Crossfit Day 112

February 1, Wednesday

Workout – My upper body is super sore today from the push jerks. I knew the weight would do this to me, but I am slowly working on my upper body strength. I also need to work on flexibility.

WOD –”Nate” 20 minute AMRAP 2 Muscle Ups (sub 6 Pull-Ups (purple & unassisted) & 6 Ring Dips (red)), 4 HSPU (sub Box Push Ups), 8 Kettlebell Swings (53lb). My Results: 7 Rounds + 4 Pull Ups.

We were to challenge ourselves during this AMRAP. If we used red band for pull-ups, we would go down to the purple band, same for ring dips & HSPU (remove a mat if you use 1, etc). I did the first 6 rounds w/ the purple band for pull-ups. B told me that it’s easier w/o a band, so for the 7th round & the last 4 pull-ups, I tried unassisted. This is the first time I’ve ever done unassisted pull-ups in any WOD, so I was pretty proud of myself. Sure I didn’t do them consecutively, but I tried & got them one at a time & I’m pretty proud of myself! I used red band for ring dips & they were still pretty tough on my arms, but I was able to do them properly. I went w/ the 53lb KB this time. It’s my first time trying them & it was definitely challenging since it’s nearly ½ my entire body weight, but I think I did fairly well w/ them. So this was a very challenging WOD for me & I’m pretty happy w/ the results. We finished w/ 90 seconds Hollow Hold. They are rough!

Crossfit Day 108 | Nutrition Challenge Day 9

January 24, Tuesday
Workout – Oh boy, today’s WOD sounds incredibly hard & long. I am so not looking forward to it, but at the same time excited to go in today! The Nutrition Challenge has been going ok for me. It’s a little easier this time around since I know what is expected & what I can/cannot eat when I go out to restaurants. It’s hard to control myself & I still tend to overeat, but I also know my metabolism is pretty high so that whatever I eat, I tend to get hungry pretty quickly soon afterwards. It’s only Week 2, so I have a long way to go. I weighed-in today & I am 116.8lb w/ clothes on, so I am back to my original weight when I did the first Nutrition Challenge back in early October. I still think the “loss” of 3lbs from the last challenge isn’t really accurate. They didn’t consider that women’s weight tends to fluctuate monthly (when we get our periods) & for those that retain water during that time of the month. Also, I weighed myself around 6pm both before & after the challenge. If I had weigh myself when I woke up, I tend to be a few pounds lighter. There are lots of inaccuracy that should be considered, but they are not. I am doing the challenge to try to control myself w/ food & am slowly trying to not overeat especially when I’m already full. On another note, JR noticed my arms are looking cut up & I think I agree. I’m not sure when or what happened, but I didn’t notice this last week. *shrug* Nevertheless, this is a very good thing!

WOD –5 Rounds Row 500m, 40 Double Unders, 30 Mountain Climbers, 20 Kettlebell Swings (53/35), 10 Toes To Bar For Time. My Results: 29:07 minutes.

I was right, this WOD was completely insane. I started & ended the WOD w/ exercises I do not like, nor do I do well with. Again, I was the last person to finish rowing. But I definitely caught up w/ everyone when I did double unders. I think the rope I used helped. I whizzed by those w/o any issues. For the first 3 rounds, I did 2 attempts to finish my 40. The last 2 rounds, I did 4 attempts to finish. One of the rounds, I messed up after 1 jump, & then I did 39 in a row. I am getting much better at double unders & it makes me proud! The Mountain Climbers are killers on the legs, but then went by ok. I did ok w/ KB swings too. But I struggled w/ Toes to Bar. It took me probably a minute just to finish 10. I will have to work on Rowing & TTB from now on because those are keeping me from getting a better time.

NEAC Workout | Nutrition Challenge Day 4

January 19, Thursday
Workout – I will go check out the local gym, New England Athletic Club, to see if there’s a class I can take tonight. I always want to try out something new!

I worked on my Front Squats at the NEAC. I started w/ 45-55-65-75-85-95-105-115lb. I couldn’t do anymore. That’s already my PR, I wanted to see if I could do more. I wasn’t able to lift any heavier, but in time I think I will be able to. I also did some kettlebell swings, sit ups, planks, double unders & stretches for an hour. At 6:30pm, I took the Body Pump class. It’s produced by the BeachBody (P90X, Insanity) group & I wanted to see what the hype was about. I thought it wouldn’t be challenging for me, but my butt got kicked. The instructor told the newbies to start w/ a lower weight, so I went w/ 10lbs. Wow, did that 10lbs get heavy fast. The class is not about heavy weights, but lots of repetitions, so you do get a really good workout. There were parts where I was getting really tired. We don’t do reps like these at CF. The bicep & overhead parts were the hardest for me because of my shoulder issue, but otherwise, it went pretty well. I think it’s a good class for women to take since many do not do any weight training. I doubt I would take something like this again though considering I already do CF & that totally kicks my butt everytime!

