The Special CFW Christmas Present

The workouts-

Thursday, December 23
5 Rounds
12 barbell lunges 73#
250 m row
60 yd farmer's walk 25# plates
Time-

Friday, December 24
Cut off time of 25 minutes
Randy
1000 m row
50 thrusters 33#
30 pull ups (BB)
Grace/Isabel mashup
10 rounds
3 snatches 53#
3 clean and jerks 65#
Cindy
5 pull ups (BB)
10 push ups
15 squats
Rounds-2

And the combination of these two wods gave me a fabulous Christmas present as the soreness was in its prime for the 25th.

Two New PR's

Front Squat-
new 1 rep max
208
213-missed

Yeah! Happy to feel like I have really made progress on this lift and super happy to break 200.

Snatch, max
93#

Clean and Jerk, max
went from 103 to 123
failed at 123 about 5 times
dropped down to 113, got it
then 118, got it
tried 123 again, failing 3 times. Each miss had the bar at my neck, but I wasn't getting under it fast enough, and then...
Finally! 123# for a new PR

Then I tried 128 about 500 times and missed it, still pulling it pretty high, and getting close to being under it, but just missing it, again and again and again. :)

Keeping my eyes off the scale

I know that reading some one's workout log is very uninteresting, and it is honestly fairly uninteresting to write it out as well. That, coupled with some extra busyness, has made keeping up with this blog a lower priority.

So I am going to aim to write about something, anything, even a little thing, that is somehow related to fitness and health at least a couple times a week.

First up: another reminder to not be a slave to the scale.

This article was posted by Dr. Michale Eades-Weight in Hollywood. You know the type of article-the history of models moving from curvy to stick thin. And then this article provides some examples of a possible move back to the more curvy model.

But this is what really struck me-

"The average American woman wears a size 14. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), she’s also 5'3", weighs 164.7 pounds, and has a 37-inch waist..."

This was once again a needed reminder for me to not be obsessed with the scale. It is very easy for me to get discouraged or frustrated with my current weight, even while I am thrilled with all the weight I have lost. Sometimes I just wish that I was little and light.

But then I know that I don't really want to be little and light because I also really like being strong. I just want to be a little lighter, a little littler.

But why did that quote that stand out to me? It struck me because I am still 20 pounds heavier than the average American woman. 20 pounds heavier. That is the part that still doesn't sit well with me. But then the rest of the story starts to sink in-I am a size 10 and my waist is 4 inches smaller than this average woman, that one who is lighter than me.

So I am reminded that I can't live by the scale. I just have to keep on doing the right things-eating well, exercising, and sleeping enough. I just keep on and the changes keep happening, even if that scale isn't moving very quickly.

And I still plan to lose those 20 pounds.

Rest, what rest!?!

Front Squat
133x3x3
143x3x2

WOD
3 rounds
1 min ball slams 25# 30/28/27
30 sec. rest

1 min burpees 12/11/10

30 sec. rest
1 min cal. row 12/13/14
1 min rest

This was a lot of work. The 30 sec of rest was just enough to catch your breath a teeny-tiny bit while you got ready for the next exercise.

A Ridiculous Amount of Catching Up

November 27, 2010
SNPP 73x3x5

WOD
5 Rounds
6 snatch balance 43#
16 lateral hurdles 12"
10 KBS 35#
Time: 8:02

Loved the snatch balances in this one, and I didn't love the hurdles, but I was able to do them even though I was sure I wouldn't be able to.

November 28, 2010
Muscle Snatch 48x3x3

Front Squat
83x3
113x1
143x1
163x1
183x1
195x1 (PR!!) Yeah, super happy to get this one!

Butcher Sprints
2 rounds with 35# plates

Side Bends
1x10 35#
2x10 45#

November 29, 2010
Power Snatch
53x2
63x2
68.5x1x5

WOD
40 Squats
15 push ups
8 hang power cleans 73#
Time: 6:27

Hmmm, I failed to write down the number of rounds. I must have been still a little fuzzy brained.

GHD sit-ups
3x15

November 30, 2010
Front Squat
153x2x4

WOD
5 rounds
1 min max burpees
1 min rest

14/14/14/13/14=69

Certainly a wod that plays to my strengths. Burpees are fabulous, and this was just one great fabulous fest.
My two goals for this wod:
1. make every burpee an honest burpee with jumps down into the push up/flop on the floor and jumps back up from the floor. I wanted to have no burpees that included using my knees to ease my way down and up. Goal met. I was incredibly tempted to muddle some of those burpees, but I really wanted to cement the new pattern in my brain.
2. I wanted to never drop below 14 in a minute. Goal not met. And I tried really, really hard to get 15 on the last round and just.could.not.do.it!

December 2, 2010
Front Squat
worked up to-
163x1
173x1

The 173 was of questionable depth. Time for some super honest blog confession. Green tea right before the class+a lifting belt+front squats=a recipe for possible bladder control problems. It is true. This is my super honest confession of the year. I didn't really feel like dealing with it, so I just didn't go quite below parallel.

Thanksgiving Chief, year 2

Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 2010

Front Squat + Jerk

63x2+1

83x2+1

93x2+1

103x1+1

113x1+1

WOD

partner Chief with Sam Y

3 Rounds

AMRAP in 5 min

3 Power Cleans 83#

6 push ups

9 squats

1 min rest between rounds

Partners alternate the Chief sequence and while one is working, the other holds the plank position

7+7 squats/7+5 squats/7 +2 squats

Try as I might, I could never get that last round finished! I loved, loved, loved this partner Chief. I almost didn't come to the Thanksgiving class when the memories of last year's Chief WOD came flooding back. But of course, I am very glad I made it in. I told my sister on the way in that if we had to do the running partner Chief, we'd have to be together and she would get to run 600m rounds while I ran 200. Then when I got home, I went back and read my entry from that wod.

Way back then I was still slightly overwhelmed by the shear eliteness of Cliff and Golden, so there was a lot of pressure from being the way, way, way slowest person in that wod. Ah the memories... And a year later, I still whine about running, and I am still often the slowest person in the wod. Now being slow doesn't bother me as much, and I am ever so slightly better at running, slightly being the operative word.

And then I went home and finished all of the preparations for our Thanksgiving feast. I am often asked if I cheat, so here is some photographic evidence of my cheat day-

The paleo foods-

Turkey, one smoked and one roasted

Sweet Potatoes

Paleo Stuffing

Brussel Sprouts

Green Beans with Bacon

pumpkin bars

Apps: vegetables, fruit, mini sausages

The non-paleo foods-

Cranberry sauce

gravy (thickened with potato starch and no one noticed the difference)

Cauliflower squash with asiago cheese

real, traditional mashed white potatoes

gluten free biscuit

whipped cream on my paleo bars

Apps-jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped with bacon, artichoke jalapeno dip, m&ms

And wine and gluten-free beer

Ouch!

Back Squat
228.5 x2x3

3 box jumps between each set

The squats were kind of off tonight-rolling onto my toes, dropping too fast, feeling like they were heavy...but sometimes you just charge ahead and get the work done.

WOD
5 rounds
15 yd suitcase lunge 30# DBs
15 yd resisted run (with Anna)

Last time I did this wod with 20# DBs. This is also the first time in a long time that I have done resisted runs with my own sister. If you want to work less, it is certainly preferable to partner with someone not related to you. Non-relations (Black-hearted Kyle excepted) tend to be concerned about not resisting TOO hard, and might even be worried about breaking you. My own sister apparently had very little concern for this.

I can feel the effects of this wod very, very definitely. Apparently I have still not adapted to the combination of back squats, weighted lunges and resisted runs.

Thanksgiving Cooking-Paleo Pumpkin Pie Squares

Paleo Pumpkin Pie Squares

Ingredients:
Nut crust
1/2 a cup of pecans, chopped up as finely as possible
1 cup of almond flour
one squirt of honey
a dash of salt
4 tablespoons of coconut oil

Filling
1 1/2 cups of pumpkin puree (make sure you purchase pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling that is pre sweetened)
3 eggs whisked
roughly 1/8 cup of honey
3/4 cup of full fat coconut milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/2 a teaspoon of nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees for the crust.

Mix all of the ingredients together for the crust and then press into a 9x9 baking dish lined with parchment paper. Bake until light brown. For me, this took 10 minutes, but it could take anywhere between 8-20 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven.

Combine all of the ingredients for the filling and pour on top of the nut crust. Lower the oven temp to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes. When finished, the middle will still be wobbly, but the edges will be set. Remove the pumpkin bars from the oven and let come to room temperature, at least 45 minutes. The pumpkin will solidify as it cools. Cut into bars and serve!

Mini Goals

Hang Power Clean + Power Clean
88.5x2x4

Got them all done, but they didn't really feel that remarkable.

WOD
3 rounds
200 m run
21 kettlebell swings 35#
12 burpees

Time:

So here are my wod reflections tonight-
I am trying to remember to set myself mini-goals, (as was presented in the goal-setting workshop) for the wods. I have been taking breaks during the wod far too often lately, so this is one of my personal self-corrections.

I ran the whole time I was outside on the runs-the whole time, even at the turn around.

I kept all the KBS unbroken.

I had a goal of actually jumping down and up for every burpee (instead of kind of stepping down) but I didn't make this one. My first burpee on rounds 2 and 3 were definitely more step and less jump, and I think I threw in a few other fakes a couple of times.

