“Angela”

Yep, I'm 48 today! Thanks to Breck for a fun birthday workout. It was tough, and I was slow, but I loved it!



3 Rounds for time of:

16 Dumbbell power cleans (Men 45 lb dumbbells, Women 30 lb dumbbells)
16 Dumbbell thrusters (Men 45 lb dumbbells, Women 30 lb dumbbells)
16 Pull-ups


My time: 19:23, Rx



I stole the pic from CFJenks website this morning. :)





Shoulder Press, Wendler Method:
5 ea @ 35-40-45
3 ea @ 55-65
4 @ 70

Back Squats!

Well, today I did the last workout of my 47th year. Monday I'll be 48. Yikes! It's just a number, right?

Today's strength was Back Squats, using the Wendler method. My 1RM is 200, so all my lifts are based on 90% of that, which is 180.

warm up sets: 5 ea @ 70, 90, 110
work sets: 5 ea @ 115, 135, 155

I maybe could have gone more reps on the 155 if it were not Friday. I'm burned out by Friday and not working at full capacity. But 5 is still respectable. I'll take it!

WOD:

As many rounds as possible in 12 minutes of:

5 Front squats (Men 185 lbs, Women 125 lbs)
10 Ring dips
20 Sit-ups (anchored with 10 lb plate behind head)

My rounds: 3 + 2 ring dips, used 95 lbs for squats

Had a few ring dips that were pretty good depth, but for the most part in this workout my ring dips were "ring dip attempts". Still, it feels better than the bar dips to me because I am learning to stablize myself on the rings and work the hollow body position far better than on the bars. I feel like I'm making progress on the rings.

TGIF!!!

Suck it up!!

Ok, so I had a bad attitude this morning. Thought I was trying to conceal it, but Brad called me out on it twice. Thanks Brad. ;)

I went through the Wendler bench press session and that kind of helped me wake up a bit, but I still wasn't feeling it. Just tired. Truthfully, burned out.

Anyway, Breck gave the option of scaling the workout to something like 25-20-15 if we didn't think we could complete the WOD in 20 minutes. And I was seriously considering it as he started the clock.

I whipped through the first 30 kettle bell swings in pretty good time, and then came the box jumps, and my negative internal voice telling me, "Scale to 20 box jumps and 10 pull ups". And no sooner than I thought it, I realized how absurd it was. I had no reason to scale. I am quite capable of doing this workout in under 20 minutes, even as slow as I am on box jumps.

Mid-way through the second round, an old favorite Beasty Boys song came on and I was all smiles and felt more energetic. It didn't help me go any faster, but it was just enough of a kick to get me through the WOD in under 20 minutes. So, this morning was a victory for me. A victory over negative attitudes and self doubt. Yay!!

WOD:
3 Rounds for time of:
30Kettlebell swings (Men 55 lbs, Women 35 lbs)
25 Box jumps (Men 24” box, Women 20” box)
20 Pull-ups

My time: 18:01 Rx

Wendeler bench press, based on 1RM of 100 lbs
5 @ 35, 5 @ 45, 3 @ 55
5 @ 65, 5 @ 70, 11 @ 75

Blurred Vision

Somehow I managed to miss the "run" part of this workout when I looked at my iphone this morning through my sleepy, blurry eyes. I was stunned when I discovered we were actually going to run a mile. Ha ha. It's like waking up in a new world every day with me.

Each for time of:

2000 Meter row
1600 Meter run

My times: row - 9:12.2, run- 10:30

In the warmup today we practiced rope climbs, hand stand walking (ha!) and muscle ups or sub for ring dips. I did ring dips, which I have to say, I'm getting a teeny tiny bit deeper on them so I'm making progress!

"Jeremy"

In honor of “Jeremy”

Three rounds, 21-15- and 9 reps, for time of:
Overhead squats (Men 95 lbs, Women 65 lbs)
Burpees

My time: 10:09 Rx (PR by over a minute!!)

8/12/10: 11:18 Rx
3/5/09: 12:18

It's nice to set a new PR every now and then, and fun to look back at my slower times. Doesn't happen a lot these days, but it's so encouraging when it happens. I was trying like heck to beat Lori today, and I caught her on the OHS every time, but she beat me on the burpees. I claim old age as a handicap. Ha ha!

Wendler Deadlifts

DL based on 235 1rm

warm ups
5 @ 85
5 @ 105
3 @ 125

work sets
5 @ 135
5 @ 155
9 @ 180

Wendler?

We started a new thing today, I think it's called Wendler something like that...anyway, it's just a different rep scheme for different lifts where you use smaller percentages of your 1RM to gain strength over time. We did shoulder press today.

So I think my 1RM shoulder press is 85

5 @ 35 lbs (40%)
5 @ 40 lbs (ok...I forgot the percentages on these...geez)
3 @ 45
5 @ 50
5 @ 55
5 @ 60

And then we did some gymnastics stuff -pull ups, dips, hspu

And then the WOD

3 Rounds for time of:

15 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (Men 95 lbs, Women 65 lbs)
30 Push-ups (Hands released at the bottom)

My time: 10:12 Rx

Slow as death. I'm sure my drunken binge in Eureka Springs didn't help me this morning. After my impending birthday celebration this weekend, I'm gonna have to be on the wagon for a while. Whew!!

TGIF!

5 Rounds for time of:

400 Meter run
10 Handstand push-ups

My time: 15:28, mod hspu


Snatches (some squat, some power)
1 every 2 minutes for 20 minutes:
55-55-60-60-65-70-70-70-70-70

Headed to Eureka Springs for the weekend - party time!

Run!

For time:

1600 Meter run
15 Muscle ups
800 Meter run
10 Muscle ups
400 Meter run
5 Muscle ups

My time: 30:30, subbed 30/20/10 pull ups & push ups for the muscle ups

Let me just tell you how sore my quad and glutes are from yesterday's heavy back squats. I feel like I need a walker to get in and out of my car. I need hand rails in the bathroom. I'm SO sore, I don't know how I got through the warm-up, let alone the WOD today. Actually, my legs sort of went numb after the first half mile, so that was a blessing in disugise. My mile time was ridiculously slow - 10:00.

Just another day in the life of CrossFit, though. One more workout this week and I'm taking two days off. I need it. I'm going to go to Eureka Springs and drink beer with my husband. :-)

Back Squats

Our strength component today was Back Squats. Haven't done these in a while, and certainly haven't gone heavy in a LONG time. Felt good to lift heavy. I'm still chasing that 205 PR -missed again!

Rep scheme: 5-3-2-2-1-1-1
My loads: 85-115-135-155-175-195-205(f)

I'll get that 205 next time!!

WOD:

15-10 & 5 rep rounds for time of:
Back squats (Men 225 lbs, Women 155 lbs)
Burpees

My time: 11:31 Rx

Holy cow, I was toast by the time the workout actually started, and those "easy" 155 lb back squats were not so easy! This took me MUCH longer than anticipated.

Ugh!

This morning I rolled over and looked at the clock thinking it was surely time to get up and head to the gym. Oh it was that and then some. I normally wake up at 4:30 and the clock said 6:11. Yeah. Nice.

Every time my cleaning people do the dusting, they mess with the buttons on the alarm clock. I could have sworn that I verified the correct settings last night, but apparently not.

I haven't overslept in a long time. I was not happy about it. I don't like missing my workout. It throws off my entire routine for the day.

If the weather is decent maybe I'll get out and run a couple of miles after work. If not, I'll just start over tomorrow morning...

CF OPEN WOD 11.6

As many reps as possible in 7 minutes of:
3 Thrusters (Men 100 lbs, Women 65 lbs)
3 Chest to bar pull-ups
6 Thrusters (Men 100 lbs, Women 65 lbs)
6 Chest to bar pull-ups
9 Thrusters (Men 100 lbs, Women 65 lbs)
9 Chest to bar pull-ups
12 Thrusters (Men 100 lbs, Women 65 lbs)
12 Chest to bar pull-ups
15 Thrusters (Men 100 lbs, Women 65 lbs)
15 Chest to bar pull-ups
18 Thrusters (Men 100 lbs, Women 65 lbs)
18 Chest to bar pull-ups
21 Thrusters (Men 100 lbs, Women 65 lbs)
21 Chest to bar pull-ups

My total reps: 53
(got through the 12 thrusters and 5 pull ups in that round)

So...
It's done.
I'm finished with the Open.
Or, rather, it's finished with me.

I've enjoyed the entire experience and learned to push myself beyond my own expectations. I am slowly learning not to put restrictions on myself. I did not want to take a score of 3 for this workout, so I figure out those chest-to-bar pull ups and got way more reps than I thought I would. I feel successful and victorious. And although I am nowhere near the top 20 in my age group, I'm still on the board!

The only element they posted this year that I was unable to do was a muscle up. I didn't make it that far into that particular workout, but if I had, I would have tried like crazy to get one that day!

So, I'm looking forward to next year, and I hope they have the same format. I loved competing!

TGIF!

For max reps:
3 Minutes of rowing (calories)
1 Minute rest
3 Minutes of burpees
1 Minute rest
3 Minutes of box jumps (Men 24” box, Women 20” box)
1 Minute rest
3 Minutes of pull-ups
1 Minute rest
3 Minutes of double unders

Athletes choice on order of exercises.

My total, as Rx: 177
Row cal 32
Burpees 29
Box jumps 36
Pull ups 26
Doubles 53

Run:
400m
200
400
200
400

rest 1 min btwn each

total run time: 12:34 (s.l.o.w.)

