speaker 3:Oh it was, yeah, heartbreaking, it's heartbreaking. Yeah. You think that I was hopeful that all the people that did worse waited to put their score?
Speaker 1:in yes.
Speaker 3:Like maybe they're waiting Probably a little bit of wishful thinking on that one. But you know, if HQ recorded how many times you refresh an app, I'd probably be number one Refresh, refresh.
Speaker 1:So once you knew you were not, how did you feel about that?
Speaker 3:I was a little let down. I was kind of frustrated during the whole process, thinking my gosh, I have all these high skill movements. Why couldn't I just do the burpees? Why couldn't I just do the lunges, fat and replaying it and just being hard on myself about the whole process Ruminations, I can't do anything about it, but that leaderboard kept on bringing it up.
Speaker 1:How did you feel about your friends who did make it? Good, yeah, yeah, no jealousy, I mean why are you flaunting it on social media and posting all this stuff? I didn't even try too hard and I still made it. That's so awesome.
Speaker 3:Right, right. But like I think you said, like for me, I look like I'm doing. You know it's going easy for me and inside I'm struggling you know as somebody like Mindy, who I talked to throughout the whole entire process she was just as stressed out as I was, but she was able to just bring it together and do it and she was one that I was like. Just I know she put so much grit into it so. I was really happy to see yeah.
Speaker 1:That was inspiring to see her do that.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:All right. Well, hey, let's go through the open a little bit here. The first workout, just because people forget and I've already forgot. But then I hear about the work. It's like, oh yes, I remember. So this one was the 15 minutes right AMRAP three lateral burpees over dumbbell, three dumbbell hang clean to overheads, and then the 30-foot walking lunge, and it was 35 pounds for you, Actually, because I was over 55, it was 35 pounds for me too. And it was 35 pounds for you, Actually, because I was over 55, it was 35 pounds for me too. That was the biggest thing for me this year is I was over 55. And so for me not to make the cut line when everything was so much lighter and easier was sort of a it stung, Even though I didn't have as much invested as, I think, like you or some of the more intensively training athletes. So what did you think about this? Let me see I have your score here it was 219, right Seven rounds 24 burpees over dumbbell, 13, dumbbell clean to overhead to finish out.
Speaker 3:As soon as I heard this one, I knew you knew what this was not going to be my open Really why you got motor.
Speaker 1:You have a motor though Not that good Really Apparently. Yeah, it was tough 2,699. That's a tough one right, right, no, no sorry, 1,310. That was it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so that was my worst one. I think I got caught up in the open. I had so much fun. I did the Friday Night Lights, I did all of that, but as soon as I was done and it wasn't my score wasn't in and it's see, anybody's score. I just knew I had to do it again. And because Well, I messed up.
Speaker 1:Oh, what happened.
Speaker 3:Right after the burpees yeah. I lunged. Oh. And I got probably like 20 feet. Oh really. Before. I heard Kathleen screaming to me, so I knew right then I had at least five more reps in me Like I could have gotten whatever that time difference was yeah, yeah, yeah. So I knew I had to do it again. Yeah. And I did not want to do more burpees, but I did it. I did it again.
Speaker 1:On Sunday, on Sunday, and did you improve?
Speaker 3:I did. I got 10 more reps.
Speaker 1:Wow.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I was very happy and I did it with. There was a lot of people redoing it. I think a lot of us did the Friday Night Lights. We gave it a shot. We you know had so much fun but ultimately it wasn't part of our training routine.
Speaker 1:One of the things that bugs me, and after this workout I went. I am sort of I like I went this year I looked at a lot. You could submit videos with your score submission and a lot of people did, especially the ones who are not affiliated with the gym. That's the only way you can actually register is that you have to submit your own video if you don't have a judge, lunges that are just kind of like like not standing up, you know, not really jumping over the bar, uh dumbbell, like kind of going behind, which I have gotten caught in the past and Adam Ramson has pointed out. So this year I really tried.