Dip, Drive

Front Squats
150x3x5

Chipping away at the front squat goal with a defined progression...little by little, week by week. My front squat is disproportionately low in comparison to my back squat, so I this is clearly a weakness that I need to chip away at.

WOD
3 rounds
200 m run
10 cleans 83#
10 front squats
10 shoulder to overhead

Time-18:14

Yep, that one took me 18 minutes and it felt like it was a really, really long 18 minutes. Jason graciously allowed me to scale the runs down from the 400 meters. That would have killed me or I would have had to scale the weight way down. So I was very, very happy with this compromise and really feel like it worked well for me.

The shoulder to overheads were not fun. I was just feeling super off and my regular jerks were very uncomfortable. I think that was because my timing was off. If you don't actually do it right, the dip of your legs provides no help and then the only way to get the bar up is to press it. That gets old really quickly! So I had to just stick with split jerks which are slower.

Thrusters, yeah!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Clean Deadlift
153x3x3

WOD
3 rounds
in 2:30 minutes
Row 200 m
10 Thrusters 83#
Max Rep Pull Ups-ring
12/7/9
1 min rest between rounds

The thrusters were really hard. They were the kind of hard that really make you regret loading the bar with that weight with single plates since i spent the first round wishing I could just strip off 10#. They were the kind of hard that make you think about shorting reps, and that's what I spent the second round thinking about. But they were the kind of hard that you know you can tackle, when you reach that last round and realize that the end is in sight and actually very possible.

And then after all of that, Kevin convinced me to run butcher sprints. I am weak and would have given up after 1 sprint, but I made it through 4, thanks to some encouragement.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

The Mental Game

11/15/2010

Press 3x5
78#

Who can mess up what is probably the simplest lift ever?!? I can! Every single time, too! But I did get it done.

WOD
60 KBS 45#
40 Burpees
20 K2E
Time: 9:12

I certainly don't look forward to these high rep, single round wods, but I know they offer a unique training element so I like them anyway.

If this wod was broken up into 5 rounds of 12/8/4, it would be so different! It is this long string of hard things that so changes the mental side of the workout! I still break the work up into smaller sets in my mind, meeting those mental goals sometimes, and giving up on them at other times, but even when I tell myself to just get 10 done, I know that right after that, I'll still have another 10, and then another 10...

Since the gym has the new butcher, Kyle just had to throw in sprints with that thing as our finisher. This time we only had 50# on there, but on my last sprint, Golden was thoughtful enough to push back on the sled, all in the interest of improving my personal fitness.

The Butcher

Back Squats
220x3x3
with 3 box jumps between each set

WOD
Butcher Sprints 90#
30 yd high bar+ 30 yd low bar x4

That butcher is a nasty piece of equipment, no doubt about it. The distance with the higher bars was tolerable, but the low bar was brutal. It was brutal on the quads, brutal on the lungs, and a test of my ability to just keep moving even when my body was telling me to please stop.

Last Week

Tuesday 11/9/2010

Snatch Balance
Max for the Day-93#

WOD
Time: 7:14

Thursday 11/11/2010
Front Squat
143x3x5
(skipped the box jumps so I could move faster and be able to do the wod with the class :)

WOD
45 sec on/15 sec transition
sled pull and back pedal (120 yds)
KBS 45#
Sandbag cleans 25#
Sandbag lunges
Push Press 63#
K2E

Finish with 30 yd with the Butcher

Now I have a new FS goal

Front Squat
Heavy single
83
123
153
163
173
195-not quite deep enough

I am now going to be aiming for the 200# front squat. It is so close I can taste it.

WOD
compare to 4/24/2010
4 rounds
1 min max Box Jumps 20"
30 sec cross chops 35# (alternate sides each round)
30 sec push ups
*45 sec rest

I didn't write my numbers down during the wod, so these are kind of rough, but I know that I did at least these numbers each round
Box Jumps 22/20/22/20
Cross Chops 20/20/20/20
Push Ups 13/10/10/10

Yep, a push up wimp. But I did use the 20 in box this time instead of the 16 I used in April!

Getting the Work Done

11/4/2010
Jerk
113x2x5
hold each split position for 2 sec

So I'll just go ahead and admit that bringing the bar back down for the 2nd lift was a big pain. I was so lazy that every once in awhile I just dropped it after the 2nd lift and got Danny to clean it back up for me. But as far as the actual lifts go, I tried to work on my landing position, making sure I was not doing the tight-rope spilt. I think this improved. Now punching up with active shoulders, I think improved a little bit, but I don't think Kyle agrees. That is why it is good to have a coach-to be nice and honest with you!

WOD
400 m row
21-15-9
DB snatches 25# (each arm, yes 21 each arm for the 1st round!)
push ups
400 m row
Time-11:15

I will get better at push ups. I will.

11/5/2010
Back Squat
213x3x5
with 3 box jumps between each set

Then I did a gob more box jumps, just because I love them so much. Or because I am supposed to be working on jumping high and landing softly, or something like that, and it is taking me some extra special time to figure out how to do that.

Side Bends
3x10 each side 35# KB

Yes! Who doesn't love to sculpt that waistline. These were a breeze, in fact I felt like I could just keep doing them, and doing them, until my head got tired of tipping over so many times.

But then I could feel them the next day, and the next day, and I can still feel them today.

11/6/2010
HPS + PSnatch
53
63
68
73
78x2x2
83x2x2
the 83 went like this-1st HPS fail, made the PS, second HPS made, second PS fail. So I had to PS that bar again. I am going to get totally comfortable with 83, sometime...

PClean and Jerk
73
83
93
103
113x1x5 (miss x2)

I was supposed to focus on a speedy turnover. Instead I had the slow-mo turnover. I knew I was slow. I knew I was pulling the bar plenty high enough every single time. I knew that if I just whipped those elbows around and stuck those hips back, I'd get it. But what my brain knew, my body refused to do.

Slow Death by Burpees

Front Squat
133x3x5
super set 3 box jumps

The front squats were no problemo, but this notion that I am supposed to jump up onto the box, like the 2nd pull of a clean is so far alluding me...This is one of the great things about all of this-I get to the point that I can jump on a box (yeah me!) and then I get to learn a new way to jump onto the box.

Golden decided to work in with my bar, and then he decided to ramp up my training a bit-jumping all over the place, making a lot of noise all in an effort to teach me focus and concentration. It is fabulous to have so many people looking out for me. It is this going the extra mile to help another person that makes me really appreciate CFWSC so very, very much.

WOD
teams of 3 (with Joanna and Julie)
Each member completes-
500 m row sprint
10 burpees
then each completes-
300 m row sprint
20 burpees
then-
100 m row sprint
30 burpees

I kept my first split time under 2:00, my second under 1:56, and my third under 1:52. I went into the wod knowing that I really, really needed to work hard to keep the rows sprints, not slowing down in an effort to "prepare" for the burpees. I have come to realize that there is no preparing for the burpees. They are just nasty at any time.

In fact I am quite sore today and I attribute that solidly to the burpees. There is no question in my mind that it was the many burpees on Sat followed by the many burpees on Tuesday that led to this discomfort. There is no way that the halting sndl, front squats, bear complex, or cleans have anything to do with my tight knees. It is all burpees.

The Bear

Hang Snatch + Snatch
53, 63, 68, 73, 78

WOD
Bear Complex
7 rounds
1 power clean
1 front squat
1 push press
1 back squat
1 behind the neck press

7 rounds with 63# not a problem

7 rounds with 73# a little bit of a problem, as in I really had to work at keeping myself moving, not stopping, and just really trying to NOT rest at any point

7 rounds with 83# well...
I probably wouldn't have attempted this if Kevin hadn't loaded my bar
It was during this round that I missed during the 4th round. I rested waaaaay too long on that front squat rack, so then I just dropped the bar after the push press. I knew that I was honestly out at that point.
Kevin also goaded me into finishing the 7 rounds, even though it was a miss. So I finished the the last 4 rounds just so I wouldn't feel bad about myself after I left.

A wod like this is always a good one since it really tests my mental determination. I need all the help I can get when it comes to being mentally committed to a wod...:)

Oh, look I did something over the weekend!

Saturday
SNDL

WOD
83# Cleans 5-4-3-2-1
Front Squats 5-4-3-2-1
Burpees 10-10-10-10-10
Time: 7:45

When Jason annouced this wod, he saw how quickly I realized that this was 50 burpees. Apparently it was all over my face. It feels super-duper to start round 2 after those burpees and then by round 5 you are agonizing over every single one.

Sunday
Power cleans
53x2
63x1
73x1
83x1
93x2
103x1x5

Back Squat
work to a heavy single, with no chance to miss
123
173
203
223
233
243

At 243, I started to noticably slow down, so I decided that was my last attempt before I'd honestly wonder if I would make it back up without a spotter.

Can I even explain how tired I am?

Back Squat
205x3x5

super set with sets of 3 box jumps (16inch)

This is me every time-this means 3 sets of five. So I do the first set with 5. Then I think, wait, maybe it is 5 sets of 3. Oops, yep, it is 5 sets of 3. I do this every.single.time. One day soon I will get it right the first time.

WOD
6 rounds
1 min calorie row
1 min-15 KBS

Rows-18/9/13/12/12/10

So that was tough. I did round one with the 2 pood, and that was really tough. The 45# I used for the rest couldn't even compare to those first 15. I was truly shocked to see that 9 on the second round, heavy kb or not, as in I had NO idea until I was done that I had dropped so low. I usually watch the display and hope for just one more calorie before the time runs out (the cal. flip so slowly!) So I had to make sure I didn't drop below 10 again. There was no way I was going to let that happen!

