27.4.11

The Power of a Positive Attitude

CrossFit Games Open 11.6

7:00 AMRAP @ 12+2
60 pound Thruster, 3 reps
3 Chest to bar Pull-ups
100 pound Thruster, 6 reps
6 Chest to bar Pull-ups
100 pound Thruster, 9 reps
9 Chest to bar Pull-ups
100 pound Thruster, 12 reps
12 Chest to bar Pull-ups
100 pound Thruster, 15 reps
15 Chest to bar Pull-ups
100 pound Thruster, 18 reps
18 Chest to bar Pull-ups
100 pound Thruster, 21 reps
21 Chest to bar Pull-ups…

My ego wanted to RX, but I ditched the witch and scaled down to 60# thrusters and regular chin-to-bar pullups. (…I felt bad for the 7pm gang due to the :10 sticking-out-tongue-sass squat penalty I caused! Sorry guys, I love you!)

Coach wrote a good article today about having a positive attitude and how it affects others. I admit that I get angry at the bar, rower, box, etc to get myself going … but I also realise that it’s not necessarily considerate of others - so I am committed to and am working on a new way to challenge myself without challenging others' nerves ;) I also didn't want to scare off my first-timer friend.

... luckily, she said she loved it and wants to join our merry community. Schweet! Yay!

I'm finding that by getting myself more involved and bringing friends along, (even at the minimal levels I am now with volunteering and reading), it reinforces better habits. Its been a slow start, but I'm a work in progress - improvement requires change in other areas than just fitness performance. I've found other ways to get motivated and I haven't been as sad about not having a climb this year (among other things).

Anyhoo, I heard this report and had to laugh...

http://radio.foxnews.com/2011/04/21/radio-buzz-cursing-cures-pain-new-terror-alert-system/

sleep: 6
health: 9
stress: 7.5 (sorry, i still have my hate on for the prof)
recovery: 4 (DOMs!)
mental energy: 6-7
physical energy: 6 (see below)
diet: 6 (solid paleo, but not enough calories... putting good weight on is going to be work!)

24.4.11

Apparently, my ego has no bounds.

Tery 8-7-2010 7-35-15bWOD @ 8:13 

50 Double-Unders
10 Power Cleans (110#)
40 Double-Unders
8 Power Cleans
30 Double-Unders
6 Power Cleans
20 Double-Unders
4 Power Cleans
10 Double-Unders
2 Power Cleans

Didn’t do a post until I got home - there was vinyasa and a 2k job with doggy, though. We love the forest and all the little animals.

IMG_1344Ok. This prioritisation process is v-tough. I just need to stick. I'm avoiding the decisions I know I need to make. Slagging off and complaining is easier but not getting me anywhere... and it’s messing up my head. I keep saying I’ve made a decision, but then I oscillate. At my age, it shouldn’t be so tough and it’s not like I don’t know how to pick my battles or know where this is all going.

I need to choose between school and climbing.

In the timeframe I have left, it is unrealistic for me to simultaneously pursue a med degree, do charity work, train for/go on expeditions, and maintain a healthy relationship with Matt. My last relationship should have been my lesson, but noooo ... my ego just won’t let go.  I want to bite off more than what I can realistically chew.

20100109I’ve never given up on anything. Anything. I set my sights on something, I plan, I mobilise, then I go get it. I’m always successful.

I wanted to change my career ... do a 180. Sure! I won’t be as strong as I used to be, but as long as I can contribute on the mountain, I can still be up there, right?! Go from a very successful career in technology to a wilderness MD. No problem.

I wanted to help this charity get grant money while helping me gain med credibility with research. Sure! My assistants structured my life for me and I can make up for all my karmic debt. I can make time and I can deal with the egos. No problem.

I’m getting married again. Sure! Matt is awesome. He’ll support my choices. He can go off to special forces while I am in med school. Wedding? Oh that’s easy. I’ve been married before... no problem.