More Cleans?

We have done some kind of clean every day this week. Well, not Monday I guess, but still. I'm battered and bruised and sore. I'm ready for a day off!!!

3 Rounds for time of:

10 Dumbbell squat cleans (Men 45 lb dumbbells, Women 30 lb dumbbells)
15 Ring push-ups

My time: 9:09, Rx weight
subbed DB push ups for ring push ups (after 8 really wobbly, pathetic looking ring push ups)

Decided to gut up and do the prescribed weight. Not a problem. Figured the push ups would be the easy part. Not so, not for me anyway. But I managed to get through it in less than 10 minutes so, eh, I'll take it.

This morning's strength was presses, 3 sets of 3 each, shoulder press, push press and push jerk.
my loads:
sp: 55-65-70
pp: 75-80-85
pj: 90-95-100

went kind of light for what my PR's are on these. I am just worn out from the workouts this week and feeling some tendonitis in my right elbow. One more workout and I get a couple of rest days!! yay!!

CF Open WOD 11.5

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 20 minutes of:

5 Power cleans (Men 145lbs, Women 100 lbs)
10 Toes to bar
15 Wall balls (Men 20lbs to 10′ target, Women 14 lbs to 9′ target)

My total: 6 rounds, 5 Cleans, 2 Toes to bar = 187 reps

Totally pleased with this. A little frustration with my grip and my left shoulder on the toes to bar, but I did the best I could do and pushed through. Breck was judging me and, being the awesome coach that he is, he is also a great motivator! I wanted to give up in that last round but he yelled at me and pushed me and told me to suck it up, and I got those last 7 reps!! I have to say it felt pretty good!

This whole CF Open has been a good experience for me. It has taught me to push myself a little harder than what I think is 100%. In other words, I've spent a lot of time in CrossFit thinking I'm giving 100% when truly it's about 90%. So, I have more in me...I just need to gut up more often; dig deeper and push harder!

The Games website also posted the 11.6 WOD last night, and I felt pretty doomed after reading it. It's a thrusters and pull-ups ladder, with the pull-ups being chest-to-bar. Bummer for me because I've never been able to do a chest-to-bar...

UNTIL THIS MORNING!!!!

Yep, that's right! I got my first chest-to-bar pull-up during the warm up. Actually I did two of them. So there is hope for me to get some reps in WOD 11.6 next week after all!

What a great morning!!

Clean & Jerk

Strength today was one of my favorite lifts: clean & jerk. We practiced the split jerk, and I really prefer just a push jerk. However, I just automatically did a split jerk on several of the lifts. Go figure. Anyway, I need some work on form on the Jerk. I've actually jerked I think 135 lbs before (from a rack), but today couldn't hit 125.

Mental...it's all mental!

Rep scheme: 1 lift every 2 min for 20 min
My loads: 65-75-80-85-95-105-115-125(f on clean)-120-115-115(f on jerk)

WOD:

21-15 & 9 rep rounds for time of:
Squat clean (Men 95 lbs, Women 65 lbs)
Push press (Men 95 lbs, Women 65 lbs)

My time: 12:32 Rx

Fun workout, but I was wiped out after the warm up! Whew!!!

HQ will be announcing the last two Open WOD's this evening! I'm excited to see what they are. Hoping for kettlebells and really anything I can actually do.

Squat Snatch

Strength today was Squat Snatch
1 rep every 2 min for 20 min

45-55-60-65-65-70-75-80-85-90(f)

WOD:

3 Rounds for time of:

400 Meter run
5 Handstand push-ups
10 Ring dips
15 Push-ups (hands released at the bottom)

My time: 15:58, mod hspu (not full range) ring dips not full range either

Run

Got out for a short 2 mile run this afternoon. Weather was warm but super windy. I was slow, but wasn't trying to go fast...just wanted to run a bit. Felt good!



Run Time: 22:43
Stopped Time: 0:00
Distance: 2.05 miles
Average: 11:05 /mile
Fastest Pace: 8:17 /mile
Ascent: 174 feet
Calories: 264

TGIF!

Almost forgot to blog today. Actually I almost didn't even work out today. I was so sore when I woke up, I could hardly reach over to look at the phone and see what the WOD was. By then I was awake so I figured I might as well go give it my best shot.

"Karen"For time:

150 Wall ball shots (Men 20 lb ball, Women 14 lb ball)

My time: 12:11 Rx

Strength was Deadlifts today:

3 ea @ 105, 125, 135, 150, 165, 175, 190

Pull Ups

With a continuously running clock do one pull-up the first minute, two pull-ups the second minute, three pull-ups the third minute… continuing as long as you are able.

Use as many sets each minute as needed.

My total complete rounds: 10
after round 10, I praticed with sets of 5 up to round 16 when the guys finished

Today's strength was power cleans

warm up sets: 5@55, 4@65, 3@85 2@95

work set: 1 lift every minute for 20 minutes
my load: 100 lbs

CrossFit Games Open 11.4

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 10 minutes of:

60 Bar-facing burpees
30 Overhead squats (Men 120 lbs, Women 90 lbs)
10 Muscle-ups

Post rounds and reps completed to responses

My total points: 70
(60 burpees, 10 OHS)

I had two no-rep OHS, but pushed the entire way. I think I might have had like 30 seconds of rest the entire workout. None of the rest was during the burpees...I never broke stride on those, just a steady pace. Left me with 3 minutes for the OHS. In hindsight should have worn my lifting shoes for this one. Might re-try on Saturday, depending on how Friday night goes.

“Jessica”

For time:

88 Sit-ups (abmat, unanchored)

then

3 rounds of:
23 Toes to bar
4 Muscle ups
12 Handstand push-ups

My time: 22:36Modified HSPU, subbed 6PLU & 6Ring Dips for MU

Warm up today was running. I'm back where I was 3 weeks ago...10 seconds slower. Feels like my legs are made of cement.

400m 1:56
200m 0:51
400m 2:04
200m 0:53
400m 2:08

total time w/rest: 11:52
total run time: 07:52

“Nancy”

5 rounds for time of:

400 meter run

15 overhead squats (Men 95 lbs, Women 65 lbs)

My time: 19:39, Rx, unbroken

About a minute or so off my PR, but I still love this workout. It's one of my all-time favorites and I don't think we do it often enough. Love the OHS.

This morning's strength was OHS too!!
5-3-2 (warm up)
55-65-70

1-1-1-1-1 work sets
75-85-95-105-115

Climbing the Walls

Nicole, doing a wall climb. I borrowed her picture because, well, she's hot and I'm not. *smile* Really, I don't have a picture of me doing wall climbs because TODAY was the first time I've ever tried them. Scary!

3 Rounds for time of:

400 Meter run
7 Wall climbs
21 Toes to bar

My time: 24:13, almost Rx

I need to make myself over come the FEAR of falling and breaking my face or my neck and get all the way up to the wall with my belly on these wall climbs. I did get within about 1 foot of the wall with my hands, so I know I can suck it up and be brave next time.

TGIF!!!

CrossFit Games Open 11.3

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 5 minutes of:

Squat clean (Men 165 lbs, Women 110 lbs)
Jerk (Men 165 lbs, Women 110 lbs)

Post rounds and reps completed

My rounds/reps: 11/22 Rx

Totally proud of my effort on this workout. I did have one missed rep, costing me some time, and actually costing me a round, but I gave 100%. I had a goal of 10 rounds and exceeded that. I am contemplating re-doing the WOD on Saturday morning, depending on weekend plans, but I'm still happy with my score today!

Yes!!!!

Can I just say, I'm SO excited about the Open WOD #3?! I love clean & jerks, and don't mind a squat clean at all. I can totally do 110 lbs, and I'm looking forward to having a go at this one! I will not make predictions about how many reps, but I'm looking forward to giving it all I've got tomorrow, and I do have a goal in mind. *smiles*

Today's WOD:

For time:
1000 Meter row
200 Double unders
30 Kettlebell swings (Men 55 lbs, Women 35 lbs)

My time: 15:56, Rx

This wasn't too bad of a workout. My double unders felt ok...just slow going to get to 200. I had a few sets of 10, several sets of 7 & 8, lots of 5's. It's a combination of poor technique and inefficient breathing. I'm getting there, though! There was a day when I said "never" to double-unders and now look at me!!

A little food porn for today. This was last night's dinner: BLT Romaine wraps.

Simple and quick, all you need is romaine leaves, some good paleo/primal homemade mayo, crispy bacon and cherry tomatoes. Delicious!

Two's

2 Rounds for max reps of:

2 Minutes of rowing (calories)
2 Minutes of burpees
2 Minutes of pull-ups
2 Minutes of ab mat sit-ups (unanchored)

Post total reps to responses.

My numbers:
rowing: 27, 21
burpees: 15, 15
pull ups: 17, 19
sit ups: 58, 57

Total reps: 230

Proud of my score today!!! Two days in a row, I'm feelin' good!

warm up today included 20 minutes to work on muscle ups, muscle up progressions or in my case ring dip. I was doing sets of 3 negatives. Got in about 15 sets.

More dumbbells.

5 Rounds for time of:

10 Dumbbell squat cleans (dumbbells must touch the floor each rep)
10 Dumbbell overhead walking lunges
10 Dumbbell thrusters

Compare to July 12, 2010.

