subtle and steady goes it…

2:1 schedule still going ...

5 rounds @ 10:48
• 10 Box Jumps @ 20"
• 10 pullups
• 10 pushups
• 10 situps
• 10 squats

kept box, situps, and squats unbroken, pullups in 3-4's, pushups in 4-5's, and breaks at no more than :05 ... goal was to do sub 2:00 rounds, so i still have work to do

Post:
• 3x10 TTB
• 2x250m row @ sub 2:05
• 5x7 GHD

... i'm sure DOMs from yesterday's masochist-fest will set in tomorrow ... get some!

keeping with the paleo diet, I’m finally getting into the swing. I let myself become such a junkfood junkie that getting myself to cheat only 1 day a week was a struggle

for me, it’s helping me recover more efficiently and lets me work harder (ie, less suffering during workout). got a routine finally and now matt is on board… more on that laer

T = Time to MAN UP

Friday & Saturday: FUD

I gotta come clean. I have FUD. This acronym usually means FEAR, UNCERTAINTY, and DOUBT... however, in my case, it’s:

FEAR. UNDISCIPLINED. DISTRACTED.

Matt & I are climbing Denali again. Unsupported. I’ve never climbed high altitude unsupported before. So in order for us to ascend and descend safely, I have to AT LEAST have the same capabilities (if not more) than last year. Having said that, there’s a lot of work to be done.

Fear.

It took Rudy's tough love yesterday during the Snatch/C&J skills test to get me to MAN UP and admit that I can be a total sissy. Sometimes I am afraid of training with Rudy because he sees through my BS like glass and calls it out unfiltered - gotta be willing to hear the blunt truth, grow a pair, and get on with it. The truth ain’t always pretty or nicely packaged.

1. I am scared to lift heavy

I lifted about 30% less than my PRs today ... (85/135? from 110/175)

I can blame being underweight, I can blame poor nutrition, I can blame a lot of things, but the fact is that I am afraid. I have never been afraid of going for all the weight I can ... GO HEAVY OR GO HOME, right?!

Well, I am afraid because I TOTALLY let myself go over the past year and I am lazy (19% body fat @ 132lbs now compared to the 15% body fat @ 155 right before we left for Denali).

I have no one to blame but myself for picking up the all-you-can-eat-cupcake-funyuns-ice-cream-fried-chicken habit that I now have... but the fact is that I got scared to lift less weight that I carry on the mountain... less than when Matt and I go on our little forest jaunts... less than the FRICKIN C&J/Rope Climb WOD I finished a few days prior! If that isn’t a blaring reminder how mental and technique oriented oly lifting is, I don’t know what is.

This just means that I need to lift more, get over myself, and build my confidence. I’m usually the one trying to help others build their confidence and listening to their BS, but the truth is that I’m right there too.

2. I am scared of the work I gotta do

I never had this problem when I first started CrossFitting because I didn’t know better... failing wasn’t a big deal and everything was a new learning experience. “Hey! That’s looks neat, let’s try it!”

I am scared of what is ahead. I had to sacrifice and work so hard to get ready for Denali last year. Eating 3000-5000 calories a day became a job, 2-a-days were emotionally draining, and school sucked out whatever mental energy I had left in me. Thank god I tapered before the expedition.

... 2 years later? I guess it’s the pressure because I “should” know better ... I know what I’m supposed to do after 20+ years of climbing and training. Even CFHQ certified me with a piece of paper saying that I know what I’m supposed to do (well, that’s for another rant) ... but I still have movements I need to correct or I’ve become rusty at them. For example, I now struggle at ALL squat movements ... more than before (and that’s saying something). So Saturday's OHS workout highlighted that.

21-15-9 reps @ 7-something
Overhead Squats (55#)
CTB Pull-ups

OHS were bad. Really bad. So bad that Glenn and I, dropped the weight, ignored the clock and just tried to get them legit. Even Rudy called out how bad it was from the loft... I was really working hard, my body just wouldn’t frickin listen.

It wasn’t the fatigue or the weight. It was being able to get into a good squat. Glenn and Matt are right about “too mobile/too flexible” ... yoga makes me really, really, really flexible ... so much that I bottom out, drop the hips too much, or let my core/back soften out on the descent so that getting back up lacks any power or leverage ... they are right about having to work harder at strengthening those deficits. I also don’t get on my heels enough and use my posterior glute/ham chain... my kinesthetic awareness stinks!

