Kitchen WOD

Modified the good old standard at home WOD today.

50-40-30-20-10 lunges (total)
25-20-15-10-5 pushups
50-40-30-20-10 butterfly AbMat situps
25-20-15-10-5 PVC OHS

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, Greg Everett says so, and I believe him.

Hotel gym quickie

We 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.

They had dumbbells, so I decided to do a modified version of Angie's birthday WOD, since I still haven't done that one. After that, I don't know if I wanna do the real one! :)

3 rounds:
16 DB hang cleans
16 DB thrusters
16 pushups

Results: 16:46 -- I used 20# DBs

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.

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:

15# DB bench press
20 bicycle cruches

Since starting yoga, I've become a believer in the bicycle crunch, those things are awesome!

Monday morning intensity

The 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.

7 rounds, each for reps, of:

0:30 Deadlifts, 135/95 pounds

0:15 rest

0:30 Push ups

0:15 rest

0:30 KB Swings, 1.5/1 pood

Rest 1:00 between rounds. Post total reps per round to comments.

Results: 236 Rx

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.

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. 

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.

Catch-up

Today
Short beach loop
Distance: 4.61 miles
Time: 53:17
Pace: 11:33/mile

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.

Wednesday 7/6
Did a WOD I got from Angie.

50-40-30-20-10
kb swings (16kg)
AbMat situps (butterfly)

Results: 13:10

Would like to try this one with Russian swings and the 24kg kettlebell sometime.

Tuesday 7/5
"Fran"
21-15-9
thrusters (65#)
pullups

Results: 10:28

Not my fastest (9:10 @ Level I Cert), and not my slowest 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. :)

Sunday 7/3
I ran for ~37 minutes and I don't the distance of my route. It felt good to be up early and outside.

Friday 7/1
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.


Thursday 6/30
~30 minute run in the morning.

WOD @ 5:30 (only had 1 student in class, so we did the WOD together :))
4 rounds
800m run
50 air squats
then
50 hands-off pushups

Results: 30:09

Monday 6/27
Squat 12-12-12-12 @ 105

That really hurt.

Metcon:
10-1
Pullups
AbMat situps

14:56

Went mental on the pullups, eeek.

Hit yoga that night as well.

Bodyweight WOD

I thought the WOD today would be something I could quickly fit in between coaching and my chiropractor appointment. I took me nearly 5 minutes more than I would've liked. Too slow on pullups, and I just basically suck at pushups. Alot. This does not bode well for doing Murph in two weeks...

WOD:
1000m row
air squat x 80
sit up x 60
push up x 40
pull up x 20

Results: ~17:00

CrossFit Games Open Sectionals 11.2

Ooops, never posted about this WOD. Consider this to be me "catching" up. I haven't really done much outside of the Games WODs in the past 2 weeks.

AMRAP in 15 minutes:
9 deadlifts
12 pushups
15 box jumps

7 rounds + 6 deads

The deads were a lot easier than I thought -- but then again, I have an unnatural fear of them after doing high reps at too high of a weight. This weight was easy, once you got past the first one starting off the next round. All unbroken.

Pushups sucked sucked sucked, as expected. Was down to 1, 2 and 3 at a time by round 3. This was where I took my "rest".

Box jumps -- tried not to pause at all. On the 7th round, my right shoe came untied, so I kicked it off, did 1 or 2 jumps with 1 shoe, then kicked the other one off too. My judge was like "WTF!?" hehehe I'm thinking I could've done all 9 deads without the shoe issue. On a redo I might've been up for 8 rounds. I wasn't willing to try. :-)

Murph-esque

I didn't think I would workout today, but with only 2 athletes in the 530 class, I decided to do the WOD with them.

It was basically Murph, or at least the middle section of Murph.

WOD:
Run 800m
21 OHS (135#/95#)
2 rds "Cindy"
15 OHS
4 rds "Cindy"
9 OHS
6 rds "Cindy"
3 OHS
8 rds "Cindy"
Run 800m

Results: 66 minutes; 65# OHS; 1/2 knee pushups

While I didn't have it in me to do 200 Rx pushups tonight, I'm pretty happy with doing 100 unassisted pullups. No rips in my hands, either. Good stuff.

My back felt a little sore as I started, which freaked me out on the two long sets of OHS, but then the pain completely went away.

Front squats, pushups, swings and situps

Got together with my girls at the base gym this morning, and we all just wanted something simple. R had this one in her notebook from CrossFit Saratoga.

