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THE SOUTHERN CALIF(IRNIA REGI()NAL :.- :]N TRUSCHEIT'S SMILE REMINDS EVERYONE THATTHE ^ :-e final heat of Event 7 at the

::-:nern

California Regional, Allison

---scheit was the first to the barbell

.':er two rope climbs. She did all four '3--ib. squat cleans touch-and-go and

:-er -::p

dropped the bar, heading to the for her second round.

3-e had only taken a few stePs when ^=:judge stopped her. shouting and ;=:--uirng lulaus)) lDr hel 1o gel DacX

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]OY OF COMPETITION IS ONE OF THE BEST PARTS OF CROSSFIT

Whether she placed fourth or l6th, she

Although she didn't make it to the

smiled.

Games this year, Truscheit stood out

from the crowd all weekend. Her joy in "When I'm tense, I tend to over-think

competing to the best of her abilities

things and I don't do a goodjob"'

reminded everyone that CIossFit, above

Truscheit said. "When I'm having a good time ... I'm going to relax and

all. is a hell of a lot of fun.

get through the workout and the pain

doesn't seem so Painful." \\ssq\eJs\<ssNs<\saFlsrs\sq*-a\<\

pain. ln 2012, she withdrew before the

bar.

final Regional event due to dehydration

--,scheit

had forgotten to move the :a-bell to the next spot on the mat, a

-::uirement before proceeding to the

and heat exhaustion even though she

s:eps before going to the rope.

said.

-1e event was streaming live. Cameras

"l do so much better when I'm happy.

I

don't do well when people say, 'Go

:acked, and Truscheit was competing -ext to Kristan Clever, Rebecca Voigt,

faster!'or'Get a move on!'My friends

- rdsey Valenzuela and Valerie Voboril-

signs like,'Allison, your hair looks great!'

some of the biggest names in CrossFit.

That puts a smile on my face," Truscheit

know how to motivate me with those

said. : was a big error, especially in an

:vent expected to last only about five

With a fair but ruthless judge

Tinutes.

scrutinizing reps and screaming fans loading pressure onto athletes, it's hard

-ruscheit's reaction was unexpected:

to remember that the whole thing is

sre smiled widely, smoothly power-

supposed to be fun.

:leaned the bar and moved it to the

iorrect spot. Then she ran to the ropes, a smile

still on her face.

But Truscheit never forgets.

Make no mistake-Truscheit is a serious

-ruscheit had been smiling all weekend"

athlete. She trains hard and competes

',,Yith

fiercely. Even after her costly mistake,

her cheerleader-style hair in a

ligh ponytail topped with

a big pink

row, Truscheit grinned through heavy :verhead squats, chest-to-bar pull-ups and boxjumps.

IHE REGIONAIS

.td

event.

"This year was so different," Truscheit

stadium was

d-

was in ninth place overall going into the

'::e climbs. The error cost her: she had :: clean the bar again and walk it a few

,','ere everywhere. The

.t?

she f inished fourth in Event 7 and ended up in seventh place overall.

('

I

THE N(}RTHERN CATIF(IRNIA REGI()NAT NEWCOMER MARCUS FILLY BEATS VETERAN PAT BA{BER BY TWO POINTS, EARNING HIS FIRST TRIP TO THE GAMES A

window opened three years ago: in

"The final

workout-if you could write a workout that's up my alley-that's up

After taking a moment to recover,

his f irst-ever CrossFit competition, Marcus Filly beat Pat Barber in one

my alley," Barber said.

in front of his cheering fans, getting

event.

But Fllly had beaten Barber before. He A

window opened, and a glimmer of an

idea formed in Filly's head: maybe he

just had to do again. lf he could finish

hugs and high-fives. Barber walked over and gave Filly a hug, congratulating him on his win.

could do it. Maybe he stood a chance

the event ahead of Barber, he'd take the fourth spot and go to the cames. lf

against the giants of Norcal.