3. I am afraid of failing

I’m still not quite able to talk about everything that happened on the mountain ... nor will I ever be. It’s not the first time I’ve seen or dealt with stuff like this, but that doesn’t mean that I’ve toughened up to it. I just know that in high altitude and/or in a big storm, failure means severe injury or death... given that it’s just me and Matt, I guess the pressure to succeed and avoid failure is higher because this man, for better or worse, IS my life. Talk about finding the “E” in SMARTE goals ...

So fear is a big thorn right now. I know I can deal with it ... I have failed plenty before and know I will in the future ... I just have to be patient, listen, and trust myself ... and the people around me.

UnDisciplined.

Matt argues that I’m soft there because I’ve “outsourced” those good habits and skills to other people. When you have no choice but to be self-sufficient, you develop the skill and habits to be disciplined, efficient, and consistent ... ironic that I’m learning this from someone who I have a decade + of life experience over ... and poetic justice.

My career has been built on my ability to innovate and take risks other people wouldn’t consider. I have been expected to think, live, and breathe outside of the box ... hell, outside of the whole building ... so discipline and consistency will be a work in progress... and a measurable deficit until I am better at it.

Distracted.

Anyone who knows me knows that I‘m like a 12-year old with ADD ... I love everything. I am distracted and want to get my grubby paws on everything. I am foolish enough to think I can multitask ... one would think that after almost half a century, I’d have figured out how to prioritise, focus, and execute efficiently.

... but why do those things when you can have someone do that for you? For over 2 decades, I’d set the agenda, dictate priorities, and let my support circle corral me... I know I’ve blathered about this before, but I can’t emphasise enough how important it is for me to become more self-sufficient and not get distracted.

mental chipper delights

1K Row
1 Mile Run
50 CTB Pull-ups
100 Games Standard Push-ups
200 Air Squats
1 Mile Run

Ok, I gotta say this. While today’s wod was AWESOME and I’ve come a long way on rowing and pullup skills, I am once again the DORKNESS MONSTER … I took a wrong turn somewhere, then down the block and saw THAT THE BOX WASN’T THERE! So I ran back around… 48:15?

Pushups were v-slow, but steady in broken in sets of 10 doing 5 on the knees and 5 strict... breaks no longer than 5-7 seconds ... it’s the little things. Pullups are getting better and I managed to keep each attempt at multiples until the last 10 reps ... when my arms stated to give out, I had to chip it out with singles... yeah, I had to work up a good angry for those.

The real trouble were with the squats ... all squat movements tend to give me a hard time. I broke those up in 15’s and 20’s and got pretty woozy around 150 ... mentally, I was all over it. Physically? Ooh... sometimes the body refuses to do what you want it to. But I had my sights on the end and got that last mile done ... well ... after going around the wrong block and then going back to finally find the finish :)

a lil sumin’ sumin’

ok, maybe working out while still recovering from my cold isn’t the smartest thing to do, but I am addicted to the adrenaline rush and the post-wod endorphin release ... so I drank lots of fluids (with my delicious watermelon BCAAs), ate a big breakfast, and walked into our CF garage out back with Cody and Matt ... now that Big Bunny agreed to take the “CF-Nazism” down a few notches, I’m beginning to really enjoy our “family workouts” more.

Also kinda torn because I really like CFC programming

3 rounds @12:48

• 10 box jumps (21”)
• 10 HPSU (thin band, no wall)
• 10 pullups
• 10 squats
• 10 pushups
• 10 TTB

ouch... didn’t look tough, but it was (180 reps?!). What a way to brush away the cobwebs by getting the blood moving.

.. so if there’s 1 thing I could improve overall, it would be speed and staying tough in ROM.

I went pretty unbroken on everything, I was just slow ... box jumps and TTB are perfect examples of things that I could improve. This WOD capitalised on many of my weakest movements, so this was good.

Check!

These are photos of us in Talkeetna, Alaska last year. Most guide services require validation and review of all rescue skills prior to leaving for the expedition for safety and liability. Some types of climbers get insulted by it, but for us, no worries ... I think it was a fun activity to do together, we both believe that one can never practise rescue skills enough, and it was encouraging for us to demonstrate that we make a great team right before getting on the mountain :)

WOD? Check!

10 min AMRAP @ 5 rounds, 2 burpees
• 5 Burpees
• 10 Pull-ups
• 15 Power Wall Balls (14#)
  Ok, Drywall may call these "AIDS workouts", but they're helping me HTFU ... and (although I love you, Jimmy, and Derek's programming too), Bryce's programming helps me (and many others) put up some damned good numbers. I didn't see the girls there doing 10lb weighted deadhangs with us when I visited you at your box. Just sayin'. :)

Deadlift and Squat practise? Check!

