Merry Crossfit

And just like that, it's over. Every year I say the same thing. All the planning and general busyness, over. We did have a great Christmas in the Chase house so it was all worth it. I got some new NB minimus sneakers, a Rogue rope and an Outlaw Way shirt. Bob got his bacon socks, exercise clothes and a new watch. And oh I forgot. We found an old Air dyne on the curb last weekend while driving around looking at Christmas lights. It's not a 'real' one, like those big ugly metal ones, but same idea. It's old and ugly and has probably been sitting in someone's basement for 15 years but it works and it was free. Yippee! This was the first time I ever trash picked. Seriously though, what Crossfitter would pass up free equipment? We're also getting our cage today. Where I'm going to fit all this shit, who knows. But again, for cheap or free equipment, we'll make room. All we need now is a rower and we'll have ourselves a fully equipped garage box. Now if I can get some of my mom friends (who think Zumba and walking around the neighborhood are exercise enough) to experience some pain with me. Yeah, they all think I'm crazy. My neighbor across the street introduces me as 'the one that drags the big tire down the street'. Ha! She's just jealous.

Overall Bob and I didn't eat too bad. No gluten for me with the exception of one small bite of cornbread. I LOVE cornbread so I couldn't resist. Besides, it had jalepenos in it so I had to taste it to see how spicy it was before my daughter would eat it. Yeah, that sounds good. I did have way too much sugar though. No, I didn't overdo it and in comparison to what most people eat... and what I used to eat, it was really nothing but the little I did have really affected me, along with all the dairy. Heavy cream in this, little cheese in that... ugh. I need a serious detox after this week.

Workouts have been tough to manage. I did get to do Outlaw's 12 Days of Christmas. Wow. That may have been the suckiest wod I've ever done. I'm sure it didn't help that I had so many days off, my diet hasn't been the best and sleep has been anything but restful, but I got thru it and I'll be happy to never see it come up again. It really sucks to be so outta whack. I'm a control freak. I'm organized 90% of the time and I need structure. The holidays and the sinus infection really fucked me up. I hate to be fucked up. But, I'm getting back into routine, one day at a time. I did get a few other wods in. Some clean and jerks a few days ago and yesterday was burpee day, and dare I say I enjoyed beating myself up.

Today has been 'getting my house back in order' day. Cleaning and making room for new stuff and playing Angry Birds with my little guy. He now has about 5 sets so we can make massive structures with all the pieces. Fun stuff. My daughter has been wanting to play Life all the time now. Could that game be any more complicated? Shit. I play life everyday! I'm hoping I can get a little workout done at some point today. Ride the bike or practice with my new rope at the very least. The rope spins really well but it's about twice the thickness of my old wire rope so it's like I have to start all over again. Not that I was great to begin with but now I'm back to 1, 1, 2, 1 slap. Well, out to the garage to make room for the cage. Hey, that will be a workout.

So what if I can't sit down, walk or stand

without moaning and groaning. That's normal right? I guess normal for someone who like me has been sick and did their first wod in 8 days yesterday. Oh and it included 30 bodyweight back squats. Eh, it's all good. The twisted side of me likes it. Well, not when I have to lean on the wall for support before I sit down on the pot, but the fact that I got a wod in even if I couldn't muster the energy or lung capacity required to actually finish it. (which by the way is only the 4th or 5th time in over 2 years I've done so) Hey, I got my strength done, I'm happy. I am getting a little better each day thankfully. My diet has been pretty good this week with the salmon, pork tenderloin, crock pot pork ribs and veggies. No handfuls of Captain Crunch or 'just a few' potato chips or "I'll just try one milk chocolate peanut covered treat". The neighbor made them, it was the polite thing to do right? And it's amazing how much better I'm feeling just because of the diet. Over indulgence of sugar gave me constant headaches and just an overall feeling of bloated lazy yuck.

At this point of the year I usually go thru the 'I can't wait until the holidays are over' kinda feeling because I'm usually overwhelmed with tasks and errands and last minute gift shopping. And I would be lying if I didn't say I at least partially feel that way again. But I am looking forward to the last few remaining days until Christmas this year. The kids are so excited and I can't wait until they open their gifts. I think I did a pretty good job this year. I didn't go crazy, but what I did get are things they have been asking for for months.

The weekend looks to be packed as usual starting tomorrow with Bud's Christmas play at school and party to follow. Shit, I have to bring cookies. Another task to be completed. Bob is going to try his hand at making Paleo Nick's chocolate cake. I'm going to make sugar or butter cookies with the kids for Santa. No, not real sugar cookies but they don't know the difference anymore. Then it's wrapping, tequila, wrapping, tequila and more wrapping tequila. What? I don't see anything wrong with that.

