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My Poor Left Arm

Skill
Back Squat 5x5
5x180
5x180
5x180
5x180
5x180

So hard...So heavy...but I got it done. I continue to be amazed that this progression works.

WOD
AMRAP in 12 minutes
5 KB snatches (each arm) 25#
7 Box Jumps 16"
100 m sand bag run (No sand bag for me, I carry enough extra weight as it is.)
Rounds-6

Sooo, KB snatches. It will be interesting to see if I have a nice bruise on my left arm tomorrow. I only practiced the snatches before the wod with my right arm, so when I moved to the left arm in the wod, it was quite a shock. I was so uncoordinated trying to snap that KB, so that slowed me down a bit. I really need to cycle faster through the box jumps, so I tried to do that. No step ups, and lots of consecutive jumps.

Day two of increased protein-still hard.
Four days in a row of CF-hard.
Grading essays after all this-hard, but the students might appreciate my inability to be too nit-picky.
Rest day tomorrow-yeah!

The Complex was too tough for my brain

Skill
Bent Over Row 5x10, super set with 5x10 modified ring dips
85x10
85x10
85x10
85x10
85x10


The rows were fine, the dips were not so fine. But that is good. I need to work on them.


WOD
3 Rounds
Complex 5 times:
power clean
front squat
push press
back squat
rack jerk
then 21 pull ups (jumping for me)
Rest 3 minutes between rounds
Time: 13:16
Penalties for letting go of the bar: 1


I started this one with 63# and moved to 73# for the third round. It was in this third round that I set the bar on the ground after the rack jerk. It wasn't necessary to set the bar down, but I just lost focus. So I got to do the penalty: squat hold for 1 minute, plank for 1 minute, bar hang for 30 seconds. The last 20 seconds of each hold was lovely, just lovely.


On other news, I had a goal of eating 1 gram of protein for every pound of body weight. Couldn't do it. All you guys say this is easy, but it isn't. I'll try again tomorrow.


Random weight thought: I realized that as you lose weight, pull-ups become easier and push-ups become harder, less weight to pull up to the bar, but farther to push to get chest to deck. Life is rough sometimes.

Weak Shoulders

Skill
Dynamic Deadlifts 15x1 at 60% of max
This should be 180#, I used 185#.

Doing my part to prepare myself for the 315# deadlift. :) This wasn't hard, but it was a great time of focusing on the lift. No messing around, set the back, just lift. I also really like these skill times to become more comfortable with heavy weights. I know I can lift heavy things one time, but it still takes familiarity with the weight to be comfortable with it multiple times.

WOD
3 rounds
30 walking lunges 15# plate overhead (rx'd 25#)
20 KBS 36# (Rx'd 53#)
10 Burpees
Time: 13:27

Ugh, ugh, ugh...This was awful! It was just one of those nights: I was sore before class even started, the foam rolling was painful, the warm-up row felt like it took forever, and then there was the wod. I tried the 53# KB, but the thought of swinging it 60 times was more than I could handle. My poor shoulders...As awful as it was, it was great after it was over. It always is.

Front Squat and Snatch

Skill
Front Squat 8x2
75x2
95x2
125x2
145x2
155x2
160x2
160x2

You are safe Vero...I am clearly going to have to work on this lift. :)

WOD
On the Minute for 10 minutes
1 heavy snatch (65x3, 75x7)
5 push ups
1 sprint

I wandered around for a few minutes, totally distraught that all the women's bars were taken. I am super duper horrible at the snatch so I wanted to start with the women's bar and 2 10# plates. I knew I could do that, and that was the highest I have ever gone. I didn't want to have to use a men's because I didn't want to have to put training plates on it. So I stared at it for a few minutes, practiced a few times with the bar, and then decided I had to just suck it up and try the 65#. That itself is a PR for me. Then I decided to add weight, moving up to 75#.

The Paleo Snob

Food, I love it.

I realized how much I love my paleo food when I was gone from home and in a setting where it was hard to control what and when I ate. To make a very boring story short, the food situation on my trip was pretty bad. There were too many days of no eggs for breakfast, and flavorless iceberg lettuce salads for lunch (but the dinners weren't too bad, I was just too self-conscious to actually order as much meat as I really wanted...)

When I got home, I was ranting about the food, being a full-on paleo snob. It was so graciously pointed out to me that I used to eat pretty differently than I do now...

So I need to be sure to not be that person. That one who gets all high and mighty about what they do now. But I am glad that this person has really, really adjusted to eating this way. I came home and ate my faithful standards today-scrambled eggs, sun-dried tomato turkey, broccoli, grilled chicken and a salad with lots of veggies, nuts, and olives.

