the last supper...

I woke up this morning tired and not wanting to workout.  I started by cleaning up my apartment some, but the task got daunting, the maintenance guy stopped by and I wanted to make sure he got everything, so I skipped 1130, but made it in for 5 pm.  We started warming up with 100 sledgehammer swings.  There is something so satisfying about swinging a hammer, and I hope to one day be able to swing it like Tripp who doesn't need to use a top hand guide, just like Thor. They got tiring after about 50 though...

We started Wendler 531 programming today, and I am excited about the change.  This is a great way for me to make sure I get all the major lifts in every week, and track it in an organized way, and GET STRONGER! We worked on press today which sucks.

The wod was 10 down to 1 chin ups and push ups.  I hopped up to the bar to see if I could go unassisted on the chin ups, but the reverse grip feels so wierd, so I used a band, and did girlie push ups to keep it quick.

I stayed for endurance (go me!) which I hope to make at least a 2 time per week deal.  Today we rowed 20 seconds on, 50-40-30-20-10 off, 3 rounds of that.  I made it a total of 1373 m.  I should have strategized better,  as I didn't know the total amount of time, so I didn't have a goal for meters, but tried to keep splits at 2:00, (which didn't quite happen) but feel like I could have squeezed out some more meters if 1500, or so was my goal.

So tomorrow we start our clean up whole 58 (we go out of town on day 59, so I make no promises for 60 days).  I have spent a good amount of the weekend thinking of meals to savor in my nonpaleoness which means I have also have had heartburn for the past four days... I am now sick of eating crap, so I am excited for a clean up.  My concerns are my meal planning skills which are currently lacking, I usually go to the grocery store and buy what is on sale, so at this point I am prepared only for a couple days, but it will probably also take a bit to get used to 2 paleo eaters in the household.

seven...

So the other day I heard some people in the gym talking about this crazy wod they were gonna do...I said hey that sounds cool and somehow got myself involved in the shenanigans... The Seven is a hero wod in honor of 7 CIA officers killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan.  If you think about how badass you need to be to be in the CIA and multiply that by 7 per officer...then to the next power for being killed doing something knowingly dangerous for the USA then times it by a little more.

The Seven...
7 handstand pushups
7 thrusters (135/95) I did 75
7 knees to elbows
7 deadlifts (245/205) (145)
7 burpees
7 kettlebell swings (70/52)
7 pull ups.

So it is a terrible wod if I get excited for the bodyweight portions of it.  HSPU's you either can do or can't do...I can't so they weren't that bad, I should have gone heavier on the thrusters as they were challenging but not terrible, my knees don't quite touch my elbows, but soon.  The deads were terrible.  I have some tightness in my low back so I know I was using my back rather than my legs, something to work on...burpees were a rest, Kettlebell swings were probably my favorite part...and pull ups were pull ups.  Badass Ashley finished in 32 something while I was on round maybe 3.  After round 2 I figured out I wasn't going to finish in a timely manner anyway, so I finished at round 4 in 49:01.

Then Gabe and Chad decided to do 11:30, which involved deadlifts and Annie.  I had enough deads, but wanted to do Annie, so I sucked it up.  The warmup felt fine, and then I tried to go light on deadlifts, but my back said no thank you...so I just used that time to mobility and roll out.  It came time for the wod, and I started but couldn't get even 10 double unders together, I got through 50, sat down for situps and my body didn't work so I called it a day.

So while I am disappointed that I didn't finish, or even get anywhere close to Rx, my body hurts enough for a regular wod.  I would like to attempt this again after my whole 58 to see the improvement.

catch up...

My internet has been being weird the past week/I haven't been creative enough to post.  I am going to attempt a summary of the past week but I will start with today.

4 rounds
500m row
3 rounds cindy (5 pull ups 10 push ups 15 air squats)
I was worried about this taking me absolutely forever, but I scaled the push ups, and was able to finish in 31:40. I just kept trucking and had some fast fast ladies to chase. My pull ups felt good (thanks to Lori's pull up ladder) I just lost grip a couple times.

This week has been pretty rough as two coaches had birthdays, so we have had some ridiculous wods, including one that went 9-15-21.  We have done pull ups either in the wod or warm up three days this week, so I was leery about going today, but I think my pull ups are finally improving.  I was able to deadlift 205 off the ground which is the first time in like 6 months, so I still kinda have it.

John and I attended Ashley's nutrition seminar on Saturday.  He decided that he was gonna try a whole 30.  I said I would take advantage of having a partner so we are doing it together.  I mentioned that I probably should go longer as I slip up into bad eating habits so now we have gotten ourselves into a whole58.  Why? so yes I have some LBs to lose, but I also believe this is the best way for me to eat, I feel better physically and mentally...

a lotta pushups...

