Today we tackled Helen, and I beat her down! Beat my old PR by over 3 minutes!
"Helen"
3 rounds for time: 400m run 21 kettlebell swings (24kg/16kg) 12 pullups
Results: 13:09
Runs were decent - it helped that I was at the back of the pack chasing a bunch of really fast people. Made me feel like I was going slow and couldn't slack off.
Swings were excellent -- all unbroken. Only thing I could change here would be to rest less, grab the bell and start swinging faster after completing the run.
Pullups were great. Even though I only got one set of 5, I was still putting at least 2 or 3 together, and only did a couple singles. Today I also instituted a new practice of mounting the bar by jumping from the ground. I feel like I use climbing up on the box as a way to waste time. Since I'm definitely tall enough to jump up to the bar, that is how I'll be getting up there from now on. I also think it helps my grip to grab with both hands at once, instead of one hand at a time like I do when I use the box.
Overall I'm really happy with this WOD!
-- One other note about goals -- I can check off the "1 unassisted ring dip" as well! After coaching the 0830 class, I was just messing around on the rings and did an unassisted dip! Hollah!
-- Also, tonight I wore my new shoes. Nike Lunar Trainers.
I got these as a shoe to wear when I run long distances, and as a transition shoe between the super-stabilizing shoes I wore previously, and my super-low-support shoes I have been wearing in the last few weeks.
To illustrate:
Nike Air Structure Triax
Equivalent of my New Balance shoes:
Enough talk about shoes -- time for a shower and a dinner date with my husband! :)
Monday morning my regularly scheduled life was interrupted by some kind of stomach bug or food poisoning. EWWWWW.
No stomach pains or other "issues" on Tuesday, but I was just "blah" and husband was away for work stuff, so I ended up skipping that day too.
As of today everything is back to normal, except I feel funky due to eating toast and peanut butter while I was sick. I just couldn't really think of anything else to eat. Other than bananas and applesauce. I am thanking God I didn't throw up, because I hate throwing up.
I am not sure where to "restart" with my PTP, because I am leaving Friday AM to go out of town for the weekend. The one bad thing about working on deadlifts is that you can't really do it "on the go"...
I have a trainer's meeting tonight -- I could arrive early for that and get my deadlifting in them... we shall see...
-- Since I was feeling unsure about how to continue my PTP program, I went ahead and attended the 0830 WOD at my box. It was a tabata day. We did bottom-to-bottom squats, pushups, double unders and situps.
My only "victory" today was the double unders. Everything else was crappy.
For squats, I think I just wasn't focusing? Instead of moving through the pain and cramping, I just let it cripple me and stop me from moving. Good practice for my cert (holy crap it's in 10 days!). Hoping I can get 3-4 more practice sessions of bottom-to-bottom before then.
And what the heck was up with my situps? Total crap. Pushups were passable.
In any case, I'm just glad my ass was back in the gym. I was feeling very de-motivated yesterday, and it worried me.
-- This video is freaking cool. I love Oly lifting. It was posted by Ultimate CrossFit.
-- If this could be my dad too, I would be sooooooooo happy and thankful. Unfortunately he has no interest in quitting smoking. And it's not even like he is married to someone who smokes and that's what's stopping him. It's the other way around -- my mom has had to put boundaries on where he's allowed to smoke to try to protect herself. No more smoking in the house at all (he used to smoke in his office), no more smoking in the car when she's riding with him.
*sigh* I hate that he smokes, and that he has watched both of his parents (smokers) and one brother (smoker) die of cancer, and he is currently watching another sister (smoker) fight cancer. How does that not get through to you? And the man is obsessive about taking vitamins for prostate health, because prostate cancer runs in the family -- but why can't he come to terms with the fact that quitting smoking is the single most powerful preventative measure that he could take? So frustrating.
OK, sorry, I was just gonna post the link, but then I had to rant. This is something the really, really bothers me. I don't want to watch my nieces and nephews, or my own children if/when I have them, watch their grandfather die of cancer like I had to watch my grandfather die of cancer. It is fucking horrible.
-- I've finished my first re-read of the Level I cert "manual". If you're curious, here's the link. It's basically a compendium of many of the early issues of the CrossFit journal, the Level II study materials (points of performance and fault correction for 9 foundational movements) and a few articles about rhabdo/safety. It's excellent in my opinion! What a great resource. The early version that one of our coaches sent me did not include everything, so today I will do my first read-through on the new additions, and then I'll be ready for a final re-read of it all next week sometime.
