My poor neck

Skills
SPP (behind back)
5x5
super set with Box Jumps
5x12

I was talking a lot, and I think that I only made it through 4 sets and up to 83#. I'd say it was Kyle's fault, but then that would be a demonstration of a serious character flaw. So it was my fault. :) And I dislike racking the bar on my back. Bending my knees more while bringing it down certainly helped, but I seemed to be quite good at hitting the same vertebrae every single time.

WOD
(CF Football wod)
8 rounds
8 KBS 35#
5 pull ups
100 m run
Time-11:10

Compared to 7/7/09 when I scaled it back to 5 rounds, 25# KBS and a time of 7:16.

Christmas Present

Rest Day

The difference in a year, with 7 months of CrossFit and paleo-

Christmas 2009

Christmas 2008 Looking forward to Christams 2010...

Year-end Goal #2: 83# OHS

Skill
I was one of those gym divas once again and didn't do what everyone else was doing, even though I am so very, very disappointed to miss those half moons and dead hang pull ups. :)
OHS
33x10
43x5
53x5
63x3
73x1
78x1
83x1 (PR! met the goal)
88 fail

I can't even begin to describe to you how much easier the OHS is these days. A couple of months ago I was struggling with the junior bar. You should understand that this means struggling. All the coaches gave me great advice and helped me slowly work past what very quickly had become a major frustration. You may have noticed that I can get stressed out, and this lift was stressing me out! I still have a long way to go, but the whole lift feels so much smoother these days.

WOD
3 rounds, 5 minute intervals
21 box jumps 16"
400 m. run
12 push presses 73#

This was my first time to complete an interval workout like this with the Rx'd run. I didn't have much rest in each round, but I was able to squeak through each round without going over the time.

Year-end Goal #1: Deadlift PR

Skill
Deadlift 10x2
Since I had a year-end DL goal, I took this time to try for a new PR. I tried to be way more sensible about the weight progression and the number of lifts before my PR attempts.
135x2
185x2
235x2
265x2
285x1
295x1 PR by 22 pounds!

And at that point I was done, really done. My goal was 300 by the end of the year, but that was a pretty big jump. Vero still holds the #2 spot on her own. I am ecstatic with this PR, and I just wanted to go and sit in the corner after I got it, but I still had the wod...

WOD
AMRAP in 12 minutes
5 power cleans 73#
10 jump squats
200 m. run

Me-4 rounds + cleans and squats
Me-struggled to do every single round
Me-wanted to stop after round 1, but was told to keep going unless I was in pain
Me-kept trying to convince Sam that every ounce of strength had been zapped with the DL
Me-glad I finished

No Rest for the Wicked...

and the righteous don't need any.

Skill
Clean and Jerk
worked up to several at 103#

WOD
10, 8, 6, 4, 2
Deadlifts 185#
Push Jerk 83#
100 m run after each couplet
Time:10:56

Everything felt hard today, but I expected that. I probably could have gone up to 93 on the push jerks, but my arms were sore, and my shoulders were sore, and...

The day after Christmas...I ate way too much sugar and potatoes yesterday, so I went to bed with a nice headache. I knew Sam would put running in the WOD. I expected him to stand at the door and yell as we were running that we all shouldn't have eaten so much junk. He didn't do that! He did yell at me plenty to keep running all the way to my bar. Alas, he seems to have noticed that I stop running somewhere a bit earlier than that...What an observant coach.

Since I cheated rather royally yesterday, I am back to super strict, hard-core paleo today: only meat, vegetables, fruit, and some nuts and seeds for me.

Christmas Chipper

Skills
Rack Thrusters
45x3
55x3
65x3
75x3
80x3
85x3
90x3

WOD

Christmas Chipper
30 Thrusters 65#
30 KBS 35#
30 Pushups
30 Plate situps 15#
30 Ball Slams 25#
30 Box Jumps 16"
30 Cleans 65#
Time: 15:46

I almost freaked out when the chipper was announced, since I had just read this post about the lure of the sexy met-con. When I was reading the article, I didn't think that my box was under the spell of the sexy met-con, but then, what?!?

But I had nothing to fear, and Sam explained that we don't do many chippers for important reasons. He explained this well, but I don't remember all he said. I was too busy stressing about doing 30 of so many things. I do know that we don't do many of them because of the CFWSC strength focus.

They said what?