Barber placed above Filly, he'd return to

the CrossFit Games. All three female

Carson in July.

qualif iers-Margaux Alvarez, Alessandra

Glassman's original CrossFit box,

For most of the rope-climb/squat-clean

familiar names have always topped

Pichelli, and Ashley Car riv eau -ar e first-time individual Games competitors.

event, Filly and Barber were neck and

the leaderboard: lason Khalipa, Neal

neck. Every time he got to the rope,

Maddox and Pat Barber, who has been

Filly looked over at Barber, checking his

doing CrossFit since high school.

progress. The two made it to their third

ln NorCal, home of Coach Greg

Through three years of hard work and relentless training, Filly thought

Maddox.

still close in the f inal set of four squat

fourth place. He was one point ahead

clean. Filly saw it happen just as he

slight lead, but the race was

cleans. Then, Barber missed another

of Barber. With 2008 Games champ

caught the heavy barbell in a front

lason Khalipa all but certain to win the

squat.

Regional and open a fourth Games spot

wavered. Then

for male individual athletes, Filly knew

For a moment, he

what he had to do.

his face hardened into a mask of determination. This was it: miss this lift and he was out; make it and he was in.

or Maddox, but I know I can beat Pat Barber," Filly said.

Slowly but surely, Filly stood up, got the all-clear from his judge and stepped on

Barber had years of CrossFit

the finish mat to stop the clock. He had

experience. He'd competed at the

beaten Barber by five seconds and he

Games several times. Not only that,

was going to the Games.

THE REEI{INALS

the Games.

known CrossFit athletes who can show them the ropes in Carson: Khalipa and

clean. lt was Filly's chance.

competition at the 2013 NorCal Regional competition, Filly found himself in

him.

men, will also be making his first trip to

Then Barber missed a 225-lb. squat

He got a

Barber said Event 7 was tailor-made for

Garret Fisher, who took third for the

They'll be joined by two very well-

him hope. Then, on the final day of

"l may not be able to catch Khalipa

Filly won't be the only new face at

set of cleans at almost the same time.

about the time he beat Barber. lt gave

70

Barber got to his feet. Filly was standing

THE ASIA REGIIINAT .'COLETAINATONGOSH0WCASESHERFIERCEDETERMINATI0NINEVENT6

The 90 feet of walking lunges at the end

As

the 2013 Regional comPetition

"When I picked uP the bar, Candice

unfolded, Tainatongo's plan seemed t0 be working. She entered Day 3 in first

was in front of me, and I thought,'lf somebody is in front of you, you have to

place, with three first-place finishes

push yourself to catch her,"'Tainatongo

On paper,

it's hard to get Past 100 double-unders, 50 handstand Push-

behind her. ln Asia, however, there's no room for error. The region only sends

said.

ups, 40 toes-to-bars and 30 shouldersto-overheads with a heavy axle 0nce

one woman, one man and one team to

of Event 6 brought even the toughest athletes to their knees, so to speak'

those are out of the waY, the walking lunges, also with the axle, seem like an

afterthought. lust pick up the bar and walk to the finish line. EasY daY.

the Games. lt's first place or bust' Tainatongo wanted to leave nothing to chance.

However. as the Regional competitions

The event started off with an admitted weakness: handstand Push-uPs She

unfolded, it became clear that as much as the athletes did not want to drop

thought if she could do l0 at a time, she'd be fine. Things didn't go as

the heavy axle bar' most of them could

planned. Fatigued from two daYs of competition, Tainatongo only managed

not go unbroken on the walklng lunges'

losh Bridges, The lunges-a Akinwale. not Elisabeth

Not lason KhaliPa, not

to do three or four handstand push-ups at a time. lt was going to take her much

When Howe dropped the bar, Tainatongo made her move. Tainatongo

started lunging, and she didn't stop' Howe, who had cleaned the bar and started lunging again, paused at the top of each lunge with her feet together to rest. Tainatongo had no time for rest if she wanted to win. She started to pick up speed, moving as though she was carrying a PVC pipe, not a i00-lb. axle Howe droPPed the bar again, and

Tainatongo sailed past-smooth, strong' confident. lust as she had planned'

longer than she thought to get to 50'

Tainatongo won the event and went 0n

the very best CrossFit athletes.