Crossfit Day 106 | Nutrition Challenge Day 2

January 17, Tuesday
Workout – I had forgotten to mention that we started yet another Nutrition Challenge as of yesterday. We are doing the Primal Blueprint. It has all the same restrictions as the Whole30 except that it starts from the very first day. *sigh*I’m in CT for training this week, so I decided to contact a local Crossfit box to see if I can drop in for a WOD. We’ll see how that turns out.

WOD – 4 Rounds 1 min Box Jumps (20”), 1 min KB Swings (35lb), 1 min Rest for Reps. My Results: 46+41+43+42 = 172 Reps.

I got a bit lost heading to Crossfit Religion, but finally got there. I missed out on the 5:15pm class, so I had to wait for the 6:15pm class. Of course, no one shows up for the 6:15pm class. The owner (Russ) did the WOD w/ me. He first showed me some stretching exercises, & then showed me the Turkish Stand Up, which uses a small kettlebell. It was interesting. I practiced my double unders & got warmed up. It was pretty cold in their box which is a warehouse sharing space w/ a boxing group & another group. The cold air wasn’t too good to my lungs, but I still did pretty decently. The trainer’s total was only 5 more than mine.  I practice jumping off the box instead of walking down, which made the process much faster, but it also tired me out a bit. I will try that in my own box. It was a very different experience from my box, but it was cool just to check it out. They have a very small number of members (~25) & the owners only do this part-time, so it’s understandable.

Crossfit Day 105

January 13, Friday
Workout – Thank goodness I’m finally not feeling so sore today. There’s a 1 mile run today which I’m dreading because it’s so cold outside (~20 degrees).

WOD –3 Rounds 15 HSPU (box push ups), 20 Toes to Bar, 30 KB Swings (35lb) & finish w/ 1 mile Run For Time. My Results: 27:49 minutes.

The Box Push Ups did a number on my arms. Then the Toes to Bar were rough. I was having a hard time just hanging onto the bar. I tried my best to do complete TTB, but towards the end I had to modify to Knees to Arms. Argh, it’s so frustrating because my arms are so weak. I was getting shooting pains in my left arm from trying to hang on the bar. The KB swings went ok. I was really slow w/ the WOD. Then I ran out into the freezing cold. This time I wore a tank top, pull up & a fleece w/ my fuzzy fur trapper’s hat along w/ my workout gloves, so I stayed warm for the most part. But I started losing feeling to my thumb because I was wearing cut-off gloves. I will have to invest in a pair of running gloves to keep my hands warm. It took about 4 minutes back inside the gym before I got feeling to my thumb. It was numb & hurting so badly until I got it warmed up again. I will never do that again!

Crossfit Day 92

December 5, Monday
Workout – Another Monday & I feel like the weekends are making me sluggish & unmotivated, but I will still go into CF. I love it too much to stop & it pushes me to do things that I normally wouldn’t want to do or even think of to do, so that’s my motivation. The foods I’ve been eating after the Nutrition Challenge isn’t agreeing w/ my stomach too well. I know I need to curb my food intake but I’m finding it difficult to go back to that lifestyle (Whole30 diet). MM. won the challenge (5.67%), but they decided to have a 2nd winner which turned out to be Mo (lost 5.5%). I’m happy for her. She lost a significant amount of weight that she needed to lose. The thing w/ these contests is that it’s hard to go by only the percentage of weight loss because some people, like me, don’t have much weight to lose to begin w/, while others do & a whole lot more of it. They don’t factor in your height & weight together, as well as how closely someone actually followed the Nutrition Challenge & the points system. But whatever, I tried my best, but I doubt I could have lost another 3.2 lbs to win the challenge. That would have been too extreme & stressful for my body to handle.

WOD –Run 900m 21-15-9 Kettlebell Swing (53/35), Ring Dips, Wall Balls (20/14 6), Run 900m For Time. My Results: 19:22 minutes.

It’s a bit chilly out so I wore a sweatshirt w/ a hood to go for the run. Right before the WOD, CM was telling R that they would need to catch up w/ me on the run. I was flattered that they think I’m a fast running, but I pointed out that D is so much faster. But it was nice to hear anyway. I was behind the boys & D on the run, but I kept a good steady pace. After the 900m run, I was hot, so the sweatshirt went off for the rest of the WOD. The KB swings went okay, but the ring dips really took a toll on my shoulders. And going into the Wall Balls afterwards wasn’t so pleasant. The ring dips got me each time & I started lagging behind. On the last 900m run, I saw CM not too far in front of me (100 ft or so), but I was not able to catch up, or maybe I didn’t push myself hard enough to catch up. I still finished in a decent time, but I wished I had pushed myself a little harder on the last 300m of the run. Oh well, next time. We finished w/ 1 x Max Rep GHD Sit Ups (Goal – 25-50) – I ended up doing 28 maximum.