Speaker 1:I really tried to jump over the dumbbell, but I feel like it annoys me, not that even I'm that invested in it, but I like look at all these other videos and I'm like, wow, these people are just not even keeping to standard and I think overall as a gym we find that very important to keep to standard. How was your judge for this one? Did they no rep you for any of these For either workout?
Speaker 3:First time or second time? No, she did not. She tried to keep me doing the reps in the proper order, just that. How about you? How was this workout?
Speaker 1:It was, it was 35 pounds, and so I you know, the issue is is every time you go lighter with something, you got to go faster. Like there's no excuse, because it's lighter, you just have to do more. Right, and I'm generally pretty good at dumbbells Like I mean sorry, burpees, I did get I no rep myself actually, because I went on the lunge. I was halfway down and I like took a little step, like extra step or something like that, and I looked over at Kayla and she was like looking at me and I was like crap, I know I. So I had to go back and um and restart it. So that was one, but I that really didn't make enough of a difference.
Speaker 1:I did this was pretty good. I don't remember exactly what I did, but I did pretty decent on this one and I was like um, but that happens a lot for me, I do pretty decent on the first one and then, like it kind of excites a little bit, um, okay, so then let's talk about the second one. So you knew you were around 1300 after the first one and then you got the second one, which was a time cap 20 minutes of no sorry time cap 12 minutes. It was a repeat 22.3,. 21 pull ups, 42 double unders, 21 thrusters, 18 chest to bar pull ups, 36 double undersers, 18 thrusters, 15 bar muscle-ups, 30 double-unders, 15 thrusters and the weights for the thrusters the 21 thrusters were at 65, then the 18 thrusters were at 75 and then the 15 thrusters were at 85. Uh, so what do you think?
Speaker 3:Right off the bat I knew I was going to do better. When it first came out, I didn't have bar muscle-ups, so I got the 156.
Speaker 1:You know like we were all sitting at that 156.
Speaker 3:Right. And I went into it with such maybe a little too much confidence to my demise, but I did initially feel really good about it. Okay. And then I did it and that didn't feel good.
Speaker 1:You got 210 reps. So how far did you get in that that's so. And that's a fast high break to 607.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so what did I get through? The bar muscle ups. And then I think, the second time I did it because I did this one, so you redid this one too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so the first time. What did you not like about it?
Speaker 3:So the first time I'm just learning my butterfly, yeah, so I was able to do butterfly pull-ups and then I tried butterfly chest-to-bar and I just smoked out.
Speaker 1:Even just three extra inches makes such a difference on those right, right. And then the fact that you have to make sure you're like contacting, because I feel like again I watch videos I was like these MFers are not touching on those chest-to-bars at all and I'm like, come on, you can't just go above, you actually have to touch. That's what the judging standard is. Yep.
Speaker 1:And also these videos are terrible. I'm sorry I'm just going to complain a lot about standards in this one, but I saw a loting. When you're like on a very competitive level is very important. So you had problems with the butterfly chest to bars With the butterfly, but I still got.
Speaker 3:I think I still got to the bar muscle-ups and then the thrusters. I just didn't have the time Like. I had full confidence I could get through those thrusters. Okay, so then you're like okay, I got to redo this, yeah. So then what was your strategy? Just not doing the butterflies, or what did you do? So I did butterfly pull-ups and then kipping, and then my bar muscle-ups and I still was fatigued at that point you know.
Speaker 3:and then I was able to bang out, I think, like nine thrusters unbroken, just so I knew I had more Again a time thing.
Speaker 1:Didn't plan out my time, but you did pretty well.
Speaker 3:736 yeah, I'm so happy with my yeah, yeah and then.
Speaker 1:So where were you sitting at this point after two?
Speaker 3:I was still kind of low. I was still kind of low.
Speaker 1:I needed a lift or a technical workout to be that last okay, so you were in the running, but you needed a bump on that last one to get there.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so 96, 95, like I was somewhere right there Okay.
