Month: January 2012

Case of the Meh’s – and post script

“One never notices what has been done; one can only see what remains to be done.” – Marie Currie

Seems I’m not the only one who has a case of the Meh’s. It actually helps to know I’m not solo in struggling. Bottom line, though. Not. Giving. In. Or. Up. The time is going to pass either way. Might as well make the most of it. We can do this, people.

Today’s WOD:

Warm-Up:

Group Dynamic

WOD:

I. For Time:

30 Bodyweight Back Squats

30 Burpees

Completed: in 8:00. Back Squats at 85lbs.

II. “Corn Bread”

5 Rounds For Time:

7 Deadlifts (275/185)

14 Box Jumps (24/20)

Completed: in 7:45. Deadlifts at 125lbs.

Post Script: Even though I was complaining earlier, concerned about my lack of enthusiasm lately, I’m so happy to report that as soon as the WOD started tonight, and Sarah and I teamed up and cheered one another on, and pushed each other to our personal best, well, felt great to be there.

mamby-pamby-ness

“I know you’re tired but come, this is the way.”
― Rumi

Has anyone seen my CF Jou Jou? Cause its run away from home and I can’t seem to locate it anywhere. There’s a reward if you find it. Double, if you teach it a lesson in commitment.

Lost that loving feeling, people. Not sure what the problem is. Feel unmotivated. Not scared, or challenged, or anxious, just plain old simple, Meh.

Don’t like this feeling. Think it has a lot to do with the FL vacation, and then the birthday celebrations. On a couple particular Fridays and Saturdays which shall remain nameless, my diet was less than primal. Today, my knees ache, my elbows are swollen, my left shoulder has an inferiority complex, the right has declared a state of anarchy. But I went to the WOD today nonetheless, and will continue to try to hit 5 per week. No rest for the indifferent. Probably another good thing about this 90 Day Challenge. It doesn’t let you quit. Even though you might wonder out loud about quitting, on the internet, where your 90 Day Peeps might read all about it. I’m also guessing, the unhealthy portion of my diet, like the birthday cheesecake, and cheeseburger with fries and beer apres ski on Saturday, are all contributing to my current state of in-equalibirum.

Warm-Up:

Row 1000m

Completed: in 4:33.

WOD:

I. AMRAP in 20 Minutes:

20 Thrusters (135/95)

20 Pullups

20 Burpees

Completed: 2 rounds plus 5 Thrusters (at 75lbs.) Ring Pulls Ups.

You simply can’t live in two worlds, uncommitted 100% to either, and expect great things. You’re either in, or you’re out. Half-way equals half-ass. How can you expect stellar things from a less than stellar effort. It’s not possible. When will I ever learn. Enough of this mamby-pamby-ness. Enough.

Celebratory Speedbumps

Okay. So, I’ve been a food slacker the last couple of weekends. During the week my diet has been strictly primal, but the weekends come, and it all starts sliding to HellinaHandBasket. Whatever that means. Actually, its not that bad. I’m still pretty good. The thing about eating primal, the cravings for bad carbs goes away for the most part. You feel full and satisfied, energetic, and healthy. It’s really quite something. But what happens with me, inevitably, is; as I gain momentum and really start rolling in a healthy primal direction, some holiday appears, or celebration, or, umm… birthday. And I start slipping up, here, and there, in guilty indulgent increments. And then it becomes exponentially harder to put on the brakes. And the Holidays, the reasons to celebrate, will always be there. Take this upcoming weekend for instance, its the freaking Super Bowl. One of the most carb and cheese laden Holidays known to modern man.

In the end its what we do with these, at least in my case, these Celebratory Speedbumps, that makes all the difference. I’ve decided I need to get more serious with my food. Sit it down and give it a good talking to. The exercise is there. I’m hitting my WOD’s, taking my long walks and getting out and being as active as much as possible. But what I really need to do, is amp up my commitment on the food-side of this 90-DC.

I want to reach that place I’ve never been able to reach before. There’s two months left to the 90-DC. Plenty of time to get even more serious, and finally cross a finish line in personal fitness I’ve only dreamt about, yet have never been able to actually achieve. In life there is no finish line, its a marathon, but there is a finality to the 90-DC. So why not take the opportunity to create an even more healthy, more solid, jumping off point for all future activities. There was a good article about this on Mark’s Daily Apple. I’ve read through the 21 Day Transformation, once. It’s time to give it another go, and put it into action.

skiing

Today I ski. Just wish it would snow. Going to wear the heart rate monitor to see total calories burned.

“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.”
― Rumi

Stats from Skiing:

Distance: 14.42 mi
Time: 2:58:03
Avg Speed: 4.9 mph
Elevation Gain: 7,774 ft
Calories: 696 C
Avg HR: 89 bpm
Max HR: 151 bpm
Training Effect 1.7

Encore Présentation

Three Words: O. M. G.