Crossfit Day 90

rudie2shoes vs kipping pull-ups (red band)
Winner: kipping pull-ups
(now I need to switch to the purple band so the line on my tummy will be 1/2 the size of the red band) :(

November 30, Wednesday
Workout – I’ve been up reading The Hunger Games, so I haven’t slept as much as I would like. This reading this is not doing me any good, so I’m tired today. I only have myself to blame. Anyway, We’ve done double unders for the past 2 days & we have to do more today. My abs feel a bit sore from Monday’s WOD, but otherwise, I feel pretty good. I feel like the WODs are more challenging now than when I first started CF, so that’s a good thing. I definitely feel stronger.

WOD –”Bradshaw” – 10 Rounds 3 HSPU (modified Box Push Ups), 6 Deadlifts (modified using 88lb KB), 12 Pull-Ups (red), 24 Double Unders for Time. My Results: 29:27 minutes.

I practiced my deadlift & felt something funny going on w/ my left knee/shin area. I asked trainer & he said it’s probably because we have a bursa there & it might be inflamed. So instead of using the bars for deadlifts, I used the 88lb KB to do them, which didn’t cause me any pain. Thank goodness, I really didn’t want to hurt myself any more than I’ve already had. The 1st round is always easy. The box push ups & KB deadlifts went fine. I even did 12 kipping pull ups in a row w/ the red band. My double unders got progressively better as the WOD went along. My pull ups got progressively worse after the 5th round. I started noticing the red rubber band was causing friction against my stomach & it started hurting. Now I have a stomach rash from the pull ups. :-( 10 rounds was a killer though because the WOD seemed to not want to end. By the last double unders, I looked at the clock. It was at 29:12 minutes & I wanted to come in under 30 minutes, so I went at it w/ the double unders. I finished the 24 in 15 seconds w/o missing one! Whoo hoo! I practiced more double unders afterwards, but I was too exhausted by then to keep them going to try to attain my 50 double unders in a row goal.

Crossfit Day 88

November 28, Monday
Workout – I emailed the owner to have a birthday WOD for me on Monday & gave him a list of items. Since they call me C-squared (C^2) at CF, I decided everything would be squared. Most people were confused about the number of repetitions for the WOD & didn’t quite get it, but I thought it was fitting & appropriate for me. I wanted exercises that I can do pretty decently, but the owner changed some. I didn’t have a Rope Climb in it initially since most people couldn’t do it, but he added it in. I was a bit nervous going into CF today because it’s been 5 days since I’ve gone in w/ the Thanksgiving holiday & so many days off. I thought I would be unmotivated & fat from all the foods I’ve been eating especially since the Nutrition Challenge is now over.

WOD –C^2 Bday WOD 100 Air Squats, 81 Abmat Sit-ups, 64 Push-Ups (knee), 49 Double Unders, 36 Box Jumps (20”), 25 KB Swings (35#), 16 Toes to Bar, 9 Burpees, 400m Row, 1 Rope Climb. My Results: 23:57 minutes.

When I walked into CF today, JR. complained to me that this was the 1st time he’s felt like he wanted to puke during the WOD. Haha I’m glad it was a challenging WOD. Most people looked miserable doing it, but I was ready for it. We practiced Hand Power Cleans first for 10 minutes. To be honest, I really don’t think I like them much. Then we started my Bday WOD. The Air Squats & Sit-Ups did get tiresome since there are so many reps of them. The worst for me was the Push-ups since my upper body strength is still very weak. The Double Unders weren’t too bad. The Box Jumps could have gone better because my legs were pretty shot from the air squats, but still not too bad. The Rx for KB Swings was 53lb for girls, but it was too much for me to handle. I couldn’t find a 44lb, so I went w/ 35lbs. The Toes to Bars, Burpees & Row were okay. I wasn’t sprinting through the Row so it was all good. Finally, it was the Rope Climb. I was tired, but felt I could do it & I got up to the top & climbed back down. I didn’t think it was that bad of a WOD, & it was challenging. All in all, it was good. I enjoyed it & felt awesome afterwards. I had nothing to be nervous about earlier. :)