One note on content though -- there is a section on Zone. That is not my thing, so I hope there aren't too many questions on that. I should really make it a point to memorize the carb-fat-protein percentages though, just in case... With my crazy history of disordered eating, the last thing I need to do is weigh and measure. I'm in the food quality camp all the way baby. :)
I am good at taking tests, and the exam at the end of the certification seminar will only be 50 questions, but I am really nervous! Maybe it's just because I haven't taken a test in so long. I also wish there were some practice questions to try out so I could get a feel for the testing format. I will report back here afterwards, and hopefully that will help others who might be nervous. :)
-- I have been thinking a lot about where I go after my Level I... I read an "affiliate snapshot" on the affiliate blog (which of course I can't find now...), and the interviewee talked about sticking with the basics. There are so many different "extra" certifications that sound really interesting. Endurance, rowing, Olympic weightlifting, kettlebells, gymnastics, mobility. While it would be amazing to be able to bring specialized knowledge back to my home affiliate, what I really need to focus on is just becoming a coach. Figuring out my own style, learning to manage a class efficiently, finding that sweet spot between correction and encouragement, learning how to get the very best out of each athlete in my class.
So with that in mind, the only additional training I'm even considering is the Coaches Prep Course or the Level II Course. I'm intrigued by the prep course, but I'd like to see how the Level I testing shakes out, and how that will impact Level II stuff before I invest any more money.
And of course I'm going to be busy enough with doing the ISSA personal trainer course as well as a few aquatics courses locally. Those two are mainly meant to give me a better chance of getting a paying job at either the local rec center or the base gym, though I'd love to just do CrossFit.
I highly recommend starting the PTP program on the 1st day of the month. It makes it easy when the date and the day of the program are synched up. :-D
No time to blog yesterday, I was running all over the place.
I was working with a milspouse friend at the base gym on CrossFit basics, so I did my deadlift and press there. I actually had a conversation with the on-base firemen about kipping pullups, which I was doing during my warm up on one of the squat racks. They are kind of attention grabbing in a "regular" gym. Of course I took a moment to try to sell CrossFit, we'll see what comes of it. :) I also had a fun conversation with a 65-year-old guy who competes in bench press competitions -- it's some variant of powerlifting where you can compete in a single event. He was cool, and I might swing back to the base gym next week to get some pointers from him and his lifting partner.
At our box we sign up for 5Ks and running events, but to keep it inclusive, I think we need to branch out and see if we can participate in things like powerlifting meets or Olympic weightlifting meets. One of my best friends at the box Allie is still working on her body comp, so her running is still really slow. But she out-lifts the rest of the ladies in the box by 30, 40, 50 pounds. A big part of me just wants to put her in the spotlight and let her beat us all soundly. :) She totally deserves it because she works her ass off, and never gets upset or frustrated, just keeps on plugging away.
Hopefully I will be posting more about that idea soon!
Anyway, back to the PTP stuff.
PTP Day 5:
Deadlift: 115, 105
Press: 55, 50
I really did intend to hit the track after that, but the posted WOD for the box was Fight Gone Bad, and I felt bad about skipping a chance to perform a benchmark WOD that I've never done.
So I went to the box and did Fight Gone Bad. I'll make up those sprints soon, though.
Here's the breakdown for my FGB, though I know no one cares about the rep breakdown other than me. :)
At first I felt good about those numbers, but after we all finished, I realized that I was in 3rd place, and had only been beaten by 4 and 7 reps. WTF???? Makes me think to myself I could've pushed out a few more reps here and there if I had know I could've pumped out the highest female score at my box.
So, as far as I'm concerned, Fight Gone Bad and I have a rematch sometime SOON.
-- This morning I coached the 0930 class, and we did "Team Cindy". In pairs, only one partner works at a time, and whole rounds must be completed before switching off.
There was some debate before we started about how much "waiting around" would have to be done, but I enjoyed doing the WOD that way. I think it is a perfect way to prep to do Cindy, which I would like to do sometime soon (afterall, it is in my 1st quarter goals). By having a break while your partner works, you can not only cheer them on, you can also move a lot faster each time it's your turn.
I starting losing my pushups on about the 5th of 6th round that I completed... That sucked. But I'm happy to say that I only had 1 really awful round for pullups. I pretty much was able to complete 5 in a row on 6 or 7 of the 9 total rounds that I did. Being able to do pullups is freaking wonderful. Now to get those dead hangs...
Squats were cake, makes me happy I've been working on them a lot. :-D
-- In two weeks I will be at my cert -- yikes! I need to re-read the study guide. I wish they provided some practice questions or something, I just feel like I don't know what to concentrate on since there are about 90 pages of material!