Warm-Up:

Group Dynamic

WOD:

I. “Filthy 50″

For time:

50 Box Jumps (24/20)

50 Jumping Pullups

50 Kettlebell Swings (35lb)

50 Walking Lunges

50 Knees-to-Elbows

50 Push Press (45lb)

50 Back Extensions

50 Wall Balls (20/14)

50 Burpees

50 Double-Unders

Completed: all the way thru wall balls at 14lbs. Then as I disappeared into Burpees and detached from my surroundings and forgot where I was and wondered if what I had for lunch would make an encore presentation, the clock ran out. I lost count on the Burpees. And stopped. then regained what was left of my shattered composure, and grabbed my rope and completed 50 unbroken single-unders before exiting the Triple-Wide. That’s gotta count for something. People. People. Anyone? Bueller?

So, am I getting stronger? Weaker? Am I doing this all wrong? I’m not really sure. Perhaps this is part of what the 90DC is about, committing and figuring and recalculating and learning. There’s no doubt I feel stronger. But I was also feeling fairly certain I would be able to complete today’s WOD in the 30 allotted minutes. After-all, I was the one who introduced herself in Dean’s square-circle of trust at the beginning of class, as the one whose fav. CF move is Wall Balls.  Wall Balls? Really? The collective subconscious sigh from the class exhaled. Not so much.

“Whose your favorite NOW?’ Dean could have asked, as I looked back at him cross-eyed, wanting to call out for my Mom, right around Wall Ball rep no. 38.

All’s Quiet in the Triple Wide

It was quiet today when I walked into CF Triple Wide. Well, quieter than usual. I found it soothing. For the most part it was a strength training WOD. Never tried a split jerk before. Thought it would be awkward, but then discovered otherwise. Found the move to be fairly natural, and comfortable.

Warm-Up:

Split Jerk Practice

WOD:

I. In 10 Minutes:

Work Up to a Heavy Split Jerk

II. 6 Sets:

5 Push Presses

AMRAP Pullups

Rest 3 Minutes Between Sets

III. For Time:

500 Meter Row

Completed: Part I – Split Jerk warm up @ 55lbs. Part II – 6 sets of Push Presses @ 65lbs. and 15 Ring Pull Ups. Part III – 500 Meter Row @ 1:52.

Couple of things. I think I’m starting to wimp out on my weight. Need to start pushing myself more. I push myself aerobically, but when it comes to the weights, as much as I enjoy it, there’s some fear there.

On another note, when I visited the ACF site tonight to copy down the official WOD for today, the WOD for Friday was already posted. Take a look if you dare. I’m going to bask in the soothing remnants of my Thursday, and enjoy it for now. Tomorrow is another day.

Lastly, and we’re all friends here, right? It’s the Eve before my 43rd Birthday. Tonight I’m home with Oliver, indulging in all my favorite past-times; reading, assessing my CF progress, filling my Nordstrom shopping bag, and getting ready to go to sleep. How times have changed. It’s pretty normal to assess where you’re at in life when these milestones roll up, on, and over us. To me, Birthdays have always been a mixed bag, kind of like the Holidays, especially once you get older. As I write this, on the eve of my birthday, and with the Holidays a month in the rearview, I can tell you that I feel incredibly blessed for so many things in my life.

Giant Happy Boat. Damnit.

WOD:

I. Press

10 x 2, Rest 30 seconds between sets

II. “Help Myself”

3 Rounds For Time:

7 Muscle Ups

14 Power Cleans (175/120)

21 Burpees

III. Toes-to-Bar

5 x 15; Rest 1 minute between sets

Completed: except can’t remember my time. Part I: @ 55lbs. Part II: Scaled my WOD to 14 (ring pull ups), 14, and 14. Power cleans at 65lbs.

I’ll admit it. I was one of those chumps today, putting my shit away before my other Crossfitting peeps were done. Normally I do not do this, I like to turn and cheer. I like to be cheered when I’m last and about to hurl and feel like the Burpee Fairy has forsaken me. Before a WOD I like to shake hands and introduce myself. The Community at ACF is why I’m here. There’s nothing quite like it.

But today, I walked through the door and had nothing to say. And I finished the WOD before others. Not because I’m the BEST and STRONGEST and, the BEST n stuff, at everything including CF. No, I didn’t finish last because I scaled, and was I tired, and very, very grumpy. I’ve been in a bad mood all week. For oh, so many reasons. All of them completely unimportant. And, totally, irrelevant.

The point is: Moods are contagious. You’re happy, you smile, you say hello to a stranger, open the door for them, they do the same in turn, they smile back most times without even knowing it. We can’t help it. My particular mood on Tuesday was nothing short of sour. It was eating me alive from the inside out. I do not like when I let negative thoughts take hold and get the best of me. Again, it does not matter why. I like to try to focus on the Good, in any situation. Like throwing a line from shore to a very large, very happy, Happy Boat slowly making its way into port. You throw one line, than another, than another, and with each positive line thrown in a positive direction, the giant Happy Boat gets closer and closer, and before you know it, the Giant Happy Boat is docked and tied to your personal shore, and filling your heart with happy positive thoughts, and emotions. Damnit.

Anyway, I’m here to cheer, not clean up my gear, until the WOD is thru.