My time: 13:06, 15 lb DB - PR of about 2 min

I love this workout. I guess I love dumbbell workouts, really. Though as I sit here several hours later, my traps are so tight they are killing me!!! Owwww!

Strength today was shoulder pressrep scheme 5-5-5
warm ups: 10 @ 35, 5 @ 55, 3 @ 65, 2 @ 70
work sets: 70-70-70

“Missy”

4 Rounds for time of:

10 Pull-ups
10 Overhead squats (Men 95 lbs, Women 65 lbs)
10 Ring dips
10 Sumo Deadlift High Pull (Men 95 lbs, Women 65 lbs)

My time: 15:32, rx weight, bar dips

Not a bad workout, but my shoudlers and arms were DEAD by the end! Wow!!

Warm up this morning included running. 400-200-400-200-400 with one min rest in between each "sprint". Note, I don't actually sprint much. ha ha

My times:

400m 1:54
200m 0:51
400m 2:05
200m 0:52
400m 2:00

total time: 11:42
total run time: 7:42

This is a 10 second improvement over last week, but by no means a PR. Working on it though...I'm working on it!

CF Open WOD 11.2

Busy morning...not much time to blog. Just getting this down while I have a sec.

CrossFit Games Open 11.2

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 15 minutes of:
9 Deadlifts (Men 155 lbs, Women 100lbs)
12 Push-ups
15 Box jumps (Men 24″ box, Women 20″box)

My total reps: 203
5 rounds
9 deadlifts
12 push ups
2 box jumps

I was really hoping for 7 rounds. I just didn't have it in me. These push ups were killers. My left shoulder, which has historically had some issues, gave me pure hell, but I kept pushing as much as I could. I had only 4 no-rep push ups, where I snaked a little bit. Even though it was only 4, I hated that I wasted the effort...could have used those reps!

But, I have to be proud of my effort, because I did give 100%.

Burpees!

With a 15 minute time limit:

Row 2000 meters

As many reps as possible of burpees

Start with the 2000 meter row and with the remaining time of the 15 minutes perform as many burpees as possible.

Row Time: 9:19.7
Burpees: 36

Not a big fan of burpees, but I guess I need to practice up, because I know they'll be throwing them into one of the Open WOD's. I'd be a fool to think otherwise!

Strength component today was Hang Power Snatch
Rep scheme: 3-3-3-3-3
My loads: 55-60-65-70-75 (pr)

Yikes!

No workout today. Well, there was one posted, but the coach had an attempted break-in at his home this morning, so the gym was closed. And I did not go home and do hand-stand push ups and 1-legged squats. No, I just crawled right back into bed for a little while. We'll just call it a rest day!

I'm excited to see the announcement of WOD #2 for the Open tonight. I hope it's something I can actually do. And even something more doable than double unders.
We shall see...

Dumbbells

Every minute on the minute for 20 minutes:

5 Dumbbell deadlifts

5 Dumbbell Hang Power Cleans

5 Dumbbell thrusters

The rx’d dumbbell weight is 45% bodyweight for men and 30% bodyweight for women.

My Total: Made all 20 rounds, with 20 lb DB's Rx weight for me is 45 lbs total, so 22.5 lbs each DB...so, I went with 20 lbs each DB. Probably could've gutted it out and done 25, but still calling this Rx.

Re-do Open Wod#1

Re-did WOD 1 for the Open

10 min AMRAP
30 double unders
15 power snatch (55 lbs)

My total: 3 rounds + 22 du
an improvement of TWO REPS - Woo hoo!

PITA

Pain In The Ass...yes, that's the WOD for tomorrow. We are re-doing WOD #1 of the Open tomorrow. *sigh*

So, I took a rest day this morning.

TGIF!

Double Unders?

This morning's warm up included double unders. Looking at my performance, one might think I'd never done them before. I was extremely uncoordinated (more so than usual). I'm just thankful this didn't happen last Saturday!

WOD:

For time:
1000 Meter row
50 Wall ball shots (Men 20 lb ball, Women 14 lb ball)
30 Toes to bar
10 Muscle ups

My time: 15:13, subbed 10 burpee-pull-ups for Muscle Ups

warm up:
2 minutes of single jumps: I got somewhere around 170 (I did keep count but can't recall the number now.)
Tabata Double Unders: 27. Yes, 27 total.

Seriously, how did I ever even get through the Open WOD #1??

Worked on muscle up progressions this morning too.

“Dumbbell Fran”

21-15-9 rep rounds for time of:
Dumbbell thrusters (Men 45 lb dumbbells, Women 30 lb dumbbells)
Pull-ups

My time: 8:50, scaled to 20 lb DB's

I've never done DB Fran before, that I can recall anyway. Could have done the Rx weight, but with a 10 min time limit, I would have gone over. So, in the interest of keeping the intensity level up, I scaled to 20. Got a good workout.

The strength component today was 1 squat clean & jerk on the minute, every minute for 20 minutes. I chose 85 lbs and didn't have any missed lifts. Could have gone heavier but didn't want to risk the 5 burpee penatly for missing. The point was to work on form with a weight you can manage. I managed just fine. ;)

“Tabata Something Else”

Complete 32 intervals of 20 seconds of work followed by ten seconds of rest where the first 8 intervals are pull-ups, the second 8 are push-ups, the third 8 intervals are sit-ups, and finally, the last 8 intervals are squats. There is no rest between exercises.
Post total reps from all 32 intervals to responses.

My total reps: 257
PLU: 35
P/U: 45
S/U: 85
SQ: 93

I've done better and I've done worse. Oddly, the squats felt really good because I was getting deep, stretching my sore glutes and hamstrings (sore from yesterday's deadlifts!!).

Warm-up this morning was sprints. Blech. I'm bad at these, but it's a very good warm-up when I get my mind right with it. There is one minute of rest between each sprint.

400m – 1:52
200m – 0:52
400m – 2:09
200m – 0:53
400m – 2:06

Total time: 11:52
Run time: 7:52

Last time we did this was October 28 (as far as I can find in my records anyway.)

Deadlifts

3 Rounds for time of:

800 Meter run
30 Deadlifts (Men 205 lbs, Women 135 lbs)

My time: 25:49 Rx

Had a nice long post all written out and Blogger ate it. Stupid Blogger. Anyway, felt good to do some decent dealifts today, which was our strength component. I haven't gone "heavy" since November when I hurt my back. All the lifts felt great.

Deadlifts:
10 @ 85
5 @ 105
3 @ 125
2 @ 145
1 @ 155
1 @ 175
1 @ 195

Sunday Run Day

Went out for a run this afternoon. The weather was nice, except for the brutal south wind. It was horrible! I blame the wind for my slowness. Ha ha!

Run Time: 23:18
Stopped Time: 0:00
Distance: 2.03 miles
Average: 11:30 /mile
Fastest Pace: 7:25 /mile
Ascent: 174 feet
Calories: 251

Open WOD #1

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 10 minutes of:

30 Double-unders
15 Power snatches (55lbs / 25kg)

My rounds: 3 + 20 double unders

Wow- don't think I've ever been that nervous before a workout before. Except for Fran.
Anyway, I went into it thinking anything over 2 rounds was gravy. And I got some gravy! :) I was so happy with my results, I smiled for about 4 hours straight afterwards.

So many people are going to do the WOD over again, with the extension of the deadline for a week, but I think I'll stick with my score. I gave it my all. Not sure what else I could do. I'm happy with it.

Rest Day

Took a rest day today, in preparation for tomorrow's CF Open WOD #1. Not sure I really "needed" a rest day, it's a 10 min WOD. But I rested. And then I did about 10 minutes of double-unders practice, for what it's worth.

I'm oddly not really nervous. Just looking at it as another workout, and gonna give 100%. Well maybe 110% since it's a competition. Ha ha.

Looking forward to tomorrow with great anticipation!

Scaling again!

3 Rounds for time of:

800 Meter run
30 Pull-ups

My time: 22:54, scaled to 20 PLU per round

Why did I scale? To keep the intensity level high. And it worked. I sort of kicked myself afterwards, just a tiny bit because my pull ups felt awesome today. I had a couple of sets of 8 that were nice. It seemed like 20 was not that big of a deal, and I probably could have done sets of 30, and still got in under the 30 minute mark. I think I'm finally figuring out how to breathe with pull ups and be able to keep going . I know, three years later, right? It takes me a while to figure things out, obviously! Anyway, I'm not upset that I scaled...just need to give myself more credit for what I can actually do.

Today's strength was Push Press:
Rep Scheme: 5-5-5-5-5
My loads: 55-65-75-80-95

I'll have to look in my "archives" but I think 5 reps at 95 might be a PR for me.

Taking a rest day tomorrow. But I will probably practice double unders for a while, to get ready for Saturday.

Anticipation!

So, last night, along with apparently a zillion other people, I tried to access the CrossFit Games website and *poof*....nothing. They had some "bugs" to work out before posting WOD 1 for the Open. People were posting on the main site and on CF Facebook page, very frustrated. I just kind of laughed. I'll be doing the workout on Saturday so I wasn't just "dying" to know. But anyway, the anticipation is over and I know what I'm up against and I'm PUMPED! I'm not the best at double-unders, but a 55lb power snatch is not a problem. I think I'll do just fine!