I also need to visit a copy shop and have them print and bind it for me, with extra pages added for notes. They provide some notes areas in the PDF file, but not enough for me.
"Eating without regards to hunger, satiety and fullness, eating just because you can without regard to a block prescription, is a recipe for disaster."
"What is working for me may not work for everyone, which is why I love the expression Your Mileage May Vary. It is so wonderfully vague! What that means is that Paleo has no rules. Paleo is indeed very freeing. It forces introspection, experimentation and adaptation. Goals factor into what constitutes YOUR perfect Paleo."
Working hard to find MY perfect Paleo. It has been a challenge so far, but I know it will make a huge difference in the rest of my life once I figure it out.
-- I am dying to sign up for a CrossFit Endurance certification, and I just saw an announcement about one in my local area... Now to talk to husband about spending yet more $$$ on my CrossFit stuff...
This new urge probably has a lot to do with the fact that I'm thinking about signing up for an Olympic distance triathlon sometime this summer or fall. Olympic (or intermediate) is the next step up from sprint distance -- 1.5 km (~1 mi) swim, 40 km (~25 mi) bike, 10 km (~6 mi) run. Instead of spending money on a cert, I probably should spend it on a bike with a frame that actually fits me.
My biggest reason for trying the next "level" is that I want to swim longer. My 2005 sprint tri I swam for 13:47, and in 2007 I swam for 18:43. I need more time in the water, cause that's where I kick ass. :-D
PS - I did the Philly Women's Triathlon (sprint distance) twice. It rocked. Hence I'm leaning towards the fall tri because it's a women-only event.
PS2 - Why Swimming is Different from CF Journal. I'm so excited to be getting back into swimming. Can't wait to see how my upper-body strength gains will translate in the pool.
-- Did some searching and found a bit of information about the accreditation process that is underway for CrossFit certifications. The biggest impact it has on the community is the introduction of a 50 question test as part of Level I. There's a study guide linked from the FilFest page, which I have read -- it is an awesome compilation of some of the best CF Journal articles.
Wow, I have a feeling my blog post titles are going to be really boring for the next few weeks. :-p
I decided that I don't want to completely "tune out" from the programming at my "home" box while I'm working on PTP, so I will incorporate metcons where I can. Like today I did the daily WOD for my cash out, instead of 5-5-5-3-3-3 back squat as prescribed by PTP.
PTP Day 3:
Deadlift: 5 reps @ 120, 110
Press: 5 reps @ 60, 50
CF Camden WOD:
5 rounds for time
20 box jumps, 20"
20 situps
150m sprint
Results: 13:3? -- something like that :)
I also participated in two team WODs after our trainer development meeting tonight. Sprinting 150m with a sledgehammer, and then completing 100 reps of DUs, squats, K2E's and pushups as a team. And oh yeah, one team member had to hold a handstand while 2 others were working. Mandy is a slave driver! :-p
Let me just say that I have really earned my rest day tomorrow after all that. They only thing I want to do is tabata squats -- maybe. We shall see. :)
Wow, I was freaking sluggish on the cash out. I seriously considered doing only 3 rounds, but forced myself to do all 5. My left shoulder still feels weird with some movements, and the left arm snatches did not feel very good for some of the reps. My elbows feel a bit "crunchy" too, today.
Tomorrow will be my 4th day on... this should be interesting...
Yep, I tried this back in January, and didn't carry through with it. I probably should have tried to get a partner to do it with me, so there was extra motivation to continue with it... Though I do have some virtual partner motivation, since 21st Century Amazon is also doing PTP right now.
Day 1:
Deadlift: 5 reps at 110 and 105 (was supposed to be 100, but I screwed up my plates)
Press: 5 reps at 50 and 45 (yay starting from new 1RM of 85 on press)
Cash-out: 3rds, 30 DUs, 15 K2Es -- 11:45
Some thoughts, as usual.
Keeping my shoulders relaxed at the start of a K2E, when I'm just hanging from the bar, helps A LOT. I am kipping / swinging a bit to start the motion, but to make up for that I am making sure to engage my shoulders and really get up into a good final position before coming back down. I need to take some more video to make sure my back is getting close to parallel to the ground.
I would've done the cash out faster if I didn't have to pee in the middle of my 2nd set of DU's.
Press felt soooooo easy. Deadlift too. I think sticking to this program will be an exercise in patience, and will also teach me a lot about working with future clients who want to get stronger. Since one of my interests is training the older crowd, I think first-hand experience in a gradual strength-building progression will be invaluable. For someone who is older and worried about losing strength, strength gains seem like they would trump metcon / aerobic conditioning in importance.