Rest Day

Anyone who is going through the process of losing a boatload of weight will tell you how much it means to have people genuinely support you and encourage you because sometimes it is brutal to keep going. Recently I've received some comments that some might be afraid to actually say to a person, but I find them hilarious so I had to write them down for posterity's sake.

"I meant to tell you when I was walking behind you the other day that your butt is getting smaller. It's in better proportion to the rest of you now."

"You know, I have to tell you that I think you've lost all of your up-tight weight."

"I noticed that your you've lost weight in your face. The good news is that your neck isn't all saggy so you won't need plastic surgery!"

The only comments I have received that I don't appreciate are the ones like this:

"You eat eggs for breakfast?!? Every day?!? Don't you think that is going to make you fat?"

"Aren't you worried that if you keep lifting, you'll get a thick neck?"

"Why don't you just go to Curves?"

True Love in 7 Days!?!

Skill
Snatch grip deadlift 3x3 63#
Snatch high pull 5x1 53#
Snatch balance 5x1 15# and then 33#

I didn't fall over once on the snatch balance. I didn't even lose my balance, but at that weight it sure isn't anything to write home about.

WOD
12-9-6-3
OH Squat 53#
Box Jumps 16"
Time-6:00

All 30 OHS done without any shoulder trouble! I think my ability to jump from 33# in a WOD to 53# and to suffer none of that nagging scapula pain must have something to do with this recent inspiration.
You must read the link, but here is one key excerpt-
A couple of things that the overhead squat does for you:
1) makes you hecka strong
2) builds your confidence when doing a snatch
3) stabilizes the core
4) guarantees that you will find true love in the next seven days

I am rather unclear on what level of the OHS I have to reach before the clock starts ticking on #4, but I'll be sure to let you know if my life changes in the next seven days...

Rx'd WOD

Skill
Rack Jerk 7x1
33, 53, 73, 93, 113, 123-fail

Then 400m run x 3, rest between
2:20, 2:22, 2:23

Ashamedly, I responded to the announcement of this part of the class with a full-on, horrible, whiny pout. It was nasty.

It is good to have this done, of course. In my mind, I had figured that I was so slow that my 400 must be at least 4 min. When you think that way, then you figure that Helen, during which you will run much slower after doing 21 KB swings, will probably take at least 30 minutes and that is just off-putting.

WOD
5 rounds
5 DL 183#
10 push ups
Time: 3:25
as Rx'd, baby.

I was working that DL bounce for all it was worth, knowing that the last rounds of push ups would be awful. They were ugly. And now my back is sore, but I did it.

Paleo Chicken Cacciatore

I have way too much shopping to finish, so I skipped open gym. Right. :)

I did pull out a bar and plates from the garage and practiced my OHS a bit, just a little bit.
OHS
15x5
30x5
45x3
55x3
65x3
70x2

Tonight was family dinner, and I was the chef of the night, so everyone had a mostly paleo dinner (I do eat green beans now and then.) It is the perfect dish-easy, fairly quick, enjoyed by kids and adults, and it works as left-overs too.

Chicken Cacciatore
Chicken thighs
zucchini, sliced
yellow squash, sliced
green beans
mushrooms, sliced
olives
capers
diced tomatoes
red wine
garlic (a lot)
oregano (a lot)
thyme (a lot)
s & p

Brown the thighs, then add everything else! Either bake covered in the oven (350) or covered on the stove-top. If you are paleo, you don't really need too much of a sauce, so uncover the pot towards the end to boil down some of the liquid. It should take about 30 minutes or so to cook.

Oven Roasted Butternut Squash
I do not enjoy cutting up butternut squash, so I love the bags of diced squash from Trader Joe's and Costco!
Toss a bag of diced squash with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet, roast in the oven at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes. At this point, add minced garlic and toss gently. Continue cooking until the squash is tender, about 15 more minutes

Death by On the Minute...

Skill
Banded Pull Ups: 7 blue band, rest, 5 blue band (well, the last of each set was pretty questionable...)

Front Squat
53x2
63x2
83x2
83x2
103x2
113x2
123x2
123x2
123x2
133x2
The last 5 reps were each followed by 5 broad jumps

WOD
On the minute for 15 minutes
2 power cleans 83#
2 push ups
3 pull ups (jumping)
50 m sprint

It was pretty easy to guess that this one would be hard. Any time there are so many things to do in one minute, you know that supposed "rest" between minutes will be hard to catch. So yep, not much rest for me...Love that feeling of making it back into the box and hearing "10 seconds", meaning I have to actually book it back to my bar.