Now I am sooooo tired. I am exhausted and ready for a rest day and some extra time to catch up on a whole bunch of odds and ends tomorrow. :)

A Repeated WOD

Snatch Balance
max for the day:
88#, not a pr
another day learning to just work with what I can do that day, realizing that I won't PR or even match my PR every day...an important lesson!
then 68x1x3
holding it for 3 seconds at the bottom

WOD
3 rounds
10 thrusters 73#
10 burpees
Time: 5:21

Compare to the same wod, with 83#, back in Feb. I am now super, super happy to see the difference in my time. Even though I was bummed that I didn't use the same weight this time, once I finally found it in my book, I am super happy that it took me just half the time. That made me feel a lot better about it all. It is important to note that my little sister and I started our burpees for the last round at the SAME time. She finished in 5:02.

Row Times Ten

Hang Power Clean and Hang Clean
53, 63, 73, 83, 93

Smacked my chin with the 73. Yeah!

WOD
10 rounds
1 min row
1 min rest

Goal-270m each minute
273
281
270
269
266
253
256
260
257
252

Oh, what fun! This is the first time I have ever done this workout with the 10 rounds. I usually just stick with the 5 round version.

I had originally elected to do the "easy" version of tonight's wod, figuring that with that as an option, someone should take it. Since I was the only person who chose that option, I just figured that Kyle would give me something horrible anyway. But the easy version really was 5 rounds. I elected to go ahead and do all 10. And it felt pretty rotten during and after, but I am glad I got that done. Now the looming threat of 10 rounds of this is past me, and I can focus on hitting 270 each time.

I am just super-duper glad that there were not CFFB style penalties for missing the goal. That would have been horrible...

Loving the Lifting

Olympic Lifting
Snatch
43
53
58
63
68
73
78

And they all felt great-slower off the floor, chest up, a little more explosive than before and then the bar just fell right into place. Kyle wondered why I finally stopped dropping my chest. I guess I figured I had annoyed the coaches long enough, and frankly I was getting tired of hearing "chest up" so often that it was beginning to haunt me. I figured it was time to finally get that right...

Clean and Jerk
53
63
73
83
88
93
98
103
108
118 fail

Monday, a week ago...

Push Press
93x5x3

WOD
Partner, with Joanna
100 DB Snatches 25#
80 Ball Slams 25#
60 Broad Jumps
40 Burpees
20 Pull ups (ring for me)
Time-13:08

Fun workout! I had no trouble with the snatches, so I'll commit to using the 30# next time. And on that subject, I think we need some heavier dumbbells. This is the second workout in a short time that I have watched some guy use the 45s and just fly through it because the weight was too light. How about I argue that it is demoralizing when someone goes too fast in a wod? :)

The Weekend Combined

Saturday
2 SNPP+ 2 OHS
53, 73, 78, 83, 88

WOD
3 rounds
7 jerks 73#
10 cross chops r. 25#
10 cross chops l.
15 burpees

Time-7:30

Obviously went too light on the jerks. Lesson learned. I am having a hard time remembering my current working weights on too many things right now. I need to rectify this.

But I moved fast the whole wod. :)

Sunday

Muscle Snatch
Jr bar x3x3
Women's bar x3x3
Heavy weights!!!

Snatch balance
53, 63, 73, 83, 88, 93, 98 (PR) 103 failx2

I failed the first time because I took a huge dip down and didn't keep the bar path straight. I almost made it on the second attempt, but lost control of the bar right at the end, on the way up.

Snatch
68x1x5

These felt just about fabulous. It is so, so satisfying to olympic lift and have the lift feel like it is getting so much closer to a fluid, cohesive, well-executed lift. That's why I work on this over and over and over again-so it can feel right.

Circuit Training

Hang Clean + Clean
53
63
73
83
103-failed the hang clean, no problem with the clean


Overall, my cleans felt good. I will obviously be working on that good, old second pull.


WOD
3 rounds
1 min max box jumps 20" -18/16/14
30 sec rest
1 min max push press 53# -20/19/17
30 sec rest
1 min max plate sit ups 15# -31/21/28
30 sec rest
1 min max row -249/240/256... no glide :)

As exhausting as it is, I really like this type of wod-a set time for hard work, then a little break. As just so there is no confusion, I like the 1 min of work type, not the interval Helen type. But I do have to say that all my wods this week have been great, lots of variety, and plenty of stuff that was hard.

I just got more ZMA, so I am happy with sleep again. I shouldn't have waited so long to get more, but I always think that maybe I can just skip it. Then my sleep gets wonky, and I humble myself, walk into GNC again, and get the stuff. You'd think I'd just remember to order the stuff online, since I detest GNC so much, but I'll aim for that next time.

I am almost done with week 1 of my 2-4 week elimination diet, hoping to figure out if something I am eating is still causing some allergic reactions. My diet is seriously sad right now, but I feel great. I just have a hard time thinking of things to eat, so I am hungry a lot more. A lot...

Will my legs hold up?

Snatch
Heavy Single
53x3
63x2
73x2
83x3

As average for me as this progression looks, it was a good night. Being rational, and not allowing myself to get frustrated with the 83# plateau, I know that my form is actually getting better and better in small ways, even when the total weight is not soaring up.

Snatch Balance
bar x6
53x3
63x3
68x1
73x1
78x1
83 fail


WOD
16 barbell lunges 83#
16 ring pull ups
200 m run
14 lunges
14 pull ups
200 m run
12 lunges
12 pull ups
200 m run
Time: 11:09

The rx'd weight for this was 40% of my back squat 1RM...So I did put 103 lbs on the bar and I tried it once. With one lunge, I was sure that I would fall over with the bar on my back if I actually tried the WOD with that weight, so I went with 83#. Even at that it took considerable effort to make it all the way down to one knee and then get up again.

And these lunges did me in. After going up and down the stairs all morning after this wod, my legs feel ready to give out by the time I get to the last step.

Who likes this WOD?!?

Press
with some super-secret, super wonderful formula I determined my percentages for this one-
73x5
80x3
90 for max: 3

WOD
5 rounds
15 deadlifts
12 hang power cleans
9 front squats
6 push presses
Time: 19:09
All at 73#

Um, that was hard. The deadlifts were the break, the hang power cleans were quickly degenerating cleans, the front squats should have been easy but every squat was painful, and the push presses were just presses.

Yesterday-
back squats
218x5x5

That is going to be my number one excuse for those front squats being hard. :)

Work before Play

Tuesday
Jerk, heavy single
63
83
93
103
113
133, failed twice

WOD
3 rounds
200 m run
10 DB thrusters
10 Ring Pull Ups
Time: 9:10

I have to say that this wod had a particularly new and horrible element to it this evening. But that is part of CrossFit, right?!?

The experience of running outside in the fairly pleasant evening air and then entering the box and hitting the wall of the hot dead air in the box was a totally new challenge. I don't think I have ever, ever experienced the feeling that hit me each time I went into the box. It was like my lungs just seized up and didn't want to breathe. The fabulous thing was that the feeling didn't last too long and my airways opened up, allowing me to live and continue the workout.

Don't you love being able to be dramatic on a blog? But seriously, it was something else.

Wednesday
Med Ball Toss
5x5
1min rest between sets
I was in the most fabulous group with Wesley and Andrea. We were supposed to aim for hitting the ceiling, but we didn't even get close enough to wonder if it touched. But we had fun.

Shot Put 5 right, 5 left
Shot put-not my thing evidently...

WOD
6 rounds
5 hang power snatches 63#
4 broad jumps
Time: 6:12

Some great 2nd pull practice for me!

Then 3 sprints on the track.

I got to sprint at the same time as Danny. He was way ahead of me. It was almost like he was finishing as I was finally getting moving. But I tried my best, and for me, I ran pretty fast. :)

Now I am rather frantically getting ready to take my vacation tomorrow. NYC!!

A little whiney

Snatch
Heavy Single
53
63
73
78
83
93, fail, fail, fail

So who is super frustrated by the snatch?? I am. All I can say right now is-ack. I was SO frustrated with this tonight because I wanted so badly to get the 93#. I've been stuck at 88# for a good long time. I really want to move past this, but I have evidently hit that place where my lack of technique has caught up to me and will now mock me for an undetermined amount of time.

So even though part of me just wanted to give up and call it a night at that point, the other part knew I had to buck up and do the wod.

WOD
3 rounds
1 min max burpees
1 min rest
1 min max cal row
1 min rest
1 min double unders
1 min rest

Score-
12/16/5
14/16/4
13/18/ummmm, just gave up and did single unders only

So to recognize the small victories tonight:
-I did actual burpees for the whole wod. No stepping down or up, just burpeeing the whole time.
-I was able to get a few double unders. They went more or less like this s-s-s-s-s-d-s-s-s-s-s-d...until I called it quits and just did single unders.
-Thanks to Shane's encouragement, I tried to get that last row as high as I could. I'm pretty sure the display was almost ready to flip to 19 on that last one. Just so you know.
-the evil hip mobility after the wod is definitely getting easier, but that just means that I don't quite feel like I am about to cry during that stretch.

Think About Mobility, all the time...

