tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42914220739203542122024-03-13T04:07:51.521-04:00No Crying In CrossFitIt's OK to cry, just don't stop.c wisshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16027608850273685510noreply@blogger.comBlogger292125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-91738326655538898342011-09-29T12:09:00.000-04:002011-09-29T12:09:29.185-04:00Name & location changeThis will be my last post from this blog -- I'm moving everything to a new URL.<br />
<br />
For a while now I've been wondering if I should've put the word "crossfit" in my blog URL. There have been some Facebook profiles deleted recently due to their use of the word "crossfit" and I've also heard of a company having to give away shirts that had the word "crossfit" on them.<br />
<br />
Since I just created a website to basically be my online resume as a coach/trainer, it seems like a good time to switch to a new, non-crossfit-containing URL, just to be on the safe side. :)<br />
<br />
Hope you will come and visit me in my new space: <a href="http://ceewiss.blogspot.com/">http://ceewiss.blogspot.com</a><br />
<br />
And here's my "resume" site, still VERY much a work in progress: <a href="http://coachwiss.com/">http://coachwiss.com</a>Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-9612785536140147752011-09-19T11:52:00.000-04:002011-09-19T11:52:25.624-04:00Squat cleansGot to practice squat cleans in a WOD this morning.<br />
<br />
5 rounds:<br />
5 squat cleans (185/135)<br />
100m sprint<br />
10 AbMat butterfly situps<br />
<br />
Results: 11:03 @ 95<br />
<br />
I had a hope of using 115 in this WOD, thinking that maybe my squat clean capacity would be higher since <a href="http://nocryingincrossfit.blogspot.com/2011/08/c-ladder-c-pr-metcon.html">my power clean PR went up by 10#</a>. However, I quickly realized that until I do a ton of heavy front squat training, I won't squat cleaning more than 95 or 100 in a WOD. Stripped weight from 115 to 95 after my first 2 reps, boo.<br />
<br />
Also had my first experience with blocking my airway with the bar on a squat clean. Woo, that was crazy! I think it's because I was using a men's bar -- that little bit of extra thickness probably threw off that delicate balance of keeping the bar on my shoulders without chocking myself.<br />
<br />
Many of the clean felt like the flew up off the ground, and then the trouble was standing up with the bar. Again, the answer to this is heavy front squats. They are in my post-<a href="http://nocryingincrossfit.blogspot.com/2011/08/marine-corps-marathon.html">marathon</a> strength training plan for sure.Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-3913001972101547642011-09-18T17:20:00.000-04:002011-09-18T17:20:20.684-04:00Sunday @ Audie MurphyWent to the CF gym on base with husband today to get a Sunday afternoon workout in.<br />
<br />
I made up a WOD that I missed last week.<br />
<br />
Deadlift<br />
2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2<br />
Rest 60 seconds between sets.<br />
<br />
Results:<br />
115-125-130-135-140-145-150-155-160-165<br />
<br />
Not exactly earth-shattering numbers, but I think those loads were appropriate as I'm working on dialing in new form on this lift. The true test of how well I did will be what hurts tomorrow when I wake up. If my hamstrings and glutes are as sore as my back, victory, and I can continue to get heavier. If not, then I go back to <a href="http://nocryingincrossfit.blogspot.com/2011/08/monday-morning-intensity.html">lots of reps at a lower weight</a> and take the load up slowly.<br />
<br />
I had a couple minutes after finishing before the gym closed, so I did 5 cycles through the bear complex with 55#: power clean, front squat, push press, back squat, push press. Love that one. :)Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-19835527577014817152011-09-17T18:20:00.000-04:002011-09-17T18:20:24.750-04:00Kitchen WODModified the good old standard at home WOD today.<br />
<br />
50-40-30-20-10 lunges (total)<br />
25-20-15-10-5 pushups<br />
50-40-30-20-10 butterfly AbMat situps<br />
25-20-15-10-5 PVC OHS<br />
<br />
Took me roughly 30 minutes. Experimented with some "hollow" position stuff on all my movements. Had a bit of an interesting feeling in my triceps during round of 15 of pushups that I think was promising. Also trying something different with my squats, to hopefully feed into a stronger bottom position in my snatch and C&J. Due to my "special" alignment issues, I think I need to take the "butt thrust" completely out of my squat, and keep my pelvis pointed straight up during the entire movement. Obviously this won't be good with a low bar back squat, but I don't intent on doing any of those for quite some time. All high bar for me for the forseeable future, <a href="http://www.cathletics.com/zen/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=155">Greg Everett says so</a>, and I believe him.Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-15419413825493932002011-09-15T13:05:00.000-04:002011-09-15T13:05:27.271-04:005th Element and Primal ChallengeFirst off, yesterday I published <a href="http://www.5thelementfitness.com/2011/09/curiosity.html">my first solo blog post</a> for my new blog, <a href="http://www.5thelementfitness.com/">5th Element Fitness</a>. OMG it made me soooo nervous!<br />
<br />
You'd think that after ~4 years of blogging, in one place or another, that one more post wouldn't be a big deal. But this is the first time I've blogged without a psuedonym and also declared the type of stuff I'll write about. I switched over to using my real name on this blog several months ago to help me get over the anonymity hurdle. But the stress of feeling like I need to have something truly interesting and well-written before hitting "publish" is still getting to me. I almost jumped out of my chair as I clicked "Publish Post".<br />
<br />
Check it out if you are so inclined. :)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.5thelementfitness.com/2011/09/curiosity.html">Curiosity</a>.<br />
<br />
--<br />
Also, <a href="http://kelsalynnfitlog.blogspot.com/">Kelsalynn</a> and I are attempting the <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-2011-primal-blueprint-30-day-challenge-begins-now/">30 Day Primal Challenge</a> via <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/">Mark's Daily Apple</a> over the next few weeks.<br />
<br />
In the interest of full disclosure, my current nutrition status is best described as "free for all". There was a short-lived revival of my Paleo/primal habits from Dec 2010 to Jan 2011 in order to fit into my shorts for my vacation to St. Thomas. That petered out once I returned home from my trip.<br />
<br />