Speaker 1:And then the last one was let's see here the time cap 20 minutes. Five wall walks, 50 cal row. Five wall walks, 25 deadlifts, wall walks, cleans, wall walks, snatches, wall walks, row to finish. And that was 155 for the deadlifts, 25 of them. 85 pounds for the cleans, the 25 cleans, and then the 65-pound snatches, 25 of those. Tough one really tough. But you still did better on this one than the other two. Actually you did 653rd place.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah. So it was my best one. Yeah, and the one I probably was even more nervous about because of the row. I don't think I've ever rowed 50 calories on purpose like exactly Right, yeah, yeah, let alone 100. Right, during a workout In the middle of a workout.
Speaker 1:Right or finishing a workout right yeah, and you got 1748, which is pretty awesome yeah, yeah so? So you said, you redid this one I did so so, dave, saw you, you didn't, did you finish the first time?
Speaker 3:uh, yeah okay this is the one I needed.
Speaker 1:Two more minutes, yes so you finished, but he was like you got to cut two minutes off, so you must have finished like 18 something. Yeah, yep. And then you could finish 1748. Yeah, so what did you do differently to cut 30 seconds off your time? The third time, the second time on this third workout.
Speaker 3:I don't know, I think I just wanted it more. Really. You know, I just I just thought I went a little faster on the first row. I think the first time I did it I was pulling like an eight to nine, and this one I was a little higher up and my snatches I didn't break up as much. I don't know why I thought the first time I had to break them up. If there's something I'm confident in, it's 65-pound snatches. So I held on to that and then that last row.
Speaker 1:I just prayed. What was your split times? Were you looking at a number to keep like, oh, let me keep it over. Like 500 or 700 or whatever it is?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I had to, I, I. Whenever I left off the first row, I wanted to start on the second row. So I left off like eight 50. Okay, I wanted to start at eight 50.
Speaker 1:Okay, and did you hold that?
Speaker 3:If somebody came over and yelled at me yeah, I pulled it If nobody was looking, you know. But I definitely bought myself more time in that workout I had like I got to the rower 20 seconds faster, so somewhere along the line.
Speaker 1:Oh, so you did save probably another 10 seconds in that. Wow, that's 10 seconds on a row is like tremendous.
Speaker 3:Thank you, tremendous, I didn't feel it, but you're right yeah.
Speaker 1:So how was your conditioning this year? Did you get injured at all? Were you feeling beat up? No, everything felt okay.
Speaker 3:Everything felt okay. I mean, funny enough, I went snowboarding the weekend before this last workout. Oh, and funny enough, I went snowboarding the weekend before this last workout. Oh wow I came back Monday or Sunday night and then redid it.
Speaker 1:Oh, wow.
Speaker 3:So maybe that had something to do with it.
Speaker 1:So you don't actually let the open dictate your life on every level. You actually do real stuff in life.
Speaker 3:I feel it's really important for that balance. I think that first week I was like open, I got to eat, I got to work out a certain time and it didn't really help me. I was being so strict and so stressed out that by the last week I said, well, this isn't how I train, something Rafi taught me. If you don't train like this all the time, why do you expect something so different? You can't change everything and expect different results.
Speaker 1:That's so true. So what is it that you generally do in your life to help maximize your training? Like, do you eat, like what? Let me delve into the life of Kristen Torres a little bit. Like, what is your eating? Like, what is your sleep patterns? Like, like, how often do you train every day?
Speaker 3:Every day, every day, every day. I take off Sundays typically.
Speaker 1:You're usually a 7 amer, right yeah 7 am.
Speaker 3:I do next level so.
Speaker 3:I do additional training, which I fully enjoy, and I do eat pretty well. I think I'm pretty good with sticking. I don't count macros but I have the eye for it, like I've done it. So I keep to that. I eat a lot of vegetables but I do go out and I do have fun and I go out to eat and I have a couple beers and I don't stress out too much, too much if I get off track, but I make sure that I train and I train to not get hurt.
Speaker 1:So what does that mean? Train not to get hurt.
Speaker 3:So if there are certain days like yesterday, we had increasing weight in barbell- yeah. And my testing is if I feel good at 95 pounds, which is our typical workout weight, I can go heavy. Okay. If that 95 feels like garbage, i't go heavy, I don't risk it, especially deadlifts my back, my I um. So I kind of keep in tune, like at the beginning of a workout have you ever had an injury before? I broke my hand on a box jump oh what?
