Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Next!
This Saturday I’ll be at CrossFit Cordis in Oakville competing in
the Tag-Team Open. Saturday is the same-sex team (team = pairs) competition, and some others from CFW are doing the mixed gender team comp on Sunday. Competing in a team event will be
interesting! I’m already nervous… I’m hoping the more competitions I do, the
nerves will start to subside and I’ll just be excited. If you’re in the area,
feel free to drop in and say hi J
Sunday, April 14, 2013
What I learned from the Open
1. I love CrossFit.
That pretty much sums it up.
Now, I didn't love every second of the Open. The first workout (see descriptions of all the workouts here) was brutal for me. As I've mentioned about a million times, my conditioning is my biggest weakness. The weights were comparatively light for women, so the workout ended up being mostly conditioning, aka 17 minutes of hell. During the workout I was suffering. I wanted to give up and I was telling myself over and over...
There are too many reps left. You can't breathe. You're never going to finish. You won't even finish these burpees, let alone get back to the bar for another round of snatches. You've failed. You hurt too much. This is too hard.
I didn't reach the goal I set out for myself. I felt ashamed and let down. Most of all, I was disgusted with what happened to me mentally during that workout. OF COURSE I failed. I barely gave myself any other choice.
After that workout, I took a very different approach to each Open WOD. I concentrated on staying calm and focused on my breathing. I stopped worrying about what other people were doing beside me and focused on my own goals. It can be tempting to look at the person beside you and become intimidated at how fast they're going and try to speed up to match them. But they have different strengths and different goals.
Here's an example. 13.2 was push-presses, deadlifts, and box jumps. The girl competing next to me and I were total opposites - she's well-conditioned, and I can lift heavy weights. I knew that box jumps would be my downfall, so I was going as fast as I could through the push presses and deadlifts (I love deadlifts) so that I could make up for the time I'd lose on the box jumps. She told me afterwards that she had to stop paying attention to me because I was going at a pace she knew she couldn't keep up to on the push presses and deadlifts; little did she know, I was telling myself the same thing about her on the box jumps. In the end, we had similar scores (she beat me by a few reps). If she had sped up on the push presses and deadlifts it would have hurt her, and vice versa for me on the box jumps. You have to know your own strengths and weaknesses and play your own game.
After I figured that out, the rest of the Open was a lot more enjoyable. Still pretty damn hard, but in a good way. I set smaller goals for myself and let myself feel happy about achieving them rather than beating myself up about the things that I didn't achieve. If there was something I didn't think I did well or if there was a goal I fell short of, I wrote it down, and that will form the basis of my training for next year.
There's something about constantly varied, functional movement performed at high intensity in a community that brings out amazing things in people. Every week we cheered each other on, sympathized with each other's struggles, and shared in each other's accomplishments.
My first CrossFit Games Open experience: Awesome, horrible, fun, exhausting, stressful, and most of all, inspiring. Now I've got a benchmark and a score to beat. I can't wait to do it again next year.
It was such a whirlwind that as soon as the Open was over I got knocked down by a nasty cold. I wasn't planning on taking any time off, but my body had other ideas. But I'm on the mend! Training for next year's Open starts now!
That pretty much sums it up.
Now, I didn't love every second of the Open. The first workout (see descriptions of all the workouts here) was brutal for me. As I've mentioned about a million times, my conditioning is my biggest weakness. The weights were comparatively light for women, so the workout ended up being mostly conditioning, aka 17 minutes of hell. During the workout I was suffering. I wanted to give up and I was telling myself over and over...
There are too many reps left. You can't breathe. You're never going to finish. You won't even finish these burpees, let alone get back to the bar for another round of snatches. You've failed. You hurt too much. This is too hard.
I didn't reach the goal I set out for myself. I felt ashamed and let down. Most of all, I was disgusted with what happened to me mentally during that workout. OF COURSE I failed. I barely gave myself any other choice.
After that workout, I took a very different approach to each Open WOD. I concentrated on staying calm and focused on my breathing. I stopped worrying about what other people were doing beside me and focused on my own goals. It can be tempting to look at the person beside you and become intimidated at how fast they're going and try to speed up to match them. But they have different strengths and different goals.
Here's an example. 13.2 was push-presses, deadlifts, and box jumps. The girl competing next to me and I were total opposites - she's well-conditioned, and I can lift heavy weights. I knew that box jumps would be my downfall, so I was going as fast as I could through the push presses and deadlifts (I love deadlifts) so that I could make up for the time I'd lose on the box jumps. She told me afterwards that she had to stop paying attention to me because I was going at a pace she knew she couldn't keep up to on the push presses and deadlifts; little did she know, I was telling myself the same thing about her on the box jumps. In the end, we had similar scores (she beat me by a few reps). If she had sped up on the push presses and deadlifts it would have hurt her, and vice versa for me on the box jumps. You have to know your own strengths and weaknesses and play your own game.
After I figured that out, the rest of the Open was a lot more enjoyable. Still pretty damn hard, but in a good way. I set smaller goals for myself and let myself feel happy about achieving them rather than beating myself up about the things that I didn't achieve. If there was something I didn't think I did well or if there was a goal I fell short of, I wrote it down, and that will form the basis of my training for next year.
There's something about constantly varied, functional movement performed at high intensity in a community that brings out amazing things in people. Every week we cheered each other on, sympathized with each other's struggles, and shared in each other's accomplishments.
My first CrossFit Games Open experience: Awesome, horrible, fun, exhausting, stressful, and most of all, inspiring. Now I've got a benchmark and a score to beat. I can't wait to do it again next year.