So, today we did:

3 Rounds for time of:

400 Meter run
15 Squat snatch (Men 75 lbs, Women 55 lbs)
9 Handstand push-ups

My time: 18:59, rx weight, mod hspu

HSPU felt decent today. By decent, I mean I was getting about 4-5" depth on the first couple of rounds. Still not touching my head to the abmat (using 1 abmat) but getting close. Squat snatches felt pretty good. In the last round I had 7 consecutive without resting...wish I could get 15 consecutive. I think on just a power snatch I probably can. This makes me happy. :)

Strength today was squat snatch.
rep scheme: 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1
my loads: 35-40-45-50-55-60-65-70-75-80

This is the day!

This is the day we find out what WOD 1 is for the CrossFit Open! I'm so excited to know what it is. Hope it's nothing horrible that I'm unable to do. We shall see...

This morning's WOD:

21-15-9 rep rounds for time of:

Toes to bar
Box jumps (Men 24″ box, Women 20″ box)
Burpees

My time: 12:46 Rx

4:30 am, one eye open, staring at my iphone to see what the WOD is today. None of it is my favorite stuff, but I made myself crawl out of bed and go anyway. Turns out it wasn't horrible as I imagined it would be from the comfort of my bed. My box jumps felt pretty good, and I actually jumped "down" on a lot of them rather than stepping. I need to speed it up though. I'm gaining a comfort level with them. Burpees, well they are what they are - slow. I'm trying to be faster and push through that burning in my quads though. All in all, not a bad morning.

The warm up included 5 one-minute rounds of each of the following:

double unders - aim for min of 25 or your max...whichever you can
behind the head press - 5 reps
handstand push ups - aim for 3 to 5 good ones
muscle ups or progressions - aim for 3 to 5

How did I do? Well, double unders...I had one max set of 8. I had several good sets of 5, but i just did as many as I could in the 5 minutes. Behind the head press, I used 45 lbs and did 5 reps each min. These hurt so much, but I'm getting better at them. HSPU - seems like going with a more hollow-body position and correct "stance" I get less depth than I used to. It's like learning it all over again, but I still haven't had one full "real" HSPU yet. Muscle up progressions, I didn't get 3 per minute, but I did have a few that felt pretty good.

All in all a good morning.

Now...I'm dying to know what the first CF Open WOD will be!! Tick-tock!

Good Monday!

7 Rounds for time of:

10 Wallball shots (Men 20 lb ball, Women 14 lb ball)
10 Pull-ups

My time: 14:02

On the advice of our coach, Breck, I scaled this one. I did 10 rounds of 7 & 7, rather than 7 rounds of 10 & 10. The goal was to keep the intensity level high for me. I have difficulty maintaining intensity with sets of 10. I know...weak, right? Oh well, at least I can do pull ups, is the way I look at it.

Anyway, the idea was for me to get 7 sets of 7 & 7 before the 15 minute cut-off, with the thought in mind that I could probably do more than 7 sets, and hopefully get 10 sets in. And I did! So I did the same amount of work as prescribed, I just broke it up differently. A successful, high-intensity workout. And I have the annoying cough to prove it. ;)

Strength this morning was Front Squats. Aiming for about 85% of max on the work sets. I was closer to 75%, as my one rep max is around 155.

Warm up sets: 10-5-3-2
My loads: 65-85-105-115

Work sets: 5-5-5
My loads: 115-115-115

"Helen"

3 rounds for time

400m Run
21 Kettlebell swings (55# men/35# women)
12 Pull-ups

My time: 15:17, Rx

Not my best time ever on Helen, about 1:45 slower than my PR, actually, but faster than last November when we last did Helen. Love this workout, and I know I can be faster.

Having a little shoulder issue the past couple days. The only position I really have pain is when I've got a bar overhead in a wide grip (snatch grip, OHS grip). Probably just tired from this week's workouts and a weekend will do me some good.

TGIF!

Scaling...

Once again, swallowing my pride and scaling down so that this wasn't a strength workout...focus was on speed & form. I hate scaling but sometimes it's the right thing to do.

12-9-6 & 3 rep rounds for time of:

Power clean (Men 155 lbs, Women 105 lbs)
Front Squat (Men 155 lbs, Women 105 lbs)
Push jerk (Men 155 lbs, Women 105 lbs)

My time: 10:38, scaled to 75lbs


Strength /warm up this morning was the same complex as in the WOD: power clean, front squat, push jerk

Rep Scheme: 5-4-3-2-1
My loads: 55-65-85-95-105

Good workout this morning.

3 Rounds for time of:

21 Toes to bar
15 Handstand push-ups
9 Burpee pull-ups

My time: 18:13, mod HSPU

Enjoyed this workout, except for the HSPU, which I've not made much progress on at all in the last few months. I need to commit time at home to practice. Just have to "find" some time somewhere. I did keep a positive attitude through the whole warm up and workout today. :)

Strength this morning was bench press.

Started with warm up sets of 10 reps at 35, then 5 at 55, then 5 at 65, then moved on to the work sets.

Rep scheme: 5-5-5-5-5
My loads: 65-70-75-80-85

Tough Morning

5 Rounds for time of:

15 Dumbbell push press (Men 45 lb dumbbells, Women 30 lb dumbbells)
30 Medicine ball cleans (Men 20 lb ball, Women 14 lb ball)

My time: 22:13, w/ 20 lb dumbbells

The med ball cleans ate me up. My form was iffy on several - not standing back up all the way before going into the next clean. I have to watch that, and get better at these. Some of them I felt really good about my form. After the WOD I realized I coulda'/shoulda'/woulda' gone with the prescribed 30 lb dumbbells. I've been doing way too much underestimating myself these days.

Today was one of those "head game" days. First, I was sleepy, and secondly I was mopey because my husband is out of town for a while. I know, boo hoo, right? Then I did that whole underestimating myself and scaling down thing. And then mid-way through the 2nd round I contemplated quitting. WTF? I don't quit. It's just not something I do. So, I had to brush aside all those thoughts and all those stupid emotions and suck it up and just push through it.

Tomorrow, I will have a way better attitude and I will have only positive thoughts!

“C. Rice”

For time:

1200 Meter run
6 Muscle ups
800 Meter run
10 Deadlifts (Men 225 lbs, Women 155 lbs)
400 Meter run
14 Handstand push-ups
200 Meter run
16 Burpees
100 Meter bear crawl
17 Pull-ups

My time: 30:03

subbed muscle up progressions
rx weight on deadlifts
2 abmats for HSPU

In all honesty this wasn't a completely horrible workout, just long. The killers for me were the burpees and bear crawls. Geez...ok, and the pull ups. My pull-ups have just gone down the sewer. I used to love them and then one day I just didn't anymore. I don't know why, but I have to got to snap out of it and bet back to being good at them, or at least consistent with sets of more than 3. I had a set of 6 today. SIX! That's pathetic, rookie status.

I am feeling a little put out with myself today. Our swimming pool will be open in 38 days, and I like to stay in shape for wearing a bikini all the time. So, I was checking the back of my hair in the mirror this morning as I got ready and for work, and I caught a glimpse of my backside...holy crap. I am a total fat-ass!! I look like I need to lose about 20 lbs. I'm working out as hard as I can, and my clothes all still fit just fine, but I look like crap. WTF? How does that work? Needless to say, I wish I hadn't looked in the mirror. *sigh*

Strength component today was Deadlifts
rep scheme: 5-3-2-2-1-1-1
my loads: 125-135-145-155-165-170-180

Not as heavy as I used to do, but I'm being super careful with my back these days. All the lifts felt solid, good form, no pain. Success!

“Erin T.”

5 Rounds for time of:

11 Hang squat snatch (Men 75 lbs, Women 55 lbs)
11 Box jumps (Men 24″ box, Women 20″ box)
11 Kettlebell swings (Men 55 lbs, Women 35 lbs)

My time: 17:09 Rx

TGIF!!

This is one of those tricky little workouts that you look at in print and think, "Oh this won't be so bad", and then it bites you in the ass! It was a total lung burner. Going from squat snatch right to box jumps was just miserable. I know, it's only 11 reps, right? That's what I was thinking and had to stop and gasp for air after like 5 box jumps. I was almost laughing about how really deceivingly tought this "simple" workout turned out to be. I had to remind myself a few times of Kristan Clever's words in an interview I saw recently: "You're not gonna die, just keep going"! So I kept going and finished under the 20 minute limit.

I'm sure I'm the slowest one today, but whatevs. I'm happy with my performance for the entire week!

Strength today was Hang Squat Snatch
Rep scheme: 3-3-3-3-3
My loads: 35-45-55-65-70

CrossFitiversary, New CFJ Baby and other stuff.

I have lots to write about today!

First of all, today is my THREE year CrossFit anniversary. Wow! I've had so much fun, and accomplished so much in three years of CF. It's been fantastic - every bit of it. Even the bad days were good. Heck, the worst days usually end up making me feel stronger. Anyway, I'm still loving it, and I have no intent of ever stopping!

Secondly, my dear friend B, who also is having her 3 year Crossfit anniversary today, gave birth to a beautiful, awesome baby boy yesterday morning.

Meet CFJ's newest baby: Jaxon Anthony Taylor. Isn't he just precious?

And then today's workout was a double workout, chosen for two of the guys at the gym having birthdays today. Both were fun workouts.

Choose which WOD you want to start with. You will have a 15 minute time limit to complete each WOD. Post each WOD time and total time for both WOD’s.

“The CHF”
3 Rounds for time of:
7 Power cleans (Men 185 lbs, Women 125 lbs)
50 Sit-ups

My time: 8:05, using 85 lbs on cleans

(Totally should have gone heavier on these!!)


