Dirty 30 & Bring a Buddy Day

Liz, Kacey and I trained with Max today at 4:30.

We started with box squats 4 x 10 @ 50kg, then push press 4 x 10 @ 45#.  The 1st set of push press was light and easy, but by the last set 45# seemed heavy.  My shoulders were definitely fatigued.  The box squats felt pretty good.  I was a little slow coming out of them, but I always am.  That has always been a weakness of mine.  I enjoyed taking the time to work on form with the box at a reasonable weight though.

After the strength stuff we did,

“Unbroken” Dirty 30 for time:

30 box jumps

30 jumping pull-ups

30 kettlebell swings (1 pood)

30 walking lunges

30 knees to elbows

30 push press

30 wall balls

30 burpees

30 double unders

We could go in any order we wanted as long as we completed all 30 reps of one movement before moving on to the next.  If we weren’t able to do all 30 reps of each movement unbroken we had to yell out, “break” every time we rested.  Max tallied our breaks and surprised us with a penalty at the end.  I finished with 6 breaks.  The penalty was tabata row.  My score for the workout was 16:45 and my tabata row scores were:

90,91,89,91,89,86

Then, I rested for about an hour until the 7pm class.  Tonight was “Bring a Buddy” night.  I initially stayed to help Chris coach as we had an awesome turnout of about 30 people total for the class.  However, there were not enough people to divide into teams of 3 so I ended up doing the workout instead of coaching.

AMRAP in 12 minutes:

P1- 250m row

P2- accumulates burpees

P3- accumulates sit-ups

Rotate through after every 250m.  Score is total burpees and sit-ups as a group.  My group finished at 377.

As much as I wasn’t excited to do another workout, it was fun and I love seeing new people experience CrossFit for the first time.  This was our first attempt at our new bi-weekly “bring a buddy” workouts and I think it was definitely a success!

Training to the Max

Liz and I started training with Max again today!

Bar warm-up: 2 rounds of 10 x deadlift, rdl, muscle clean, front squat, press, carry (any position across the parking lot and back twice)

5 x 3 deadlift working up to about 80% of 1Rm

5 Rounds:

5 band-resisted sumo deadlifts

10 planche push-ups

30 second hand stand hold

3 Rounds:

10 straight-leg kipping chest-t0-bar chin-ups with band

20 dips on parallettes

30? second L-hang

The Pink Bra Tour

Chris and I just got back from a 5 day trip to NYC and Boston.  Traveling is one of my favorite things to do so I’m always up for a trip no matter where or when.  The hard part is always getting back into my routine when I return home.

Our trip was a work gig for Chris.  Barbells 4 Boobs invited him to shoot video at the final 2 stops on their cross country Pink Bra Tour in NYC and Boston.  I jumped at the opportunity to tag along to these two great cities.  I was selfishly excited about wandering the cities with my husband, eating and drinking and sleeping in comfy hotel beds!  Little did I know that the time we spent with the Barbells 4 Boobs crew “working” would be the most memorable part of the trip.

Saturday we woke up to rain which quickly turned into snow.  CrossFit Long Island City hosted the event at a really cool location down the street from their box, outside on a pier overlooking the East River.  It was very inspiring to see all of the dedicated athletes who showed up to do “Grace” in the snow and support our cause.

We got to spend time with Elizabeth Akinwale, a phenomenal athlete  and amazing person who finished 13th in the 2011 CrossFit Games.  I can’t wait to watch her compete next year!

We also got to watch Iceland Annie up close and personal do “Grace” at CrossFit New England.  There were a handful of other Games athletes there as well.

Two of the most impressive athletic performances came from two “kids” from Texas.  19-year-old Tony did “Grace” in 1:03!!!  Tyler, who has a prosthetic leg, wowed us with a time faster than many.  Again, two amazing athletes with huge hearts.  I could go on and on about each individual that I met over the weekend.  It was a really great experience with some very cool people.

Thursday, November 3, 2011:

I opted to workout with Chris at 4 rather than do the group class.  We did a 12 minute kettlebell complex warm-up consisting of around-the-worlds, figure-8, 1-arm snatches and step-ups without putting the kb down for the entire 12 minutes.  Then we did,

4 Rounds:

10 deadlifts at 50% of 1 RM (I just did 100#, a little less than 50%)

5 bent over rows @ 75# for me

30 second dead hang

My forearms were so pumped at the end of the workout!  My grip was shot, too.  I don’t think my arms would have lasted another round.

Friday, November 4, 2011:

4pm group class.