And it goes a bit deeper than just eating poorly... This past spring I began seeing a counselor because my on-off issue with binge eating (since adolescence, really) had gone completely out of control. You know the saying -- once something starts affecting your ability to live your life, it's time to get help.<br />
<br />
My counselor suggested that I read a book -- <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Intuitive-Eating-Revolutionary-Program-Works/dp/0312321236/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1">Intuitive Eating</a>. The book outlines a step-by-step process to follow to help retrain your behavior from unhealthy restricting or bingeing, to an intuitive way of eating. One of the concepts in the book is that placing any concept of good/bad or restriction on food is detrimental to developing a healthier relationship with food.<br />
<br />
This concept made a lot of sense to me, and it gave me a lot to think about as I tried to implement it for myself. But since I never really went on to the next steps of the program (counseling took a bit of a different angle at my request, not my counselor being lax!), I find that I'm stuck in this mindset of "eating junk is OK, if I restrict myself it will be bad".<br />
<br />
But I'm left weighing a lot of things in my head...<br />
<br />
I don't want to try to start some kind of strict challenge, because I KNOW that is very likely to trigger bingeing behavior, and I do not want to cause that to happen. Things are 100% better than when I started counseling, and I do not want to have a huge setback...<br />
<br />
However, I also am not happy with the weight that I've put on while eating "freely", which makes it really hard for me to resist the temptation to start "forcing" myself to eat Paleo again. I know that it works, and that I'd definitely lose this extra bit of weight if I started eating that way again. But even if I get the 8-10 pounds off that I am carrying, will it really be worth it in the long run if things start getting out of control again? Again and again I keep telling myself "no, not worth it".<br />
<br />
So, back to the challenge. For me this challenge is not necessarily going to be about eliminating anything from my diet, or stopping anything, or having a list of "bad" foods that I won't eat.<br />
<br />
It's going to be about a commitment to learn more about the practicalities of eating the way that makes me feel, perform and look great.<br />
<br />
Of course I feel overwhelmed when I start removing foods, because as an inexperienced cook I start to feel like there's nothing I can eat. And the only way to remove those feelings of "there's no food!!" panic (which lead to bingees) is to learn to procure and prepare food that I love eating and this is healthy.<br />
<br />
I guess the good thing is that because I never learned to cook many dishes, it's not like I'm starting over. I'm just starting fresh. Except for lasagna, I make a freaking killer lasagna. :)<br />
<br />
--<br />
This week I've done a few things to support my goal of learning and practicing how to feed myself great tasting and healthy foods.<br />
- I stocked up on a bunch of healthy fruits and veggies that I enjoy snacking on -- strawberries, carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower.<br />
- I bought jicama from the grocery store; <a href="http://www.theclothesmakethegirl.com/">Mel</a> always mentions these, so I felt I should try it, just for shits and giggles. I haven't attempted to do anything with it yet...<br />
- I made a batch of meat sauce with grass-fed beef; sauce is a staple for me, especially since I use it to cook up my famous stuffed peppers (need to make those soon). I also got a big spaghetti squash which will be good for 2 or 3 meals.<br />
- I took fish oil today for the first time. 2 capsules and no weird burps yet, so I think I'll up to 3 tomorrow and see what happens. :)<br />
<br />
Still more to do, but this is a start. My next priority is to get some more MEAT into my house. Learning to cook tasty protein sources is probably the number 1 way I could help myself eat healthier.Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-14660598116646992012011-09-13T12:25:00.000-04:002011-09-13T12:25:32.783-04:00PP KBS BJAMRAP in 20 minutes:<br />
10 push press (115/85)<br />
10 kb swings (1.5/1 pood)<br />
10 box jumps (24''/20'')<br />
<br />
Results: 6 rounds + 6 PP, Rx<br />
<br />
The verdict -- SLOW. A better total for me would have been 8 or 9 at the Rx weight. I'm wondering if I should've scaled that down, seeing how low my score is compared to others... <br />
<br />
I got sick over the weekend - some kind of gross sinus thing - and even though this morning it was better than it had been yesterday, I could still tell I wasn't 100%. I had no "oomph" on my dip-drive on the push presses, and failed on a couple attempts. Just didn't feel "on". Plus the PP's hit me right where I'm still fatigued from the gymnastics seminar this weekend. I definitely used every muscle in my arm and shoulder this past weekend! I'll be posting a recap of that this week sometime, or maybe this weekend.Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-67145750525309915792011-09-09T14:09:00.000-04:002011-09-09T14:09:11.545-04:00DTHave been wanting to do this one again (<a href="http://nocryingincrossfit.blogspot.com/2010/03/dt-and-catch-up.html">first time</a>) for a while, I was bummed that it came up on a day where I had to play it safe and not get too sore. But I mentioned to another girl after class that we should get together and grind it out at Rx weight (115) so it may still be in my future. :)<br />
<br />
"DT"<br />
5 rounds<br />
12 deadlift (155/115)<br />
9 hang power clean (155/115)<br />
6 jerk (155/115)<br />
<br />
Results: 8:22, 65#<br />
<br />
I put 75# on my bar, then changed my mind and took off 5's and added 10's to go to 85. Which I tried, and realized would mess me up. At which point I was pretty much out of time for messing with my weight, so I pulled off the 10's and went. Definitely too light, but it was still a good workout -- more like a barbell complex.<br />
<br />
Jerks were messy. I power jerked (push jerk for you CrossFitters) and was pressing out on a bunch of them. I just get wonky when I don't split jerk. But that takes too long during a CF wod.Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-5835743617743605162011-09-07T14:03:00.000-04:002011-09-07T14:03:36.721-04:00Audie Murphy gymThey opened a new gym on base where we're at, and I wanted to share some pics with friends, and this seemed like as good a place to do that as any. :) Spare my Facebook friends more CrossFit overload. :-p<br />
<br />
--<br />