DL: 5x6 @ 60% (165#) ... Matt played coach and shook his head a lot (equivalent to Bryce rolling his eyes, I think). What started out as Intermediate 4×4 @ 79% ended up being what you see above ... I struggled with unbroken multiples... pick up the bar, short rest at top, deep breath, tap down, then explode back up at tempo as fluid movements. Apparently, I have no problem keeping good form with singles, but my back kept initiating poorly when trying to string multiples... regardless of the weight (I even had a hard time practising them at 80#!). I can “feel” when I get it right, but it’s not consistent. I guess this movement is a skill I need to work on - it’s frustrating because my body just won’t do what I tell it to do. Old dog, new tricks?

Fixed line ascent and knots? Check!

Matt and I got our expedition training plan settled. We’ve been working on keeping our technical skills solid and making adjustments because we’re going unsupported and alone. Luckily, ascending fixed lines and practising knots isn’t a skill we have to worry too much about. Although time consuming and can wear the body down, we just do them, check them off, and move on. Cody had fun barking at us while we climbed about 20ft up the tree.

3:1 rescue pulley system? Check!

Practised getting loaded sandbags out in the forest preserve. The heat was exhausting, but we managed. Some interesting lessons learned and adjustments to be made since it’s just us 2 and there won’t be a 3rd on our rope to help make setting up initial anchors easier ... we’re still working out how we can stabilise an anchors to hold 200lbs from a self-arrest position before attempting to set up the pulley system. It’s possible, but our rescue system is going to have to be adjusted.

Time for yummy dinner. Finally.

Keeping it paleo ... but I definitely need to get more calories in (averaging about 2700 per day). I start feeling weak, lethargic, and light-headed when I go more than 2 hours. I wonder if there’s something wrong with my metabolism...?

Long day. Given how behind we are on wedding stuff and the project proposals I’ve been bidding on during the week, I wish there were more hours in it for us to be more productive ... I would be happy with an even 30. We should speak with Mrs O’Hara about this.

eyes dotted, T’s crossed, and the little promises

This is a photo of me having sushi ... kinda like my birthday sushi fun fest on Friday ... talk about junk food hangover the next day!
Suz’s comment the other day highlighted it best, “it’s funny, those little promises you make to yourself”. She’s spot on. I’ve noticed that Crossfitters have their little unspoken “code” of badassness.
Going lighter? Then must go unbroken. Going RX? Only if they are good reps. Going to break? Then only for 5 seconds.

... the things we rationalise in our heads to let ourselves be human
So I thought, “yeah, your digestive tract played hard, so make it up to yourself ... old school!”. Do a 2-a-day this week!

SURE. Just try it, how bad can it be if you rest at least 4 hours in between?! Just eat more ... you’re in pretty good shape, right?! how bad can it be?!

um. really bad. really really really really bad. Oh boy, I think I’m gonna be sore on Thursday... I can tell and I totally see the foolishness of my ways. BCAA’s and yoga, don’t fail me now! Bad ego! Bad! Bad!

Made up Monday’s workout:

filthy 50 @ 29:34

• 50 box jump
• 50 pullups
• 50 lunges
• 50 TTB
• 50 push press @ 45#
• 50 back extensions
• 50 wall balls @14#
• 50 burpees
• 50 double-unders

OMG, I love chippers… my first filthy 50 and it was delightfully awful.

Idid this @ home: subbed KTE with TTB… pretty broken up but v-short breaks … had to go 45# bar and 14# ball because that’s all we’ve got @ home.
goal was sub 30:00 … 29:34 … YEAH BABY!!!

Saturday’s workout:

150 kb swings (10 min cap)

Every break = 5x 2-for-1 wall balls
LOVE LOVE LOVE KBS ... HATE HATE HATE WB ... 6:02

i hate WB so much that i REFUSED to let that thing go... nothing lighter than 1 pood at home, so
if broken means putting the KB on the ground, then i went unbroken.
um. no post or pre-wod ... not a chance.

---

Notes: eating enough solid food throughout the day made the difference ... 4 solid meals of at least 25g protein and several snack sessions got me through today... that and hearing matt tell me that he didn’t want to climb with me if I was going to whine and make excuses.

I know myself well enough that I don’t come out of the gates with guns blazing or always have eyes dotted and T’s crossed ... in fact, I usually need a red hot poker shoved up to get me going ... but once I do, I can keep going ... and going ... so we’ll see how I feel. I’ll just try to work out tomorrow and see how it goes...

