Crossfit Day 113

February 2, Thursday

Workout – I want to challenge myself today w/ a ridiculous WOD that I missed from 1/18, so I’m pretty nervous & excited. I hope I finish w/ a good time.

WOD – (from 1/18) ”Nutts” 10 HSPU (Box Push Ups), 15 Deadlifts (105lb), 25 Box Jumps (24”), 50 Pull-Ups (red), 100 Wall Balls (8lb), 200 Double Unders, 400m Run w/ 45lb Plate For Time. My Results: 33:30 minutes.

Everyone called me Nuts for doing this WOD on a lazy Thursday, but I was determined to do it. I brought in all my gear – long sleeve, ear muffs, weight lifting gloves, running gloves, & headlamp. I did the box push ups, then the deadlifts w/o any issues. Once I did my first box jump when I opened my hips at the top of the box, that was when I felt all the deadlifts I had done just before. It was a little tough opening my hips for the box jumps considering it’s a higher box than I normally do, but I was able to adjust & finish them quickly. Then my nemesis, the pull-ups, was next. I was able to finish them, but it took me awhile. The wall balls went by much better than usual, which could also mean I need to add more weight next time. I still need proper squatting form, so I need to work on that first. Then it was the double unders. I was able to do about 30-40 at a time w/ a bit of rest in between. I was killing the double unders & I was super excited w/ myself. Finally, the 400m run w/ a 45lb plate. I was ready to carry the plate in front of me, which is super hard & tiring, but luckily Matt said it would be easier to rest it on the top of my back & carrying it that way. He helped get it on my back & I was able to do it but it was more like a fast walk than a run. When I got back to the doors, I realized I couldn’t open the door! Haha I had to struggle to get the weight off my back & open the door. That was pretty tough, but I finished in a good time. It was one of those WODs that you are so proud of yourself for attempting & finishing. I felt awesome when it was done, albeit a bit tired. haha

Hotel Workout | Nutrition Challenge Day 1

January 16, Monday
Workout – I’m in training this week so I can’t go into CF. I will either use the gym/pool at the hotel or try to do a WOD at a local CF box. The local CF box never emailed me back so I’m not comfortable just dropping in. I’m a chicken! Today is the start of a new Nutrition Challenge where they are following the Blueprint Diet. This diet restricts just about everything right from the beginning. So no dairy, no legumes, no grains, etc. ARGH! This is even tougher than the last challenge. I don’t know if I have the willpower to stick w/ this for 6 weeks especially since I’m at training & it’s so difficult trying to find food that I can eat under this diet. I’m realizing I lack willpower.

Swim 30 Laps in small pool – 15 minutes; Run 1 mile – 10:30 minutes; 3 Rounds 10 Dumbbell Thrusters (15lb), 10 Sit-Ups, 10 Box Push Ups (~5 minutes).

I was going to try to do a mini triathlon at the hotel gym, but the bicycle machine wasn’t working properly. However, I did do the swim, which I estimated I did 1000m in about 15 minutes. And a 1 mile run, which I could have done in a faster time, but I didn’t make up my mind whether to do 1 mile or 3 miles, so I went w/ a slower speed. The rest was just something I made up but I didn’t look at the clock to see how long it took to finish. I just wanted to give my workout a little life to it.

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 101

January 9, Monday
Workout – I’m still sore from last week’s WOD, but it’s going away. Thank goodness! I have to go to CF just about every day from now until Feb. 14th since my purchase will expire then & I need to finish up my remaining days. And I have training all of next week so I can’t go then. I only have 3 days that I won’t have to go into CF, so that’s not a big leeway for me. I hate losing what I’ve paid for so I’m going to use it all up before 2/14.

WOD –Row 500m, 5 Rounds 10 Front Squats (62lb), 10 Ring Dips (blue), 800m Run For Time. My Results: 20:09 minutes.

