What I've learned

OK so now I know. No high rep deads while on amoxicillin. Talk about wanting to puke. Shit. I thought I was going to have to vomit in the recycle bin. I continued with my deads, but couldn't do a WOD afterwards. So frustrated by this cold.

I thought I would wrap up what I've learned over the past 6 months or so of blogging. Number one, it's very cathartic to write down what you eat, how you feel and what you do every day.... workout wise that is. It makes you accountable for how you take care of yourself and, when you don't. I've realized  that proper nutrition is key for exercising. I know, DUH. Eating chicken for dinner, even though it's good for you, doesn't do much to hold me over for the next mornings workout. Pasta and grains are the devil. At least for me. There's nothing like a good carbo load dinner to fuel you for the next day, but with my recent discovery, the side effects of the wheat are not worth it for me anymore. Sorry to say I still haven't found that balance as of yet. I'm considering adding a white potato here and there to see if it would make a difference. I did some reading on it and they get a solid OK if you don't need to cut calories or lose weight. I don't need to do either right now so the extra carbs may do the trick for me. Another thing I learned is that Paleo is king. I'll be the first to admit, and if you've been reading my blog, you'll know that I'm not 100% hardcore paleo. I'm about 90%. But I do believe in the overall theory behind it and that's what changed my life. I still love my cheddar on a burger, the occasional greek yogurt, a tablespoon of peanut butter in my oatmeal and some hummus. All of which are paleo no-no's, but I'm ok with that. I've learned so much about how food affects the body and how bad I've always felt but never knew why. My migraines, headaches and allergies have lessened dramatically and I'm not tired for no reason. Now if I fall asleep by 8pm it's because I got my ass kicked working out, not because I ate too much sugar and processed food.

As far as CrossFit, I've learned... well, nothing new here but that even though almost every workout sucks, I still love it. I can push myself a little more than before. I'm gaining strength, slowly, but steadily. I can carry things like the propane tank easily, I can move furniture without hurting myself and have the ability to do things like the Tough Mudder and call it fun.

I never thought I would be 'that' blogger, the mom blogger, the one who likes to write down for anyone to see that I almost threw up in my garbage can or that my son peed on me but there's something cleansing about it. It's a release, a place to bitch and complain and pat myself on the back, get it off my chest, and most of all learn. Learn what will make me a healthier and happier wife and mother. Because as we all know, if mommy ain't happy, no one is.


Thursday
breakfast - oatmeal w/flax, raisins, walnuts
lunch - leftover flank steak, hummus, apple cinnamon cereal bar
dinner - pork tenderloin, veggie

warm:
jump rope
20# ball squats
push ups
shoulder presses
good mornings
stretching

CFSB C1/W9
Deadlifts
warm: 5x95, 115
work: 5x135, 140, 145#
high rep @110# 21-15-9

NO WOD

*notes - meds making me ill. high rep deads beat me up, dizzy, nauseous. TTOTM, poor nights sleep, head not in the game today. didn't force it. 

Practice

Still not 100%,  maybe 85%. Thought I would take it slow today and just do strength but the adrenaline got the best of me so I did a 3 minute wod and some running since it is a beautiful day today. The antibiotic is making me a little feel a bit pukey but nothing I can't handle. I don't think I've ever done V-ups so when Bob showed me how I thought, pisshaw, not too bad, I can do that. Oh, how wrong I was. I can do them, sort of, ok, they were ugly, but I was going for practice today so it was a learning experience. I also practiced wall balls with the ginormous 20# ball. Proud to report no broken nose, no dropped balls, no catches in the gut... good day. Even threw in some backwards running which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Made Primal Palate's citrus marinated flank steak last night. The meat was good, tender, juicy, although there was no distinct citrus taste which is what I was expecting. Bob suggested lime and/or orange zest may turn it up a notch. I think making the marinade and using it on top of the cooked meat may do the trick. May need to try both next time.