Today is a gorgeous North Carolina day, it is supposed to hit mid 60s, it is just quite windy.  Today at crossfit Ashley led us through an easy kettlebell warm up...which is a bit of a funny as she had received comments that her warm-ups were too hard, which I didn't really agree with, and then the strength work was overhead squats.  Lori was in class today, so I worked with her hoping her brute strength would rub off on me.  I got up to 95 and couldn't keep my core tight enough, I know I can do it as I have done it before so it was a mental issue. I did manage to drop the bar and let it roll into my shin, but nothing like the last time I did that.  

The workout was an interesting format, max reps of push ups, then run 50 m, rest only as long as it takes you to walk back to the push ups.  I knew I couldn't get that many on my toes so I did knee push ups for this, and had trouble sliding as we worked out outside (because it is freaking gorgeous)...but it was on an incline.  I got up to 83 push ups and was satisfied with that.  The torturous part was the smell of french fries wafting over to our area, now I want some bad.  

VD!

Today John and I competed in the VD challenge at Crossfit Durham (couples throwdown official title).  The prize was a gift certificate to Dos Perros and a fancy trophy (the one thing our apartment decor is missing) and while we came in dead last, we had a ton of fun.   We figured out a few things about ourselves along the way.

The first wod was

Partner 1 (me) eats 15 hershey kisses
Partner 2 rows 1000m
both do 20 abmat situps
Partner 1 rows 800 m
20 situps
Partner 2 rows 600 m
20 situps
partner 1 rows 400 m
20 situps
partner 2 rows 200 m
20 situps
Partner 2 eats 10 mini Reese's cups

1. The Hills are not good at eating fast.  I was dead last in eating the kisses, when Jed next to me was done I still had like 8 left, most others found the challenge in unwrapping, I was really good at that part... John wasn't that quick either.  While I don't like losing, I don't take it personally that we just eat slow, we made up some time on the rows, John did much better than me.

2. This Hill doesn't like the cold, or mud...both is gross.

The second wod was:

AMRAP 10 minutes
10 burpees
25 m walking lunge

but with our legs tied together like the worst three legged race imaginable...

3. We do burpees (drop to the floor with chest to deck, stand back up and hop) completely different.  I found my leg going out before his or after, so eventually I just lifted my leg off the ground, and let his carry mine until I could figure out the rhythm. While Paul provided excellent counting and coaching skills, we still ended up last in this one.

We still had fun, and went back to do a ridiculous wod with Ashley, but as my stomach was still not quite right after the milk chocolate I was an excellent cheerleader.  John trucked through like a champ...(Ashley crushed it)

Amrap 40 min:
1. 300 double unders

then

2. run 100 m
10 clusters (95/65)
10 box jumps (30/24)
10 burpees
run 100 m
10 burpees
10 box jumps
10 clusters

It was quite beastly looking, and while I would like to try it, I can't see myself doing this one alone, or convincing any of the people that did it today to do it again...Jonathan and I cleaned up their bars and boxes as they didn't look like they were moving any time soon...

lindsay gets crafty!

so my photography skills need work, and i have no idea how it uploaded sideways or how to fix it...

Oh you thought this as a fitness blog???? I have had some bonus time lately and a ton of projects that I wanted to try I'm just putting a bit more effort into it. I purchased my seeing machine in April and have yet to put it to really good use. When I was younger I sewed ribbons and elastic on ballet shoes but that is the extent of my machine use so this has been a challenge to learn on my own.  My mom has probably had her fill of random sewing questions...

This project took a max of fifteen minutes and now I have a place to hang earrings so I can see them... I was searching for my tar heel earrings for the game and while I only found one, I found a bunch of other earrings I love but haven't worn in a while.  I was inspired by this tutorial... I used an IKEA frame I had laying around, $2 worth of lace and an old t-shirt...and yes I crafted the earrings as well, while they aren't my most creative gems, they were within reach.

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no wod is okay...

This morning I woke up earlier than planned, and had trouble falling back asleep, so I resorted to coffee, and started my day, by the time we got to crossfit, I had a bit of lack of motivation, so I wasn't quite prepared to warm up or do work, but I kinda got myself ready to go.  I decided to make up the deadlifts from yesterday.  it was a tough battle to decide not to go yesterday, but I needed that rest day, but DOMS was a bit of a beast today so my legs felt pretty tight from Monday's wall balls.  I have kinda come to terms with my poor deadlifting abilities lately, but am determined to get back to my 1 RM (255) and then some.  I was hoping today for maybe 215...maybe just maybe 230...but I couldn't pull 200 off the ground...tell me where does 56 pounds go, how do I lose that??????????????? It is frustrating as I don't really know what was different then from now... 

