Well. It appears that I shortchanged myself yesterday in my final testing for the transformation challenge. We didn't have tons of time to go through everything, so time to find our max deadlift was limited. I had a 55# bar already, so I added a set of 45's. I lifted my now 145# bar a few times. Then I thought of adding sets of 10's until I reached my max, but didn't really have time to do that, so I said, screw it, and put on a set of 25's, thinking I had reached my goal of 185. Hmmmm.....
55+90+50=195
Holy crap! So I actually increased my max in 6 weeks by 30 pounds! Hell yeah!
I don't know if my score can be changed for the contest or not. I emailed this info to one of our coaches, so we'll see....either way, it is an even bigger victory for ME!
See, I'm one of those people who has to make score marks and write stuff down if the wod requires keeping up with lots of numbers. I always have to record rounds. I get so caught up in what I'm doing that it is soooooo easy for me to forget. I have always been mathematically challenged anyway!
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
The Challenge is over!
Today marked the end of the Transformation Challenge at ITF. I had really been feeling down on myself, and felt like I really hadn't made the progress that I had wanted to. I am not used to failure. In the beginning, I thought surely in six weeks I will be able to kick up into a handstand like all the other normal people.
Apparently I am not normal, because, every time I do it, it is a crapshoot as to what will happen. But at least it is not for lack of strength. Oh well.
I really thought I would make more progress with my pullups, but my arm injury halted some of that. I am happy to say that I can now do 7 chin ups in a row, so that's good at least.
So this morning we got re-tested on all of the required perfomance elements. Here's what happened.
Baseline WOD: original score- 5 rounds, today's score-6 3/4
Pullups (using black resistance band. I should have not originally tested with this): original-21, today-24 Damn, that sucks.
Double unders in 2 minutes: original-20 (stop/start), today- 45 (continuous-alternating single, double)
Max deadlift: original- 165#, today 185#
Handstand hold (I wall-walked up): original- 0, today- 1:05
L-sit hold: original-1.7 seconds, today-10.89 seconds
400m run: original-1:28, today-1:19
Well, I don't think I am going to win any awards, but I am a stronger, better athlete! I was pretty happy with the results for the most part. It was cool seeing my other competitors pushing themselves and being really happy with the results. Pretty damn cool.
Again, the kind of accomplishments you can experience in a situation like this- getting stronger, overcoming fears- spill over into other areas and make you a better person all around.
I hope to take to the streets again this weekend. And the IT Band on my right side better stay the hell out of the way.
Apparently I am not normal, because, every time I do it, it is a crapshoot as to what will happen. But at least it is not for lack of strength. Oh well.
I really thought I would make more progress with my pullups, but my arm injury halted some of that. I am happy to say that I can now do 7 chin ups in a row, so that's good at least.
So this morning we got re-tested on all of the required perfomance elements. Here's what happened.
Baseline WOD: original score- 5 rounds, today's score-6 3/4
Pullups (using black resistance band. I should have not originally tested with this): original-21, today-24 Damn, that sucks.
Double unders in 2 minutes: original-20 (stop/start), today- 45 (continuous-alternating single, double)
Max deadlift: original- 165#, today 185#
Handstand hold (I wall-walked up): original- 0, today- 1:05
L-sit hold: original-1.7 seconds, today-10.89 seconds
400m run: original-1:28, today-1:19
Well, I don't think I am going to win any awards, but I am a stronger, better athlete! I was pretty happy with the results for the most part. It was cool seeing my other competitors pushing themselves and being really happy with the results. Pretty damn cool.
Again, the kind of accomplishments you can experience in a situation like this- getting stronger, overcoming fears- spill over into other areas and make you a better person all around.
I hope to take to the streets again this weekend. And the IT Band on my right side better stay the hell out of the way.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Fat Ass Tuesday
So it is that time of year again for Catholics. The beginning of Lent. Last night I tried to be good. I only had one glass of wine when we went to dinner. I ordered greek salad and broiled greek snapper. My food was devoured in less than 10 minutes.
I then proceeded to eat 3 or 4 of my 2 year old's chicken fingers, and then convinced my husband that we needed to order lemon ice box AND peanut butter pie! Holy shit. Someone almost had to carry me out of that place. WTF? Did I fool myself and think, "Well, Lent is coming and I'm going to be totally good, so I will just blow it tonight??" Obviously.
And as a result, I have a new theory.
PIE MAKES YOU WEAK!