I did skip one sprint because I was behind and I intended to make it up at the end, but I just couldn't make myself do it. I felt sufficiently dead and felt no need to be any deader.

Slacker

Never made it to the box today...

It was such a beautiful day that I did decide to just take a walk. A couple of miles in was relaxing, refreshing, and revelatory: I took a walk today that I haven't done in at least months, if not more, due to the hill, and I so enjoyed that view of the bay!

Not only was I able to make the trek, I realized that I thoroughly enjoyed it. Without another thought, I was able to enjoy the walk with no guilt about moving faster or walking longer to be sure I got enough cardio. I just enjoyed the moment.

And to please those who think there should be some more pictures, here we go, thanks to Rachel:

Me and Anna, the sis who loves CF too

Me and Kyle, the trainer with the black heart

Oh, how I love WODs with lunges...

Skill
Bent Over Row
53x12
73x12
83x12
88x12
After each set, AMRAP push-ups (only real push-ups for me tonight)
10, 9, 8, 8

WOD
AMRAP in 10 minutes
5 Thrusters 73#
20 Walking Lunges
Me: 6 rounds in 10:08

It is very helpful to be told what weight to use since I would have probably chosen 63# on my own. Even so, I preferred the 5 lifts to the 20 lunges, no doubt.

The great thing about this wod is that it doesn't even take until the next day to have sore legs!

Paleo: Coconut Walnut Cookies

Rest Day


After last night's wod, Kyle asked someone if she could feel the K2Es in her core...quick re-run through the wod in my mind, because I didn't feel a thing. The only thing that hurt was my hands. Did I not actually do what I was supposed to? I was far from a real K2E, but I was pretty sure I was doing a scaled version. But I felt nothing...


I am happy to report that I feel it today. Every. single. time. I laugh, cough or sneeze I feel it.


In an effort to not get depressed about not making a couple hundred Christmas cookies, I tried making some paleo cookies today. They are delicious. :)

Coconut Walnut Cookies

1/4 c. coconut oil

1/4 c. agave nectar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 c. almond flour or meal

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 c. walnuts, toasted and chopped

1/2 c. coconut flakes

1/4 c. dried, chopped fruit

In a large bow mix the oil, agave and vanilla. In a smaller bowl, blend all of the dry ingredients: almond flour, salt, baking soda, walnuts, coconuts, and fruit. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix completely. Drop by the teaspoonful on to a baking sheet lined with parchment. The batter is pretty crumbly, so just kind of squish the batter together. Flatten the cookies slightly and be sure to space as they do spread a bit. Bake at 350 for about 8 minutes.

Notes: Trader Joe's has agave nectar and almond meal for the best price. I'm going to try these again with less agave and we'll see how that works!

Coming Clean

Skills
Work to 1 heavy deadlift
135x5
185x3
225x2
235x1
255x1
The astute observer will notice that I used the men's bar tonight. I like having my lifts end in 5's and not 3's, but my hands hurt now.

WOD
7 rounds
2 DL 215#
7 K2E
100m sprint
Time: 12:37

100m runs are my cup of tea. Can we turn all of the 400s into 100s? That would make me very happy!

Diet
This week I have eaten chocolate probably 4 times...I'm coming clean and have entered into my own accountability plan for the upcoming week...

Squat Clean PR

Skills
Squat Clean
work for new 1RM: made it to 113#, failed on the 123#

WOD
Tabata Couplet
Clean and Jerk 83#
Ball Slams 25#
Score-3/8
(if I don't count the 1st round when I had 93# on and really couldn't get it up)

I finished this one feeling like it was much, much harder for me than it should have been. I did PR on the clean by 10# and I did move from using the 16# ball to the 25#.

I have no idea what was wrong, but I do seem to reach a mental block with the clean way too easily. So I not only have to work on the DL, the OHS, my double-unders, a pull-up, remember how to do something as simple as jerk instead of press (don't worry, Sam, even though it was probably hard to tell, I did hear you!), and a gazillion other things, I also have to get mentally tougher. So many things to do! It is a wonder I have time for anything else!


**Edit: and this was what my dad had to say about it when I was talking to him about the lift:
I told him I just couldn't get the 123.
Dad: No, that's not true. You could have done it. It is all mental. It's all in your mind when you increase a lift like that about 8%. You should have tried 118 first.
Me: Yeah, I should have. I made the choice to jump up, and I just couldn't get the 123 I wanted.
Dad: No, you could have. You just didn't think you could. But you could have done it.

Argghhh, he's right again!

