S05E163 - From Injury to Inspiration: Tracey Magee's CrossFit Odyssey
What happens when an elite athlete faces a career-threatening injury just a year before the biggest competition of their life? Join Join coach David Syvertsen @davesy85 as 2024 Masters Games athlete Tracey Magee @tracey_magee_fitness shares her incredible story of resilience and recovery after a significant shoulder injury and reconstructive surgery. Tracy opens up about the emotional rollercoaster and physical hurdles she overcame to make a remarkable comeback. Her journey is a testament to the power of perseverance, the importance of a supportive community, and the mental toughness required to compete at an elite level.
From the initial stages of rehabilitation to the cautious reintroduction of complex CrossFit movements, Tracy recounts her methodical approach to getting back to high-intensity workouts. She highlights the crucial role of a supportive environment, the psychological challenges of modifying her workouts, and how changes in competitive thresholds offered her a needed reprieve. Tracy’s candid reflections on strategizing for competitive workouts and building confidence through balanced pacing and self-awareness provide valuable insights for anyone facing similar struggles.
In the heat of the CrossFit Games, Tracy navigates the highs and lows with unwavering determination. She shares her experiences of managing ongoing injuries while pushing for peak performance, the importance of mental resilience, and the critical support from training partners and family. From the adrenaline of the first workout to the hard-earned triumphs in physically demanding events, Tracy’s story is not just about athletic achievement but also about the indomitable spirit that drives her. Whether you’re an athlete or someone seeking inspiration, Tracy McGee’s journey is a powerful reminder that with the right mindset and support, you can overcome even the most daunting challenges.
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S05E163 - From Injury to Inspiration: Tracey Magee's CrossFit Odyssey
TRANSCRIPT
Speaker Names
David SyvertsenHost
00:05
Hey everybody, welcome to the Herd Fit Podcast with Dr Sam Rhee and myself, coach David Syverson. This podcast is aimed at helping anyone and everyone looking to enhance their healthy lifestyle through fitness, nutrition and, most importantly, mindset. All right, welcome back to the Herd Fit Podcast. I am Coach David Syerson. I am not here with my co-host, dr and Coach Sam Rhee. It is just myself and 2024 Masters Games athlete Bison, athlete Tracy McGee. Everyone clap your hands. Thank you, tracy, for coming in.
00:42
Tracy is now about a week removed from the 2024 Masters CrossFit Games by Legends and we're going to reflect on the whole year leading up to the games and then also the games itself. But before we get into that Tracy, I do want to say from my perspective as a friend, as a coach, as a fellow athlete that has had aspirations to compete at that level, how proud I am of you for reaching that level, putting yourself through the grind of training for the games, the actual games itself, which is such a hard thing to do, emotionally, to balance the ups and downs. Knowing what you went through over the past year with your injury, which we will touch on, it really was a special time for us to stand out there. We had some bison out there to support you. Just seeing you on that level again, because this is not your first CrossFit Games, but it's been a while since the last one Almost 10 years, right.
01:40
Yeah, nine years, 10 years, right, yeah, nine years. So I just want to let you know that I really am just as the coach, athlete and friend, how proud I am of you to see you out there and really thankful for you to come on today.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:54
Thank you so much, Dave.
David SyvertsenHost
01:55
I really appreciate it.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:56
Are you going to get me on?
David SyvertsenHost
01:56
the show. No one should.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:57
No, no, no, I'm going to keep it down, yeah no, no, the yeah, the emotions are with this stuff.
David SyvertsenHost
02:02
I think a lot of people on the outside don't realize how emotional this stuff can be. It really is, and that's just the ups and downs and we're going to get into that. But it's a very you know. From the outside it looks like, oh, you're training hard, the thrusters are hard, the pull-ups are hard, but I do think the emotions are just as hard, if not more difficult, than the training sessions themselves.
Tracey MageeGuest
02:25
Yeah, absolutely. I couldn't agree more. I mean, you put so much time and effort into your training, into performing, and you know you start to see improvements, you're getting excited. And then when you know, when it comes to competition time, you just never know what's going to happen. I mean, we always say control the controllables.
02:44
I know you've said it to me, I know Dan said it to me, other coaches and then there is often and as happened in my case this time around the uncontrollables which can have a big impact. And so if things don't go your way, yeah, it's very difficult because we are very competitive, we want to do our best. We very difficult because we are very competitive, we want to do our best, we've trained to do our best and we're prepared to do our best. And when things come along that you know that prevent that from happening and you're disappointed with your performance, it can, you know it can have a kind of a negative effect. And you know I am a person who does wear the heart on her sleeves. You know, no-transcript, something goes really well, then you're kind of you're kind of elated and then you kind of can ride off that also. So that's all part of the whole process.
David SyvertsenHost
04:00
Yeah, I mean, that's what it is we're going to. We're going to talk about process over and over, and I think that's going to kind of be a key focus, because you know, we have some people here that are shooting for your level. Uh, I want to be there someday. Um, inspired by you, inspired by others, where they that's, and how do I get there? You know, it can't just be working out, it can't just be my nutrition, right, there's gotta be other factors to this process, and we're going to learn about some of yours, because I think yours is incredibly unique.
04:25
Obviously, I don't know all of the 400-plus athletes that were in Birmingham, alabama, for the first ever CrossFit Masters Games. That were their own exclusive event, and that was, by itself, a major victory, in my opinion, for the sport. But if I polled all those people and I asked them hey, did any of you have a, basically a reconstructive shoulder surgery 12 months prior to the games and you're still here, I think the answer on that would probably be zero. I think you were. You had a really unique story that I would love to dive into as much as you're willing to dive into it. But let's talk about the healing process of an injury that you sustained last spring. This is spring 2023. And before we talk about the healing process and the surgery itself, what actually happened? For those that don't know what happened to your shoulder, older.
Tracey MageeGuest
05:30
This is May 2023. Okay, so, first of all, just to say, like my position on this, I am a competitive athlete. I think we know that, and I understand you have to pay to play. Okay, so you were hoping that we whether it's in training or in competition that we're going to, you know work hard, do well and we're going to get better. Sometimes we put ourselves in that thin line of potentially hurting ourselves. So it started actually before that and that was actually at Legends in 20, I guess, 2023.
David SyvertsenHost
05:54
Was that at Mayhem?
Tracey MageeGuest
05:55
Yeah, yeah it was where we were all together there at that time so, and it was on a rope climb. So I'm really good going up on a rope and I've always had fear coming down, so I have the terrible habit of having a vice grip on the rope coming down.
David SyvertsenHost
06:12
Coming down like segmented yes exactly.
Tracey MageeGuest
06:15
So I slipped coming down the rope and I grabbed on very aggressively and it just kind of jarred my shoulder pretty aggressively and I knew in that moment something had happened. And I remember distinctly, because it was Ashley in the end that I could see it. You can, for whatever reason, we always hear Ashley.
06:32
Yes, you know she's one of these amazing cheerleaders and just wants what's best for you. And she was like I could see her looking straight at me get up, get up. And I think I looked over her and more or less I don't know. I get up, get up, and I think I looked over her and more or less I don't know I'm actually having trouble getting up. I was scared, I was really scared and, as a consequence, that was the first six rope climbs and the last six I could barely even get through. So that was tough. So we still had the following day to go. So I came into the warmup area the next day and I'm thinking how's my shoulder? I was afraid. And then we had the chest-to-bar pull-ups and the handstand push-ups Great, great workouts for me and I'm like I'm doing this, I am doing this no matter what.
07:10
But when I went up to warm up for my chest-to-bar pull-ups, I felt a pop in my shoulder and then I knew it was something you know a little bit more than just you know. So I rehabbed it for months and the months leading after, because then, of course, we had the Open, we had semi-finals. So I have a really, really good physical therapist, jesse. He's from Out of the Box Physical Therapy and he was really good with getting me kind of rehabbed enough to do work.
07:35
So I was just very mindful of it, making sure that I wasn't overloading that shoulder, doing all the cross-surface symmetry, everything that I needed to do. But it was getting better, I thought, but it was never really going away. And then I think we were doing it was right after semifinals we were doing heavy cleans, so now I have rope climbs and cleans which have this kind of little bit of a mental kind of you know, scary feeling sometimes when I'm doing them. And it was a hang clean and it was just and that's what it was. Then I felt the rupture and I remember looking at you.
David SyvertsenHost
08:06
I remember you came over and showed me.
Tracey MageeGuest
08:07
And I said Dave, I don't think this looks right. Yeah, you know, and I felt it.
David SyvertsenHost
08:11
Basically, your bicep was down at your elbow yeah exactly.
Tracey MageeGuest
08:13
So not only did I have a supraspinatus, which is the biggest rotator cuff, that was a complete rupture. So I went to my orthopedist and then they gave me, you know, we went for all the tests and the MRIs and they diagnosed it. So the interesting thing about that is and it probably seems like crazy, oh, you have a rotator cuff tear and you have a torn bicep. Like, how are you able to do stuff? So I did. I don't know if people remember I was still in the gym and I was still training and I was able to do a lot of strict stuff because you can still you can have a separated bicep and still do strict stuff, but kipping, a lot of dynamic movements were out. So and that May and it was August then by the time that they got me in, there were so many things going on with my doctors and all these different things. That's when I went in for the surgery. But I was still able to maintain a good amount of strength, strict strength on gymnastics in particular, before even going into the surgery.
