S05E100 Oh No! I Missed the Cutline in the CrossFit 2025 Open! Now What? With Guest Kristen Torres

What happens when you miss your competitive goals despite giving your all? In the world of CrossFit, where success is measured in seconds and pounds, missing qualification cuts can feel devastating—especially when you made it the year before.

This raw, honest conversation with @crossfitbison athlete Kristen Torres @kristenan explores the emotional rollercoaster that follows disappointment in competitive fitness. We unpack the experience of watching leaderboard rankings drop from the top percentile to outside qualification as scores came in, the mental battle of deciding whether to redo workouts, and the surprising reactions when realizing dreams won't be fulfilled this season.

The CrossFit Open 2025 brought dramatic changes, cutting qualification percentages from 25% to just 2% for age groups, leaving many accomplished athletes on the outside looking in. We analyze each workout in detail—from the lung-burning burpee/lunge combinations to the technical gymnastics and heavy lifting challenges—examining where things went right and wrong in our execution.

Kristen shares powerful insights about finding balance between competitive drive and actually enjoying life, revealing her training schedule, recovery methods, and the mindset that allows her to find joy in every workout regardless of outcomes. Her approach to supporting friends who qualified instead of dwelling on personal disappointment offers a masterclass in sportsmanship and community values.

Whether you're a competitive athlete or someone who's faced setbacks in pursuit of important goals, this conversation will resonate deeply. How do you bounce back when your best isn't enough? How do you reframe disappointment into opportunity? Join us for this candid exploration of resilience in the face of missed goals and discover why the journey matters more than the destination.

#BotoxAndBurpees @crossfittraining @crossfit @crossfitgames #crossfit #sports #exercise #health #movement #crossfitcoach #agoq #clean #fitness #ItAllStartsHere #CrossFitOpen #CrossFit #CrossFitCommunity @CrossFitAffiliates #supportyourlocalbox #crossfitaffiliate #personalizedfitness

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S05E100 Oh No! I Missed the Cutline in the CrossFit 2025 Open! Now What? With Guest Kristen Torres

TRANSCRIPT

[00:00:00]

Sam Rhee: Welcome to another episode of Botox and burpees. I have with me my very special guest, Kristen Torres.

Uh, she is an amazing athlete as well as just human being in general.

And today our topic is going to be, you might as well call it, oh no, I missed the cut line for the age group or for the CrossFit open, uh, semi-finals.

Uh, now what do we do? So, um. Basically this year, the 2025 CrossFit Open has now been completed. Mm-hmm. Uh, the cut lines are not completely official, but I think, uh, you know, it's, it's pretty much settled at this point.

Uh, and neither of us made it this year. Right. We made it last year. We did. Uh, and so.

It's, there are a lot of people at our gym that did make it, uh, congrats to, I think, uh, there are a whole lot of people, I think Dave Sisson and Amy Edelman.

Uh,

Kristen Torres: Mindy,

Sam Rhee: Mindy McDonald. That was a huge [00:01:00] one. Right? Um, let's see,

Kristen Torres: Kathleen.

Sam Rhee: Yeah, Kathleen Staton. Tracy McGee killed it. Uh, you know, top what? 20 or 25, something like that.

Um, let's see. I think Alondra Greenley made it right and, but there were a bunch of people that also didn't make it this year, uh, including us. Uh, and we were pretty close, uh, closer than I think sometimes the numbers show.

And so I just wanted to talk a little bit about, you know, how you feel like, what that process was like.

How does that guide you, maybe for the following year? Mm-hmm. Um, because I think it's not just about CrossFit, but it's about any. It's basically a metaphor, like a metaphor for life. Um, anything where you don't quite reach your goals. Uh. There's something to be said about learning how to address that, how to deal with it.

Um, CrossFit is a little bit easier because they're just like hard numbers. Mm-hmm. And a lot of things that we reach for are kind of multifactorial and it's not, so it's more nebulous. So sometimes [00:02:00] it's not. So just make a number and you succeed in life. But sometimes dealing with what we do in the gym can translate into what we do outside the gym.

So tell me a little bit about yourself, Kristin. Uh, what would you like people to know about you?

Kristen Torres: Um, I love CrossFit even though I didn't make it. And I was looking back and this was my seventh open.

Sam Rhee: Wow.

Kristen Torres: Yeah. And I didn't even realize it. Um, I think I've only been recording officially since I joined bison.

Hmm. Um, and the, the community there is kind of what drives that. You wanna be competitive or be working out alongside with somebody. So, um. CrossFit for at least seven years.

Um, I got into it because I did a half marathon, didn't get the score I wanted. Mm. And realized I needed to be stronger. Now I don't run, I only CrossFit.

Sam Rhee: That's

such a typical CrossFit start story. Right. Ran, ran. And no longer run unless you're forced to.

Kristen Torres: Right. Even a 200 now I'm like, oh my, oh my

Sam Rhee: God.

Kristen Torres: Um, [00:03:00] and I have a full-time job. I work from home. So this is my, my outlet and this is my. Hour or even more plus a day to, I don't know, play with my friends and, and push myself in ways that I sometimes don't get to at work.

Sam Rhee: Mm-hmm. I would say you as an athlete at CrossFit, bison, I would say, uh, you're the type of person that you looks very calm on the outside, you execute really well. But then when I talk to you, I feel like you don't feel always that way on the inside, but somehow you project. Super calmness.

Kristen Torres: Hmm.

Sam Rhee: Um, do people tell you that

Kristen Torres: they, sometimes they say, oh, you have more in you.

Like I maybe physically, but everything else is shut down.