3 rounds:
15 front squats
25 pushups
35 kettlebell swings
45 situps

Results: untimed; did f.s. at 45, 65, 65 and 35# kb for all swings

I was super-slow on my pushups again today. They were all good form, but just 1s and 2s and 3s which took forever.

Note on my gymnastics skills... there seems to be quite a bit of practice required between just being able to do a skill correctly, and being able to do it correctly for many reps in a row. The same things has been the case with pullups in the past. Maybe it's a matter of developing a rhythm or technique for stringing them together? Who knows...

--
Speaking of pullups, I hit a new PR in those yesterday as well. Prior to coaching at 6pm, I did 10 kipping pullups in a row. Woot! The first 4 were chest-to-bar to boot. I'm back to doing those daily, even if it's just a few, and it's really paying off.

Cindy

Had a rematch with Cindy this morning.She and I have a history.

May 2010 - A pitiful 7 rounds + 5 pullups
June 2010 - During first 20 minutes of a Murph attempt (after completing the starting mile), I did ~12 rounds
February 10, 2010 - 9 rounds + 3 pushups

Here's the secret to a good Cindy, at least for me -- spend time practicing both pushups and pullups prior to attempting. I have focused a lot on pullups lately, but haven't done many pushups in the last few months. Need to work those back into warmups as much as possible.

Back at the base gym

Did Thursday and Friday morning at the base gym with my buddies.

Thursday
5x5 back squats
95-105-115-120-125

4 rounds:
5 1-arm DB power snatch, right
5 1-arm DB OHS, right
5 1-arm DB power snatch, left
5 1-arm DB OHS, left
10 lateral jumps over dumbbell

Results: ~8 minutes, with a 25# dumbbell

If you've never tried a 1-arm DB overhead squat, try it. It is really weird, and definitely exposes weakness in your core.

Friday
Everybody was sleepy and sore, so we skipped the weight room and did two "tabata pairs".

First pair: squats (lowest count 14) and pushups (lowest count 6; games-style w/ hand release)

We alternated between squats and pushups for 16 total rounds of tabata. I like this better for pushups, because I felt like I did more pushups than when I do "straight" tabata pushups.

Second pair: DB push press (20# db's, lowest count 8) and AbMat situps (butterfly; lowest count 10)

I kinda sandbagged the situps -- I have gotten a score of 11 on regular tabata situps.

But the good thing is I got up and got to the gym! Definitely wasn't feeling it this morning...

Weightlifting, Get Strict

Wanted to do some weightlifting practice today, but didn't want to drive the 25-45 minutes to one of the gyms with a platform. So I did what I could in the gym on base.

Front squat:
3-3-3-3-3
85-95-105-115-125

I paused at the bottom on all sets except the last. I really wanted to retest my current 3RM of 135, but didn't want to push things with my back, or with dropping weights in a gym where they're not supposed to be dropped. :)

Split jerk:
3-3-3-3-3
45-65-85-90-95

Not heavy, just getting back in the groove after a few weeks of not practicing. Didn't feel like I really got my speed until the last 2 sets. This weight felt kinda heavy for some reason!

After the weightlifting work, it was time to start a new pullup program that I came across online.
Get Strict, from CrossFit Virtuosity

Today was a volume day.
A. 3 sets of 10 strict pullups
used my skinny band; sets were broken -- 6-2-2, 7-2-1 and 6-2-2

B. 3 sets of 10 --superset of barbell row and pushups
45# barbell
pushup sets: 10, 6-2-2, 6-2-1-1

Rinse, repeat

Was pressed for time Wednesday morning, so we did a slight variation of what we did last Friday.

21-15-9
kettlebell swings
kettlebell goblet squats
pushups

I used a 40# kettlebell this time. It's time to enforce my rules of nothing smaller than 45# again. Swings get me out of breath, but strength-wise they are easy for me at 35# and 40#. Goblet squats were definitely more challenging with 5 more pounds.

Pushups need MAJOR attention -- i.e. regular practice.

Swing, squat, push

Met a friend for a quick morning workout at the gym on base. I knew she was pressed for time, so I came up with a quick full-body WOD.

20-15-10-5
kettlebell swings
kettlebell goblet squats
pushups

Not a clue what our time was, but it definitely got my heart racing. I should've done swings and gone right into squats, but I was too out of breath! It wasn't a strength issue, that's for sure. My pushups need more attention -- they really sucked this morning.

We hit the pullup bar for a few kips and a few deadhangs to finish things off.