It was such a whirlwind that as soon as the Open was over I got knocked down by a nasty cold. I wasn't planning on taking any time off, but my body had other ideas. But I'm on the mend! Training for next year's Open starts now!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
A really great post on why you should lift heavy things
A Guest Post on Contemplative Fitness
This article is great. It synthesizes the how and what of strength training with the myriad of benefits you can get from lifting heavy things, beyond a hard body.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Paleo stir fry
Last night I made a stirfry using The Best Stir-Fry Sauce Ever by Melissa "Melicious" Joulwan. It was delicious. Seriously.
I used orange and yellow peppers, broccoli for the veg and chicken as the protein. Served it all up on a bed of spaghetti squash, which was a bit unconventional but I needed to use it up.
I failed to take any pictures because both hands were busy shoveling the food into my face.
Go home and make this tonight. You won't regret it.
I used orange and yellow peppers, broccoli for the veg and chicken as the protein. Served it all up on a bed of spaghetti squash, which was a bit unconventional but I needed to use it up.
I failed to take any pictures because both hands were busy shoveling the food into my face.
Go home and make this tonight. You won't regret it.
Friday, February 8, 2013
My first CrossFit competition
9 months ago I wrote about how scared I was to go to
my first real CrossFit class. Today I'm writing about a new milestone--my first
CrossFit competition.
There was a lot of anxiety in the weeks leading up to the competition. I've written about how I struggle with cardio and bodyweight exercises like pull-ups, and, while those things have improved, they still aren't good. I was afraid of failing.
When I wanted to bail, I thought back to my first gymnastics competition. I didn't have a bar routine, I didn't have a beam routine, I didn't know how to vault. I had a floor routine, thankfully (making that up on the spot is a little more difficult). I really had no idea what I was doing, and I was afraid. At one point, before the competition started, I walked off the floor and sat with my mom in crowd and told her I wasn't going to compete.
I can't remember who convinced me to change my mind, but in the end I decided to go for it. My coach made up routines for me during warm up.
I survived that first competition, and went on to compete in many, many more over the next 10 years. If I could muster up the courage to compete then, I could muster up the courage to compete now. (In the words of Jeremy Clarkson... how hard could it be?)
So I did it. I wasn't the fittest, the strongest, the fastest, the thinnest, or the most experienced. But I finished every single workout and I gave it everything I had. I learned so much and it was actually FUN. (and exhausting. Five WODs in one day can tire you out).
So, results. I was placed in the C division after what my coach kindly called a "slight rookie miscue" in the first event (read: I was nervous and I f*cked up. I went too fast, and ended up failing on a weight that I probably could have done if I'd taken my time). Because of my higher body weight and relatively low score in that event (a 1 rep max thruster), and my low score in the second event (a Tabata workout that involved all bodyweight exercises - pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, and air squats), I was placed in the lowest division, where I placed third. It ended up being okay - there was a lot less pressure - but the weights were scaled down a lot, and in most cases I could have done the A division weights. The one exception being a bodyweight front squat, because in order to squat it you have to get it up to the rack position from the floor, and I can't quite clean 177 lbs. (Yet.)
I didn't get to take advantage of the things I'm better at (strength movements with heavier weights), but it really drove home that I need to work on my weaknesses - bodyweight movements and... ugh... conditioning.
I left feeling excited, energized, and motivated to attack those weaknesses. Watching the other competitors - including my coaches, training partner, and other athletes from CFW - was inspiring. You can see some great pictures on Facebook and you can read about their awesome results on CFW's blog.
On to the next challenge. I've registered for the Open, the first stage of the CrossFit Games. My expectations aren't high - I know I've still got lots to work on - but I'm excited to train hard for the next 3.5 weeks and then see how I stack up against the rest of the world.
There was a lot of anxiety in the weeks leading up to the competition. I've written about how I struggle with cardio and bodyweight exercises like pull-ups, and, while those things have improved, they still aren't good. I was afraid of failing.
When I wanted to bail, I thought back to my first gymnastics competition. I didn't have a bar routine, I didn't have a beam routine, I didn't know how to vault. I had a floor routine, thankfully (making that up on the spot is a little more difficult). I really had no idea what I was doing, and I was afraid. At one point, before the competition started, I walked off the floor and sat with my mom in crowd and told her I wasn't going to compete.
 |
| I'm the one in front, not smiling. |
I can't remember who convinced me to change my mind, but in the end I decided to go for it. My coach made up routines for me during warm up.
I survived that first competition, and went on to compete in many, many more over the next 10 years. If I could muster up the courage to compete then, I could muster up the courage to compete now. (In the words of Jeremy Clarkson... how hard could it be?)
So I did it. I wasn't the fittest, the strongest, the fastest, the thinnest, or the most experienced. But I finished every single workout and I gave it everything I had. I learned so much and it was actually FUN. (and exhausting. Five WODs in one day can tire you out).
So, results. I was placed in the C division after what my coach kindly called a "slight rookie miscue" in the first event (read: I was nervous and I f*cked up. I went too fast, and ended up failing on a weight that I probably could have done if I'd taken my time). Because of my higher body weight and relatively low score in that event (a 1 rep max thruster), and my low score in the second event (a Tabata workout that involved all bodyweight exercises - pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, and air squats), I was placed in the lowest division, where I placed third. It ended up being okay - there was a lot less pressure - but the weights were scaled down a lot, and in most cases I could have done the A division weights. The one exception being a bodyweight front squat, because in order to squat it you have to get it up to the rack position from the floor, and I can't quite clean 177 lbs. (Yet.)
 |
| Event 3: 4 rounds for time of 5 snatches (45lbs) and 20 overhead lunges (25lbs) |
I didn't get to take advantage of the things I'm better at (strength movements with heavier weights), but it really drove home that I need to work on my weaknesses - bodyweight movements and... ugh... conditioning.