I really should've taken a picture right as I walked in the door, but I was immediately drawn to the right side of the gym to take a picture of the rowing machines. Sorinex pullup / rack rig and a couple lifting platforms in the background.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_QY_U74WbBQ-dy72e_Hpz2y-fPle2LyWYxBK7ogq_hdmBu5A0myjAoXIAD5lg6uU4q7Gq9aVZUjTCjqzMcyRytszbZh2bZBwFhyWzoEtkkdApu5r5li7h-0-0TV2vwabdWk_gWvBMQ_U/s1600/2011-09-07_10-08-25_113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_QY_U74WbBQ-dy72e_Hpz2y-fPle2LyWYxBK7ogq_hdmBu5A0myjAoXIAD5lg6uU4q7Gq9aVZUjTCjqzMcyRytszbZh2bZBwFhyWzoEtkkdApu5r5li7h-0-0TV2vwabdWk_gWvBMQ_U/s320/2011-09-07_10-08-25_113.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
View of the same stuff from the opposite end of the room. You can see a tiny piece of a GHD on the right side. I think there are 3 or 4?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VAbHJMNhV7vuU_uDa9Is1LI3rIKBh-CouAQLuOLdyBWdnkiNRV2pLXiTcoii7TBER-WutA6xt1am3peIO8_1QTCmPlza7UlLGgWN3_Mhh9byuWhBjwKbYiWdSpn2EOJglcJ2ueBOqpk/s1600/2011-09-07_10-09-14_899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2VAbHJMNhV7vuU_uDa9Is1LI3rIKBh-CouAQLuOLdyBWdnkiNRV2pLXiTcoii7TBER-WutA6xt1am3peIO8_1QTCmPlza7UlLGgWN3_Mhh9byuWhBjwKbYiWdSpn2EOJglcJ2ueBOqpk/s320/2011-09-07_10-09-14_899.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Sleds! Along the back wall. Crash mat for ropes in the background.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVjxN_Gs7IWCAl-FjDBW1RkvOQ7eJ2c6G50SClRd5cB4OIN9JlNHv6zyN4iOt9ABRvSujzmnZBsafVgOVUvsqDpgR_ZIPc0hztah140YIZMrKKQrRANtoO__iqolJY8k-5ZSagn2cDzo8/s1600/2011-09-07_10-09-42_831.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVjxN_Gs7IWCAl-FjDBW1RkvOQ7eJ2c6G50SClRd5cB4OIN9JlNHv6zyN4iOt9ABRvSujzmnZBsafVgOVUvsqDpgR_ZIPc0hztah140YIZMrKKQrRANtoO__iqolJY8k-5ZSagn2cDzo8/s320/2011-09-07_10-09-42_831.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Badass ropes. I might actually jump from the top on purpose just to land on that awesome mat! Let's make rope climbs like deadlifts -- back to the ground under control strictly <i>optional</i>. :-p<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIRnGyu6gCdnxINISB951kzTk9cHa8JDuZuHCD9t3f7dQPu330XmgUmW-qXEPPwAPQGTdbfGHDOd1DMzwLWiwaiOQUwBhdKvTdE8DIwQPTbgLEPoTdLeZKtKGtv-zMgufzmtfU108uHE/s1600/2011-09-07_10-09-34_202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsIRnGyu6gCdnxINISB951kzTk9cHa8JDuZuHCD9t3f7dQPu330XmgUmW-qXEPPwAPQGTdbfGHDOd1DMzwLWiwaiOQUwBhdKvTdE8DIwQPTbgLEPoTdLeZKtKGtv-zMgufzmtfU108uHE/s320/2011-09-07_10-09-34_202.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Boxes along the left wall. Tons of other agility stuff too, and also a bunch of weighted vests. I need to check those out and see if you can unload them to something less than 20#.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArLScRsdJ2kjTghjsMe2KetzibAW3obWph6hmLbNddcul_GDsk08ls0hhIfdvXLuXvk2BjHNG_F-WTxmJKjDWJgkFMAmnDP7C_zehDynWCJbvmMK4m6kvl4D484mpsJfY6GxeQJCNEWI/s1600/2011-09-07_10-12-42_210.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiArLScRsdJ2kjTghjsMe2KetzibAW3obWph6hmLbNddcul_GDsk08ls0hhIfdvXLuXvk2BjHNG_F-WTxmJKjDWJgkFMAmnDP7C_zehDynWCJbvmMK4m6kvl4D484mpsJfY6GxeQJCNEWI/s320/2011-09-07_10-12-42_210.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Weightlifting area and power cages in adjacent room. Don't know if there's any free-standing squat racks, if not, I may not be able to do much front squat or overhead focus in this gym. There doesn't seem to be enough room to back out of the power cage without tripping over the platform.<br />
<br />
However, there is something totally amazingly awesome about this weight room -- THERE ARE TONS OF 15kg BARS!!!!! I have died and gone to weightlifting heaven. Seriously, half the bar seems to be ladies bars. Hallelujah! My current CrossFit gym only has 45# and 15# bars, so I will definitely be doing some of my weightlifting practice at this gym. I can't hook on the 45's, and I can't stand NOT to hook now that I've been doing it for so long. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPstFMPrRB5JAf3tOveKecR-928ejcfikor06xsSOkGting-y2Gh6xqY78mIyaw77NJ1_we62QOeeOxjilTiWMbmPa_Qg7XXDeItUBt102vb9tlqpZFbvNHwS1xUnPBThsWmqJ7H76tY/s1600/2011-09-07_10-11-16_931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBPstFMPrRB5JAf3tOveKecR-928ejcfikor06xsSOkGting-y2Gh6xqY78mIyaw77NJ1_we62QOeeOxjilTiWMbmPa_Qg7XXDeItUBt102vb9tlqpZFbvNHwS1xUnPBThsWmqJ7H76tY/s320/2011-09-07_10-11-16_931.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
More rowers in another adjacent room. Holy shit! Too bad I won't be living here during the 100,000m Christmas challenge this year. (Just looked back through my archives, and I didn't post at all about doing the challenge last year. That's probably good because I wouldn't do it again with a written reminder of how much it sucked!! :-p)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoRy8xWP0l_Og1CB49YkLQa3W_O926qD-RN6WfkGZf5GgFksDwHJ2VNVEgVx5dO8Wt6Dx6_8lWVPTPAuXv7EwpGna81HKSC179zhhKgeluBh4F88vG6S7og8Zs4r86_7YRlvRT_V3228/s1600/2011-09-07_10-12-14_662.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDoRy8xWP0l_Og1CB49YkLQa3W_O926qD-RN6WfkGZf5GgFksDwHJ2VNVEgVx5dO8Wt6Dx6_8lWVPTPAuXv7EwpGna81HKSC179zhhKgeluBh4F88vG6S7og8Zs4r86_7YRlvRT_V3228/s320/2011-09-07_10-12-14_662.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-4926491287922194942011-09-07T13:44:00.000-04:002011-09-07T13:44:56.580-04:00NoonerHit the noon WOD today for the first time. Nice crowd, but they headed out pretty fast after the WOD. I still like the 9:30am group the best cause they love to chat afterwards. :)<br />
<br />
This workout was pullup and pushup heavy, but being mindful that I'm attending the gymnastics cert this weekend, I modified. No need to show up to that class with hands too tender to even hang from the bar or rings.<br />
<br />
AMRAP in 20 min:<br />
25 <strike>pullups</strike> ring rows<br />
50 <strike>pushups</strike> AbMat situps<br />
75 squats<br />
<br />
Results: 3 rounds + 12 ring rows<br />
<br />
Damn, ring rows are killer! I forgot how annoying and hard they are! If I could artificially attach my hands to the bar and remove the grip elements from pullups, ring rows would be WAAAY harder, since there's no way to use momentum to help yourself up.<br />
<br />
I focused on pulling my shoulder blades back and opening my chest, but I still felt this more in my arms than my pecs. Booo. Still figuring out the best ways to try to get those muscles activating more.Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-34147260765517040332011-09-07T06:17:00.000-04:002011-09-07T06:17:02.434-04:00Hotel gym quickieWe went house hunting for our next move in November, and flying home we were delayed overnight due to the crazy storms and tornadoes in the south. Having planned on working out at home that night, we did a quick workout in the hotel gym.<br />
<br />
They had dumbbells, so I decided to do a modified version of <a href="http://crossfitangie.blogspot.com/2011/05/angela.html">Angie's birthday WOD</a>, since I still haven't done that one. After that, I don't know if I wanna do the real one! :)<br />