Sure, I can defer med school until next year so I can do other things. The instructors I’m doing research for won’t mind if I go get married, go climbing for weeks at a time, do charity work too... No problem.

I’m Tery. My ego knows no bounds. I can do anything. It’s not like I’m not smart enough or don’t have a good work ethic. I can have it all.

OMG, I’m so full of crap.

OK.  I'm done ranting and complaining. Time to grow a pair and let go. 
Sleep: 7
Stress: 8.5
Diet: 3
Health: 8.5
Strength: 65%
Mental Energy: 4
Physical Energy: 8

22.4.11

rain + bags + steps

rain + bags + steps = broken cell phone :(

19.4.11

BEST. CHIPPER. EVER.

Tery 6-7-2010 11-54-54As I get my head back into it, I reflect on the why’s and the how’s. Rudy, AKA “Jedi Mind Trick Coach”, asked me what my general analysis was of my time management. Without going into detail, I sent a few bullet points. Now, there is a reason why I call him “Jedi Mind Trick Coach”... instead of replying with a few suggestions as I expected, he asked me what my next steps were.

Best way to mess with someone who likes to analyse and study things is to ask them an open question... ‘nuff said.

I guess I’m talking about all this because the training plan process that I’m going through with Rudy coaching me along is like a chipper. It’s not like I’m doing anything really new, but more about how I can do things better. I’m learning to do things for myself... I’m learning to keep things simple... and I’m learning to plan more efficient training so that I can keep climbing while I’m in school and after menopause.

I guess my next steps will be to (1) deal with the bullet points, then (2) define the 2 measurements he suggested: Heavy and Long (more about this later)

What I like about Rudy and Bryce’s coaching is that that they force me to keep things simple, disciplined, and focused. Truth be told, I won’t struggle with movement integrity as much as I’ll struggle with the former ... and that is why I love crossfit and the coaches at CFC. Matt says I’m a bunny because I just hop-hop-hop along in life without a care in the world. He may be right, but perhaps not for long.


So yesterday ...

Skill: Front Squat 3×3

Jessica, AKA “The Blond Fury”, and I agreed to take it easier (1) because we wanted to save something for the chipper and (2) because we didn’t have time to change shoes.

Having blathered that, we checked our egos and focused on quality over quantity. I don’t remember how heavy we worked up to (65-75-85#?), but it was all nice and solid. Worked the elbows, good knee tracking, and stable heels.

Unlike the skill work, the WOD was a little ... messier ...

Chipper for time @ 32:48?
100 Air Squats
90 Box Jumps (16”)
80 Sit-ups
70 Wall Balls (10#)
60 Kettlebell Swings (1 pood)
50 Push-ups (on knees)
40 Pull-ups
30 Burpees
20 Toes-to-Bar
10 Handstand Push-ups (2 mats) 

I suffered a bit but this was GREAT because this is my kind of workout. Set a pace, stay on it, and chip away at it until it’s done. Broke the air squats into 30’s and was pleased I could keep hitting depth. Box jumps started out bad as my quads rebelled, but then I got into a groove and strung 5-10 at a time. My ego wanted me to go unbroken, but my brain said to leave something for the wall balls. Had to fight for unbroken situps and got annoyed when my body rebelled against the WBs on the last 10-15 reps. Checked my ego again and did steady pushups on knees (10’s and 5’s), but I got frustrated during the pullups because my grip and lats just fell apart. Burpees and TTB were slow, but steady. Good news is that I only fell on my head only once during the HSPUs. Overall, it was very fun, but it’s frustrating when your body just won’t do what you tell it to!

Observation. I can remember play-by-play during chippers like this, but I suddenly have alzheimers during those short, sprinty WODs! Oh well. It’s all good and I was happy to get my “GRRR!” on.

BEST. CHIPPER. EVER.