And today was another rest day, but I did get to see people work out at least. I think that counted for something.

The Impromptu WL Speech

Another Rest Day...

Last night at dinner, someone had the brilliant idea to have each person at dinner give a brief impromptu speech. One person gave a speech, then he picked the next speaker and picked the speaker's topic. When I was picked, I had no idea what topic I would be given...

It was weight lifting. One of the teachers had seen some of my Facebook updates, and wanted to hear more about it. So I talked about why I started, what I was doing, and why I kept doing it. What an easy impromptu! I was so very, very glad that I got to talk about that and not Edgar Allen Poe. I am not a Poe fan.

One of the questions posed to me was about trust. Was it hard to trust the trainers? Did I trust that the trainers would watch out for me and my well-being?

I said yes, I really do, and I gave a quick answer as to why I trust the trainers, but it is now something that I am thinking more deeply about...

Not Quite So Warm Out Here...

Today was a rest day, a super rest day since I was on a plane for most of it.

Random thoughts about travel today-
Do you remember when United Airlines announced that if you didn't fit into one seat, you'd have to buy a second? If a second wasn't available, you'd have to be re-booked onto another flight? You might not remember, but I do...I really never, ever wanted to have that happen to me, so that announcement scared me. Not scared anymore...

Do you know I noticed how much easier it was to walk down the aisle of the plane and not worry about bumping people? That sure is nice.

It is also nice not to have aching knees after sitting in coach all day long.

Airport food is just about always horrible. My salad was mixed greens (pretty old and wilted), walnuts (not toasted), golden raisins, about one eight of a Granny Smith apple, and about 5 slices of chicken. The raspberry vinaigrette was not edible as it tasted like super sugary berry yogurt with vinegar in it.

Dinner on the ground was leaps and bounds better with a large salad with fresh greens, roasted red bell peppers, olives, scallops and shrimp. I love scallops. The waitress very kindly understood that I really needed something with no grains and no dairy.

I am not going to worry about what I will eat tomorrow...even though the group is having Chick-fil-A for lunch...

Running out of Steam?

Skill
Strict Press 3x5
5x80
5x80
5x80

I only went up 2 lbs for this set, but it felt like enough.

WOD
21-15-9
Hang Power Cleans 63#
Ball Slams 25#
Time: 5:09

This was my fourth day in a row. The 5x5 squats yesterday didn't affect me the following day nearly as much as they have before. * I arrived at class feeling great. Then I started this wod...ugh! I should have been able to cycle through those cleans much faster than I did. I broke them up more than I should have. I was too slow in the transition from bar to ball every single round.

Now I am heading out of town for the rest of the week: four days of hardly any activity, hours and hours of meetings, not enough sleep, and trying desperately to stay paleo with the endless snack table, restaurants twice a day and cross-country flights. :)

*I admit with much trepidation that the last couple of squats sets were a little tough on my knees. I know that this is because I was not pushing my knees out...This week was much better.

Sprint Cindy

Skills
Back Squat 5x5
5x175
5x175
5x175
5x175
5x175

Today was deadlift day, but I was not up for another single today. I know that Phelps has to swim every single day, but even the thought of another max DL was too exhausting. So I got to choose my skill. I almost chose the bench press since I've only done that once ever in my whole entire life, but I went with the back squat. I'll be out of town most of this week, so I had to get this in sometime. Tonight I remembered to breath. Yay me!

WOD
Sprint Cindy
AMRAP in 10 minutes
3 jumping pull ups (scaled down from clapping pull ups)
5 push ups (scaled down from clapping, but tried to push off the ground...)
7 jumping squats
Rounds: 14 + 3 pull ups

This means I made it through 70 real push ups, even though there were a few of questionable depth. I did suffer a moment of despair when Daniel yelled out there we only had 2 minutes left, then said wait, no, it's 3 minutes, well actually like 4.

CrossFit Total

What an afternoon at the box!

CrossFit Total

Back Squat-225

Strict Press-95

Deadlift-300

Total-620

A couple of days ago one of my CF buddies, one who has helped to push me since almost day one, suggested that I try the CFT. It is the stuff I like-heavy lifting, no running, no box jumps, no burpees. As we added up the numbers, it definitely seemed like I would get on the board (Wesley and I like to get on the board...) But when looking at the other numbers, it became clear that some of ladies currently on the record board must have done it months and months ago, so I knew that some of those totals were low. I might just be close enough to make this not only a fun workout, but also a chance to take the number 1 slot from Joc! :)

Now I have no delusions that my current ranking is accurate. It just isn't. But it is a record of 3 new PRs, and I am excited for every single one of them.