Recipe: Double Chocolate Walnut Biscotti - gluten free

Well it's baking day for me and first on my list was my chocolate biscotti. Of course I cleaned it up this year and made it paleo friendly.

3 cups almond flour - sifted to break up lumps
1/2 cup cocoa powder - unsweetened
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 stick unsalted butter - melted
3/4 cup maple syrup - room temp
2 eggs
1/2 tsp chocolate extract (optional but worth it)
1 cup walnuts - chopped (you could sub any favorite nut here)
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (Ghiradelli 60% is what I use)

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and flour a baking sheet. Or just use parchment paper.

In large bowl whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt together.

In another bowl (or stand mixer) mix butter and maple syrup. Add eggs and chocolate extract and mix until combined. Slowly (1/2-1 cup at a time) add dry ingredients. Once combined, dough should be pretty thick. Mix in nuts and chocolate chips. Pour onto baking sheet and shape it to form a log. Approx 12" long, 3" across. (yeah, I know what it looks like) It will spread out while cooking.

Bake 35 minutes. Remove and let cool for about 5-10 minutes. With a big sharp knife very carefully cut in 1" slices and flip them on their sides. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until they are firm/crispy to the touch. (You may want to remove the smaller end pieces after about 4-5 minutes so they don't burn) Remove and let cool completely. Store in an air tight container or eat until you bust a button.

Ok, I'm so over this

I dragged my butt out into the garage yesterday to do - something, anything to get my mojo back. But alas, it was not meant to be. I did do a few rounds of ghd sit ups and pull ups, a few kettlebell swings and some other warm up stuff but that was about all I could handle. This sinus infection will just not go away and I'm getting depressed. And to top it off the antibiotics are making me nauseous. Add to that all the running around, baking and shit I still have to do, I have not been a happy camper lately. On the bright side I am finished shopping for the family and my abs are pretty damn sore from the sit ups so at least I feel like I'm on the way back to becoming normal. Funny to think 'back to normal' means suffering from some sore muscle. So this week I guess I'll have to *sniff sniff* put my wods on the back burner and not stress over it. Easier said than done.

Oh and I found out what my allergic reaction was from, coffee. Or to be specific Peet's French Roast. I don't know why but I went two days without it then Bob made it for me yesterday (which I didn't know until after I drank it) and bam, 1/2 hour later I got hives and itchy feet. So there it is. Sorry Peet's, you're off the list.

Busy rest of the week. Tomorrow I'm having Bud's little friend over after school so I'm trying to prepare myself for 3 hours of potty talk and Transformer battles. Going to make some chocolate biscotti  and cookies on Wednesday. Thursday looks to be free right now but I'm sure it will end up becoming cleaning and wrapping day and running around getting those last few presents. Friday is Bud's Christmas show and party.... uh. Tired already. At some point I'm sure I'll make some time to get a wod in. Fingers crossed.

The dreaded sinus infection

So it's day 7 of the sickness. I finally went to the doctors yesterday to get some meds so things are looking up. Today is the first day I actually feel like I could possibly think about doing a wod, but I won't. Why? Because today is day 2 of my weird out of the blue allergic reaction. I'm a mess. Yesterday I woke up itchy then noticed my hands and feet started to swell. Great. What the hell am I allergic to? The only thing that was different was the Mucinex I took the night before. Ok. I've taken it before with no issues so..... I don't know. Luckily I was going to the docs in a few hours anyway. When I told him he said 'huh, well I wouldn't take that again'. Right. Thanks for that by the way. So last night I did not take it and I woke up with hives and my feet are itchy and swollen again. WTF! The only conclusion I can make is that I've been sleeping in the spare room (quarantine) for the past 2 nights  which were in the dryer with a dryer sheet. No, I'm normally not allergic to dryer sheets, Bob is so I'm very careful to separate our clothes, and I have been using them on my own clothes for months. Maybe sleeping on the sheets is too much? Who the hell knows but there is no other explanation. No new foods, no meds, no new lotions... I'm outta ideas. Hopefully tonight I'll be able to sleep in my own bed so we'll see what happens tomorrow morning. All I can say is itchy feet suck and the only relief would be to take Benadryl, which I can't take if I want to function at all. My body is already messed up with all the drugs I've been taking the past week I just can't take anymore. So, one more day and I should be able to get back out into the freezing garage for a nice beating.