“Derk”
3 Rounds for time of:
400 Meter run
7 Muscle ups

My time: 11:15, subbed muscle up progressions

Total workout time: 19:20

Fun workout!

21-15-9 reps for time of:

Sumo deadlift high-pull (Men 95 lbs, Women 65 lbs)
Overhead squat (Men 95 lbs, Women 65 lbs)

My time: 8:24 Rx

This was a short, fun workout; challenging, but easily doable at 65 lbs. I am surprised that the SDHP was what slowed me down. I used to love SDHP. I used to think I was fast at them. Actually, I was fast at them. I don't know what happened, but somewhere along the way (this past year), I started allowing myself to take too much rest. Something I definitely need to correct, asap!

The strength this morning was shoulder press, push press, push jerk, 3 sets of 3 each, behind the head if you can or want to. I did one set of sp behind the head and the rest were normal, in front.

Rep Scheme: 3-3-3
Shoulder press: 55-65-70
Push Press: 75-80-85
Push Jerk: 95-105-120(f)-110

Rowing

5 Rounds, each for time of:
500 Meter row
Rest 5 minutes between each round.

Post each 500 meter row time to responses.

My times:
1 – 2:10.7
2 – 2:09.8
3 – 2:12.1
4 – 2:13.3
5 – 2:11.7

This is one of my favorite workouts. It's tough, but fun. I'm disappointed in my times today. I've been dragging lately, and if I'm 100% honest with myself, it's all about my nutrition. I've had so many "events" and "nights out" where I made poor food choices and ate "just this one" thing that wasn't Primal, and I've made excuses to the point where I'm probably down around something like 60/40 instead of the 80/20 rule. But that party is over! Back to Primal Blueprint the way it's supposed to be done!

And...I'm going to participate in the CrossFit Open workouts. Not because I have any delusions of actually qualifying (even for the Masters) but because I need to challenge myself. It's time to gut up and really push myself and see what I'm made of when it comes right down to it. Three years of CrossFit has to have made me stronger somehow, even if it's only mentally.

So, I'll be foregoing the beers on Friday nights for those six weeks and getting up early on Saturday mornings to give it all I've got! I'll be having my beers on Saturday now. ;-)

Cold wind!

500 Meter row
20 Back Squat (Men 205 lbs, Women 135 lbs)
400 Meter run
20 Handstand push-ups

My time: 10:59, Rx weight, mod HSPU

This was a short/sweet workout. Loved doing the back squats at a decent weight. I was surprised at how winded I was going into them after that short 500m row. Wow! Had to break them up into 3 or 4 sets. Form felt solid and weight felt good - no back pain! The run was probably one of my fastest 400's yet. Why? Because of the horrible, sharp, cold, North wind and light mist in the air. That wind was awful!!

Strength today, we just worked mainly on snatch balances. I stayed with a 35 lb bar through the whole thing. These are a weak point for me, but I do think I finally found the right spot and position on my back for the bar to rest.

“THE AIRFORCE WOD”

For time:
20 Thrusters
20 Sumo deadlift high pulls
20 Push jerks
20 Overhead squats
20 Front squats

Men will use a 95lb barbell. Women will use 65lbs. Each athlete must do four burpees at the beginning of every minute before moving on to the barbell work. The athlete is allowed to move to the next barbell skill once an he/she has completed all 20 reps. If the minute clock beeps during a repetition the athlete will complete their rep and then start their four burpees. There is a 20 min cap.

Compare to July 26, 2010.

My time: 15:56 Rx

Compare to July 26, 2010 - 14:55 Rx
Compare to Feb 25, 2010 - 18:47 Rx

Not my best time, but not my worst. I'm pretty sure I'll have the slowest time at CFJ today, but I don't even care. I'm just glad I finished it under 20 minutes. I wanted to end the week on a good note. Making myself face up to this WOD and finishing under the time limit is just what I needed! *big smile*

This workout is such a challenge for me, not because of the lifts, but because of the burpees. I have to be the slowest person on the planet when it comes to burpees. Started out in the early rounds taking about 15-20 seconds for the burpees, and by the end I was eating up over 30 seconds of time just for FOUR burpees. Yikes!

Sarah A. was there this morning and it was so good to see her. I haven't seen her since last summer. Time goes by too fast these days. We paired up for the strength component.

Front Squats
rep scheme: 5-3-2-1-1-1
my loads: 75-85-95-105-105-105

TGIF!!

Double Unders Progress

For time:

100 Double unders
25 Toes to bar
80 Double unders
20 Toes to bar
60 Double unders
15 Toes to bar
40 Double unders
10 Toes to bar
20 Double unders
5 Toes to bar

My time: 21:49 Rx

Looking at this workout from the comfort of my bed this morning, I was really tempted to stay home, but I have done way too much of that in the past few months, so off to the gym I went. I had figured the workout would take me a minimum of 30 minutes, so I was pleased and surprised when I came in under 22 minutes.

Even though my double-unders are still bad enough to give Buddy Lee night terrors, they really are improving. Actually, I had a little PR today - a set of 15 unbroken double unders!! This is major progress for me. So, yay!

Breck forewarned me about what tomorrow's WOD will be, and told me I'd better be there! I won't skip. I'm actually kind of looking forward to it, facing a tough workout that originally made me want to quit, and I thought I was going to die. No, I'll be there and I'll go into it with a "Fun Friday" attitude! And I might even enjoy it. ;)

Giving 100%

1200 Meter run
9 Shoulder press (Men 115 lbs, Women 75 lbs)
800 Meter run
15 Push press (Men 115 lbs, Women 75 lbs)
400 Meter run
21 Push jerk (Men 115 lbs, Women 75 lbs)

My time: 22:19, almost Rx*
*used 65 lbs on the shoulder press, 75 lbs on the push press & push jerk

So, look at my time. It's ridiculously slow. But, I am pleased with it. Why? Because I gave absolutely 100% this morning!

My running was abysmally slow, but I pushed the entire way. I decided to scale on the shoulder press because 9 reps at 75 was just not doable for me. This workout reminded me of the days when I first started CrossFit, pushing as hard as I could, and not worrying about if I'm last or what the clock says, but just giving everything I have in order to finish. To me, that is a successful workout. It really helped that a few people stayed behind and cheered me on - Andy, Dylan & Lori - thanks so much. That's another thing I love about CrossFit. Just when you need encouragement, there is usually someone there to push you that last few reps!

I really admire all the fast runners, and the younger, stronger women. However, being realistic is something I've been trying to come to terms with lately. I am strong, but I'm not fast. I can be stronger and I can be faster. Those are both goals of mine; weaknesses to work on. But my realistic, daily goal is to give 100% and to finish the WOD. So, today was a success.

Strength today was Split Jerk
rep scheme: 5-3-2-1-1-1
my loads: 85-105-110-115-115-120

It sure felt good to put something relatively heavy overhead today. No PR's but heavy enough. It's been a while. These lifts felt good and solid. No back pain. Need to work on being fast, and getting my head through. Need to widen my split a bit too.

Squat Snatches

For time:

10 Squat snatches (Men 135 lbs, Women 95 lbs)
50 Lateral jumps over barbell
8 Squat snatches
40 Lateral jumps over barbell
6 Squat snatches
30 Lateral jumps over barbell
4 Squat snatches
20 Lateral jumps over barbell
2 Squat snatches
10 Lateral jumps over barbell

My time: 14:15, using 65#

This was a super fun workout! I'm finally getting to where I'm not afraid of these lateral jumps, although I did trip a couple times. Squat snatches - form felt good during the workout, had one miss early on, but just the one. Need to work on going heavier on this particular lift. I think my PR on it is around 90 or 95, but I stayed low to work on my form. Loved the workout!

The strength component today was, of course, squat snatch:
rep scheme: 1 rep every 2 min for 20 min (10 lifts)
my lifts: 45-50-60-65-65*-65-70-75*-75-70

*On my second 5th lift (65 lbs) I failed because I wasn't finishing properly. Retried the lift and got it.

*On my 8th lift (75 lbs) I failed, again because I wasn't finishing properly. Retried the lift and made it. Stayed at 75 for another rep and went back down to 70 because I could feel my form must breaking down on that 9th lift.

Burpee What?!

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:

10 Burpee pull-ups
20 Sit-ups (anchored with 10 lb plate behind the head)

My rounds: 4 + 3 sit ups

Holy Moly this was hard. The worst part, though, was the sit-ups. The burpee pull ups weren't that bad once I got into it. I did use the 7.5' bar instead of the 8' bar because I have a really hard time jumping to the 8' one. But those sit-ups were a killer. Anyway, despite the pain, and my low # of rounds, this was a fun workout. Something different.

Strength this morning was behind the head press
rep scheme: 10-10-10-10-10
my loads: 35-40-40-40-40

These killed my shoudlers. Wow!

Rest Day

I took a rest day today. (Just because.)

Yesterday evening we had a baby shower for my friend B. Her baby boy, Jaxon, is due in two weeks and she's still going strong at Crossfit. She looks fantastic!

I'm excited for her and I can hardly wait to see her baby!

Yay - Back Squats!

21-15 & 9 rep rounds for time of:

Back squats (Men 135 lbs, Women 95 lbs)
Ring dips

My time: 7:14, bar dips

Did all my back squats unbroken, though a little bit slowly. I was concentrating on having perfect form, tightening my core and not having any back pain. Felt good. I love back squats so much, and miss going heavy on them.

