Holler! Today is day 30!!! I feel good, and not so inclined to cheat, especially since I can't really decide what is worth it, and I am still trying to win :)!!

Workouts:
Have felt medium, I have felt strong but not at all fast. I overhead squatted 115 last week, and matched my one rep max push press. I took a dance class on Thursday and am pretty sure it is the reason my legs have been wrecked (but it hurts so good). Saturday a few of us travelled the hour to CROSSFIT zeal for filthy fifty one of my least favorites, but I finished in 43:18 maybe a pr.

Cranky pants

So week three started yesterday. All in all I feel good, uninflamed (which is a feeling you don't understand until you cut everything out) energy high, I have been sleepy, (but not fatigued) but I added my multivitamin back in and I think that makes the difference. Cravings have been generally low but this afternoon I would have cut you for a special maguro roll from shiki sushi...

Yesterday at CROSSFIT (I don't know why my iPad does that) we worked on inversions, my headstand has improved , I was able to hold a handstand against the wall for a while, and then we got to the wod to steal my joy. Five rounds row 500 run 400. I was the slowest in my group and it made me sad. I have a hard time running fast in a wod.

Today we worked on back squat (my nemesis). I worked up to 185 for one but it was not low enough :(. It is just a scary lift that I don't do enough. The wod was an amrap of 10 deadlifts, 10 bar facing burpees run 100. I was defeated before I started so I struggled.

Rough day but 16 days in, 14 left of my whole 30, many fore for 63 days, still feeling strong!

Day 9...54 to go!

I am going to attempt to blog more regularly!  Promise!  When I looked at Sunday's schedule,  there was a 9 am Endurance coached by one of my favorites: Pauly P, as well as an endurance-y wod coached by Paul.  When I woke up I was tired, so let myself sleep in until the 11 AM wod.  I did not feel like getting up to make myself real food, so instead I ate what I could find, one meatball, one egg, and fruit...not my best work.  I walked in to a warm up of glute bridges, jumping air squats, and kettlebell swings (and geez were my glutes warm).  We then did tabata rowing (20 seconds on, 10 off), and we were to row our bodyweight in watts.  This for me at my high bodyweight was a challenge, Paul said it proves I just need to be more powerful...oh okay.  Then the wod, as there were three of us, Paul offered to be my partner, for:.


In team of two, complete the following for time:
8 x 200 Meter Runs – Alternate Athletes (each run 4)
200 Double Unders
2K Row (Switch every 250 Meters)
200 Double Unders
8 x 200 Meter Runs


If you were unaware, Paul runs really fast, we likened him to a wind up toy during the wod as his feet just move.... So I got little rest.  My first 200 felt good, the rest felt like torture.  I could not string together double unders, and owe him like a thousand.  Rows felt fine, but all in all this was terrible, I think especially because it was cold outside, and my ears hurt pretty bad from pressure when I came back in.  We finished in 30:27, just 27 seconds shy of Paul's goal, I just wish I'd looked at the clock to see where our miles started and ended.


Yesterday we worked on overhead squats for the strength work.  I just did not have it.  I was gunning for 105 x 3 but when I dropped the weight at 95, I knew it was not happening.  The wod was 50 reps of shoulder to overhead, Rx was 95, I used 75.  Every time you put the bar down, you had to do 6 pull ups.  This was tougher than expected, I paused 6 times, and finished in 11:51. 


I am still going strong on diet, I am sick of eggs, and yesterday I was pretty cranky, but I think I can make it, at least through my whole 30 no cheating.  I do plan to reintroduce things in my diet to see how I feel during the challenge... I can't decide what first, bread? cheese? ...what do you think?

Pre-challenge stats

To prepare for awesome success stories we took some measurements pre challenge and will compare in (now 8!) weeks. Dave also asked us for before and after shots only to be shared if we were comfortable. Honestly I was planning on sharing them here but when I saw them I asked John if that was in fact what I looked like. He said no but they are pretty hideous so I imagine the afters will be amazing at which point I can share both. But here are my numbers.

Weight: 170
Body fat: 28.2
Bmi: 26.2
Blood pressure: 143/85

So the numbers are indeed high. My blood pressure is not generally that high but I had some road rage on the way to the gym (chapel hill drivers are the worst) I was going to check again but i figured it would make for a good success story.