My body is still sore from last week’s WOD. I think the 2 weeks away from CF really affected me. I’m sore from everything! I was in the 2nd heat since we are limited on rowers. I was the very last person to finish rowing. I have not improved. I will have to keep working on that. We started w/ the bar on the ground, so we have to deadlift it, & then clean it before we can do our front squats. The clean was the worst part for me. I don’t think I’ve ever done 62lb cleans before. I struggled w/ them at different points in the WOD. I finished the best I could & when I went for the run, boy were my legs wobbly. It was freezing out too & I didn’t put on a hoodie, so I was pretty cold for 800m. My time really stinks but I did the best I could.

Crossfit Day 96

December 14, Wednesday
Workout – My upper body & legs are a bit sore from yesterday’s WOD, but I still feel pretty good. We have a Hero WOD, so it means it will be super difficult. I am not looking forward to it, but I’m pumped at the same time. Go figure.

WOD –”Wood” 5 Rounds (1 minute rest between rounds) Run 400m, 10 Burpee Box Jumps (20”), 10 Sumo Deadlift High Pull (42), 10 Thrusters (42) For Time. My Results: 31:45 minutes.

I wanted to do a higher weight for SDHP but we used the same weight for the Thrusters & my arms couldn’t handle any higher. We finished w/ 3x20 GHD Hip Extensions.

Crossfit Day 95

December 13, Tuesday
Workout – I’ve been gone from CF for 5 days & I’m really not feeling motivated. I didn’t get enough rest either since I just came back from Toronto last night. But I know I’ll feel better once I’m there, so here’s hoping for the best.

WOD – 4-8-12-16-20 reps of Pull Ups (red), 2 for 1 Jumping Lunges, Ring Dips for Time. My Results: 12:57 minutes. Rest 3 minutes. Run/Row 1000m For Time. My Results: 6:42 minutes.

I think the pull ups went fairly well. I didn’t burn my stomach this time, though I still have a scar mark from Bradshaw. The jumping lunges got annoying, but still were okay. The ring dips went ok. I wanted to row, but since I was the 7th person to finish, I didn’t want to have to wait another 3+ minutes until someone was done, so I went for the run instead w/ MV. It was dark & cold outside & I was wearing a tank top, but I still went out there w/ my light. I know I could have done faster, but it was dark & I really didn’t want to risk a twisted ankle. Plus I was wearing my new New Balance Minimus Train sneakers w/ Vibram soles, so I was afraid I would be extremely sore afterwards since I’m not used to running in “barefoot” technology & am trying to ease myself into running barefoot. Luckily, my legs felt okay afterwards. We ended w/ 4 min plank. I did 3 mins uninterrupted, then the last minute w/ rest in between. I was a bit slow today, but I still felt good afterwards.

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 73, Nutrition Challenge Day 17

Wall Balls - must be over the 10ft line.
I made it! Yippee!

 
Workout – Today’s WOD is for R’s dog, Jayda, that passed away over the weekend. It’s so sad. He left her in the backyard while he was running errands. She must have slipped out the door & ran into the street, where she got hit by a car. It’s such a tragedy. She was such a beautiful dog.

October 26, Wednesday

WOD – “Jayda” – 3 Rounds 300m Run, 33 Wall Balls (8), 33 Farmer’s Lunge (36), 33 Hand Release Push Ups (knees) for Time. My Results: 24:21 minutes.

I think I did fairly well in today’s WOD. The run was easy. The wall balls are always a struggle for me, but I made sure I didn’t tire myself out, so I would rest after every 4 or so reps. I used an 8lb ball because I really didn’t want to aggravate my right shoulder/arm anymore than it already is. I had to use 36lbs for the Famer’s Lunge because the 20lb dumbbells were all taken. I think I could have gone up in weight. The hand release push ups were done on my knees, again, I didn’t want to aggravate my arms too much. I finished fairly ahead of the pack. I think I finished 3rd or so in the large group tonight. But, I’m sure others were doing higher weight for wall balls & farmer’s lunges as well as doing real hand release push ups compared to myself. I know I’m doing the best I can for my ability right now. We finished w/ 2 min Hollow Hold, which gets really intense. Your abs & head gets really tired. I did 1 min straight, but the rest were done in 10-15 second intervals.