David SyvertsenHost
09:20
Right, you didn't go into that surgery. After two months of just sitting on the couch feeling bad for yourself, if anything, you probably started coming in more. I did, you were coming in almost every day and I know you did a lot of your bike workouts at home because you really you know the key to a recovery, especially with something surgery-based, is the base in which you're coming off of.
09:42
That's right If you're trying to recover from a big surgery or related to some of our pregnant women that work out during pregnancy, that base that you're coming out of is. If it's that much slower because you didn't work out at all, the recovery can seem even more difficult than it should be More daunting and longer to actually come back to.
Tracey MageeGuest
09:59
Yeah, and that was always on my mind. It's like what can I maintain? What can I? Always on my mind? It's like what can I maintain? What can I keep at a high level, going into the surgery knowing that the first because there's a full 24 weeks is what they call is there is the initial like of your, your processes, different phases, like the first six weeks or first two, first six, first 12, and so on, that you know this is full rehab until your shoulder is kind of somewhat normal Right.
10:26
And I was very, pretty religious about my recovery. I mean definitely, I won't lie. It really, really scared me knowing you couldn't move my shoulder at all in the initial few weeks, and even the physical therapy was very difficult for me to get through. I did have some setbacks during it trying to regain range of motion, and it's extraordinarily painful. But again, in CrossFit we're used to putting ourselves through a lot of discomfort. So you know I knew I could kind of push through, but it was. It was very scary and I just thought to myself, if I ever want to get back to this stuff, I have to do this right. I have to do this correctly. The the hardest part, honestly about it, was um being away from from the gym yeah from the community.
11:10
Um, so for the first four months I needed to be away, because not that I would ever have been reckless, but just the temptation just to be there. I was just afraid I would do something or bump into something and see it all the time you know so I'm like I had to be.
11:24
It's safer for me to be away. So I was in, afraid I would do something or bump into something. You see it all the time, yeah, you know. So I'm like it's safer for me to be away. So I was in the Globo gym when I was able to do stuff. I know that's a term that we use, I don't mean that the evil Globo gym.
David SyvertsenHost
11:35
Right, but it was no, you have to.
Tracey MageeGuest
11:37
That's probably the best place to go to when you're going through something like that, where I could be safe and just do maybe single arm Less intensity from a group, feel there's no clock, the music isn't blaring, you're not getting a score put up on a board.
David SyvertsenHost
11:52
It reduces a lot of the temptations that lead you to overextending yourself.
Tracey MageeGuest
11:56
Yeah, if you're inclined to kind of push, and we tend to like in CrossFit. But once I was ready, the fear aside from there just wasn't certain things that I could do, like in a CrossFit gym, and I just didn't want to be always in the way or always looking for modifications, you know. But once I was mobile enough I did come in and I was doing the banded press downs for you know, lat activation, and I was doing single arm rows, all those things I you know lat activation, and I was doing single arm rows, all those things I, you know. Once I was able to move with my two arms, I was doing a six pound medicine ball like squats and burpees off a box. I mean it was complete regression, I mean all the way back. And I know a lot of people ask me like, oh my God, you must like, it must be terrible for you and honestly, it wasn't. I liked that process, I was excited to see, you know building a foundation and coming back.
12:50
But that was four months in. I remember coming in just to kind of visit and I'm like I don't care if I can do a fraction of what the work is, I have to be back.
David SyvertsenHost
12:58
Yeah.
Tracey MageeGuest
12:58
Because I just being in the environment was just very, very empowering and it was just, you know, just be around other people you know of like mind and dislikes. That even if I was modifying, and that's so.
David SyvertsenHost
13:09
The timeline on this was the surgery was August. You do the global gym throughout the fall.
Tracey MageeGuest
13:14
Yeah.
David SyvertsenHost
13:19
When did you actually start to feel like you were doing CrossFit again? I know you've been modifying no matter what, but when did you actually feel like, all right, I'm going to come in and work out with my class today?
Tracey MageeGuest
13:25
I think it was probably in December and it was just certain workouts, and I would always check my doctor, check my physical therapy. Can I do things? And you know again, most people know me know I'm very, very competitive with it. I would push the envelope too much. I actually was very, very careful and even sometimes, when they told me I could try certain things, I'm like, oh, are you sure?
David SyvertsenHost
13:46
Yeah, it doesn't feel good, yeah, like.
Tracey MageeGuest
13:48
So it was double unders. So I remember, I remember it was, it was a dumbbell workout and it was it was double unders. And my sorry, my, my physical therapist and my doctor said yeah, you can do jumbo. And I said well, double unders, we're whipping a little hard, do jump rope. And I said well, double unders, we're whipping a little hard. And they're like you'll be fine, it's you know. So I'm like let me try it. And I did do single arm. There was, I think it was, dumbbell thrusters on both sides. I did do single arm with it, with a dumbbell, but I still I did feel like I was in doing class and I remember, because Rafi was across from me, you know, there was like just, you know, just people, and I think maybe Kat was down behind and I just felt like I was with my people and I just felt like, wow, you know, and I got like I think was 50s of the double unders, I got them unbroken and it was like wow, how did this happen?
14:31
Yeah, and again, it was just that because of the years of practice, the years of that foundation of constantly putting it back, it was, it was a matter of get a little bit of practice. That's what I did down the back of the room, see if I could do it, and then try it in the workout, right. But it was probably a few, maybe another month or so after that, where I felt like I was doing CrossFit in a greater capacity, like I was able to incorporate more, more movements. And then I started, did start thinking about um, because people seem to be, are you going to be doing the open?
David SyvertsenHost
15:00
and I'm like I was going to ask you like so now we're like January, february, there's a lot of things you can do, some things you're still scared to do, and qualifying and the crossword comes out with the information. Because when someone asks you, hey, tracy, are you doing the Open? That's another way of saying Tracy, are you competing this year? Because doing the Open for fun, for being a part of the community, is one thing. Doing it with hey, that's just the start of my competitive season, is a whole different mindset. And so if someone asks you, I'm assuming they're like hey, are you competing this year?
15:34
And CrossFit at that point had already come out with the information that the quarterfinal threshold was being bumped from top 10% worldwide for Masters to top 25%, and Tracy has always been top 1% in the Open for a decade plus. So normally an athlete of that caliber does not need to go into the Open being like all right, you know what, I'm going for it this year. They can usually jog through the workouts, maybe view it as a hard training session and test yourself, but you're not really thinking about your scores in the open, unless you're coming off an injury where you're not sure if my threshold is there. Did that information help relieve some stress that you no longer had to get top 10%, it was top 25%. And for you I'll say you don't have to say it it's kind of like a walk in the park for you to finish competitively in that tier. Did that actually kind of open the door to the season for you, knowing that you weren't going to be rushed into having to be ready sooner?
Tracey MageeGuest
16:39
Yes, I think it really did Like when I heard that top 25%, I know there was mixed feelings across the board with how people felt about it and for me personally I felt it was like, okay, now I can do the Open and just see where I'm at Right To see what I'm capable of, without actually worrying about would I be able to make it in the top 25%. Let's see how the workouts play out and let's see how I perform. But then, of course, day one you know that first workout, once I got in there and I'm like, ok, I can we do 35 pound dumbbells all day long and that was something I was able to get back Dumbbell snatches at 35 pounds and it was the burpee. I think burpee over 21.59.
David SyvertsenHost
17:22
We're actually doing that workout soon, oh God.
Tracey MageeGuest
17:26
So when I'm like I'm like, okay, so the dumbbell's lighter for my division and I had continued to build my engine, I'm like this will be okay, let's just see how hard I can push, and knowing that I didn't have pressure to have to have a top time, and then with that relief of taking that pressure off, it just allowed me to go into that without too much anxiety. Because even as a competitive athlete after all these years, there's still that, like butterflies, right before you start. And you know, and I remember even you said to me, you'd ask me afterwards did you, did you record that workout or did you? Did you video? And and normally I do all of those things because I always do them really to see what my form looks like, to see how I'm moving. They're my catalog for my performances and I was just so chill and relaxed about the workout that I didn't really think about that. And then also going into that workout, I'm a pretty good strategist when it comes to workout.
18:27
I know myself very, very well as an athlete and I don't tend to go out too hot in any workouts. But I knew it was a short one anyway, so I knew I had to be hard, but not too hard. And then, when I'm in the midst of the workout, all of a sudden I thought, look, I'm doing pretty well.
David SyvertsenHost
18:42
Yeah, look, I'm doing pretty well. Yeah, right, right, this is feeling pretty good.
Tracey MageeGuest
18:44
So I felt very empowered after that and then, knowing that there was only two more workouts because back in the day there used to be five I'm like two more workouts, this feels good.
18:54
Let me just kind of keep going with this. And I had in my mind still at that time was okay if things are going well and you don't need to have pressure in the open, the first stage of competition I can be thinking ahead to what I want to continue to get better at this, the things that I need to work on if I am planning to do quarterfinals. So when it came to my training, even over the course of those three weeks, I wasn't like saving myself, like some people do, like athletes, and that's what I may need to do for for those open workouts, I was still sticking with my regular training, coming into class regularly and working out, knowing that it wasn't this that was, you know the. You know the really important thing. It was the stages coming after. So, yeah, so it was. It was the. I think the final workout on in the open I did we have wasn't the thrusters and the thrusters and the bar muscles.