Wods
Christine 14:34
3 rounds: row 500 m, 12 deadlifts, 21 box jumps
Body weight is the prescribed deadlift weight but as I hurt my back a week prior I just used 95.

CROSSFIT total 455
Squat: 165
Press: 85
Deadlift: 205
This was a terrible performance on my part, my goal was to match my prs for each lift but missed on all accounts. This leaves room for a good amount of improvement.

Goals
500+ CROSSFIT total
Sub 14:34 Christine with my actual bodyweight
As far as weight I don't have a number goal I just want my clothes to fit better.

Everybody be proud of me!

I have fallen off the blogging wagon. And I have meant to post for the new year, but I was waiting to set new goals as my 2011 goals are just 2010 goals repackaged... Then I decided to set goals one at a time to focus on, but then the first one, climb a rope, happened within a week, so GO ME! So I will update them soon, I have been working on ring dips lately.

We started a nine week nutrition challenge at the gym this week (yup 63 days) today is day 6. And so far, so good. Day one was a challenge as we were on the road and only had fruit and nuts and ate only two big meals, and today was hard because I tried to add so some variety and didn't add enough fat to lunch and ended up famished. I think this challenge is the proper way to kick start proper eating habits, as 63 days is a long time. I have already faced such challenges as a friend eating French fries in my car, yeast rolls at dinner, baking for a friend, and the office (bagels, sweets, cheese balls etc) , but have remained victorious.

Last night I went to the gym for endurance and decided to stay for the regular class as well. I kicked butt in endurance! The wod was a thirty second row sprint, burpee broad jump across the turf, sprint back then row thirty seconds. It was fun, yet sucky in the Fran way as we were challenging anaerobic pathways science etc. Of the five of us in class I started thirty seconds behind and managed to catch up with the first group. I had the advantage of rower placement but I will take that achievement!

Happy Thanksgiving back!

So as Thanksgiving is the gluttonous holiday that encourages to eat ridiculous amounts of food, Crossfit encourages us to do ridiculous workouts  before and after to conterbalance the effects.  Yesterday's wod involved a lot of bodyweight exercises and a 500 m row.  By the end, I could not use my arms, but it felt great.  I scaled a bunch, with push ups, ring dips, and scaled back the turkish get ups, but I finished in a respectable amount of time.

Today we did a painstorm wod. We were to lift our bodyweight ground to overhead for as many years as we are old, and double under for 100-age times 10...so for me that is 28 clean and jerks at (really heavy) and 720 double unders.  I scaled back to middle school weight, and as we could choose our own strategy, I did my clean and jerks first, and then used the rest of 30 minutes to complete double unders, but as my feet wanted to get in the way of the rope, I struggled with stringing them together.  I ended up with only 253 double unders, so my strategy may have been flawed, but still a great workout.

Last week I was able to deadlift 223, which is not quite near my max, but more than I have lifted in a year.  That day we did a wod involving box jumps deadlifts and pullups.  There were a bunch of us in attendance...like a lot like I had to hunt for a box to jump on.  In the middle of the wod, a smaller, newer member yelled to Dave who was coaching, "I am one of the shortest people here, why I am I the one of the few jumping on an Rx box (20 inches)."  It took all I had not to comment on the fact that I outweighed her by (at least) 50 pounds yet I was doing pull ups without a band, but Dave politely replied, "because you can".   I understand that her comment came out of pride, and doubt that it was meant to be hurtful, but it rubbed me the wrong way.  I was not using a 20 inch box because when I got to the boxes, they were all gone... pick your battles.  But suggestion to all crossfitters, compare you to you, and leave everyone else out of it...

I leave you with this photo of myself:

sometimes Dave gets some good shots, but this was the worst, first of all I paused so many times at the top for a good shot.  and if you were wondering, I see my poor form, my legs are a bit far apart, my back is rounded, and my hips are high, but i still had a commenter, a trainer, not a crossfitter, one I have done training sessions with (that is saying a lot at a globo gym as not everyone is qualified) but still UGH.  But check out my arms, and my legs I imagined to be quite fatty are actually kinda diesel... and look at my eyeballs! so large!

Go me!

