My poor beautiful hands!

So, I went to another class. Went to a Friday class. And to be honest, the only reason I picked this class was because of the pull ups. I have been wanting to improve on my pull ups since making the decision to come back to Crossfit. If I would have known what this workout would have done to my hands, I would have substituted things from the start!

WOD:
21-18-15-12-9-6-3
Pull ups
Sit ups
Overhead lunges (used a 10# medicine ball)


Well, the hands started ripping during the set of 18. And then they finished ripping at the set of 15. I had to stop doing pull ups and substituted jumping pull ups. Sit ups were sit ups. :) I used a 10# medicine ball for the lunges. Those were killer! My arms were dead! But I finished with a time of 21:11! My goal was just to finish and I did!

However, the problem with finishing was my poor hands!





So, after this workout, I have come to the conclusion that I am banning pull ups for the rest of my career! LOL. My other hand looked just as horrible as this one. I will still do some pull ups, but I can't do a WOD like this at this current time. My hands are my life. My hands start IV's, do foleys, undress people, clean patients, give out stickers and Popsicles, hold hands, and give hugs. My hands are so important and I have to take care of them.

I think what I am going to need to do is use Crossfit for strength training and start running to help slim me down. I hate running. Not going to lie, it is not fun for me. But when we have been doing the 400m run warm ups at Crossfit, I can make it through. So I downloaded the couch to 5K app for my iPhone, and I want to start running. I want to do a mud run. I am excited. It is time to start my new life. And commit to the Paleo diet! Paleo cookie recipe was a success! Now to make more tasty things!

Last Week

Last week I went to another CFD workout. It was fun. :)

WOD:
AMRAP in 12 minutes
3 cleans
6 pull ups
9 box jumps

I wanted to do this workout because I have been dying to do pull ups for a while. :) I know....me want to do pull ups? Sounds crazy right? But I wanted to see what I could do. I ended up just doing the bar for the cleans. Legs were still weak from the previous two workouts. It was still challenging for me in the later rounds. I did the green band for the pull ups. And surprisingly, I was doing well at them. I managed to do most of them chest to bar. I could probably do a smaller band for a few of the pull ups, but not for the entire workout. And for the box jumps, I did the 12 inch box. I ended up doing step ups. I could do one or two actually jumping, but visions of Sandy falling over the box kept coming into my head. So I just did step ups.

I managed to do 6 full rounds, and finished my 3 cleans. Not too shabby for coming back. I hope to be able to do this workout again.

Now Phoenix and I are trying to figure out how I am going to pay/go to Crossfit. It still may have to wait until school is out, but I am glad that I got a taste back.

Rainy Day!

So, I did a quick workout after preclinical. Here it was...

1 mile warm up on the elliptical
10-8-6-4-2
Pull ups
Push ups
50 sit up cool down

My made up metcon took me 4:30. It could have been a lot quicker, but stupid pull ups slowed me down! Oh well. It was nice. Abs are finally feeling better!

So, I get home after my workout, took my shower, and was getting ready to finish my preclinical paper work and.....my clinical is cancelled tomorrow. So, I have tomorrow off. A day off, and I don't have ANYTHING to do. Hmm...I wonder what I am going to do!

My Man Nate....

WOD for 3-19-2009

"Nate"
2 Muscle Ups
4 HSPU (subbed shoulder press)
8 KB Swings

OK...was not even thinking about arms when I was doing yesterdays workout. But CFDC wanted to do Nate. So I did Nate. I checked the blog before I left, and didn't know the substitution for the muscle ups. So, I just did a 1:1 substitution with pull ups and ring dips. Later, I found out that I should have done 4:1. Will remember that for next time. I used 15# DB for the presses and for the KB swings. Arms were feeling sore from yesterday as were the abs. I shouldn't have taken it easy on the presses and swings, but oh well. It's over now. Can't go back and redo it. I just won't let myself take it easier next time. Granted, even though I took it easier, it was still a hard workout. I was dripping in sweat when I was finished, so maybe I didn't take it THAT easy.

I finished 15 rounds on the buzzer! Sweet! And then I had my 50 minute cool down with Aqua Fit. I have to admit, it is kinda fun. It's nice to go get in the pool after you have worked hard doing a CF workout to a cool pool and still having constant movement for 50 minutes.