<br />
3 rounds:<br />
16 DB hang cleans<br />
16 DB thrusters<br />
16 pushups<br />
<br />
Results: 16:46 -- I used 20# DBs<br />
<br />
Even with just the 20#s, my arms were really getting tired! It is sooooo much easier on your shoulders to rack the barbell than dumbbells.<br />
<br />
After I finished that, husband still wasn't done so I didn't want to just sit there, but I did not want to do another rounds of thrusters. :) So I did a couple easy rounds of:<br />
<br />
15# DB bench press<br />
20 bicycle cruches<br />
<br />
Since starting yoga, I've become a believer in the bicycle crunch, those things are awesome!Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-29805860236173309962011-08-29T14:16:00.000-04:002011-08-29T14:16:47.335-04:00Launch! 5th Element FitnessThose of you who have been reading this blog for a while have probably noticed that sometimes I like to "wax poetic" and reflect on the inner journey that CrossFit / yoga / running have taken me on.<br />
<br />
Well, today is the launch date of a new blog I'm co-authoring with a few friends -- <a href="http://www.5thelementfitness.com/">5th Element Fitness</a>.<br />
<br />
I'm excited (yet terrified!) of this new venture, because it's going to allow me to take those random asides from my workout log, and polish them into something with a true purpose.<br />
<br />
If you check out the site, and like the concept, I would LOVE for you to link to us on your blog, or mention us in a blog post. You can also "like" our <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/5th-Element-Fitness/128171603908868">Facebook page</a>.<br />
<br />
We are also open to guest posts, so if you have something to say about the part of fitness that's "beyond the physical", please contact me!<br />
<br />
I will update here when my first "solo" post goes up, which should be in the next 2 or 3 weeks. :)Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-88074351449368322922011-08-29T13:48:00.000-04:002011-08-29T13:48:06.774-04:00Monday morning intensityThe WOD we did this AM is exactly the kind of stuff that I need. Manageable work periods with some short rests built in to keep intensity high while you're moving.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">7 rounds, each for reps, of:</div><div style="text-align: center;">0:30 Deadlifts, 135/95 pounds</div><div style="text-align: center;">0:15 rest</div><div style="text-align: center;">0:30 Push ups</div><div style="text-align: center;">0:15 rest</div><div style="text-align: center;">0:30 KB Swings, 1.5/1 pood</div><div style="text-align: center;">Rest 1:00 between rounds. Post total reps per round to comments.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Results: 236 Rx</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Having to use the fat men's bar really made it tough for me to rep out the deadlifts. Mentally I was comparing it to that CF Games Open Sectionals WOD that had ~100# deadlifts in it. There was no chance of using hook grip, and the bar was pretty much in my fingertips the last 5 reps of every round. Didn't even think about using a mixed grip until round 5 or 6 -- duh! Tried to stick with at least 12 reps on this movement.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Pushups... ugh! Managed to bang out 4 or 5 in a row to start, then some 2's in the early rounds, and only singles in the later rounds. Average number per round was around 8. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Love me some kb swings -- but they were tough being so out of breath. Tried to hold myself to a minimum of 10 each round, and managed to get closer to 15 a couple rounds.</div>Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-10423952946549237592011-08-28T10:39:00.000-04:002011-08-28T10:39:16.846-04:00C&J ladder, C&J PR, metconWhile I was determined not to feel bad or embarrassed about scaling my first WOD at the new gym <a href="http://nocryingincrossfit.blogspot.com/2011/08/fresh-start.html">yesterday</a>, I can't say that I was sad when the first part of Saturday's WOD gave me the perfect chance to demonstrate my strengths. :)<br />
<br />
Men and women went through a clean & jerk ladder. Bars were setup at 10 pound increments, starting at 65# for women, and 95# for men. Though if I remember correctly, there wasn't an 85# bar?<br />
<br />
Results:<br />
<ul><li>\65#-115# -- went up easily with good technique </li>
<li>125# -- somewhat crappy wide-stance catch power clean; should've squat cleaned, I was being lazy, plus I'm out of practice</li>
<li>135# -- another iffy landing on the clean; on this jerk my right elbow broke and I had to press it back to lockout; for this WOD it counted, wouldn't have in a competition</li>
<li>145# -- made two attempts at the clean, but just didn't have it; I think I may have been able to do 140#</li>
</ul>New clean & jerk PR baby! The most I've C&J in tandem was definitely way less than 135#. And my power clean 1RM was previously 125#. Having spent the last 6 months working on fixing my back alignment, posture and control of my pelvic alignment, I'd say I was right in thinking those areas of weakness were holding me back in the past. Since I've done so little strength training or lifting in the last few months, I wonder if yoga has helped me a lot too. I'm thinking yes since my workouts have mainly been running and yoga as of late.<br />
<br />
Metcon:<br />
4 rounds:<br />
100m shuttle sprint (25m segments)<br />
10 renegade rows (1 pushup, 1 row L, 1 row R)<br />
20 situps<br />
<br />
Results: 13:20 w/ 25# DB round 1, 15# DB rounds 2-4Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-72902452319199706772011-08-26T13:09:00.000-04:002011-08-26T13:09:47.491-04:00Fresh startToday was my first day at the CrossFit gym in my new city -- see linky love in the sidebar.<br />
<br />
I scaled the WOD and I am totally OK with that.<br />
<br />
I'm sure it's been apparent due to my lack of posting that my CrossFit workouts have been minimal to nonexistent the last few months. I really lost my fire and my purpose for doing CrossFit -- I didn't really know why I did it anymore. After I reached the point where I was Rx-ing 90% of movements in WODs, I didn't really progress much farther, and I also lost that excitement of doing new things that I didn't think I could do.<br />
<br />
I recaptured that feeling with my marathon training, and with a totally new activity I had never done before -- yoga.<br />
<br />
Today I decided that the next 3 months I'm living here, I'm just doing CrossFit because it's fun and I like it. I'm rebooting, restarting, resetting myself. There are a lot of stories that I have in my head about myself as a CrossFitter. I'm throwing those away. I will be whatever I want to be, and achieve whatever I want to. And if I don't *want* to do something, I don't have to beat myself up over not trying.<br />