Seriously, it was inspired. Bryce is sadistic, but he’s a genius. This torture session MUST have been of his doing because it seemed rather tall-people oriented (just sayin’). But no name? Personally, I thought it was epic and deserves one. So here are a few that might come to mind:

"Bryce" ... obviously
"Ultimate Failure" ... does this really need explanation?! ... really?!
"Lava Ladder" ... steady flow that burns the heck out of everything in it’s path.
"Anxiety Attack" ... because this is how you feel until you call time.


yesterday ...
  • Sleep: 7-9hrs?! wow!
  • Strength: 80%-ish
  • Mental energy: 8
  • Physical energy: 8
  • Diet: 6 ... this is annoying. I'm going to start logging today.
  • Health: a bit of cloggy lung... poo
  • Stress: 8 ... my professor is sadistic ... more like bastard sadistic instead of make-you-better Bryce kinda sadistic.
  • 15.4.11

    Kitty Yoga & Calendars

    20110413 (7)

    Actually, he’s not practising yoga, but his flexibility and strength is definitely being challenged by Matt! I might call this “Felinasana”!

    I dreamt of pullups last night and woke up with rather sore biceps. Perhaps it’s a sign to practise them more... so I’m going to do

    - 25 pullups,

    - 25 pushups,

    - 50 situps, and

    - 50 air squats

    every day no matter what.

    The numbers are low enough where I can bang them out without messing up my whole day if I plan to CF or do yoga later but enough reps where I can develop some level of proficiency. The goal here is that when I have to do high reps in a WOD, I can work towards going unbroken and start challenging myself.

    Having blathered all that, I don’t have a rower and am still pretty sore, so today I did the above and the primary series instead of CFC’s RX WOD.

    For now, 2-3x a week is OK, but not ideal (roughly CF’ing every 2 days). I’m working towards 3-4 a week (every other day). Eventually I’d like to be able to train 3on-1off ... which is where I need to be for the expedition.

    So Coach had me log my activities from wake to bed because it appears that I need to get my schedule in order before laying out a training plan. I love and hate the fact that he can spot my weaknesses with such ease.

    Here it is (click the screenshot):

    calendar

    I looked at it ...  and yes, I lack structure. I do a lot of stuff. My days don’t seem to be very organized. Given how I have a mobile device that allows me to muck about with facebook, TXTs, IMs, and the internet, it also looks like I have too many distractions.

    I am Tery and I am addicted to my computer, my android, and all the stuff that comes with them... kinda like ice cream, bacon, cupcakes, and cheese ... in that order.

    When I’m supposed to be working on wedding stuff, I get a little facebook ping ... and then 2 hours whisk by. When I’m supposed to be studying or doing lab work ... I’ve got my blog, some other blog, or facebook up too.

    Productivity is a problem that could become my limiting factor in whatever fitness/training goal I try to set if I don’t deal with it now.

    Right. So I know I tend to analyse a lot, but I also have this niggling feeling that Rudy is giving me a Jedi-Mind-Trick hint ... in fact, I can almost hear his voice ... “get yo shit in order first, T!”.

    So the $200k question is: how the F*** do I do that? A little context...

    1. I no longer have a housekeeper ... and we’ve discovered that I am a LOUSY housekeeper. I really try and am committed to the lifestyle adjustment, but there’s a serious learning curve here, doing a good job isn’t easy, and boy it takes a LOT of time! Sometimes it’s a little embarassing to admit that I lived like this for many years, but I am grateful for a chance to improve my life in different ways. Work in progress.

    2. I no longer have assistants ... learning to manage my time efficiently without relying on someone else is REALLY HARD because you have to be self-disciplined (which I never really had to be). It’s not that I’m lazy, it’s just that I need to develop new habits and skills ... like #1.

