Warm-Up:
Group Dynamic Warm-Up
WOD:
I. AMRAP in 30 Minutes with Partner:
5 Push Press (135/95)
10 Overhead Lunges (45/25)
20 Grasshoppers
Completed: with the most awesome team ever. 9 rounds total. Press at 75lbs.
*Only 1 athlete moving at a time. Partner 1 must complete their round before Partner 2 can go.
II. 3 Sets:
10 Weighted AbMat Situps
WOD:
I. Push Press
6 – 6 – 6 – 6
Completed: New PR Push Press @ 80lbs. Took Dean’s advice and only increased in 2.5 lbs. increments. Wahooee. Thanks to Viv for the added encouragement. Goes a very long way.
II. 4 Rounds For Time:
21 Wall Balls (20/14)
15 Power Cleans (135/95)
9 Burpees
*20 Minute Time Limit
Completed: in 16:31. Wallballs @ 14lbs. Power Cleans @ 65lbs. This WOD was tough. Who am I kidding, they’re all tough.
This quote deserves repeating:
“There’s no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love. There is only a scarcity of resolve to make it happen.” –Wayne W. Dyer
It’s true. If only I could muster the final resolve to see it through. It’s in there percolating. Just need to latch onto it, and not let go. Feel the need for change in my life. Feel a very strong desire to shift course for a new direction. It’s time.
10 x 3
30 seconds rest between sets
Completed: @ 105lbs. This was a BLAST. Room full of folks Sumo Deadlifting in rhythmic sync.
II. 6 Rounds for time:
10 Sumo-Deadlift High Pulls (95/65)
10 Push Press (95/65)
*12 minute time limit
Completed: in 10:50. Sumo-Deadlift @ 55lbs. Please note, I’m a mere 10lbs. away from RX. This is momentously fabulously amazingly super cool.
III. 5 minutes in Middle Split
“You wanna fly, you got to give up the shit that weighs you down.” ― Toni Morrison
It happened again today. While getting ready for the WOD and watching the demos, processing the movements and reps. I turned to Rich and said, ‘I can’t do this. Especially with weight on the bar. There’s no way.’ And there it was, that word; Can’t. Brought to life before the WOD even had a chance to begin. And I believed it too. This is my first time trying the Bear Complex WOD, and at first glance it just looked plain scary.
WOD:
I. “Bear Complex”
5 Sets:
7 Reps of (1 rep is 1 complete sequence of the following movements):
Completed: 5 sets at 55lbs.
II. Tabata Mountain Climbers
I was certain I couldn’t add weight and complete this WOD. But this was one of those days when looking around the triple wide and seeing what fellow ACF’ers were up to, served to push me beyond what I was certain I could not do. People were adding bumpers to their bars. And so, not to be totally lame, I grabbed two 10lbs bumpers and loaded up my 35lbs. bar for 55lbs. total, not really thinking I’d be able to actually pull it off. But, what the heck, I thought. I’ll start and see where it leads. Just that little extra push of seeing what if.
Sure enough, I pushed through the Can’t all the way till the end, completing the WOD, bumpers and all.
This has to be one of my most profound takeaways from CF. The ability, the wherewithal to see past the thought that I just can’t do something. Sometimes the idea that I Can’t is so strong, it becomes a belief. An absolute. A truth. And I don’t even try because of it. But in many of these WOD’s, in small silent barely noticeable moments, the clock starts, and with it my body starts moving too, my doubts disappear, and all there is the strength of my grip, the force of my effort, and my mind focused in on the here and now of that exact moment, not two movements ahead, or what’s for dinner, or what I need to do tomorrow.
I suppose its when truly focused on the absolute task in hand, that I forget that I can’t, and just do. And that is a perfect moment.
“Aerodynamically, the bumble bee shouldn’t be able to fly, but the bumble bee doesn’t know it so it goes on flying anyway.” ― Mary Kay Ash
Double K was in the house tonight. Kim and Ke-Ho, giving some CF love. Was one of those days today too, where I thought I might just go ahead and skip class. Aw, c’mon, what’s the diff. I’ve been doing well, hitting the WOD’s regularly. What’s one day, really? But then, sure enough, put one foot in front of the other, and walked through the front door and into the triple-wide, and so glad I did. Hit a PR! Who knew. Just two days ago was lamenting how I was stuck between 45 and 55lbs Push Press. Then lo, nay, behold, PR’d on the Push Press at 75lbs. What tha? Yep, Push press at 75lbs.
Warm-Up:
30 Bridge-Ups
Yeah, do not have the strength yet to do these, can almost push up to a full back bend, but not quite there yet. Yet.
WOD:
I. Push Press
5 – 5 – 5 – 5 – 5
Completed: Round One @ 55lbs. Round Two @ 60lbs. Three @ 65lbs. Four @ 70lbs. Five @ 75lbs. PR!
II. AMRAP in 10 Minutes:
10 Kettlebell Swings (70/53)
5 Burpees
Completed: 7 rounds and 4 KB swings. Kettle Bell @ 35lbs.