This morning's strength component was back squats.
Rep Scheme: 5-5-3-2-1-1-1
My loads: 85-105-155-175-175-95-95

Why did I go down on those last two? Well, because on the first single at 175, I got to the bottom of the squat and I couldn't get out of the squat, didn't have my safety's set high enough, and got in a position that hurt my back. I had to be bailed out by Brent & Breck. Embarassing, and maddening all at the same time. So, I dropped to the WOD weight for today and did the last two singles.

My errors on that 175 lb failure were numerous.

First of all, when I got under the bar to put it on my back and stand it up, I stepped sideways and the plates hit the rack, and I was bouncing all over the place with 175 lbs on my back, didn't tighten my core and felt a little twinge before I ever went into the squat.

I got myself positioned in the squat stance,and went into it without properly inhaling and completely tightening my core. So when I got to the bottom (and I went all the way down )I couldn't "power"out of it like I should have, but started gradually trying to push through my heels. Since my core wasn't tight, I just didn't have the power, and lost my good back angle and felt that old familiar pain, and I knew it was over. I was pretty mad at myself because I could have totally prevented this. But the important thing is, I backed off before I did any real damage.

Tomorrow's another day. ;)

“Nicole”

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:

400 Meter run
Max rep pull-ups

Post number of pull-ups completed for each round to responses.

Total: 5 rounds, 52 pullups

My running is weak. I feel like I need to lose about 20 lbs.

The warmup this morning included the "CrossFit fundamental lifts" with a barbell. Front squat, back squat, overhead squat, deadlift, sumo deadlift, squat clean, shoulder press, push press and push jerk...10 reps each.

Then we did CrossFit Gymnastics skill of the day - muscle up negatives, but in my case, muscle up progressions, only negatives. 30 reps.

Fun morning, all in all.

“Randy”

75 reps for time of:

Power snatch (Men 75 lbs, Women 55 lbs)
Post time to responses.

Compare to December 4, 2009.

My time: 9:46, Rx - PR for this weight

Previous Randy times/weights:
12/4/09: 45 lbs, 8:19
4/7/09: 50 lbs, 9:28

Strength component today was Power Snatch
rep scheme: 3-3-3-3-3
my loads: 60-60-65-60-60 (working on form)

These lifts felt GREAT today. I'll will get to heavier loads on snatches, but my form felt really good and solid today and I'm glad I didn't go heavier. :)

More Dumbbells

5 Rounds of:
5 Dumbbell deadlifts
5 Dumbbell hang squat cleans
5 Dumbbell push jerks
5 Dumbbell squats

Increase the load each round. Rest as necessary between rounds

My loads: 15-20-30-35-40
failed on the 3rd push jerk on 40 lbs

I love working with the dumbbells. I need to work on my technique with the heavier loads overhead though - feels very unstable. I think I failed mainly out of fear of hitting myself in the head.

Mmm...Bear Claws.

Ok, bear crawls....not so much the same thing, but once I got the hang of it, and figured out a sort of rhythm, it wasn't so bad.

5 Rounds for time of:

10 Right arm dumbbell power snatch (Men 45 lbs, Women 30 lbs)
10 Left arm dumbbell power snatch (Men 45 lbs, Women 30 lbs)
150 Foot bear crawl

My time: 22:51 Rx

I loved this entire workout. I enjoy doing dumbbell power snatches, and seems like last time I did them was back in July or August. The temptation was there for me to scale down, but I'm glad I didn't. 30 was quite doable, and I could have even gone higher, but my time would have suffered terribly. As it is, my time isn't "fast" by any means, but I thoroughly enjoyed this workout and had a great morning!

It felt so great to be back at CrossFit! I'm looking forward to a nice week of weather coming up - they're talking possibly 70° next week! And B's shower is next Thursday evening. I'm really excited about that!

TGIF!!

Home WOD

Couldn't make it to the gym again today because of this ridiculous snow. So, I did this workout that Cwiss (Nocryingincrossfit) suggested the other day.

50-40-30-20-10

Walking lunges
Push ups
Sit ups
Squats

My Time= 29:35

I am SO ready for this winter to be over with so I can get back to my regular 5 days a week of CrossFit. I miss it so much when I can't be there.

More Friggin' Snow - Bah!

Snow day.

Again.

I'm getting really tired of snow.

So instead of doing an at-home WOD, I chose to shovel snow for my exercise.

1 hour & 40 minutes of shoveling snow, with plenty of curse-words thrown in for good measure!

Happy Angie!

I got to drive my car this morning, and of course, my first destination was CrossFit Jenks!

It is interesting that I can do a substantial workout at home and really put everything into it, but I just don't feel the same as when I go in to the gym, go through the warm up, and do a lift or whatever Breck has planned before the workout. It's just more...intense I guess is a good word. Plus, seeing the people I'm accustomed to seeing every morning, working out with a group of people...it's way more motivating.

For time:

30 Handstand push-ups
40 Pull-ups
50 Kettlebell swings (Men 55 lbs, Women 35 lbs)
60 Sit-ups
70 Burpees

My time: 25:54, head to 2 abmats on HSPU

Burpees killed my time, as I suspected would be the issue. But it felt amazing to be working out with the group. Love the kettlebells, though I broke them up way too much. Gotta work on that.

Tomorrow will be another snow day...heck the rest of the week probably will. So, back to working out at home for a few more days.

Strength today was Overhead Squats:
rep scheme: 5-3-2 15, with penalty of 5 laps of bear crawls for failure (Andy's idea)
my loads: 55-65-70-70 (no failure - yay)

Ugh! I miss CrossFit!!!

I'm still unable to get my car out of the driveway. The roads in our neighborhood are ridiculous. My husband drove me to work in his truck, which we barely got out of the neighborhood. It's not a 4WD, and was sliding all over the place. I hate winter...

Anyway, I was so excited last night - I went over to our big garage, set up my exercise area, made sure I had a place for wall-ball and I've got the pull up bar, with a platform to reach it (it's way too high) and put together a nice mat to do situps/pushups, etc. on.

And I dreamed about my workout all night - what I was going to do, etc. And this morning, I overslept. *curses*

So, no workout for me this morning. This evening, I'm going to get out there and do one. I'm feeing so lazy. I really loved the posted workout at CFJ this morning, and wish I could have done it. I need to lift something heavy. :-)

Friday...still snowed in.

Still snowed in. It's snowing AGAIN!!!! I'm sick of snow. Somewhere under this mess is our swimming pool. :(


This morning I got up and did the following WOD:

5 rounds for time of

run 400m
25 sit ups
25 squats

My time: 23:33

I convinced myself to use the treadmill today. Not a big fan of running on the treadmill, but it felt really good to run, and I got a great workout.

Then, I proceeded downstairs, showered and hit the kitchen to make a very un-primal, carb laden meal of biscuits and gravy. It was delicious!!!! Good thing that treadmill is handy...I know I'll need it tomorrow!

Snowy Rest Day

Took a rest day today. We are still snowed in and I'm not shoveling snow. Just working remotely (online - thank goodness for computers!!).

Still snowed in...

Looks like we'll be home for a while. 13 or 14" of snow and ice under that.

Today I did:

Blackjack - push up / sit up ladder
20 push ups, 1 sit up
19 push ups, 2 sit ups
and on down the line until you get to...
1 push up, 20 sit ups

My time: 21:41

Later, I went out and shoveled snow for 3 hours. Whew!!!
I put on my snowboarding pants and they were HUGE! Thanks to CrossFit!

Snowed In

Can't get out to the gym today due to the ice and snow. I did this WOD:

4 rounds for time of:

10 pushups
20 walking lunges
30 sit-ups
40 squats

Time: 17:59

Yay deadlifts!

Before my back started acting up, this would have been a dream workout for me. But since I'm trying to be careful, I scaled down. Still, I loved the workout and look forward to doing it again when I can go heavy again.

For time:

21 Deadlifts (Men 225 lbs, Women 155 lbs)
400 Meter Run
18 Deadlifts (Men 225 lbs, Women 155 lbs)
400 Meter Run
15 Deadlifts (Men 225 lbs, Women 155 lbs)
400 Meter Run
12 Deadlifts (Men 225 lbs, Women 155 lbs)
400 Meter Run

My time: 15:09 unbroken w/105 lbs

Went light on the deadlifts, concentrated on form. This is a light weight for me, but enough weight that I got a good workout. I would have loved to do this one at Rx weight, but I'm being smart about it and trying to build back up to heavier loads as my back allows.

The warm-up was fun this morning. Tabata double-unders, which really just made me laugh. I got a total of 27...for the whole thing. Ha ha. Then we did forward rolls - the floor is too hard for me! And we did hand-stands with spotters.

With the storm system coming in, I'll probably be working out at home the next few days. I need to check my son's old room for dumbbells - he "borrowed" mine a long time ago and I wonder if he left them. I could get in a few good dumbbell workouts at home. If not, I have a pullup bar, a wallball, and of course, there's always body weight exercises.

Run

I took the afternoon off work to take advantage of some unseasonably warm weather. I got out and ran on the Aquarium trail this afternoon. Did 2.6 miles in just under 30 minutes. Very slow, but felt incredibly good to be out running in the warm sunshine. Surprisingly few people out on the trail today, but it is a work day, so I guess that's why.

“J. Kirk”

Birthday WOD for Jennifer Kirk. Happy 30, girlie!