Sam Rhee: Uh, I will say your quality of movement is, uh, as excellent as anyone else I've seen in the gym. You, you, you execute really well and, and the. And the things that you work on, you certainly have improve on. Like I've seen you for the past couple [00:04:00] years and the things that you focus on, you, you really have moved up orders of magnitude, I would say.

What were the biggest improvements, would you say, in terms of. Your training and what you've done over the past year or two? I, I know what I think, but I want hear what you think.

Kristen Torres: So I think I've just learned every day. Um, I did really well in the open last year. I mean, to a quarter fun, like last year felt really great.

Mm-hmm. And, um, then throughout the year you start to fall off, like, I think June, July, um, my conditioning, my endurance running, I, I said I need to do more.

I wanna get ring muscle up, I wanna get, you know, better at everything. Um. So I don't, I, I think training overall with certain specialties was my thing.

Mm-hmm. Just not, just not what was in the open this year.

Sam Rhee: Yeah. Uh, yeah. I mean, you, 'cause you have pretty much every skill required, right. You know how to do ring muscle up, bar muscle ups, [00:05:00] handstand walk, like everything.

Kristen Torres: Yeah. I can fight through everything. Yeah. Yeah. So

Sam Rhee: there's nothing that they would throw at you that you couldn't at least, you know, get through some of it.

Kristen Torres: Right.

Sam Rhee: And yet. Not that much of that was actually tested this year.

Kristen Torres: None.

Sam Rhee: Right. And, and I talked about this with Dave on the last podcast, like, you know, it's, there's a lot of luck involved in terms of just three workouts and what you can do with it. Mm-hmm. Um.

How does it feel? Okay, so let's, we'll talk about the three workouts and go through them, um, a little bit, but I just, uh, wanted to ask you about your feelings.

So you finished the third workout. Where were you sitting around at that point?

Well, when you, when you entered your score that weekend

Kristen Torres: on Friday, I was like 1%.

Yes,

Sam Rhee: yes, yes, yes, yes.

Kristen Torres: And then as the weekend went on, I think Saturday night, I was sitting pretty close. Mm-hmm. Um, spoke to Dave about it and he's like, you, you need to shave two minutes off this workout.

Ooh, this last one, I was like, I don't think I have 10 seconds

Sam Rhee: Uhhuh,

Kristen Torres: but I'm gonna try anyway.

Sam Rhee: Oh, so you redid it? I [00:06:00] redid it on Sunday Uhhuh and

Kristen Torres: 30 seconds better. Well, that's huge, right? So I thought I had 10. So yeah, I was happy that I pushed myself, but I, I went into it knowing there's no. There was no way I was gonna make up two minutes, but I tried anyway.

Sam Rhee: Okay. And then where were you sitting when you entered your score on Sunday and then like, looking at this leaderboard on Monday?

Kristen Torres: Gosh, I think I dropped four, 3% or, or I think I was at, I don't know, 2 82 and went to 6 83 and like, it was huge.

Sam Rhee: Wow. Huge. So when did you know that you're like, crap, I'm, I'm outside the cut line,

Kristen Torres: probably right before I did the workout.

Sam Rhee: No, no. You know. Yeah.

Kristen Torres: Um. Monday afternoon. Oh, it was late. Yeah.

Sam Rhee: Yeah, yeah. And how'd you feel?

Kristen Torres: Oh, it was, it was, yeah. Heartbreaking. It's heartbreaking. Yeah. You think that? I, I was hopeful that all the people that did worse waited to put their score in.

Sam Rhee: Yes.

Kristen Torres: I was like, maybe they're waiting.

Sam Rhee: Probably a little bit of wishful thinking on that.

Kristen Torres: Oh, Todd. But it, you know, [00:07:00] if, if, uh, if HQ recorded how many times you refresh an app, I'd probably be number one. Refresh, refresh.

Sam Rhee: So once you knew you were not, how did you feel about that?

Kristen Torres: Uh, I was a little, uh, let down. Yeah. Um, I was kind of frustrated during the whole process mm-hmm. Thinking, my gosh, I, I have all these, these high skill movements.

Mm-hmm. Why couldn't I just do the burpees? Mm. Why couldn't I just do the lunges fat, you know? Mm-hmm. And, and, and replaying it and, and just being.

You know, hard on myself mm-hmm. About the whole process. Mm-hmm. Uh, what do they call, uh, ruminations. I, I, I can't do anything about it. Yeah. But that leaderboard kept on bringing it up.

Sam Rhee: Mm. How did you feel about your friends who did make it?

Kristen Torres: Good.

Sam Rhee: Yeah.

Kristen Torres: Yeah.

Sam Rhee: No jealousy.

Kristen Torres: I mean, um,

Sam Rhee: why are you flaunting it on social media and posting all this stuff? I didn't even try too hard and I still made it. That's so awesome.

Kristen Torres: Right, right. But like, I think you said, like, for me, I look like I'm doing, you know, it's going easy for me [00:08:00] and inside I'm struggling.

Mm-hmm. You know, as somebody like Mindy, who I talked to throughout the whole entire process. Mm-hmm.

She was just as stressed out as I was. Mm. But she was able to just bring it together and do it. And she was one that I was like, just, I know she put so much grit into it. Mm. So I was really happy to see.

Yeah.

Sam Rhee: . That was inspiring to see her do that. Yeah. Um, all right. Well, hey, let's go through the open a little bit here. Huh. The first, uh, workout, uh, just because people forget and I've already forgot. But then I hear about the work, it's like, oh yes, I remember. So this one was the, uh, 15 minutes, right? Amrap three, uh, lateral burpees over dumbbell, three dumbbell hang clean to overheads, and then the 30 foot walking lunge.