The wod today was:

40 30 20 push ups (i pushed up from my knees to avoid the snake...i hate snakes)

50 40 30 double unders (I realized today my rope is DOOK blue and am now on the market for a carolina blue one and swirly wirly laces)

30 20 10 back squats (my legs were in rebellion so I did 45 instead of the Rx 65)

This was tougher than it looked in writing, (as they all are) so I trucked through with the slowest time on the board today womp womp as usual.  a nap may be in order. 

take a wall ball to the face!!

I've never been in a fight... and only have one person that has ever wanted to fight me and so I did think of strategies in the event that I had to use them... I think now if I ever had to fight someone, best case scenario it would happen in the vicinity of a crossfit gym.  I would stun them with a med ball to the face and then do what I needed to do...why might this work? Because I took one to the face today and it surprised me pretty bad, but I kept it moving.

Yesterday I realized that I had been 3 days in a row, with a semi rest day the day before that and two days on the day before, so while I felt well, I could take rest without feeling bad...Then I saw the strength work was snatches, and I haven't been able to work on them this year due to knee issues and scheduling so I wanted to go...except the wod was Karen, 150 wall balls for time.. and numbers above 20 freak me out, so 150 is crazy.  I was perfectly happy doing things around the house relishing in being home, when John called to have me deliver a phone to him at work...I figured I might as well make it worth my while, so I went to workout.  I debated the endurance wod but then thought about multiple rounds of 8 minutes and decided against it.  My snatches felt medium.  I started at 53 which felt amazing but then as I got higher I found myself power snatching and riding it down, I don't know why I kept going higher, but next time will stay low for efficiency.  Watching Phil get a pr was pretty awesome as his form is pretty amazing, but today wasn't my day...So I whined about the wod, to anyone who would listen, I would have shouted it from the rooftops... but I am trying to do better about how I talk about things I don't want to do.  As expected 150 wall balls is pretty terrible.  My initial strategy was kinda 10 at a time, but that went to crap.  Once I got to 75 Dave kept an eye on me, and we found I did the second half as fast as the first, so really I could have gone faster, but it is such a mental thing, and you  have to be sure to throw it properly each time, because hitting myself in the face or missing the wall really screwed me up.  All in all I am glad I did it and got it over with, though 14:37 is not the time I was hoping for and would like to try to do it faster but don't see myself doing this on my own time.

stupid shoelaces....

I love walking in to a huge class at crossfit, especially with some of my favorites.  Colin coached and lead us through a squatastic and push uppy warm up, in which Paul filed his callouses and offered gum to the cllass. The skill work was on double unders, I planned my outfit poorly as my pants (and underpants cause you wanted to know) would not stay up...then my shoelaces messed me up...  So I love shoes as I have a great appreciation for them and have several pairs. If I had it in me I would go back to school for design and work on making super cute functional shoes for all fields (dance, fitness, and fashion), I just feel that physics and or biomechanics might be necessary and I can't.  My point with this, I have a pair of Nike frees and Saucony racing flats that I had to special order...why can't these shoe companies get it together, I shouldn't have to double knot my shoes and still have to tie them in the middle of a work out!!!!!!!!!!!! Paul told me about elastic shoelaces I could by, but I am in the market for the swirly wirly shoelaces you purchase for children...I used to pair mine to match my slouch socks.

The workout was the chief.  As many rounds as possible in 3 minutes of 3 power cleans, 6 push ups, 9 squats, rest one minute, for a total of 6 rounds.  I have been going through my old notebook which will not stay together, and typing up my wod book, so I know my rounds to beat was 15 1/3.  Yesterday I managed 17, but I didn't Rx my push ups, as I started snaking in the first 3 minutes.  I have been trying to analyze when my performance started to suffer, and I haven't quite pinned it, but I did notice that we often did cash in and outs, which we don't necessarily always do, and I am pretty sure I have been much more lax in my warm ups so the past few days I have made sure to cash out with at minimum my pull up ladder, I also am working on a core movement as well, yesterday I did sets of 15 situps then head stands.

Melissa of Whole 9 posted this awesome article today as well... There are times when I upset myself too much about things that go on at the gym, but really it is one aspect of my life...not me as a whole.  I am also an awesome wife, a bomb cook and baker, a snazzy dresser, a hip aunt Z, and shwerking dancer....thanks.

go me!

