PR x 3

Feeling great at Crossfit. Feeling really great. Crossfit is a love / hate thing. Actually not really hate, just sort of blah. Either I am all into it or I am just riding along thinking...hmmmm.... not really pushing. Over the past three months I have decided to step it up a bit and did the Paleo/ Zone challenge. Eating mostly meats, fish, veggies, little fruit and nuts. Lost 10 pounds, but the big difference is really in the gym. I do feel a lot better. To finish the challenge we had to set up three workout goals and so this week I have been trying to get to them. Yesterday at 6 am I went to my overhead squat. I beat it by 9 pounds and I knew I could of gone up a little, but it was 7 and I have this job thing that always gets in the way of working out. haha. I went back at 6 pm to do my mile for time and cut of 39 seconds. YAHHHOOOO. Running is not the thing for me, so that sent me over the moon. My friend Niele was doing a little bench workout so I decided to do a little extra work with her and guess what? I got a PR on my bench too. Three PR's in one day makes this girl VERY, very happy. Feeling Thankful for Crossfit this morning.

Monday's WOD
Work up to a Max Clean for the day.

Tuesday - REST

Wednesday - Double Duty
6 am - OHS - 108#
6 pm - Mile for time - 8:09
- Bench - 105#

TurkeyDay Workout:
As a team do 21-15-9 rounds of the circuit of movements:
Thrusters
Double unders
Kte
burpies
box jump
calories- rowing.

Memories of Grams

Hasn't settled in me that she is really gone. I keep thinking I should call to tell her this or that and then realize that I can't really do that. No set way to really deal with death of a loved one. No plan to take except the need to just cherish the memories and breathe deep. Waves of grief hit me and I am a bit overwhelmed at the timing. Last night, wandering about in Costco and come upon the moving, loud, obnoxious Christmas display and get hit by a load of bricks thinking about my Grams house and how it always used come alive at Christmas. SO many little moving trinkets. I really think she had more nicknacks than any other human on earth. It was a bit of a crazy obsession - odd really. How many items can one collect before the collection takes a life of it's own? She always was positive - no matter what. ALWAYS had some sort of funny fact to make you laugh. She thought everyone was great, with the exception of Obama. We didn't discuss politics because her views were a bit off from the fascination of FOX TV taking over part of her brain. She actually talked to her cat. Mid sentence she would look over at Miss Kitty and ask, "So, what do you think of that Miss Kitty?" Ha! She was a talented artist and could recite all the poetry she had ever learned in her lifetime. She had a crazy obsession with chocolate. She loved to practical jokes and anything that had to do with laughing. She had a passion for writing letters and was the most awesome pen pal when I thought I was going to literally die of homesickness when I lived in London. She wrote me everyday and encouraged me and loved me with every word. I have every letter. Her writing was beautiful. She never forgot a birthday or anniversary! She would even send my old boyfriends birthday cards long after we had broken up! People loved her because she knew how to love others. What a life lesson that is in itself. If we all would just love each other no matter what I wonder what type of holiday season this would be.

Loving My Grams.

Made it through the week. My grandma died this week and it was very painful. She was 88 years old and had the most amazing life. Nate had just finished a historical interview of her and she recalled the mail being delivered by horse and buggy. She was the happiest most loving person. I really loved her and will miss her so, so much!

Monday's Workout:
400m run
21 kb swings 16/24kg
15 dl 155/225
9 pull ups
3 rounds

This felt really good except I still have to be really careful dead lifting. I did 115. The body weight lift always feels better, unless it's bench. Can't quit do a body weight there.

Tuesday's Workout:
Rack jerk
power clean
Rack jerk and dump, power clean back to the rack. When the athlete fails 2x on the jerk or 2x on the power clean, they will srip the bar as they loaded it and work for speed. That would be all the way down to the bare bar.
cookie:
5-4-3-2-1 Ghd sit ups and handstand push ups. Not for time.