And it was 35 pounds for you actually. 'cause I was over 55. It was 35 pounds for me. That was the biggest thing for me this year is I was over 55 and so for me not to make the cut line when everything was so much lighter and easier was sort of a, it, it stung even though I didn't have as much invested as I think like you or some, some of the, uh, more intensively training [00:09:00] athletes.

So what did you think about this? Uh, I, lemme see, I have your score here. It was, uh. Two 19, right? Seven rounds. 24 burpees over dumbbell. 13 dumbbell, clean to overhead. Uh, to finish out.

Kristen Torres: Um, as soon as I heard this one, I knew

Sam Rhee: you knew what? This was

Kristen Torres: not gonna be my open.

Sam Rhee: Really? Why You got motor? You have a motor though.

Kristen Torres: It not that good. Really apparently.

Sam Rhee: Yeah, it was tough. 2,699. That's a, that's, that's a tough one, right,

Kristen Torres: right. Yeah. And, no, no, sorry. No. Three

Sam Rhee: 1,310. That was it.

Kristen Torres: Yeah. So that was my worst one. Um, I. I think I get caught up in the open. I had so much fun. I did the Friday night lights. I, I did all of that. Mm-hmm.

Um, but as soon as I was done, and it wasn't, my score wasn't in, I didn't see anybody's score. I just knew I had to do it again.

Sam Rhee: And because,

Kristen Torres: um, well, I messed up.

Sam Rhee: Oh, what happened

Kristen Torres: right after the burpees? Yeah. I lunged.

Sam Rhee: Oh,

Kristen Torres: and I got probably like 20 feet. Oh, really? [00:10:00] Before I heard Kathleen screaming to me, yay, dad.

So I knew right then I had at least five more reps in me. Like I, I could have gotten Yeah. Whatever that time difference

Sam Rhee: was. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Kristen Torres: I knew I had to do it again.

Sam Rhee: Yeah.

Kristen Torres: And I, I did not wanna do more burpees, but I did it, I did it again, um,

Sam Rhee: on Sunday.

Kristen Torres: On Sunday.

Sam Rhee: And did you improve?

Kristen Torres: I did. I got 10 more reps.

Wow. Yeah. I was very happy. And I did it with, there was a lot of people redoing it. Mm-hmm. I think a lot of us did the Friday night lights. Mm-hmm. We gave it a shot. Mm-hmm. We, you know, had so much fun. Mm-hmm. Um, but ultimately it wasn't part of our.

Sam Rhee: Hmm.

Kristen Torres: Training routine.

Sam Rhee: One of the things that bugs me, uh, and after this workout, I went, I am sort of, I, like I went this year, I looked at a lot.

You could submit videos, uh, with your score submission. And a lot of people did, especially the ones who are not affiliated with the gym. That's the only way you can actually, um, register, is that you have to submit your own video if you don't have a judge. And there are so many people on those [00:11:00] lunges that are just kind of like, like not standing up, you know, not really.

Jumping over the bar, uh, dumbbell, like kind of going behind, which I have gotten caught in the past and Adam Ramson has pointed out. So this year I really tried, I really tried to jump over the dumbbell, but I feel like it annoys me. Not that even I'm that invested in it, but I like look at all these other videos and I'm like, wow, these people are just not even keeping to standard.

And I think overall as a Jim, we, we are very, uh, we find that very important to keep to standard. Mm-hmm. Um, how was your judge for this one? Did they, did they know rep you for any of these for either workout? Uh, no. First time or second time you did?

Kristen Torres: Uh, no, she did not. She tried to keep me doing the reps in the proper order,

Sam Rhee: just that.

Right.

Kristen Torres: How about you? How was this workout?

Sam Rhee: It was, it was 35 pounds, and so I, you know, the, the. The issue is, is every time you go lighter with something, you gotta go faster. Mm-hmm. Like, there's no excuse because it's [00:12:00] lighter. You just have to do more. Right. And I'm generally pretty good at dumbbells, like, I mean, sorry, burpees.

Mm-hmm. Uh, I did get, uh, I no rep myself actually, because I went on the lunch, I was halfway down and, uh, I like took a little step, like extra step or something like that. Mm-hmm. And I looked over at Kayla. She was like looking at me and I was like, crap. I know I, so I had to go back and, um, and restart it.

So that was one. But I, that really didn't make enough of a difference. I did, this was pretty good. I don't remember exactly what I did, but I did pretty decent on this one and I was like. Um, but that happens a lot for me. I do pretty decent on the first one and then like, it kind of excites a little bit.

Um, okay, so then let's talk about the second one. So you knew you were around 1300 after the first one. Mm-hmm. And then you got the second one, which was, um, a time cap. Uh, 20 minutes, uh, no, sorry, uh, time cap. 12 minutes. It was, uh, a repeat. 22.3, 21 pull-ups, 42 double unders. 21 [00:13:00] thrusters. 18 chest bar pull-ups, 36 double unders, 18 thrusters, 15 bar muscle ups, 30 double unders, 15 thrusters, and the weights for the thrusters.

The 21 thrusters were at 65. Then the 18 thrusters were at 75. And then the 15 thrusters were at 85. Uh, what'd you think

Kristen Torres: right off the bat? I knew I was gonna do better. Hmm. Uh, when it first came out, I didn't have bar muscle up, so I got the 1 56. Hmm. You know, you're right. Like we were all sitting at that 1 56.

Right. And I went into it with such a. Maybe a little too much confidence to my demise, Uhhuh, but I, I, um, I did initially feel really good about it.

Sam Rhee: Okay. Yeah.

Kristen Torres: And then I did it and that didn't feel good.

Sam Rhee: You got 210 reps. So how far did you get in that? That's so, and that's a fast high break. 6 0 7.

Kristen Torres: Yeah. So what did I get through the bar?