Back Squat
243x5
213x5
203x5

Tried to be super focused on keeping my upper back tight, pulling against that bar, keeping my chest up...all those great things.

SLDL
128x3x5

GHD 3x15

And I made up some mobility wods. These are my Starrett words for today-
Cultivate posture, greatness, and ready state. It's not enough to say to yourself: "I'm going to lift something heavy now, I'd better get organized". Greatness is all the time.

Watch out, Cliff. I might have found a new life coach...

liked the wod

Press
45#x5
65#x5
75#x5

WOD
7 rounds
20 sec deadlifts
40 sec rest
20 sec box jumps
40 sec rest

135# Deadlifts-8/9/9/9/9/9/9
20" Box Jumps-9/9/10/8/10/10/10

Twenty seconds is a great amount of time to work! I really felt like I was able to push myself each work set. I definitely enjoyed this wod, which is saying a lot when a wod includes deadlifts!

Overhead Squat
63x3
73x3
83x3
93x3
103x3 (PR)

WOD
5 rounds
15 ball slams 25#
10 push ups
5 K2E
Time-8:37

Super happy about the OHS PR! Next stop-115#

My poor hands

Hang Power Snatch+Snatch
53x2
63x2
73x2
78x2 (well, fail, then snatch, so I tried it again)
78x2 (definitely a hang snatch PR)
73x2

I am becoming more and more comfortable with the hang position!

SLDL
123x5x3

Probably should have gone with 128. Oops. These still annihilate my grip, so I am motivated to get those set of 5 done quickly before I give into the discomfort and drop the bar. Fun times! :)

GHD sit-ups
3x15

Jump and Burp...

Clean and Jerk
63
83
103
113

WOD
21-15-9 Jump Squats 63#
10-10-10 Burpees

Time-3:36

Ah, a great, super fast wod! I like jumping squats, even though they make your quads feel horrible by the end, but when combined with burpees, the quads b.u.u.u.u.rn. I just had to keep telling myself to keep moving during the burpees, just keep moving, Leah...

What!?! Back Squat Again!?!

Yep, when you have the gift of being able to move down toward the floor and then stand back up again, you have to practice it a lot.

Back Squat
238x5
213x5
203x5

Power Jerk+Split Jerk
53x2
63x2
83x4

WOD
3 Rounds
30 OH plate lunges 25#
20 KBS 44#
10 Burpees
Time-11:48

Loved and hated this wod. It was super hard to like this while right in the midst of the 90 plate lunges. Step, drive shoulders up, try it again...But when a wod like this is done, I love that I did it, and that I stuck with it.

Counting can be hard

Important goal for next week-get these posts written on time...

Tuesday
9/14/2010
Snatch Push Press
53x5
63x5
73x5
83x5

I WILL be able to get more weight up over my head. I will.

WOD
3 rounds
5 min. ARMAP
5 DB snatch 25#
7 push ups
9 box jumps 20"
1 min rest

Rounds 3/3/3

Have you ever been in the middle of a wod, working really hard to keep with it, and at the same time trying to keep track of your reps and rounds? Seems like something I should have plenty of practice with by now, right? But in fact, I have no idea how many box jumps I actually did. I am sure I did at least 9 each round, but right in the middle of the 2nd round, I was counting my box jumps-7,8,9,10,11,12. And then I realized that I only had to do 9.

Reverse Hypers 90#x10x2

Maybe those mobility wods are working

Sunday
9/12/10

Hang Power Clean+Power Clean
63x2
73x2
83x2
93x2 (missed the first hpc, so started over)
103xa gazillion (or more accurately at least 6 power cleans)

And then, and then, get this...I also had to fix and hold the receiving position on all those 103s until Joc had approved it and felt that I had held it long enough. One could argue that I would have saved myself a lot of work if I had just received it with my elbows and hips in the right place, but that would be a boring argument.

SLDL
123x5x3

Evidently my grip is somewhat lacking. I got to that last set and realized that I had to fly through those deadlifts before my grip just gave out.

GHD sit ups 3x15

Monday
9/13/10
Front Squat 2RM
143x2
163x2
173x1
173x2

But there is no way that is my 2 RM. I was running out of time, and I was just not prepared-like I forgot to use my belt until the last set...I think that I was probably off because I got into so much trouble during the warm up. That will throw anyone off.

WOD
4 rounds
200 m sandbag run
15 ring pull ups
Time: 11:20

So, that sandbag. I started with the 25#, cuz I was going to be hardcore. Then I decided that I was far from hardcore, especially when I can't use my arms to run and I don't want to stand up straight. Rounds 2-4 were sans sandbag.

And this time is not good, not good at all compared to the last time I did this wod. I did do it with rowing last time, which I tend to do better with, and I did blue band pull ups (which I noted at the time were very easy.)

Then we got to do the evil hip/wall mobility thing for 2 minutes each leg. It was painful and awful, but it was markedly less painful and awful that last week.

Oh, the joys of carb restriction

Just so you know, going back to good old carb restriction is pretty awful. I have gone back to under 60g carbs/day, after letting the carb intake creep up with fruit, sweet potatoes and a cheat here and there (things like Ben and Jerry's ice cream the night I got my 273# back squat. I loved it.) I really thought that it would be simple this time. I wasn't eating bread, pasta, rice... so it would be simple, right?

Well, today I feel like all I want to do is curl up into a ball and not move. I keep gritting my teeth. I have to make conscious effort to relax my jaw. The sound of someone else eating is enough to drive me over the edge. At times, the sound of my own blood pumping through my own head is torturous. Working out this morning took all the energy I had and after I was done I was shaky and dizzy. All I can do is drink water and plaster a smile on my face, hoping that when I wake up tomorrow everything will be all butterflies and roses.

I know this will pass. I know it will.

Thursday's Workout
Back Squat
I messed up the whole scheme, so it didn't work quite like it was supposed to:
203x5
213x5
238x2 then fail...

I was glad Kyle was there to pull the bar off.

WOD
7 rounds
7 DB push press 30#
7 burpees
7 pull ups (green band, deadhang)

Time-12:06

The presses were almost awesome. I looked forward to them in every round because both the burpees and deadhang pull ups were so, um...not awesome. I totally regressed on my burpee form, but for most of the wod, I didn't care.

Saturday's WOD
Snatch
53x2
63x1
73x1
83x2
93 fail, again...

Interval Cindy
2 min on, 30 sec off x5
2+5 pull ups, 10 push ups/2/2/2/2

Honest truth-once I realized that I wasn't going to get 3 rounds, ever, I just paced myself to make sure I got the full 2 rounds each interval. By round 3 I realized that I had to fly through the ring pull ups and squats to allow myself the extra time needed to complete the push ups. But even though they were hard, I felt pretty good about all my real, no knee push ups.

And I would rather do this with the ring pull ups over jumping pull ups any day. I truly, deeply, all the way to the core of my being, dislike jumping pull ups now.

Oh, and I owe great thanks to Golden for all that extra running he did to push me through the warm up run. I know you are too busy to even read blogs anymore, so you won't even see this, but without your help I wouldn't have made it. :) And my sister called me this afternoon to try to talk me into doing the Warrior Dash...agh.

The Russian Squat Cycle

Leah Takes on the Russian Squat Cycle from Jocelyn Forest on Vimeo.

So looking back, I am not 100% sure why I decided to start the squat cycle, except that I like back squats, had the extra time, and was ready for a clear challenge. I knew it would be rough at times, and I knew that I would have to just stick with it and see it through, even if I didn't really want to at times. I squatted 3 times a week for the 6 week cycle. I am know that there are longer and harder squat cycles, but this one was plenty for me. In the end I am very glad I did this, and I am glad it is finished!

The whole cycle was tough at times, and I owe big thanks to my coach Jocelyn Forest (who thought this whole thing up and is amazingly inspiring and supportive, not to mention super patient whenever I was whining or worrying) and to Kyle Haynes (who didn't come up with this idea, but is still inspiring, supportive and patient.)



Now if anyone is just fascinated with this idea, here are some more thoughts on the whole cycle, but I realize that most people won't really care what I thought about during this venture. :)

The first week was tough in that I was nervous and excited about the whole venture. I was excited to have my own dedicated squat program, excited to have such focus, excited to try something like this. I was nervous to squat three times a week, nervous to squat 208 that many times period, and very nervous of failing. And on top of that I got a cold, the first cold in over a year, and I was super bummed about that, and nice and stressed that I was going to start this cycle and then fall behind or mess it all up in the very first week. But I made it. I slept A LOT this week, but figured it was because I was sick. I also had to work hard to eat a fairly normal amount of protein. I realized right away that I had to be very meticulous about my recovery, and I could see that I needed to be more particular about what I had previously thought of as all the little parts of the squat-my hand position on the bar, my approach to the bar, re-racking the bar...

The second week I felt GREAT! I was fully recovered and I now knew I could squat 208# over and over again and still live. My legs did feel really tired and heavy most of the time, but I felt very confident with the squats. I realized that I was still tired and ended up taking naps at least a couple times during the week.

Week three marked the first time I felt like I HAD to not just sit down, but lie down between sets. It was at this point that I realized the value of committing to the 6 week cycle. If I hadn't made this commitment, I would have decided to stop, take a break, or just lift less. I would have told myself that it really didn't matter, so I'd just do less. So much of the cycle really had more to do with my mental state than my physical state. Because I had the time, it wasn't really that hard to ice, foam roll, eat and sleep. It was harder to believe that I could get the work done and sometimes it was very hard to not give up. I certainly do not have a lifetime habit of pushing myself physically, so this was not the norm for me!