After that, a nice relaxing 2 hours by the pool reading pharmacology and Harry Potter! Not at the same time, but would switch books whenever I would switch sides. If I have to study, might as well do it by the pool right? :)

Diet:
Breakfast/Lunch: Don't usually eat before working out. On days off from work, I usually work out from 8-10. So, for this meal, I had 1/2c granola, almonds, 2 pieces of turkey bacon, 1/2c blackberries
Dinner: Not sure what I am doing yet. Going to Happy Hour with my friend for her 40th Birthday! I am going to TRY to be good and not drink alcohol. But what's worse on the Paleo scale, alcohol or a soda?

Gotta Push On!

WOD for 8-18-2009

Push Press (main site)
1-1-1-1-1

Cookie:
21-15-9
Push Ups
Sit Ups
Pull Ups

My workout ended up changing pretty much until I actually did it. My friend Amber and her boyfriend who does CrossFit as well, came up to the hospital at lunch. Matt and I started talking, and the plan was for him to meet me at the gym for a workout. I was actually excited. Someone to seriously CrossFit with. We had planned to meet at 7 after the Aqua Fit class. Well...he had to help Amber's grandparents move furniture, and by the time he got done, it was almost 7 and he hadn't eaten, so he asked for a raincheck. Which I will give him the rain check, but he will have some kind of burpee penatly!!

I know that CFDC had the clean and press for the WOD, but I was not feeling comfortable with my clean without having an additional person to watch my form. Hurting my back is NOT going to be beneficial to me. Especially with school starting in less than two weeks! Ahh! So, it was great that the push press was on the main site, so it's like I did part of the CFDC workout.

OK...onto the press. I couldn't remember what my 1 rep max was. So, I just went as heavy as could. Granted, it wasn't that much.

Working Set:
45-50-55-60-65-70-75-80-85-90(f)-90-(f)

Sadness....failed at 90. Got home, and looked at my past 1 rep max, and it was like 90# back in April. So, major sadness. I think the fail from the first attempt got into my head. Or I am just weaker. I would really like to think it is the first of the two choices. Did the best I could today, and that's all I can ask for.

I hadn't planned on doing a cookie, but Matt and I were texting back and forth and he told me that I had to do this workout. So, I did. Time was slower than I would have liked. Didn't break things up too much, but I feel there was a lot of room for improvement. Abs are still wicked sore from Annie yesterday. I don't ever remember them being this sore. That just made the 21-15-9 worse. ugg...Time for my cookie was 6:50. I will attempt this again soon, and see if I improve!

Diet:
Breakfast: egg white omelet, 1/2 bagel, 1/2c yogurt, almonds
Lunch: Fajita meat and Salad
Dinner: lime chicken breast, celery, almonds, 1/2c raspberries

No Ifs Ands or Buts...These Kids Got Guts!

WOD for 6-7-2009

Push Press
10-10-10

Met Con:
21-15-9
Box Jumps
Push Ups
Pull Ups

So normally I blog the day after my workout, but I start school tomorrow, so I figured I would go ahead, blog now and get it out of the way. Today was a pretty low key today. Finished an 8 day working streak...man...54 hours takes a lot out of you. So, for the first half of the day I just relaxed...such a strange feeling actually.....People at work always ask me where I find the energy to go workout after working a shift, thing is, you just do it. Yeah, you are a little tired, but you go and do it. You are either tired at 5 in the morning working out, or at 5 in the afternoon. People need to stop making excuses and just get their butts in the gym and go work out. Ok...no idea where that little tandem came from.....ok, back to the WOD.

Push Press....I was really excited to do this (I must sound like a friggin' after school special....excited to do a workout? :) My upper body strength is one thing that has always been lacking. I have got really strong legs, and I just wish that I could build up my upper body as quickly as I have my lower body. I can do the Rx'd weight for girls in FGB, which is a plus in my "win" column for being able to do SOMETHING Rx'd. The trick to this workout wasn't just about strength, it was about endurance. Can you do the weight 10 times without resting?

Working Sets:
45-55-65-75x 8

I felt that starting off with the 45# was a good place since I knew that I could do 10 of those. Then we went up to 55#...still felt good with that weight. So, for the third set, we jumped to 65#. Still felt really good after the 65#, so for "fun", I tried 75#. I knew I could get it at least once. Several months ago, I did 90# once, so 75# once shouldn't have been a problem. Well, I did 75# 8 times....I ALMOST had the last 2. My arms were so tired. I will take the eight!

Then, I did a cool down with Carrie. 3 rounds: 15 glute ham sit ups, 15 back extensions.

I thought that the workout was done after that...but oh no...Spencer had a nice little Met Con for us. 21-15-9 Box jumps, push ups, pull ups....grrr...and I didn't wear tennis shoes today. So, I substituted box steps. I used the medium box for the step ups. I figured that doing step ups on the small box wouldn't do me much good. By going to the taller box it was definitely more tiring than the smaller box. Still doing knee push ups, but they are 1000X easier than when I started. I can knock out those push ups fairly quickly now. Pull ups...used the green band. I need to get back to the blue band. I can do several with the blue band, just nervous because they aren't as consistent.