Crossfit Day 87 | Last Day of Nutrition Challenge Day 44

November 22, Tuesday
Workout – Today is the last day of the Nutrition Challenge. I’m excited that it’s over, but sad at the same time. I did get used to eating this way & it’ll be hard to incorporate everything back into my diet now. It had its frustrating moments but I did enjoy cooking & trying out new recipes. It was definitely challenging & trying at times, but I got through 44 days w/ only 5 cheats. I’m pretty proud of myself. I weighed in before the WOD. My starting weight on 10/7/11 was 116.6lb. My ending weight on 11/22/11 is 113.2lb. I lost a total of 3.4lbs!!! With some fancy calculations, I lost 2.9% of my total body weight. I was SHOCKED because I didn’t feel like I lost any weight & I’m amazed because I don’t lose weight easily. I basically lost an average of 0.5lb a week. Wow. No one thought I had any weight to lose, even myself. I was okay w/ the weight I was before & I’m okay w/ the weight I am at now. I just wanted to see some changes to my mid-section since that’s the area I wanted to see results. I have more definition of a waist, but it’s only slight. I think I might try to keep going w/ this diet, but slowly incorporate back some things because there are just too many restrictions w/ the Whole30 diet. I am still shocked by the results & surprised this diet really does work even though I feel like I’m ingesting the same or more calories per day. I guess you’ll never know unless you try it out. I’m glad I tried it & challenged myself. I feel pretty darn good about myself now that I am done & am happy that I do have enough dedication & drive to finish the challenge.

WOD –Katie’s Bday 1) 5 min AMRAP – 11 Pull Ups (red) & 22 Double Unders. My Results: 3 sets + 3 Pull Ups. Rest 1 minute. 2) 5 min AMRAP – 11 Ring Dips (blue) & 22 Box Jumps. My Results: 3 sets + 19 Ring Dips/Box Jumps. Rest 1 minutes. 3) 5 min AMRAP – 11 KB Swings (35lb) & 22 Reverse Lunges for Reps. My Results: 4 sets + 9 KB Swings.

I used the red band for pull ups & I was able to do at least 7 in a row w/ the kipping motion. That’s more than I’ve ever done, so I’m getting stronger, slowly, but surely. I didn’t do too well w/ double unders but after a little while, I got the hang of it. For the 2nd AMRAP, I did the best out of everyone in my class, although I did have the blue band to aid my ring dips. I do pretty well w/ the box jumps & I can do them faster than the others in my class, so I’m pretty psyched by that. The last AMRAP also went really well. I breezed through the KB swings & the reverse lunges weren’t too bad. Again, I did the best out of everyone in my class so that made me a happy camper. That was a great way to end the rainy day. We finished by doing 4 minutes of front planks. I held it for 2 minutes straight & couldn't hold it any longer. I finished the rest  in 30 sec increments.

Crossfit Day 83 | Nutrition Challenge Day 37

November 15, Tuesday
Workout – I’m still feeling a bit unmotivated today, but I’m going to force myself to go in anyway. I felt like I could have done better at yesterday’s WOD, but I was feeling sluggish. I hope today is a little better. I am going insanely mad due to the Nutrition Challenge. I have had PMS for a whole week prior to my period & I NEVER get PMS, so it’s definitely the foods I’m eating (or not eating) that’s causing me to be emotional. I don’t think this is a good thing. I want this challenge to be over already, but there’s another week left, which is completely maddening. I want to eat everything I can’t eat right now!!!

WOD – 20min AMRAP 4 HSPU (modified box push ups), 6 Ring Dips (blue), 8 KB Swings (70/53 35), 10 Toes to Bars. My Results: 8 sets + 4|6|8|4.

I did decent for today’s WOD. The Toes to Bars were the toughest for me to do. The rest were simple & low reps so they were easy. I took a long time to do my toes to bar. I hate them because my arms are so weak & I get tired very easily when I just hang on the bar. I was able to do 3 in a row, but then I can only do 1-2 after that. I need to keep getting stronger because it’s taking me too long to do them.

Crossfit Day 78, Nutrition Challenge Day 29

November 7, Monday
Workout – I’m feeling unmotivated today. I seriously think I’ve been away from CF way too long that I don’t even really care to go back. I think (hope) it’s just mood swings. I’ve been pretty good about cooking over the weekend so I’ll have food for the work week, but again, the weekends are absolute killers for me. I hate sitting there & watching others eat while I munch on nuts or bananas. It’s such torture. I shouldn’t even go w/ them, but sometimes I have no choice. This Nutrition Challenge is driving me bonkers. It’s the 5th week now & I think I’m nearing my breaking point, but I’m trying to keep strong & continue w/o cheating.