Muscle ups. And then I think the second time I did it, because I did this one. So you redid

Sam Rhee: this one too? Yeah. So the first time, what did you not like [00:14:00] about it?

Kristen Torres: So the first time, I'm just learning my butterfly. Yeah. So I was able to do butterfly pull-ups and then I tried butterfly chest to bar. And I, I just smoked out.

Sam Rhee: Even just three extra inches makes such a difference on those. Right, right. And then the fact that you have to make sure you're like contacting, because I feel like I wa again, I watch videos, I was like, these M fers are not touching on those chest to bars at all. Absolutely. And I'm like, come on. You can't just go above, you actually have to touch.

That's what the judging standard is. Yep. And also these videos are ter, I'm sorry, I'm just gonna complain a lot about standards in this one, but I saw a lot of videos where you couldn't even see. See what they were doing. 'cause like it was some, from such a distance. And I think good videoing when you're like on a very competitive level is very important.

So, so you had problems with it? Butterfly, chest to bars With

Kristen Torres: butterfly, but I still got, I think I still got to the bar. Muscle ups and then the thrusters, I said I just didn't have the time. Mm-hmm. Like, I can, I, I had. Full confidence, I could get through those thrusters.

Sam Rhee: Okay. So then you're like, okay, I gotta [00:15:00] redo this.

Yeah. So then what was your strategy? Just not doing the butterflies or what did you do? Yeah,

Kristen Torres: so I did butterfly pull-ups, and then kipping, and then my bar muscle up. And I still was fatigued at that point. Mm-hmm. You know, and then I was able to bang out, I think like nine thrusters, unbroken, just mm-hmm.

So I knew I had more. Mm-hmm. Again, a time thing. Mm. Didn't plan out my time.

Sam Rhee: Mm. Yeah, but you did pretty well, 7 36.

Kristen Torres: Yeah, I'm, I'm still happy with my, yeah. Yeah.

Sam Rhee: And then, so where were you sitting at this point? After two? Uh,

Kristen Torres: I was still kind of low. I was still kind of low. I needed a lift or a technical workout to be that last

Sam Rhee: one.

Okay. So you were in the running, but you needed a bump on that last one to get there. That's

Kristen Torres: right, yeah. So 96, 95, like I was somewhere right there.

Sam Rhee: Okay. Mm-hmm. And then the last one was, uh. Let's see here. The, uh, the, uh, time cap, 20 minutes, five wall walks, 50 cal row, five wall walks, 25 dead [00:16:00] lifts. Wall walks, cleans, wall walks, snatches, wall walks, row to finish.

And that was 1 55 for the dead lifts. 25 of them, 85 pounds for the cleans, the 25 cleans, and then the, uh, 65 pound snatches, 25 of those, uh, tough one. Really tough. Mm-hmm. Uh, but you still did better on this one than the other two actually, you did 6, 650 third plate.

Kristen Torres: Yeah. Yeah. So it was my, my best one.

Sam Rhee: Yeah.

Kristen Torres: And the one I probably was even more, uh, nervous about because of the row. I, I don't think I've ever rode 50 calories on purpose like consecutively, right? Yeah. Yeah. Then let alone a hundred

Sam Rhee: Right. During a workout in the middle of a workout. Right. Or finishing a workout.

Kristen Torres: Right.

Sam Rhee: Yeah. And you got 1748, which is pretty awesome.

Kristen Torres: Yeah. Yeah.

Sam Rhee: So, so you said you redid this one?

Kristen Torres: I did.

Sam Rhee: So, so Dave saw you, you didn't, did you finish the first time?

Kristen Torres: Uh, yeah.

Sam Rhee: Okay.

Kristen Torres: This is the one I I needed two more minutes. Yes.

Sam Rhee: So you finished, but he was like, [00:17:00] you gotta cut two minutes off. So you, you must have finished like 18 something. Yeah. Yep. And then you could finish 1748.

Yeah. So what did you do differently to cut 30 seconds off your time in the th the third time? The second time on this third workout?

Kristen Torres: I, I don't know. I think I just wanted it more really. You know, I just, I just thought I, I went a little faster on the first row. Mm. Um, I think the first time I did it was pulling like an eight to nine and this one I was a little higher up.

Um, and my snatches, I didn't bring up. Break up as much. I don't know why. I thought the first time I had to break them up if there's something I'm confident in is 65 pound snatches. Mm-hmm. Um, so I, I held onto that. Mm-hmm. And then that last row I just prayed.

Sam Rhee: What was your split times? Were you looking at a number to keep like, oh, lemme keep it over, like 500 or 700, or whatever it is.

Kristen Torres: Yeah, I had to, I, I, whenever I left off the first row, I wanted to start on the second row, so I left off at like eight 50. Okay. I wanted to start at eight 50.

Sam Rhee: Okay. And did you hold that? [00:18:00]

Kristen Torres: Okay if somebody came over and yelled at me? Yeah. I pulled it if nobody was looking, you know, but I definitely bought myself more time in that workout.

I had like. I got to the rower 20 seconds faster. Mm. So I, somewhere along the line. Oh, so

Sam Rhee: you did save probably another 10 seconds in that. Wow. That's a, yeah. 10 seconds on a row is like tremendous. Thank you. Tremendous.

Kristen Torres: It didn't feel it, but you're right. Yeah.

Sam Rhee: So, um, how was your conditioning this year? Did you get injured at all?

Were you feeling beat up?

Kristen Torres: No,

Sam Rhee: everything felt okay.

Kristen Torres: Everything felt okay. I mean, funny enough, I went snowboarding. The weekend before this last workout. Oh wow. I came back Monday or Sunday night and then redid it. Oh

Sam Rhee: wow.