I left feeling excited, energized, and motivated to attack those weaknesses. Watching the other competitors - including my coaches, training partner, and other athletes from CFW - was inspiring. You can see some great pictures on Facebook and you can read about their awesome results on CFW's blog.
On to the next challenge. I've registered for the Open, the first stage of the CrossFit Games. My expectations aren't high - I know I've still got lots to work on - but I'm excited to train hard for the next 3.5 weeks and then see how I stack up against the rest of the world.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Paleo lettuce wraps
I made it to 5 CrossFit classes and one 2.5 hour game of volleyball this week, so I felt today should be a day of rest. I wanted to do some cooking for the week, but I was feeling lazy and uninspired, so I dragged out all my cookbooks and started browsing through pinterest to find something that would make me hungry.
I happened upon these lettuce wraps from Iowa Girl Eats. I stuck to her recipe pretty closely, with a few minor modifications to make them a bit more paleo-friendly, and they were DELICIOUS.
Here's what I did:
Ingredients
- 1 tsp coconut oil
- 1lb extra lean ground chicken breast
- 1/2 medium onion, minced
- salt & pepper, a dash of each (I used Chinese white pepper, and it was yum. You can find it at any Asian grocery store. It is NOT like the white pepper you get in the regular spice aisle. I've made that mistake before.)
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch nob fresh ginger, peeled & minced
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 2 1/2 Tbsp gluten-free soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp almond butter
- 1/2 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp + 1 tsp wine vinegar
- 2 tsp chili sauce
- dash of white pepper
- 3 green onions, chopped
- 1/2-8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained & chopped
- 10-12 large lettuce leaves
- Heat coconut oil in a large skillet. Add chicken, onion, salt, and white pepper. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink.
- Add ginger and garlic. Cook 2-3 mins.
- In a small bowl, mix together sesame oil, soy sauce, water, almond butter, honey, wine vinegar, chili sauce, and white pepper. Add to skillet and stir to combine. Cook and stir until the almond butter is all mixed in.
- Add green onions and water chestnuts. Cook 3-4 minutes, until heated through. Serve with lettuce leaves.
Since it's starting to feel like fall, I also felt like it was necessary to make soup. (I don't really like eating soup, but I love cooking it.) It was fun to make but really bland, so I won't waste time writing it out here.
Happy Sunday!
Monday, September 10, 2012
Progress
"Annie" is one of CrossFit's benchmark workouts.
50-40-30-20-10
Double-unders
Sit-ups
(so, 50 double-unders, 50 sit-ups, 40 double-unders, 40 sit-ups, etc.)
I did this workout for the first time on May 24th. In the 10 minute time limit, I didn't get through the round of 40 sit-ups. I was huffing and puffing and remember thinking that I didn't even WANT to get through the 40 sit-ups because I didn't want to have to do more double-unders.
Today, we did it again. I didn't finish the whole workout, but had finished the 20 sit-ups when the buzzer went. I was breathing hard, but I wasn't huffing and puffing. I could have done many more double-unders. I cursed myself for not running faster from the double-unders (outside) to the ab mats (inside) because I know I could have finished that last round if I'd pushed just a little harder.
Sometimes it's hard to see progress from day to day. My workout today didn't seem any easier than the workout I did on Saturday morning. But, I'm glad I got over my fear of filling out my journal, because I never would have been able to see what I've accomplished. In one of my early journal entries I wrote that a 65 lb power clean "might have been too heavy." Today, I know I could have done the prescribed weight for that workout, which was 95lbs.
There are so many things that are still really difficult - running, pull-ups, muscle-ups, ring dips, running, burpees, handstand push-ups, box jumps, running. But today I'm just going to revel in the small victory of 50 more double-unders and 50 more sit-ups than I could do 3.5 months ago.
50-40-30-20-10
Double-unders
Sit-ups
(so, 50 double-unders, 50 sit-ups, 40 double-unders, 40 sit-ups, etc.)
I did this workout for the first time on May 24th. In the 10 minute time limit, I didn't get through the round of 40 sit-ups. I was huffing and puffing and remember thinking that I didn't even WANT to get through the 40 sit-ups because I didn't want to have to do more double-unders.
Today, we did it again. I didn't finish the whole workout, but had finished the 20 sit-ups when the buzzer went. I was breathing hard, but I wasn't huffing and puffing. I could have done many more double-unders. I cursed myself for not running faster from the double-unders (outside) to the ab mats (inside) because I know I could have finished that last round if I'd pushed just a little harder.
Sometimes it's hard to see progress from day to day. My workout today didn't seem any easier than the workout I did on Saturday morning. But, I'm glad I got over my fear of filling out my journal, because I never would have been able to see what I've accomplished. In one of my early journal entries I wrote that a 65 lb power clean "might have been too heavy." Today, I know I could have done the prescribed weight for that workout, which was 95lbs.
There are so many things that are still really difficult - running, pull-ups, muscle-ups, ring dips, running, burpees, handstand push-ups, box jumps, running. But today I'm just going to revel in the small victory of 50 more double-unders and 50 more sit-ups than I could do 3.5 months ago.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Saturday workout
Depsite my history of finding
something, obsessing over it, and then losing interest after only 2
weeks, it's been 3 months and I'm still loving CrossFit. I've been
pretty consistent, which is a huge victory for me, averaging at least
3 workouts a week.
I love Saturday workouts. There's
always a lot of variety and I always leave totally spent. It's nice
to be able to take my time getting there and getting home. Weeknights
are always a bit more rushed.
Today's workout:
4 rounds
30 double-unders
20 deadlifts (135 lbs)
10 handstand pushups
I did the prescribed workout except for
the handstand pushups. I can't do handstand pushups yet –another
one of those bodyweight exercises that I struggle with.