Finally Friday

I can't remember the last time I did CrossFit for five days in a row -- fulfilling my promise to complete all of my WODs during my week of programming was tough! Most folks at our box get a rest day on Wednesday, as there's no evening class, but I think my bud Melissa joined me for the 5 day WOD fest. :-D

Would any bodyweight-focused week of programming be complete without some kind of tabata? I think not!

"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.

Score is total reps from all 32 intervals.

Results: 270

Pullups - Started out with the goal of doing 5 per round. Did 5 on the first round, dropped down, and sadly waited until time ran out and didn't do anymore. I felt bad that I didn't jump up for another couple. So I did my 5 and then 1 or 2 the next round. :) I started crapping out after 4, then 3, then 2. My lowest score was 3 or 4 on the last round -- mostly because my right hand ripped open on round 7. I'm happy to report my kip was pretty good -- in terms of using hip power, and not just shoulder power. Yay! :) I think my total for pullups was in the high 30's.

Pushups -- Dropped down to 5 pretty quickly, but hung in there for the duration. I'm happy with that, because I know 95% of the pushups I did were full ROM.

Situps -- Stuck with 10 or 11 the whole way through, which is pretty standard for me on tabata ab mat butterfly situps. Like I said after my last crack at "Annie", I think I just need to find a way to do situps fasters. But that is pretty much at the very bottom of any CrossFit priority list I have. :-D hehe

Squats -- Holy shit were my legs beat down from the rest of the week! I was barely cranking out 10 or 11 by the last round. Crap! Usually I'm good to stick at 14 towards the end of tabata squats, but not on this day. My legs were cramping up and really hurting badly by the end, but I was trying to push through the pain as much as possible. I think I did manage to get over 100 on squats, though, so that was good. :)

--
Later Friday night I did a "make up" WOD with a friend who'd had to miss class on Wednesday and Friday. Here's what we made up for ourselves.

21-15-9
burpees
situps
double unders (x3 singles)

Finished up with a sprint down and back on her cul-de-sac. During which we were followed by her husband driving the neighborhood kids around on a golf cart. Good times. :-D

Squat clinic deets, "10"

Well, this morning was my first shot at the squat clinic, and I think it went well!

It was a nice manageable group of 5 at the 0830 class, and several of them really seemed to enjoy working on the basics. Got some feedback, and will tweak a tiny bit in the 2 evening classes, but overall I like what I came up with. Should be interesting to see how everybody progresses through the week, and beyond.

At some point I will try to make a short video of what am doing in our clinic. I'll have to find a volunteer to do the "ass lowering" drill, though. :-D

Honestly, just watch this Dan John video. You will be glad you did. Stick around for about 30 minutes, or at least make it to 20. He does go off on a few little tangents, but they're little nuggets of good info, not rambling, so it's all good. I am pretty much copying all of his techniques and cues.

Here's the sequence that the athletes will repeat each day after their warmup:

• Samson Stretch/Lunge -- 30 seconds total for each leg; open hips fully
• Bottom of the squat stretch -- 30 seconds total; elbows pressing knees out; make sure everybody has feet wide enough, and angled enough; make first assessment on depth
• The "Amazing Ass Dropping Drill" OR "Mr. Universe & Buddha Belly" -- this one is where the Dan John video comes in, very hard to explain written out*
• Potato sack squats -- extend arms down, with fingers interlaced like you're holding a sack of potatoes; squat down and touch backs of fingers to the floor; provides a tactile cue when you've reached the bottom postion
• Potato sack squat to OHS -- lay PVC on floor in front of athlete; perform P.S. squat, then grab PVC with wide grip and lock out overhead; stand up; viola, an overhead squat!
• Wall squat -- you can't beat the classics; great for reinforcing sending the butt back, tall posture as you drop, weight in heels, and knees tracking out over toes

* So here's a written explanation of the Amazing Ass Dropping Drill, as I have now named it. :)

1. Athlete squats in goblet squat position -- elbows pressing at knees
2. Trainer stands behind athlete and provides support by bracing the outside of the athlete's butt with the inside of their calf/shin
3. Providing support allows the athlete to drop lower than their normal "comfort zone"
4.  Trainer cues athlete -- "Big chest" or "Mr. Universe" or "Break the finger"; these are all aimed at improving the lumbar curve and spreading the chest out and up and moving the torso into a more upright position
5. Trainer cues athlete -- "Buddha belly"; athlete relaxes lower belly, or actually pushes lower belly outward; this will cause the butt to drop, so trainer must be ready to provide support with their legs
6. Continue to give alternating cues -- "Mr. Universe" and "Buddha belly" until athlete is at the bottom position, or is becoming unstable
7. Lift athlete up and out of bottom position -- they will not be able to stand up from here on their own, as the stress response to push upward has been basically "switched off" by the drill