    3. I get distracted easily ... with external things that pop up (like a phone call that turns into an hour, a facebook message that MUST be answered now, or the cat taking a crap on the laundry basket) ... or internal things that my INTJ head can’t let go of (like pontificating on my blog as I’m doing right now) ... other than getting an RX for Adderall or Concerta, I’m not sure what to do or how to deal with what could be some form of ADHD.

    4. Prioritising ... in business, I was great. I was decisive. I was the boss. I had a plan and could excute the crap outta anything. But now, it’s personal. Everything is important. I am now half of a whole. I’m 40+ years old and it’s like I’m starting all over again. I can’t do things the way I used to if I want to keep this marriage. I certainly need to figure out how to prioritse in such a way that everyone wins. This is going to be tough and I realise that some things will have to give.

    12.4.11

    I heart chippers and getting back into it!

    For Time @ 15:46 (20 min cap)

  • 40 Hang Power Cleans (75#)
  • 40 Box Jumps (16")
  • 40 Burpees
  • 40 Calories on C2
  • 20 Hang Power Cleans (75#)
  • 20 Box Jumps (16")
  • 20 Burpees
  • 20 Calories on C2

    doh! AWESOME WOD that beat me down and called me susan!

    i was chugging away until the 2nd round of burpees ... then BAM! dry heaves and started staring at the floor!

    then my ego got slapped when i saw jessica blast through and had 5 calories on me by the time my sorry butt finally hit the rower - wow! baby has not slowed THE FURY down! what a tough chase!

    I finally finished 2 calories behind and hit the deck!

    woo! this was a great lung burner - level 2 fun indeed!!!

  • Broke 1x on 1st round of HPC’s, then twice on 2nd round ... god, I love HPC and they felt good. just wish my body would keep up with my head!
  • Broke 2x on each round of the box jumps. we only have 24”er have at home, so 16” was a blessing!
  • Burpees felt ok in first round, but dry heaves hit on the 2nd round and I really found myself falling behind there

    My rowing has improved, but fatigue and inconsistent movement prevented me from pulling more efficiently - I found myself pulling 2x per calorie instead of 1-1.5 pulls per calorie. ANY rowing ability I have I owe to coaches Bryce, Ben, and Rudy, I was a TOTAL mess before they taught me what to do... trust me, anyone knows how embarrassing it was... in fact, almost as bad as how I used to run! (oh yeah, THAT bad! ha!)

    I’ve always enjoyed the mental challenge of chippers and I have to admit that bodyweight WODs are helping me build a little confidence because my strength definitely isn’t back yet. Partnering with Ali G has been great and it feels so good to get back into the box more and more.


    Overall, I’m starting to feel my head get there - little by little, bit by bit... just chipping away. Sometimes ya gotta let yourself hit rock bottom before you get your “GRR!” back on. I’ve still got 14 months until Denali and 6 months before the wedding, so I’m not kicking myself toooo hard just yet.

    Monday, 11 April

    Alison and I agreed to make this WOD up on Sunday so we can do it together. Unbroken pullups look really intimidating so we agreed to hold off. I worked on 10 deadhangs, did 50 situps, 50 TTB (the bar at home is easier to string, go figure!), ran 800m with the dog, and did 30 pushups. It’s not much and I didn’t time it, but I managed to do something given how sore I’ve been.

    Sunday, 10 April

    Really needed a day off, still sore and needed more calories. I’m clearly not eating enough.

    Saturday, 09 April

    Kinda sore from yoga! My hamstrings and arms are sore from all the inversions and bound bends. I went really deep on friday and managed to get into full posture expressions - balance and strength slowly coming back. yay!

    Friday, 08 April

    Ashtanga Yoga, Primary Series, 90min ... get ‘er done.

    Post yoga
    worked on Pullups, TTB, pushups, and situps. I think I'm going to do at least those since I can sneak off for a bit each day.



    so this week...