Wednesday
*breakfast - eggs w/beef, collards, salsa
snack - orange cranberry cereal bar, hummus, turkey
dinner - turkey portabella burgers w/guacamole, bacon, cheddar

warm:
kb swings
squats
good mornings
shoulder presses
stretching

Recon Ron
Step 10/4
6-4-4-3-3

CFSB C1/W8
Back Squat
warm: 5x65, 85#
work: 5x105, 110, 115#

WOD (nft)
10-7-5
20# wall ball
v-ups
push ups

cashout:
4x50m sprint & backwards run
1/2 mile light jog w/stroller

Trying not to curse like a trucker but...

WTF?! I'm effin sick again. AGAIN. I've been sick off and on since January. I am seriously going to lose my mind, if I haven't already so I'm heading to the doctors today to see whats up and get some drugs to kill this thing.

On a side note I just have to mention how much my daughter is progressing with CrossFit style exercises. She's always been interested and loves to 'workout' with us, but recently she's taken it up a notch. I noticed her practicing handstands the other day. Well, actually, head stands, but she can just get up against the wall without momentum. All core. She can bring her knees down, put them on her elbows and put them back up without falling. I sure as hell can't do that. She also learned how to do inverted ring pull ups by herself. I'm so happy to see that she loves to exercise and is willing practice and get better and stronger.  AND she doesn't see it as work, it's fun for her. I hope she continues to feel this way.

Back from the docs, hello augmentin, goodbye acute maxillary sinusitis.

Thursday
breakfast - eggs w/broccoli, turkey, pico. 
dinner (will be) - green leaf salad w/chicken, avocado, tomatoes, cucs, hb eggs, possibly bacon bits or pine nuts, rice vinegar/olive oil dressing. 

warm:
yes

CFSB C1/W8
Deadlifts
warm: 5x95, 3x115#
work: 5x130, 135, 140#
high rep @110 (18-15-12)

WOD
CF Games 12.2
Puppies:
15 pound Snatch, 30 reps
45 pound Snatch, 30 reps
75 pound Snatch, 30 reps - 65# and most were split snatches
100 pound Snatch, as many reps as possible

75 reps
*notes - Had to lower to 65. First 75#er was UGLY. More of a squat clean into a push press. 

Friday
Rest Day
breakfast - oatmeal w/walnuts, pb
lunch - roast beef, grapes, hummus, almonds, banana chips
dinner - salmon w/lemon, capers, almond crusted sweet potato patties, greek yogurt w/cucumbers


Saturday
breakfast - eggs w/beef, spinach, mushrooms
lunch - nothing
dinner - greek tacos, baklavah

CF Games 12.3
warm:
yes

Pack
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 18 minutes of:
15 Box jumps, 20” box
95 pound Push press, 12 reps - 55#
9 Toes-to-bar
Women- 55 pounds/20

8 rounds + 3 box jumps
*notes - killer wod. thought pp's would be my downfall but all unbroken. ttb beat me up. traps were jacked for two days after this workout. 


Sunday
breakfast - oatmeal w/flax, bananas, walnuts
lunch - almonds, 2 pieces of cheddar, hard boiled egg, grapes, apple slices, iced green tea
dinner - eggs w/kale, beef, bacon

warm:
yes

CFSB C1/W8

Front Squat
warm: 5x55, 75
work: 5x95, 100, 105#
high rep back squat @95 (20)

6 mile family bike ride

*notes - not feeling good. squats felt really heavy.

Monday
Rest day
breakfast - none
snack - banana chips, almond butter, 2 slices turkey, cranberry, macadamia nut cereal bar
dinner - homemade chicken noodle soup


Tuesday
breakfast - oatmeal w/walnuts, flax
snack - cereal bar, hummus and gluten free pretzels, 2 slices turkey
dinner - marinated flank steak w/roasted green beans and roasted sweet potatoes

warm:
kb swings
good mornings
stretching
squats

CFSB C1/W8
Shoulder Press
warm: 10x16, 5x45
work: 5x50, 55, 60
high rep @45# 12-9-6

Practice:
static ring holds/baby dips
inverted pull ups
muscle ups - progressions, jumping
skin the cats - tucked, but better control
*notes - noticing more controlled core strength. wasn't able to pull legs back up from forward on skin the cats before. legs were tucked, but still felt good. muscle ups still a joke but making progress on the transition stage. still need to jump into though. 