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 64, Nutrition Challenge Day 3

October 12, Wednesday
Workout – Day 3 of the Nutrition Challenge. I’m feeling pretty good. I don’t feel hungry because I’m still eating snacks to get me through the day. My thighs are sore from the squats we did on Monday. I’m hoping I can continue to eat right for another 6.5 weeks! It’s going to be a long challenge. I think it’ll be the hardest on weekends & when I go out to eat, but we’ll see when we cross that road.

WOD – 100 Cleans & Jerks (42lb) w/ a partner. 1st person will do C&J, 2nd person will run 300m for Time. My Results: 19:25 minutes.

I did the WOD w/ Mich today. It was slightly drizzling outside & very dark, so I used my headlamp (put it around my waist) & did my runs w/ it. It’s SOOO useful! I’m glad D helped me buy it. I made sure my form to do the Cleans were good, so that I can do the Jerks properly. I varied them between the Push Jerk & the Split Jerk (when I got tired). I was able to do between 8-10 each time when Mich was running. I think I ran a total of 5 times which is slightly less than 1 mile. It felt good to finish.

Crossfit Day 59

October 5, Wednesday
Workout – I’m looking forward to tonight’s WOD since it’s a lot of running. I feel like I can run longer & faster than I’ve done before, so we’ll see how it turns out.

WOD – "Abbate" 1 mile run (9:33min), 21 Cleans & Jerks (155/115 33), 800m run, 21 Cleans & Jerks, 1 mile run (9:40min) for Time. My Results: 31:43 minutes.

Since it’s fall, by the time we start the WOD (a little after 6:45pm), it’s completely dark outside already. I was afraid I’d walk into a small pothole or step on large rocks in the parking lot of CF, so I was a little more careful when I was running. D bought a headlamp to use outside but she didn’t end up using it, but it’s highly useful. I actually bought it off of her & she’ll pick up another one. I can wrap it around my waist instead of my forehead, although I did put it on my forehead just for kicks. I felt like a Minion from the cartoon movie “Despicable Me.” Haha I was behind the 3 guys & D at the start of the WOD, which was fine w/ me. I wanted to pace myself w/ my run. Mich & L were behind me. I did my fastest mile that I know of coming in at 9:33 minutes! I was pretty stoked about it since our mile at CF is slightly more than a regular mile & part of it is uphill. I want to see if I can do an 8 or 9 minute mile in the future. I went w/ a lower weight for the cleans & jerks because when we were practicing, the 43lb was too heavy for me. I am ok w/ a lower weight because I want to keep practice proper form & really getting the bar overhead when I do the push jerks. By the time I was on my last mile, I was actually not ahead of one of the guys & I stayed ahead. I was behind Mich but I passed by her. So I finished 3rd next to the 2 guys. Not too bad. L was struggling w/ the running so she was still outside when everyone was finished, so D & I went out to look for her & to encourage her. D ended up running an extra ½ mile while I ran an extra ¼ mile. We were trying to motivate L since she is pretty new to our CF & we didn’t want to leave her outside in the dark by herself. I practiced some Reverse Hypers afterwards w/ the guidance of A the trainer so I now know how far my legs should go. It’s a pretty good machine but I can imagine it getting tough when you actually add weight to it.

Crossfit Day 52

September 23, Friday
Workout – I’m still feeling unmotivated & tired today. I’ll force myself to go to CF, but I know I always feel 100x better once I’m done w/ my WOD, so it’s always worth the effort.

WOD – 30 minute AMRAP – 300m run, Max Rep Toes to Bar, 300m run, Max Rep Hand Release Push-Ups, 300m run, 50 Double Unders.