<br />
These next 3 months are my time to start fresh, and rebuild from the ground up. Time to get this foundation solid. <br />
<br />
--<br />
"Bradley"<br />
<br />
10 rounds for time of:<br />
Sprint 100 meters<br />
10 Pull-ups<br />
Sprint 100 meters<br />
10 Burpees<br />
Rest 30 seconds<br />
<br />
Results: Scaled to 5 rounds, 20:40-ish (bad memory)<br />
<br />
My blood blister / giant callous from Nicole on Monday ripped open in round 2, so the right grip went on. The left hand ripped open in round 5. I think this was caused by a combination of two things: I haven't shaved down my callouses in a week or so, and I should have after pullups on Monday. And the pullups bars are pretty rough -- good for hanging onto, bad for poor hand care.Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-15018685292288101632011-08-24T07:31:00.000-04:002011-08-24T07:31:04.170-04:00Weigh-Ins, for posterity<div>I got tired of these weigh-ins being listed on my side bar, but wanted to save them for posterity. So, a post. :)</div><div> </div><div>This was my weight loss while following a relatively "clean" or Paleo diet, and CrossFitting on pretty regular schedule of 3 on, 1 off, 2 on, 1 off. And if you care about that kind of stuff, I'm 5'6''.</div><div><br />
</div><div>Unlike others, I didn't have 20 pounds fall off the moment I started eating Paleo. I lost a couple pounds a month, gradually. After reaching 143 in January, I actually started to gain weight back from putting on muscle. Which is just fine with me, I wasn't trying to achieve a certain number on the scale -- I just wanted to look and feel better than I did when I started. Goal achieved. :)</div><div> </div><div>161.8 -- 08/05/2009</div><div>159.2 -- 08/12/2009</div><div>157.0 -- 08/19/2009</div><div>158.0 -- 08/26/2009</div><div>157.8 -- 09/09/2009</div><div>158.6 -- 09/16/2009</div><div>156.4 -- 10/07/2009</div><div>153.4 -- 10/27/2009 -8.4</div><div>154.0 -- 11/11/2009 -7.8</div>152.8 -- 12/11/2009 -9<br />
148.0 -- 01/10/2010 -13.8<br />
146.8 -- 01/20/2010 -15<br />
145.0 -- 01/27/2010 -16.8<br />
143.2 -- 01/31/2010 -18.6<br />
<br />
--<br />
This isn't necessarily a case of a dramatic visual change. I went from looking pretty average to looking fit. And more importantly, I felt awesome, had tons of energy, and gained tons of confidence by physically achieving things I didn't think I could do. Go CrossFit. :)<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR65troIRpIcAUFuGMa4fo4P3YOLuR-bEvIlr6QCKKs2gDnDTPpgpThDxT6UsaoRHzZdKB9D-z9q77mseoUUmQUBaDhe_lcs-N3bQfKHx1m_npyjHvcT0L5pB-dEyYOqutzEyo8gaECOs/s1600/before_crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR65troIRpIcAUFuGMa4fo4P3YOLuR-bEvIlr6QCKKs2gDnDTPpgpThDxT6UsaoRHzZdKB9D-z9q77mseoUUmQUBaDhe_lcs-N3bQfKHx1m_npyjHvcT0L5pB-dEyYOqutzEyo8gaECOs/s320/before_crop.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">July 2009</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwAOchJk3rpOCPZ_GJGDfbg5IR42ab_53fbTKViUBrs8TG0JrJqcvCQcBTZyIIEMBk8oMcfP1Ay-M41SPoxDMckCuYXPAiiD1XU9xrulvxZUpcp9wobSgQYIrDZJXGXq5j0NAvLDRxYI/s1600/deadlift_spring2010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxwAOchJk3rpOCPZ_GJGDfbg5IR42ab_53fbTKViUBrs8TG0JrJqcvCQcBTZyIIEMBk8oMcfP1Ay-M41SPoxDMckCuYXPAiiD1XU9xrulvxZUpcp9wobSgQYIrDZJXGXq5j0NAvLDRxYI/s320/deadlift_spring2010.jpg" width="307" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring 2010</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqrF4HG5V-__0cWHcYt1DWXO83bDvp0Jp0cZpWXp0v9ZMTV07R5OHrmCoV7C-ZxnPyAKsl1MAzWtgg26jHRJ7WnSqdCNPacwDPw2Uxs8Ar4P1JN50gnNArLLlQxYs85KR48SUrs9Fit8/s1600/deadliftsanddresses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqrF4HG5V-__0cWHcYt1DWXO83bDvp0Jp0cZpWXp0v9ZMTV07R5OHrmCoV7C-ZxnPyAKsl1MAzWtgg26jHRJ7WnSqdCNPacwDPw2Uxs8Ar4P1JN50gnNArLLlQxYs85KR48SUrs9Fit8/s320/deadliftsanddresses.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Later w/ more muscle - October 2010</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-88387892125713667742011-08-23T17:46:00.000-04:002011-08-23T17:46:32.684-04:00NicoleEarly Monday morning I made my second attempt at this benchmark. <a href="http://nocryingincrossfit.blogspot.com/2010/05/three-days-at-cf-kop.html">First attempt</a> was a little over a year ago. <br />
<blockquote>"Nicole"</blockquote><blockquote>AMRAP in 20 minutes:<br />
Run 400m<br />
Max pullups<br />
<br />
Score is total number of pullups.<br />
<br />
Results: 40 pullups (6 runs, 10-7-5-7-5-6)</blockquote>I was pretty focused on making my runs fast and efficient, but I think with the pullups I wasn't exactly exerting my most "max" effort. Husband and I got up early to fit a workout in, and had a full day afterwards -- finishing cleaning our apartment, move out inspection, pick up car trailer, drive to our new place about 6 hours away, and start unpacking. That made it kinda hard to pour all my energy into my workout, because I knew I would need lots of energy all day.<br />
<br />
I am sad to say that today I feel like I got hit by a truck from the waist up. OMG. My abs are sore, my elbows have a bit of tendonitis going on and let's not even talk about my shoulders. It's so funny that no matter what else you do in your time off, when you stop doing CrossFit you get soooo sore from the most benign workouts! <br />
<br />
Husband got 87 (7 runs), and his pullups were strict, no kipping. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. He is a freakin beast. Makes me so proud to be his wife. :)Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-34845203837738926562011-08-16T15:10:00.000-04:002011-08-16T15:10:38.420-04:00Marine Corps MarathonSo, if you've been reading my blog for a while, you've probably noticed my CrossFit workouts have been pretty light lately. No, I haven't given up working out. I'm just training for a marathon. :)<br />
<br />
On October 30th I will be running the Marine Corps Marathon to raise money for the <a href="http://semperfifund.org/">Semper Fi Fund</a>.<br />
<blockquote>The Semper Fi Fund is a nonprofit set up to provide immediate financial support for injured members of U.S. Armed Forces and their families. We direct urgently needed resources to Marines and Sailors, as well as members of the Army, Air Force or Coast Guard who serve in support of Marine forces. The basic ideal that drives our efforts is simple: as much as these American heroes have sacrificed, they deserve the best care and support available in their hour of need. Injuries are often severe, and the road to recovery or rehabilitation can be long and costly. </blockquote>My fundraising goal is $2,500, and to get there I'm looking for 125 people to donate $20 each. Please consider making a donation, any amount no matter how small will help make a difference in the life of an injured service member.<br />