I have had a medium amount of success at crossfit the past couple of days. I had another fun weekend where I skipped working out (Sunday was beautiful and I skipped because I thought it would be cold oops!) i planned a two a day for Monday, the regular wod began with deadlifts. I am still reworking form so I stayed light on those and for the wod as well 15-9-6 6-9-15 deadlifts and burpee pullups. I knew this would take me a while as I am slow at everything but I finished in 27:12 just about fifteen minutes behind EVERYONE else. I came back in the evening for the endurance wod which was 500m row repeats. Paul suggested my goal be about ten seconds slower than 2:15, and I did much better than that at 2:19, 2:15, 2:13, 2:12, 2:11, 2:12 and grand finale 2:05... Did you forget about my slow score? Yeah me too.

Today I planned for a morning session but when I slept through that, chances of making the evening session were slim but I made it. Strength work was the push press, I had to ask dave where the pr board was as I have no idea in which of my 4 wod books I would find it. My pr from the board was 105, I worked up to that then did a conservative five pound jump. I hit it. I told rich I would ring the bell later but went up by ten. I hit it. I went up another ten. I hit it. Are you counting? Twenty pounds!!! The wod was another valley style, 21-15-9 800 m run 9-15-21 wall balls and push ups, I finished just five minutes behind most, but I was satisfied!

Surprise pr!

I have been quite medium lately... this weekend was amazing meaning I are and drank whatever, day drinking turned night drinking on friday, bojangles each morning, and just plain old crap all weekend. So this week getting back on track was quite the challenge. I didn't feel much like working out the beginning of the week, but made myself workout yesterday. it was medium. Today I made myself go again for endurance. The workout was a 2k row. Allison asked what our times were and I couldn't reference but was thinking high nines. She told me to shoot for 915...i went 909 so go me!!!! I went back to my old notebook and my last 2k was 952 in march so hooray for 43 seconds.

swings and snatches

Today's strength work was the kettlebell snatch.  We were to snatch amrap without putting the bell down, I started with a 25# weight and only got to 9 because it was owie on my hands.  The next two sets I did 17, better, but not that many, I have a hard time going to that scary place.

The wod was 6 rounds, 20 swings, rest 30 seconds, 15 box jumps.  The box jumps reminded me that my legs hurt from the weekend.  The swings let me know that my form is terrible.  I had been avoiding them the past little bit due to back pain, but today discovered (what Ashley had been telling me all along) that the back pain was a result of poor form when swinging.  So I worked on form, with a light kettlebell.  It was still hard.

mia

I have been mia...as my computers have been at the repair shop (aka my brother in lawss) and i haven't really felt like blogging.  I am in a slump. Some things have improved (like my pull ups kinda) and somethings have deteriorated into an abyss (my deadlift) somethings have stayed pretty medium.  I have gotten faster at some running and slower at most wods and I just don't know.  My diet has been good and sucky, I am thinking I need to do a whole 30 or something, but at this point I can fit it in before thanksgiving, but i know I will cheat next weekend for homecoming, so blah.  This is where I am in recent memory:

We did an endurance wod that entailed 10 jumping air squats, and sprinting 200m.  We were supposed to do it 10 times.  I did 9 as I was slower than most and Paul felt pity on me.  I struggled with walking after that.

We did an endurance wod that involved kettlebell swings and sprinting.  I stopped in the middle to go to the bathroom.

We did fran. The strength work before was front squats (my favorite) but I was too nervous for fran, and everything felt heavy. Then we did fran, my time was 3:30 slower than my pr.  It was embarrassing.

Today I ran a 5K. I was passed by: an old man, people pushing strollers, 3 men wearing weight vests (who also did burpees and squats during the race, a one legged woman, and a skinny fat couple who ran walked the whole thing, also embarrassing.

I'm back!  I think.  This weekend I am in a wedding, and the dress is a bit snug.  I would like to have the freedom to drop it like it's hot, so I have been focusing on proper eating and making it to the gym, even when I don't wanna, if only for the week before. 