David SyvertsenHost
19:45
I'm looking that's actually what I'm looking at right now because your open scores you were 100th in the world, then 68th and then that last one you were 22nd. So you were getting better and stronger as the open went and that kind of goes to show where some of the indecision and indecisiveness, maybe even lack of confidence, that you had maybe early on or prior to the open it starts to disappear because you put yourself out there, you came out stronger and you're like you know what? I have my mojo back and I think mojo is something I always think about. Competing it's, yes, you need skills and strength capacity, but there's a mojo that you have, that a confidence that you can really kind of go to your ceiling in a specific workout where some people don't ever reach their ceiling because they don't have that mojo, they don't have that kind of effort mentality, what Jake Lockhart from Mayhem Athlete called the kill switch, and you could see in your open scores that you had that kill switch and I just wanted to make sure.
20:44
Now I want to talk about that last workout. Then we can talk about your quarterfinal, semi-final process, because this is a big deal. Like you can say the open is not what got traced to the games, but I do think mentally open did help her get to the games in terms of, a getting them done, not getting hurt, but b just doing really well. And your last workout it was the five rounds of 10 thrusters, 10 pull-ups, five rounds of seven heavier thrusters, seven chest-to-bar pull-ups. So I wanted to make sure so you didn't have to do muscle-ups. But at that point were you confident enough to string reps together on the rig.
Tracey MageeGuest
21:17
So it took me a very long time before I would reintroduce kipping. I hadn't done one single kipping chest to back pull-up before that open workout, but I'd started doing butterfly pull-ups and feeling very comfortable with them. But I wouldn't only do them if I absolutely had to, and you probably know, even from in class I would say I'm going to do strict, I'm going to do strict, I'm going to do strict, because that was my foundation. It was just strict, strict, strict all the way. And then it was in the warm-up, like right before, and that's what I know for myself.
21:49
I need a really, really long warm-up, especially for anything kipping on the rig, so I knew I was going to. Okay, I have to get ready for chest to bar. I don't think I'll ever go back to butterfly chest to bar, simply because the range of motion is so big and it literally is your rotator cuff and there's a lot of speed on the way down and that's probably where you get a little freaked out because the jar I'm like yeah, it's a big fast drop yeah, the only thing is like kipping chest to bar is so much more.
22:17
It takes so much more it is 100, 100 they're slower yes so.
22:22
But I'm like, okay, I, I've got to be safe here. So I had, I remember, because Raina was doing it with me and Mindy was judging and so somebody just I forget who it was said do you want to wait till the next heat? And I said I think I need to. So that gave me an extra amount of time to warm up and I just started doing for me it's always get the biggest kip that you can get to get your chest. So when I do chest abar, I tend to kind of hit down on my ribs, as opposed to what the standard is, just to your clavicle, and they just started feeling really good and I hadn't really done actually thrusters really either, just maybe once or twice. And they used to be, back in the day, one of my best movements and I still always really like them, even whether they were light or heavy. And so with that rep scheme I knew how to strategize, I knew where my strengths were. As I said, I got that anxiety about can I do this kipping motion in a big, big long workout. So by the time I got in I was feeling very, very comfortable doing that.
23:29
Yeah, and I know this is what kind of gone off a little bit off the tangent here a little bit, but in the Games this year. That's probably why and we probably hit on it later on why that particular workout with the Chelsea Bar Pull-Ups was such a disappointing workout for me is because and even when we were walking up together I remember you know we were walking up because then you were going to help me, because they allowed you to lift me up to the rig, which is another thing we'll get to talk about I you'd said, like you know, in this workout you've so little time to just get them all done and in my mind I would easily be able to do at least 10, possibly 15 unbroken, and this would be the time to do it Right. So, just with all the factors that came into play, like this time around for that particular workout, that didn't happen and it was like I didn't even feel like myself, Right. It was just like I was off, I had a vice grip on the rig, I shredded my hands. I never tear on chest to back.
David SyvertsenHost
24:30
Yeah, it's like you've really had to recalibrate yourself as an athlete. It's not, I wouldn't even say forever, but just this year. You had to because that was not even close to a normal year of training. No, and if you know that it was not a normal year of training and then you're all of a sudden on the competition floor with the best athletes in the world in your division, you don't feel right, you don't feel like yourself, especially someone that's already been there. I think we compare to a fault, we compare ourselves to our former selves a lot, we compare ourselves to other people too much and in the moment that can be a really tough thing. It's almost like you have to recalibrate how you would approach workouts based on what you can and cannot do right now, or what you can train, can and cannot train. How you feel out there, does your body hurt? Are you afraid of this injury popping up? And when that enters your mind, it does really calibrate everything strategically.
Tracey MageeGuest
25:24
Yeah, definitely, and I mean there are other kind of factors that came into play then. But, like continuing on what we're saying about, like with quarterfinals, like I was starting to build and add on skills and bring stuff back like little by little, and I'd been feeling more and more confident as we've gone further, coming closer, I guess, to the game season. So I felt like chest and bar pull-ups were now in the bag. I'm not going to do them overly more volume I will reduce, like and it's important whether you've had an injury or not, as a Masters athlete, we do need to be mindful of volume.
David SyvertsenHost
25:59
Yes.
Tracey MageeGuest
25:59
Particularly any ones that would be, you know, using connective tissue, tissue a lot.
26:03
That's what I always feel when you're doing kipping. It's more connective tissue than muscle and, you know, as long as you've built the musculature around it which is why I do so much strict strength then your body can handle it. Coming out of quarter finals, I had just had the misfortune of something occurring in my life and my other kind of health issues, that kind of like, resurfaced, so that not so, having come out of semi or quarterfinals excuse me feeling really good and strong and empowered, I was dealing with a whole new set of circumstances that kind of slowed my progress, if you will, in training and I just had to do a lot of a balancing act because then all of a sudden I'm qualified for semifinals and I'm like, okay, here we go.
David SyvertsenHost
26:50
Yeah, you came in the world. So to qualify for semis you had to beat top 200 in the world in your age group and then quarterfinals you came in 37th place. So you easily skated in. I mean the workouts weren't easily, but I'm saying you weren't even close to not qualifying. Easily skated in. I mean, the workouts weren't easily, but I'm saying like you weren't even close to not qualifying. So now it's the semifinals from. There is where they take the games. Everyone, right, top 200 in the world compete over the course of the weekend and the top 40 in most age groups Tracy's group being one of them Right, it was 40. No, it's 30. Ok, it was 30. So the top 30 from Tracy's age group make it to the CrossFit Games.
27:24
And now you're talking a little bit more like cutthroat competition, a little bit more cutthroat level of workouts, and I remember I mean just us talking about programming and training things out, both for semis and the games.
27:41
It was. It was hard to really figure out what to do, because I'm big on like, let's drop, make a plan for the next two, three months, yes, but for you it's more like, how do you feel this week? You know, like, like, let's okay, playing catch up here. Right, let's put this stuff in this week, but let's take that out and then next week it's the same thing and it almost I wouldn't say it's like it's not harder, but it's a very different approach than like, hey, I'm healthy, I'm ready to go. Let's make all these progressions. So I peak at the games, because one thing I struggle with was I and I've dealt with this too is I want to be at my peak at the games, so I had so to do that or not the games for me, but like at your, at your competition, and you want to train your way there. There's no doubt you want to train your way there, like you love the training, but you don't want to do something that's going to prevent you from even getting a shot at competing.
Tracey MageeGuest
28:34
Right.
David SyvertsenHost
28:34
Like people that get hurt in training and they don't get to compete. It's like it's such a heartbreaker yeah, and that's honestly, that's on your mind at all times and it's how did you deal with that mentally of pursuing training for semis and the games while also maintaining and coping. You know your medical issues, but also the rehab of your shoulder, because you weren't at 100% with the shoulder. I can even look at you in a front rack and be like her front rack looks awful today. You know how do you deal with that mentally, because I think a lot of people struggle with that. How?
Tracey MageeGuest
29:03
do you deal with that mentally, because I think a lot of people struggle with that Right? Well, so quarterfinals, as I said, it gave me, I was feeling empowered, but then I was dealing with all these additional challenges. So, you know, I was very grateful for having, like the people around me, you know, my training buddies to always make me feel excited and energized for training, and I love the process, I love training, I love, you know, just constantly trying to improve myself, get better. But I was getting very overwhelmed for all of the things that I felt like that I needed to be ready to do and, like I said, always making sure, but I don't want to get hurt either. I want to, like, keep this momentum going. I want to make sure that my shoulder stays strong. So it was just, honestly, it was almost like a day-to-day thing of evaluation of how I feel, how can I manage this, and oftentimes I come into you and we may have a quick conversation about and you said, well, switch out this or do this instead. But I had some really exciting moments as well.
30:07
That happened where and it did happen before quarterfinals, but it didn't feel solidified and that was like, do I get on the rings. Yeah, Do I even try? Yeah, you know, and you know it's always been a really good skill of mine and I worked. You know, strict before kipping. We always say momentum has always been. You know, strict before kipping. We always say momentum has always been. You know my philosophy, like so many, like Dave herself. There's so many great coaches that know the importance of that. So I was always had very strong, strict muscle ups as well. But all of a sudden I've got this shoulder can I handle this? And it is a very aggressive movement and that transition is quite aggressive. And I just remember going down after class and saying, ok, I'm going to get up there. So I just said, ok, let me first do a strict chest to ring and say I'm like, well, actually I'm right up there. Ok, I have the strength.