Eventually, I will get a pull up

-Started CF in May and the jumping pull-ups were plenty for me
-Started the Paleo Challenge in June and was recorded as having 1 blue-band pu, but really, Joc pushed me up
-Ended the Paleo Challenge in September and had 1 blue-band pu on my own
-Tested for max pull ups at the beginning of November and had 5 blue-bands
-Up to 6 blue-bands last week

And now it is time to really get past this blue band!

Wesley has put me on this pull up regime :)
Every single time I am in the box, do the following:
Stage 1:
-work for 10 on the blue band
-try to get one on the green band
-work on holding myself up at the top of the pull up for as long as possible

So I am posting this here to force myself into accountability!

Thursday's WOD

Skill: Snatch Complex
1 power snatch
1 heaving snatch balance
1 hang snatch

I just tried this again and again and again: at 33#, then 43, the 15 a couple of times, then back to 33 a few times...My shoulder flexibility leaves a bit to be desired and then for the 3rd time, last night, I had some sharp pain in the scapula area. That made it hard to keep the bar up. I'll have to figure out what that is.

WOD
3 rounds
2 minutes each round and 2 minutes of rest between each round
Row 200m
Max Reps Front Squat 85# (12-13-11)

This was one of the many times that I am reminded how great it is to have someone YELLING at you to keep going, to get one more lift. I kind of want to strangle them while they are yelling at me because I want to go slower, rest, or just stop, but I only kind of want to strangle them because I really do want the help... All evil thoughts cease as soon as the WOD ends. :)

I felt like I could be getting sick yesterday, but was determined to ignore it so it would go away. I still feel iffy today, so no class for me. I will however continue to strongly resist falling to whatever horrible cold everyone around me seems to have.

Rest Day with some Reflection

Since today is a rest day, I decided to make myself write down some more reflective thoughts. Quite recently I realized that I am now 53 pounds lighter than my heaviest self. On the weeks when it seems like I am making no progress, I try to remind myself of how far I have made it and work hard to keep from dwelling on how far I have to go.

I have plenty of things to be excited about so far in my journey of going from fat to fit:

• I have lost 50 pounds and any way you look at it, that is a big chunk of flesh
• I have not only lost weight, but I am totally confident that I have made great gains in my strength and over-all fitness
• I can tell that even my fingers are skinnier
• I can deadlift 273#. That means that at least one lift is more than my BW. :)
• I feel healthy, haven't been sick in months, and I really like to get out and move
• I have remained gluten-free for just over a year now
• I have finished 2 5k races and 1 10k and on each race I improved my time
• I have just about nothing to wear. I am decidedly at the point where just about everything doesn't just look baggy, it looks horribly wrong to wear something with that much hanging fabric.
• I have the support of amazing family and friends who help me stay paleo, encourage me to keep up with classes, push me to work harder and lift heavier, and are genuinely excited for me
• I am honored to be part of what has inspired several friends to make improvements in their own health

Wow! A Kyle Class 2 Days in a Row!

CrossFit
Skills
lots of sprint drills again tonight. It is almost like Kyle is determined to turn me into a better runner...because it is all about me, of course.

WOD
30 jumping squats 55#
30 ball slams 16#
1 shuttle run thingy
20 jumping squats
20 ball slams
2 shuttle runs
10 jumping squats
10 ball slams
3 shuttle runs

Time 6:45

The first set of ball slams seemed like it would never end, but after that all was good. Since this is also supposed to be an honest evaluation of my wods, I have to say that next time I'll move up to the 20# ball (which is a good thing since I don't like the 16# ball and its one flat side. Flat sides tend to take away any possible bounce.)

Freaky note: This has happened a couple of times now, so I am pretty sure it is not just a fluke: Since I am trying to make it to the box at least 4 times that means I have to show up even when I am tired and don't feel like doing anything. And get this-once I get there I am not tired anymore and am actually glad I showed up. Maybe, just maybe this is what freaky people mean when they say that they LIKE exercise. :)

Never Bored

CrossFit
Skill
Front Squat
53x6
73x5
83x4
93x3
103x2
123x1

I don't have a 1RM for the FS, so I was just moving up with no real goal. The 123# was definitely not my max, so I'll have to try again.