5 Rounds:

6 cleans @ 95#

12 box jumps

400 m run

My time was 24:46. The cleans were tough!  I was pretty slow, but I  was proud of myself for doing Rx and for not failing on any of my reps.

It’s impossible to stick to a “diet” while traveling.  The best part about traveling is the eating!  

OC Throwdown Qualifiers

I’m just starting to get back into my regular routine again.  Last week I was sick and we’ve been traveling so my workouts have been pretty inconsistent.  I did the 1st OC Throwdown qualifier workout on Friday at LC Valley CrossFit while we were on a trip back home to Idaho for a wedding.

OC Throwdown Qualifier #1:

AMRAP in 10 minutes- 75 double-unders, 50 box-jumps, 25 shoulders to overhead (any way) @ 70#

My score was 251.  This puts me in 161st place out of about 300 female competitors at this point.

I did the 2nd qualifier today with the regular group class at CFCM at 4pm.

OC Throwdown Qualifier #2:

15 Cleans @ 105#

30 Pull-ups

12 Cleans

25 Pull-ups

9 Cleans

18 Pull-ups

I knew this was going to be really heavy for me.  I can power clean 105 easily, but for some reason I always get “buried” at the bottom of a squat clean.  I think I get a little too low and then I have trouble standing it up.  Squats of any kind have never been my strength.  My goal was just to at least get a few cleans at 105#.  There was no option to scale so I’m hoping there will be plenty of women who are not able to get any reps at that weight and that will at least put me ahead of those people.  There was a 20 minute time cap on this workout.  I was able to complete 15 cleans and 26 pull-ups.  I got really frustrated as I missed several reps and it took almost 15 minutes just to get my 15 cleans.  I appreciated the encouragement Bobbie and Lindsay provided as I chipped away at each rep slowly, but surely.  I think I was a little embarrassed that it was as hard for me as it was.  I felt like I was fighting back tears and getting really angry and frustrated with myself.  We’ll see where I stand when the scores and rankings are posted on Sunday night.  I’m a little disappointed that there is a qualifying process for this event because the reality is, I may not make it.  I was really looking forward to competing in January, but I may have to set my sights on another competition.  If I understand it correctly, they are only taking the top 25 for the “elite” category and then the next 75 as “advanced.” There will not be an “intermediate” division.

Rx

Today’s Workout:

30 Cleans

30 Shoulders to Overhead

30 Back Squats

I can’t remember the last time I felt like giving up in the middle of a workout, but today was one of those days.  I got that ball in my throat and teary-eyed about half way through.  Rx weight for women was 95#.  I noticed that all of the ladies from earlier in the day subbed down, many going significantly lighter than 95#.  Initially, I wanted to sub down, too, but after just blogging earlier today about setting the bar high, I knew that I had to do it Rx, because I could.  I knew it was going to be very difficult, but I also knew I was capable of doing it.  Sometimes you just have to set your ego aside and accept that you might be the last one to finish.  Sometimes you have to swallow your pride and stop comparing yourself to others.

I finished in 19:48 with shaky legs and a bruised chest.  I was the last one to finish in the 4pm class.  Obviously I would have liked to have done it faster, but I did the best that I could and that has to be good enough.  Next time I’ll do better.  

Setting the Bar

Wednesday, October 12, 2011:  2k Row, then-

4×10 each side dumbbell 1-arm press, 30 sec. pillar

4×10 each side 1-arm bent-over row, 30 sec. oblique pillar each side

Score= 2k Row

My row was 8:16.  Definitely not my best, but certainly not my worst.  When I first started CrossFit at home before I joined the gym we had a rowing machine and little else so I rowed a lot.  My first 2k time was somewhere around the 10 minute mark so I’ve come a long way.  My PR is 8:12, my goal is to get sub 8 minutes.  Chris and I have talked a lot about how when the bar is set too low you settle for a time or score that may not be as good as you’re capable of.  The women’s Firebreather score for a 2k row at CFCM is sub 8:30.  My friend Danielle who lives in Phoenix and works out at CrossFit Forever Strong did her first 2k row for time a few weeks ago.  She’s been CrossFitting for about 7 months.  My advice to her was to shoot for sub 8 minutes.  I honestly did not expect her to get that time, but I wanted to set the bar higher and see how hard she was willing to push to get there.  She finished in 7:38.  I have to admit, I was jealous, but very proud of her.  I also think that if I and her coach had told her that sub 9 minutes was a good score, she probably would not have finished at 7:38.  If someone told you that a 10 minute mile run was “good,” then why would you push yourself to run it in 6 minutes?  Sometimes our efforts at the gym are more mental than physical.  Think about that the next time you go for a new PR.  Give it your honest best rather than pacing it and finishing in a time that someone told you was good “enough.”