My Results:	1st Round	2nd Round	3rd Round	Totals
Toes to Bar	4	4	3	11
Hand Release Push-Ups	40	22	22	84
Double Unders	50	50	9	109
Run	900m	900m	900m	2700m

It was drizzling outside, but we still went out to do our run. My sneakers were getting soaked from the rain & the floor inside the gym was getting damp. I still have to take my sneakers off when doing double unders because it’s so much easier to do that way. I also put a vball knee pad over my right arm so the double unders don’t whip lash my arm anymore. It helped tremendously. I am still working on my toes to bar. They are difficult for me because I get tired from hanging on the bar for too long. I was able to do at least 2 in a row (w/ my toes completely touching the bar) while the others were really, really near the bar, but didn’t touch, so that’s still an improvement for me. The HRPU were okay. We weren’t allowed to do them on our knees so I tried my hardest to keep my back in plank position, but when you’re tired, it’s pretty darn hard to do that. I figured I can do more HRPU compared to Toes to Bar so I took my time w/ the HRPU. By the time I was done w/ them & off on my 300m run, my arms were so sore that I could barely move them on my run. The double unders went ok for me. I think I’m getting better at them. The WOD was long but it went by faster than I though. For the last run, I wanted to get back inside to at least start my last set of double unders, so I sprinted that last 300m. I passed Desiree & Maureen & got a moving on my double unders. That was kind of exciting. The last of my energy was completely drained by that, but it still felt great. I do have to admit the WOD was pretty exhausting.

Crossfit Day 46

September 15, Thursday
Workout – I feel pretty good today. I’m going to do a Navy Seals workout w/ D today. I’m scared because it sounds super hard.

WOD –Navy Seals workout – 4 Rounds 2 Rounds 400m Run, 50 Burpees, 50 Jumping Lunges, 50 Pull-Ups (red/purple), 50 Jumping Squats (+ 400m Run at the end) for Time. My Results: 47:20 minutes.

D & I decided to try to do 2 Rounds & then added an extra 400m to finish. It was a really tough workout. My legs felt like putty during & afterwards. I can’t believe it took me over 47 minutes just to finish 2 rounds. Imagine I had attempted 4 rounds, that would have taken over 1.5 hours! That’s just nuts! D made me practice my hand stands again. I reluctantly went to the wall. A was there & she used to be a gymnast & she coached for 8 years, so she helped me get over my fear of hopping into my arms & then swinging my legs up. I was getting closer & closer each time. I got more comfortable w/ it & I was finally able to get up on my own! I mean, sure, I didn’t stay up for long, but I think w/ more practice I would be able to. It’s so exciting!!! I’m ecstatic about it. It’s another small accomplishment for me. I’m super excited to practice it some more until I get comfortable w/ it.

Crossfit Day 44

September 13, Tuesday
Workout – I’m not sure how I’ll do on the 1500m run, but I’ll try my best. I hope everyone won’t be sprinting because I don’t want to fatigue so much that I am barely running at the end. We’ll see how it goes.

WOD – 1500m run for Time. My Results: 7:03 minutes. Rest 5 min. 7 Rounds 5 Sumo Deadlift High Pull (42), 7 HSPU box push ups, 9 Box Jumps (24″) for Time. My Results: 11:20 minutes.

There 7-8 of us at the class, w/ only 3 girls. DD did rowing instead of running because she has a problem breathing outdoors. So B & I were outside running w/ the boys. We were both behind the guys. B was slightly behind me the whole time. I was able to finish in a pretty decent time (in my opinion). Then we had a 5 minutes rest. Everyone started their WOD at different times depending on how fast/slow you finished your run. I upped my Sumo deadlift high pulls from 33lb to 42lb. I think I can do more next time. I modified the HSPU by using a box to do my push-ups. The Rx for box jumps was 24” for girls, so that was an increase for me. I only missed the box twice & luckily didn’t kill/injure myself. *whew* I was dripping w/ the sweat the entire WOD. And my clothes were soaked through w/ my sweat. Oh, it was disgusting. I finished everything at 23:23 minutes, but this included the 1500m run & the 5 minute rest, so the WOD took me 11:20 minutes, but it felt much, much longer than that. With the way I was sweating, you would have thought I was working out for a good hour. CF really is high intensity, isn’t it?!? It felt good to finish.