Joc only tried to sabotage my efforts once. :) I have such trust for all my coaches that when she suggested I do some box jumps to "wake up" my neurological system in preparation for the deadlift, I believed her. I really couldn't think of any idea why I would need anymore warming up, but I was ready to do it, until she kept going with her suggestions: double unders, kettlebell swings... But seriously Joc, Sam and Kyle were all a tremendous help. I heart the CFWSC coaches!

I was even able to see Joc's incredible "Isabel" in between my Back Squat attempts. All I can say is wow! She was fast.

No Idea for a Title...

Skill

Overhead Squat

53x3

63x3

73x3

83x3

88x2 (1f)

WOD

3 rounds

200 m. run

7 hang power snatches 53#

30 squats

7 push ups

Time: 10: 52

Nice start to the morning. :) It takes so much concentration for me to get those OHS, but that must be good for my brain too. I was a bit wary of using 53# for the snatches since I am so horrible at that lift, but I decided to just suck it up and try it, even if I took a really, really long time to get them done. After the first round, I was doing a much better job of keeping the bar closer to my body and pulling my elbows up and I could have even done 63#.

Now I get to enjoy the waves, sappy movies, and old pictures all day long. I am holed away working on lots of stuff, including a chronicle of the last year-lots to think about! I did have time for a great paleo-ish dinner at Zameen's last night.

Birthday, Rest, and Stuff

Here is how great my family is: for my birthday I had paleo cookies made by Anna and chicken salad to pack for my lunch, made by my mom. :)

I am really old this year. I have reached a year that I was dreading a few years ago because it was so very, very old. But guess what? I don't feel nearly as old as I thought I would. In fact, I am pretty sure I feel younger than I did last year, and the year before, and probably the year before that.

Even though I don't feel old, right now I am tired. I am super tired actually. This undoubtedly a combination of too little sleep (and since I am reading Lights Out, I know full well that I am killing myself every night I get less than 8 hours of sleep. The book is a tad on the dramatic side...), not enough food on some days, way too much work stress, and who knows what else. I need to get this under control because right now I feel just like I did by almost every single Thursday or Friday one year ago. I am exhausted, and once again I realize how much of my old life I have shed. I used to be this exhausted almost all of the time, and I really dislike it.

So I am going to skip CF today. I was so irritated because I wasn't able to go the noon class after a parent forgot to pick up his child from class...But all is good because now I am just relaxing and I think I really need it.

Finally broke 118#

Skill
Find a new Clean 1RM
83x1, 103x1, 113x1, 123(f), 123(f), 118x1, 123x1, 128x1

I have tried 118 over and over and always come up just short. I still wasn't able to squat clean the higher weights, but I did manage to keep myself under the bar this time. My new PR was a power clean, so I must still work on dropping...Wesley selflessly urged me on to the 128, even though it will knock her off the board-that's a friend. :)

Now to work on that squat clean...

WOD
1 min row for cal. 19
1 min. rest
2 times:
30 sec. max reps thrusters 73#
30 sec. max reps ball slams 20#
30 sec. max reps KBS 35#
1 min. rest
1 min, row for cal.
1 min. rest
2 times
30 sec. max reps thrusters 73#
30 sec. max reps ball slams 20#
30 sec. max reps KBS 35#
1 min. rest
1 min, row for cal.

Pure fun right there folks...

5x5 Progress

Skill
Back Squat
5x5x168#

Up 5# from 2/1/10.
I am still kind of amazed by all of this. The last 5x5, 8 days ago, was pretty hard, as in the 4th and 5th rep of every set was a struggle and I desperately needed the rest between sets. I knew the 5x5 was coming today, and I was fairly confident that adding 5 lbs. to last week's set would crush me. There was no way that I could do more for 25 lifts so soon. But it worked! I almost can't believe it! It was also perfect that Vero was in class tonight so we could partner up on the squats. It is so fun to have a back squat partner. :)

WOD
21-18-15-12-9-6-3
KBS 35#
Push Ups
Box Jumps
Time: 11:35

I knew that the agony of the 18 and 15 rounds seemed very, very familiar...compare to 11/10/09 with a time of 12:32. I am going to pretend that I actually finished the last box jump 3 seconds before Kyle recorded the time, thus giving me a 1 minute improvement on this wod.

OHS PR!

Skill
Overhead Squat
33x5, 53x3, 63x2, 73x2, 83x1, 88x1, 93x1, 98(f)

PR of 10# (from 12/09) Whoo-hoo! Fun to get a PR on a lift that I struggled with for so long. I didn't get quite deep enough on the 98#. By the time I tried it again, I was just getting too worn out and after a 2nd failed attempt, I wasn't up for it again.