Instead I did dive bomber pushups, which use some of the same muscle
groups, but since your feet are on the floor you aren't moving as
much weight. I finished at 16:45. I didn't think I could do 135 lbs for all 80 reps, but as long as I
broke them up, I was fine and I felt strong.
Now I'm waiting for some bananas to freeze so that I can try making this Easiest Paleo "Ice Cream" that I found on pinterest. I've read rave reviews. I hope it lives up to the hype!
Friday, June 29, 2012
AMRAP
AMRAP
Like any good discipline, CrossFit has it's own set of acronyms and lexicon of terms. AMRAP in the CrossFit world means As Many Rounds As Possible. There's a number after it usually, 12 in the case of last night's workout, that indicates the length of the workout. This, of course, leads to a CrossFit joke: CrossFitters do it AMRAP 15.
Here's what I put into my journal last night:
AMRAP 12
12 push press (45lbs, Rx 85lbs)
15 pull ups (green band, Rx 12 chest to bar)
12 pistons (45lb plate + med ball)
Score: 2 + 12 p. press + 10 pull ups
Here's what that actually means:
Last night's workout was 12 minutes long. We were to complete as many rounds as possible of the exercises in that time.
I did two complete rounds plus 12 push presses and 10 pull ups in the 12 minutes. I did not complete the prescribed workout, denoted by the Rx.
For push presses, I used 40lbs less weight than prescribed. Chris, the coach, said the weight I uses was too light and I need to go higher next time.
Pull ups continue to be a weak spot for me. Since I still can't do them very well I used the green band, which offers the most assistance. Additionally, because I unable to do chest to bar, I had to do additional reps.
Lastly for pistons, aka one legged squats, I put a 16lb medicine ball on top of a 45lb plate to lower myself to.
What did this feel like?
Well, dirty. Sweaty. To put this into better context: it was balls hot.
Like any good discipline, CrossFit has it's own set of acronyms and lexicon of terms. AMRAP in the CrossFit world means As Many Rounds As Possible. There's a number after it usually, 12 in the case of last night's workout, that indicates the length of the workout. This, of course, leads to a CrossFit joke: CrossFitters do it AMRAP 15.
Here's what I put into my journal last night:
AMRAP 12
12 push press (45lbs, Rx 85lbs)
15 pull ups (green band, Rx 12 chest to bar)
12 pistons (45lb plate + med ball)
Score: 2 + 12 p. press + 10 pull ups
Here's what that actually means:
Last night's workout was 12 minutes long. We were to complete as many rounds as possible of the exercises in that time.
I did two complete rounds plus 12 push presses and 10 pull ups in the 12 minutes. I did not complete the prescribed workout, denoted by the Rx.
For push presses, I used 40lbs less weight than prescribed. Chris, the coach, said the weight I uses was too light and I need to go higher next time.
Pull ups continue to be a weak spot for me. Since I still can't do them very well I used the green band, which offers the most assistance. Additionally, because I unable to do chest to bar, I had to do additional reps.
Lastly for pistons, aka one legged squats, I put a 16lb medicine ball on top of a 45lb plate to lower myself to.
What did this feel like?
Well, dirty. Sweaty. To put this into better context: it was balls hot.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Tracking
When I first started CrossFit, I was tracking every workout in a spreadsheet. I recorded the prescribed workout, what I actually did, added in some notes, and recorded my times/rounds completed/etc. That worked well for... exactly 12 days. From then on my only real tracking was anything I posted here, and that certainly hasn't been after every workout.
So, I figured getting a training journal was essential. This way, hopefully, I won't always be staring blankly into space when we're told to start warming up and figuring out our weights for the workout. When Chris asks what my 5 rep max is for back squats, I can say "145 lbs" instead of "Well, um, I think we did them once, but I don't think I went heavy enough, but I don't really remember what we started at, I remember something about a 25 lb plate, and maybe a 5, and um, yeah... I have no idea."
Maybe it's because of some perfectionist tendencies, maybe it's because of an anxiety disorder, maybe I'm just crazy, I don't know, but I find filling out forms very stressful. Wait -- that's not quite true. I find it very stressful when I am filling out a form and I am not 500% sure that I am filling it out exactly as the maker of the form intended me to. Health card renewal forms, insurance claims, customs declaration cards... I waste 2 or 3 forms, minimum, before I'm satisfied. I don't know why I can't just simmer down - the customs dude rarely glances at the form for more than a minute. (What I really should concentrate on is figuring out where Waterloo actually is. You'd think after 5 years, when a customs officer or a border guard asks me where Waterloo is, I would be able to answer with at least a little bit of confidence. Um.. near Toronto, I think...?)
Where is this going? Well, I think my new journal might be the death of me. It's quite possible that I'm just a complete moron, but I can't figure out what all the damned boxes are for and exactly what I'm supposed to write in each one. Some of the boxes are too small for the information that I think I'm supposed to write in them.
Stay tuned next week for an exciting update on whether I figure out this new journal before my head explodes.
I leave you with some tips for double-unders from the amazing Chris Spealler:
So, I figured getting a training journal was essential. This way, hopefully, I won't always be staring blankly into space when we're told to start warming up and figuring out our weights for the workout. When Chris asks what my 5 rep max is for back squats, I can say "145 lbs" instead of "Well, um, I think we did them once, but I don't think I went heavy enough, but I don't really remember what we started at, I remember something about a 25 lb plate, and maybe a 5, and um, yeah... I have no idea."
Maybe it's because of some perfectionist tendencies, maybe it's because of an anxiety disorder, maybe I'm just crazy, I don't know, but I find filling out forms very stressful. Wait -- that's not quite true. I find it very stressful when I am filling out a form and I am not 500% sure that I am filling it out exactly as the maker of the form intended me to. Health card renewal forms, insurance claims, customs declaration cards... I waste 2 or 3 forms, minimum, before I'm satisfied. I don't know why I can't just simmer down - the customs dude rarely glances at the form for more than a minute. (What I really should concentrate on is figuring out where Waterloo actually is. You'd think after 5 years, when a customs officer or a border guard asks me where Waterloo is, I would be able to answer with at least a little bit of confidence. Um.. near Toronto, I think...?)