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 34

August 25, Thursday
Workout – The top of my head is a bit sore. I think I was pushing my head against the wall a little while I was doing my hand stand hold yesterday. My calves are super sore today due to the combination of the double-unders on Tuesday & the hang power cleans & split jerks yesterday. My right arm took a slight beating from the double-unders too but not as bad as the last time. My chin is sore too from hitting the bar during the hang power cleans, but luckily (for now) there’s no bruise. Every part of my body is sore & achy, so I’d need to find a WOD that I can possible do today w/o making me feel even achier. Let’s see if V has any suggestions.

WOD – 1 mile run, 100 GHD Hip Extension, 100 Sit-Ups (ab mat), 1 mile run for Time. My Results: 32:34 minutes.

I stuck w/ a WOD that didn’t work on my arms because my arms are pretty sore. My calves are sore too but I don’t mind using them as much as my arms since I have issues w/ my right shoulder. I had the trainer map a 1 mile run for me nearby. I did the run in a little over 10 minutes, which is pretty good for me. There were some hills on the run so I felt challenged. The 100 hip extensions were tough because they get really tiring. I took many breaks. It took me about 7 minutes to finish them. I did the sit-ups in about 5.5 minutes & then finished my last mile run in about 10 minutes again. I didn’t feel winded or too tired from the WOD. I felt pretty good during the WOD & when I was done.

Crossfit Day 25

August 11, Thursday
Workout – I don’t think I slept much the night before because I was thinking of the WOD that V told me to do. I was super nervous today & asked the trainer about the WOD. He didn’t think it was a good idea since we’re doing deadlifts on Friday, but I still ended up doing it anyway. :-/

WOD – 7 Rounds 400m run, 29 Back Squats (45lb) for Time. My Results: 37:14 minutes.

It was a pretty tough WOD. The run was ok. I was doing it in about 3 minutes, and then finishing the 29 back squats within 5 minutes for the first 3 rounds, but then I started getting slower as I continued. The back squats weren’t as bad as I thought they would be but they do get tiring after doing 29 repetitions. By the 4th round, I was getting pretty tired, but I was halfway through & kept motivating myself to finish. D came on the last run w/ me to motivate me & she watched me as I did the last 29 back squats. It was a pretty tough WOD, but I’m glad I was able to push myself & finish.

Crossfit Day 23

August 9, Tuesday
Workout – Some days when I’m sitting in my cubicle for long periods of time & I get up, everything in my body cracks & creaks & it is stiff & sore. I have to constantly stretch my legs to get rid of the tightness, but it happens each time I get up. I think I need to walk away from my desk more often throughout the day. It’s been pretty busy lately so I get up less. I was hoping CF WODs would help but I guess nothing really helps if you’re sitting on your butt for 8-9 hours a day.

WOD –7 Rounds 300m Run, 15 Pull-Ups (blue & purple band), 15 Box Jumps for Time. My Results: 25:33 minutes.

We had the option to either run or row, but a fellow CFitter told me that running was better since rowing is arm intensive before you do pull-ups. I listened but I also did some math. My fastest rowing time for a 500m was 2:33 minutes, so ½ of that (250m) would be 1:15 minutes + a little more to make 300m. I figured I’m actually faster at running than I am at rowing, so I opted for running. My math was correct since I ran 300m in less than 1:20 minutes for the 1st round. I was behind this girl who is super fit & 21 yrs old & guy who is also pretty quick during the run, but I held my own. I was consistently behind the guy but still kept pace w/ him. Towards the 5th round, he was slightly behind. And by the time the 7th round came I was ahead by the run. I started my pull ups when he came in from the run. And I kept my focus to just finish w/ the box jumps. Sweat was flying everywhere in the gym. I was able to finish 1st in tonight’s class. The guy finished not far behind at 26:13 minutes. He did extremely well considering he did straight pull-ups unlike me. The super fit girl didn’t finish until about 30 minutes. But I have to give it to her, she only used the purple band & she’s probably the same size as I am, so her pull ups are much harder than what I did. I think I’m getting stronger, so I might try only the blue band next time to see how I’d do. I’ll keep decreasing the band size as I progress. I do feel pretty good that I am able to keep up w/ the classes even though there were moments on my run that I felt like puking (don’t worry, I usually don’t have anything in my stomach to puke at that point). We did 3x20 GHD sit-ups afterwards.