 So now go watch the damn video! :-D

--
In addition to squat therapy, we're also doing pushup therapy this week. Now that it's my chance to run the show for a week, I've instituted a "no knees" policy for pushups. I'm so excited to see if the ladies (and gentlemen) at our gym take to this new progression, and if they do, how much improvement it will lead to. Squeee!

If you don't know what I'm talking about here, see "Get Off Your Knees" by Lisbeth Darsh.

--
The WOD today was very simple, and gave everybody a chance to reinforce what we talked about during the skill session. Despite it's simplicity, if you execute it at a high enough intensity, it will feel like hell!

"10"
10 rounds:
10 pushups
10 situps
10 squats

Results: 15:58

I finished last out of all the 830 peeps, which I thought was kinda hilarious! Though I did stop a bit here and there to check out form, and give some feedback. But still this was slow. My metcon/cardio has gone down the freaking toilet since I haven't really worked on it lately. I'm much more concerned with strength right now, and I think I probably always will be biased toward strength.

Which is where another Lis article comes into play -- "Lighten Up While You Still Can". That article is all about having a focus for each WOD -- either go heavy, or go fast. Commit to one and stick with it and don't fuck around. So true.

I think very soon it will be time for to unload the bar, stop trying to be the strongest at everything, and work at what I *really* suck at -- intensity.

Blackjack

Nope, didn't hit up a casino -- just a 2nd attempt at an interesting WOD I did for the first time last fall.

"Blackjack" or "21"
For time.
Start with 20 push ups and 1 sit up.
Each round reduce 1 push up and add 1 sit up until you reach 1 push up and 20 sit ups.

Results: 32:50

While this was about 6 minutes slower than last time, it was a triumph in my eyes because I did every single pushup with full ROM.

Last time I said:

"This will be a good workout to use as a benchmark as I improve my pushups. I wonder if one day I will be able to do the whole thing with "real" pushups, instead of on my knees. That would kick so much ass. :)"

How fucking cool is that? About 11 months later, and I am kicking ass on pushups. Cause CrossFit works. :)

Visiting a new affiliate

A CrossFit affiliate recently opened up in my hometown, so while I was visiting my parents I stopped in for a WOD.

21-18-15-12-9
SDHP
Pushups
Box jumps

Results:  18:31 -- 65# SDHP, 24'' box jump

I liked the combo this WOD put together, and I think I would like to try it again. I felt like the spot on the floor I chose was so uneven that my bar was bouncing all crazy at the bottom of my SDHPs. I wasn't able to do more than 5 in a row, and I know I've done more than that at 55# for Fight Gone Bad. Really made me mad to have to break them up so much! Also there weren't any floor mats where the boxes were setup, and jumping down from the 24'' box onto concrete was hurting my feet. Owie! I could probably cut 5 minutes off this time, but all in all I enjoyed it!

--
However, there were a couple things about the session that rubbed me the wrong way, and that's the reason I'm not naming or linking the gym here.

First red flag -- no movement demo at the start of the session. When I first started coaching I was drilled on the importance of this, and now that I've had more experience as a coach, I see just how important it is. Identifying movement standards and full range of motion is important to reinforce learning in your students, and it also introduces the cues that you'll use during the workout to correct their errors quickly, instead of having to stop them and go through a long explanation.

The trainer did reference the recently-completed intro session that all of them had taken, and said something like, "you all looked great on this in the INDOC". I don't know about you guys, but after going over all those different barbell movement, it took me months to learn all the names and the proper execution for each. It's something that needs to be reviewed again and again, by all athletes, no matter how long they've been CrossFitting.

Add to this there's nothing that bothers me more than horribly executed SDHPs, and there was some ugliness going on... It was literally making me nauseous watching one guy whose load was WAAAAAAY too heavy for his ability, not to mention the bad form. *URGH*

Which brings me to red flag number two -- the coach worked out with the group. This is a BIG ASS NO-NO PEOPLE! I guess coaches do this so they don't have to find time to do the WOD on their own, or they hate working out alone and want to take advantage of the group that's there, or they think it's somehow motivating or instructional for their athletes for the coach to participate. However, there is NEVER a good reason for doing this, especially considering the inexperience of the athletes in the group.