I think the split jerk is one of my favorite moves at the gym. I did 115 and felt really good to get that. The clean stayed at 110. I really think I could of gone up with the split. Next time. The trainers are changing in the am. Eva is a hardcore lifter as well as Tara and I don't know if I can do too many heavy days in a row. We will see - the rest days may be changing. I have been going at night once a week with Bri and that is super fun. He is scary strong. :)

Wednesday's Workout:
2k row
then
work on your weakest skills, i.e., kipping pull ups, muscle ups, monkey pull ups, rope climb, bar muscle up…

I really wanted to beat my old time, but missed my mark by 9 seconds. I went out a little to reserved on the first 1000. I really have to find a healthy pace or I hit a wall. Finding myself with too much in the tank at the end of the row was a bit of a disappointment.

Thursday... Rest

Friday' Workout:
“Dwayne” (Revisited)
1 Mile Run
100 Double Unders
16 HSPU
31 HPC (95#/65#)
15 HSPU
100 Double Unders
1 Mile Run
This took me a solid 30 min. The only thing I needed help on was the hand stand push ups. I used a band. I can only do one or two and I start to fail quickly. Then it hurts to hit the top of my head and it isn't so good on the neck. :) I do feel stronger, but those stinkers are hard! Wish I would of timed that first mile because I felt really good. Although... the second mile was more of a jog. I am SO sore from the dumb double unders. Jumping rope gives me sore legs.

Saturday's Workout:
Work with a partner...
One partner runs 600 m while the other is doing 10 situps, 5 thrusters, 1 rope climb
Then switch. 2 rounds.
Rest three minutes and repeat.
This was much harder than it looked. Fun to do with Rachel, but I am beat!

Sunday - Rest.... well sort of ... pack up 2,000 boxes for OCC. Yeah! Operation Christmas Child is an awesome organization.

This week is the end of the three month challenge. I will need to PR on the mile run, beat a 95 OHS and beat my Helen time. I hope I can do that all this week before I eat myself into a frenzy on Turkey day. Love to all of you over the holidays.

ONE Stinkin Week Left on Paleo

One week to go on this Paleo challenge. I will be glad when it's over. I know I will continue to eat similarly, but I do need a few more baked items in my life. :) 3 months of eating this way has resulted in some weight loss, but mostly better times in the gym and greater strength. I don't want to give those up, so I will need to keep most of this plan.

Monday's WOD:
Hero Workout:
“DT”
12 DL
9 HPC
6 PP
5 rounds 155/100

I LOVED this. It was super hard, but I felt really good. I did 93# and I thought I had 98# the whole time! At 98 I thought that was close enough to the Rxd weight. HA! Oh well. HP Cleans are my fav and of coarse anything over head.

Tuesday's WOD

4-3-2-1 front squat start @ 80% of max.
4-3-2-1 rope climb
NOT for time.

Rope climbs were fine. 10 of them was a bit much, but I survived w/o any burns. Front squats are just brutal for me. I need more muscles on my rear.

Wednesday's WOD
Rest for time!

Thursday's WOD
Didn't make it because I had one of "those" days that didn't allow for anytime to workout! AHHHH! Here it is and I do want to do it someday because it sounds awesome!
Workout:
200M run
30 box jump
30 Wall Ball
400M Run
30 GHD Sit Up
30 Double Under
200M Run
30 Knee 2 Elbow
400M Run
30 Burpee
200M Run
30 Double Under
30 GHD Sit Up
400M Run
30 Wall Ball
30 Box Jump
200M Run


Friday's WOD
Workout:
3×5 bench press
then
10-8-6-4-2
power clean/thruster/pull up 20/35 db’s

Saturday's WOD
Pick your lift - I chose Clean and Jerks.
7-5-3 - Add weight each time.
Run 400 for time, then a 600 and a 800.
OUCH.

Sunday - rest

My life is a bit of an emotional roller coaster lately. My grandmother is dying and I feel so torn up over it. I think about her ALL the time and mostly at night when I should be sleeping!! One step at a time! I have been told that she won't make it. I have such a heavy heart. She is such an angel and always was so loving and encouraging of me. She always had a smile on her face and always made people feel very loved. I want to always be like her.