Kristen Torres: So maybe that had something to do with it. So

Sam Rhee: you don't actually let the open dictate your life on every level.

You actually like do real stuff in life.

Kristen Torres: I, I feel it's really important for that balance. I think that [00:19:00] first week I, I. Was like, open, I got to eat, I gotta work out at a certain time, and it didn't really help me. I was being so strict. Mm-hmm. And so stressed out. Mm-hmm. That by the last week I said, well, this isn't how I train.

Mm-hmm. Something Raffi taught me. Mm-hmm. If you don't train like this all the time mm-hmm. Why do you expect something so different? You can't change everything and expect different results.

Sam Rhee: That's so true. So. Uh, what is it that you generally do in your life to help maximize your training? Like, do you eat, like what is, let me delve into the life of Chris and Tors a little bit.

Like what is your eating, like, what is your sleep patterns like? Like how often do you train Every day?

Kristen Torres: Every, every day. Every day. Every day. Pretty mu I, I take off Sundays typically. You're

Sam Rhee: usually a seven Amer, right? Yep. Okay. 7:00

Kristen Torres: AM I, I do next level. Okay. So I do additional training.

Sam Rhee: Okay.

Kristen Torres: Um. Which I, I fully enjoy.

Okay. Um, and I do eat pretty well. I, I, I think I'm pretty good with sticking. I don't count [00:20:00] macros. Mm-hmm. But I have the eye for it, like I've done it. So I keep to that. I eat a lot of vegetables. Mm-hmm. But I do go out and I do have fun and I go out to eat and I have a couple beers. Mm-hmm. And, um, I don't stress out too much.

Too much. Mm-hmm. If, um. I get off track, um, but I make sure that I train and I train to not get hurt.

Sam Rhee: So what does that mean? Train not to get hurt.

Kristen Torres: So if there's certain days, like yesterday, yeah, we had, uh. Increasing weight and barbell. Yeah. And my, my testing is if I feel good at 95 pounds, which is very typical workout weight, yeah.

I can go heavy.

Sam Rhee: Okay.

Kristen Torres: If that 95 feels like garbage. Mm-hmm. I don't go heavy, I don't risk it. Mm-hmm. Especially dead lifts in my back. My

Sam Rhee: mm-hmm.

Kristen Torres: I, um, so I kind of keep in tune, like at the beginning of a workout.

Sam Rhee: Have you ever had an injury before?

Kristen Torres: I broke my hand on a box jump. Oh,

Sam Rhee: what? How is that possible?

Right. Whoa. Did you step on your hand or something?

I smacked the [00:21:00] edge of the box with my hand. I was working out with a guy. Yeah. And we were supposed to flip Ah. And we didn't flip down to the lower. So when I, I used so much force Uhhuh, I broke my hand. Oh my gosh. And I was in a cast for like six to eight weeks.

Okay. But that's a freak accident.

Kristen Torres: That's a freak accident. Yeah. But other than that, I mean, just the regular. Banged up stuff.

Sam Rhee: Wow, so you're very durable.

Kristen Torres: Yeah.

Sam Rhee: Okay. That's pretty impressive. Uh, okay, so now you look at you where you are now, and so what's going to change, if anything, at this point, like it's only been a week, so I.

Like it's a little early to really know. And everything that most people I've seen decide to do one week after the open doesn't really stick for 50 more weeks after. But what is it that you think you would want to do at this point? Like, you know, you're self-assessing a little bit.

Kristen Torres: So I think for me, the time management.

Sam Rhee: Time management.

Kristen Torres: Time management,

Sam Rhee: really.

Kristen Torres: Yeah. I don't think I have, uh, I think talking to Dave during [00:22:00] one of the workouts, I, I gave him my. Rep scheme plans. Yeah. And he's like, well, where's your break? How long is your break? Yeah. And I'm like, oh, I didn't even think about that. Mm. I just thought, you know, 5, 10, 15, or whatever.

Mm. So I think I have to plan my breaks like in a workout at bison. I, I, we have a planned break. Yeah. Like today. Yeah. Two minutes on, two minutes off. Yeah. Yeah. And I could get right back to it. Right. So if I just plan. 10 seconds, 15 seconds. Mm. I maybe don't have to take the 10 to 15 between each movement.

Sam Rhee: Right.

Kristen Torres: So I think that's something that I'm going to work on, be more cognitive of. Um. And then, but still work on all my, my skills that I want to,

Sam Rhee: right, yeah. To maintain those. Right. 'cause you've gotten very, very good at all that stuff. The high skill stuff.

Kristen Torres: Mm-hmm.

Sam Rhee: So how about, um, your weight numbers? Are you happy with what your lift numbers are at this point?

Kristen Torres: Ooh, I think I could do more.

Sam Rhee: Really?

Kristen Torres: Yeah. I love it, but I, I enjoy it so much. I think I could push. Yeah. Yeah. Okay.

Sam Rhee: Like, which particular movement do you think you [00:23:00] have the most head room for in terms of like, gain,

Kristen Torres: um. My snatch, I feel like I could do a little better.

Sam Rhee: What's your one rep right now?

Kristen Torres: Uh, I think it's 1 45.

Sam Rhee: Wow. Yeah. Okay. And you, you think you could get what, another five 10? Yeah. Really? I

Kristen Torres: hope so.

Sam Rhee: Wow.

Kristen Torres: Yeah.

Sam Rhee: Okay.

Kristen Torres: Um, and then anything overhead I enjoy, I just enjoy it.

Sam Rhee: Well, you have the mobility.

Kristen Torres: Right. Yeah. I should use it.

Sam Rhee: So then how about the motor stuff? Like how do you, how do you get better at that? Like what, what is that all about?