WOD – 12 minute AMRAP – 9 Kettlebell Swings (35lb), 12 Hand-Release Push-Ups, 15 Box Jumps (20") for Time. My Results: 6 sets + 9|12|4 box jumps.

Back Squats 5 sets of 3 reps starting at 80% 1RM. I was able to do: 78-93-103-113-123lb today. It was not my best (135lb) but I didn’t feel like I could handle anymore today. The cold weather is making me take forever to warm up so my body is still cold. If it were warmer, I think I would have been able to do 135lb again. I’m still happy w/ my back squats though. My goal for the 12 minute AMRAP was to do at least 6 sets, which I was able to do. The 1st set took me 1:30 minutes, so I estimated my time will only increase as I fatigue, so 6 sets would be a good goal. I wish I could have finished the 7th set, but I got as close as I can. The hand-release push-ups take a lot out of me. The kb swings & box jumps went smoothly. I practice a few kipping pull ups afterwards. I can do 2 in a row, but I’m hoping I can continue to get a few more in a row w/ more practice. I finished w/ 60 GHD Sit-ups.

Crossfit Day 72, Nutrition Challenge Day 16

October 25, Tuesday
Workout – I’m looking forward to tonight’s WOD because it looks like it’ll be hard & I feel like I’ve been lazy the past 3 days, so I need to push myself hard. I cooked a lot on Sunday so I’ve been pretty good w/ the Nutrition Challenge & I do not feel like I’m starving. The weekends are still the hardest part because I can’t control what others put in the foods, especially in a restaurant, but I’m trying to pick the best options for me.

WOD – 1200m Run, 120 Double Unders, 900m Run, 90 Air Squats, 600m Run, 60 KB Swings (35lb), 300m Run, 30 Ring Dips (blue) for Time. My Results: 29:40 minutes.

There were a bunch of guys & 4 girls doing this WOD. For the run, I was actually 2nd to last for awhile, but then I ran ahead of Danielle when she got tired & I was getting my rhythm going. I was able to do the double unders fairly quickly, which surprised me. I am definitely getting better at them. 2 of the guys were way ahead of so they started their 600m run when I was going for my 900m run. I was ahead of them & I heard them behind me, but I made sure they never passed me. I kept a really good pace & I was able to finish w/o being completely winded. The air squats were exhausting. I kept going on my toes instead of staying on my heel, but I tried to correct myself. After about 40, they got really difficult. I continued slowly & didn’t stop. Once done, I did the 600m run. My legs were feeling funny after the air squats, but I got my legs back after 100m. The kb swings are always tiring, but I got though them okay. After about 30, I started only doing sets of 3-4. Another run, then it was off to the ring dips. I still use the band to assist me, so they weren’t too bad. I don’t think I’m ready to downgrade the band just yet because the ring dips put a lot of strain on my shoulders that I don’t want. I can’t afford to injure my shoulder any more than it already is. I finished ahead of at least 2 of the guys & all of the girls, so that was pretty satisfying. We had to do 50 Toes to Bars for Time afterwards. I was able to do 10 in 3:30 minutes, which means it would have taken me over 15 min to finish. I didn’t even attempt to finish. I practiced a few kipping pull ups instead. I can still only do one & need to rest, but I’m still happy I’m able to do them.

Crossfit Day 67, Nutrition Challenge Day 8

October 17, Monday
Workout – I’m happy I was able to cook foods yesterday so I’m not starving today & I won’t be wasting a lot of time during the week to cook & end up eating dinner extremely late. I’m feeling okay today w/ the Nutrition Challenge. It’s Monday so I usually have tons of food, but come Friday, the stash usually dwindles & I end up not having enough food to last me the day. I will try to ration the best I can but those sweet potato fries, although not baked to the way I would like, are still mighty yummy.

WOD – 30 Wall Balls (8lb), 30 Box Jumps (20”), 30 KB Swings (35lb), 30 Burpees, 30 Pull-Ups (red) – Part 1 – 3 minute AMRAP, 1 min rest, Part 2 – 5 minute AMRAP, 1 min rest, Part 3 – A for Time. My Results: Part 1 – 40 reps, Part 2 – 75 reps, Part 3 – 15:19 minutes.