Week four was when the cycle changed from various rep schemes at 208 to various rep schemes at increasing weights. I LOVED being able to return to my now safe and happy 208x2x6 following a heavier set. 208 was now my very, very good friend. There were times when it was exhausting to think about a metcon, let alone actually getting it done, and if it hadn't been for a coach pushing me through, I would have skipped out on the metcons this week.

Week five and six were h.a.r.d. I added ice baths to my recovery, moaned a lot, and fretted about every upcoming squat day. I had reached a new level of exhaustedness after my squat days so I started eating sweet potatoes. At this point it was very clear that if I had not had the constant support of Joc, I would not have finished. It was also clear that I really also needed the help of Kyle, as he was my spotter (and supporter) extraordinaire. Week 6, my last lift at 258#, was also my first miss.

When I finally maxed out, I felt ready, both physically and mentally. I love lifting the heavy weights, but I am also happy to see the changes in how I mentally approach the gym and the hard work that often faces me there. I am more and more confident, and there is no doubt that this cycle has a lot to do with that. I hit 273# for my final single. I so appreciated that several people made special effort to cheer me on for that lift-Joc, Kyle, Vero, and Lolo.

Have I learned?

Snatch Deadlift + Power Snatch
33, 53, 58, 63, 68

I was supposed to really focus on a nice slow deadlift and a pause at the top, trying to really grasp the feel of a slower first pull. When I then did the power snatches, I had varied success, but I could really, really tell the difference when I pulled slowly off the floor and THEN moved faster. Hah, I kind of feel like a nincompoop now and I marvel at the patience of a coach willing to tell me over, and over, and over again to pull slowly from the floor...And I will probably still mess it all up next week.

WOD
30 Deadlifts 143#
200 m run
30 KBS 36#
Time-5:11

Who actually likes to do 30 deadlifts in a row? Not me, for sure. I also don't really like to do 30 KBS in a row, so all of that makes the run seem wonderful. But I seriously do not even know how people can actually do heavy kettle bells after deadlifts because my back hates me with this combo. Hate might be a little strong, but it complains, a lot.

Even with all of this, it was a great night at the box-lots of people, lots of energy, lots of fun.

In other news, I am announcing a brief return to hard-core, no cheats paleo-zone. This will last for a whole 23 days since I will cheat while I am on vacation. I need to look up what my previous block breakdown was, but I am going to be in militant lean out mode-no dairy, no fruit, and no nuts. I'll cheat a little bit while in New York, and then I'll be militant again until Thanksgiving. Then I'll think about how militant I want to be...

I should have stopped thinking...

Overhead Squat 3rm
warm up with the bar
then shoulder and hip mobility
then retest with the bar-it was definitely easier to do
53x3
73x3
83x3
93x3
103x1
and then I ran out of time, but that is ok since every squat was slow and almost painful

WOD
4 rounds
10 plate cleans 25#
20 OH Lunges
10 Ring Pull Ups
Time: 11:55

This was my first night back in Kyle's class after months...
And how was it? Well, considering that the overhead squats were just super enjoyable and easy, even those plate SQUAT cleans were a blast. Starting in round 2, every single squat went like this-
This is ridiculous. This should be easy. This is just 25 pounds. This is just an air squat with 25 pounds, I used to have to air squat more that all the time when I was fatter. I mean, really, shouldn't I be flying through plate cleans with at least the 45 pounder? Ugh, why is it so hard to squat right now?!? And what am I supposed to do to cycle these together? Awkward.

As you can see, I had to move slowly just to think all of those thoughts.

I love the new gym

Strict Press + Push Press + Push Jerk

53

63

68

73

83

Super Set with Box Jumps

20 in/+25 plate/+25 and 25/+45

WOD

I don't remember how many rounds!! Oops! I guess I was too tired to remember what I needed to write down.

21 Jump Squats 83#

12 Ball Slams 25#

7 Ring Dips (Green Band)

Time-7:32

Those jump squats were tough on the old quads-burn, burn, burn. The ball slams were as wonderful as ball slams can be, except that they immediately followed the jumping squats so breathing was notably difficult.

Important note to self-I need to move to the next band on the ring dips.

And look-I put another picture up, so no more complaining from anyone. And this picture is proof that I can apparently drive my head through on a strict press...I just have to do it.

Lots and Lots of Stuff

Saturday

The Santa Cruz Affiliate Challenge

Tuesday

Back Squats

258x2

258 fail...

so then

243x1 just to finish strong

Hmmmph. I was bummed to miss that one. I dropped my chest. I don't know why I did that, but I did and 258 was just too much for me to get up once the bar moved forward a couple of inches.

Power Clean and Jerk

53x2

73x2

83x2

103x2

WOD

7 rounds

5 Overhead Squats 53#

100 ft sand bag sprint 25#

8 ring pull ups

Time: 9:xx

This was great fun in the new gym! I had so much space, but then that also meant that it seemed like I had a lot more ground to cover. I was happy to work on OHS in a wod, but I noticed that even with the lighter weight, I missed my lifting shoes.

Then I did today's mobility wod with the help of my own personal mobility coach.

Then I finished with the special wod of "move gym paraphernalia" for time. Good times!

The Long Forgotten Press

Press 5x5
Hmmmm, it has been a long time since I have done this.
85x5
85x4
80x5
80x5
80x5

Box Jumps
5x20" box
5x20 +15# plate
5x20 +25# plate
5x20 +45# plate
5x20 +45# plate

WOD
4 interval rounds, with Lisette
25 yd tire flip
200 m run
12 burpees

I would much rather do tire flips than burpees any day. But I don't think I would like to do AMRAP tire flips in 20 min., just saying...

The Hottest Day of the Year

Back Squats
243x3x3

Did a little experiment today and can report the following results-
having a sunburn on your shoulders/upper back is in fact quite painful when you then place 243 pounds on it. But the good news is that once I started the squat I had to focus so much on getting it back up that I forgot how much it hurt.

Foam Rolling and Mobility Work
The Kstar Mobility wod, day 2
Only marginally successful so I must have very tight hip flexors.

WOD
15-10-5
Man Eaters 20#
200 m run
Time: 8:xx

I LITERALLY (yep, literally)burned the inside of my throat on this wod. It was that hot outside. It was truly horrible to be gasping for air. I can't even imagine how people do this in places where it actually gets hot.

Quick Check In

Sunday
Back Squats
208x2x6

And that was it. I was done...super done.

Monday Mobility WOD
10 min squat

Ouch! That was very hard and I was shifting my weight quite a bit during the last few minutes.

Water Aerobics

Today was a rest day, so I decided to get in some active rest...
I went to water aerobics with my mom, figuring that being in the pool would be good for me. My mom and I had a great time, and I loved being able to participate in her new fitness pursuit. She assured me that getting into the pool at 10am in the morning, in the wonderful coastal fog wouldn't be that bad, and it wasn't!

I think I can, I think I can...

Power Jerk + Jerk
83x2x2
88x2x2
93x2x2

WOD
partnered with Melanie
10 rounds each
2 DB thrusters + 2 push presses rt. 20#
2 DB thrusters + 2 push presses lt. 20#
30 m sprint

Time: ??

So this was not at all an overly difficult wod-just a couple of things to remember, each movement nice and quick, and a partner rest. But when you start the wod super tired, everything is hard. This was one of those times that I would have totally bailed on the wod if I had been working out by myself. Thankfully, I was not by myself and I had a coach and a great partner to push me to get it done and get it done well.

Paleo Pork Chop Dinner

My Quick Dinner (about 15-20 minutes from start to finish)

1. Start the butternut squash
Empty a bag of peeled and chopped butternut squash onto an oiled baking sheet
Drizzle a bit more olive oil over the squash
Season with salt and ground pepper
Put into a 375 degree oven.

2. Make the Pork Chops
Heat an oiled skillet to med-high and when it is hot, add 3 boneless pork chops, seasoned with salt and pepper

While the chops are browning (this should take about 6-10 minutes and you just have to remember to turn them) chop a small shallot and a handful of cherry tomatoes

You should also have enough time to make the garlic butter by mixing a couple tablespoons of butter with 1-2 cloves of chopped garlic. Set this aside until the chops are done.

When the pork chops are done, remove then from the pan. Deglaze the pan with about 1/2 cup of broth, white wine or even water. Deglazing is done by turning the heat to high, waiting a moment for the pan to get nice and hot and then quickly added the liquid to the pan and scraping up all of the browned bits of meat from the bottom of the pan.

As soon as the pan is deglazed, add the shallots and tomatoes to the pan and cook this for about 2 minutes, just enough to soften the shallots and release some of the tomato juice.

Serve the pork chops by placing a dollop of garlic butter and some of the tomato-shallot sauce on each chop.

Your squash should be just about done by now!

**And yes, butter is not exactly paleo, but I was sure to use grass-fed butter. :)

Not Very Tough Today

Cleans
HPC+PC
83x2x2
90x2x2
95x2x2

Oops! I just realized that I was supposed to be doing power cleans, not cleans...Oh well, I was just way to excited about nailing those cleans, squat and all. It usually feels like the progress on these in infinitesimal (it feels like that because it is) but then I realize that I am getting really, really comfortable with the heavier end of my clean ability (instead of feeling like it is possible, if all of the stars are aligned correctly that day, to get 95#, I know I can get it now.)