Kristen Torres: You know, what it's gonna be running, I think

Sam Rhee: really, it's

Kristen Torres: so devastated. You,

Sam Rhee: you anticipate you're gonna be doing a lot more running this year. Year. I, you

Kristen Torres: know, one of my, my idols in the sport, miss Caram. Yeah. Um, she runs consistently and she can just. I think it's twofold. She has the motor mm-hmm. The engine to get through it.

Yeah. But it's also a head space of being, you're just running. There's no break. There's a, so I'm, I'm channeling that because she, you know, somehow she makes it. Seem easy. Mm. To get [00:24:00] through the long stuff for me. A 20 minute workout.

Sam Rhee: Mm.

Kristen Torres: Forget it. Give me the five.

Sam Rhee: So that's what her secret is. Oh, yeah.

Because her bill, she's not taller. Like she's about the same height as you.

Kristen Torres: Yeah.

Sam Rhee: Uh, wow.

Kristen Torres: Yeah. She runs like her rest day is a run.

Sam Rhee: Mm-hmm.

Kristen Torres: Okay. Yeah.

Sam Rhee: Uh, what is your next level, like, additional training usually include in it si similar stuff or something different?

Kristen Torres: Similar. So, um, machine work.

Sam Rhee: Mm-hmm.

Kristen Torres: A lot of machine work.

Mm-hmm. Um, bodybuilding. Mm-hmm. So all of that fun stuff. Gymnastics. Mm-hmm. Endurance capacity. Mm-hmm. I mean, my focus was. Endurance and capacity. Mm-hmm. But I also wanted the fun stuff. I wanted the ring muscle up. Right, right, right. I wanted the heavier weight. Right, right. So I have a balance of all of that going on.

Sam Rhee: And how many times a week do you, do you do that the next level?

Kristen Torres: Three times.

Sam Rhee: Okay.

Kristen Torres: Mm-hmm.

Sam Rhee: And, uh, what do you do for recovery? Anything in particular?

Kristen Torres: I get good sleep. Okay. I get a lot of sleep. I'm in bed by like eight. Eight 15.

Sam Rhee: [00:25:00] Wow. That's awesome.

Kristen Torres: Right. How

Sam Rhee: do you do that?

Kristen Torres: Oh, I wake up at 5:00 AM

Sam Rhee: Okay. How do you shut down?

Like, do you just like, turn off your phone and make sure you don't look at it, or like, or do you have any I need some tips about getting to bed earlier.

Kristen Torres: I scream, I, I scroll

Sam Rhee: before you go to bed, before I go to bed. Oh, you so, okay. Yeah.

Kristen Torres: Or I watch a lot of Dateline.

Sam Rhee: Really? Oh, that, that puts you to bed. Yeah.

Okay.

Kristen Torres: But I do have TV in my room, but I make a point to like start winding down. Oh, no. Eating that late. I do snack.

Sam Rhee: Okay. Do snack. What's your, uh, cheese like? Like what do you enjoy snacking on?

Kristen Torres: Oh, peanut m and ms.

Sam Rhee: Oh, really? All day. That's not bad, is it?

Kristen Torres: The amount I eat maybe.

Sam Rhee: So, um, why do you do all of this?

That what you do, do you like? I think you derive joy in just doing, like, every time I've seen you work out, you're actually as opposed to me happy. Like, you are happy, you know, uh, like you bring your [00:26:00] own joy into it every time. What is it, where is that joy coming from when you do this?

Kristen Torres: Um. I get to do it right.

I see people that I work with, um, friends, family that don't have this outlet, that don't either, they don't want to, they don't know that whatever, um, I get to do this stuff and I, I've met amazing people. That's probably most of it. Um, and I am. Independent, like I am able to carry my groceries up my stairs.

I'm able to move my furniture when I want to. Um, I'm able to, you know, if somebody wants to go on a hike, I can do all of those things. Um, and that's most of the reason why is just being able to do it and seeing how much I can push myself.

Sam Rhee: Y you know, age is against you for next year. 'cause you're, you're gonna top out, you're 43 this year.

Kristen Torres: Next year I think I'm gonna be the baby.

Sam Rhee: You're gonna be, oh, do you, do you age up into the [00:27:00] next year? Because right now I have you listed at age 43

Kristen Torres: and I'll be 44 in August.

Sam Rhee: Wait.

Kristen Torres: Oh no.

Sam Rhee: So you're gonna be at the very end of the 40 to 44 division next year. Dang. Yeah, so, so you're gonna have to wait another year after that to age up into the 45 division.

See? Can you believe it? This is one of the few times, and I always, you know, it's always a running joke that you can't wait to actually get older like everything else. You're like, don't get older, but in, in this case. And that's tough. Like, did you feel like that? Extra year made a difference or you actually got better in your conditioning and your, and everything else.

So it wasn't that, it was just the workouts didn't really line up for you this year? I,

Kristen Torres: I think, uh, yeah, I guess I, I am a little older. My life is drastically different than it was last year, the year before. Yeah. Um, and these workouts were not in my wheelhouse.

Sam Rhee: Yeah. But I think you're actually a better athlete.

Like you are more capable this year than you were last year, which is kind of amazing because. Like I said, anyone [00:28:00] over the age of 40, I guess there, you know, I've sort of rethought where you start to decline in terms of like actual physical numbers and it's gotta be over 44 because I still see people in the 40 to 44 range, like improving their lift numbers, improving their cardiac capacity, improving their overall, you know, I mean everyone can improve their skillset to like on complex movements even.

Older. I mean, I think that that's not something that changes. I think it's just harder sometimes. But there is a certain level at which like you can't squeeze more juice out of that lemon in terms of muscle strength or aerobic capacity. So you're still making those gains and you just told me you still think you have, um, more in you in terms of like increasing that.