Time for Met Con:
5:46

Diet for Today:
Breakfast: 2 whole wheat flax seed waffles (recipe taken from another Crossfit site, threw in several almonds), scrambled egg whites (cooked in 1tsp olive oil), 2 peaches,
Lunch: breakfast was eaten later in the morning, so no lunch for me
Dinner: chest meal! sandwich from Baker's Brothers (only ate half the bread), 1/2c baked potato soup, 9 almonds, 3 carrots, 2 strawberries
Total Water Intake: 2.5L

My Spirits Evokin’

WOD for 5-21-2009

"Tabata Something Else"

Pull Ups
Push Ups
Sit Ups
Squats

This was my first time to do this WOD. It doesn't sound too bad from looking at it, but man...it is exhausting! And I am only talking about after the first tabata! Pull ups were done with the Green band. Yes, I can do blue band pull ups, but I have only done the blue band in a couple of WODs, and it was better for me to get more reps. Didn't get that many...arms for some reason just didn't want to work. Push ups were done on knees. I am feeling better about push ups though. It is getting easier to do them. By the time that I got to the squats, my whole body was tingling. I am not quite sure how some of the guys could crank out 100+ on the squats. My legs were killing me by the 4th round!

I actually had a day off where I didn't have ANYTHING planned. It was nice! I went and worked out with the noon crew! It was great getting to workout with Jamie! Thank you so much girl for pushing me on the squats. I really appreciate the help!

Score:
Pull Ups: 52
Push Ups: 72
Sit Ups: 70
Squats: 73

Obviously lots of room for improvement. But I am happy with my starting numbers. Now I know which areas I can really improve in!

Diet for yesterday:
Breakfast: egg white omelet, 1/2c strawberries, 6 almonds
Lunch: 1 glass of milk with protein powder, almonds, 3 slices of turkey
Dinner: baked chicken, 8 cherries, salad
Total Water Intake: 1.5L

Currently Listening to: "The Band Marches On" by Ghostland Observatory

A Testament to Old and New

WOD for 5-14-2009

"Jackie"
1000m row
50 Thrusters
30 Pull ups


Jackie...what can I say about Jackie...this was a workout that I did months ago when I first began Crossfit. I did this on 11-10-2008, exactly one week after I joined CrossFit. I remember doing this with Spencer at the 7AM class. I was thinking, am I even going to make it through the 1000m row, let alone finish the thrusters and pull ups. Somehow, I made it through the row without dying. On to the Thrusters....this was my first time to do thrusters. And lets just say, my form was horrid. I could barely do the 15# bar without falling forward. So, Spencer switched me to the PVC pipe...kinda embarrassing that I couldn't even do the 15# bar. I eventually finished the thrusters, and then on to pull ups. On this day, they were jumping pull ups.

Fast Forward to May 14th, 2009. I don't know if I was excited to do this workout, but curious to see how far I had progressed. I did a good job on the row! I did the 1000m in 4:15, which is faster than I have ever done in previous attempts. In fact, the last time I did a 1000m row for time I finished in 5:25. So, I shaved a minute off my time. Woo hoo! Ah...the thrusters...this one killed me. Or maybe it was the row that killed me. I took forever on the thrusters. Here is where I hit my mental block. Damn thrusters. But I used the 33# bar. So, obviously, big improvement from the PVC pipe. Pull ups, I wanted to use the blue band, but ended up sticking with the Green band. My arms were so tired, and felt like Jello on the pull ups. I did finish. Thank you Georgia and Koy for all the help. I really needed it, especially when I hit my mental block. Crossfit is 90% mental, and 10% physical.

Time on 11-10-2008: 12:45
Time on 5-14-2009: 15:10

Even with a slower time, I feel like this was a win. Everything improved from the previous Jackie. Next time, I will get a much better time, and I won't hit that block.