The air is crisp & cool now, which means it’s downright COLD for me! I hate this weather. The gym was freezing to me & I wasn’t really warmed up before we started the WOD because it was just so cold in there. We did the 3 min AMRAP & the wall balls were killing me. I just couldn’t get it over the line & had to re-do them. It was so frustrating. I was the last one out of 6 people to finish them to get to the box jumps. When the 3 mins were up, my throat was burning from the cold air. I needed water to help me breathe properly. Then it was onto the 5 min AMRAP. The wall balls were brutal again, but I whizzed through the box jumps faster than everyone else. It’s one of my few strong exercises. I was happy I got to the kb swings. I was happier this time w/ my performance, but my throat was still burning from the cold air. More swigs of water for me, which I almost never do during a WOD. Then it was onto doing the entire WOD for Time. I was able to control my wall balls & get it over the line & hit the wall each & every time, so I didn’t struggle at all this time. I had brief rests in between to ensure I didn’t get air balls. I actually finished it 2nd this time! Whoo hoo. I was tired for the box jumps, but I did my thing steadily & finished it before anyone else. Off to do the kb swings & I was getting even more tired so I rested every few reps, but I finished that before anyone else & then got to the darn burpees. Gosh I really do hate them. I was nearly crawling on the floor, but still finished & was the first up for the pull-ups. I am still using the red band because I don’t think my shoulder can handle it. I got through about 10 before anyone else was on the bars. Then I had to rest after every one pull-up because my arms were failing me. K, the only guy there finished before me, but I wasn’t too far behind. Afterwards, I just couldn’t feel my upper arms anymore. It was pretty brutal. I did 3x20 GHD Hip Extensions afterwards to stretch myself out a little bit.

Crossfit Day 57

October 3, Monday
Workout – The WODs have been getting progressively more difficult & challenging, which is a good thing, but I’ve been getting super nervous about them at the same time. I hate being nervous but I don’t think it will go away anytime soon.

WOD – “Ant’s Bday WOD” 27 Double Unders, 27 Dumbbell Squat Clean & Thruster (45/25 20), 27 Double Unders, 27 HandStand Push Ups (box push up), 27 Double Unders, 27 Kettlebell Swings (70/53 44), 27 Double Unders, 27 High Box Jumps (30″/24″), 27 Double Unders, 27 Calorie Row, 27 Double Unders for Time. My Results: 24:02 minutes.

Oh this was a horrible horrible WOD. At the 1st set of DUs, I was the absolute last person to finish them out of ~12 ppl! I was horrified because I was doing them in the corner by the white board so I saw everyone else finish & start the next exercise. I struggled w/ the DUs for a bit, & then towards the end, I was able to do at least 10 in a row w/o an extra jump in between. I was quite proud of myself because I was never able to do that before. I’m definitely getting better at them. The db squat cleans & thrusters were killers because you have to squat down, touch your db to the ground, come into a clean, & then squat down again to go into the thruster. Those really burned. The box push ups were ok, though tiring. The KB swings were difficult. My 1st time using 44lb & it was HEAVY! I was resting after doing 3 reps because I got so winded from them. I am good w/ the high box jumps so I had no issues w/ those. I was surprised I wasn’t the last one to do the row. I was slow but I finished them because a few others. And the last DUs, I was going through them a lot faster than I’ve ever done them. I’m excited about them. I want to practice more so I can do more reps & get even better. When I finished, I just dropped to the ground to catch my breath. It was a tough WOD. I told Ant why he couldn’t have turned 15 instead of 27 years old!

Crossfit Day 54

September 27, Tuesday
Workout – I’m nervous as sh*t today. My thighs are tight from the overhead walking lunges & my back from the hip extensions. I guess it’s a good thing to be nervous, but I’ve been more nervous lately especially right before the WOD. Maybe I doubt myself more? Or maybe everything is more challenging now so I really need to improve on everything. I’m not sure what it is, but I know I’ve been jittery nervous lately & I don’t like it one bit.

WOD – 2 min Max Distance Row, 1 min Rest, 2 min Max Rep Wall Ball (6 – 10 ft target), 1 min Rest, 2 min Max Rep Kettlebell Swings (35), 1 min Rest, 2 min Max Rep Burpees, 1 min Rest, 1000m Row for Time. My Results: 428m row, 33 wall ball, 30 kettlebell swings, 18 burpees. My Results: 1000m Row 5:12 minutes.

It felt like a long one today. I was in group 2 to start since we didn’t have enough rowing machines. The rowing was more of a sprint to try to do as fast as you can. I still stink at rowing. The 1 minute rest in between is not enough. Then off to wall balls. I did the 6lb ball, but I think I can go up in weight next time. I am getting better at them then I used to be, but I still dislike them. The kb swings we had to do Games Standard, which means it has to go directly overhead & you have to pause briefly before bringing it back down. They made it harder, but I was still able to do the 35lb kb. And the burpees are horrendous. I hate them. Again, Games Standard, so after you do a burpee, you get up & jump on top of a 45lb plate, making sure to open up your hips. The last 1000m was draining. I couldn’t feel my hands & forearms after awhile. I was the last to finish because I’m so slow w/ rowing. It was another tough WOD. Then we finished w/ 3 sets x Max Reps Toes to Bar – 2-2-1 rep. I can hardly do 2 in a row, but I’m still going to keep trying to get better at them.

