I wouldn't blame you if you never read this blog again because of Miley. Totally understandable, and I kind of hate myself for giving this ridiculousness life, but so be it! Did Skinnyfit tonight with Matt, who blasts music, and as far as I can tell, has the closest taste in music to my own, because yes...I already know the freaking words to this song I've heard 3x (voluntarily). It's really fun for me to have crazy music on, even if it's not something I like, because it gives me something else to focus on besides the fact that I feel like I am dying. Tonight's workout was a doozy.
400m run
100 burpees
400m run
100 wall ball
400m run
100 push ups
400m run
100 sit ups
400m run
40:00 cap
No typos above, except that it was a partner workout! We both had to do the running (or rowing) and then switch off in different intervals to complete the other tasks. I went with an 8 lbs ball for wall balls, and I struggled with the pushups. I worked with a woman named Ashley, who says she used to do Crossfit and then sat on her couch for a year, and is just now getting back into it. She is still way faster than me. I ended up being the last one to finish (36:49), but Ashley, Matt, and some others were cheering me on. Always a plus! I usually would have psyched myself out, but because someone else was waiting on me, I never really stopped. And now I ache all over, but I am tremendously happy that I went.
A classic! This song brings me back to high school, and I used to play it on my mp3 player that only held 25 songs. Beastie Boys held one of those precious spots. Last night at the box, they played amazing music (Run DMC, Beastie Boys, etc), but there were only 2 men and 6 women, so this song seemed most appropriate. And it turned out to work for today, too! I'll get to that.
Yesterday, I went with Elizabeth to Crossfit with the intention of staying for Skinnyfit afterward, except I underestimated the WOD. It was a hero WOD named for soldier, Travis Manion, who was killed while serving in Iraq several years ago.
7 Rounds for Time:
400 m run
29 back squats (Rx: 135/95)
30:00 cap
It was a LOOONG 30 minutes! I only complete 4 rounds with 65 lbs. That's a total of 1600m run and 116 squats. I probably could have pushed harder, but my butt and thighs were feeling it, today.
Today, was another named WOD, "Nasty Girls." Brandon (coach) said it was named as such because it contains elements of 3 WODs with women's names. (Why girls' names?)
Followed by Tabata (20 seconds on/10 seconds off) of alternating plank and superman. It was a small class, so I can't decide if I like going in the evening better or the morning.
I scaled my weight to 65 lbs and did knees to chest for muscle ups, which is a scale for toes to bar, which is a scale for muscle up transitions. (We use rings, not bars), so needless to say, I'm far from where I "should" or want to be. But I felt like a beast. Finished at 14:27. I loved tonight's workout, honestly! It came up that I was tempted to go to Taco Bell earlier today, and the coach said, "Just so you know your coaches are human. Frank came in here the other day and said, 'You guys, I have to tell you something. I don't know why, but I had to stop on the way here. I ordered 2 whoppers, fries, coke....it was terrible, but I ate it all." Haha! Nice to know I'm not the only one who struggles. In fact, a much fitter gentleman said "Good job!" for resisting fast food and says he eats Graeter's ice cream every night. We bond in so many ways.
And since it was a small class, this came up, too...the four person push up. I didn't partake, and they attempted twice, having gotten up for just a second. But so cool. I feel like I love doing Crossfit more and more and I love the community aspect of it, more.
Note, last week we did a 5 min workout (3:00 wall balls/2:00 burpees). Timmy, another coach, had us pair up so we could count reps for each other. I ended up doing a lot more than I thought, even though I took a lot of breaks and felt like I was dying. 67 wall balls/14 burpees. And also, in that class, a girl (whose name I don't even know), stayed back and ran with me during the warm up. I was with a bunch of people (bunch being 6) I didn't usually crossfit with, but it still felt welcoming. I've never felt this confident or outgoing in a gym setting. And I NEVER wanted to talk to anyone at the gym before. Nice to have nice firsts.
A classic! This song is so badass, even after all these years. This song came out when I was in 3rd grade, I believe. And I love this song as much as I did as an 8 year old. Anyways, it was like old school music day at Crossfit. Today, for only the second time, I did two workouts!
First, WOD:
21-15-9: Shoulder to Overhead (S2OH) and Toes to Bar (TTB) 10 minute cap
I scaled this to do 55 lbs and only knees to chest. I didn't even finish. I missed the last 9 reps, but I am really super bad at TTBs. It's a goal of mine to be able to do them, well.
Did I mention the 800m run and 10 wall walk WARM UP? Yikes.