Thursday, October 13, 2011: Active Rest/Recovery Day.  Liz, Rebecca & I went Stand-Up Paddle Boarding for about an hour in the Back Bay.  Chris and I have 2 boards so if anyone ever wants to go out, just let me know.

Friday, October 14, 2011:

Warm-up- 5 minutes of agility drills, 5 minute prowler push (with 70# of plates)

WOD- 25 burpees, 50 pull-ups, 100 sit-ups, 150 transverse twists (75 each side) for time.

My score: 18:06Rx  The pull-ups really slowed me down on this one.  I still can’t string more than about 2 together so I’m constantly jumping on and off the bar.

Saturday, October 15, 2011: Barbell complex warm-up x 3

WOD- 10! (10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1) for time

Clean Thruster

Forward Bound

1-Arm Snatch

Rx weight for the clean thruster was 95# for women.  I did it at 63#.  Anything heavier would have been crushing.  I could have gone heavier, but I would have been there all day.  I did 26# kettebell 1-arm snatches.  My time was 22:45.  This was a very difficult workout.  I liked it, but it was tough!

Sunday, October 16, 2011: Rest Day

I registered for the OC Throwdown last week.  The event is in January, but there are 3 qualifier workouts that have to be completed this month.  The first was announced yesterday:

10 minute AMRAP:

75 double-unders

50 box jumps

25 shoulders to overhead @ 70#

I’ll probably do it on Thursday of this week and plan to get a group together at the gym to do it with me.  Scores have to be submitted by Sunday night.

CrossFit Total

After a long weekend of indulgences for Chris’ birthday, I’m back in the gym and back on track with my diet.  The 30 day “Max” Diet challenge officially ended on Sunday, but we’ve all decided to stick with it.  We’re going back to week 1 where red meat is allowed and cheat days are “anything goes.”

Yesterday’s workout:

100 double unders

21-15-9 Chest to Bar pull-ups and box jumps

100 double unders

My score: 15:36

Today’s workout:  CrossFit Total (1 Rep Max Back Squat, Press & Deadlift)

Seeing this workout on the board always bums me out.  I’ve had too many poor performances in the past and I always feel like I “should” be able to lift more than I can.  I’m especially disappointed in my back squat numbers.  I did get a PR tonight on my back squat of 132, but that’s not saying much.  I’m not sure what it is about this lift, but it is definitely one of my weakest.  I only got 78 on my press today.  Last week I got 83, so I’m not sure what’s up with that.  Ending on a positive note, I PR’d my deadlift by about 10# and got 223#.

I registered for my first official/legitimate/not just for fun CrossFit competition today!  I’ve been telling myself (and others to keep me accountable) that I’d compete in the OC Throwdown this year.  I’m actually really nervous, especially now that I know that there is a qualifying process.  Starting next week there will be 3 workouts announced for 3 consecutive weeks.  Scores will be submitted and then the top 25 women will be placed in the elite division and the next 75 will be advanced.  Yikes!  I hope I make the cut.

Food:  I had some delicious poached eggs for breakfast this morning thanks to Chris and then I made a big pot of  Tom Kha Gai Soup that should last for a couple days.  I also prepared some ground turkey for taco salads.  Speaking of food, Linds said something during onboarding yesterday that I really loved.  ”Some people just eat to live, but we live to eat!”  It’s so true!  Being a foodie and being on a “diet” sure can be challenging sometimes!

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Workout @ 4pm with Liz & Max

800m run, active warm-up

1-1-1-1-1-1… rack split jerk

Not sure on the progression, Max just kept loading up the bar.  I finished at 58kg (127.6 lbs).

Then,

3 rounds:

1 min. plank

1 min. “lay between 2 benches with 35# plate then 35# + 25# plate on stomach” *See photo.  I have no idea what this is actually called.

30 second oblique plank right

30 second oblique plank left

I felt so much better today!  My hamstrings were/are super sore, but mentally and emotionally I was back to normal.  Rest day tomorrow!

Happy Birthday To Me!

I know everyone has days like this, it’s just too bad that my “bad” day happened to be my day of birth. Which, by the way, I found out today is the most common birthday of the year. Poor me!

I was complaining and making excuses during this entire workout. I think the truth is, I was just in a funk and didn’t want to workout, but knew I should anyway. Looking back, I’m happy with my row. Especially when I checked the board and realized that my first 1k was faster than any other girls’ for the whole day!

I loved today’s workout! Liz and I trained with Max at 4pm. It’s been awhile since we’ve worked with Max and I forgot how much fun it can be.