Dumbbell

Yeah, so I slogged thru 3 rounds of a pretty challenging wod, for me anyway. I'm not great at dumbbell anything and I still kinda suck at unassisted pull ups but my theory today was to slog thru and see how I do. Need to start upping my weights and stop being scared of the 'I can't do that'. I can do them, just not in great time so I hesitate and scale. Which isn't wrong, but it's keeping me from testing to see what I actually can do. Not using it as an excuse or anything but it was my first metcon back after a week off. Wow, endurance takes a hit when you take time off. After the first round I thought yeah ok, this blows I'm tired already. So my point is, even when I'm a dumbbell and misjudge a wod, it's all good even though sometimes it's a humbling experience. Think we all need that reality check every so often.

So I decided to do another Tough Mudder. Anxiety is no where near as high as last year since I have an idea of what to expect, but it's still going to be tough. Now we need the ok for someone to watch our kids and we'll sign up. My friend asked me why I would pay to be tortured again. Hmmm, my response would have to be well you joined a box didn't you? Snicker snicker.


Wednesday
*breakfast - oatmeal. lunch - roast beast, grapes, banana and veggie chips, gluten free pretzels w/hummus. dinner - sauteed shrimp and turkey sausage w/collards. 

warm:
20x
kte
kb swings
squats
good mornings
shoulder press

CFSB C1/W8
Back Squat
warm: 5x65, 85
work: 5x100, 105, 110#

WOD
Five rounds for time of: scaled to 3
35 pound Dumbbell squat clean thruster, 7 reps - 25#
10 Pull-ups

6:55

*notes - All pull ups were unassisted, tough but unassisted. few were jumping since my arms were fried. bit off more than I could chew with the 25# dumbbells.  Form was iffy on third round. Scaled to 3 rounds since time was not on my side today.  

Rest, rest, rest

May be worth mentioning, or not, depending on what you think of the magazine Muscle and Performance. Now, I don't know where it came from, I think it's free from Bob's Vitamin Shoppe membership rewards thing... unsure. I know we don't pay for it. Whenever it comes in the mail I skim thru and usually laugh at most of it. Really, 90% of it is protein ads with these ginormously muscled, veiny, oily men. So gross. Anyway, today I saw there was an article in the 'For Women' section (which is one page) called The Cure For Cardio. And in that article was a paragraph dedicated to CrossFit. They even promoted CF Kids. On one hand, I'm happy to see CF getting it's due, wherever it comes from. On the other, I'm sad to see what used to be a small, dare I say underground exercise community go mainstream. I know it's good for trainers and boxes to make money with the new influx of rookies, but I'm still unsure as to how the mainstream media is going to react. They always overdo everything and blow it out of proportion. Only time will tell I guess.

Although today was my normal rest day, I would have taken one anyway, I think. My legs are still sore from Sundays squats and tomorrow is heavy back squat day, so rest day it is.

Deciding on whether to register for the next Tough Mudder. It's next month in the poconos at a ski resort. Scared it will be cold again and with water obstacles, eh, it was hard being that cold and wet. Only real problem is who is going to watch the kids overnight since it's a few hours drive we'll need to stay up there the night before.... need to make my mind up and find a sitter quick.

Tuesday
Rest Day
*breakfast - eggs w/kale, beef and pico. lunch - turkey, almonds, few corn chips w/hummus. dinner - turkey meatloaf w/mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, garlic, primal bbq, roasted broccoli

Yay, I'm sore again

Is it strange that I'm happy to be feeling sore from exercising? What is it about CrossFit that makes me feel good even when I'm sore enough that walking down the steps is a challenge? Pain means I did something. It's a reminder that I worked. Well, there is good pain and bad pain. In my case, good pain. I didn't injure myself yesterday, just did too many squats. Normally 75+ 95# squats wouldn't bother me...as much anyway, but after 7 days off, ouch. But all is right with the world again. Hopefully this will have been my last bout with sickness for at least the rest of the year. Shit, maybe I shouldn't have mentioned it.