I chatted w/ the girl afterwards & told her I want her abs cuz hers look awesome. She said it’s due to eating clean. Nothing processed, she makes her own food & lots of protein. She’s been doing this since February & she looks fantastic. She orders protein online & she adds it into everything (i.e. omlettes, oatmeal, shakes, coffee, toast, etc). I might look into doing that but being Asian doesn’t help. Mom always gives me rice or noodles. I need better discipline & I really need to work on eating healthier. This being fit thing is so freaking hard.

Crossfit Day 20

August 3, Wednesday
Workout – I think I’m getting slightly sick. I’ve been getting the sniffles all day & have been blowing my nose. I hope it’s only because I’m allergic to the office & not because I’m actually getting sick. I’m nervous about today’s WOD. It sounds like it’s going to be a lot of running for me since I can’t do that many pull-ups. I’m already nervous & jittery. I think I’m all out of nervous poop so I need to replenish my energy supply w/ another homemade Larabar. What can I say, nervousness makes me poop!

WOD – 20 minute AMRAP – 400m Run, Max Reps Pull-Ups without coming off the bar My Results: 5 rounds (~1.25 miles) + 79 pull-ups (blue & purple band). Finisher: Side Planks – 2 min on each side.

For our WOD, we’d have to run 400m, & then come inside to do as many pull-ups as we possibly can, then keep doing rounds of that. If there’s a minute left on the clock & you’ve finished your pull-ups, you’ll have to go back outside to run even though you won’t finish your run. The trainer told us someone had to hang on that bar for 30 seconds just so they don’t have to go back outside to run. It was slightly rainy outside & yucky, but we still did our run. I was able to keep a good pace w/ my run & not tire myself out on the uphill. I kept my breath steady the entire 5 rounds of running, which was great. On my 1st round of pull-ups, I wanted to get a strong number & I was able to do 24. I wanted 25 but my arms wouldn’t cooperate. The 2nd, 3rd, & 4th round numbers went down to 15, 14, & 12. The last round I had 1 minute left on the clock to do my pull-ups. I did 12 & was exhausted & there was 20 seconds left on the clock. The trainer told me to hang on, so I did, but I also tried for a few more pull-ups & was able to do 2 more. I wanted to do 15 but my arms did not function after that, so 14 it was. I finished w/ 79 pull-ups which was the highest number in the class (other classes had higher numbers). I was still excited I was able to push myself. Every day is an accomplishment for me since it is constantly challenging me physically & mentally. I have to motivation to keep pushing forward & trying to do my best, my fastest, my hardest. I guess that is the CF culture to want to do your best.

Crossfit Day 17

July 29, Friday
Workout – I feel pretty good today. They were still doing Benchmark WODs, so I did another WOD that Pat (the trainer) made up. It sounded pretty intense but I figured it was either that or practice something else, so I did the WOD.

WOD –1000m row, 40 Hand-Release Push-Ups, 60 Jump Squats, 30 Kettlebell Swings (35lb), 400m run for Time. My Results: 15:00 minutes.

I did the row in a little over 5 minutes, which was faster than I thought I’d do. I thought I would be extremely tired from it since we did the 500m row on Wednesday & I was huffing & puffing. But I also did that after the “Helen” WOD which was really exhausting. The hand-release push-ups weren’t too bad. This was the first time I did the jump squats. They do take a lot out of you since you have to end the squat w/ a jump, but I took little breaks in between & was able to finish them. I had more control of the kettlebell swing this time around & I was able to do them more consistently. And finally the 400m run. I’m at my most tired & I have to go outside to do the run. It was hot & humid outside & it started to rain when I was halfway through the run. The rain actually revived me & kept me going. Afterwards, I practiced toes to bars. I think I’m getting better at it, but I still need more work getting my toes completely to the top of the bar. It was a hard WOD, but I’m glad I’m continually challenging myself. I don’t think my body will ever get use to this, but I think that’s the whole point of Crossfit.