Yesterday I planned to make it a two a day, and head in for one of the morning sessions, but sleep monster said NO. So I headed in for 6 PM planning to just do the wod, as the endurance wod was a partner wod, and I dislike those.  But I was lured in, and was able to complete the wod on my own.  So, I  am not really sure what the world is coming to, but I paid a man to yell at me while I ran in the rain.  The wod was 200 m, 400m 800 m, 400 m, 200 m.  If as a partner wod, they alternated and ran one more 800.  My  split times were 55 s, 2:10, 5:00, 2:10?, 30 s!!!!!!!!!!!!.  And even now I doubt myself, as my math may have been off, but no really, I ran 200 m in 30 seconds. GO ME!  Not bad for having missed endurance for more than a month.  I then stayed for the wod, even though Amy Scott tried to get me to celebrate Dr. Shirey's 100 # Snatch(!) with watermelon cocktails.  The strength work was hang cleans, which I will admit I slacked off on. and then the wod, 15-10-5 man makers, with 50 double unders in the middle.  It was crazy! It took me the longest of everyone, but I did it.

This morning I made it in for the 7:15, they had an abnormally large class, and didn't seem as excited for all the new faces, one said, we were just spoiled by 3 person classes... I have been a member almost forever, and used to have 8:30 basically to myself, but the more the merrier (I think) as long as you are not psycho about everything.  The strength work was the jerk, I did two at 65, and decided my back wasn't working, so just foam rolled, for the rest of the strength.  The wod was 21-15-9 push press, ring dips, push ups with shuttle runs in the middle.  I opted to go very light weight as my shoulders were still hurty from yesterday, with the 33, and ring dips I would have done a blue band with a skinny purple just in case, but that wasn't available so I just did green.  Doug called me out on the shuttle runs, as I didn't see that the purpose was to turn around, so I just ran straight through.    So with the wod heavily scaled, I finished first.  Go me! (kinda)

John has decided he wants to compete in the Carolina Fitness Challenge, as Jonathan Denton will compete if he does!!! But this means diet will be under control. 

sooo...um...

I am still here. I still have a blog.  I still exercise...kinda.  I have battled sickness, busy-ness, and now injuryness but I will make it through.  Last week some time I hurt my back, I believe from hyperextension while doing a jerk.  It has left me having a hard time moving, as your back connects everything together (like mayo on a sandwich).  That combined with my eating junk for the past few weeks has left me feeling kinda junky.  I am travelling for the next three weekends, so I am having a bit of a hard time working on eating my best, though I know that is going to be the best way to help decrease inflammation and get back to normal. 

Workouts have been meh to medium.  I had some good moments, like my 30 unbroken double unders which Amy Scott describes here.  I've had some terrible ones, where we were doing Elizabeth (21-15-9 squat cleans (with 95#) and ring dips) and it hurt so bad, but I decided it better to quit rather than drop weight as I have never done it without the Rx weight, even though I can't do ring dips rx, so who cares. 

I took a dance class with my bestie James  who choreographs for Beyonce and a bunch of people 10 years younger than me,we then went out on the town and then I made him teach me video choreography until 4 am.   I thought I was back in school (cause that's what I did in college every day) and now I am paying for it. 

But I will get back at least to normal.  Focusing on eating better.   I worked out this morning when I didn't wanna cause I knew I would feel better and I was right.  I just need to remember that daily. 

I am still alive

My computer is broken broken broken, hence my lack of postings I will just post a few things I am excited about...

I prd annie, 50-40-30-20-10 double unders and abmat sit ups. Sub ten, which has taken me a considerable amount of time to get to.

I was sick for a good week. Saturday morning I got out of bed and just could not make it to the gym... Anf that lasted until yesterday when john made me go to the gym.

I prd my kettlebell snatch. 52 pounds!!!!!!

Thats all.

:('''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

So I left the gym in tears this morning.  In the middle of the wod, or I shouldn't say middle because I couldn't finish the first round.

Sarah Glass' birthday wod:

21-15-9

bodyweight back squats

power cleans

pull ups

100-75-50 double unders. 

We first worked on muscle ups...then warmed up for the  wod.  My back has been jacked up again, so I was planning to go relatively light for the back squats, much less than my actual bodyweight which was surprisingly high last i checked.  I decided to just use one bar for both and do 95.  The back squats were fine, the power cleans ended up one at a time.  I also decided to complete my volume training for pull ups last night, so the pull ups in the wod were rough on my hands.  Once I got lapped once and freaked out I couldn't control the tears.  I got through 18 pull ups, told Jack I couldn't do it, cleaned up my bar and left.