Where is this going? Well, I think my new journal might be the death of me. It's quite possible that I'm just a complete moron, but I can't figure out what all the damned boxes are for and exactly what I'm supposed to write in each one. Some of the boxes are too small for the information that I think I'm supposed to write in them.
Stay tuned next week for an exciting update on whether I figure out this new journal before my head explodes.
I leave you with some tips for double-unders from the amazing Chris Spealler:
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Didn't barf = success
Today's WOD was pretty straight forward.
Prescribed workout:
10 rounds
10 thrusters (thruster = front squat + push press) (65lbs for women)
10 ring push-ups
I did:
6.75 rounds (6 rounds + 10 thrusters + 5 push ups)
10 thrusters (65lbs)
10 push-ups (from my knees)
The warm up included a lot of pressing and squatting, so by the time the 22 minute workout started, I was already tired and VERY sweaty. It was hot and humid, silly me had forgotten a water bottle, and I think I'm still recovering from some bad sushi yesterday. This made for an unfortunate combination.
By the 2nd round, I was pretty sure I was going to barf.
By the 3rd round, I was CONVINCED I was going to barf.
By the 4th round, I got my second wind and was pretty sure I wouldn't barf until afterwards.
By the 6th round, I was pretty sure I had already barfed a little in my mouth once.
By the end of the 22 minutes, I was too tired to think about barfing.
Prescribed workout:
10 rounds
10 thrusters (thruster = front squat + push press) (65lbs for women)
10 ring push-ups
I did:
6.75 rounds (6 rounds + 10 thrusters + 5 push ups)
10 thrusters (65lbs)
10 push-ups (from my knees)
The warm up included a lot of pressing and squatting, so by the time the 22 minute workout started, I was already tired and VERY sweaty. It was hot and humid, silly me had forgotten a water bottle, and I think I'm still recovering from some bad sushi yesterday. This made for an unfortunate combination.
By the 2nd round, I was pretty sure I was going to barf.
By the 3rd round, I was CONVINCED I was going to barf.
By the 4th round, I got my second wind and was pretty sure I wouldn't barf until afterwards.
By the 6th round, I was pretty sure I had already barfed a little in my mouth once.
By the end of the 22 minutes, I was too tired to think about barfing.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Split jerk PR
Today was pretty awesome.
Today's workout was a SWOD (strength workout of the day) followed by a regular WOD. The SWOD was split jerks, 6 sets of 3 reps, increasing the weight each set. I had a few minutes at the end, so I did a 7th set because I felt like I wasn't at my max yet. Coach encouraged me to go heavier for this workout, and I'm glad I did. This is the first time I've lifted these weights over my head:
95/105/110/120/125/130/135 lbs
Then for the WOD - AMRAP 12 of 20 paralette jumps, 16 pistols, and 12 push ups. Already fatigued from the split jerks, my shoulders protested every push up. I ended 8 push ups short of 4 rounds. Cardio is still a clear weakness. I could have gone much faster through those paralette jumps and pistols if I wasn't so winded!
I spent most of the rest of the day thinking about split jerks and how I could improve my form.
Goals for next week are to add in cardio workouts outside of CrossFit. As I've mentioned before, I hate cardio, which is another clear indicator that it is what I need to work on most. I was visiting family in the States last weekend and was listening to my aunt and cousin talk about marathons and triathlons like I talk about CrossFit. Will I ever get there?
Today's workout was a SWOD (strength workout of the day) followed by a regular WOD. The SWOD was split jerks, 6 sets of 3 reps, increasing the weight each set. I had a few minutes at the end, so I did a 7th set because I felt like I wasn't at my max yet. Coach encouraged me to go heavier for this workout, and I'm glad I did. This is the first time I've lifted these weights over my head:
95/105/110/120/125/130/135 lbs
Then for the WOD - AMRAP 12 of 20 paralette jumps, 16 pistols, and 12 push ups. Already fatigued from the split jerks, my shoulders protested every push up. I ended 8 push ups short of 4 rounds. Cardio is still a clear weakness. I could have gone much faster through those paralette jumps and pistols if I wasn't so winded!
I spent most of the rest of the day thinking about split jerks and how I could improve my form.
Goals for next week are to add in cardio workouts outside of CrossFit. As I've mentioned before, I hate cardio, which is another clear indicator that it is what I need to work on most. I was visiting family in the States last weekend and was listening to my aunt and cousin talk about marathons and triathlons like I talk about CrossFit. Will I ever get there?
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Update on 2 workouts
I'm a bit behind on posting my workouts so you're getting a 2 for 1 deal!
17 May 2012 WOD:
5 rounds for time (who knows what my time was... my brain was mush and didn't look at the clock)
10 power cleans (55 lbs)
15 wallballs (8 lbs)
This workout wasn't so bad except for the power cleans. I dropped the bar on my left shoulder twice and caught my collar bone too so I have a couple healthy bruises. I need to focus on control instead of speed! For the wall balls, I probably could have gone up to a 12lbs ball, the 8lbs was a bit too easy.
22 May 2012 WOD:
"Helen" - 3 rounds in 20:00 (finished in 15:50)
400m run
21 kettle bells swings (12 lbs)
12 pull ups (green band)
I wish the whole workout was running. That would've been awesome. Instead, there were pull ups. Always with the pull ups.
Last night was officially the first time I'd ever touched a kettle bell so I learned how to do three different versions of kettle bell swings.