Diet for Yesterday:
Breakfast: 1c oatmeal, 1/2c pineapple, 6 almonds, 4 strawberries, 1 piece of bacon
Lunch: grilled chicken breast, salad, sweet potatoe fries
Dinner: grilled chicken, salad with mixed veggies, 1/2 c blackberries, 7 peanuts, 4 almonds, and 3 pecans
Total Water Intake: 1.5L

Currently Listening to: "Even Born Again" by Sara Jaffe

Nothing Was As Bad As You Thought It Was

WOD for 5-6-2009

10 Rounds for Time:
10 ring dips
10 pull ups

Seeing this workout on the website I could feel pain in my hands, and I hadn't done anything yet. I knew I could do it, I just didn't know how long it would take me especially with this whole new Chest to Bar thing. I can do a few chest to bar, but 100? I began by using the blue band. That lasted one whole round. Then I switched to the Green Band....and that lasted a whole one round. So, I did the last 8 rounds with the green and blue band. By using two bands, it makes me feel like I am going backwards in my progress. Sure, if we only had to do 30 pull ups, I probably could have just used the Green band after doing ring dips. But after a few rounds, my arms were shot. And it wasn't going to be getting any easier. Granted, with CrossFit, I guess you don't want things to be too easy or you wouldn't get a good workout. I couldn't move my arms for an hour after this workout. Driving is a challenge when your arms feel like jello.

Something that I do like that we are adding to the workouts is a partner or a counter. Sandy, you helped push me through this workout. There was a few times, like around Round 7 and 8, that I really wanted to stop. But I didn't. You really helped keep me motivated and gave me the strength to finish!

Diet for Yesterday:
Breakfast: egg whites, 1 piece of bacon, strawberries, 6 almonds
Lunch: Salad, 3 pieces of chicken with some kind of thick sauce (very tasty, but not sure if it was Zone approved), 2 pieces of ham, 1/2 c sweet potato, 4 almonds
Dinner: 3 pieces of turky, an orange, 7 cashews, glass of milk
Total Water Intake: 2L


Currently Listening to: "Smile For the Camera" by Armor For Sleep

Not Everything in Life is Handed on a Plate

WOD for 4-22-2009

"Jason"
100 Squats
5 Muscle-Ups
75 Squats
10 Muscle-Ups
50 Squats
15 Muscle-Ups
25 Squats
20 Muscle-Ups


*sub: 2 pull ups and 2 ring dips for every one muscle up.

Let me be honest...this workout sucked. Normally after workouts, as tired as I may be, I feel good and like I accomplished something. Not after this workout. I have never felt so upset after a workout. I feel like I failed. Yes, I get it that I finished. But this time...finishing wasn't enough. Time was 28 minutes. I had to change from the blue band to the green band on the 3rd round, and from band assisted ring dips to parallette ring dips. I felt so defeated after this workout. I guess that's the point of CrossFit. But I don't like this feeling that I totally sucked. People say "Good Job"...but it doesn't feel like it when I struggled just to finish. I don't know how much more I could have given. I had nothing left to give in the end. I had to leave immediately after finishing the workout to go to a babysitting job. A 20 pound baby never felt so heavy! And going up and down a flight a stairs has never been this challenging.

When I woke up this morning, I could barely move. While I ate a morning snack of peanuts driving to work, I decided that everyone has to have bad days. Yesterday was mine. Instead of dwelling on it, I am going to go about my day and not think about yesterday. I will come back tonight and give it 150%.

Diet for Yesterday:
Breakfast: Egg white omelet with tomatoes, 1/2c pineapple, 9 almonds
Lunch: Salad with mixed vegetables with sunflower seeds, mandrin oranges, 2 thick slices of turkey
Dinner: I finally got to eat dinner at 11:45 last night when I got home from babysitting. I was so exhausted. Ate a slice a turkey, 2 strawberries, and 3 almonds. Now, before you go and start lecturing me...(which I KNOW that you want to do)...I didn't have time to eat with a 4 year old screaming and throwing a fit, trying to put a 2 year to bed, and feed a 1 year old. And on top of that, they just moved into this house, and have zero paleo/zone quality food. I could have eaten some goldfish or fruit snacks, or yogurt...but since those things are not approved, I didn't eat. So yeah...not a good start to day 1 of new diet. Will do better tomorrow.
Snack: almonds before workout
Total Water Intake: 1.5L (This needs to be improved greatly...could have had a factor in the workout)


Currently Listening to: "How About You" by Staind

I Like Having Hurt

WOD for 4-17-2009

"Heavy Fran"
15-12-9
Thrusters
Pull Ups

First, thank you Sam and Koy for letting me come to the gym and do this workout. I really appreciate and NEEDED it! For the thrusters, I used 65#! Last time I did Fran, I went up weight and only used 45#. My one rep max and thrusters a few months ago was 75#. So, for me to be able to do 65# for the heavy Fran was great! Such a great metal boost!

Pull ups....I used the BLUE band for the entire workout! No more green band! Ok, so maybe one or two of my pull ups could have been questionable...but I still did the workout with a smaller band! This has to mean that I am getting stronger!