Not sure if you watch The Biggest Loser at all. It’s become a Tuesday night routine for yours truly. Not that I can even make it through a full two-hour (really?) episode, but for some reason I look forward to coming home after hitting a WOD and cooking, while BL rambles on in the background. If you’re a fan of the show you’ll know Bob Harper. He’s been on there since like, day one. But recently, you’ll notice something else going on too, he’s gone Crossfit. From the knee high socks, to the Reebok gear, and now, all his workouts, are def, def, definitely CF moves. A little Googlage and it seems it’s official.
I’m enjoying watching the contestants work through the moves. Their form, the weights, the reps. Watching what little is actually aired, that is. For, if you’ve ever watched the show you know too, its wildly over-edited. But if you can maintain the attention span long enough past the shameless product placements and snarky contestant comments, and focus on those tiny snip-its of Bob workout sessions, you’ll notice your old friend CF winking back at you. Just a couple weeks ago and he had the contestants hit Fran. So, there you go.
“It takes a minute to say hello and forever to say goodbye.” ― Anurag Gupta
Across the river and through the woods. Met up with BFF, T, after work on Friday, and hit the WOD in her hood, Collar City Crossfit. T’s actually been CF’ing longer than me, except now my eyes no longer cross at the mention of Sumo Deadlift Hang Press, or Back Squat. Shout out to Collar City, thanks for the hospitality!
WOD:
Complete as Many Rounds and Reps as Possible in 18 Minutes of:
15 Box Jumps (24/20)
12 Push Press (115/75)
Completed: 7 rounds, plus 2 box jumps. Push press @ 45lbs. Stuck on the Push Press between 45 and 55lbs. Gotttttttta break through this barrier at some point. Toes to mid-air-thingy.
If you think about it, it’s pretty freaking amazing that you can walk into just about any CF, anywhere, and know what to do. Collar City is the second box I’ve visited outside of home. Crossfit Wellington being the first. It can be nerve wracking walking into a foreign place, to do something very personal, with perfect strangers. But, when its 3,2,1, Go… and the WOD starts, we all speak the same language.
After the WOD, T and I did something I swore I would not do, go out to dinner. Cause I was trying to Zone, or IF, or some other acronym I can’t quite remember at this point. Doesn’t matter. So glad I relaxed, and went out to dinner, and enjoyed good company. And learned about Bronies. (To quote BFF, Aspen, who so eloquently summed it up when learning of the Bronies; ‘Bwaaaaaaahahahahaha!!!’) Still managed to stay relatively healthy with a vegetarian dinner order, although there were some legumes and brown rice on my plate. Not very primal. But alas it’s Friday during Lent, so no meat. Trying to eat Paleo on a Friday during Lent can be limiting. Wait, which guidelines am I following again?
The good news, was home in bed by 10:30. Although woke up at 5am. And Saturday’s are usually WOD days. But, have hit a WOD the last five days in a row, so feeling the need for a day off. But, was still tired. And felt very, very hungry. And started combing the kitchen for food, not wanting to hit the grocery store in my pjs. Needless to say, as I was staring down at the PANCAKES slowly cooking in the pan on the stove top in front of me, I thought; ‘What the heck an I doing??’ I tossed the half cooked-cake, and the batter, and the box, drank some water and promptly went back to sleep. Disaster averted. Because I’m feeling good. And do not want to crash this ship ashore. Because that’s how it happens, slowly, almost without notice. And this is not about the 90DC, or IF, or WTF? IDK.
Its about me feeling good, making choices that support who I am, not who I want to someday be. But, who I am right now. And that person, right now, is healthy, strong, light, happy, and spreading the CF love one WOD at a time. Pancakes not included.
Post Script – Brony Mantra: “I’m gonna’ love and tolerate the shit outta you.”
Learning some things about my diet. Think I’ve been too strict lately. Lots of veggies, some fruit, half protein. Teaspoons of dairy, teaspoons of sugar, spartanly here and there. But overall, energy level low recently. Then, on a whim, I stopped at PF Changs and had some sesame chicken and broccoli. With extra broccoli. Lunch portion. Allowed myself to enjoy the home made sauces, did not eat the egg drop soup, or the brown rice, which came with my lunch order. I ate every last piece of chicken, and extra broccoli, and dipped each and every piece in the homemade sauce. Was there sugar in the sauce, or dairy, or gluten, no idea. But, gave me a spike in something. Crap. Maybe it was just the fact that its friday. Either way. Something else to have for lunch that’s take-out, that’s not Chipotle.
Warm-Up:
Russian Gymnastics Warm-Up – Day 1
WOD:
I. With a partner complete:
Row 250m (Each)
100 Air Squats
Row 250m
80 Push Press (65/45)
Row 250m
60 Pullups
Row 250m
40 Burpees
Row 250m
*Only one person can work at a time. While one partner is moving, the other is holding a plank. Both partners need to complete the 250m row before moving on to the next movement. Divide the reps any way you want.
Completed: 26:02. Okay, so this was a blast. Karateee, kung fu. Funny how you work harder when you have a partner and don’t want to let that person down. Thanks Ruth for not letting me down. Thanks for allowing me not to let you down.
II. Foam Rolling
DoubleUnderDogs 