    Sleep: better, averaged 5-7hrs
    Strength: 80%-ish
    Mental energy: 8.5
    Physical energy: 8
    Stress: 7 ... I hate my professor and lab partners
    Diet: 5, not too naughty, but also not enough quality calories
    Health: cloggy lungs and see above

  • 8.4.11

    Makeup and Being Right

    i ruined my workout today by eating cookies and pizza ... i felt so sick afterwards ... and i have no one to blame but myself. i embarassed myself only able to do 2 legit deadhangs for coach yesterday when i thought i could do more... no prob pulling 4-6 kips, but deadhangs are the real test and i failed miserably. i also couldn't string more than 2 TTBs, which have always been one of my favorite movements ... REALLY?!

    i said i'd get off my ass march 1st ... and i did it haphazardly, if at all. working out 2-3 times a week is NOT enough to get back on the wagon.

    i need to come clean and call out my own BS.

    i look scrawny ... i probably lost most, if not all of the quality muscle weight i worked my ass off for this past year ... and i can grab a handful of flab that did not exist. seriously ... if i'm struggling to C&J a weight that i used to warm up with, then i SHOULD be embarrassed.

    with all that said...


    CrossFit Games Open 11.3 (Made up Thu 4/7)

    AMRAP 5 minutes @ 12 rounds

    Squat clean & Jerk @ 110 #

    http://beyondthewhiteboard.com/workout_sessions/1186815

    i question my squat depth on some of those reps, to be honest. i also did't feel like i was pushing as hard as i could ... i gamed it too slow (2 per min) and didn't really go for it until the last minute - which was too late. i had another 2-3 left in me and missed the train...! DORK!

    ok, i want to do this one again. clean & jerks are one of my favorite movements ad i am TRULY ashamed of how poorly i performed.


    coach said something to me yesterday that stuck ... well, actually, he's said it a few other times too ...

    "you overthink things. keep it simple."

    he's right... of course he's right... analysis paralysis mixed with laziness ... oh that's makes for a long road ahead ...

    so these are the things i'm to do over the next 5 days:

    - track what i do and how i've been managing my time from waking to going to bed

    - come up with monthly measurements for heavy and long goals

    this is going to be tough. why?

    i want to make it more detailed. i want to think things through and detail out the plan.

    i want to slack off until 6 months before the expedition and do things the way i've done them in the past...

    i want to eat like crap and expect my body to perform like it did 10 years ago

    but i can't. coach knows and i know that if i'm going to meet my ultimate fitness goal, i need to change things. he made a good point that i think about when i do things, am i doing them towards my ultimate goal?

    "when you do something, will it help you achieve that goal?"

    to safely climb and return with matt from the denali west buttress route on our unsupported, solo expedition.

    given that i'm well on my way to 50 and my climbing days are nearing expiration, i need to change the way i look at fitness and how i treat my body. historically, i treated training as a means to an end as opposed to a lifestyle. that's gotta stop and i can't assume that the body god blessed me with can be taken for granted anymore.

    so he's right. of course he's right.

    when people ask why some of us at CFC are so loyal and speak so highly of the coaches, it's because of things like this. hard-headed, overthinking goofs like me need people like rudy, bryce, and the gang at CFC to keep us on the right track and help us keep our "GRRR!" on.

    let the bloodbath begin.

    omg, weak frickin sa

    omg, weak frickin sauce

    4.4.11

    really trying!


    typical meals... lots of meats, eggs, dark green vegetables

    ... a few pieces of fruit, handfuls of nuts, vitamins, and plenty of water (sometimes with protein mix ... yes, i'm trying to gain weight)

    i'm hovering between 127-132 ... i know a good % of it isn't the kind of weight i want, but as long as my pants don't fall down and i can make ANY gains through may, i'm definitely not complaining.

    Mon 4/4 WOD

    camera 4-2-2011 11-44-44 AM

    5 Rounds @ 9:49
    5 Clean and Jerks @ 95#
    10 Pull-ups

    (10 min cap)

    Steady ... but slow ... I didn't "feel" very aggressive under the bar, wasted time staring at the pullup bar, and broke them into 2's and 3's. Also barely made it within the 10:00 cap!