So now that I've checked out the gym, and I've seen what's going on there, I am torn.

This is the first CrossFit that's reasonably close to many friends and family members, and I so badly wanted to send them all there to experience the awesomeness of CrossFit. But now that I've seen the [lack of] coaching skills, I definitely won't be doing that, except maybe with my brother who I know is like me and will study on his own.

So what can I do to ensure that one day (hopefully soon) I will feel comfortable referring people to this gym? Should I give the coach some unsolicited feedback? No worries, I would be polite and deliver my thoughts in a more constructive fashion that what I've written here. But isn't unsolicited advice really annoying? Or should I not care if it's annoying, since I have the best interests of his athletes' safety and the growth of this business? I just get the impression he's a martial arts guy who started doing CrossFit on his own, really liked it, and wanted to make some money with it. I have no problem with that. I just think he needs some advice...

In my position, what would you do?

PS - I will say this -- I feel much more confident in my ability to start my own gym after visiting his. A big part of me wishes I was living closer and could try to get him to let me team up with him! :)

Running, swimming, burpees and double unders

Dammit, I hate "catch up" posts, I really need to get myself back into the habit of posting WODs and workouts here the same day I complete them.

--
Today we hit the pool for a little bit, and I did 4 rounds of this WOD that was posted there.

10 rounds:
10 pullups
10 pushups
10 4-count flutter kicks
10 squats

I made some modifications to this. When I can't kip, 10 pullups tends to look like 3-2-2-1-1-1 at the satart, and then get worse from there. Doing 5 at a time keeps things moving. Also, I try to do no fewer than 15 squats, so I upped this to 15 squats.

Honestly, there was no intensity on this, I was just trying to bust myself out of a crappy food coma. Saturday was a total waste in terms of food and activity, and Sunday hadn't been going so well either.

When I got home, I headed out to the garage to finally try out some of the muscle up progressions that I was all fired up about last week. I took some videos, which I'll put together for you guys to check out. I mainly did the video so I could compare what I did to what is shown in the "how to" video, and make sure I'm on the right track. Once I have the video, I'll post some thoughts to go along with it.

--
Friday I coached the morning classes, and my buds Allie and Kirk stuck around to encourage me through the WOD which I did on my own after the 0830 class was finished. They rock. :)

2 rounds for time:
20 double unders
21 burpees
30 double unders
15 burpees
40 double unders
9 burpees

Results:  19:05

I don't know if it was the sickness still hanging on, or what, but damn those burpees felt like they took *forever*. But that was 90 burpees per round, and my time on 100 burpees was 10:43 -- so I don't know if I could get much faster on this WOD. My calves are still sore from it 2 days later, definitely lots of jumping to kill your legs!

--
Thursday was a REST day. Yay! :)

--
Wednesday I was feeling the impact of my first 2 WODs after a week off, and I wasn't sure I should do another WOD -- kind of that moment where you're not sure if more exercise will be best, or if what you really need is rest. Since I worked at the pool that day, I decided I would swim and run just to get the body moving, but keep the intensity to a minimum.

During one of my breaks at the pool I did 50 yards of each of the 6 strokes we covered in my Water Safety Instructor course -- front crawl, back crawl (backstroke), breaststroke, elementary backstroke, sidestroke and butterfly. Well, for the last one, we'll just say that I did the closest approximation to butterfly that I am capable of. :-p

After work I headed to a trail on base that's 90% shaded -- while I've acclimated to the heat here, exercising in the sun is still something that I can't quite handle. That's a lot of what slowed me down when we did Murph the other day. Anyway, I did about 35 minutes of running -- I'm not sure the exact distance, but it's probably somewhere between 3 and 4 miles. Good times.

Worked all the kinks out, and didn't make me feel worse, so mission accomplished. :)

--
Coming soon, a compilation of all the Level 1 certification experiences that I've seen in blogs for kelsalynn, who has just signed up for her L1. Woot! :-D

Fight Gone Bad 5, back squat & metcon

First, some responses to comments.