Meanwhile, next to her, second-place Candice Howe was doing sets of l0

had worked.

one woman in the Asia Regional did what many could not. Determined not

handstand push-ups with no problems' Tainatongo was falling behind. Howe

"lt's so real now," Tainatongo said after

challenge perhaps as much mental as physical-proved to be arduous for even

to miss her shot at the CrossFit Games' 5-foot-5 Nicole Tainatongo completed

the entire 90 feet of walking lunges without droPPing the bar once.

2il2

and f inished fourth. She was

so f rustrated by not making it to the Games she maPPed out a Plan for 2013 on the flight home. Tainatongo didn't

have any Paper, so she made due with ,,vhat she had. Her plan of attack, which sne saved all year and brought with her :1e 2013 Regional comPetition, was

:: ,',

-

::en out on the Plane's barf bag.

her win. "l've worked really hard and

held onto her lead through the toes-to-

sacrificed so much, and now I am going

bars and the shoulders-to-overheads' Tainatongo was closing the gap'

to the Games!"

but Howe kePt working, not letting Tainatongo catch her.

Tainatongo, of CrossFit 671 in Guam, competed at the Asia Regional in

to take f irst overall. The barf-bag plan

Then Howe started on the walking

lunges. Tainatongo still had eight shoulders-to-overheads to complete before she even started lunging Howe was about halfwaY across the floor when Tainatongo racked the bar and

started her lunges.

THE NORTH CENTRAT REGI(INAL -]SHSILVERNAILBARELYMAKESITINT0REGI0NALSBUTCOME$OUTlNTHETOPl0 an "Efldurance has never really been

make it losh Silvernail almost didn't Battling to the North Central Regional' placed pneumonia during the open' he

issue," he said.

qualifying' 49th, one spot away from

Silvernail drew on that endurance the competition' and with

in the top 48 However, if any individual was declined his invitation' Silvernail the when get the call f irst in line to

he found hard work and consistency' f inal the of himself in the final heat appear on event on SundaY' He would of the event' sharing

invitations second round of Regional the cusp' on the inboxes of athletes

just barely ln the end, the athlete who made it into the Regional competition 7 and finished in fourth place in Event

throughout

hit

the live broadcast Games the f loor with 2012 third-place Games finisher Kyle Kasperbauer and

he didn't When Silvernail got the email'

and lustin competitors Phillip Kniep

waste any time'

Allen.

"l dropped what I was doing'

a Heighi can be considered disadvantage in some CrossFit

felt l|ke immediately registered and electric someone hit me with those so I was revive You' paddles that stoked," he said

movements, such as handstand Pushare ups, but those disadvantages that favor the balanced by movements wall-balls and rope climbs'

tall-rowing,

Once at the Regional comPetition'

out for him' Silvernail had his work cut athlete's The heats are based on an meant which OPen' placement in the the of Silvernail was at the bottom to move up' opening heats. lf he wanted he would have to fight' away' He Silvernail got started right

lackie' with a time finish of 5:26. Other than a 26th-place in Event 3, the burpee/muscle-uP Silvernail workout, the 6-foot-3' 208-lb' 20 consistently finished in the top

took 12th in Event

1,

throughout FridaY and Saturday's events. worked his Slowly but surely, Silvernail former way uP to the toP heats' The finished arena-football player who -lth in 2012 lost some strength during - s : ,iress, but he said his stamina is

:

,',

.:

on' a'is something he can count

'!Ol3HALS

To kick

off Event 7' Silvernail extended cutting and jumped into the air'

his arms

in half' his lS-foot climb almost

for me 'This one was a definite forte with my rope being able to jump up that he said' height. So I took advantage"'

first athletes Silvernail was one of the legs were off the roPe. Knowing his Silvernail else's' longer than everyone set of bother running to his first didn't

so long' he squat cleans. His stride was to walked. The crowd, unaccustomed

this eventseeing an athlete walk in wild' heat-went tinal especially in the WhY

was he walking?

plan' and he stuck But Silvernail had a rope it. He usbd his height on the

with

cleans as climbs and completed the possible' as quickly and efficiently

took 1Oth overall' Silvernail "l didn't do well in qualifying"'

better said. "But there isn't anything making the last one the best'" than