<br />
To donate, visit my Active Giving page: <a href="http://www.active.com/donate/semperfifundmcm2011/TeamWiss">Team Wissmann</a><br />
To read more about my training, visit my blog: <a href="http://teamwiss.wordpress.com/">Team Wissmann</a>Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-68035384234918382352011-08-14T09:00:00.001-04:002011-08-14T09:01:00.078-04:00WilmotDid this one in my garage on Saturday at 5pm, and it felt like it was 200 degrees in there! After round 3, I went inside and shut the door to do my squats so I could breathe.<br />
<br />
My ring dips are back to being a bit crappy. Shouldn't have stopped practicing them!<br />
<br />
"<a href="http://www.crossfit.com/mt-archive2/007642.html">Wilmot</a>"<br />
6 rounds:<br />
50 air squats<br />
25 ring dips<br />
<br />
Results: 33:33, two skinny bands to scale ring dipsCheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-65068505916980144762011-07-07T16:28:00.000-04:002011-07-07T16:28:49.138-04:00Catch-up<b>Today</b><br />
Short beach loop<br />
Distance: 4.61 miles<br />
Time: 53:17<br />
Pace: 11:33/mile<br />
<br />
I took 3 fairly long walk breaks. The sun was too hot -- I should've done this run about an hour earlier. Also, this was my first long-ish run in quite a while. Due to wildfires conditions have been really smokey here off and on for the last month. I've really lost a lot of what I built up, but hopefully I can get it back quickly with runs a few times a week.<br />
<br />
<b>Wednesday 7/6</b><br />
Did a WOD I got <a href="http://crossfitangie.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-kind-of-wod.html">from Angie</a>.<br />
<br />
50-40-30-20-10<br />
kb swings (16kg)<br />
AbMat situps (butterfly)<br />
<br />
Results: 13:10<br />
<br />
Would like to try this one with Russian swings and the 24kg kettlebell sometime.<br />
<br />
<b>Tuesday 7/5</b><br />
"Fran"<br />
21-15-9<br />
thrusters (65#)<br />
pullups<br />
<br />
Results: 10:28<br />
<br />
Not my fastest (9:10 @ Level I Cert), and not <a href="http://nocryingincrossfit.blogspot.com/2010/02/fran.html">my slowest</a> either, but only barely. The issue this time was just conditioning. My heartrate was off the charts, and that's what slowed me down the most -- catching my breath. I probably could've benefitted from someone getting in my face too. :)<br />
<br />
<b>Sunday 7/3</b><br />
I ran for ~37 minutes and I don't the distance of my route. It felt good to be up early and outside.<br />
<br />
<b>Friday 7/1</b><br />
Yoga, good times as always. I realized that doing the 11am class really makes a difference in how hot it feels in the room. I think it must be the sun coming in or hitting the building. I never start to feel like it's too hot to breathe in the 5pm or 6pm classes that I've taken.<br />
<b><br />
</b><br />
<b>Thursday 6/30</b><br />
~30 minute run in the morning.<br />
<br />
WOD @ 5:30 (only had 1 student in class, so we did the WOD together :))<br />
4 rounds<br />
800m run<br />
50 air squats<br />
then<br />
50 hands-off pushups<br />
<br />
Results: 30:09<br />
<br />
<b>Monday 6/27</b><br />
Squat 12-12-12-12 @ 105<br />
<br />
That really hurt.<br />
<br />
Metcon:<br />
10-1<br />
Pullups<br />
AbMat situps<br />
<br />
14:56<br />
<br />
Went mental on the pullups, eeek. <br />
<br />
Hit yoga that night as well.Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-37706919536819516082011-06-07T15:23:00.000-04:002011-06-07T15:23:13.030-04:00Clogged sinuses, BS & press, yoga, K2EWhen I brought up my blog, I thought, "I must've done <i>something</i> between Murph and today??"<br />
<br />
I looked back at the blog for our gym, and yes, I did. :)<br />
<br />
--<br />
<b>Wednesday, June 1</b><br />
First day of our strength cycle, which I'm co-programming with my boss. Has been interesting so far, we'll see what everybody thinks when we get to the end of 5 weeks. :)<br />
<br />
Back squat<br />
3-3-3-3-3, working up to 90% 1RM<br />
125-135-145-145-150(f)<br />
<br />
No reps on that last set, I just went down, stopped, and bailed the bar behind me. Ugh, my ability to back squat heavy weights SUCKS. I wish I was as good at that as I am at weightlifting movements. The slow lifts just don't seem to make as much sense to me, maybe I have too much time to overthink it?<br />
<br />
Press<br />
3-3-3-3-3, working up to 90% 1RM<br />
65-75-80-80-82<br />
<br />
Had to go for 82 just to have the highest female numbers on the board for that one. Come one, I need one thing I can brag about. :)<br />
<br />
--<br />
After that workout, I pretty much succumbed to a horrible sinus infection / cold. It's actually still hanging on, though I'm at the point where working out is something I need to do to drive the bad stuff out of my body.<br />
<br />
--<br />
<b>Monday, June 6</b><br />
Yesterday night I went to heated power yoga, and it was great, as usual. I'm going to miss this studio and the husband-wife team that owns it and teaches the classes I take. They are great. I almost talked myself out of going, and I'm glad I just did it. It was annoying to have my nose clogged up a lot of the time, but oh well. :)<br />
<br />
I'd like to attend this Monday night class regularly, and also Friday afternoon. I think yoga twice a week would be a great addition to the work I'm doing with my chiropractor. Gotta get myself all fixed up before I have to move away from him, too.<br />
<br />
--<br />
Today's workout was pretty interesting. It was an AMRAP, and the time actually went by pretty quickly, which is always a good thing. I hate WODs where the time just seems to drag on and on.<br />
<br />
<b>WOD:</b><br />
<blockquote>How high up the ladder can you climb in 20 mins:<br />
<br />
200 m Run<br />
1 Knees-to-elbows<br />
200 m Run<br />
2 Knees-to-elbows<br />
200 m Run<br />
3 Knees-to-elbows<br />
...<br />
<br />
Record highest set of knees to elbows completed.</blockquote> Results: 7 + 6 K2Es of my 8th round<br />
<br />
Wow, I was really running slow for this one. And I need to get faster at knees to elbows.<br />
<br />
I kept having these little glimmers of insight into how to string them together, without an extra kipping swing in the middle, but then I would suddenly find myself wildly swinging on the pullup bar with no clue what I was doing. I'll have to search out some videos on that, though maybe I'm on the right track and just not executing properly. I'm trying to bring my knees down as I push forward to start a new swing, and then pop out of that swing into another K2E.<br />
<br />
Any tips from anyone reading would be appreciated! :)Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-18941334193418716682011-05-29T07:51:00.000-04:002011-05-29T07:51:07.082-04:00MurphHusband and I joined a few of my CrossFit athletes to do Murph on Saturday morning. It was quite the hellacious experience, just like <a href="http://nocryingincrossfit.blogspot.com/2010/07/alive-and-kicking.html">last year</a>.<br />