As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes:
1 Burpee
2 Ground to overhead (Men 155 lbs, Women 105 lbs)
8 Back squats (Men 155 lbs, Women 105 lbs)
8 Lateral jumps over barbell
1 Burpee

My rounds: 6 + 1 back squat, 65 lbs

I scaled to 65 because I didn't want to injure my neck bringing the bar down from overhead to my back. Guess I could've used a rack...hmm.

Oh well, this was a FUN workout and nice way to end a tough week.

Strength today was squat snatch:
1 rep every 2 min for 20 min
my loads: 40-45-50-55-60-65-70-75-75-75

TGIF!

Good Morning!

3 Rounds for time of:

30 Kettlebell swings (Men 55 lbs, Women 35 lbs)
25 Wall ball shots (Men 20 lbs, Women 14 lbs)
20 Pull-ups

My time: 22:40 Rx

I am constantly amazed by the guys in the 5 am class being so fast. Granted they are much younger and way more fit than I am...but it took me twice as long as the fastest guy. They are just amazing athletes. The toughest part for me was the wallball, though it should be the easiest out of this WOD. With the kettlebells I am able to just mentally block out the pain and keep going. I need to develop that with the wallball shots and maybe I could speed up some. My pullups felt great and I had a few decent sets. Need to work on my grip and re-gripping during sets.

I pushed myself really hard today; I feel like I'm giving my best effort. This workout reminded me again why I love CrossFit. When I feel like I'm going to puke or die or pass out, and I just keep pushing and finish strong I feel so great for the rest of the day.

The warm-up today included an 800m run. Ok, the temp was like 22°! I swear I could feel my skin freezing about the half way mark. I had snot running out my nose and freezing on my face. I know - gross!!! Fortunately there was no wind. And it honestly felt good to run - it's been a long time since we did any running. I'm hoping to get out the next few days and do some running after work while the weather is nice. Saturday afternoon brings another cold front, and I'm strictly a fair-weather runner when it's optional.

Wednesday

With a 10 minute time limit:

1000 Meter row

As many rounds as possible with the remaining time:

3 Handstand push-ups
6 Ring dips

My row time: 4:46.2
My rounds: 5 + 1 hspu (modified hspu, bar dips)

The warm ups this week have included a few new things that we haven't done before. Breck went to a gymnastics certification this past weekend and we're learning some of the stuff he learned. I like it when he switches things up a bit.

Strength today was shoulder press, push press, push jerk 3-3-3
my loads:

sp: 55-60-65
pp: 70-75-80
pj: 85-85-85

Really?

Today's workout included deadlifts, and I was hopeful that my back was ready for them. It's been feeling great, and after yesterday's heavy back squats I had no trouble at all. I decided during the warm-up to go light and use 135#. It felt good during the warm-up so I went with it.

WOD
3 rounds for time of:
10 Deadlifts (Men 275 lbs, Women 185 lbs)
50 Double-unders

My time: 12:13, modified

Started the workout with 135 lbs, and deadlifts felt solid. I went pretty slow, paying attention to form. On the last deadlift when I released the bar I could feel that all too familiar pain in my low back. Then I tried jumping rope and it was excruciating!! I stretched a little, and finally got it to loosen up enough to do that round of double unders.

Went back to the deadlifts for the second round, still having some slight low back pain and decided to drop to 85 lbs for the remainder of the WOD. Here's where my ego just got completely crushed. I should be able to do 185# deadlifts with no trouble whatsoever, and here I am modifying to 85. Wow...my head was just filled with negative thoughts - old, slow, weak...blah blah. I had to just shut it out and focus on what I could do, and get through the workout as best I could.

I know I need to just reconcile this issue in my mind/body/ego and move on. I don't need to risk injury just to satisfy an emotional response to what is just a temporary physical limitation. I need to stop telling myself I'm weak if I don't go heavy. I need to really go easy on deadlifts and be okay with that!

“Angie”

Today, Breck switched things up a bit. He set "prescribed" for this workout to a higher standard, so that we all are paying closer attention to our form, which in the end only makes us better.

100 Pull ups: strict form, dead hang
100 Push ups: strict form, chest to deck, no stomach sagging, full lockout at top
100 Sit ups: military (fingers interlaced), abmat, butterfly
100 Squats: Overhead Squat with 45 lb bar for men, 35 lb bar for women

Time limit: 30 minutes

I set a time limit of 7:30 for my pullups. I managed 60 in that amount of time, 3 strict dead hang, and 57 kipping, all good form, chin over bar.

Push ups, I did all 100 with strict form. Push ups are a huge weakness for me, but I'm getting there. This segment took me 9:27

Sit-ups were brutal! The combination of butterfly/military/abmat had my abs in a huge knot by about 40. I did all 100 as prescribed. This segment took me 7:59

And that left me with 5:04 to complete 100 OHS with the bar. I managed 66 at the 30 min cutoff.

I made a really great effort on this workout. I've done the entire workout in less than 30 minutes before, but I'm sure my push up form sucked, and I wasn't using a 35 lb bar. So, a good workout this morning that I can be proud of!

Strength today was Back Squats
Rep scheme: 5-3-2 5-5-5
my loads: 85-105-140 155-155-155

I should add here that it felt *amazing* to be doing some heavy back squats today. I've not done anything heavy in a few weeks after my injury from heavy deadlifts. These sets of 5 were tough, and my body tells me exactly when I don't have my core tight...there's no room for mistakes on these, or I will feel low back pain.

A food post...

This weekend as I was preparing my menu and my food for the week, I wanted something different for breakfast. Biscuits sounded delicious, but traditional biscuits are not "Primal". Bummer. Well, since I have had great luck with her recipes before, I decided to try the biscuit recipe from Elana's Pantry.


I cut mine square instead of round, so I could make little ham/egg biscuits for breakfast with them during the week. The recipe made 9 squares.


Here they are baking:





And here's the finished product:


They are not exactly "grandma's buttermilk biscuits" but they are very delicious, light and airy, and have the taste and feel of "bread". They have a high fat content, and come out to about 320 calories each, 12g of protein, 6g carbs, making a filling, high protein breakfast, when adding an egg and a piece of ham.

Bad Weather...Good Stuff

As usually happens in January, we had a small snow/ice storm and since I live at the top of a really big hill, I"m stuck at home until it either thaws out, or the city sends a plow to clear the hill.

Yesterday, I was lazy and didn't exercise at all. I cooked carnitas, and white queso which made the house smell wonderful and was a great primal winter meal.

Today, I got up and did this WOD:

Blackjack
20 push ups, 1 sit up
19 push ups, 2 sit ups....
and on down the ladder to
1 push up, 20 sit ups

My time: 27:25

This morning I wanted pancakes. I have tried coconut flour waffles/pancakes and they were a big disappointment, so I decided to try a recipe for almond flour silver dollar pancakes from Elana's Pantry (http://www.elanaspantry.com/). I did change one thing: I use raw honey rather than agave nectar because it has a lower glycemic index than agave nectar.

They turned out great! They had a light texture, very similar to regular pancakes. Served with a little maple syrup and bacon, they were a great breakfast, and there were no leftovers!

Grace

I woke up this morning, so sore from pull ups and box jumps, I was a contemplating mid-week rest day. I rolled over and grabbed my phone to see what the WOD would be, all the time thinking, "the only thing that will drag me out of this bed is Grace". And almost magically, the posted WOD today was Grace! I gleefully got out of bed (slow, because I'm sore) and dug through my stash of workout gear to find my "Grace is my Homegirl" tank top, just for the occasion!

"Grace"
30 Reps for time of:
Clean & jerk (Men 135 lbs, Women 85 lbs)

My time: 5:32, Rx

This is not a PR for me. I'm 58 seconds off my pr here. But, I love this workout with a passion, no matter if I PR or not. I would do Grace once a month if it was posted. I love it that much. Just something about the clean and jerk that I really enjoy. The precision of it? The feeling of power I get when I lock out at the top? I don't know, but I really do enjoy it over any other lift.

So, anyway, today I did pretty well at pushing myself through the entire workout, except after rep 17, I caught myself resting and then I realized...I only have 13 reps to go, why am I resting?!? Costly mistake, but again, totally happy to have started my day with Grace. *smiles*

Strength today was shoulder press, push press, push jerk
rep scheme: 3-3-3
my loads
sp: 55-65-70
pp: 75-80-85
pj: 85-90-95

Cold & Windy

Thankfully this morning the temp was above freezing, since the WOD included running. The north wind was ridiculous though! I'm guessing about 15mph winds, straight from the north, which is the direction we take off for our run. On the return portion, you couldn't feel it at all.

WOD:
4 Rounds for time of

400 Meter run
15 Dumbbell thrusters (Men 1/2 bodyweight, Women 1/3 bodyweight)

Post time and dumbbell load to responses.

My time: 19:22, Rx using 25 lb dumbbells

My time today was 2:20 slower than when we did this in July. This just hilights the fact that I have not been running at all. I need to commit to running after work when the weather permits. I am not even going to fool myself into thinking I'll get out and run when it's really cold and windy. I'm just not doing that. But when the weather is decent (+50° and no precip, little wind) I should get out after work and do a mile or two here and there. It helped me last spring, and I know it would benefit me in the workouts. I just need to make myself do it. And I need to sign myself up for a 5K so I'll have a goal.