WOD
From CF Football
4 rounds
1 full gasser
5 Hang Power Cleans 83#
Rest 1 minute after each round
Time: 8:54

So, when I was getting ready for this workout, I had these great plans to go heavy. I was going to be the full-on heavy lifter. But I chickened out. Once I really thought about doing the cleans without dropping the bar, I didn't want to bring the bar down with anything over the 83#. Then I really thought about the fact that I had to do the cleans after the sprints. Not my thing.

So in the end, the PCs were not hard, but what was hard was controlling my breathing. It was just take a big breath, work really hard to hold it even though every fiber of my being wanted to keep taking deep breaths, lift, and repeat five times. Good times at CFWSC yet again!

Pull Ups and More Pull Ups

Skill
Deadlift
135x3, 185x3, 215x3, 245x3, 255x3

WOD
AMRAP in 2 minutes
Max Box Jumps 16"-35
Then 5 rounds
5 Jerks 83#
10 Pull Ups (blue band)
Time: 8:28

The jerks were pretty easy, and I probably could have gone up, but my shoulders are just tired... :) The pull ups are still horribly hard. After 3 rounds, part of me wanted to just move to jumping pull ups, but the other part didn't want to give up. The give up part was winning...but Joc changed the box so I could use it to get a little push with my toe. So then the keep going part of me was able to finish the wod with the banded pull ups, even though I needed that little push to finish.

Can't Breath, day 2

Skill
Front Squat
4x3x123#

Since this was the last 1RM I have recorded, clearly not my 1RM anymore!

WOD-Partner WOD (with my sis, Anna)
Part 1
20 rounds
5 ball slams 25#
sprint to the end of the box and back
(10 rounds each person)

Part 2
4 rounds
1 min row
1 min rest
Goal-260m each row
Me: 270, 260, 250, 260

Lest you think my pulls are that spot on, I rounded the numbers down since I have no number memory skills.

Another tough one...very good, but exhausting, very exhausting.

Can't Breath

Skill

Heaving Snatch Balance
33x2, 33x2, 33x2, 43x2, 53x2

Snatch
33x2, 33x2, 43x2, 43x2

No shoulder pain at all tonight! I also moved to a slightly narrower grip on the bar. What?!?Leah, the one who needs to hold the bar all the way at the collars to even hope to get the bar overhead due to those inflexible shoulders, is now narrowing the grip?!?

WOD
3 rounds
1 minute ball slams 25#
1 minute cal. row
1 minute broad jumps
1 minute rest

I made sure I had 26 ball slams each round. Kyle yelled at me to keep the rower above 900...whatever that means. I did the broad jumps. I actually got to the edge of the mat on the jumps, but could not jump over the edge, not even once.

By round 3, I really wanted to quit early on every station, but this was a fun change-move lots, have trouble breathing, but don't think about any olympic lifts. I didn't really have to even count anything, but I now count all the time. I was never one of those people who counted stairs, but now...it is getting a bit neurotic.

Will you look at that!?! Breathing matters!

Skill
Strict Press
5x5x78#

(previous 5x5x68 on 11/12/09)

Learning by experience, after being told the same thing over and over again... The fifth lift of each set was hard, but it was incredibly hard when I destabilized. There is evidently something to this whole idea of taking big breaths and holding it through the lift. Imagine that! The very last lift was hideous, rather lopsided for awhile, and looooong, but I finished it.


WOD
10 Thrusters 83#
10 burpees
Time: 10:42


Agh! This was hard. No doubt about it. I was super hesitant to use 83# for this one, but Kyle was sure I could, even if I had to break the lifts into singles. I think I had 2 or 3 singles in there. I also strongly dislike burpees, but things are improving as I was able to cycle through them at a more consistent pace. Thanks go to Kyle for urging me to accomplish what I didn't think I could.


Some days you just need a super quick meal:
TJ's chicken Italian sausage, asparagus, tomatoes, sauteed with Costco's no salt seasoning and kosher salt :) (I figure that if I control the salt, it will be less than in a salt seasoning mix!)

The 5x5 Back Squat

Skill
Back Squat 5x5
163#

My last BS 5x5 was 153, I think...
This was my first 5x5 since I realized that I have to have a clear linear progression on the BS if I am going to beat Sam in the Paleo Challenge. I'm going to have to figure out how I can do this once a week. I knew it would be hard, but it was nice and hard on the last couple of reps of round 4 and 5...nice and hard...

WOD
3 Rounds
8 Box Jumps 16″
6 Push Jerk 83#
5 Pullups Blue Band
3 Kettlebell Swings
Repeat the 3 (micro) rounds 3 times (3 macro rounds) with 2 minutes rest between each of the 3 macro rounds.
Time: 19:26