Definitely didn't keep my core tight enough during the second round of the kettle bell swings in the workout (guess who was rushing!) and my back is a bit tight today. Not a big deal, should be fine for tonight's class.
Again last night I was shaking, like a leaf, after the workout. My forearms were spasming a bit immediately after the workout, likely from the pull ups but they settled down pretty quickly. The rest of me however, took longer to recover and it wasn't until I got home and ate a bit that I really started to feel like I was pulled back together!
Have I told you lately how much I love CrossFit?
Is the WOD up yet?
17 May 2012 WOD:
5 rounds for time (who knows what my time was... my brain was mush and didn't look at the clock)
10 power cleans (55 lbs)
15 wallballs (8 lbs)
This workout wasn't so bad except for the power cleans. I dropped the bar on my left shoulder twice and caught my collar bone too so I have a couple healthy bruises. I need to focus on control instead of speed! For the wall balls, I probably could have gone up to a 12lbs ball, the 8lbs was a bit too easy.
22 May 2012 WOD:
"Helen" - 3 rounds in 20:00 (finished in 15:50)
400m run
21 kettle bells swings (12 lbs)
12 pull ups (green band)
I wish the whole workout was running. That would've been awesome. Instead, there were pull ups. Always with the pull ups.
Last night was officially the first time I'd ever touched a kettle bell so I learned how to do three different versions of kettle bell swings.
Definitely didn't keep my core tight enough during the second round of the kettle bell swings in the workout (guess who was rushing!) and my back is a bit tight today. Not a big deal, should be fine for tonight's class.
Again last night I was shaking, like a leaf, after the workout. My forearms were spasming a bit immediately after the workout, likely from the pull ups but they settled down pretty quickly. The rest of me however, took longer to recover and it wasn't until I got home and ate a bit that I really started to feel like I was pulled back together!
Have I told you lately how much I love CrossFit?
Is the WOD up yet?
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Day-after-the-long-weekend WOD (or OW, MY ARMS)
I have a few ounces of strength left with which to write this post.
I started the day with a workout with my trainer. I don't know the reps because she doesn't tell me how many I'm doing, just when to stop, but today's range was in the area of 15-20.
We did 3 rounds of:
Then after work, CrossFit. For the warm up, we did a short run, followed by:
The WOD was 3 rounds of:
My forearms are still cramping and CrossFit ended over an hour ago!
Good workout. I'm pooped!
I started the day with a workout with my trainer. I don't know the reps because she doesn't tell me how many I'm doing, just when to stop, but today's range was in the area of 15-20.
We did 3 rounds of:
- one arm dumbbell split jerk (30lbs)
- sumo squat to upright row (in CrossFit speak: sumo deadlift high-pull) (25lbs)
- 10 burpees
Then after work, CrossFit. For the warm up, we did a short run, followed by:
- some kettle bell swings
- some pull ups
- some push ups
The WOD was 3 rounds of:
- 400m run
- 21 kettle bell swings (Prescribed weight: 20kg. I did: 12kg)
- 12 pull-ups (I used the green band, and then the green + black band)
My forearms are still cramping and CrossFit ended over an hour ago!
Good workout. I'm pooped!
Monday, May 21, 2012
CrossFit Games and chin-ups
The CrossFit Games...totally inspiring. I've never seen anything quite like it.
I've been hearing a lot about how one of the best things about CrossFit is the community. When I went to watch the Canada East Regionals last weekend, I started to see what people meant by that. In the midst of intense competition there was still a great sense of camaraderie, both within teams and between competitors. People cheered just as loudly for the last place team as for the first place team. When someone was struggling to complete a muscle-up, fighting to lock out a snatch, or collapsing on the ground after the grueling event 6, the whole crowd was into it, sympathizing with the struggle and admiring the accomplishment.
Unfortunately, I only managed to take one picture before my BlackBerry died. Here's the arena set up for the men's snatch ladder:
In other news, I suck at chin-ups.
As hoodie mentioned, Tuesday's workout involved chin over bar holds during warm-up and chin-ups (for those of us who can't do rope climbs) during the WOD.
I remember doing many, many chin-ups and pull-ups as a gymnast. Tuesday's workout would have been no big deal. I usually trained for about 16 hours a week (which, for gymnastics, isn't really that much), and strength and conditioning was a part of every workout.
One time, another gymnast REQUESTED more conditioning. I was aghast. I remember my coach saying that when I was older, I'd understand.
And I do! I do understand! The time has come where most of my day is spent sitting at a desk, my metabolism isn't quite as fast, organized, competitive sports have come to an end, and it takes so. much. more. effort to get my butt moving. I never thought I'd be asking for more conditioning, but I am!
Last week, my goal was 4 CrossFit classes, but I only ended up doing 3. Friday morning I had a session with my trainer and by the end of the day my shoulder was extremely sore, so I wimped out and skipped my Saturday morning CrossFit class.
This week, I'm aiming for 4 again: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. I hope I have good things to report next week!
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
My First Big Girl CrossFit Class
Holy flock.
Elements did not prepare me for this.
::Warm up::
800m run
3 rounds 15 mins:
5 wall squats
20 lunges with 45lb bar
30sec chin above bar
I started sweating during the wall squats. All the running I've done has made my hips and hamstrings as flexible as iron. Looks like squats will be a work in progress.
Chin above the bar was ridiculous. I was too stubborn to use a band and should have so that I'd have actually finished a set... We had five minute cutoffs to complete each round. I whipped through squats and lunges ok and then would get to about 20-25secs (total, not all at once) in the two minutes I'd have left. Arms. They are weak.
::Practice::
3 x 8 back squats with 45lbs; 55lbs; 55lbs
::WOD::
20mins (finished in 18:40)
15 chin ups (used big blue band)
25 back squats (55lbs)
I thought I was going to pass out doing chin ups. My arms are absolutely shredded. They are frustratingly weak. For the back squats I was limited by these matchstick arms because I can't press very much over my head.