WOD
5 rounds
5 jerks 83#
7 ring pull ups
200 m run
Time: 12:29

This part of the class was not so spectacular for me. I am not very happy with my performance on this one, primarily because I kind of gave up during round 4. During this round I didn't keep the jerks unbroken, even though I really could have, and I walked back into the box instead of running the whole way. I think I even broke up the pull ups. I was able to get it together for the last round and keep everything unbroken. So this was not an example of mental toughness or great dedication to the task.

I am now used to a nap on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And I didn't get a nap today, so I am going to have to hobble through the rest of the night.

How Many Rounds?

Back Squat
218x5x5

This was my one rep max in Jan. and my highest 5x5 when we ended the back squat progression in May.

WOD
5 rounds
7 ball slams 40#
100 m row sprints
Time: 5:08

The 40# ball is heavy and awkward, and I can't wait until we have new balls that don't have a deflated side. For some reason I thought this wod was 4 rounds, and I was getting super excited as I was finishing round 3-just one more left, this is no problem, almost over!! And then as I was starting round 4, Joc yells, "only 2 rounds left!"

Ssssssssssss. That is the deflating sound heard briefly in my head as I faced not one, but two more rounds. Then there was the ever so brief thought of-did she change this, do I dare argue this one? Nope. Just be tough Leah and get it done (plus I couldn't really talk at that point.)

It was a good thing I didn't argue. It was a 5 round wod.

2 jerk dip squats + 1 power jerk
78x3x2
86x3x2
93x3x2
103x3x1

Thoughts in my mind during these-tighten up, dip down, don't go too fast on the dip, drive the bar up, move my head out of the way, active shoulders, drive the head through. Who knew that getting the bar from your shoulders to overhead would take so much concentration?

WOD
6 rounds
8 overhead BB lunges 53# (rx'd)
Sprint to the wall-back pedal
12 KBS, Russian style 53#
Time: 10:31

I think I might love Russian kettlebell swings. They are fabulously wonderful in comparison to American kettlebell swings.

Reason #231 to Avoid Running

I now get Prevention Magazine for some reason. I have no idea why I am now receiving it, and can only figure that word got out somehow that I care a lot about prevention. But anyway, there are sometimes these little nuggets of helpful and amusing advice:

On the topic of Good Skin
"The repeated jarring of high-impact cardio like running can weaken collagen and lead to sagging. So until a 'face bra' is invented, I'll stick to cycling and the elliptical machine." (from a leading dermatologist)

There you go, proof enough that running is bad, bad, bad. Who wants to run at the expense of sagging skin? Not me! But I can also tell you that I won't ever be wearing a face bra.

Now back to lesson planning...

Oh So Tired

First-
Back Squats
208x6x6

The six was tough. I've done 208x5x5 several times, so I knew I could do this, but it was still taxing. I felt like just lying down on the floor between each set, but I stayed strong and just sat down instead.

Second-
Hang Power Snatch + Hang Snatch
33, 53x2, 58, 63, 68x2

I feel a little more comfortable with the hang now, meaning I don't feel like an idiot while working on it. I generally like things better when they don't make me feel uncoordinated.

WOD
We'll call this one "Three of My Favorite Things"
(Made even better by being one round with everything in nice large chunks)

30 wall balls 14#
400 m run
50 box jumps 20"
Time: 7:33

Most of my wall balls made it to the wall, but honestly, a few didn't... :) The box jumps were not bad! Can you believe that?!? They took a long time, but hey, I just did 50 in a row, rx'd, so I am super happy with that.

My shoulders...

WOD
4 rounds
250 m row
10 ring dips (green band)
12 GHD sit ups
Time: 11:22

This was not nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. I had visions of starting the second round still dizzy from the GHDs, but I am finally not crazy dizzy and disoriented every time I get off the GHD in a wod. :) I had no idea how the ring dips were going to go since last time I used a blue band, but they weren't as bad as I expected. My shoulders are a bit fried today, but that has motivated me to work a little harder on stretching and foam rolling. I used this routine plus a few more exercises that Kyle gave me.

Have you heard how hard it is to buy Kombucha these days? This is very sad news for all of us who just love to drink the amazing stuff. But it motivated me to make my own. I am now on my third batch of the amazing stuff, and it is undeniably cheaper and better than what I was buying. Plus it is kind of exciting to be making this stuff from a "kombucha mushroom", seeing those kombucha babies growing, and then ending up with bottled, effervescent, sour yumminess. I love these kind of things and this is filling the void in my life now that I don't attempt a new type of sourdough starter every year.

My brothers act like I am making moonshine, but they just don't appreciate the greatness of this stuff.

The Paleo Challenge

The votes for Paleo 2.0 were counted and I won. :) I am so very appreciative of all the encouragement and support that so many people provided. It was a lot of work, but it was very, very worth it. You can read more about it at the link above.

Thursday

I worked more on my pull ups. :) They are HARD without a band!

WOD

5 rounds

5 pull ups (violet band)

5 box jumps 20"

Time: 3:22

The difference between how little work it took to do pull ups with the green band and how MUCH work it took to do them with the violet band was significant. But I remember when I could not do one with the green, or even when I could not do one with the blue, no matter how hard I tried!

And the box jumps-I was doing them all without resetting my feet on the floor, so I am inching closer to cycling those 20 inchers.

Sat

Chinese dumbbell rows 35# 3x10

WOD

5 rounds

10 DB snatch R. 30#

10 DB snatch L. 30#

10 Burpees

Time: 11:50

I love burpees. They are the best. I think I love them so much and have gotten so good at them that I probably don't even need to do them anymore. At least for a very long time. Right?!?

A Sympathetic Coach

Power Snatch + Hang Power Snatch
2x5 at 53#

Here is how the pre-workout conversation went-(roughly...)

Joc: Leah, so how are your feeling?

Leah: Good, my legs are tired, but pretty good.

Joc: But no pain, right?

Leah: No pain! I really feel good! (smile, smile, smile) My legs are just a little tired and slow, you know?

Joc: Yeah, I know how that is. I totally understand.

Leah (thinking): How great is it to have an understanding coach, one who takes the time to check in and really cares about how I feel? How nice! (smile, smile, super happy)

Then Joc starts writing the wod on the board. I start hearing muttering of how much Leah is going to "like" this...

And the there was the wod:

WOD
35 DB Thrusters 25#
400 m run
30 hurdle burpees
Time: 8:58

So if your legs are tired this WOD just feels splendid! The thrusters don't feel hard.at.all. You feel like you are flying on the 400 m run. And hurdle burpees? You might think that you would sort of dread the thought of 30 of them, even questioning your ability to make it over the hurdle without tripping, but no. Everyone of those burpees is a piece of cake and you feel like soaring over that green bar! CrossFit is amazing.

Staycation Day 2-hung out at the gym to make sure I didn't miss anything interesting. I didn't. Then I was a tourist in Capitola and downtown Santa Cruz for the rest of the day.

Burpees

Yesterday-
In the fun busyness of open gym, Lolo and I did back squats. I must do this because I am highly fearful of my legs getting too small. I know that is a very real possibility for me (ha, ha, ha), so I have to work hard here.

I had lots of entertainment during my sets while I watched Sam do his birthday Grace, John complete Grace Rx'd for the first time, Golden complete big boy Grace with only presses, no jerks, and Desmond fighting through the big boy Grace with what happily was not an aneurysm. I was impressed with all of it.

40 burpees for time
3:25

Why do I still have such a huge mental block about things like this that I have never done, but really am able to do?!? I feel like I am making some very slow mental progress. Rationally, I should know for sure that I can do 40 burpees, but I still worry that I will run out of steam and have trouble even finishing. Sigh, there are an awful lot of things in the gym that I am still scared to even try, and that is not a very good thing.

And this is Day 1 of my self-declared staycation. I decided that I wanted to take some time to enjoy a few of the local things that I keep missing...So all day will be spent at the Boardwalk today.

Knees to Elbows?!?

SNPP (behind the neck)

73x5

83x4

93x3

103x2

113x1

WOD
All 2 minute rounds

4 rounds:

100 m shuttle

15 plate sit ups (25#)

(subbed to 7 GHD sit ups for the last 2 rounds)

4 rounds

150 m row

10 T2B, subbed to almost K2E

I liked the rest in each round. That worked well for me. :) Joc is good at pushing us to work nice and hard with these wods. She is giving me lots of practice in getting my breathing under control...

When I was done, Kyle muttered something about knowing my secret. What secret? I have no secrets!! Well, it turns out that he thought that I was indeed able to do the actual K2Es and that I was just sandbagging. No, I can't do them! I know I can't. I've never been able to come even close, so I just pull my legs up and engage those abs. I have been getting better, but nope, can't actually do them. Kyle didn't agree.

So I told Kyle that I would show him that I couldn't do it.

Then I tried it again. I did it. Bummer! Now I'll have to actually do real K2Es. :)

In keeping with my goal to make sure I was eating really well this week, my menu for today-

Breakfast

eggs, Italian sausage, tomatillo salsa, and avocado

Snack, post wod

almonds

Lunch

grilled pork tenderloin with peach salsa

roasted broccoli with caramelized onions

Dinner

grilled hamburger patty with tomato, avocado, and tomatillo salsa

roasted broccoli

Dessert

strawberries and blueberries with coconut milk

plates, sandbags, and tires

Push Press + Push Jerk
53x2
63x2
68x2
73x2
73x2

plus extra work with the bar to work on technique...I definitely have some more mental clarity on a few things, so now I just have to try to make it actually happen. But that is one of the great things about CFWSC-always learning and always being urged to do better.