This morning in the WOD, I did 5 sets of 5 over head presses with 55#, 37 pullups (largely unasssisted!), but when I began the 50 burpee box jumps/75 situps for time, my legs felt like they would not cooperate. Nobody loves box jumps, but after like the 10th one, I had to stop and stretch, because I was afraid I would have to scale! I made it through, but I am still blaming it on the pie..... :)
I told someone at work about what I ate last night, and she was like, " So you are human!" Well, yeah! My weaknesses are, at times, as great as my triumphs. If only I could cut that shit out...
I saw a quote today that I really liked:
" Obsessive is what the lazy call the dedicated."
Hell yeah they do.
I then proceeded to eat 3 or 4 of my 2 year old's chicken fingers, and then convinced my husband that we needed to order lemon ice box AND peanut butter pie! Holy shit. Someone almost had to carry me out of that place. WTF? Did I fool myself and think, "Well, Lent is coming and I'm going to be totally good, so I will just blow it tonight??" Obviously.
And as a result, I have a new theory.
PIE MAKES YOU WEAK!
This morning in the WOD, I did 5 sets of 5 over head presses with 55#, 37 pullups (largely unasssisted!), but when I began the 50 burpee box jumps/75 situps for time, my legs felt like they would not cooperate. Nobody loves box jumps, but after like the 10th one, I had to stop and stretch, because I was afraid I would have to scale! I made it through, but I am still blaming it on the pie..... :)
I told someone at work about what I ate last night, and she was like, " So you are human!" Well, yeah! My weaknesses are, at times, as great as my triumphs. If only I could cut that shit out...
I saw a quote today that I really liked:
" Obsessive is what the lazy call the dedicated."
Hell yeah they do.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Not as bad as I thought...
I have been feeling pretty pathetic. For one thing, I did NOT eat well this weekend. Indian food, cookies, candy, wine, beer, I mean, give me a break!!! What is my problem? And I totally felt like shit afterwards. Had to get up early this morning to do a little spot on the news for work, and was totally foggy. Ug. Going to get back on track with a vengeance.
I didn't get to go to class on Friday morning last week, because my stepdaughter puked all over our hotel room, and I just couldn't sleep after that. Figures.
I fell on my head again trying to do a handstand yesterday. Why, Oh Why???!!! I have done it successfully several times! I can hold it for 40 seconds! It is just that my stupid brain cannot seem to coordinate the transition when it happens quickly.
Maybe I have fallen on my head too many times.
Yesterday I totally sucked at double unders. At one point, I was like...screw it! I have been putting in so much work and I am getting worse, not better. Screw it.
However.....I am not as bad as I thought.
Tonight in class, I got my first complete Rx. Hell yeah!
To get that Rx, you have to do the WOD as prescribed- no scaled modifications. (Less weight, pushups on knees, etc.)
First we had to find our 5rm for hang squat cleans. I got to 85# and decided I had had enough. Maybe I could have done more, but these are new for me. A couple of weeks ago I almost went down doing full squat cleans! Seriously, had I not caught myself, that barbell and I would have crashed backwards through the freezers! Typical. hah
So then we had a 10 minute amrap of: 5 hang squat cleans (Rx for women was 65#), 10 pushups, 15 double unders.
I totally had a breakthrough with the double unders and got into a good rhythm of single, double, single, double etc. Felt like I was going to die, though, Holy Crap! So I only got five rounds total, but I got the Rx, baby! Form, weight, speed, then the ability to combine all three. That's where I want to be.
It doesn't matter if I place in the challenge or not. Through my efforts I am becoming a stronger athlete, and that, at the end of the day, is really the point. Still striving to become that better version of myself.
I didn't get to go to class on Friday morning last week, because my stepdaughter puked all over our hotel room, and I just couldn't sleep after that. Figures.
I fell on my head again trying to do a handstand yesterday. Why, Oh Why???!!! I have done it successfully several times! I can hold it for 40 seconds! It is just that my stupid brain cannot seem to coordinate the transition when it happens quickly.
Maybe I have fallen on my head too many times.
Yesterday I totally sucked at double unders. At one point, I was like...screw it! I have been putting in so much work and I am getting worse, not better. Screw it.
However.....I am not as bad as I thought.
Tonight in class, I got my first complete Rx. Hell yeah!
To get that Rx, you have to do the WOD as prescribed- no scaled modifications. (Less weight, pushups on knees, etc.)
First we had to find our 5rm for hang squat cleans. I got to 85# and decided I had had enough. Maybe I could have done more, but these are new for me. A couple of weeks ago I almost went down doing full squat cleans! Seriously, had I not caught myself, that barbell and I would have crashed backwards through the freezers! Typical. hah
So then we had a 10 minute amrap of: 5 hang squat cleans (Rx for women was 65#), 10 pushups, 15 double unders.