Speaker 1:how is that possible? Whoa, did you step on your hand or?
Speaker 3:something. I smacked the edge of the box with my hand. I was working out with a guy and we were supposed to flip and we didn't flip down to the lower. So when I used so much force I broke my hand.
Speaker 1:Oh, my God.
Speaker 3:And I was in a cast for like six to eight weeks.
Speaker 1:Okay, but that's a freak accident. That's a freak accident.
Speaker 3:But other than that I mean just the regular banged up stuff.
Speaker 1:Wow, so you're very durable. Yeah, okay, that's pretty impressive. Okay, so now you look at you, where you are now, and so what's going to change, if anything? At this point it's only been a week, so it's a little early to really know, and everything that most people I've seen decide to do one week after the open doesn't really stick for 50 more weeks after. But what is it that you think you would want to do? At this point? You're self-assessing a little bit.
Speaker 3:So I think for me the time management.
Speaker 1:Time management.
Speaker 3:Time management.
Speaker 1:Really.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I don't think I have. I think, talking to Dave during one of the workouts, I gave him my rep scheme plans. Yeah. And he's like well, where's your break? How long is your break? Yeah. And I'm like oh, I didn't even think about that, I just thought you know 5, 10, 15 or whatever. So I think I have to plan my breaks like in a workout at Bison. We have a planned break. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Like today. Two minutes on, two minutes off. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and I could get right back to it, right? So if I just plan 10 seconds, 15 seconds. I maybe don't have to take the 10 to 15 between each movement.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:So I think that's something that I'm going to work on, be more cognitive of, but still work on all my skills that I want to.
Speaker 1:Right, yeah, to maintain those, because you've gotten very, very good at all that stuff, the high skill stuff. So how about your weight numbers? Are you happy with what your lift numbers are at this point?
Speaker 3:Ooh, I think I could do more.
Speaker 1:Really.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I love it, but I enjoy it so much that I think I could push.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, okay, like which particular movement do you think you have the most headroom for in terms of like gain?
Speaker 3:My snatch. I feel like I could do a little better.
Speaker 1:What's your one rep right now?
Speaker 3:I think it's 145.
Speaker 1:Wow, yeah, okay, and you think you could get what? Another 510? Yeah, really.
Speaker 3:I hope so. Wow, yeah, okay, and then anything overhead, I enjoy, I just enjoy it.
Speaker 1:And then anything overhead I just enjoy it Well you have the mobility Right.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I should use it.
Speaker 1:So then, how about the motor stuff? How do you get better at that? What is that all about?
Speaker 3:You know what it's going to be running. I think Really it's so devastating.
Speaker 1:You anticipate you're going to be doing a lot more running this year.
Speaker 3:You know one of my idols in the sport, ms Karam. She runs consistently and she can just. I think it's twofold she has the motor, the engine to get through it, but it's also a headspace of being. You're just running, there's no break. So I'm channeling that because she, you know, somehow she makes it seem easy to get through the long stuff. For me, a 20-minute workout, forget it. Give me the five.
Speaker 1:So that's what her secret is? Oh yeah, because her build she's not taller Like, she's about the same height as you. Yeah, wow, yeah, she runs like her rest day is a run.
Speaker 3:Okay.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what is your next level? Like additional training, usually include in it similar stuff or something different.
Speaker 3:Similar. So machine work, a lot of machine work, bodybuilding, so all of that fun stuff, gymnastics, endurance, capacity I mean my focus was endurance and capacity, but I also wanted the fun stuff. I wanted the ring muscle up.
Speaker 1:I wanted the heavier weight.
Speaker 3:So I have a balance of all of that going on.
Speaker 1:And how many times a week do you do you do that? The next level.
Speaker 3:Three times Okay.
Speaker 1:And what do you do for recovery? Anything in particular.
Speaker 3:I get good sleep.
Speaker 1:I get a lot of sleep.