30:56
And I was doing strict ring dips once I was able to. So I've always built the components of the movement, always built the components of the movement, and so it was just weird. It wasn't really kipping ring muscle but it wasn't really strict muscle up. But I just I. You know you rely on what you've done for years, that you know all those mechanics and those skills. So you know. It's like second nature to me. I know what I need to do, but when you jump in there you're like do I remember? Do I know what I'm doing? Oh my goodness. So once I did a big kip, all of a sudden I'm like, oh my God, I'm in the dip. And then, because I'd worked, so you know, such a long time, like during those months, I was able to dip out and I think Mike, mike Delatorre had been coaching the class one can't believe I'm up here.
31:42
So you know, and I jumped on it, that was prior to semifinals.
David SyvertsenHost
31:45
That was prior to semifinals, Because I remember the semifinal workout that we did together. We did the rings and front squat workout, foam workout, and you murdered the workout. I think that was the one that you came in like. I'm looking at your semifinal score right now and I think it was third place in the world.
Tracey MageeGuest
32:00
Yes, so yes, so think about that.
David SyvertsenHost
32:01
Third place in the world everybody, and I remember you getting those first muscle-ups and you finishing the work During the workout, you started celebrating.
32:09
I'm like, tracy, stop celebrating, we'll celebrate after we still got more to go. No more cardio mid workout, no, but that's again. You wear your emotions on your sleeve. I do, and that's not like kidding aside. It's not a bad thing to show emotion like that. I truly don't think it's a bad thing. It's a matter of does that emotion fuel you or take away from, like the negative emotions, like if people start crying mid-workout not the worst thing in the world, but if it does impact the rest of the workout, that's a problem. And I actually think it fueled you. Like that happiness and confidence it grew within that workout and that's what I mean. Like that mojo was there. You know, you went from, oh, I wonder if I could do ring muscle-ups in a workout like this to oh, I'm third place in the world, bitch. It's like that's a really cool component. That was one of my favorite highlights of semifinals for the entire gym.
Tracey MageeGuest
33:06
That night was just electric.
David SyvertsenHost
33:08
Yeah, it was electric that night.
Tracey MageeGuest
33:10
But I mean, dave, you were right next to me and I remember. So it's the front squats and again, I'm a very good squatter but like, as you said, I don't have full external rotation right now and I may never, and that's a hard thing for me to take, but that's a big refocus when I, you know, now, in the next couple of months, I'm going to try to get even more there. Yep so, but I, so I wasn't afraid of the front squat. I'm like, okay, I've got to get it nice and snap, get as high in the front rack as I possibly can, but like, I'm there. Well, the ring muscles were first, which was no and squat first.
33:43
Okay, yeah. And then up on the rings and I remember, like you're just flying. I'm like, oh my God, davies, I'm the next round of ring muscle-ups. I'm like, oh gosh, I'm kind of getting up there. So it was. But it was very empowering for me because it was so exciting. I was like pulling from your energy Right.
David SyvertsenHost
34:02
The energy in the room helps, thrives with this kind of stuff because, like we have some people doing the legends qualifiers coming up next week and even though I'm not competing this year, I'm going to sign up for the qualifier and be a part of the process because that energy room, like we really do help each other oh yeah, it really.
34:15
I think that's part of the reason why our masters sport community is is very accomplished and good, because we really do feed off each other and I think there's a general understanding whether you're friends or not, you're going to be better if you're with other people in the gym pursuing the same thing yeah, 100% is that night was like electric and I know that both.
Tracey MageeGuest
34:34
I think we're both the same where we're very focused yeah, right when, once we're in that workout, some we're focused, we know what we need to do, yeah, but we just. You feel that energy, though.
34:44
You know I remember Mike and my son like kind of walked in at the end as well. And then you know, there's all people that know what this meant to me, what it meant to you and, like I said, you said they're there on the bike and I think what happened to me is I during that work, as I looked at the wrong clock I always looked at the clock that way and said we had our clock down the back right and I thought, when I was in the last set of ring muscle-ups, that I had very little amount of time left and I was thinking, oh, I'm not, because I know exactly how long they're going to take. I knew how I was feeling. I knew I could stick with threes or fours and still be okay, but I'm like I don't have enough time. And then, whether it was you or I think it was Dave Lancelotti, he just looked at me and he goes what are you saying? You make me look at it. He says you've got loads of time. I'm like, oh my God, you know.
35:28
So then it was. Then it was a further. Okay, let's do this.
David SyvertsenHost
35:31
Yeah, that's like mind-sensing. That was huge there's. I mean, this is a topic for another time that I do think I'll have Rafi come back on and talk about this, because I've been doing this. Sometimes the clock can be an enemy of yours where, like you think that's the number and it kind of loses your focus a little bit, where having that pleasant surprise mid-workout is like no, no, no, you're absolutely crushing it. Like you should try this Tracy sometimes, Like off-season training, don't look at the clock once in a workout, yeah.
36:01
And you might surprise yourself, because I think sometimes we get addicted to pacing things out and you actually might be slowing yourself down. So that's a good example of trust your fitness. At that point I really felt like you were trusting your fitness?
Tracey MageeGuest
36:13
Yeah, absolutely. I tend to not look until toward the end, but I thought I was toward the end.
36:18
I just thought I was taking longer, just because I'm like you're not at the top of your game, you're not where you used to be. I just wasn't aware of how much growth I'd had. So that's why, when I looked at the wrong clock, I'm like of course that's the time. You know so. But it is like I agree with you. You know you can't be fixated on all the time because it will affect how you go, but, like when it's game day, if it's the difference between you getting ahead of somebody else and not then it's like, okay, where have I got?
36:43
I've got 10 seconds, I'm going to do this. But yeah, that was very empowering and it was just so exciting and having the energy of everybody there and that really, really fueled me then for just that confidence and like okay, I'm an athlete again and I'm starting to perform at that level that's required to succeed at this level.
David SyvertsenHost
37:03
So, speaking of game day, let's kind of get into the actual CrossFit Games this year and discuss. You know we don't have to go through every single workout, but I do want to talk about a couple in particular. In regard to hey, I made it. I'm proud of myself. You worked really hard over the summer leading up to the games, still had some fear, you know, with injuries and medical issues, but you're down there and the first workout is a workout that we just did at bison the other day the the run deadlift one yeah I was like starting uh comps off with like lower skill stuff yeah, you could just like just go try hard and then and then you're mentally too.
37:41
Yeah, you're just mentally in it when you were in that workout leading up to you were probably a nervous wreck leading up to the workout right.
Tracey MageeGuest
37:49
Okay. So yes and no, so a couple of things. So the day before we flew out we had some unforeseen stuff like happen like in our family. So it did alter my mental game before leaving. So that was somewhat of a distraction, but not necessarily in a good way, and I had my sister with me and it was really really good because she was able to kind of help me refocus on just. She said, just focus on the games right now and you know, and think about the workouts like I had one at a time. So when I saw that as the first worker, that's definitely a wheelhouse worker for me. I mean, I was a competitive runner and marathoner where I've been used to running.
David SyvertsenHost
38:35
Yeah, you're comfortable running.
Tracey MageeGuest
38:36
Six plus no six minute miles or whatever for really, really long periods of time, although I've had a huge, big step back from that, but I've always kept to in my repertoire once my knees cooperated so and deadlifts again is a strength of mine, so I knew what it came down to is like how you approach this workout, how you like attack this workout. So I remember going in and I think it was the first time that I saw the athlete area, the athlete village. They did change it later. They started cordoning it off a little bit more and not having many people in there. But I think I might have even saw. It was either Dave or Dan kind of going in and Natalie kind of came at me because she got the wristband to be able to be in there as my coach, my helper, my all in everything, therapist helper.
David SyvertsenHost
39:25
Processor coach.
Tracey MageeGuest
39:27
And so the space was so huge it was and I we didn't really have access outside, but I'm like I'm going to run. So I mean, I know not all athletes, not all CrossFitters, but I think you should.
David SyvertsenHost
39:40
Yeah.
Tracey MageeGuest
39:40
If you're going to run in a workout to warm up, that is just, especially when they do it competitively. So I just ran the whole, the whole space Like it was enormous. I was viewing it because I'd been done a lot of track work and I'm like this is easily 200 meters. I was able to assess and evaluate. So I was also able to kind of check my time and I'm like I feel good and I think it was yeah, it must've been. And I said I actually feel good and I went up and I did the deadlifts.
40:06
I'm like gosh, these feel fine, these feel like 155 used to feel back in the day because it started to feel heavier as I've got older. So when the workout and I did have anxiety, that nervousness okay, this is the first workout, let's get the nerves out but I want to get it going. But I wasn't scared, like you said, because it wasn't overly technical, it wasn't too complicated. It was just kind of how hard can you go? And I do know a lot of the athletes in the field. They stagger you. So it's kind of odd at first.
40:38
You don't know where you are as you're coming out so you start your barbell and you finish at your barbell, so I know my paces very well. But when I started running I was starting to clip away people very quickly and very easily and I felt, you know, comfortable while I was running. But I did have that moment and I was just frustrated in myself that I allowed it to get in my head. I'm like, am I going a little too fast? Because I literally caught up on everybody except for the first two athletes who were ahead of me.
David SyvertsenHost
41:11
Yeah, because they lined up a lot further ahead of you.