The last time I cried at the gym, it was me and two coaches, and I at least completed the wod.  Today I just got so frustrated because nothing was working, and embarrassed because I felt like the only one, and mad at myself for not attempting to finish.  I scaled a ton so I didn't know how to make it easier other than to do less.  Not my brightest moment...

My guns

Today my boss commented on my lovely shirt, to which I replied "thanks, my guns almost don't fit".  Another coworker jumps in to tell me he had never heard a girl reference her guns before. yet another announces that I reference my guns (aka venus and serena) more than anyone he knows, male or female. For that, I am proud.

WHAT I LIKE A BOUT ME!

Coach Ashley has challenged us to number the things we love about ourselves.  Crossfit by nature attracts competitive people looking for a challenge who want to better themselves. So really when we are all awesome people, we get around other awesome people that can do different things we can think they are some how more awesome, rather than different awesome.  Often times we think about the things that we can not do, or the things we are not, rather than celebrating what we can do.  Here is my list of ways that I am awesome, with links to some other awesome people.

1. I got ups.

2. The work I have put into my pull ups shows in my back.  I probably should look at  it in the mirror more often.  I am working toward Beatrice Yaxley ness, she has L pull ups and chest to bars coming out of her ears... once she decides she wants to be able to do something, she does it. She also took some awesome pictures of my wedding before we knew each other... (small world no?)

3. Did you get your ticket?  (TO THE GUN SHOW)  I have always had well defined arms, though I have not worked that hard to maintain them.  

4. The 11th skill is my specialty... I am not scouring my closets before each workout, i just happen to own things in coordinating colors, and enjoy fun tshirts.  I also spend more time at the gym than dressed casually, so the fun tshirts I enjoy purchasing are worn to the gym.

5.  I am not a runner like Colleen, the funniest person at Crossfit Durham if not all of North Carolina who is qualifying for Boston again, but I have put some work into my running and have made major improvements.  I am not quite at Nelly status (she runs the streets of Durham...barefoot...badass and also has dancer feet i would kill for), but I ran a 5K (the farthest I have run since that one day in college) and I am still alive.  I then walked it with Melinda who is currently kicking cancer's ass...she is kicking butt and taking names, and sharing her experience through a wonderful blog, which will no doubt help many others in her position... She also has a head for long hair, super cute short hair or no hair at all.  

6. I am strong... though not as strong as the amazing Ashley Denton...who also has the abs of a goddess...(and is an amazing and motivating coach) 

7. I still have my split... I took a dance class a while back in which I got hurt, which stole my spirit and dream that I can just pick back up and go right back to where I left off, but I know deep down I still got it, just like Amy Scott...who will rock the sh#* out of some wings and a time step, and can hula hoop and roller skate like no one I have seen before. 

8. I can also do this

9.  I like my hair cut.

10.  I am a part of the Crossfit Durham community.  We have an awesome group that supports and motivates each other.  and we are all amazing. :)

owie.

I had an oops last week where I succumbed to the crap food available at work, (FREE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES) and found my jeans too tight.  I went in this week focused and ready.  I had a plan for two a days on Monday and Wednesday for endurance, Tuesday morning, and then Thursday off.  This week has been tougher than I thought.

Monday
push press 3 sets of 20.  This requires muscular endurance on which I am still working... The goal was 50-  60 % 1RM (105) so I should have been working heavier than the 33 I used, but I completed all sets and felt challenged.

Wod
50 thrusters (35)
40 double unders
30 KB swings
20 backwards lunges with overhead weight
10 burpees

This took me a while as I was having mental problems on thrusters, as my legs were a bit sore from the weekend.  The double unders I got in 32 and 8.

Endurance
10 minutes, 30 seconds on 30 seconds off.  I ran 1100 m in that time.  Which means I should be able to run my mile much faster (I think?)

Tuesday
50 six count burpees....squat, plank, push up, squat, jump and clap. yes gross.

wod
8 rounds
200 m run
10 pull ups.

after getting lapped on my second round I asked Doug if I should drop to 5s on pull ups. He said I should use a band, I said I dontwanna, he then set up my band.  It was a day I should have stayed in bed as I had a sassy attitude, and did not feel better about myself after struggling through it but what can you do.  My new cute shorts were riding up the whole time I was running, so I ran kinda slow, it was rough all around.