Crossfit Day 49

September 20, Tuesday
Workout – I’m nervous about this WOD. It’s a lot of everything. I think I have to poop!

WOD – 1000m Row, 80 Box Jumps (20”), 60 Kettlebell Swings (35lb), 40 Burpees, 20 HSPU (modified Box push ups) for Time. My Results: 21:29 minutes.

We started w/ Push Press 2-2-2-2-2 go for 2 RM. I did 42-53-53-53-53lb. Higher than what I did before so I’m happy w/ my progress. There were 14 people, so we had to do 3 rounds since there are only 6 rowing machines. I was in the 3rd round & had to wait 9.5 minutes to begin, which I was ok with considering I’m slow on the rowing machine. I figured I can catch up to the others w/ the other exercises. The 1st half of the box jumps went by fairly quickly. Then the last 40 took longer but I did them at a good speed. The kb swings went pretty well for the first 25, then I started slowing down but they weren’t too bad. I was dreading the burpees & I was right, they totally took everything out of me. I was nearly crawling towards the end. By the time I got to the box push ups, my arms felt like putty. I did 5 at a time, then rested a few seconds then continued. The WOD felt like it took forever to finish, but I am still happy w/ the time. It was definitely an exhausting WOD, so it feels awesome when you finish. We ended w/ 3x20 GHD Sit Ups.

Crossfit Day 41

rudie2shoes vs push press (33#)

Winner: push press

September 7, Wednesday
Workout – Today’s WOD looks really tough. I don’t know how I’m going to do those wall balls, burpees & double unders. They are my nemesis! I hope I’m not late today again. It’s been raining dreadfully here & traffic lights are out. It took me over an hour to get to work today when it usually takes 15-20 minutes max. I hate traffic & dumb drivers. Last night, Tim joked about the class being at 6:45pm tonight so I shouldn’t be late for this one.

WOD – ”Filthy 50” 50 Box Jumps (20"), 50 Jumping Pull Ups (on 24” box), 50 KB Swings (35#), 50 Steps Walking Lunge, 50 Knees To Elbows, 50 Push Press (33#), 50 Back Extensions, 50 Wall Balls (6# to 10ft target), 50 Burpees, 50 Double Unders for Time My Results: 41:40 minutes.

I got there super early today by over 30 minutes. Oh well, at least I wasn’t late. T asked if I wanted to start the WOD w/ the 6pm group (it was 4 guys) but I declined since I wanted to stretch out some more. The WOD was very intimidating. I knew it was going to be a long one. It’s my 1st time doing the jumping pull-ups. They weren’t too bad since you use your legs to jump up. They get tiring but I was able to do 10 at a time. I was the 1st one to get to the jumping pull-ups & to the kb swings. They 35# weight got really tiring for me, but I was able to churn out 5-10 at a time & I was only slightly behind a few of the other CFers. The walking lunges weren’t too bad…at first. I did 10 at a time. But by the 37, my legs were feeling the fatigue. I was slow w/ the knees to elbows & I wasn’t able to fully touch my elbows. I did 2-3 at a time since my arms get super exhausted from hanging from the bar. I started the push press & did 2, but then didn’t move my head in time so I smacked my lips w/ the 33# bar. Oh yeah, that hurt. I felt it swell up & tasted some blood inside my mouth. T asked if I wanted to stop the WOD but I refused to stop now that I’ve done over 50% of the WOD, so I forged on, swollen lips, blood & all. The push presses were tough since my major weakness is my arms. There were 2 ppl on the GHD machine for the back extensions, so the substitution was 75 supermans on the floor if the machines were taken. I did 20 supermans, but didn’t like them & saw an open GHD machine, so I did 50 there. The wall balls were a killer, but I was able to get it over the line 98% of the time. I missed ~4 of them & had to re-do those. The burpees took most of my energy away. After awhile, I was just crawling on the floor into position & crawling to get back up. I seriously hate burpees. I wasn’t too far behind at this point, so I did my double unders. I struggled a bit but I kept trying & I was able to finish them in good time. The Filthy 50 was totally a challenge, but I’m glad I finished it. I didn’t realize some blood dried up on my top 2 teeth as I was chatting w/ ppl afterwards. Gosh I mush have looked scary to them. How embarrassing. T gave me a cold beer can to ice my lip a bit after the WOD. That was a funny site to see. Too bad I don’t drink otherwise I would have taken the beer w/ me!

Crossfit Day 39

Workout – Not sure what I will be doing today. I just don’t want to have to drive through flooded roads again. I’m afraid the water damaged my car.