Mm-hmm. So. Even though you're gonna be at the top of the age division next year, you probably, again, if things line up, have another shot at

Kristen Torres: it. Yeah. If I, if I can stay within the 10 percentile for the individual group. Yeah. Like that means I can hold my own with these, [00:29:00] these young spring chickens. So I'm not too upset.

Some of them could be my, my kids. Right.

Sam Rhee: Do you think it was fair that they made a 2% this year?

Kristen Torres: For me personally 'cause I didn't make it. No, absolutely not. Um, but I think it's too much of a jump. I think it was just too much of a, you know, from 25% you had a bigger crew. Yeah. Feeling really good to like Yeah.

Barely anybody.

Sam Rhee: Yeah.

Kristen Torres: Making it.

Sam Rhee: Yeah.

Kristen Torres: Um, and we didn't find out until later on. I don't know if that would've really changed my

Sam Rhee: training. Training, yeah.

Kristen Torres: But we didn't find out until a little bit later. Yeah.

Sam Rhee: It was very clo pretty close to the open season when we found out like where the cut lines were gonna be for this.

Yeah.

Kristen Torres: It's pretty

Sam Rhee: crazy.

Kristen Torres: Right.

Sam Rhee: How did you do last year in the, uh. In the quarters.

Kristen Torres: I think I did pretty well. Very well. Was still,

Sam Rhee: yeah, 6 21. Yeah. No, four 13 actually. Right. Which is pretty amazing. So when they get let you play with all the heavy weights and the skill [00:30:00] stuff, like that's, you get to cut loose a little bit.

Kristen Torres: Yeah. That's, that's my wheelhouse. Ah, the regular good old burpees. No,

Sam Rhee: you know, it's kind of crazy. I, I, listening to you now, I, I came in having very little expectation or, um, honestly, joy coming into the ocean. It, you know, um. It's been, uh, unlike you, I'm not quite as durable and I'm always fighting this, that, or the other thing.

Mm-hmm. And so, um, I know I have to work out because it makes me healthier. I really enjoy the community. I've put so much in, like, listen, I've, I feel like I've been where you've been. Uh, five years ago for sure. You know, and, uh, but after a while you, you know, you have ups and downs and probably it's a little bit of a down in terms of like getting joy mm-hmm.

Out of it. And, um, especially when you see. People get injured or you yourself get injured and you're like, oh man. Like just chasing [00:31:00] that is that, is that really worth it? Um, but the approach that you have in terms of taking joy from that performance, from really striving to excel, not because anyone else is, and I think even if you weren't close to the cut line, you would still be taking joy from every workout that you do.

Um, it is a little more fun when you have your. Friends competing very close, you know, who are high level or competing with you and all that. But even if you didn't, like, I don't think, um, had you made semis, uh, you would be like. Five orders of magnitude happier. Like you are happy with what you, you, you're talking about today's workout, like all of it, like every day is a joy for you.

Mm-hmm. And so just getting that is like, this is a little bit of icing on the cake. It gives you something to strive for. Yeah. Gives you something to focus on. But it's, I I don't necessarily think that that would be the end all or be all like it is for some people here.

Kristen Torres: Yeah.

Sam Rhee: And, and I think that that's a [00:32:00] very healthy attitude.

Um, maybe he certainly healthier than my attitude. I, you know, it was funny because I will say, um, I was, uh, I didn't, I, I know for every workout, I didn't give it all my juice, and I had a couple different reasons and they were all like very reasonable reasons. Like, I, I don't want to get injured, I just want to make sure I get a good workout in and all that, and that's totally fine.

But I, I always feel like I left a little something on the table, especially because they were lighter. I was doing jumping pull-ups, like, oh, stuff like that. Right. And when I finished out, I was around 1 65 ish and I was like, oh, yeah, no, not a problem. I made it again so easy, like, listen, this is like a cakewalk.

Like I've done it every year. Like this is just, I don't even have to try and I'm still doing it. And then on Monday after the cut line, uh, comes out, I'm like, 2 0 9 and I'm like, holy cow, I, I totally missed it. And I was like, whoa, this is [00:33:00] crazy. Uh. I had some mixed feelings because I didn't really put much into it, but on the other hand, it still like doesn't feel awesome.

Mm-hmm. Especially when you're so self satisfied and feeling like, oh, I can do this all the time. Like I don't even have to try it. I can do this. And then it just felt terrible and then I was like, wait a second, but. W you didn't e like, did you expect you didn't deserve, like you didn't really put what you could into it.

Mm-hmm. Uh, so it's kind of a little, a weirdo like kind of mixed feelings on that one. And then I was like, but should I have put more in like, you know, I mean it's a, it's a year process, like it really is right? Like you have to start and like continue, like you said in June mm-hmm. In August. Mm-hmm. In September, like I've been there for all of it and I was like, you know, I don't know, like maybe I, maybe I'm on a little bit of a different level.

I don't know. And then today I just checked, like yesterday I was at 2 0 4 and today I'm at 2 0 2. And so I'm like, it's so weird, right? Because I know on my level, like the people I think they [00:34:00] are going through and looking at these video submissions and like, not good, not good, not good, not good. So I was like kind of like.

Alright, so what does that feel like? If I actually like got under 200, which I don't think so. It's already Thursday and so I think they've probably finalized all the standings pretty close. Mm-hmm. But I was like. You know, then what do I do? Uh, and I was like, you know what, actually this is kind of perfect.