Today:
work to a single clean.  My new pr from 2 weeks ago was 135.  I attempted 133 but couldn't do it.  I am super ridiculously sore today and I intended to go in early to foam roll but then didn't.

wod
AMRAP 12 minutes
5 kettlebell snatches
5 goblet squats.
each side. if you put the kettlebell down you had to do 5 burpees.  I got through 4 rounds unbroken...then Phil brought me a heavier kettlebell, so I just did my burpees then I did my rounds in onesies, then managed the last 2 unbroken.

My body hurts.

Get that shhh...

This video is from a year ago it says... i think more cause we did a crossfit total at some point and i beat this by 20 pounds. This wasn't pretty, there is some back rounding, and I don't like my outfit (jk) but I did it. I don't know that I could do this today. I have been trying to figure out what I want to accomplish, and all goals lead toward just being better... plan to follow.

BIRTHDAY WOD

So today is my birthday.  Some time after my last birthday people at crossfit starting requesting birthday wods, so of course I needed to hop in on that.  Some people use their age for the number of reps or rounds, but I am too old for that mess, I don't like anything above 6 reps of anything.  I picked out a wod we had done before and left me upset, I vowed to do this Rx the next time, and I almost made it.

5 rounds
5 power snatch (start with bar  on floor and catch overhead with wide grip)
5 burpees
5 power clean (bar starts on floor and catch at shoulders with arms bent)
5 ring dips
5 thrusters (bar is at shoulders and squat and then push the bar overhead)

This was supposed to be heavy, 135 for boys, 95 for girls.  The limiting factor is typically the snatch, I can do everything else no problem at 95, but my snatch is not quite there.  I opted for 83.  I went at 6:15, and Stew was kind enough to offer options for those that didn't want to make everything else seem too easy.  I said no, one bar is to be used, challenge yourself some.  I understand that some people are unfamiliar with the movement, but still want a challenging workout, I will give that a pass. But I also was not the coach, so some opted to sub something else for the snatches but knew they were under judgment.  I do thank everyone who put up with my djing and criticism, and rocked it out.

she's got legs...and they hurt.

I have been super lame with blogging...part laziness, part husband stealing my computer, part busy ness and all the powers combined and I haven't written in weeks.  I have been working out semi regularly, last week I was derailed by a flat tire, sleep monster, holiday weekends, your mom, fun weekends, you name it, but I seem to be back in the habit this week.

Some highlights, Memorial Day Monday we did Murphy, (run 1 mile, 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 squats) I went with the intention of doing half by myself or attempting the whole thing broken up, but when I got there, Kim asked me to be her partner so I did.  I PRD MY FIRST MILE.  (I don't know if you caught that) Not crazy fast, but sub 10, for which I was proud.  Then we broke everything in half, she works much faster than me so was just hanging around after she finished the squats and picked up some slack.  The second mile was UGLY.  I walked not even 400 m in, I couldn't catch my breath and decided to finish the 800 and quit.  Jonathan was at the door and said "hey you have another 800", (how did he even know with so many people) I told him I couldn't do it, then Lindsey Caley (who had finished the whole thing 30 minutes prior) came and so politely encouraged me to finish, then Ashley Denton came out and said, think about the people who died for you (can you really say no to that?), so Lindsey and Kim joined me for my last 800...

I don't remember anything else but today.  My legs hurt already. I attended my first 7:15 class and made it to work early, so this may work out for a regular class attendance, as I somehow woke up with no alarm.  I guess some people were sloppy with form over the weekend (not me) and caused Dave to go on a back to basics (mean) streak with programming.  I missed yesterday which involved push ups, but today was 10 air squats on the minute, for 10 minutes, then 4 minutes of 20 seconds on 10 off of air squats, then the wod was 30 wall balls, 20 knees to elbows (3 rounds).  Were you counting? 100 + my tabata I averaged 12 so about 96 + 90 = gross! I am pretty sore at just 12 hours so we shall see what doms brings me.  I am hydrating and fish oiling and vitamin cing thanks for asking.