Tracey MageeGuest
41:13
Yes, and I'm thinking so. When I came back, deadlifts felt fine. It was the five, so it's always the lower reps to begin with. So I knew it was going to get progressively harder. But because it was the first workout and because it was deadlifts, I because it was the first workout and because it was deadlifts I was intentionally a little bit more conservative. I didn't know what was to come later on in the week, which kind of hurt me a little bit more. So if I'd have known, I would have kind of probably-.
David SyvertsenHost
41:37
Tried to push a little bit more. Yeah, yeah.
Tracey MageeGuest
41:38
And it was really the first round, and we always say like, even as coaches, don't go all out in the first round, so don't touch, but when you're in competition you have to go as close to them as possible and just hang on.
David SyvertsenHost
41:48
Yep, you have to take a few risks when you compete, like you have to really kind of put yourself out there a little bit, right, but part of competing, right, you have, like all these events here. I think you guys did it was eight events, right. Yeah, your division had eight events. The events themselves are the fitness says, but the, the 11th, the ninth event for you guys is doing them all in a matter of three, four days and just staying strong, like that needs to be thought about while you're doing every workout. It's like you don't want to sell your soul on one if it's going to affect two or three others.
Tracey MageeGuest
42:18
So you have to try to find that nine percent line, which is a skill in of itself exactly and and I think we all know, if you've done crossfit for a long time, when you do like moderately heavy deadlifts and running, it really does smoke your posterior chain and that seems to affect everything. And I just thought, well, if I overdo a little bit that's going to hurt me. But once I finished the first round I thought in my head you went a little too easy in that first round and there was no real catching up. I tried, tried, but the 22nd, whatever it is that I lost. I was trying to get it back a few seconds at a time. But you know, it was like races for me, like in the old days. If you let it go a little too much early on, it's kind of you're not going to really catch up.
David SyvertsenHost
43:01
Yeah, it's going to catch up to you. Yeah, but.
Tracey MageeGuest
43:02
I was still very happy with how I did, but being in that first heat, you don't know what the times are to beat.
David SyvertsenHost
43:10
Right, which is always kind of hurts. That's always tough, that's always tough.
Tracey MageeGuest
43:13
Yeah, and coaches are there and they're letting their athletes know as soon as they come in what they need to beat. So I feel like that as well kind of held me back just a little bit, but I was still very happy with how I did. You know, my mindset kind of changed a little bit the day I guess the Monday, once we got all the workouts, once they announced to us that they were taking two workouts out for our division which was very disappointing for me, because both of them were definitely what I consider wheelhouse workouts so for me and also ones that I can showcase my abilities and why I got there and why I deserve to be there.
43:52
So that was hard. So it just changed how I was going to approach each workout going in and probably I had a little bit more pressure and anxiety going into workouts that maybe it kind of hurt me a little bit. I may have approached them like a little differently to what I would have ordinarily.
David SyvertsenHost
44:08
Understood yeah.
44:10
So now that you're in it, you've done that first workout. Those cobwebs are off. Hey, I'm back in. I'm competing at the games. Day two was a little rough because of the second workout and this workout is going to be. We're hoping to get this into BICE. I'm having a hard time finding the right days to do it, just based on what other stuff we're working on, but I do think we're going to put this in at some point. But the workout was for time 75, with a tight cap, by the way, so a lot of people don't finish this one 75 wall balls, 40 double dumbbell shoulder overhead, 30 dumbbell stepovers, 40 dumbbell snatches, 75 wall balls and this was your worst finish of the weekend. And hey, when you compete you're going to have a worse finish. No matter what, scientifically, objectively, you're going to have a worse and you're going to have a best of him, and this was your worst one.
45:01
This is day two, so you're kind of like in the middle, still in the front half of the games, and I remember watching you. I remember seeing some of the games and I remember watching you. I remember seeing, you know, some of the reactions, the wall balls that really beat you up and they're not a strength of yours, but I've seen you do enough them that you're not bad at them, like you don't get there. But what happened in that event? And I remember you you coming off the floor. You're very upset and in my head I'm like, hey, at some point you're to have to put this behind you because you still have a lot of ways to go. But I've been there before. I've been very upset about getting just crushed in a workout and you know let's talk about you could talk about physically what happened in that workout, but I also want to talk about mentally what was happening during and right after that workout, knowing you still had a lot, a lot of ways to go yeah, well, firstly, it was even before that.
Tracey MageeGuest
45:50
So the evening before or even early afternoon, I started feeling it in workout two. Something, something wasn't right about me and again, workout two was going to be one of the ones that I needed to crush and I did really, really well. In the warm-up area we had the handstand walks, which anybody seen me in the gym they know that. They know that I've been practicing, practicing, practicing, yeah, absolutely, but it was the last skill that I was able to introduce in my shoulder so I hadn't got the proficiency. I think that if things didn't go well, that I would end up having trouble. So I did great in the warm-up area, even on a concrete floor, slippery floor, but I started feeling a little kind of dizzy and a little off um, coming down off the rope climbs and going there. So then I started to get pressure and anxiety to start the handstand walks. I was starting too soon, I kept putting my hand on the line and you know so I kind of fumbled and messed up that workout. I lost the confidence that, like you've done these 20 foot over and over in the warm-up area that I just kind of kept coming down and I guess I't wasn't able to rely on. You're super proficient at these any given day that I knew. So that was kind of tough. But I knew things weren't right.
46:55
So that evening things kind of went a little awry. I had a medical issue that I'd been dealing with earlier on the route in the year that I'd, you know, had some minor surgery for, and then it kind of resurfaced. But again I'm like I've trained through this. I've had my training buddies like Kathleen and Mindy, and they know the experience and they've been there with me where they would help me train through it and just make me feel empowered. But I could always decide on a day I can go home. If I don't feel great, I can go home.
47:24
All of a sudden it's the next day, it's wall ball workouts and again, if anybody knows me, they know I don't like wall balls. I mean I'm five foot, okay. Worst of all, I don't have great wrist mobility, so I hold it on the outside, we always hold it underneath. It does not work for me, but I have a really good engine. So I always say to myself even if I have to do 10%, 15% more wall balls, I don't care, you can will yourself, I will keep going, I will keep going, but I started getting really dizzy and the other thing was just such a weird thing and it's only because I've had a little bit of a vertigo, I've always had it.
47:58
It's in our family, so when it's an open space behind the wall balls. So I had that. I had this dizzy feeling and I wasn't feeling like I was. I was very, very depleted and I'm like you just do it, just just do it, you can do it and it just. I think I was 15 wall balls at the beginning and I'm thinking, wow, this is not good. I'm like I'm, I'm feeling it, I'm feeling the effort. Number one and number two I was getting very disoriented and it just kept going and the difficulty was all of you, like, all of our support, just for where we were inside, there was nobody behind us, you know.
David SyvertsenHost
48:34
You couldn't see her even better. You were screaming, but I was like I don't even know if she hears us.
Tracey MageeGuest
48:38
And that's what a lot of athletes who had the same. They didn't like that at all that we didn't have our support. Because I look at you or Liz, or my sister Natalie, and whatever, and just say like, talk to me or you know, wait 10 seconds. And I did. And I think you probably noticed and I did. It was very difficult even for me looking back afterwards, to see myself literally fall apart because I was stopping and looking around. I wasn't even trying to do wall balls at a certain point and I was communicating with my judge and I said to her, I said, said I think I need to withdraw because I was worried, I'm like, about how unwell I was feeling and I think I was something like 50 wall balls in. And I looked at the clock and I'm like, are you kidding me?
49:20
I've done, karen and then someone already done and then I'm thinking, hey, I guess I'm doing all 150 wall balls at the beginning instead. But that was kind of how I felt and so once I got them done, I'm like I am just going to hammer the rest of this workout. I knew at that point this workout's done. I'm going to be right down on the bottom of the leaderboard on this one and I just kind of wanted to finish it. And even then, like I said, we do 35 dumbbells all the time. They're nothing. When I picked up those lighter ones, it was like I felt every bit of them and I'm like, oh dear here we go.
49:55
So I pushed through. So the mental, you know, the thing that like empowered me was like even with all that I had going on, I can still do this.
David SyvertsenHost
50:03
I can still push through. That's a huge win, yeah, and you could take that into future endeavors and competitions as well.
Tracey MageeGuest
50:09
I mean, and I always like draw even on my path as a competitive marathon and distant runner is like I have suffered through, like the worst conditions the heat you know cold.
50:20
I've fallen on my face and you know that's the end of a race, where, but I'm not stopping because I'm going to be in first place. I'm not going because I'm gonna be in first place, I'm not gonna lose it, so that you know. I know I can push through a lot of discomfort and even though I know my body is probably telling me you shouldn't be doing this, I'm like I can do this and I just wanted to kind of finish out like strong. But also it was just so disappointing for me because then I knew you guys were all there, like all my team, my bison bees, you know, my sister, my family, the Irish crew were all there and like all my team my Bison B's you know, my sister, my family, the Irish crew were all there and I'm thinking this is what you showcase.
50:51
And it was hard because I couldn't tell. Not everybody knew what was going on with me. You know they didn't know what was happening, but you know you've got to take it on the chin. Though Other athletes are dealing with a lot too. You never know what people are like are dealing with and I better, I would have felt good and then it would be. You know, I get through it so, but I did have my moment and I remember, um, even Mike coming over to me and, like everybody, you guys are like all hugged me and you know, and just so, I mean, it just made me feel so loved.