<blockquote>"Murph" aka "Body Armor"<br />
For time:<br />
1 mile run<br />
100 pullups<br />
200 pushups<br />
300 air squats<br />
1 mile run<br />
<br />
Partition the pullup, pushups and squats as needed. Start and finish with a mile run. If you've got a twenty pound vest or body armor, wear it. </blockquote> Results: ~80 minutes -- I was laying on the ground and didn't personally look at the stopwatch, and the only time I heard said out loud was "an hour and 20 minutes". I guess that's as exact as it needs to be in that time domain. :)<br />
<br />
This was a 10 minute PR for me. Definitely came from improvement on pullups. <br />
<br />
Like <a href="http://nocryingincrossfit.blogspot.com/2010/07/alive-and-kicking.html">the last time</a> I did this, I ran a separate stop watch which I started after returning from the first mile run. I partitioned the work into 20 rounds of 5 pullups, 10 pushups and 15 squats. Having that second watch helps me gauge how well I'm doing with moving through my sets without taking too much rest.<br />
<br />
5 rounds competed -- 9:25<br />
10 rounds completed -- 22:59 (9 rounds completed <a href="http://nocryingincrossfit.blogspot.com/2011/02/cindy.html">at 20 mins</a>)<br />
16 rounds completed -- 42:20<br />
20 rounds completed -- 55:38<br />
Avg/round: ~2:45<br />
<br />
Pullups were absolutely spot-on -- all 20 sets I did 5 reps. And they were all GOOD, chin way over. Didn't use grips or any tape, except in the last 2 sets I wore my left hand grip because my left hand ring finger callous ripped a bit. This is a huge departure from last time, when I had tape grips on both hands, and ended up ripping open a bunch of spots on my hands and fingers. <br />
<br />
Pushups were... UGH. Every time I came to these, it was a mental battle to get them done. I think that pushups defeat me mentally more than physically. With pullups in hand these need to become a main focus. It's not as "sexy and cool" to do tons of good pushups, but so necessary...<br />
<br />
Squats were consistent, but not fast. I only broke 1 or 2 sets for rest, and that was in the last 5 rounds.<br />
<br />
--<br />
I guess LT. Michael Murphy should have been my mental inspiration, but what mentally drove me to persevere and complete this workout was thinking about the <a href="http://www.americanwidowproject.org/">American Widow Project</a>. I had seen a post on their Facebook page in the morning before we went to meet the group to do the WOD. And I made it my goal that when I felt horrible, I would think about how lucky I am to be doing this workout side-by-side with my husband, who has come back from war safely 3 times now. I'm sure those widows would go through any amount of painful experiences to be able to spend time with their husbands again. So I dedicated my workout to them. They are the unspoken heroes that I will remember this Memorial Day.Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-85566689099726328942011-05-26T09:30:00.001-04:002011-05-26T09:34:38.615-04:00Nancy rematchLast July I did "Nancy" as prescribed for the first time, and <a href="http://nocryingincrossfit.blogspot.com/2010/06/nancy.html">finished it in 26:27</a>.<br />
<br />
Today I took 6 minutes off my time!<br />
<br />
"Nancy"<br />
5 rounds:<br />
400m run<br />
15 overhead squats (95/65)<br />
<br />
Results: 20:32 Rx<br />
<br />
I think I did really well with minimizing my transition time between the runs and OHS. I could still tighten it up a bit. I also tried to run fast, but could definitely improve there. But those two elements are still where I made the improvement from last year.<br />
<br />
All sets of OHS were unbroken except round 4. I dropped the bar at the bottom of rep #10, dropped it again on my next attempted rep, took a few seconds, then snatched the bar and got the last 6 reps. I kept telling myself the weight was only 50% of my 1RM and I should be able to hold it up all day. Seemed to work to keep me from dropping the bar. :)<br />
<br />
Can we switch "Fran" to OHS instead of thrusters? That would be much more fun. :)Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-89733065073285513312011-05-25T09:00:00.001-04:002011-05-26T09:27:15.265-04:00Doubling upI like to rest on Tuesdays so that I have a good 48 hours between my chiropractic adjustment and my next WOD. Seems to let things "settle" and help me keep that great "just adjusted" feeling longer.<br />
<br />
So Wednesday I decided to double-up, and do Tuesday's WOD and Wednesday's WOD.<br />
<br />
First I rowed a 2k for time before coaching a class at 9am.<br />
<br />
Result: 8:38<br />
<br />
That's only 2 seconds slower than my current PR, which I'll gladly take since I was rowing alone. I almost always go faster when there's someone next to me to "race".<br />
<br />
After class I completed Tuesday's metcon, and then Wednesday's strength and 2 short metcons.<br />
<blockquote>For time, partition reps as desired:<br />
50 GHD situps<br />
100 Supermans<br />
25 handstand pushups</blockquote><blockquote>Results: 13:43 -- used green+blue band harness for HSPU</blockquote>Has definitely been too long since I practiced HSPU. Was nice to get in the groove with just 25 total reps. My back felt tired, but not painful, with the Supermans and GHDs. Woohoo!<br />
<blockquote>Bench Press: 3-3-3-3-3-3 @ 85% of 1RM, 2 min rest between sets<br />
<br />
Results: 70#, no spotter so just worked on maintaining perfect form on each rep </blockquote>Now that my low back and hips are pretty much good to go, the next problem area I'm working on with my chiro is mid-back (thoracic spine) and shoulder position. My shoulders are *very* rolled forward, which makes my head and neck too far forward instead of sitting on top of the rest of my spine. At this point my posture has been bad for so long that my pecs have shortened and tightened. I can hardly engage them in movements, or stretch them. This is probably a contributing factor in why I simply suck at pushups, and possibly a clue to my struggles transitioning through a muscle up. Working on it, and I think yoga and some extra chest work and stretches I'm doing will help.<br />
<br />
And then two short metcons to finish off Wednesday's WOD.<br />
<blockquote>For time: 100 sledge hammer strikes on tire<br />
Results: 4:04 w/ 16# sledge<br />
<br />
For time: 100 AbMat situps<br />
Results: 3:37</blockquote>I was in the gym all damn morning! Enjoyed having my techno girly music turned up super loud. :-DCheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-67065081768062520382011-05-23T12:25:00.000-04:002011-05-23T12:25:02.932-04:00Busy weekendFit today's WOD in this morning between coaching and chiropractor. My adjustment is always awesome when I work out just prior.<br />