WOD
6 rounds
2 minutes on/1 minute rest
12 OH plated lunges 25#
100 m sprint
max half moons 25#/tire flips/plate sit ups
Total-99
the breakdown was something close to this:
15-15-28
15-13-13

Honest truth: I pretty much sandbagged the halfmoons. They all felt so heavy. But this was a fun wod, with lots of variety and LOTS of work.

I am very tired now, and I hope to get hours and hours of sleep...

Open Gym Again

Back Squats
I did some extra credit squats today.
208x2x6

Someone asked me after I was done how they felt, and I gave a quick reply of "great" or something equally descriptive. Later on, thought about it a bit more and realized that the first time I did 208 for reps, I was nervous for hours before, I was nervous during, and it was taxing to get through the sets. It is so encouraging to really see the progress when I thought about today, compared to a couple months ago.


25 yd sled sprints x8 with 65#
I was supposed to have 1 minute rest, but I am pretty sure I was given closer to 30 sec.

3x15 GHD sit ups

1x15 GHD Russian Twists 12# ball

One of the fun things about open gym is seeing a variety of people working on a huge variety of things. I love seeing people who are new to open gym, people who have been doing it for awhile, people who have a clear plan, and people who just come in and figure something out. It is great to see someone try Helen for the first time, or try Christine, thinking it was only 1 round. :) Way to finish it anyway, Lolo! You never know who you'll get to see Olympic lifting or who you can just sit around and chat with.

Immediate Goal Setting

2 Position Snatch
1 power snatch + 1 hang snatch

I just did a bunch with 53 and then a bunch with 63. I was highly organized in my approach to this one! :)

WOD
5 rounds
30 lateral jumps
10 cross chops rt. 25#
10 cross chops lt.
7 ring dips (BB)
Time: 7:43

Since I went to the Amundsen goal-setting seminar, I figured I would set an immediate goal for this wod-

1. get the first round of jumps unbroken-done

This was the first time that I have done ring dips in a wod, so I started with the blue band. Next time I will use the green band. I will also have to think about whether I should use a heavier KB for the cross chops, but I'll worry about that one later.

One of my 7 day goals is to refocus on my diet, with proper attention to my protein and carb (specifically vegetable) intake. I find that I can fall into a pattern of eating protein at each meal, but not eating nearly as many veggies as I did back when I carefully paleo-zoned. I am not worried that I am eating too few carbs since I allowed myself fruit for the summer, but I know that I have been missing out on all the goodness that comes with a variety and great volume of vegetables. I have also fallen into the habit of sometimes just eating 2 meals in a day, and then I just get hungry too soon and eat lots and lots of fruit (or sometimes...even chocolate.)

So I took a bit of time this afternoon to shop and then prep somethings ahead.


Roasted Broccoli with Caramelized Onions
The onions elevate roasted broccoli (already pretty fantastic) to a whole new level of vegetable goodness.

1 bag of broccoli florets (from TJs)
1 onion, chopped
salt and pepper
olive oil
butter

Oil a baking sheet lightly. Dump the broccoli on the pan and sprinkle with a bit more olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast this in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt a pat of butter in a skillet, preferably cast iron. If you don't have a cast iron pan, this is a very, very good reason to get one. When the butter is hot, but before it starts to burn, add the onions. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and add some more butter if it needs it. Turn down the heat to med-low and cook the onions until brown and soft, about 20 minutes, stirring as needed to keep them from burning. If they seem to be burning, not slowly browning, you can turn down the heat and/or add a few tablespoons of water.

Many recipes for caramelized onions will call for some type of sugar, but you do not need any at all. As long as you cook them slowly and long enough to really brown, the onions will be sweet on their own.

When both the broccoli and onions are done, toss together and enjoy!

Team WOD

The 10am was a full class, so there was lots of activity and energy to keep everyone moving. On top of that we had a team wod, so there was no rest for the wicked, and thankfully, the righteous don't need any.

Team WOD
8 rounds each
5 burpees
3 push presses 83#

then each person completes:
40 KBS 45#
(broken into 5 rep/round)

then each person:
8 sprints

Time, with Lisette: 15:21

I was admittedly performing a rather loose interpretation of a push press on this one, but I was just going with the idea of shoulder to overhead, anyway. I am a pretty rotten push presser and generally either press the bar or jerk it, so this creative expression of the lift is not surprising.

I also did some canning and cooking and ended up with some wonderful peach salsa, tomatillo salsa, and plum chutney, but I have to find the cable to upload the picture...But fresh salsas are a wonderful paleo addition as they are great on grilled chicken, pork, beef, fish, sausage, and eggs. And they are super easy!

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Roast these under the broiler until nice and charred:
about 8 tomatillos, paper skin removed
1 large onion, cut into chunks
2-3 jalapenos
2-3 cloves of garlic

Then cut the stem out of the tomatillos. Toss all of the roasted veggies into the food processor and pulse until it is chopped, but not mush.

Add:
a handful of cilantro
the juice of a lime
salt and pepper

Finish processing and enjoy!

Straight Legs

SLDL
95x5
95x5
115x5
115x5
115x5

I am getting more and more comfortable with these, but we'll see how my legs feel later.

WOD
7 rounds
5 ring pull ups
100 m sprint
8 box jumps-subbed 15 single jumps
Time: 8:44

My sciatic nerve has really been bothering me, and those box jumps were just too painful, so I first tried moving from the 20 inch box to the 16, and then just jumped rope. Other than that, I liked all of this-I like ring pull ups and the 100m run is a great length. :)

Before and after class I was sure spend plenty of time with the piriformis foam roll. That was nice and painful.

Great Coaching

Overhead Squat
53x3
73x3
83x1
93x1
105x1
115x1 (PR)

I got lots and lots of coaching before this PR. Some of the advice was very helpful, some was just advice... :)

WOD
3 rounds
10 DB Thrusters Rt. 25#
10 DB Thrusters Lt.
15 push ups
10 Chinese DB rows Rt.
10 Chinese DB rows Lt.
Time: 7:50

Great WOD. I look forward to a sore upper back. I will admit in writing that yes, I should have used the 30# DB since I kept all the DB movements unbroken. The push ups were hard and not at all unbroken, so I look forward to seeing more improvement there. I suppose that means I have to keep working on them.

Turning Off My Brain

Deadlift
find my 5RM...
I don't have a 5RM, and it was super unsettling to suddenly be back in the world of the unknown. I really like knowing what I am aiming for and what progression I am going to take to get there. Hmmm, is it possible that I am a little, tiny bit of a control-freak?
So here was my shot at this
123x5
173x5
193x3-nice and flat back, felt great
223...knew my upper back was rounding, unlike it did at 193, but wanted to just pull it 5 times because I knew I could, but it was perfect form night, so that was a no-go.
203x5 I am counting this one, even though I took my hands off the bar in the middle.

WOD
1000 m row
50 ball slams 25#
30 pull ups (GB)
Time: 8:54

I set various goals for this one:
1. Keep my row pace under 2:20-done
2. Try to get through the pull ups in 3 sets-I think it took me 4, but I don't remember
3. Try to get through the ball slams in 3 sets-I did it in 2, 25/25

And when I saw who was in my heat:
4. Try to make sure that the one guy in our heat didn't run away with the wod. So this meant that I had to aim for being on the pull up bar before Golden finished.-done, barely

And on top of that, I was able to zone out during the ball slams for the first time ever. It made it so much easier to just stop thinking about anything except moving up and down and counting. I wasn't complaining, wasn't thinking about what hurt, wasn't thinking about why we had to do 50 of them, wasn't thinking about the pull ups still to come. It was odd, but it works!

Tire Flips

Snatch + Overhead Squat
43x1
53x1
58x1
63x1
68x1
73x1

then OHS
73x2
73x2
73x2

WOD
12 tire flips
400 m run
then 5 rounds:
10 push ups
10 GHD sit ups
finish with:
400 m run
12 tire flips

Time: 14:57
When I first saw this wod, these were my thoughts-
-There are so many words, it looks long
-What?!? running 400 meters?!? twice?!? Blech
-Tire flips: cool!
-GHD sit ups, um yeah, more dizziness and sore abs
-What kind of person comes up with this stuff?

Then I had a few more rational thoughts-
-It is only 2 rounds of running, I can do that.
-Maybe the GHD sit ups will be a little easier this time.
-Maybe they won't leave me quite as sore this time.
-Tire flips are cool.

Then I had to do the wod-
-I kept my movement above a walk for the full 800 meters, meaning I didn't stop at the turn around and I did not walk when I got back to the parking lot. No one had to yell at me to run all the way to the box (Sam, Kyle, sound familiar?)
-The tire flips were cool.
-I wasn't as dizzy from the GHD as I was last time.
-I still have to work on my push ups...
-I'll know how much the GHD sit ups will hurt when I am sitting on a plane in two days.

Front Squat
113x5
128x5
138x5
145x5

WOD
AMRAP in 12 Minutes
7 Kettlebell Swings 53#
10 Ball Slams 25#
12 Lateral Jumps
Rounds-8 +7 KBS

What can I say? This was a great wod, with a chance to work on the heavier KBS and time to do my fave-lateral jumps. I was in that wonderful place of feeling like I should move faster, but my legs were just too sore and slow...