I was worried before beginning this workout. I was nervous that I would have to go down in weight or change bands. But I didn't! Fran is a bitch...but I love her! Great way to end my week! Can't wait for more fun next week!

Time for Heavy Fran: 13:03 (Not the best time in the world, but since I increased weight and used a new band...I will gladly take it!)

Diet:
Breakfast: Egg white omelet, bacon, 1/2c pineapple
Lunch: Baker's Brothers Chicken Deli sandwhich without the bread
Dinner: Salad with baked chicken and mandarin oranges.
Snack: almonds and strawberries
Total Water Intake: 1.5L

Currently Listening to: "Send the Pain Below" by Chevelle

Finally Found Myself

WOD for 4-10-2009

WOD #1 with Sandy
3 rounds:
10 ring dips
10 box jumps
10 KB swings
200m run

WOD #2
"Cindy"
As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 squats

Woo Hoo for Sandy doing her first 2 a day!!! I'm so proud of her! The first time you do a two a day, it can be really tiring....wait, all 2 a days are tiring. I made up this Pre-WOD WOD. I was just wanting to go for something quick and work on things that I knew I needed work on. This was actually pretty fun. The ring dips are still a killer! Green band on ring dips, small box for box jumps, and 35# KB.

Ahh...Cindy...what can I say about Cindy. Cindy is a bitch! I think overall, I did OK. I tried to have a idea of at least the number of rounds I wanted to complete. I did a half Cindy several months ago, and was able to get 6 rounds with a 10 pound weight vest and jumping pull ups. So, I wanted to get at least 12 rounds. I got 12 rounds and 4 pull ups. (Pull ups were with the Green band, and I did knee push ups). I would have rather gotten a few more rounds, but I just didn't pull it out today. Jen was great motivation today. She kept me going on Cindy, which I really needed it! I was dragging some yesterday, and I think it was due to the 1/4 cup mashed potatoes I had. (I have a weakness for potatoes....) I do apologize to Wade though...I think I kicked him a few times while I was doing my pull ups....sorry Wade!

So, the title of this blog is "Finally Found Myself". I always thought I knew what I was made of. Since beginning Crossfit....I have learned so much about myself. I found out how tough I was, and how much my body can take. My body can handle a lot more than I ever imagined. I don't ever remember feeling the way that I have felt after doing some of these workouts in high school. I had never worked out until I cried from sheer exhaustion. I didn't think that was possible back then. In high school, we did weight training, but I never really progressed. And I am not sure why. Maybe it was because I was never motivated to lift 5 more pounds. I thought that I was fairly motivated in high school. (I was All-State in basketball my senior year, valedictorian...not bragging...just saying, I had motivation to be the best). So, where did all of this extra motivation come from? The difference now is simple....amazing coaches (not that my high school ones were amazing, just different) and the wonderful people that I have met. Linda, Mel, Dee, Lindsey and Sandy.....You guys push me when I don't think I can give anymore. I look at you guys during the workout, and it helps me continue on and finish strong. So thank you! With your help, I know more about myself and I look forward to continuing this amazing journey!

Diet for yesterday:
Breakfast: 3 pieces of bacon, 1 cooked egg white, 1 apple
Lunch: salad with chicken (not sure what the chicken was cooked with, but it was in some kind of tomato based sauce. I drained as much of the sauce out as I could since I didn't know what was in it...probably a lot of salt and tomatoes....) 1/4c mashed potatoes (I know...I know...cut them out....)
Dinner: 2 balsamic chicken wraps from Fireside Pies, 2 sangrias, 1/2 walnut brownie (friends birthday brownie)
Snack: handful of peanuts, blackberries
Total Water Intake: ~2L

Currently Listening to: "The Kill" by 30 Seconds to Mars

*This will be my last blog post until I get back from Boston! Hopefully I won't go into too many CFDC withdrawals!!!

Am I Sweating, Or Are These On My Face?

WOD for 4-9-2009

WOD #1 with Linda
600m run (warmup)
Tabata Pull ups, shuttle runs, and Glute Ham Sit Ups

WOD #2
21-15-9
Deadlift
Front squat
Burpees

The first workout was fun. I am really starting to like tabatas. I usually approach it with the attitude, "It's just 20 seconds!" But it never fails that around oh, the 3rd one, I am like 5 more? Seriously? The 20 seconds keep getting longer, and the 10 seconds rest keeps getting shorter. Oh well. Like I said, fun stuff! I didn't keep track of my numbers. I was just doing as many as I could. Glute Ham Sit Ups are getting easier. Major props to Linda for doing it in the weight vest. I will get there one day!