    No cursing, gasping, or falling over ... I clearly didn't work hard enough!

    But boy, that weight starts to feel heavy when you've been lazy and inconsistent! I knew there'd be hell to pay getting myself back into climbing shape, but wooo-weee! Nothing like a good butt kicking! Level 2 fun indeed! I'll just keep it going ...

    Beyond the whiteboard: http://beyondthewhiteboard.com/workout_sessions/1172335

    So out of 10 today...

    mental energy: 8.5
    physical energy: 8
    stress: 2 (maybe this is why i lack aggression under the bar! ha!)
    health: 85% (healthy, but red-headed girlfriend is annoying me)
    sleep: 6 (dog hogs bed, cats howl, and matt snores ... i sleep in hell)
    diet: 4.5 (strict, but clearly not enough calories to keep the tank running today. plus cookies didn't exactly help!)

    buddy lee jumpropes rule

    2.4.11

    3/28 - 4/2

    Mon 3/28

    21-15-9 reps @ 5:45 (yikes! v-close to time limit!!)
    Hang Power Cleans (65#)
    Wall Balls (14#)
    Box Jumps (20″)

    Would've liked to go a little lighter/lower to get speed up, but we don't have 5# bumpers or a lower box @ home. Need to work on metcon REGARDLESS - this was a struggle and I was really slow!!

    Post – 3 x 10 Glute Ham Raises

    oh, i'm gonna feel these in a couple of days...

    http://beyondthewhiteboard.com/workout_sessions/1154041

    Tue 3/29

    Ashtanga yoga (full primary series) ... yeah. v-sore glutes... i wanna chalk it up to having an asian ass... but that'd be wimping out. my glut/hams are flexible because of yoga, but underdeveloped in terms of strength. i think my squat movements will really improve if i can improve that... work in progress

    Wed 3/30

    15 min AMRAP @ 7 rounds, 2 DL
    9 Deadlifts (75#)
    12 Push-ups
    15 Box jumps (20")

    coach said i wasn't working hard enough because i wasn't cursing... that's kinda sad ... and maybe true because i think there was 1 more round in me. my goal was to do 7 rounds, so i was trying too hard to time each round at 2:30 ... which felt way too slow. i also scaled down weight instead of just doing it RX'd... it was too light (even though my form went to crap in the last round when i finally decided to go faster)

    oh well. when in doubt, challenge yourself. lesson learned..

    http://beyondthewhiteboard.com/workout_sessions/1159112

    Fri 4/1

    Lack of access to equipment prevented me from hitting regular CFC WOD, but I managed to do ashtanga yoga (full primary series). Better than bananas for diminishing soreness and working out the kinks (really sore from glute/ham raises!)

    Sat 4/2 (CFC Fri 4/1 Makeup)

    WOD: 7 Rounds @ 13:42
    3 Hang Power Snatch (75#)
    5 Handstand Push-ups
    7 Pull-ups

    Yay! Was able to get a WOD in! V-slow, but HPS unbroken (maybe light?). Still working on full depth for HPU. CTB unbroken in first round, then 2-3's. Still working on getting my "GRRR!" back on.

    Post-WOD
    me laying on the floor ... and then 5 x :05 l-sits

    http://beyondthewhiteboard.com/workout_sessions/1166777

    Still need to do power cleans, though.


    So out of 10 this week ...

  • stress: 2-3
  • health: 85%
  • mental energy: 8
  • physical energy: 8
  • sleep: 7 (kitties are insane)
  • diet: 7 (i ate a whole pack of maria cookies, 2 orders of fried shrimp, a whole box of orange milanos, and a cadbury's on thursday ... oooh, so naughty on cheat day and probably not enough calories spread out each day, but diet is improving. boy did i feel the junk food hangover later, though.)