I totally had a breakthrough with the double unders and got into a good rhythm of single, double, single, double etc. Felt like I was going to die, though, Holy Crap! So I only got five rounds total, but I got the Rx, baby! Form, weight, speed, then the ability to combine all three. That's where I want to be.
It doesn't matter if I place in the challenge or not. Through my efforts I am becoming a stronger athlete, and that, at the end of the day, is really the point. Still striving to become that better version of myself.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Snatch It, Baby!
Much to my consternation, no WOD was posted online before I went to class at 6:30 this morning. I like knowing what to expect, or in some cases, fear! This morning we had to find our 2RM hang power snatch, then do an 8 minute amrap of 5 burpee box jumps and 7 hang power snatches. Rx for women was 55#. No way in hell. I had never done these before, but luckily, due to my own inner geekiness, I was watching videos on YouTube on how to do a full snatch. I actually practiced it with a wooden stick. If I hadn't, I would probably have been totally confused, to say the least! It is a complex move.
I started out with the 15 # training bar, because I really wanted to feel it out. I wound up having a 2RM of 55#, and MAYBE could have done more, but I still want to focus more on form and safety at this point with a move like that. For the amrap, I used 45#, and fell one rep short of 6 rounds! I was happy enough with that for now. Again, today was another example of overcoming that fear of lack of skill and ability. Granted, I am by no means perfectly executing this movement, but it is a step in the right direction! Yay!
I started out with the 15 # training bar, because I really wanted to feel it out. I wound up having a 2RM of 55#, and MAYBE could have done more, but I still want to focus more on form and safety at this point with a move like that. For the amrap, I used 45#, and fell one rep short of 6 rounds! I was happy enough with that for now. Again, today was another example of overcoming that fear of lack of skill and ability. Granted, I am by no means perfectly executing this movement, but it is a step in the right direction! Yay!
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Home Stuff
This week we are having to get out of our house for two days or so, due to part of our remodeling project. Our house used to belong to my husband's grandmother, and it got to the point where she really couldn't take care of it anymore, so we took ownership of it, and she now still lives there with us. It has been a LONG road in that respect! Firstly, everything about the house screamed 70'S HELL! Secondly, she was/is totally a hoarder. You would not believe the stuff that was piled up in that house! But that is another story entirely. In a nutshell, we eventually convinced her to let us pack up her stuff and keep it in a storage facility while we remodel the entire house. We are nearing the end of that process, thankfully, but this week we will have to stay in a hotel for two days while they complete the toxic process of reglazing all of the bathroom tile. Goodbye pink and brown! BWWAAAHAHAHAHA! But needless to say, having no kitchen to use has made the whole Paleo thing a bit more challenging, and being in a hotel is going to impede my ability to practice double unders.
Last night at Iron Tribe, the WOD was as follows:
200 air squats
100 situps
100 kettlebell swings
100 pushups
Good news was that you could attack it however you wanted to. Rx was 35# bell for women, but I just didn't feel ready to take that on yet. I really want to master the 26, and really get my body, especially my back stability right on target. I broke it up into 10 sets of 20 squats and 10 of everything else, and finished in 18:36, which was ok. Afterwards, one of the coaches said, "Why didn't you go for the Rx, it was easy for you!" I said I just wanted to be careful, since I had never even used kettlebells before starting Crossfit. But he's right, the 26# IS getting much easier for me to use. Honestly, though, I have a hard time imagining swinging a 35# ball of iron above my head with ferocity at this point.
That's the great thing about Crossfit, though. You have a hard time imagining yourself doing all sorts of things in the box. And then you do them. It's all about breaking those boundaries, and when you do that, you really start building a type of confidence that spills over into other areas of life.
There were a bunch of new guys in there last night straight out of 101, that were pointed out to us at the beginning of class. When class was over, one of the coaches told us to introduce ourselves to the new people. "Don't be jerks, guys." My problem is that I am still relatively new and didn't know ANY of the guys in there to begin with, nor did I remember who was new and who wasn't! I introduced myself to one guy, but he had been at ITF longer than I have. Feeling stupid now. Not going to make any more introductions! So I guess I was being a jerk.
Last night at Iron Tribe, the WOD was as follows:
200 air squats
100 situps
100 kettlebell swings
100 pushups
Good news was that you could attack it however you wanted to. Rx was 35# bell for women, but I just didn't feel ready to take that on yet. I really want to master the 26, and really get my body, especially my back stability right on target. I broke it up into 10 sets of 20 squats and 10 of everything else, and finished in 18:36, which was ok. Afterwards, one of the coaches said, "Why didn't you go for the Rx, it was easy for you!" I said I just wanted to be careful, since I had never even used kettlebells before starting Crossfit. But he's right, the 26# IS getting much easier for me to use. Honestly, though, I have a hard time imagining swinging a 35# ball of iron above my head with ferocity at this point.