The second WOD...wow...this was a beating! When Sam was saying that the workout should take about 15 minutes and no longer than 20...I started getting worried. The deadlift was supposed to be bodyweight and the front squat was supposed to be 75% of bodyweight. I obviously scaled back. Deadlifts were done at 125# and front squat was done at 55#.

This was a tough, yet fun, workout. During the set of 21, I felt like I was going to throw up. And during the set of 15, it seemed like a really good idea! During the set of 9 front squats...man, I started to crack. I could feel the tears coming. Sam helped push me through the front squats, and Dee helped me with the burpees. When I finished...I just sat on the floor and cried. Dee came over and put her arms around me, and I just cried. That feeling is so hard to explain. I gave it everything that I had. This workout wore me out. It was one of the best beat downs I have had. Thanks Koy for the encouragement with the deadlifts. I wonder how my form is when I do many reps in a row, and with you telling me that it was looking good, it helped me get through them. And as many times as Koy and Sam tell me, I have problems with the high elbows on front squats....grr......Sam, I really did appreciate your help with that last set of 9. It was tough, but your coaching really helped me.

You guys are one of the reasons that I keep coming to CFDC day after day. There are still things that I struggle with, but with the excellent coaching and support that I get from my friends, I know that I can do this. And any WOD you put in front of me, I am going to complete to the best of my abilities.

Time for the WOD: 16:46

Diet for yesterday:
Breakfast: egg white omelet, bacon, 1/2 c pineapple
Lunch: Salad, with baked chicken & mandrin oranges
Dinner: 2.5 slices of turkey bacon and a handful of almonds (did not feel like cooking or eating after the WOD, but I ate something)
Snack: blackberries, strawberries, turkey bacon, almonds

Currently Listening to: "One Foot Wrong" by Pink

Well You're the Real Tough Cookie

WOD for 4-2-2009

WOD #1 with Mel and Linda:
3 rounds
400m run
5 pull ups
10 push ups
15 weighted squats

WOD #2:
Squat Cleans with Mel

So, I had planned a different workout for my first workout yesterday, but Mel changed it up. So, I will pull that out later. But the first workout is what the competitors will be doing this weekend at the Fittest Games. (Well, they will be doing 4 rounds, but this was just to get a feel for it). It wasn't horrible, but it was a workout. I was feeling it! For the pull ups, Green band, and worked on getting chest to bar, not just chin to bar. And for the squats, I just did 45#. We didn't time it, but Mel and Linda finished at about 12 minutes, and I think I was about 2 minutes after that. So, around 14 minutes, not too bad.

For the Squat cleans, I was just working on form. I started out going to do 4 sets of 5, and then ended up adding more on at the end. I did 3 sets at 45# with little difficulty (form wise, weight wasn't bad). I added 5 more pounds, and ended up rounding out my back. So, Bobby and Pat helped me out. Bobby made a really good correction, or at least I think it will help me. When I get in the bottom position, I start to bend forward and this is where my back begins to round. So, in order to correct this, I need to either start looking upwards or look down but adjust my focus to further up. I did the second option, and wow....even that little improvement made such a huge difference. The lift didn't seem as hard.

Diet for yesterday:
Not sure that I really want to talk about what I ate yesterday, because it was not good....but being that I do record what I eat, I will....
Breakfast: Egg white omelet, 4 pieces of bacon
Lunch: 5 baked chicken strips, 7 almonds
Dinner: Chicken Gyro Sandwich and 2 alcoholic drinks
Snack: strawberries......and 1 amazingly delicious cupcake.
Total Water Intake: 1.5L

So, lets tackle the really bad thing that I ate yesterday....the cupcake. My friend Amber at work made me "Congrats for getting into Nursing School" cupcakes. So, I HAD to eat the cupcake. I didn't have a choice....lol. She did tell me that she thought about making cake, but she was like "I knew you would eat "this" (a bite) much and I wanted you to eat more and enjoy it, so I made cupcakes". And then the Gyro Sandwich....mmm...it was yummy! I went to Stratos with my friends. Amber was belly dancing, and so a few of us go and watch her. The alcohol....well, I wanted some. No excuses for it, I just wanted to. I will make up for my diet yesterday today.

Currently Listening To: "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" by Pat Benatar.