51:26
I mean first of all, I felt all the love and energy and I know everybody truly meant that they were proud. But I was so disappointed, right, and that's okay. I was so disappointed, right, and that's okay, yeah. And so I needed my mom. So I just said to my sister and to Mike just leave me. Yeah, I just walked across the bus and just let me feel this I have to feel what I feel. I have to get it out.
David SyvertsenHost
51:47
It's the best way to get it out, yeah.
Tracey MageeGuest
51:48
I had to evaluate where do I go from here? Yep, where do I go from here? And I remember then, once I kind of like settled down, it was Dave Lancelotti came over to me then as well, and then we had like injured surgery kind of athletes, kind of understanding one another, talking to me, reminding me. He said, like even from that perspective of your shoulder surgery, you really weren't really supposed to be here. It was still a little too soon and just understand that this is a huge accomplishment just to be there. And if you have this, you know crash and burn, as I call it, it's okay. Next day, next event. So that's how I just said to him like okay, I'm going to dust it off. But the thing was the next workout. Again, when I saw the 10, which I thought were 10 workouts to begin with, I said there's three there I'm worried about, and I was thinking only three.
52:40
Even if you're right down the other, you're going to be up there right with the rest of them, so I wasn't too worried um so, but that the next workout was one of those three.
David SyvertsenHost
52:48
Yeah, the work, the next workout, because that was. That was kind of like um, you know you had a we. You know I had a moment in this one as well. It it was for a time. How many double-unders was it? It was 60, 60-hour division which I tested this workout. In my opinion, this was the hardest one. So just like effort and soul crusher.
Tracey MageeGuest
53:08
Soul crusher yeah.
David SyvertsenHost
53:09
So basically there's an interval and every interval starts off with 60 double-unders, 15 chest-to-bar pull-ups, and then you have to go to the echo bike and do as many echo bike cows as you can in the remaining time, and the first interval is four minutes. There's one minute rest, there's a three minute interval, one minute rest and then a two minute interval, and basically what they're telling you to do is you have to go work really hard to get to that bike and then you have to bike really hard. You have go fast and you really can put yourself in a blender after those four minutes, like if you're on that bike for two-plus minutes going hard. Go bike for two minutes and then tell me you're going to be okay to go do other stuff, and then you kind of have to be, and then the interval shortens every time. So you have to like kind of keep the urgency because you have to get to the bite to get the score. That is the score.
53:55
So they're at competition with the games, like they have very standard pull-up bar heights, like here at bison. We have low, we have high, we have very low, we're very high, it's medium, it's hey. Everyone's using the same exact pull-up bar height as the six foot four guys that are competing like you're using that bar as well. They're not going to change pull-up bar heights for you Spoiled CrossFitters. Listen up.
54:20
But they at some point you didn't know if you were going to have risers or what, so they let a coach come on and which was me to lift you up onto the pull-up bar. Like literally, I was on the floor. Yeah, guys, I finally made the game. All right, I was on the floor but I got to. So cool I got to. Every time Tracy wanted to go up there, I got to lift her up and then I took a step back. Describe that workout, because that workout is probably the best workout I know. There is skill. I mean you cross the jump rope and you have your chest bar. We talked about that. But that's kind of a high-effort workout and sometimes those are the best ones to do when you're just kind of a little bit stressed out from a previous event.
Tracey MageeGuest
54:59
Yeah, yeah, absolutely. I mean in the warm-up area I did have that moment and my sister did have to kind of talk me off a ledge where I was like I think I need to withdraw. I really do. I said I'm not feeling it, I'm not operating at 100%, and so did double unders. I was on the Eka but I actually had tested one round of this workout here at Bison. It was the only one that I did even a piece of and I wouldn't say I felt great, but I felt confident that I could still make a dent.
David SyvertsenHost
55:29
Right, you can do it yeah.
Tracey MageeGuest
55:31
So, and the double unders again are, you know, it's a really good skill for me and if I trip I don't ever worry about it, I just kind of keep going. And the bike is brutal. I'm a small athlete and you know, and on these we know, mass moves, mass and I really, really have to suffer to make a dent at all. But I wasn't worried. So I I was able to do the unbroken chest bar actually and and you know, when I, when I tested it, I got on the bike and now I was dying. Yeah, I mean, and my friend Nancy as well, when she said she tested, she said she cried doing this and she's another small athlete as well. It was just, it's just absolutely brutal. It's it's literally like crossfair and it's probably best, worst to everyone want to look at it. So I knew, knew what that was going to feel like. I said the unfortunate thing, like yeah, there was that issue with the rig height and unfortunately it was the same in the warm-up area, so I could not reach the rig in the warm-up area.
David SyvertsenHost
56:28
That's scary.
Tracey MageeGuest
56:29
Yeah, and they would not let the coaches in to help us. Over the course of the time they were getting more and more strict about it. There was a few athletes that sneakily, but very quickly, they stacked three. Yeah, they needed three to jump to this warm-up break. I, from my shoulder, I need so much mobilization with my band. I did none of that. I jumped in before because then we were told you cannot do that. Uh, good, up there and I. I just did five. I was ill prepared for going right there and you and I never got to test the jump up either.
57:01
So we were going in blind doing everything.
57:04
So, um, although I was very, very confident, my double unders, I'm very confident in my chest about pull-ups and I'm like you've got a hammer d is, and we even said that on the way out yeah, to get to bike and that was my plan. But unfortunately, like I knew, every time I was getting jumped up there I was losing time, but not having warmed up my kip, well, I wasn't initiating it right when I got up there and then we did a few kind of jump ups and then I started saying you just got to hang up here. So I'm like vice grip, just double kipping, just trying to get those chest bars, because I'm thinking, okay, it's going to take me two seconds to do a double kip chest bar because you can't get your rhythm back Right or you're going to drop down. It's going to three to five seconds to get back up. And that was a sense of urgency of that workout. So it could have been a decent one for me and actually it wasn't my workout, yeah, it wasn't, it was your third best.
David SyvertsenHost
57:59
It was your third best workout.
Tracey MageeGuest
58:00
Right, right, but again, it could have been so much better.
David SyvertsenHost
58:03
It could have been like a top ten finish.
Tracey MageeGuest
58:05
And I wasn't the only one that encountered that, and just for full disclosure about what they actually did do, they said in the briefing that there was one crash mat. Like you said, these bars are set for six foot four whatever athletes, and across the board, one six-inch riser. Like it or lump it Right right.
58:25
There's nothing we can do about it. Well, it just happened to be in my division. There was maybe more short athletes in my division myself and Julie, If you know Julie, so she's from Roseland, phenomenal athlete, she's unbelievable and so we talked about this and her coach as well, and, like you guys did, where she and I think one of them were going out on the floor to see what to jump up and they got themselves in trouble and I kind of walked over with them because everybody was telling me, for whatever reason they said you say something. And I'm like well, you're the shortest.
David SyvertsenHost
58:59
I'm like.
Tracey MageeGuest
59:00
Julie's five foot as well. So I'm like I said, I'm not going to be the one going in there complaining, because I never liked to complain.
David SyvertsenHost
59:06
Right.
Tracey MageeGuest
59:06
They accept your fate, whatever it is. You got to work around it, right, but like we physically so.
David SyvertsenHost
59:17
So we, we grouped together. That would be a bad look for a comp too.
Tracey MageeGuest
59:18
yeah, to have a bunch of people that can't even get on the pole, right, right, so they did. Then they lowered it by a few inches, but we hadn't tested out to see what it felt like until, like you came out right, we had no idea what it was going to feel like, so so that that was really hard. Like to have to kind of like encounter that and and I understand they said for safety reasons is why they're like to have to kind of like encounter that, and I understand they said for safety reasons is why they're like a six-inch riser. And this is just me and I know I'm a short athlete and it's not going to be relevant to most of CrossFitters or athletes like out there, but I feel that Rogue has made so many advancements and so much of their equipment In competitions. Now there are going to be like short athletes.
David SyvertsenHost
59:57
You should be able to adjust your pull bar just by, like a real quick operation. I mean, it's a disadvantage so.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:00:02
I felt like in that particular, the salt or the bike is going to be good for the bigger athletes, our advantage should be the rig. But then if you can't get to the rig, our advantage suddenly gets diminished, so the balance is kind of gone. That's how I kind of felt. So, but again, not to complain, but that's just no, that's definitely. It's constructive criticism. Yeah, yeah, and the warm-up area I think in some way should match at least where you're going to be doing absolutely floor absolutely and masters athletes, we need to be prepared to do aggressive stuff like that.
01:00:29
And you know, I also need to learn lessons. That I've learned, like for myself and my sister had said it too is that sometimes I can be like too polite and I'm not good at pushing my way through and demanding my space and whatever, and I do kind of take a backseat. That I would say that to any athlete when you're out there in the warm-up area, it gets crazy out there.
01:00:52
Sometimes there's limited space, sometimes limited equipment or there's other people that will just take over all the time. And I just kept taking a backseat all the time and then, as a consequence, I wasn't getting my warm-up. And you do need to kind of push in and say it's my turn.