WOD
9 DL at 75% 1 RM (203#)
1 resisted run
9 pull ups
6 DL
2 resisted runs
6 pull ups
3 DL
3 resisted runs
3 pull ups
Time: 6:41

Fun class all around with a varied warm-up and a fun wod. We ran this one in heats and we each had a partner for the RR. Poor Ashley! She is probably half my size, so it felt like I was going to sling her off whenever I stopped running. For some reason Kyle felt that he should take over on my last run since it didn't look hard enough...It felt like he was digging his heals into the concrete at the end.

You have to do it, you do CrossFit

One of my little brothers had his party at a local ropes course. I have never, ever wanted to do a ropes course or to ride a zip-line, and I certainly don't remember the last time I wanted to climb a tree. So I was happy that all the spots were filled and I could just go and take pictures.

Then a spot opened up...So I declined to make a decision, insisting that I really needed to see it before I could ever decide to do it. My family knows well that I have a few fears: I can be a tad claustrophobic (much to several people's entertainment I was in a Halloween maze, in a tunnel, made out of black plastic mind you, and I barely made it out. And I really mean that. I was laying there on the ground wondering how long the staff would wait before they just opened up the wall to get me out. But I did make it out on my own.) With this, I was trying to work the fear of heights angle. There was no way being on those ropes could make me feel claustrophobic, but I really didn't think I could do it without freaking out and needing to be helped down mid-course.

The whole way up to the course my family kept saying that I just had to do it. If I do CF, I had to be able to do this. Every time the guide talked about stretching yourself or trying something new and challenging, various members gave me the look, the look that meant that this is what you tell us CF is, you have to be able to do this.

It used to be that I really could have plead out of the event just due to the first rope tube ladder. I could have argued that I really might not have been able to get up. I knew that wasn't true anymore and so did everyone else. So I went up.

I have learned that often I really do want to try these new things, but fear of failure and the unknown has often stopped me. Not today. I did it.

I climbed up the rope ladder, walked across the rope bridge, the log bridge, the rope walk, the jungle rope walk. and I made it down the zip line. At times it was easier than I had expected, at other times harder, and overall it was more fun than I had hoped!

The Golden Class

CrossFit
Class today was taught by the amazing Golden. Class with such a skilled teacher pushed me, and I had a couple of PR's today.

Skills
Strict Press
33#x10
53x5
73x3
Push Press
73x5
83x5
93x3
103x2
113 fail
PR of 10# on the Strict Press x3
PR of 20# on the Push Press x3

WOD
5 rounds
10 Back Squats 133#
10 KBS 44#
Time: 9:27

These couplets always look so unintimidating at first glance-just do these two things a set number of times, no rep schemes to remember, no need to travel very far. But this was really hard, really, really hard. Round 4 was murderous and I was so happy to be done with the back squats that I pretty much threw the bar on the ground, and I might have even yelled a bit or something.

Making progress on the OHS...

CrossFit
Skills
OH Squat 10x2
33x2
43x2
48x2
53x2
63x2
68x2
73x2
78x1
73x2
Oops! looks like I only did 9 sets! My second year-end goal is an OHS of 83#.

WOD
AMRAP in 12 min
3 PC 73#
4 push ups (no girly push-ups for me today)
5 Pull ups
7 Wall Balls 12#
And I forgot to note my rounds. Other than being sure I had more than 5 done, I have no idea what my score was.

It was noted by the "power that is" that my PC was too light. I had a well-reasoned response for that one, of course.

Looking forward to class tomorrow...

So Tired...Staying up Too Late...

Basil Shrimp and Mixed Veggies

I am so tired...so with that and my brother's birthday, I easily convinced myself to skip class today. Now to just make it through tonight without eating horrible amounts of my mom's homemade french fries.

Rowing Over Running

CrossFit
Skills
Find your Deadlift 3rep PR
83x3
133x3
163x3
213x3
233x3
253x2

What an illogical jump from 133 to 163 since I still had a long way to go! I just did my normal wandering around trying to decide which plates to put on. One of my goals for the end of the year is to get a 300# DL. A couple of hours after putting that one on the board I regretted it, but being the coachable gal that I am, I can't take it off since the coach said I can't change it now. My last PR was 273#. I am pretty sure that I can go higher than that now, but those 27# are looming pretty large right now...

WOD
100 m row
20 push ups
150 m row
15 push ups
200 m row
10 push ups
250 m row
5 push ups
300 m row

This wasn't timed, but we were to try to keep our pace under our 500 m row time. My 500 time is 2:00, and I was able to keep my wod times tonight in the 1:47-1:51 range. I think that I might prefer rowing to running...But then one of the best runners at the box gave me some valuable advice tonight, so we'll see.