Ok, enough whining. On a happy note I'm almost done Christmas shopping. I even got my parents stuff in the mail before the big pay extra for fast shipping rush. Yay me. We got our Christmas cards ordered and they should be here any day now. Every year for the past... 5 years or so, we do a funny card. No practiced dressed up poses in front of the tree (at least not without some smart ass saying), no family dressed in white and khaki beach pictures. Ut uh. Last year was a rock band theme with tongues out and fingers in the classic rock position and a QRC code to watch a video of us playing Billy Squire's classic 'Christmas is the time to say I love you'. Two years ago it was the kids in ohs position holding Bob and I up on a piece of wood. With Bob's design talent and a little Photoshop, it was awesome. Although we picked the coldest day of the year to do it outside so there were a lot of tears involved. I think one of my favorites was our first. Bud was about 2 months old, the Diva was 2. Needless to say our lives were a little nuts so the picture was of just a normal day in the household. The Diva in her SpongeBob pajamas with dress shoes, Bob with a coffee stained undershirt, me in sweats and slippers, Bud crying on my lap and laundry on the floor. Yep, typical day. This year I won't reveal it yet, at least until they are mailed out, but lets just say it's a Merry Christmas wish in 'person' and the kids were great. No complaints, no crying, no cursing, no technical difficulties. It was almost too easy. Maybe I should keep my mouth shut until the cards are actually printed and in my hands.

Thanks SMCF!

Well we finally made it up to South Mountain Crossfit yesterday to pick up the cage and check the place out. Much to our disappointment the cage would not fit in our SUV unless we left the kids there, which turns out, wasn't an option. But, we did not leave empty handed. We ended up with a used GHD machine which was in pretty damn good condition. What a nice surprise and even if we couldn't take the cage home that day, we still got to play around in the box with new equipment. I have very little experience with the GHD but have a feeling were are going to be fast friends. Until I over do it of course and can't move, then it will be remanded to the corner and used as a rope and band holder. While we were there I also got a chance to use a yoke. That was... heavy and next to the 'walk the plank' at the Tough Mudder, the longest 20' of my life. I did manage about 270# which surprised me. Funny what competition will do to the psyche. Thanks Lynne. ;) So overall it was a good day even if I was hacking up a lung and had the stamina of an 80 year old. Hopefully we can get back up there this weekend for a charity event. May be a tough one though since they are an hour away and the first heat starts at 8am. I think it's called Fight Gone Sandy. Check out the website if you're in the Allentown, Pa area and looking for an ass kicking.

Speaking of ass kicking. I'm still sick. 4 days now. Three of them spent sleeping on the couch at night so at least Bob doesn't have to hear me hacking all night. And let me tell you, 2am television programming sucks. I am starting to feel a little better today but have a feeling I'll be sidelined again tomorrow.

Going with bacon mushroom bison burgers tonight. Bison was on sale for $2 at Giant! Needless to say I picked up a few pounds.

Not much else going on just resting, drinking my Kombucha and playing a lot of Temple Run. Damn that game.

Christmas cage shopping

Normally at this point in the year I would say next to the words squat clean thruster, christmas shopping would rank right up there on the top of the list as words that make me ill. But this year I've actually had success with my shopping. As a matter of fact, I'm 60% done. Unheard of for me. Yeah, I know, only 60% but for a procrastinator like me, it's awesome for the 4th of December. Bob and I only buy a few small things for each other and since he wants another tattoo, I really don't have to do much at all. We are probably buying a used cage from my friends at South Mountain Crossfit so that will be part of our Christmas gift too. With some creative use of hooks and various donations of old baby bikes and strollers, I may have just enough space for it. We are building quite the little garage gym. All we need is a rower and pretty soon I'll have no excuses, except of course my own lack of will, to sub anything anymore.

Anyway, back squats were on the menu for me today. Not too bad on the weights 135-170, but they felt super heavy for some reason. Hate that. Then another round of kettlebell swings. More kettlebell swings, almost 100 today. They were supposed to be heavy for the ladies', 50 pounds but I can't swing the dumbbell with two 25# plates on it between my legs. I've tried. Not pretty. And honestly, I don't think I could do 50-60 of them anyway. The other part of the wod was ring dips. After the first round my shoulder just couldn't take it so I had to move to the box and prop the feet up. Arm killer thats for sure.

Got my 21-15-9 bumper sticker yesterday. Thanks! Although unfortunately, and I didn't know this at the time... obviously, my front and back bumpers and back lift door are not metal. Darn you Nissan and your innovative plastic/rubber/vinyl bumper design. So I'm going to trim the sides of the magnet down a tiny bit and stick it to my gas tank door. That will work.

Found a new brussels sprout recipe from The Pioneer Woman. It was fantastic. Granted she's not paleo or primal but we've used two of her 'cleaner' recipes and they have been awesome. Note: I did NOT add sugar to the balsamic reduction. If you add the cranberries in the vinegar and let them cook down you'll release the sugars in the cranberries to make up for it.

Oh and finally after a year of posting about brussels sprouts, if you haven't noticed I spell it different almost every time. Little did I know it's actually spelled brusselS sprouts. Hmmm. No wonder the spell check thingy always turned red. Learn something new every day.