After the 21-15-9, then we did 15 split jerks EMOTMx15 minutes. That's freaking hard. I couldn't max out, or even reach my last PR (105 lbs). But I worked with Empho, and she was really encouraging and positive.
Then, for some reason, I decided to stay for Skinnyfit, which was:
Tabata Russian KB swings
Tabata Jump Rope
Tabata Med Ball Thrusters
Tabata Sit Ups
Followed by 10 min AMRAP of 200m partner runs
Matt had us work outside and I like Tabata because I don't have to think about reps or endurance. You just push as hard as you can for 20 sec at a time. I had some trouble with my instep with the jump roping (Asian flat feet are a buzzkill to Crossfit, sometimes). When I came home, I rolled my feet on a frozen lacrosse ball, and they seem to have calmed down. The Tabata was hard, but it's only 16 minutes total, just a tough 16 minutes. Elizabeth stayed with me, too, and we partnered for the 200m runs. I did 4 rounds, and she did 5. I ran hard. I usually wimp out into a jog, but I kept my pace up, pretty well. Matt noticed that I was using a better format to run. One of the many reasons I love Crossfit is the fact that the coaches actually coach, and they coach everyone. At a gym, I would feel lost and totally independent, but at this box, it's a team.
Ate well, today. Ate consciously. Didn't overeat at all. Needed more water.
So, I have never enjoyed this song, whatsoever. And I'm almost embarrassed that it exists. But, it made tonight very funny to me. I went to the 730pm WOD with my friend, Elizabeth. It was fairly simple:
500m row for time
3:00 minute couch stretch for each leg Front Squats 2 reps x5 every 3 min at 90% max weight (aka FSQ 5x2 E3M @ 90% PR)
My max FSQ weight is 113 lbs, and I only did it once, a few months ago. So, I started with 95 lbs, and worked my way up to 105 lbs. One of the coaches, Brandon (who does a great job; he really helps with technique and is attentive...he pushes without being pushy), was watching and said I had a great squat. Which was nice to hear. I have never been athletically inclined to do anything except fall spectacularly. Now, I claim "almost sitting" as my athletic talent. Also, it's weird yet oddly calming to have a guy look at your backside completely objectively. Side note, Elizabeth was complaining about back pain which was determined to come from poor positioning when doing movements that require cleans, and that she uses her back more than her legs and hips. To fix this, she was advised to drop her butt lower in starting position, and Brandon told her to "Drop it like she squats!" in reference to me, and to the tune of the aforementioned Snoop Dogg classic. #CrossfitComedy
I've also resorted to eating better. I am a stress eater. A bored eater. A "avoid work by having a snack" eater. I can come up with any excuse to have a snack. BUT I have reeled it in. I eat when hungry. I stop when almost full, and I know this just by listening to my body. I threw out the little treats in my pantry that I don't even really enjoy, but have kept because someone dumped it on me or I don't want to waste it. But out it went. That's not to say I'll never have candied pineapple or Hershey kisses again, but if I treat that food like a "treat" and make it more difficult to obtain it, eating it will be rare and more rewarding in the future. It's difficult to buy food for a single person. I often find I have some leftover food that I get sick of eating. It felt good to get rid of that junk.
I love this song, and I will forever think of an instance in college when I hear it. I was in my American History 110 class of about 15 people (which was a series of reading books about different areas in the country and then talking about how they were still relevant...one of my favorite college classes, by far), when a girl's cell phone started ringing and this played so loud and so clear. I knew she would be a good person to work in group with. Haha. I met a lot of interesting people in that class, and I wonder what they are all doing, at times. Aaaanyway, this song played last night during Skinnyfit (30 min AMRAP-200m run/10 American KB swings/10 box jumps/10 sit ups), and it gave me a little extra push to go a little faster. I'm finally back into going to Crossfit regularly again, and there is a new coach there, who is super nice, helpful, and encouraging. I can't say it enough, my Crossfit people are so damn nice and supportive. Met a couple of new members, too. Which is always, exciting.