WOD – “Schmalls” – 800m run, (2 Rounds of 50 Burpees, 40 Pull-Ups, 30 Pistol Squat (modified holding a pole), 20 KB Swings (35lb), 10 HSPU (modified w/ Box Push Ups)), 800m run My Results: 43:34 minutes.

D found this WOD somewhere online so we decided to do it together. By the time I started my burpees, I was about to kill her. 50 burpees in a row is a lot! I was having a rough time going through them, & then the 40 pull ups were a killer. The pistol squats were new to us & we needed to hold onto a pole for support in order to do them. They were ok for the 1st round, but the 2nd round was really difficult. KB swings went well, although it gets your heart rate up really high & you feel winded afterwards. I modified the hand stand push ups w/ box push ups. I was dying by the time I did round 2. I was amazed I even finished. I seriously wanted to give up. D finished a good 5 minutes ahead of me, but I really didn’t care. I just wanted to finish, period. And that I did, huffing & puffing & ready to strangle D!

Crossfit Day 31

August 22, Monday
Workout – I had a really bad headache the entire day today. It wasn’t a big one but just a small nagging one. I thought maybe it was because I was hungry, so I would eat & eat, but that didn’t help. I really didn’t feel like going into CF today, but I went regardless. Once I started doing the warm-up my headache went away.

WOD – (same as Day 4 on 7/11) 12 minute AMRAP – 9 Kettlebell Swings (35lb), 12 Hand-Release Push-Ups, 15 Box Jumps (20”). My Results: 6 sets + 9 KB swings + 12 HRP + 6 Box Jumps.

We started off w/ 3-3-3-3-3 Back Squats. I was able to do 93lb a few weeks ago, so I was confident I could go up in weight. I did the exercise w/ Desiree. We started w/ 45-65-75-95-105. Yay! I can now do 105lb!!! My next goal is to do 115lb (my body weight). I can’t wait.

Our WOD was a repeat from 7/11, which was the 1st day of the unlimited month of CF for me. I was able to up my weight on the KB swings from 23lb to 35lb & increase the box jump from 18” to 20” this time. And I was able to do a few more repetitions than my 1st go at this AMRAP. My back is stronger now so the KB swings were going pretty smoothly. I am doing my HRP on my knees because I want to keep my body in the plank form as much as possible. I’ll work my way up to a real push-up as I progress. The box jumps are pretty easy for me. I think I may have to increase the height of that soon. Overall, it was a good WOD. My headache did go away while I was at CF, but once I got home, it came back. I think it’s due to lack of sleep since I was out & about all weekend. I really need to catch up on sleep.

Crossfit Day 27

August 16, Tuesday
Workout – I’m nervous about today’s WOD. It looks really intense. My stomach is already turning. I always have this nervous energy whenever I know I have a WOD to do, but once I’m there, I’m pumped for the WOD. Let’s hope this one goes over well.

WOD – Rick’s Bday WOD – Complete the following for Time: 31 Calorie Row, 31 Front Squats (45lb), 31 Box Jumps (20”), 31 Toes to Bar, 31 Push Ups, 31 KB Swings (35), 31 Pull Ups (blue & purple band), 31 Jumping Lunges (2-for-1), 31 Burpees, 31 Double Unders My Results: 35:14 minutes.

Oh my goodness, that WOD was insane. I felt so completely out of shape during the entire WOD. I was slow w/ the row, & then I struggled w/ the front squats. My legs just wouldn’t cooperate. I was thinking it was from the 100 Air Squats I did the day before. I took my time & tried my best, but 31 repetitions are annoying! I was able to do the box jumps but I did rest in between. The toes to bar were difficult for me since I still can’t get my toes all the way up yet. For the push ups, the trainer came by & told me to keep my body in the plank position even if I have to do them on my knees. I’ve been doing push ups improperly since I hate them so much. Grrrrrr! The KB swings went ok, but we had to aim for almost overhead this time & the drop always gets my footing off kilter. The pull ups started off ok, but got harder & harder when having to do 31 of them. The jumping lunges completely, positively sucked! I hate them too. They get you so exhausted & it is 2-for-1 which means each leg only counts as .5! Argh! The burpees always stink too. I’m wondering if I’m doing them wrong too. I think I’m supposed to be in a push up position when I’m on the floor. I’ll check w/ the trainers because I feel like I’m cheating myself if I have the wrong form. To end it all were the double unders. I took off my sneakers & it was slightly easier to do them. I was able to do about 4 in a row (w/ a single jump in between), but I counted attempts as well because by that time, I had no more energy left in me. The WOD was incredible long & hard & I did not enjoy it one bit.