This past month of CF really has hilighted some weaknesses, mainly my back issues, and of course, my lack of speed. It would be easy to just say "I'm too old for this", but I know better than that. I wouldn't be happy if I just gave up. I need to focus on some positive things to keep myself encouraged. Every day is an opportunity to do better, and I just need to keep pushing.

She's baaaack....

I am so glad I took three rest days. By Saturday evening my back was feeling awesome, and I was so excited to get back to CrossFit today. Imagine my horror when I saw the posted WOD. 105 pull-ups and I haven't done even one the past couple of weeks. My callouses are pretty much gone and I knew I was going to blister. So I taped my fingers where I normally blister. And guess what? I blistered in other places. Ha! Fortunately, now that I've had a chance to shower and look them over, I only have two really bad spots. Not too shabby. And it sure felt awesome to get through the workout as prescribed. 7 Rounds for time of:

15 Pull-ups
15 Box jumps (Men 24″ box, Women 20″ box)
Post time to responses.

My time: 25:51 Rx

Oh, and I need to point out (more for my own reference) that on about 95% of the box jumps I jumped both up and down. Normally I jump up and step down. I'm really trying to get better about this!!


Strength today was Snatch Balance
Rep scheme: 3-3-3-3-3
My loads: 40-45-50-60-70 (did 5 reps at 40...all others 3 reps)

Extra Rest Day!

Decided to take a rest day today. My back gave me some trouble yesterday after the workout, even though I went pretty light. So, I figure three rest days in a row might be just what I need. I'm stubborn in admitting that I need to take extra rest sometimes, but it's been a stressful week all the way around and I didn't have any trouble sleeping in today.

I'll be back at it bright and early Monday morning!!

Insert Catchy Title Here

We did this one a year ago and I did everything as prescribed in just over 16 minutes. Had to modify today because my back is still not 100% and I don't want to make it worse. That's one of the things I continue to love about CrossFit. I can still get a great workout, even if I have to modify. :)

3 Rounds for time of:

20 Kettlebell swings (Men 70 lbs, Women 45 lbs)
15 Box jumps (Men 24″ box, Women 20″ box)
10 Push jerks (Men 155 lbs, Women 95 lbs)
5 Push ups

My time: 10:05

modified as follows for my back:
35lb kettlebell
stepped box jumps instead of jumping
65 lb push jerk

I am SO ready for my back to be healed up again so I can do prescribed weights, etc. It is feeling somewhat better, but I think it's just going to take some time, so I will have to continue modifying everything until then.

Today's strength component was squat snatch
rep scheme: 1 every 2 minutes for 20 minutes
my loads: 45-55-55-55-65-65-70-70-75-75

All of the lifts felt really solid and since I kept my core really tight, no back pain. A little bit of pain when putting the bar down, but minimal.

More modifying...

3 rounds for time of:

6 Muscle-ups
30 Wallball shots (Men 20 lb ball, Women 14 lb ball)
12 Handstand push-ups
15 Power cleans (Men 135 lbs, Women 85 lbs)

My time: 25:05, modified as follows:

Subbed 12 bar dips for muscle ups (normal sub is pull-ups & dips, but my back isn't allowing for pull-ups just yet)
Subbed 12 regular push ups for HSPU
Used 65 lbs for the power cleans

I was discussing with Breck this morning that after my back heals up, I will not be going super heavy on deadlifts anymore. The recovery time from an injury is just too long, and takes too much away from the rest of my workouts, and althought I dearly love deadlifts, it's just not worth it to be injured.

I know part of it is an age thing, and it is humbling to me to admit my limitations. The sky is not the limit anymore, at least on deadlifts.

Now, this is not to say I'm just giving up. I'll still go heavy and do Rx weights in the workouts, but trying anything huge on a 3 rep max will just not be a goal for me anymore. I don't need the injury, I don't need the down time, and I don't need weeks on end of modifying workouts because my ego tells me to go heavy. "Train Smart"!

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:

30 Sit-ups
20 Overhead walking lunge steps (Men 45 lb bumper plate, Women 35 lb bumper plate)
10 Burpees

My total: 4 rounds + 13 OH walking lunges, Rx

This wasn't too hard on my back, though I notice I have to really focus on keeping my core tight. This whole back pain issue may be a blessing in disguise because it is making me extremely aware of when I do or do not have my abs tight. I really felt it on the burpees.

Strength today was: shoulder press, push press, push jerk
rep scheme 3-3-3
my loads:
sp - 45-50-55
pp - 60-65-70
pj - 70-70-70

Obviously I went light on all of those lifts and concentrated on strict form, keeping my core tight and not straining my back any further. All the lifts felt solid and no pain, except a tiny bit when re-racking the bar. That was just because I relaxed my abs too soon, I'm sure.

******************
So, I'm still eating according to the Primal Blueprint, and it's nice that I seem to have made it through the holiday season with minimal damage to my weight/inches. I actually haven't been on the scale, but I have measured. I have gained a half inch in my hips, but everything else is spot on with my pre-holiday measurements. I think it is natural to put on a little extra in the winter time, just biologically, but it's sure nice not to have a ton of weight to take off before spring! And part of that half inch gain could be muscle, right??

I recently started making my own mayonnaise. Seems like all the primal eating websites I go to have recipes for it, so I decided to try it. It's unbelievably simple, it tastes so good, and it makes me feel great knowing I'm not eating a bunch of additives and bad oils. Plus, it tastes amazing in a chicken salad! (Ok...I'll admit, it tastes yummy all by itself!)

“The Law Man”

5 Rounds for time of:

15 Push ups
15 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (Men 95 lbs, Women 65 lbs)
15 Pull-ups
15 Push jerk (Men 95 lbs, Women 65 lbs)

My time: 29:27, Rx weight, but only did one round of pull-ups

So, the low back pain from heavy deadlifts last week continues to plague me today. I iced and heated my back over the weekend, and felt a bit better this morning, but it's just not 100% yet. I'm incredibly frustrated about it. I was able to do the SDHP and the push jerks today, but had to be very conscious of making sure my core was tight in order for it to not hurt. When I got on the pull up bar, I was fine on the "up" part, but at the bottom of the swing on my kip, it was excruciating. I got through 15 pull ups on the first round and decided to forego them for the rest of the workout. I hate modifying. I hate feeling like I can't keep up. *sigh* It'll pass, I'm sure, but I think I am going to stop going so heavy on deadlifts from now on. I'd rather go light on those and be able to do workouts as prescribed than to be modifying everything because of one day of lifting. Live & learn. ;)

Strength component today was Front Squats. I went really light:
rep scheme: 3-3-3-3-3
my loads: 55-65-75-85-90

TGIF!

3 Rounds for time of:

800 Meter run
30 Sit-ups
20 Pull-ups
10 Ring dips

Post time to responses.

Well, once again, my back is a mess. It felt pretty good after rowing that 5k yesterday. I did some stretching and kept a heatint pad on it. I know I should be icing it...and I will do that today and alternate heat/ice this evening. I should be good as new in a few days, but it is frustrating to me to be modifying workouts. However, I'm trying to be smart and safe and not make things worse. I know that when I do a pull-up and the pain in my low back gets worse, it's not wise to do more pull ups. So, today I modified the WOD as follows:

3 rounds for time of:

Row 1000m
30 abmat situps (unanchored)
25 bar dips

My time: 26:34

Each round when I transitioned from the rower to the abmat the pain was ridiculous, but after I would lay on the abmat for about 30 seconds and relax, then I could tighten my core and just go for it on the sit ups with no pain. Anyway, I got a decent enought workout today. Hope next week to be back to normal.

Strength today was bench press. I'm relatively unskilled at bench press, so I look forward to the opportunity to get better at them. Kept it light today:

5 ea @ 55-60-65-70-75

Ouch!

Assigned WOD was :

5 Rounds for time of:
15 Sumo Deadlift High Pulls (Men 95 lbs, Women 65 lbs)
15 Thrusters (Men 95 lbs, Women 65 lbs)
Post time to responses.

However...

I'm having really bad low back pain after yesterday's heavy deadlifts. I did the warm-up with the bar (35 lbs) and that was enough to let me know there was no way I would get through even one round of the WOD. So, I rowed instead, and ended up with a PR. Go figure!

Rowing really helped my lower back to loosen up. I'll be closing my office door and doing some stretches throughout the day, as well.

My WOD today:

Row 5K

My time: 25:13.4 PR!

“J.T.”

21-15-9 reps for time of:

Handstand push-ups
Ring dips
Push-ups

My time: 16:06, mod HSPU & bar dips

My arms were wasted about half way through the first round of HSPU. Got good depth on them for a while but went to just about 3" pulses after that. I am still making progress, just not there yet.

Strength today was deadlifts

warm up rep scheme: 5-3-2
my loads: 105-135-155

work set rep scheme: 3-3-3-3-3
my loads: 185-205-215-215-215

“The Stowers’ Tower of Power”

As many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:

30 Double unders
1 Squat snatch

Post rounds and load used for snatch to responses.

My rounds/load: 7 rds + 30 DU, using 70 lbs (PR)

compare to June 15
55 lbs, 6 rounds even

Strenth Component: 1 squat snatch every 2 min for 20 min
my loads: 35-55-55-65-65-70(f)-70-70-70-70-70

Felt incredibly awesome to be back at the gym after five rest days full of beer and junk food. I am craving GOOD food and more exercise. It's amazing how much better I feel when I eat right and work out. ;-) But, I will say I enjoyed every single bit of the seafood - more fried oysters than I could ever have imagined eating...YUM!