Speaker 3:I'm in bed by like eight, eight, 15.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's awesome Right.
Speaker 3:How do you do that? Oh, I wake up at 5 am.
Speaker 1:Okay, how do you shut down, like, do you just like turn off your phone and make sure you don't look at it, or like, do you have any? I need some tips about getting to bed earlier. I scroll Before you go to bed Before I go to bed, oh so okay, I watch a lot of Dateline. Really that puts you to bed, yeah, okay.
Speaker 3:But I do have TV in my room. But I make a point to start winding down. No eating that late. I do snack.
Speaker 1:Okay, I do snack. What's your cheat? What do you enjoy?
Speaker 3:snacking on oh peanut M&Ms, oh, really All day.
Speaker 1:That's not bad, is it the amount I eat, maybe? So, um, why do you do all of this? That? What you do, do you, like I think, you derive joy in just doing like every time I've seen you work out, you're actually as opposed to me happy. Like you're happy, you know. Uh, like you bring your own joy into it every time. What is it? Where is that joy coming from when you do this?
Speaker 3:I get to do it right. I see people that I work with friends, family that don't have this outlet, that don't either. They don't want to, they don't know that. Whatever, I get to do this stuff and I've met amazing people that's probably most of it. And I'm independent, like I'm able to carry my groceries up my stairs, I'm able to move my furniture when I want to, I'm able to. You know, if somebody wants to go on a hike, I can do all of those things, and that's most of the reason why is just being able to do it and seeing how much I can push myself.
Speaker 1:You know, age is against you for next year because you're you're going to top out. You're 43 this year.
Speaker 3:Next year, I think I'm going to be the baby.
Speaker 1:You're going to be. Oh, do you, do you age up into the next year? Because right now I have you listed at age 43.
Speaker 3:And I'll be 44 in August.
Speaker 1:Wait.
Speaker 3:Oh no.
Speaker 1:So you're going to be at the very end of the 40 to 44 division next year? Dang yeah, so you're going to have to wait another year after that to age up into the 45 division. See, can you believe it? This is one of the few times and I always you know it's always a running joke that you can't wait to actually get older. Like everything else, you're like don't get older. But in this case and that's tough, like did you feel like that extra year made a difference? Or you actually got better in your conditioning and everything else? So it wasn't that, it was just the workouts didn't really line up for you this year.
Speaker 3:I think, yeah, I guess I am a little older, my life is drastically different than it was last year, the year before, yeah, and these workouts were not in my wheelhouse.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I think you're actually a better athlete, like you're more capable this year than you were last year, which is kind of amazing because, like I said, anyone over the age of 40, I guess you know I've sort of rethought where you start to decline in terms of, like, actual physical numbers, and it's got to be over 44, because I still see people in the 40 to 44 range like improving their lift numbers, improving their cardiac capacity and improving their overall you know, I mean everyone can improve their skill set to like on complex movements, even older, I mean. I think that that's not something that changes. I think it's just harder sometimes but there is a certain level at which, like you can't squeeze more juice out of that lemon in terms of muscle strength or aerobic capacity. So you're still making those gains and you just told me you still think you have more in you in terms of like increasing that. So, even though you're going to be at the top of the age division next year, you probably again, if things line up, have another shot.
Speaker 3:Yeah, if I can stay within the 10 percentile for the individual group, like that means I can hold my own with these young spring chickens, so I'm not too upset Some of them could be my, my kids, right.
Speaker 1:Do you think it was fair that they made a two percent this year?
Speaker 3:For me personally, because I didn't make it. No, absolutely not, but I think it's too much of a jump, I think it was just too much of a, you know, from 25% you had a bigger crew feeling really good to like barely anybody making it, and we didn't find out until later on. I don't know if that would have really changed my training but we didn't find out until a little bit later.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it was pretty close to the open season when we found out out where the cut lines were going to be for this. Yeah, it's pretty crazy. Right, how did you do last year in the quarters?
Speaker 3:I think I did pretty well, very well, I think it was still.
