Mo Jumps into the FITTEST
I was talking with the editor of AFM, Melanie Moore about scheduling the next KMB feature, and we realized there was only one day for a photo shoot that fit with my travel schedule and AFM’s deadline, and it fell on Saturday, June 9—the AFM FITTEST.
The event was only a week away. I hadn’t spent much time looking at the program and didn’t know what to expect. When I arrived at Camp Mabry on event day, I was happy to see many of my local fitness friends who were competing, sponsoring, and spectating. I checked in, received my timing device, and went off to warm up and find out exactly what I had signed up for.
At 1:30 p.m., we Open Invitational participants met for our first instructions and went off to the Med Ball Toss. I’ve played with these a lot but, since I always use an overhead version, the test was fairly new to me. It was definitely harder to push the ball directly from the chest, but fun nonetheless.
After Med Ball, we moved on to the Standing Broad Jump, my favorite test. I love jumping, so this explosive movement was right up my alley. I even came in first among the women!
Next was the 40-Yard Dash, something I’ve been doing a lot lately (big thanks to my good friend and coach, Yancy Culp, who brought me cleats for this and the other events run on grass). At the Agility Cone run, I was able to utilize my track practices, speed, and strong arm-drive to make my feet move fast.
Afterwards, we landed at the Softball Precision Throw where I was just happy that my throws went straight. I got two in the target thanks to some quick coaching from friend, Mariah Macdonald, and my hubby, Brad. I’m definitely NOT a softball player and I don’t believe I will ever excel in this sport.
We moved on to Pull-Ups. I was actually not too excited about this station, as I haven’t done pull-ups in months. However, it seems that the heavy back pull-downs I’ve incorporated into my track-specific workouts enabled me to keep some strength; I ended up making eight reps! I just might go ahead and do these pull-ups once a week to see where I can go with the reps. I’ll be more prepared next year should they include pull-ups again.
Next on the list was Burpees. I don’t know anyone who really likes Burpees. I started slowly to see how I would feel and, as we got to the 30-second spot, I increased my speed knowing that I would be good for the following 30 seconds. I’ll know next time that I shouldn’t hold back. Burpees are a great exercise, though, and can be done anywhere… no excuses!
I had no idea what to expect with the Hand Grip and would have loved a few more times to practice my squeeze. It was a fun little break from all the other vigorous activities and we still had two intense events to go.
By 2:30 p.m., it was hot and I started to get a little light headed. Drinking a quick Proto Whey shake helped but not enough to refresh my legs, and I faded at the Interval Run. The previous day’s track sessions (yes, two) were quite exhausting and my CNS started to talk to me loud and clear: “Hey, lady, us nerves are about to fade!” It’s my duty to listen to my body to avoid injury, so I had to move slower. As a result, I only made six intervals. This particular event would be fun to try again on fresh legs. Maybe another time.
Last was the Mile Run. I haven’t run over 500 meters in months, so I chose to JOG extremely slowly with my tired partner, Maurice Culley. We chatted the entire mile, which made it bearable. Thankfully, David Garza came to our rescue in the last 200m and jogged us in! We were the final Open Invitational participants to cross the finish line, where we received our fun dog tags and many high fives.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself. There was a challenge for every type of athlete. AFMand Diane Vives, you guys did a fantastic job, and I loved being a part and challenging myself. I’m looking forward to watching this event grow each year to accommodate many new local athletes and sponsors. What a fun day. And by the way, my Butt was Kicked by AFM!
WORKOUT
The 2012 AFM FITTEST presented by Nexersys consisted of ten tests to measure overall fitness. Here are the tests and what each measures.
June 9, 2012
www.AFMFITTEST.com
Test 1 / Dynamax Standing Med Ball Toss
Upper Body Power
Test 2 / Fitness Institute of Texas Standing Broad Jump
Lower Body Power
Test 3 / Dane’s Body Shop 40-Yard Dash
Sprint Speed
Test 4 / Body By Frame Agility Cone Run
Agility and Athleticism
Test 5 / Oatmega Bar Precision Throw
Accuracy, Coordination, and Skill
Test 5 / Oatmega Bar Precision Throw
Accuracy, Coordination, and Skill
Test 6 / Pure Austin Pull-Ups
Upper Body Strength
Test 7 / CrossFit Central Burpees
Total Body Strength, Endurance, and Overall Work Capacity
Test 8 / Castle Hill Fitness Hand Grip
Hand and Forearm Strength
Test 9 / Camp Gladiator Interval Run
Speed, Endurance, and Conditioning
Test 10 / RunTex 1-Mile Run
Long Distance Speed and Aerobic Endurance
Special thanks to Hair Goddess (hairgoddess.net) for continual great hair design and Luke’s Locker (115 Sandra Muraida Way- Austin) for the sporty and very functional outfit!