Afterwards, I spent 20mins lying on the floor of my shower... hoping the jelly feeling would pass.
I'm getting stronger.
Big girls don't cry.
Elements did not prepare me for this.
::Warm up::
800m run
3 rounds 15 mins:
5 wall squats
20 lunges with 45lb bar
30sec chin above bar
I started sweating during the wall squats. All the running I've done has made my hips and hamstrings as flexible as iron. Looks like squats will be a work in progress.
Chin above the bar was ridiculous. I was too stubborn to use a band and should have so that I'd have actually finished a set... We had five minute cutoffs to complete each round. I whipped through squats and lunges ok and then would get to about 20-25secs (total, not all at once) in the two minutes I'd have left. Arms. They are weak.
::Practice::
3 x 8 back squats with 45lbs; 55lbs; 55lbs
::WOD::
20mins (finished in 18:40)
15 chin ups (used big blue band)
25 back squats (55lbs)
I thought I was going to pass out doing chin ups. My arms are absolutely shredded. They are frustratingly weak. For the back squats I was limited by these matchstick arms because I can't press very much over my head.
Afterwards, I spent 20mins lying on the floor of my shower... hoping the jelly feeling would pass.
I'm getting stronger.
Big girls don't cry.
Elements #4 and #5: I'm a big girl now!
Elements #4: Hang Clean
This class was the hardest. Hang clean made me feel stupid and frustrated. I kept getting stuck at high pull, there was a mental roadblock there. My stupid elbows would not snap through. They still don't. Stupid elbows.
Key take aways: Snap your damn elbows. Stomp your feet.
AMRAP 15
7 hang cleans (35lb bar)
7 knees to elbows
14 180deg lateral twists
30sec plank
Elements #5: Sumo deadlift high pull
After the frustration of Hang Clean, Sumo deadlift high pull was much easier. My confidence was restored a bit. Then the ring dips shredded my arms.
Key take aways: Keep your elbows high, keep your core engaged. It's much easier this way. Also, reminder to not smack yourself in the chin with the bar. It stays bruised for days.
21*15*9*
sumo deadlift high pull
ring dips
*20 lunges
After I finished up my Elements classes, my arms were wiped out. I think I might have mentioned before how weak they are... well, on the weekend, they gave up and started to swell. Ever had elbow swell? No? Well it's weird and awkward and gag-inducing. I don't recommend it.
I've graduated to the big girl classes. Wish me luck.
This class was the hardest. Hang clean made me feel stupid and frustrated. I kept getting stuck at high pull, there was a mental roadblock there. My stupid elbows would not snap through. They still don't. Stupid elbows.
Key take aways: Snap your damn elbows. Stomp your feet.
AMRAP 15
7 hang cleans (35lb bar)
7 knees to elbows
14 180deg lateral twists
30sec plank
Elements #5: Sumo deadlift high pull
After the frustration of Hang Clean, Sumo deadlift high pull was much easier. My confidence was restored a bit. Then the ring dips shredded my arms.
Key take aways: Keep your elbows high, keep your core engaged. It's much easier this way. Also, reminder to not smack yourself in the chin with the bar. It stays bruised for days.
21*15*9*
sumo deadlift high pull
ring dips
*20 lunges
After I finished up my Elements classes, my arms were wiped out. I think I might have mentioned before how weak they are... well, on the weekend, they gave up and started to swell. Ever had elbow swell? No? Well it's weird and awkward and gag-inducing. I don't recommend it.
I've graduated to the big girl classes. Wish me luck.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Falling off the wagon
Well, not so much a fall as a stumble.
When you're sitting at a pub and every item on the menu is either deep fried or covered with cheese, it's hard to make a good decision.
Yesterday I gave in to chicken strips and fries. Today I gave in to sesame chicken (which came with two pieces of california roll, two gyoza...well it came with one, but I ate Trudi's too...some salad, and a whole mound of rice. I didn't eat much of the salad), and then at dinner I had a Carolina Dog from Smokin Tony's (that's right. It is a hot dog covered in pulled pork.) with a side of onion rings. That's THREE cheats in two days.
So, time to take a moment to reflect on this.
While it might have tasted good at first, after a few bites it just felt heavy and sickening. My post-pub workout suffered because I was so full. This morning I was upset because the scale reflected exactly what I feared it would reflect -- that I filled my body up with too much garbage.
Time to hit the reset button. As my trainer always tells me, it's not about being perfect. It's about accepting your imperfect decision, learning from it, and not letting it be the norm.
The plan for tomorrow: steak and Brussels sprouts for breakfast, cantaloupe and raw, unsalted macadamia nuts for snacks, salad with grilled chicken for lunch, and kale & ground beef soup for dinner. Lots of water. Maybe a coffee, but only one.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will be filled with good, healthy fuel.
Also, I'm SO excited... I'm heading to Mississauga on Sunday to catch the last day of the CrossFit Games - Canada East Regional competition. I've been spending the last few days watching the video explanations of all the workouts and reading articles about the competitors. If that's not motivation to take care of yourself, I don't know what is. These athletes are incredible. Good luck to the CrossFit Waterloo team!!
When you're sitting at a pub and every item on the menu is either deep fried or covered with cheese, it's hard to make a good decision.
Yesterday I gave in to chicken strips and fries. Today I gave in to sesame chicken (which came with two pieces of california roll, two gyoza...well it came with one, but I ate Trudi's too...some salad, and a whole mound of rice. I didn't eat much of the salad), and then at dinner I had a Carolina Dog from Smokin Tony's (that's right. It is a hot dog covered in pulled pork.) with a side of onion rings. That's THREE cheats in two days.