35 Pull Ups! YES!

Monday
Workout:
21-15-9
OHS 83/115
Ring dips

This was the first time I used tape on my wrists. I was so glad I did because the OHS didn't hurt nearly as much. I used a band the whole time I did the ring dips and finished much too quickly. When I finish minutes ahead then I know that I wasn't pushing myself hard enough. I like OHS and felt good.

Tuesday
Workout:
Press 3×5 across
then
DB floor press 15 and a 400M run 4 rounds.

I LOVE shoulder press or anything shoulders. The funny think was that I had 77 pounds on my first set of 5 and struggled to get it up. I jumped 20 pounds to get it to the weight I wanted and jumped much too quickly, so I wasn't warmed up enough. When I did my second and third set of 77 it wasn't nearly as hard and I should of tried 82. Oh well. Lesson learned.

Wednesday
Workout:
Warm up to 1.25 body weight in the back squat.
Get max reps at this weight, and match your squat set with a set of pull ups.
3 rounds.

HA!!!!! I got a PR on pull ups. 35!!! I was super duper excited AND so thankful that 2 girls were counting so I could be confident in my number! That is 5 more than my previous max. I think it is the drop in weight that has helped my get my chin over the bar. It's only 10 pounds, but it makes a huge difference. The bodyweight + back squats didn't happen! I got to 108 - but I could still feel my back really tightening up. I wore a back brace thingy and that helped a lot, plus felt like I had great coaching with Rob and Skip giving me pointers. One day I will be a strong squatter, but my butt needs more muscle. HAHA

Thursday
Workout:
With a partner:
one does-weighted lunge 100m the other does-squat hold
switch
200m run
100m lunge and plank hold
switch
400m run
100m lunge and bar hang
switch
800m run

I'm sorry... did I say that my butt needed more muscle? Not all in one day for crying out loud. My butt is KILLING me! Haha. I had to work hard at not crying out when I sat down to work with my darling students today. I didn't want to scare them! I am really feeling this workout. I had Peter for a partner. Oh my! He is super fast - so I felt like a slug next to him. Anytime I have to run too far I contemplate throwing myself in the bushes - I don't, however, think that would take me out of my misery because eventually I would have to crawl out of the bush and finish the run.... So I just keep running. I needed my IPOD! :)

Friday:
Forced REST!

Great CORE workout!

Wednesday's Workout:
“Nate”
AMRAP:
2 muscle ups
4 hspu
8 kbs women:53# / Men: 70#
How many rounds in 20 min? i did 11.

Thursday's Workout:
“The Bear”
5 rounds of 7 repititions of…
power clean to front squat to push press to back squat to push jerk…touch and go only to start next rep.
I started with an empty bar and added about 10 pounds each round. I ended with 77# which felt very heavy, but I still think I could of gone up. I wasn't really sore the next day, but I am still keeping an eye on my lower back.

Saturday's Workout: The one I am still feeling!
400m Run
2 Rounds
25 passthroughs
25 ball sit ups
200 m run
50 jiu jitsu sit ups
200m run
2 Rounds
25 K2E
25 “star” Sit ups
400m run
This is a partner workout. Both complete the run then alternate the passthroughs/ball sits ups and K2E/ Stars. You cannot change stations until your partner is done. Rotate until both have completed 2 rounds of each movement. The 50 jiu jitsu sits are a total for each team (25 each). Larissa and I killed this one. I LOVE the body weight core workouts and tend to do the best on those. We finished in just under 20 min., but oh boy I am feeling it today! OUCH!

Christine - PR

People were killing it today on Christine. I had to laugh because I am the slowest rower, but was able to squeak out a PR. I was in need of one. Yeah! I got 13:58 - so I was feeling good. The body weight back squats made my back feel tight, but I took and Advil when I got home and have been fine all day!

500 m row
12 body weight back squats
21 box jumps
3 rounds!