I obviously didn't do well with my rest day yesterday, cuz I am way too sore today. Even as I write this, hours later, I am still sore. I don't want to admit to not foam-rolling, or taking enough fish oil, or drinking enough water, or getting enough sleep. All of those reasons place way too much responsibility in my lap.

So I'll blame it on something totally random. It was probably the stress of actually being at the speedway, getting all that mud flung on me, sitting on muddy metal bleachers, and the said bleachers being cold enough to just about literally freeze my bum off. It was fun, but it was like being in another world! And it just really, really seemed like the "right" thing to do was to drink a beer while there. But I can't. I can't ever go to a ball game, or eat Mexican food, or as in last night, watch old beat up 4 cylinder cars race around a little track and drink a beer (gluten-free beer is not very good...) So I ate peanut M&M's. Yep, I did.

They were good. Just so you know.

Really Fast???

First:
10x40 yd sprints

I was super fast on the first one, super fast. :) Then it all went downhill from there, rather rapidly I must say. If I am truly objective, I know that I can see huge improvement in my sprinting. When I got out to the parking lot and looked down at the orange cone, I suddenly remembered some of those days last summer when I would have to run sprints the length of the parking lot. I HATED those sprints because I.could.not.do.them.at.all. And objectively, even though I was still slow tonight, I am much, much faster than last summer.

Second:
3 rounds
10 burpees
10 DB Rows R 35#
10 DB Rows L 35#
Time: 4:33

Third:
3x max weighted plank holds (otherwise know as the Haynes Hold)
1:30 15#, :45 25#, :52 25#
Just so you know, you can't trust Kyle or Melissa when they tell you that they will let you know when you hit 30 sec...

Death by OHS

KB Work

clean

front squat

jerk

snatch

25# and then 35#

Dips

Working on this one...

negatives, and then bands: blue, green, violet, red. It was like a rainbow! But really I was shocked to find how easy they were with the blue and green bands since I haven't worked on these in about forever. I made sure I was dipping nice and low to prepare for that muscle up.

WOD

21-15-9

deadlifts 155#

OHS 63# (85 rx'd)

Time: 12:45

Deadlifts were no problem, but the overhead squats were a struggle, to put it mildly. I started with the rx'd weight, but that was not going to work. I am honestly not sure if my problem is more mental than anything else. I am feeling more and more comfortable with these, but as soon as I start to wobble AT ALL I seem unable to fight hard enough for it.

And I decided that I would be posting a picture of one of my paleo meals each day. :) The grilled chicken is from here.

run, jump, row

Back Squat
208x5
208x5
208x5
208x5
208x5

No misses this time, and no spotter needed either.

WOD, partnered with Deb
6 short shuttle runs (3 each)
then 3 rounds: (done in sets of 5, 15 reps each per round)
30 DB thrusters 25#
30 broad jumps
then row sprints
100m x10 (5 each)
Time: 14:08

Another great partner wod!

Firecracker 5k

I did the 5k this morning, and it was so, so, so much better than last year! Not only did I run more and walk a lot less, I felt a whole lot better doing it. It was pretty horrible even finishing last year, and my knees, hips and shins all hurt. I finished the race and was totally spent.

This year I felt so much more comfortable during the whole race, nothing hurt, I recovered so much faster, and was able to party the rest of the day. I took about 7 minutes off my time (this sounds like a lot, but this is very doable when you have the vast room for improvement that I do!)

Partner Wod

...the sure way to keep everyone moving faster, since no one wants to keep their partner waiting.

Overhead Squat
68x3
73x3
78x3
83x3
88x3

WOD, with Samantha
8 rounds
5 KBS 45#
5 box jumps 20"
8 rounds
5 burpees
5 pull ups (jumping)
8 rounds
5 wall balls
8 rounds
50 m sprint

Total Time: 20:30

This was a great wod-lots of work to do, moving very quickly, short breaks to catch a little bit of breath, and a partner to keep you moving. The whole time, you just keep thinking-it's just 5, I can do 5...but then the 5s keep coming and coming.

Power Clean
83x3
90x3
96x3
103x1x2

Front Squat
138x5
146x5x1
146x4x1 (failed on the last rep)
146x5x1

I let the bar slide right off on the last rep when I dropped my chest. I just didn't fight hard enough to keep the correct position. Even though he didn't see it, Kyle seemed sure that I should have been able to finish the set, so he made me do it again, all 5 reps. I couldn't really argue since I really did give up, I knew he wasn't looking, and I just kind of figured that instead of really fighting to keep that bar in position, I'd just let it roll forward. That obviously didn't really work out very well for me.

WOD
3 rounds
15 ball slams 25#
15 burpees
15 K2B

Time: 10:08
Exhausting to say the least. Getting through the burpees on round three was just a matter of making my self keep going, fighting the urge to just stand there and stare at the floor.

"Running"

I missed out on class today because I had to go to SF to see Wicked again...Good news-it is still a great show!

So I had to come up with something to squeeze into the end of my day. I jogged (just made sure I kept my movement above a walk) for 1.5 miles. No stopping, no walking, no crying and I lived. I didn't even feel like I was dying.

Back Squat Fail

Back Squat 5x5
203x5
203x5
203x5
203x5
203x1 then fail...
203x5

I rolled forward on my toes while I was coming back up, and lost it. I can only figure that I momentarily lost focus and relaxed, and I was super bummed about the whole thing. It wasn't too heavy, I wasn't too tired, and I had no worries about missing that set. It was very hard to get back under that bar and try again, but I am sure glad I did (or that my coach made me do it.)



AMRAP in 12 minutes
10 DB shoulder to overhead 25#
10 broad jumps
50 m farmer's walk 25#

Rounds-5 +10 DB S2O

Buffalo Tri-Tip

Push Press+Push Jerk+Jerk
53
73
83
93
103
108
113
118
123 fail on the push press

WOD
AMRAP in 10 minutes
200 m row
10 OH plate lunges 25#
10 K2E
Rounds: 4 + row

This wod was nice and fast, but still very hard. K2E were definitely the hardest part and the lunges were easier than I thought they would be.

I grilled up some buffalo tri-tip for my dinner, and it was very, very tasty with a wonderful rich, deep flavor. I loved it and hope that Cliff will go hunt some buffalo for all of us...

Happy Dance

Snatch
53x3
63x2
68x1
73x1
78x1
83x1
88 fail

Umph...I really wanted to get that 88 today.

WOD
4 rounds 2:30/90 sec rest
200 m run
7 box jumps 20"
max KBS 44#
19-15-15-14

And then pull up practice. I did it! I was totally shocked when it happened, but I got my first kipping pull up. Clearly there were several important pieces to today's success: my latte, the mocking of my hip snap, and the presence of the vuvuzela in the box. Now I just have to try to repeat it, but it more than made up for not getting the 88 on the snatch.

Clothes and More Clothes

I decided to clean out my closet again today.

This feels great, every single time. It is wonderful to bag up all of those things that I'll never wear again.

It is also offers a bit of time for reflection.
"Why on earth did I ever buy that? It is horrible!"
"Why did I even keep it this long?"
"How nice must my friends be that they were willing to be seen in public when I wore this!"
"Or maybe they are just a little evil and never told me how hideous these pants really were..."

And then the big question-
"How in the world could I have all these clothes, and yet I never felt like I had anything to wear?!?"

It is utterly ridiculous that I am still getting rid of all these clothes (not to mention shoes...ouch!) Why in the world did I ever buy and then hold onto all of these things?

There is no doubt that part of the answer is that I do just like new clothes. But the other part is that there was an underlying hesitation to ever get rid of much since I might "need" it when I was one of any 5 or more sizes that I intend to never return to. Believe me, I am not talking about just holding onto some things for the "fat days." I still had stuff that literally falls right off of me now. That stuff is gone now. I know that I also held onto clothes because I had such a hard time finding anything to buy in the first place-not many stores, not many options, lots of large, ugly tents in slightly differing cuts...

And on the subject of clothes, my dear sisters and several friends will be happy to find out that my recent purchases have been in the following shades:
peacock blue
eggplant
plum
pink
green
some other shade of purple
and only a little tiny bit in black and brown. :)

C&J, Deadlifts and Yummy Food

Clean and Jerk, on the minute
80x5
88x5
93x5
No misses
Then
103x1
108x1
113x1

The 113 clean was not very beautiful...

WOD
AMRAP in 10 minutes
7 deadlifts 165#
12 GHD situps
Rounds-4 and 7 DL, 8 GHD

Yes, I was that close to finishing the 5th round, and if I had moved faster I could have finished that round. By the way, GHD situps still make me lightheaded and dizzy. Good times!

I went home, did some work and then took a nap.

Then I cooked dinner-
stuffed bell peppers
glazed carrots
melon with prosciutto

It was one of those super nourishing meals, not just food for fuel, but deeply satisfying food. Wish you all could have enjoyed it with me. :)

And yes, amazingly enough I realize that there are now plenty of time that I eat just to fuel my body. I eat that chicken or cauliflower simply because I need to, not because I want to. I didn't think I would ever be that person. I ate because it was good. One of the problems was that there was just too much that I thought was good and it actually wasn't. Now I make sure I still have plenty of food that I love, but there are plenty of meals that I just eat because I know I have to, because it is what I need to work well.