So, time to take a moment to reflect on this.
While it might have tasted good at first, after a few bites it just felt heavy and sickening. My post-pub workout suffered because I was so full. This morning I was upset because the scale reflected exactly what I feared it would reflect -- that I filled my body up with too much garbage.
Time to hit the reset button. As my trainer always tells me, it's not about being perfect. It's about accepting your imperfect decision, learning from it, and not letting it be the norm.
The plan for tomorrow: steak and Brussels sprouts for breakfast, cantaloupe and raw, unsalted macadamia nuts for snacks, salad with grilled chicken for lunch, and kale & ground beef soup for dinner. Lots of water. Maybe a coffee, but only one.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will be filled with good, healthy fuel.
Also, I'm SO excited... I'm heading to Mississauga on Sunday to catch the last day of the CrossFit Games - Canada East Regional competition. I've been spending the last few days watching the video explanations of all the workouts and reading articles about the competitors. If that's not motivation to take care of yourself, I don't know what is. These athletes are incredible. Good luck to the CrossFit Waterloo team!!
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
hoodie's Elements #3
I'm halfway through the Elements series. The last sessions are lined up back to back this week on Thursday and Friday. Having to just hear about Tetz's big girl class experience, and not get to go myself, is making me crazy jealous!
The weekend was spent recovering. Like really recovering. Ice, Traumeel cream, Ibuprofen and rest. It wasn't until Monday that I could raise my hands to my face without grimacing. When I told Chris about this, I saw a look of glee flash across his face. Evil.
Last night we focused on squats. Pretty straight forward, not very demanding unless Chris was physically hauling my arms and upper body into a (even more) upright position. All the running I've done in the last few years has curbed my flexibility, especially hamstrings and hip flexors. Last night I found them again.
We also learned how to do pull ups. Since I've got matchstick arms, I can only do one... maybe... so Chris taught a modification that still gets you working with your body weight.
Key takeaways: lead with your ass. Open your hips! (aka Squeeze your butt... aka Whistle whistle!) For pull ups, palms are facing away from your body. When doing the modification, jump. Seriously. What would you rather have? Sore arms or sore legs? I pick legs. Every time.
Workout:
AMRAP 10
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 squats
I finished 4.5 rounds. Push ups suck.
5x(5 pull ups)
4.5x (10 push ups)
4 x (15 squats)
Why are my arms sore!?! I picked legs!!
The weekend was spent recovering. Like really recovering. Ice, Traumeel cream, Ibuprofen and rest. It wasn't until Monday that I could raise my hands to my face without grimacing. When I told Chris about this, I saw a look of glee flash across his face. Evil.
Last night we focused on squats. Pretty straight forward, not very demanding unless Chris was physically hauling my arms and upper body into a (even more) upright position. All the running I've done in the last few years has curbed my flexibility, especially hamstrings and hip flexors. Last night I found them again.
We also learned how to do pull ups. Since I've got matchstick arms, I can only do one... maybe... so Chris taught a modification that still gets you working with your body weight.
Key takeaways: lead with your ass. Open your hips! (aka Squeeze your butt... aka Whistle whistle!) For pull ups, palms are facing away from your body. When doing the modification, jump. Seriously. What would you rather have? Sore arms or sore legs? I pick legs. Every time.
Workout:
AMRAP 10
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 squats
I finished 4.5 rounds. Push ups suck.
5x(5 pull ups)
4.5x (10 push ups)
4 x (15 squats)
Why are my arms sore!?! I picked legs!!
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Tetz's first REAL class
Yesterday I did my first real CrossFit class. The Elements classes are no more. I've graduated.
I was so nervous.
My hands were sweating all day. My heart was racing as I left the house. I'd taken a look at the WOD earlier that day and didn't recognize any of the exercises.
What if I can't do it? What if I don't know what I'm doing and I look stupid? What if I injure myself? What if I pass out? What if I barf? What if everyone judges me?
When I got there, there was a split second where I was about to turn around.
No one has seen you. No one will ever know you were supposed to be here... except the coaches, who saw you sign up. And hoodie, who told you to stop being scared and just do it. And the approximately 4,000 other people that I talked to during the day that I apparently felt needed to know that I was nervous about CrossFit.
So I soldiered on. And you know what... I didn't look (that) stupid. I didn't injure myself. I didn't pass out. I didn't barf. Everyone was too busy thinking about their own workout to worry about judging me. I didn't die... not even a little bit.
Coach Eddie explained every exercise that I didn't know and helped me figure out my weights. Before I started the WOD, my goal was 5 rounds for the AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) portion of the workout, and I met that goal with about 5 seconds to spare.
Success.
I'll be going back tomorrow.
I was so nervous.
My hands were sweating all day. My heart was racing as I left the house. I'd taken a look at the WOD earlier that day and didn't recognize any of the exercises.
What if I can't do it? What if I don't know what I'm doing and I look stupid? What if I injure myself? What if I pass out? What if I barf? What if everyone judges me?
When I got there, there was a split second where I was about to turn around.
No one has seen you. No one will ever know you were supposed to be here... except the coaches, who saw you sign up. And hoodie, who told you to stop being scared and just do it. And the approximately 4,000 other people that I talked to during the day that I apparently felt needed to know that I was nervous about CrossFit.
So I soldiered on. And you know what... I didn't look (that) stupid. I didn't injure myself. I didn't pass out. I didn't barf. Everyone was too busy thinking about their own workout to worry about judging me. I didn't die... not even a little bit.
Coach Eddie explained every exercise that I didn't know and helped me figure out my weights. Before I started the WOD, my goal was 5 rounds for the AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) portion of the workout, and I met that goal with about 5 seconds to spare.
Success.
I'll be going back tomorrow.
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