David SyvertsenHost
01:01:05
Yeah, on several fronts, I think, being a competitive athlete, there are some selfish traits you're going to have to adopt, and that doesn't make you a bad person, but I do think if you're really trying to win and compete at your highest level, there are, I mean, and that's at the games and also just with your training, and so maybe even like your family life sometimes, like there are some selfish traits you'll have to adopt if you want to reach your ceiling. Let's talk about the highlight of the weekend, and this was your final event. It was by far your best finish. It was a one rep max front squat. Basically, they put a rack on the floor, they gave everyone their own rack, they gave you X amount of time, your own barbells, your own weights and you had to establish a one rep max front squat. And this is an event that you absolutely murdered. You came in seventh place. You front squatted 200 pounds it was.
01:02:00
Can I ask you how much you weigh?
Tracey MageeGuest
01:02:02
um well, I actually lost yeah, weight.
David SyvertsenHost
01:02:04
What do you think you were weighing it that day?
Tracey MageeGuest
01:02:06
I was probably.
David SyvertsenHost
01:02:07
It was under 110 anyway so how many, how many people do we know that can front squat essentially double their, double their weight? Front squat not even a back squat at the end of a competition weekend. That was an unbelievably impressive feat, but also probably the best way to finish out your CrossFit Games, because that's a high. That's an absolute high and I know you didn't want to be cut and didn't reach the Sunday cut, but that's like momentum. I'm all about momentum, like I really think we have to try to pursue momentum and it's not always going to be there. You have to fight through the bad times, but that's something that I really feel like you can kind of step off of as you step into your next year of training.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:02:48
Yeah, I mean it was so, so exciting. And the workout right before, which we didn't really touch on, involved a very heavy clean and again, I would have been able to probably hit that had I had more time to build strength. But, like my front rack, has been an issue.
01:03:06
I'm with a fast lift, fast elbows and that's why I was a little bit concerned about the front squat. Knowing it was coming, I hit the weight in the warm-up area but then I came out and looking back on the video, I'm very excited Again. It was almost 40 pounds over my body weight, was the clean and I caught it like a bunch of times. I think, if I caught it once, I would have been able to continue with it.
01:03:32
But again, that's just telling me that I have to regain that weight that I've lost to like, like, so that I can, you know, be able to handle the load. Because load under velocity is very different than a control load. So this is what I was telling myself after coming out of that and thinking, gosh, I didn't catch those cleans so, but it did. It almost warmed up my front rack.
David SyvertsenHost
01:03:53
Yeah, I wish they had that event before the clean event.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:03:56
So do I.
David SyvertsenHost
01:03:56
I really think if you had that one rack shot early, you would have hit those cleans.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:04:00
Yeah, because in training the weekend before that's literally what I did. My sister and I came in for open gym. I did front squat and clean and I hit that weight and it was going between the two. So the front squat really allowed me to to crank my um, my, my elbow up, which again I'm I'm working on from a rehab perspective, and that was the other thing was difficult, not having a coach to be allowed in there to help me with that right.
01:04:26
So I had to do a lot of it by myself. But when again coming off the clean, even though maybe it would be perceived as a disappointment, I was sad that I I didn't hit it. And again I felt like I'm letting everybody down and myself down, but I'm like it's okay, another event to go, let's do this. And I remember walking out on the floor and it was just like it just hit me Just. First of all, this is your last workout. You guys were all there, all the bison people, my sister, my daughter, mike, and all the Irish people which I mean, you know, they were like unbelievable crazy. So they had the flag and the baron, like so this baron is an Irish thing, which is like it's very festive.
David SyvertsenHost
01:05:06
Yeah.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:05:06
And you know. So that was like just that feeling and it I was like oh, tracy, just finish out strong. So because it didn't require intensity, even though I was still in dealing with a lot of the stuff that I had, it was more controlled.
David SyvertsenHost
01:05:23
It was controlled exactly.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:05:24
And again, I know through training exactly how to pace something like that. We do that in training all the time Prepare for the lift, and now you've got whatever amount of time, spread out these and know enough exactly how much time you need to rest to hit the next one. I had a really good game plan. I knew what I needed to go going in and then when I just looked there and you guys were right in front of me, right that was huge.
01:05:47
I was just because I I felt like I was getting reinforcement every time that you're doing the right thing, even as I was loading, loading the barbell, and it was also empowering to me. I'm looking around, I'm like I'm putting on more weight than other people. I'm like no, no, no, stick with the plan, You're good, you're good. And once I hit that it was a bit of a nervous first lift.
01:06:05
I would say that first front squat I believe, but it was one that I was very, very comfortable doing, but it was still. It was hard and you know, I got that one out of the way and then everybody was like so excited and what I kept doing and everybody was saying like why do you keep taking your belt off? It's like I never usually wear a weight belt, I only use it for maybe that last one lift. So I was-.
01:06:29
Like a max lift, yeah, a max lift. So I was taking it off and that was kind of wasting time, fussing, but it was like no, this is my recovery, you're okay, just put it back on. So I wanted to do 195. I'd done it before and I said I think I can do it, I'm feeling a little depleted, but it's just one, you can do just one, and you know. So I loaded up the 195. That was my next, or did I do? I think I did three, I did three, I did three weights. I did 175, 185.
David SyvertsenHost
01:06:58
And then 200. Yeah, and then you took another bar off the rack and you're like no, I'm not going to do it.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:07:02
No, no, so yeah, so what happened there? So I asked a question in the corral and nobody had really like asked that before and I said if you start a front squat, do you get credit for it if it finishes at the clock? And they said no.
David SyvertsenHost
01:07:21
Yeah, so you have to be done with the squat.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:07:23
You have to be done. We have to be done with the squat. So when I hit the 195, I'm like that's the one I wanted to get. So I'm like I'm going to go 200. This is just a number I haven't touched in probably years actually. So before my surgery I may have dabbled around it but I'm like I don't need to go like that heavy like on a front squat If I'm up in that vicinity like I'm happy. But I said I'll go over. So it was unbelievably exciting. I mean, you guys just exploded. It was absolutely insane. And I was so excited and I really do think I I did kind of faff about is what we say Irish people. After that, when I I think I could have hit the 205 yeah, for sure, I bet you would have.
David SyvertsenHost
01:08:07
And.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:08:07
I think if I, if I did just but you just need a bit more time for setup, and that's what it was, I think, if I did, just in my head, because I think I was like cheer, I was just so excited for 200. And I'm like, I'm done like that. And then everyone, was like no, why not? Why wouldn't you? And it was the last event.
David SyvertsenHost
01:08:23
Those are the times to take a risk too.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:08:25
Exactly, and I stepped back and I think even if I had maybe had the possibility of not finishing, I might have kind of attempted it.
David SyvertsenHost
01:08:33
Right.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:08:33
But it was like I was there with the three, two, one when I stood back and I'm like, nope, nope, I'm good. Yeah, it was very, very exciting. It was so much fun, that's awesome.
David SyvertsenHost
01:08:42
Now, now that we are, we're here, we're week removed, you probably have, you know, kind of reflected and emotions up and down, you know. Just to wrap this up, I would like to just talk about what your future is, and you know it could be your future where you think the game's future should be with the masters community, like, do you think they should keep it exclusive as their own event? I think they should for a lot of reasons, but I would like to get kind of like, where where's Tracy at, like, what, what's your plan, both now in terms of training and staying in the game for next season? Because I think the mistake a lot of people make out of competing is that the endorphins are high and they just want to throw. They're just like all right, here I go, I'm going for it. It's like you've got to let yourself come down a little bit and let some things fix. Your momentum will come back at some point.
01:09:33
I'm kind of curious what is your plan, your future, your mindset, both for yourself and where do you want the games to go? Because they have to keep their train moving if you're going to have a sport to compete in.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:09:44
Yeah, firstly, I really did need that week of reprieve after, you know, because I did. I came away very, very disappointed with my performance. You know we obviously talked a lot about that. I had big goals for myself, even though happy to be there it's a privilege, it was an honor. I was so excited to be there. I'm very competitive, you know, and I wanted to. I knew what I was capable of and I just wanted to at least do that, you know, showcase what I was capable of and have that performance kind of line up with that. So I did a family over, my sister was over and I was visiting with my children, so that gave me an opportunity just to kind of focus on different things for a little bit, so I wouldn't dwell too much on that disappointment. And then I came in. I think I came in with Natalie, but I wasn't really training per se.
David SyvertsenHost
01:10:37
Yeah, just fun workout type.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:10:40
Fun workout and get that done. And then I came in, I think on Thursday, and that's when I just started feeling like myself again. I'm like, oh, wouldn't it have been great if I got to do all these Totem Bar, because I can do all these 18, 14, then all unbroken.
01:10:52
And hey, these lunges feel great broken. And hey, these lunges feel great. I wish I got to do lunges. You know I was that. But it was also like, okay, you're, you're good. Because I started doubting my capabilities and and all those things which just start to happen when, when you're an athlete. But I always say, like there's always that post-composition blues, almost you know, like you've put so much energy and focus onto preparing for an event and then it's like it's like Christmas or things like that. You know, then it's over and it's like there's a little bit of this kind of ah, now what?
01:11:19
yeah, right so I had a little, a little bit of a little bit of that feeling, but I also had um, you know the I, another kind of thing that I I usually uh think about. Um and more women will relate to this analogy, but I think crossfit and competing is a little bit like childbirth.
David SyvertsenHost
01:11:37
Yeah.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:11:38
Where you're in, when you're in the throes of it, you're like, oh my God why am I doing this this? Really hurts. I want to stop. Why did I do this? Yeah, and then it's, and then it's over, and you know, and then it's like you forget it's all worth it.