For weighted pullups, I put the dumbbell handle basically in my crotch, and lock my legs together. I think this is an advantage we females have over guys! :-p However, this will only work up to about 20-25 pounds, at which point you either need to use a weighted vest (this is on my list of equipment I want) or a weight belt that you can hang dumbbells, kettlebells or plates from. I think I'll be good to go using the dumbbells for quite a while. :)

If you want to get involved in a CrossFit event, but aren't quite ready for a competition, you should check out Fight Gone Bad 5. Even if you don't belong to an affiliate, get a group of local CrossFitters to do the workout together. Sara and her husband did this last year, bringing in a few friends, and raising money. This year the beneficiaries for FGB5 are the Wounder Warrior Project, LIVESTRONG and the CrossFit Foundation. I wish I could join Sara this year, but I'm already committed to doing the USMC Mud Run that same Saturday, which is a bummer. Next year, for sure.

--
I considered taking a rest day today to help ease myself back into working out, especially since I felt like I was going to die by the end of work yesterday. But I went this morning at 0830 anyway. We'll see how that decision plays out later today -- lifeguarding isn't super fun when the heat index is 110 degrees.

Strength: Back squat 5-5-5-5

Results: 95-105-115-115

I wasn't feelin' it this morning? You know some days you're amped up to lift heavy shit, and other days you're like 'MEH'. Today was a bit meh for me. And honestly, back squat is my *least* favorite rack position. I know most people hate the front squat rack because it's so awkward, but I love it. Maybe cause I'm good at it. :-p Either way, I got my squats done, so that was a positive. :)

Metcon:
21-15-9
Push press (75/55)
Pushups
Squats
150m sprint

 Results: 10:46 Rx

Push presses were nice and quick, broke the first set at 16, second set at 10, and third set was unbroken.

Pushups were a hot freaking mess. Got them in really variable sets, no more than 5-6 in a row. These will probably continue to be a challenge for me. Side note: If you watch the final event of the CF Games, many of the top 16 ladies had to take breaks during the set of 30 pushups. That made me feel better about my pushups struggles.

Pumped the squats out unbroken in all 3 rounds.

The runs were decent, though I wouldn't call them "sprints". :)

Man, during the first round after the push presses my heart was racing so bad!! It was freaking me out! So I dialed back the intensity a bit, no need to F myself up. The virus is still affecting my respiratory system, and I'm sure other parts of my body, not to mention side effects from the meds I'm taking to deal with the symptoms. Damn Sudafed -- I hate how that stuff makes me feel, but it's nice not to have snot flowing out of your nose 24-7. :-p

Alive and kicking

Um, WTF?  How have I gone this long without posting anything here?

Maybe it has something to do with the unpublished draft post titled "Lost: CrossFit Mojo"...

I've still been doing WODs, but definitely not anything close to my dedicated 3-on-1-off I had going for a while.

I got a pullup bar for at home, as well as rings, and the pool I've been lifeguarding at also has a pullup bar that I've been using a lot. I'm working my tiny kip / almost deadhang pullups since that bar is mounted very close to the wall. I get 30 minute breaks throughout the day, and try to do 5 rounds of a Cindy-ish thing -- as many pullups as I can in a row (3-4 usually), 10 pushups and 20 squats.

That must be working, because last Tuesday I did Murph and managed to finish the whole thing. Definitely without the weight vest though! It took me about 90 minutes, and I broke the 100 pullups, 200 pushups and 300 squats into 20 rounds of Cindy. Finished 12 rounds of Cindy in 20 minutes, BTW. Much better than my pitiful performance (7 rounds + 5 pullups) a couple months ago.

Also, I've worked up to 4 unassisted ring dips in a row. It's time to get a freaking muscle up! But I have a new strategy in that area. I would like to start with doing a strict muscle up, instead of trying to fling myself up and into it. We'll see if I stick with that idea, but it's the one I'm thinking about now.

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I'm in a bit of a different place with my CrossFitting right now... It's coming up on a year since I really started dedicating myself to this program, and I've definitely seen lots of benefits. But a few things have happened in the last 4 or 5 months that have squelched some of my enthusiasm. The sad thing is that those things are all external, and I have let them affect me. I need to get refocus on what matters to me, what motivates me, why I want to CrossFit, and why I want to coach -- irregardless of whatever else is going on around me.

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Also, I'd like to mention that I'm on a 2nd read of the book "Women, Food and God" by Geneen Roth right now, and I highly recommend it to those who have struggles with compulsive overeating. That's an area that I struggle with, and more so when I'm not super-focused on training.

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So, hopefully this will get me started with some more regular posting. Not because I think anyone out there is really anxious to read about my WODs (except maybe Angie, thanks for the email girl :p), but because I need to continue to keep this record.

A closing link from CrossFit Fenway: On Blogging.