Speaker 1:Yeah 621 and yeah no 413, actually, which is pretty amazing. So when they let you play with all the heavyweights and the skill stuff, you get to cut loose a little bit.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's my wheelhouse, the regular good old burpees. No.
Speaker 1:You know it's kind of crazy Listening to you now. I came in having very little expectation or, honestly, joy coming into the. You know it's been. Unlike you, I'm not quite as durable and I'm always fighting this, that or the other thing, and so I know I have to work out because it makes me healthier. I really enjoy the community. I've put so much in like listen I've. I feel like I've been where you've been, uh, five years ago for sure, you know and uh.
Speaker 1:But after a while, you, you know you have ups and downs and probably it's a little bit of a down in terms of like getting joy out of it. And um, especially when you see people get injured or you yourself get injured and you're like, oh man, like just chasing that, is that really worth it? But the approach that you have in terms of taking joy from that performance, from really striving to excel not because anyone else is, and I think even if you weren't close to the cut line, you would still be taking joy from every workout that you do. It is a little more fun when you have your friends competing very close. You know who are high level or competing with you and all that. But even if you didn't, like I don't think, um, had you made semis, uh, you would be like five orders of magnitude happier, like you are happy with what you do. You're talking about today's workout like all of it, like every day is a joy for you and so just getting that is like this is a little bit of icing on the cake. It gives you something to strive for, gives you something to focus on, but it's I don't necessarily think that that would be the end, all or be all, like it is for some people here.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And, and I think that that's a very healthy attitude, maybe certainly healthier than my attitude. You know it was funny because I will say I was. I didn't, I know, for every workout I didn't give it all my juice. And I had a couple different reasons and they were all like very reasonable reasons, like I don't want to get injured, I just want to make sure I get a good workout in and all that, and that's totally fine. But I I always feel like I left a little something on the table, especially because they were lighter.
Speaker 1:I was doing jumping, pull-ups, stuff like that, and when I finished out I was around 165 ish and I was like, oh yeah, not a problem, I made it again so easy, like listen, this is like a cakewalk, like I've done it every year, like this is just, I don't even have to try and I'm still doing it. And then on Monday, after the cut line comes out, I'm like 209 and I'm like holy cow, I totally missed it. And I was like whoa, this is crazy. Uh, and I had some mixed feelings because I didn't really put much into it, but on the other hand, it still like doesn't feel awesome, especially when you're so self-satisfied and feeling like, oh, I can do this all the time, like I don't even have to try, I can do this. And then it just felt terrible. And then I was like wait a second. But you didn't like, what did you expect? You didn't deserve, like you didn't really put what you could into it, uh, so it's kind of a weird, like kind of mixed feelings on that one. And then I was like, but should I have put more in? Like you know, I mean, it's a, it's a year process, like it really is, like you have to start and like continue, like you said, in june, in august, in september, like I've been there for all of it. And I was like you know, I don't know, like maybe I'm, maybe I'm a little bit of a different level, I don't know. And then today I just checked, like yesterday I was at 204 and today I'm at 202, and so I'm like it's so weird, right, because I know on my level, like the people I think they are going through and looking at these video submissions, and like not good, not good, not good, not good. So I was kind of like all right, so what does that feel like if I actually got under 200? Which I don't think so. It's already Thursday and so I think they've probably finalized all the standings pretty close. But I was like then, what do I do? And I was like you know then what do I do? And I was like you know what? Actually, this is kind of perfect. Like I'm so close, I did it. You know what I could do for where I was, but now I don't have to like kill myself for the same time. So like that's, like that's, you know.
Speaker 1:I think Britt Arcee, I think, or someone like her, said the same thing. Like I want to do just well enough, but not make it to the depth, so I don't have to do more working out. I don't know if I feel I'm just saying I feel mixed about the whole thing, but like listening to you today and talking to you, I feel like I have more juice. I can certainly do better in terms of like taking joy from every workout. Like I think that's the key Every workout you do you take joy from, and then that like helps drive you, and then when there's something like this, which is special, like you said, friday Night Lights and being with your friends, and I'm so impressed that you redid every workout.