Like, I'm so close, I did it, you know what I could do for where I was? Mm-hmm. But now I don't have to like kill myself for the something. So like, that's like, that's, you know, I think Bri rc, I think, or someone like her said the same thing. Like, I want to do just well enough, but not make it. Level so I don't have to do more working out.

Uh, I don't know if I feel I, I, I, I'm just saying I feel mixed about the whole thing. I, I, I, but like listening to you today and talking to you, I feel like. I, I have more juice. I can certainly do better in [00:35:00] terms of like, taking joy from every workout. Like, I think that's, that's the key. Every workout you do, you take joy from and then that like helps drive you.

And then when there's something like this, which is special, like you said, Friday night lights and, and being with your friends, and I'm so impressed that you redid every workout.

Kristen Torres: Is it impressive? Do you,

Sam Rhee: do you, and, and you improved on every one? I did. Which is really unusual. Yeah. And not just by little, by like a lot,

Kristen Torres: a decent amount.

Sam Rhee: So what does that tell you about like, maybe you shouldn't do Friday night lights and you need to just like sort of gear up and like max out on that first one?

Kristen Torres: Yeah. I, I think staying with my schedule, um, because that's what I enjoy doing. Right. Right. That's the schedule I like. Right. And it's the one that I, you know, thrive the most off of.

Right. So I've learned that and, um. Yeah. 'cause I just, I just wanna do workouts once.

Sam Rhee: Yeah.

Kristen Torres: I don't wanna do 'em twice. Right. That's,

Sam Rhee: I mean, you have the capacity, but why, why do it twice when you could do it once and do it like [00:36:00] really, really well.

Kristen Torres: Yeah.

Sam Rhee: Really well

Kristen Torres: next time,

Sam Rhee: is that what you're gonna do next year?

Kristen Torres: I, I, I hope so. I think last year I only did one workout twice, and, and it was one of those, like, as soon as you're done. Like, before I even know what the score is, I'm like, no, I got more. I, I didn't do it Good. I I didn't do it. Right.

Sam Rhee: Right.

Kristen Torres: Like, I just knew right away.

Sam Rhee: Right, right, right. Um, but the others you were like, yeah, that was my best effort.

That was,

Kristen Torres: yeah. Yeah. Especially that last one, that 50 cal row at the end. That's ridiculous.

Sam Rhee: What were you thinking at the time? Oh, did you have people there yelling at you or did you just like, did you close your eyes? Like, I just

Kristen Torres: closed my eyes. Really? Yeah. I closed my eyes the second time. There was more people, the McKinneys were there.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That were saying all types of things. There was breath in all types of ways. I don't know what was happening.

Sam Rhee: Do you try to pull harder and slower or do you try to pull faster? Like, and when do you send it? Like a minute left or what? Oh,

Kristen Torres: like, no, like 10 seconds

Sam Rhee: only. Oh, so you give yourself 10 seconds to max effort?

Kristen Torres: Pretty much because like, I don't know if I have it, I, this, that was the hardest I think I've ever rode [00:37:00] in my life. Mm. To be like, I don't think I'll forget that. Wow. Ever.

Sam Rhee: Yeah. That's, that's impressive. Uh, that, that, that was the most. Painful part of it right there. There

Kristen Torres: it was the most painful, and that's what I've been training on is the row the most painful.

Sam Rhee: What kind of advice would you give anybody who just missed the cut line, who has feeling not awesome about it? Who feels like, you know, this is important for them and we all choose what is important to us? It could be. Breaking 80 on, on a golf course. It could be skiing, a double black diamond. It could be whatever, like it.

They're all frivolous and important at the same time. It really doesn't matter what, what goals you set. They're important when you set them. Mm-hmm. Because, and so when you set it like, you know what, I think I can do this. I want to do it. And I didn't do it like. What is the advice you would give?

Kristen Torres: So I think thinking back of the support that the, the girls that did make it mm um, they were there the [00:38:00] whole time, you know, kind of talking through stuff.

So I was upset and whatever it got through it, but I think now I am going to just. Hope that the semis are in my wheelhouse and I'll work out beside them and push them to do better. To maybe if there's a heavy lift or if there's something super technical, I would love to be that, that that pace setter for them.

So I didn't, and I'll do it without stress. I won't be watching that leaderboard for myself, but for them.

Sam Rhee: That's so awesome. Yeah. So, so the advice is to just keep in it, keep in it, keep supporting. Mm-hmm. Your friends, the people who have supported you.

Kristen Torres: Mm-hmm.

Sam Rhee: Keep supporting them. And it is reciprocal. You have to have the people who have supported you and give back to them.

Right? And that makes it better for you. That's like a fuller experience for you, right?

Kristen Torres: And imagine doing it alone. Like these workouts are probably not gonna be easy. Mm. And if they're stuck doing it, I. Hopefully not by themselves. I, you know, I can offer that now [00:39:00] and see if I would've, if I would've crushed it.

Sam Rhee: That's right. Darn. I, you know what? Yeah, I know. Wow. I would've been like, exactly. So that's good. Like you can sort of see where you would've actually been and, and I bet you that when the semis come out, you're gonna. Th it's gonna be all in your wheelhouse. I have a feeling. Right.

Kristen Torres: Right.

Sam Rhee: I can't wait to watch.

Kristen Torres: Right. So that's why you can't just stop. I think you'd have to say, okay, let's, let's keep going. It just wasn't, it wasn't for me, but it's gonna be eventually. I love that. Yeah. Yeah.

Sam Rhee: Kristen, thank you so much. You've gotten, you gave me a lot for, uh, for the next year and, uh, good luck and, uh, you too. Two

Kristen Torres: spots.

Sam Rhee: I de I got what I deserve. Let's just put it that way. And that's a good lesson for me too. Thank you so much, Kristen.

Kristen Torres: Thank you.