I was feeling a bit better about life and exercise since my last post.  I figure I just need to work a bit harder everyday and then I will get there.  Nutrition is still a work in progress, I figure once I have a regular schedule I will be better about regimenting myself.  Friday I worked at 530 am which is just so freakin early, and then had an interview at 12 so I wasn't able to attend my morning classes, which somehow just feel better to me.  By the time evening hit I was ready to lay on the couch and watch movies, but John made me go.  The strength work was overhead squats, which I haven't done in some time.  My previous 1RM is around 95... and we were working on percentages, so I started with 45, then went to 63 and my wrist went crazy and I only go through three reps.  I worked my way back up but only ended at 63.  I need to be sure to warm my wrist up, and ice it or it does funky things.  The wod was 9-7-5 deadlifts and muscle ups.  I subbed 2x pull ups and ring dips, and my 1RM has been 255 for a while yet I haven't been able to hit that recently.  I have been trying to work my way back up to that, but the rx of 75% would have been 195, and I know I didn't have that, but I do feel I could have done at least 175 instead of the 155 I did.  But it works out better as pull ups take me a while, so I was still the last one done 17:27.  I did my pull up ladder after that, but had to resort to the blue band for muscle failure.  John left me at the gym so he could do an appointment so I worked more on headstands and handstands.  We are going to DC in April during cherry blossom festival, so I would like to feel comfortable in my free standing handstand for photos.  I have trouble because I get scared, but I just need to work that out, I know I can hold it because I can kick up to the wall and pull my legs away, so go a way fear!.

This morning I got up and at em even though my bed was mighty comfy.  The strength work was 50 chin ups which were a challenge after yesterdays pull ups in the wod and the extra credit.  I am not sure I got through all 50.  The wod was 50 box jumps, 50 kettlebell swings, 50 sit ups, 50 db hang power cleans, 800 m run, 50 back extensions.  I am working on changing the way I feel about chippers, or numbers above 20, so I will tell you I LOVE CHIPPERS AND 50 REPS OF ANYTHING!!!!  I was able to jump all reps of the box jumps though it took me a while longer, the swings I broke up as I was surprised by some soreness, the situps were fine.  I went light on the cleans which was better for me to keep it moving, but I do feel I could have gone heavier.  The run I surprised myself by running in short sleeves, and was able to "sprint" the last 200 m, back extensions I just did the abmat because the GHDs were all taken.  I finished in 20:23 and was happy with that.

:(

So...I broke a plate.  I should have known better than to start with an already cracked plate, but thought it was a small crack, and didn't expect to go crazy throwing weight around.  The workout was death by cleans, so you do a power clean on the 1st minute, 2 on the second, etc... we were to go until fifteen minutes, and if you missed a round you continue to 5 each minute.  I remember doing this wod a while back in the old gym with just me and John.  I remember beating him, and getting somewhere above 10, I thought 15.  Yesterday I got to round 8, and the plate would no longer stand up, then I failed on round 9, though I don't think it was a result of the plate.  I used 75 pounds, but thought before I started that that could be conservative... I went back to review my notes, on October 31, 2008 I did 13 rounds, with 65 pounds. Proof that I am regressing.  I am also majorly hurting today, my poor form yesterday is evident today as my biceps are hurting real bad. that's all for now.

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kick him in the shin!!!

it has been a little while...last week Thursday we worked for a one rep max on back squat.  I thought I was over it, but I am still scared.  I think I worked up to 145, and then everyone seemed to busy to ask for a spot, which I  know is silly, but whatevs...so right now my 1RM back squat is about the same as my 3RM front squat...  Friday we did a special new exercise superman to hollow rock. So you lay on your stomach with arms and legs in the air, then roll over to your back with arms and legs in the air, for a super core workout.  I still have bruises on my hip bones always use a mat for things like that is what I learned.  The workout was 5 rounds 20 double unders, 25 abmat situps and then 30 kettlebell swings.  We had an awesome group with some of my favorite crossfitters, but for whatever reason I couldn't get my swings consecutive, and I know that is nothing but mental, but I had a great group to cheer for me when I was the last one still going.

Today I opened the gym so I worked 5:30 to 10...then debated whether I wanted to work out, and did the right thing.  We had Paul for today's awesome guest star who provided additional entertainment (he said "if I had a child I would name him Beyonce")...(Ashley usually provides some like the title of today's post).  We worked on ring dips which I trying to learn to love, today we did 50 strict reps, I used a blue band, some of the reps got hairy so I tried to go to green but that was too much.  For the wod I did yesterday's which was 20-18-14-->2 double unders, with 1-->10 kettlebell (heavy swings).  Again played some mental ping pong during the wod and finished in 11:28.  I worked on my pull ups with a ladder using the red band.

So yes, sometimes I get tired and actually need to catch my breath, but not as much as I stop.  I am thinking I may add unbroken skill work, like kettlebell swings, box jumps etc. maybe knowing I physically can do these things will make them easier to think about, wah.