You're Up and You're Down

WOD for 4-1-2009

WOD #1 with Mel
800m run
max pull ups x 3 rounds
3 rounds of:
10 Glute Ham Sit ups
10 Back Extensions

WOD #2
Front Squat
2-2-2-2-2

Turkish Get-Up
Heavy Single


The first work out went well. My pull ups are improving. The first two rounds I used the green band, and the third round I used the blue band. First round I got 17 without stopping. Second round I got 14. The third round...the blue band is harder than the green for sure. I was able to get 8. Mel helped me a bunch by reminding me to make sure that I push my head through. This should really help when I can finally get the Kip down. I am finally able to do glute ham sit ups! I may be slower at them, but I am getting the range of motion down.

The second workout...fun!!!! I was excited to get to try to get a new front squat PR. Heavy work sets were:
65-75-85-90-05-100

Ok, so I did one more set than was required...but I got greedy!! Thanks KOY for the help with my elbows. Flexibility is an issue, but when I was able to get them higher, the easier the front squat was. The turkish get up was...interesting. My right side is stronger than my left. I was able to get up to 30#, and I got up with the 26# KB but when I was going back down to the ground, my arm gave out.

Diet for yesterday:
Breakfast: oatmeal, bacon, orange
Lunch: Salad with Mediterranean chicken
Dinner: Almond crusted chicken (new recipe...was amazing!!), 1/2c green beans
Snack: Cashews, strawberries
Total Water Intake: 2.5L

Currently Listening to: "Hot N Cold" by Kate Perry

I Just Hit The Floor

WOD for 3-23-2009

As Many Rounds as Possible in 15 Minutes of:
5 Pull-Ups
10 Kettlebell Swings
15 Double Unders

I don't advise going in one of the later rounds for this workout. While waiting, this was a REALLY long 15 minutes. But once, we started, the 15 minutes went by very quickly. For the workout, I used the green band for pull ups, 26# KB, and single jumps 4 x 15.

I managed to get 9 full rounds, and then 15 single jumps. This workout was actually a lot of fun. I could barely lift my arms when I was done, but I love that feeling of pushing myself so hard that I just want to lie on the floor and that's it.

I realized that I have made some really great friends at CrossFit. Not only have I made good friends, but I have the BEST trainers ever! They push me and make me better. Because of them, I am becoming stronger and faster, and just a better athlete all around. When I first began, I was self conscious because I couldn't do a lot of the exercises. But that feeling has vanished, and a new one of accomplishment has taken its place. I still may not be the bet at some things (okay, a lot of things), but I am getting better.

Koy told me that I have to go up in weight in the KBs. This thought really hadn't crossed my mind, since it seems like I just increased weight. Apparently during this workout I "breezed through the KB swings like it was nothing". I don't remember this, what I do remember is how tiring the KB swings were on round 6. So, next workout...I guess it is the 35# KB.

Diet for yesterday:
Breakfast: 1 orange, 6 almonds, 3 slices of turkey bacon
Lunch: 4 baked chicken strips, blackberries, handful of peanuts
Dinner: Salad
Snack: strawberries, sunflower seeds, 2 pieces of turkey bacon
Total Water Intake: 1.5L

Currently Listening to: "Wasting My Time" by Default.

This Time I'm 'a Let it All Come Out

WOD for 3-20-2009

"Fran"
21-15-9 reps of:
Thruster
Pull-Ups

What can I say about Fran? Well, she is fun and exhausting all at the same time. She is that workout where you are laying on the floor 5 minutes after you have finished, and finally 30 minutes after you've finished, you finally get to be able to breathe normally again. I first did Fran back in December. I thought that I had pushed myself to the end then, but that was nothing compared to how hard I pushed myself this day.

Time for 3-20-2009: 8:11 (45# thrusters, green band pull ups)
Time for 12-5-2008: 6:40 (35# thrusters, jumping pull ups)

Overall, I think that I did really good on this workout. The 45# wasn't too bad. I probably should have worn a glove on my left hand since I ripped my callus the day before. But I didn't think about it, and ended up with my left hand bleeding during the set of 15. Oh well...no pain, no gain. The pull ups were fairly easy. I am thinking that it is time to go to the blue band. I will struggle with the pull ups at first, but I have to change eventually. Koy thinks I will be able to get a real pull up in about a month....we'll see. I hope so! I can't wait to do this again!