Speaker 3:Is it impressive.
Speaker 1:Do you, and you improved on every one, which is really unusual. Yeah, and not just by a little, by, like a lot A decent amount. So what does that tell you about? Like maybe you shouldn't do Friday Night Lights and you need to just like sort of gear up and like max out on that. First, one.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think, staying with my schedule, because that's's what I enjoy doing right right, that's the schedule I like right and it's the one that I, you know, thrive the most off of right. So I've learned that. And, um, yeah, because I just, I just want to do workouts once, yeah.
Speaker 1:I don't want to do them twice, right, that's. I mean, you have the capacity, but why? Why do it twice when you could do it once and do it like really really well. Yeah, yeah, really well.
Speaker 3:Next time.
Speaker 1:Is that what you're going to do next?
Speaker 3:year? I hope so. I think last year I only did one workout twice and it was one of those like as soon as you're done, like before I even know what the score is, I'm like, no, I didn't do it good, I didn't do it right. Right. Like I just knew right away. Right right right.
Speaker 1:But the others you were like yeah, that was my best effort, yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, especially that last one, that 50 Cal row at the end. That's ridiculous.
Speaker 1:What were you thinking at the time? Did you have people there yelling at you or did you just like, did you close your eyes? I closed my eyes, really.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I closed my eyes the second time. There was more people. The McKinney's were there. Yeah, yeah, yeah, they were saying all types of things. They were breathing all types of ways. I don't know what was happening.
Speaker 1:Do you try to pull harder and slower? Do you try to pull faster and when? Do you send it Like a minute left?
Speaker 3:Oh, no, like 10 seconds.
Speaker 1:Oh, so you give yourself 10 seconds to max effort.
Speaker 3:Pretty much. I don't know if I have it. That was the hardest I think I've ever rode in my life. To be like. I don't think I'll forget that Wow.
Speaker 1:Ever, yeah, that's impressive.
Speaker 3:That was the most painful part of it right there, it was the most painful, and that's what I've been training on is the row. It was painful.
Speaker 1:What kind of advice would you give anybody who just missed the cut line, who has feeling not awesome about it, who feels like you know this is important for them and we all choose what is important to us. It could be breaking 80 on a golf course, it could be skiing a double black diamond, it could be whatever. They're all frivolous and important at the same time. It really doesn't matter what goals you set. They're important when you set them. And so when you said it like you know what, I think I can do this, I want to do it and I didn't do it. Like what is the advice you would give?
Speaker 3:So I think, thinking back of the support that the girls that did make it they were there the whole time, you know kind of talking through stuff so I was upset and whatever it got through it. But I think now I'm gonna just hope that the semis are in my wheelhouse and I'll work out beside them and push them to do better to. Maybe if there's a heavy lift or if there's something super technical, I would love to be that pace setter for them. So I didn't and I'll do it without stress. I won't be watching that leaderboard for myself, but for them.
Speaker 1:That's so awesome. So the advice is to just keep in it, keep in it, keep supporting your friends, the people who have supported you. Keep supporting them, and it is reciprocal. You have to have the people who have supported you and give back to them, and that makes it better for you.
Speaker 3:That's like a fuller experience for you, right and imagine doing it alone like these, workouts are probably not going to be easy and if they're stuck doing it, hopefully not by themselves. I know I can offer that now and see if I would have, if I would have crushed it. That's right. Darn.
Speaker 1:I mean, yeah, I know, wow, I would have been like exactly. So that's good, like you can sort of see where you would have actually been and, and I bet you that when the semis come out you're going to, it's going to be all in your wheelhouse, I have a feeling.
Speaker 3:Right, I can't wait to watch, right. So that's why you can't just stop. I think you'd have to say, okay, let's, let's keep going. It just wasn't, it wasn't for me, but it's going to be eventually.
Speaker 1:I love that. Yeah, kristen, thank you so much. You've gotten. You give me a lot for and good luck you too. Two spots. I got what I deserved, let's just put it that way, and that's a good lesson for me too. Thank you so much, kristen.
Speaker 3:Thank you.