<br />
4 rounds:<br />
3 DB power clean (45#/30#)<br />
16 DB split clean (alternate lead foot)<br />
3 DB power jerk<br />
3 DB split jerk<br />
30 double unders<br />
<br />
Results: 18:20, Rx<br />
<br />
I had to drop the DBs a lot more than I anticipated, but tried to keep things in consistent chunks to regulate my rest. I tend to rest too much when I have to break up sets.<br />
<br />
Double unders were not going well until the last round when I finally got 15 in a row. That's probably the biggest factor in how long this took me to finish.<br />
<br />
It was a gasser, I was breathing really hard and sweating a ton! Good way to kick off the week. <br />
<br />
-- <br />
On Saturday I ran a 5K on the beach. Didn't go for time, just ran with a friend with the only goal being to not walk. We achieved that goal, and she did great. It was great to run on the beach, I haven't actually run on the sand in quite a while. <br />
<br />
Results: 37:30 (pace ~12min/mile)<br />
<br />
--<br />
Sunday evening I went to heated power yoga. God is that a tough workout. I was really struggling to keep up and do all the poses as they were being called out, and at one point the instructor suggested I take child pose. I think we were doing a warrior and my legs were just shaking so bad I couldn't stay down in it.<br />
<br />
At the beginning of class the instructors always talk about taking child's pose if you need it, so I knew I had that option. But it honestly didn't occur to me to do it in that moment of struggle. When I did, I just felt so much relief, it was palpable. In fact I felt some tears come to my eyes!<br />
<br />
Taking child's pose in the middle of that tough "flow" was almost like the anti-CrossFit. Maybe...<br />
<br />
Maybe it was "anti" to my idea of CrossFit?<br />
<br />
If I think of my "CrossFit practice", there is a lot of struggle there, toughing it out, pushing yourself to do more reps than you think you can, pushing yourself to move a load that is heavy. Yes, we do scale workouts, but I don't know if that's really a good analog for taking child's pose during yoga practice...<br />
<br />
<br />
It may not be a concept that necessarily works in CrossFit, but it's something for me to remember in yoga. I realize as I practice yoga that I'm not as good at listening to my body as I think I am. There are things going on in my body, my posture, my alignment, that I'm not consciously aware of. But once I focus my attention there, then I can see it. Shoulders super tight and drawn up ALOT. Hips also tight in ways that I don't notice in CrossFit, because they don't impede me there. That I know of!<br />
<br />
It's been a while since I felt totally "in my body" during a CrossFit workout, but I easily experience that when I do yoga. There's no game plan, no reps to count, no clock to beat. It's a whole different universe, and something that I've decided I really need in my life. And I didn't even know it was missing!Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4291422073920354212.post-64361939455367879822011-05-19T14:04:00.000-04:002011-05-19T14:04:40.126-04:00CrossFit TotalThis was only the second time I've done this workout. The first time was way back in January 2010, so about a year and a half ago.<br />
<br />
Jan 2010 results:<br />
Squat - 155<br />
Press - 80<br />
Deadlift - 185<br />
Total: 420<br />
<br />
Those numbers were after 6 months of training the barbell lifts. Not too bad, when you look at it from that perspective. At that point I was Rx-ing or close to Rx-ing the majority of barbell movements in CrossFit WODs, except those with deadlifts. I was just able to do a few unassisted pullups, but still struggled with other gymnastics / body weight movements.<br />
<br />
Fast forward to today. 18 more months of training, so a total of (approximately) 2 years of total barbell training.<br />
<br />
May 2011 results:<br />
Squat - 160<br />
Press - 90<br />
Deadlift - 190<br />
Total: 440<br />
<br />
-- <br />
At first glance when I made the comparison between 2010 and today, I was pretty disappointed. Only 20 pounds more after 18 months?<br />
<br />
So I wanted to think about the path my training has taken, and reflect a little bit. Feel free to stop reading now, this is mostly for me. :)<br />
<br />
Despite only gaining 10 pounds in the press, my upper body strength has absolutely exploded as a whole. On multiple occasions I've completed 100 pullups or more in a single workout. It may have taken me twice as long as others, but I still completed each one. Pushups have been up and down, but on the whole I'm much stronger. Same story with ring dips. <br />
<br />
I've fixed my squat. The butt wink that I got called out on during my Level I cert in March 2010 is now gone. I still struggle a little with keeping hamstrings tight in the bottom, especially switching back and forth between low-bar and Olympic high-bar and front squats. But it's all good. Reading Rip's book "Starting Strength" is helping me even more in this area. Knowledge is power.<br />
<br />
The back pain I began suffering from in September 2010 led me to perfect chiropractor for me, and has completely changed the alignment of my legs and hips for the better. My posture from the waist down is completely revamped, and now we're working hard on the mid-back and neck. I <i>know </i>these changes are going to allow me to get even stronger in the end, even though my injury prevented me from lifting anything heavier than ~125# between September 2010 and February 2011.<br />
<br />
The time taken off due to my back set me back more mentally than anything - obviously since my squat and deadlift both went up by 5, but didn't go down. The experience of lifting a heavy weight isn't just physical, it's mental. My brain is currently used to moving very manageable loads, and I've lost some ground in dealing with the "holy shit this is crazy heavy" feeling when moving a barbell. But I know it's just a matter of time and commitment to getting back my mental focus so that I can finally start getting stronger. Now that my body is ready, I will make my mind ready, and then shit is gonna take off!<br />
<br />
So, I guess what I really proving to myself with all of this is that I didn't "waste" 18 months because my CF Total only went up 20 pounds. I accomplished a lot in that time, and learned a lot of really valuable lessons. And I've been learning to become a better coach, which is a super-high priority goal for me.<br />
<br />
I don't want to get sucked into that numbers trap, where my numbers absolutely define me. Or where I am only worthwhile as a person if I have amazing numbers. There's more too me than just simple metrics.Cheri Wissmannhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08687591936479620285noreply@blogger.com1