Found an interesting new Paleo recipe site called Modern Paleo Warfare. Let me just say I love them. Humor above all. There's nothing like a few Brits take on CrossFit and food. I haven't gone thru all the recipes yet, but they sound good and worth a try. Full disclosure, I clicked on their link thru Primal Palate and what got my attention was the xbox gamer nerd in me. Modern Warfare. If I didn't have children or a house to take care of... or a life,  I would play all day and crush those little bastard kids that kick my ass all the time. Nothing like being shot in the face with a shotgun by a 40 year old mom. They hate it. But I digress... the humor of the site is what I like. Who thinks of humping a steak at the butchers shop? These guys. Anyway, if you don't check them out yourselves, I'll report back once I try some recipes. I'm pretty snobby when it comes to cooking. I know how to cook and I know when someone can't.

IF day for me. Needed one. Haven't done it in a few weeks. One thing I am happy with is that over the 7 days I didn't exercise, I didn't gain weight. More proof that there is more to losing weight than just exercising. I think in the past because I ran, or because I went to the gym it was ok to eat crap food. Oh how dumb I was.

Sunday
*breakfast - oatmeal w/bananas, pb, flax. lunch - none. dinner - tilapia w/roasted carrots and tomato cuc salad

warm:
good mornings
kte
kb swings
squats
push presses
ohs
front squats

CFSB C1/W7
Front Squat
warm: 5x65, 3x85
work: 5x95, 95, 100#
high rep back squats @90# 21-15-9

Recon Ron
Step 11/2: 6-4-4-3-3

WOD (NFT)
Deadlift-squat clean-push press-OHS (1 of ea)
bar does not leave hands, increase weight each round, rest between as rounds needed, go until failure
45, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80#

*each week I’m going to add a rep. Next week 2 of each, following week 3….

Obvious limiting factor for me is OHS, but good practice for both squat cleans and OHS.

Monday

*fasting day. dinner - will be roasted whole chicken w/lemon, garlic, parsley, sweet pots, broccoli. 

warm:
ttb

squats

good mornings

stretching, lots of stretching

CFSB C1/W7
Shoulder Press
warm: 10x16.5#
work: 5x45, 50, 55
high rep @45# 10-7-5

*notes - No WOD today. legs are sore from squats. traps beat from ohs. did manage to get 80, but not below parallel. 

Ok, I'm so over this

I've been fighting this cold for about 6 days now. Come on already, I need my life back. I'm guessing my body really needs the break but mentally as of yesterday, I need to exercise. Granted, most of the week exercise was the last thing on my mind, but now that I'm finally starting to feel better, I need to workout... but I won't. Last thing I want to do is stretch this out a few more days because I was pigheaded.

My friend got to meet Bill and Haley of Primal Palate at her box yesterday. So jealous! I love their recipes. They have some of the best paleo dishes out there in my opinion.

Anyway, resting another day today, and possibly tomorrow. Unsure. Hopefully I'll be able to get thru a light wod. Bob mentioned to me that with our 70 burpees last week we would have come in around 32,000th place in the games. And that some people only managed 1. How does that happen? I mean, really, 1? Did it take 7 minutes to do 1 or did they do 1 and just stand around for 6 minutes and 58 seconds? Mind boggling.

Wednesday
Rest day
*breakfast - oatmeal w/pb, walnuts, apples, flax. lunch - ? dinner - stuffed bell peppers w/beef, mushrooms, onions


Thursday
Rest day
*breakfast - eggs w/bacon, collards, mushrooms, salsa. lunch - greek yogurt w/honey, raisins. dinner - grilled chicken, carrots, broccoli rabe tomato cucumber salad


Friday
Rest day
*breakfast - eggs w/chicken, salsa, spinach. lunch - ? dinner - crab cakes, veggie.