That's the great thing about Crossfit, though. You have a hard time imagining yourself doing all sorts of things in the box. And then you do them. It's all about breaking those boundaries, and when you do that, you really start building a type of confidence that spills over into other areas of life.
There were a bunch of new guys in there last night straight out of 101, that were pointed out to us at the beginning of class. When class was over, one of the coaches told us to introduce ourselves to the new people. "Don't be jerks, guys." My problem is that I am still relatively new and didn't know ANY of the guys in there to begin with, nor did I remember who was new and who wasn't! I introduced myself to one guy, but he had been at ITF longer than I have. Feeling stupid now. Not going to make any more introductions! So I guess I was being a jerk.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
It's more than just exercise
Throughout my life I have had difficulties. I have battled eating disorders. I battle depression. I came to a determination years ago, that I would not live my life dependent upon some psychoacitive drug. No fucking way. So I manage my problems through lifestyle decisions. And it is not always easy. I still have my peaks and valleys, but if I have something to strive for, something that motivates me, then I feel like I can make it.
I watched my grandmother on my father's side of my family struggle with bi-polar mental illness. The medications did not make her into a stable person. She eventually committed suicide when I was 17. I was the only relative in the state, and I was called to deal with her first failed attempt, and eventually the successful one. I have decided that I will not end up like that.
Before I joined Iron Tribe, I was stuck in a rut in many ways. I was losing my motivation, which was then in turn, having a detrimental effect on my total well-being. So I am grateful to have sometheing new to focus on.
When people first meet me, a lot of the time, I don't leave a favorable impression. It's not that I don't want to, but I come across as standoffish, or stuck up in some way. And I'm not. I am nothing like that. I am insecure, I doubt myself and my abilities, and I have a hard time judging most days what I look like, or what I can do, or how I am coming across to people. But for the people who can get past that stuff, they find that it is hard to find a more understanding, empathetic, or forgiving person than me. I genuinely enjoy seeing other people accomplish things and be successful. It thrills me to no end to see other people discover the best within themselves and to strive for more. But I have a level of perception about other people that is both a blessing and a curse. I can sense what other people think. How they feel about things. Things that are said, done, or just how they feel about people in general.
Today was a bad day.
Martinis from the night before did not agree with my state of mind. All day I felt depressed. I was going to try to run this morning, but I just didn't feel like it. I was just feeling down on myself because I feel like I cannot make the kind of progress I want to make. I am still wary of the handstand, althought my husband spotted me while I kicked up and held it three times, so I feel a LITTLE better about that.
I was in Dick's sporting goods tonight, and had a long conversation about Crossfit with a random guy who worked there. Clearly I need to make some friends who also do this.
I watched my grandmother on my father's side of my family struggle with bi-polar mental illness. The medications did not make her into a stable person. She eventually committed suicide when I was 17. I was the only relative in the state, and I was called to deal with her first failed attempt, and eventually the successful one. I have decided that I will not end up like that.
Before I joined Iron Tribe, I was stuck in a rut in many ways. I was losing my motivation, which was then in turn, having a detrimental effect on my total well-being. So I am grateful to have sometheing new to focus on.
When people first meet me, a lot of the time, I don't leave a favorable impression. It's not that I don't want to, but I come across as standoffish, or stuck up in some way. And I'm not. I am nothing like that. I am insecure, I doubt myself and my abilities, and I have a hard time judging most days what I look like, or what I can do, or how I am coming across to people. But for the people who can get past that stuff, they find that it is hard to find a more understanding, empathetic, or forgiving person than me. I genuinely enjoy seeing other people accomplish things and be successful. It thrills me to no end to see other people discover the best within themselves and to strive for more. But I have a level of perception about other people that is both a blessing and a curse. I can sense what other people think. How they feel about things. Things that are said, done, or just how they feel about people in general.
Today was a bad day.
Martinis from the night before did not agree with my state of mind. All day I felt depressed. I was going to try to run this morning, but I just didn't feel like it. I was just feeling down on myself because I feel like I cannot make the kind of progress I want to make. I am still wary of the handstand, althought my husband spotted me while I kicked up and held it three times, so I feel a LITTLE better about that.
I was in Dick's sporting goods tonight, and had a long conversation about Crossfit with a random guy who worked there. Clearly I need to make some friends who also do this.
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