Diet:
Breakfast: egg white omelet, 3 pieces of bacon
Lunch: Salad with grilled chicken
Dinner: didn't eat
Snack: strawberries and almonds
Total Water Intake: 2.5L

Currently Listening to: "My Way" by Limp Bizkit

Nothing Is Real but Pain Now

WOD for 3-19-2009

"Set Hut"
Four rounds for total reps of:
Power Clean, 45 seconds
Rest 30 seconds
45 pounds weighted Pull-Ups, 45 seconds
Rest 30 seconds
Burpees, 45 seconds
Rest 30 seconds

What a "fun" workout. Actually, it was a lot of fun...when I was finished and at home. Went to another 6AM workout. Had to work until 7:30...ick. I missed the morning shift and my night crew! For the Power Cleans, I used 55# and for the pull ups, the Green Band. I got a total of 121 reps. Breakdown looks like this:

Round 1: 40 reps (10-19-11)
Round 2: 29 reps (10-10-9)
Round 3: 23 reps (8-8-7)
Round 4: 29 reps (11-8-10)

Round 1 was obviously my best, and round 3, by far, my worst. During the pull ups in round 2, I ripped another callous off of my left hand this time...fun stuff. So, I think that's what happened with the pull ups for the last two rounds. I was really excited about the 19 pull ups I got in the first round. That is by far the best I've done with pull ups.

Something else that I need to factor into this day, would be that my sleep was broken up. My childhood best friend came into town late...and I do mean LATE (3:30AM) this morning. She and a friend had an interview they were doing in Pampa, and then had one to do this day at 1PM. So, of course I offer up my place as any good friend would. But trying to go back to sleep and get that last 1.5 hours was difficult. But, it was only one day, and I got to see my friend. So, the trade off for broken sleep was worth it in the long run, even though it took me a while to get moving in the warm up.

Diet for Yesterday:
Breakfast: 2 blueberry flaxseed waffles with turkey bacon
Lunch/Dinner: Grilled chicken breast, 1/2 piece of cornbread (so bad, yet so good), 1/4 cup green beans. Lunch and Dinner got mixed into one because of the shift I was working, and we didn't eat until 4:30.
Snack: strawberries throughout the shift.
Total Water Intake: 1.5L...again, water intake needs to improve.

Currently Listening to: "One" by Metallica

Don't Hold Back

WOD for 3-13-2009

Weighted Pull-Ups
1-1-1-1-1-1-1


“Annie”
50-40-30-20-10
Double Unders
Ab-Mat Sit-Ups

Since I can't do a kipping pull up...grr...I had to see how far I could get using the bands. The Green band...no problem. Blue band...no problem either. I tried the red band like 5 times, and keep getting so close, but the closet I got was chin to the bar, but could never get chin over the bar. Grr...so frustrating.

Annie....she was tiring. Instead of double unders, my sub was the vertical jump 1 ft above max reach. I finished this in 8:25. I kept watching Tyler, and was like, I have to beat him. Don't know why, but it gave me extra motivation. Guess it is the competitor coming out in me.

After workout, I went to Kozy Kitchen for the first time with some of the night crew. It was a lot of fun hanging out with everyone on a casual basis, not just a workout, sweat, and can't breathe atmosphere.

Diet:
Breakfast: eggwhite omelet with bacon and tomatoes
Lunch: baked chicken breast, kiwi, grapes, and peanuts
Dinner: Chicken Marsala with Kozy mash and vegetables
Total Water Intake: 2L

Currently Listening to: "Galvanize" by The Chemical Brothers

I Can Feel the Blood Rushing Through My Veins

WOD for 3-3-2009

Four Rounds:
750m Row
20 reps Kettlebell Swing
10 Pull-Ups

Rest 90 seconds.

This was the original workout. I did one round of this for a time of 5:27. (ug...) However, we had so many people in the 6PM class, that Sam had to change it up. So, the new workout was:

5 Rounds:
250m row
20 kettlebell swings
15 pull ups

4:10; (2 minute rest); 10:42; (5 mintue rest), 19:56; (2 minute rest); 24:46; (2.5 minute rest); 33:10.

I did like this work out. But since I tore my hand the day before, my hand just couldn't take the pull ups. I had tears in my eyes after the first round. So, during the 3rd round, I did half with the band, and then finished the last 2.5 rounds with jumping pull ups. I think this hurt my ego just as bad as my hands. On one hand, I finished the work out. On the other hand, I went backwards.

I am going to get my hand wrapped by one of the techs today, and hopefully, I will be able to do pull ups when I get to the gym. I have 37 pull ups that I have to make up. It won't make up for the workout yesterday, but I will feel better that I finished out the pull ups.

Diet for Yesterday:
Breakfast: 1/4 scoop of scrambled eggs (ugg...gross), 1/2 biscuit, 3 pieces of bacon, couple of pieces of pineapple
Lunch: Salad with baked chicken breast
Snack: blackberries, and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter
Dinner: turkey slices, apple slices, almond butter
Total Water Intake: 2.5L

Currently Listening to: "Stigmatized" by The Calling