Tonight, the Crossfit WOD was 1 split jerk, EMOTMx15, gradually adding weight. Followed by 20 min AMRAP of 1 dead lift/1 power clean/1 front squat/1 jerk, and then 2 of them, and then 3, and so on. It was a pretty tough workout, but I actually enjoyed it. And, because I'm a masochist of sorts, I ran a couple of miles afterward in this hot summer night air. It was a nice run, actually. It allowed me to cool down and just have a little time to myself. I feel so psyched about my health right now, because I am finally in a place where the stress of my life doesn't override my abilities to make good decisions and to stick with them. I am so fortunate that I can just concentrate on becoming fit and healthy. I feel more confident just thinking about it. I used to be one of those girls who wore baggy clothes and tried to work out when the least amount of people were there, trying to blend in. Now, I push myself to wear fitting clothes so that I cannot hide from myself or others. It's a small thing, but it does affect the way I present myself. I also wanted to share this video that I found, last night. It's spot on and inspiring. I hope to be able to tell a story like DK one day! She's a beautiful person who is confident, strong, and positive. Plus, she looks like a "real" woman! :)
For whatever reason, really slow 80s and 90s music played at Crossfit, tonight. I took a long hiatus from Crossfit (and an even longer one from this blog!), but I'm back. Life got in the way, but I've prioritized, now. I have been doing Crossfit for about four months now, and the progress has ironically been fast and slow. I haven't lost a ton of weight, but I am definitely stronger. I could probably punch you in the face and it would hurt. My body is getting tighter, and my clothes are a little bit looser. I fall off the bandwagon fairly frequently nutrition wise, but I always pay the consequences with some heartburn afterward. I'm so happy to be back, and to have this positive force in my life again. My life is good, no complaints here. Crossfit (among other things) makes it better. And it is one of those forces that makes ALL other aspects of my life, better. And I have forgotten how nice and encouraging people can be. In all honesty, I have probably put off going back to Crossfit because I am still insecure at times. But, no matter. The coach (who I've never taken a class with, yet), was awesome. He actually paid attention to me so that I could get the most beneficial work out in 30 min. And the other Crossfitters, helping me into bands for pull ups, putting my weights away for me, encouraging me as they pass me in the run...small things that speak large volumes. Anyways, hopefully I keep up with this thing for the foreseeable future. Can't wait to become even stronger and fitter! Tonight's workout wasn't so bad...
13 min: 1 mi run/AMRAP wall walks (which I've gotten pretty good at, if I do say so, myself)
2 min rest
15 min: 1 mi run/AMRAP 10 sit ups and 5 pull ups (banded for scale)
I am not a huge rap/hip hop fan or whatever genre you would classify Macklemore and Ryan Lewis as, but I sure do love them. This song in particular. I can't help but feel energized when I hear this song, and it makes me feel unstoppable, as corny as that is. I can't believe it has been so long since I have posted, but life got in the way. During that time, I completed the 10k and 10mi runs of the Louisville Triple Crown, visited a few friends in NYC, moved my parents to a new condo, and rededicated myself to Crossfit.
I battled some foot/toe trouble and being sick trouble with those last two runs, and after I crossed the finish line, I determined that running just isn't that fun for me anymore. It has become more laborious, boring, and sometimes, a total drag. I have not run since, and probably won't until June. I have promised to run with my friends in their first 5k's at the end of June, and I won't be the one to slow them down!
Now that life has settled down, I have the opportunity to concentrate on my health again. In the month of April, I made a vow with three other girlfriends to ban fried foods (define as you wish). And every indiscretion cost me $2. As of April 30, I owed my friends $24. Do the math. I consider my diet to be fairly healthy, but what I realized, is that I allow myself to cheat way more than can really be called cheating, and not just a bad habit. This month, myself and 2 of the other girls are banning sugar (refined sugar that is; trying to cut out all sugar would be SO expensive and get in the way of the point, which is to be aware of what we are putting into our bodies). The other girl is continuing her fried food ban, as she also was not so successful in April. Although, she is going on two vacations this month, so I'm not sure how it will go. Haha.
As for Skinnyfit/Crossfit, I have managed to complete some wall walks (not all the way, but to about a 45 degree angle), and can tell that I am stronger in my arms and legs. My core still is weak, and I cannot pump out as many reps as quickly as everyone else. But I keep going, and it's getting to be a regular part of my life, which makes it harder to avoid.
Just this week, my friend (who I live with) and I began the foundations classes. Which consist of teaching proper technique for all the Crossfit moves. We have gone two days now (out of six) at 700am, and have learned to squat, jump rope, row, do sit ups, do push ups, back squats,front squats,overhead squats,couch stretches, and squat holds (holding a squat for a lengthened period of time...we did 3 minutes 2x today). I really enjoy the Crossfit program in that I actually get 1:1 time with the head coach who can show me what I am doing wrong, and how to perfect it, all the while being supportive, and meeting where I am. Her name is Jen, and she has a way of nudging, without pushing. Maybe that will change in the months to come, but as a nervous beginner, I appreciate it. She also stated that she thinks going to Skinnyfit has helped us build some strength. Skinnyfit is by no means easy, but it is more cardio vs strength training.
While I am not one to be athletically inclined in any way, I am inclined to work hard. She also said I have good squat positioning. Who knew "almost sitting" could be a skill??