David SyvertsenHost
01:11:51
Yeah, it's all worth it.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:11:52
And then you're doing it again, and then you're doing it again, but I did have a point of reflection. There's a lot that I'm going to have to do, even just the rehab alone, of continued rehab, of trying to regain that full external rotation and dealing with, as I said, some of the health and medical issues that I have, and seeing if I can continue just to kind of build and stay stronger. And initially what I want to do is just go back in class and have fun, just come back and just, you know, like that, and take each workout as it comes, with no expectations, and just enjoy it there for a while, give my body a chance to really fully heal. But I'm not going to sit back completely like on my laurels if I do have, you know, aspirations or intentions of getting stronger, because you, I don't like that back to zero, rebuild back up every time. So if I can just kind of continue to maintain during this kind of yeah, you will not be rebuilding like you had to last year, Right?
01:12:46
exactly, so it would be nice to kind of.
David SyvertsenHost
01:12:49
Get some real training.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:12:50
Get some real training in. Yeah, and I do feel always at the end of a season like this, whatever your sporting season is, at the end of the CrossFit season, this is it. Now, at the end of the Games, this is when you make your plan. Now, I mean, it doesn't have to be so finite, but you have to more or less have a plan of what you want to do for the upcoming year. So, depending on the level that you're at or what your aspirations are, now is the time to start working on those skills. Now is the time to start continuing to build on your strength, and you know. So I will take the time to kind of reflect a little bit. Um, the fact is I am, I'm just competitive by nature, it's just. You know, I can still enjoy the process. I do love the process, but I'm very goal oriented yeah.
01:13:32
I like to have something to pursue in order to give purpose to my training once it gets hard. So when it's fun and you're enjoying the community, you know there, you, that that's fine. But once, once you get into the thick of it and it starts getting harder, you need to have a kind of purpose to kind of go with that. So, um, I'm hoping that the, the masters crossfit, like of itself, will continue to grow the way that it did, regardless of what I choose, where. I choose to go with it, because I would be behind and supportive of other athletes, even if it's not myself, to bolster them to kind of reach their goals. I think they did a fantastic job with doing that. Having been to the Games where the Masters and the individuals were together nine years ago, it was still fantastic. It was a great experience, but the Masters were definitely a backseat to the individual.
David SyvertsenHost
01:14:25
Yeah.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:14:25
You know, there was a division amongst the spectators.
David SyvertsenHost
01:14:28
And there was less of you.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:14:29
Yeah.
David SyvertsenHost
01:14:30
I think having their own event really does open the door to getting more athletes there.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:14:34
Yeah, absolutely. And then it just put a spotlight on Masters and it was such a spectacle.
David SyvertsenHost
01:14:40
It was, it was great.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:14:41
You were there every event, every workout. There was just crowds and the energy was just fantastic.
David SyvertsenHost
01:14:48
Yes, Sam and I are going to do an episode next week on just kind of like an evaluation of the games itself and like the good, the bad and it's more good than bad, but there's always going to be things to fix. I would say the same thing about a random 5am class. I could coach Like, oh, that could have been better. But we will give some of those opinions on what it was like from a spectator perspective and what could be better for this to keep rocking, because I really do think they've got to find a way to keep this thing going. Take us out of it. There's so many people that this can really light a fire for and give them something motivated. If they ever cut it out, I think you'd see a huge drop in this CrossFit in general.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:15:31
I think so too. I mean, at some point every athlete is going to become a Masters, so that will be great to have that there and growing like with the input, with the feedback that we're going to give, if they are interested in what we have to say, which I'm sure that they are, I think from an athlete perspective, there's a few things that would definitely make it better, but it was great the space.
01:16:10
You know that was really just about us and they've struggled with that in the past, so it was excellent. And Masters athletes at the end. They are so incredibly supportive of one another and even like the coaches like you know, I got to talk to like Julie's coach, marquand I do know them and some of the other ones.
David SyvertsenHost
01:16:22
It's a different vibe. It's a good vibe.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:16:23
It really is and they want for everybody to be able to have this opportunity as well. I did feel again having gone before it was was Carson, so it was obviously a different, a completely different location. But having indoor outdoor it was just. It was a different kind of energy and vibe. We were indoor like for the whole time, for the whole event. It meant the space was great, the floors was great, but it was just it was. You just felt like we were kind of in a fishbowl most of the time, so we needed a little pressure Something for them to think about that.
01:17:00
But for me going forward, I think I just need a little bit of time now to just enjoy training with my crew the 930 crew and my girls. I know that Legends is coming up for them too, and a lot of athletes there, and not just even just Masters, because I know that Legends is coming up for them too, and you know a lot of athletes there, and not just I, not even just Masters, because I know that you know we have young athletes in in in the gym as well and if they took, got a chance to kind of look at how some of the like like even say the 35 to 39, like your age division, dave, dave and the level.
David SyvertsenHost
01:17:36
Yeah, it's crazy.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:17:37
It's insane.
David SyvertsenHost
01:17:38
It is.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:17:38
You know how they perform and I think just being around the athletes here in Bison when they are doing the online qualifiers, knowing what level that they have to perform at, I think it will just bolster everybody and just help everybody to get better.
David SyvertsenHost
01:17:54
Everyone's got to drink out of that cup and pour into that cup. We've got help everybody to get better. Everyone's got to drink out of that cup and pour into that cup. We got to give and take from that cup because I do think that's why there's the vibe of Masters sport and our gym is so strong. I was telling a few people from down there that I got to talk to it was like we had 57 athletes from Masters qualify for age groups and they did like a double take. They're like wait what?
Tracey MageeGuest
01:18:17
From one gym and I was like yeah, right, it's, and I do think it's.
David SyvertsenHost
01:18:19
It's like that idea that people it's. Uh, we do a good job of balancing. You know drinking and pouring from that cup and also dave.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:18:26
I mean it's, it's a testament to you and and and your programming and your, your work ethic and you know, like, as a coach, and what you expect of us and what you, the challenge that you put in front of us. I mean certainly from, from my perspective, like you know all of the, the coaching and the programming that you do, I felt like I was as prepared as I could possibly have in your with your assistant.
David SyvertsenHost
01:18:48
Yeah, yeah, yeah I mean I look forward to just kind of keeping the train going. Um, like to have a normal year of training. You, you know, I think it's. It could be even better next year. You know you have to put the work in and you have to want to do it. You have to come up with that plan. We'll talk at some point, but it's uh, it will be fun to have a real year of training, rather than seven months of rehab and three months of I don't know if I can do this and then, oh, I made the games.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:19:14
Yeah, that's what it was. After 75 hours of play, I started wanting it and then I got it Accidentally made the games. And then I'm like oh shit, oops, sorry.
01:19:23
I actually made it. Oh my God, yeah, so yeah, no, I would. I would like. Like you know, my mantra throughout all of that was like I want to stay healthy and injury free. They were real, because if you're not that, then you, you can't really continue to um, you know, to perform or compete. But yeah, having a solid year behind me would be yeah, you can soar, yeah yeah, all right.
David SyvertsenHost
01:19:43
Well, thank you for the time, tracy, on a sunday morning, again very proud of you, and I look forward to the future. Um, you know I'm I'm proud of you, but also excited for the future. And equally, you know, like I don't want to look at the past too much and celebrate too much, I want to get to work at some point and really kind of get this train moving back to making the 2025 CrossFit Games, which who knows where they'll be, but there will be another Masters Games. I'm very confident in that, based on what happened this year.
01:20:10
So, for those that are out there that are going through any sort of you know, if you want to call it, you know aging process, midlife crisis process, trying to bounce back from an injury, and it's not as easy as you thought because you're older than you used to be. I want you to use Tracy as an inspiration. That doesn't mean you need to try and make the games if you have an injury, but I do think you can come back from anything as a stronger version of yourself mentally, emotionally and physically, can come back from anything as a stronger version of yourself mentally, emotionally and physically. It's not easy and it's not a process that most of us want to really take part in, but it is possible, and I think that's. One thing I love about the sport is that the inspiration and ideas and thoughts that you can give to other people for the future can stem from situations like this. Going through these ups and downs all right, right.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:20:56
Dave, thank you so much. I really appreciate it. It was an absolute honor to compete for CrossFit Bison and I really just want to make you proud. I hope that I did.
David SyvertsenHost
01:21:05
Absolutely.
Tracey MageeGuest
01:21:06
I feel like I underperformed somewhat, but it was really an amazing experience and it was just made better just by all of you guys being there my sister, my daughter and my husband and all my Irish friends. By the way, my friend Audrey, just a little tidbit. We've been friends since we were teens and we started in the gym doing the crazy, almost CrossFit-esque stuff that nobody else was doing. We were only benching and squatting and whatever. She was there and she was on the bobsled Olympic team afterwards and then and then transitioned like into crossfit. So, um, all all that energy kind of behind was like was pretty impressive yeah, that's awesome.
David SyvertsenHost
01:21:43
He's so cool. All right, well, I have a feeling that we're gonna. We're gonna see you there again, and and my hope is that we see some other athletes there as well. Most definitely, let's go, baby, let's go. All right, thank you guys. We'll see you next week. Bye. Thank you everybody for taking the time out of your day to listen to the Herd Fit Podcast. Be on the lookout for next week's episode.