Another day, another WOD

Back Squat: 5×5 @ 115

Oops… I got confused and went 5×5 … I also went lower than 88% to maintain integrity in ROM (and an extra round for practise). It felt awkward, but improved… Kurt’s “puppet-string-pulling” and “turning-the-saucers” cues have helped A LOT and I was sincerely shocked to hear Coach say that they were the best looking squats he’s seen me do ... so either I’ve actually improved ... or I REALLY sucked awful before...

Metcon @ 8:17 (12min cap)

10-8-6-4-2

Deadhang Pullups

Strict HSPU

Suspended from purple bands for HSPU (in the hopes of weaning myself away from the wall). Since I was 3+ min under the cap, I think I scaled too much. I used the purple band for less than half of the deadhangs in rounds 1&2. I need to challenge myself more and stop overthinking it

Post-WOD: 1 min max cals, 1 min rest x 3 @ 16-16-15

Movin and shakin!

I really liked this workout because it’s one of those mental - keep it going no matter what - kinda workouts.

12 min AMRAP @ 11+3 pullups

5 Pull-ups

7 Burpees

9 Box Jumps (16″)

I was moving ok until the last minute … and I must confess that I mentally checked out … although Donna, Anj, and I had some pretty good synchronised box jumps going for a few rounds, I hit my goal and just didn’t find myself pushing to finish that 12th round … where were you, Josh?! Pullups unbroken until round 9, burpees steady, breaks were a bit too long (5-8sec as usual), but quick box jumps saved me.

So I brought in my dear friend, Marty, in for the first time. He really liked the Oly instruction but got floored around 4:00 of the WOD and kinda sat for the rest … luckily, his girlfriend wants to come too, so hopefully, they’ll come back!

WOD & Such

20 Min AMRAP WOD @ 10 rounds, 10 ses

• :30 handstand hold
• 5 Deadhang pull-ups
• 30 Double-unders

I loved chasing Kelly! We went back and forth between pullups and doubleunders and it was fun fun fun!

Around round 4 or 5, I got confused and did pullups after doubleunders and then had to go back and do the handstand to get myself back on track. Biceps also gave out and I had to use a band around round 4 … I really need to work on those more and this WOD was awesome! Handstands were a rest for me ... but I need to work on my balance so I can do walking and static handstands.

Post – 10 x 10 push-ups: not so much ... need to work on building up the strength to go unbroken with high-volume body weight movements. This was a good kick in the hiney.

Tue 7 June: WOD & Personal Goals

This is a photo of my goals for the week. When I originally set them, I decided that I wanted to move more efficiently and build more confidence before throwing on the weight. I have great PRs from last year’s expedition training, but I relied too much on EMOTION and not on EFFICIENCY.

If I can improve HOW I work, I believe I can exceed those PRs. I also decided that this year, I am going LISTEN more and just do what the coaches say (i.e., be more “coachable”). I confess that I get performance anxiety and am honestly intimidated, but I really trust them... I mean, if it weren’t for Bryce, Rudy, Alex, and the CFC gang, I wouldn’t have been able to physically do what I did last year... TBD....

So, I tried my first 2-a-day today ... partly because I wanted to see if I could do it and partly to get mentally prepared for the onslaught of training & adapation in the coming months ... also because of peer pressure. Yes, peer pressure. CrossFit nurtures peer pressure, guilt, and perfectionism. If you grew up with a large, close-knit family, catholic guilt, competitive team sports, and someone close who is/was in the Millitary or Law Enforcement ... then you’re a prime candidate for CF addiction. Good stuff.

This 2-a-Day included making up Monday’s WOD and then visiting my friends @ Construct. Drywall and Anderson gave me so much flack about not visiting that I HAD to go... seriously, it’s like living around my siblings again ... except white and a helluva lot more fit ;)

... anyhoo ...

1. Ran 2m (15:56) through the forest preserve while Matt was at the Doc ... even so early, the ferocious heat beat me up and I was seriously dragging ... not to mention that I am not the best runner in the world (coach has scary video of my sorry ass as proof, trust me on this one) ... this run was a good indicator of how much work I need to do by October
2. Went to CFC and worked on TTB, doubleunders, C&J, and cleans. 4 rounds @ 6 TTB + 30 DU, not timed, but I didn’t allow more than 10 second breaks in between each movement. It was a nice warmup.
   I love the coaches - they weren’t on duty so to speak, but still gave me pointers. It was very generous of them, but I have to admit that their attention gave me performance anxiety. Some people like the attention, I can handle some, but I hate the feeling of the spotlight when I’m out of my comfort zone... INTJ...
3. Then it was off to CF Construct ...
   Pre-WOD : weighted pull ups ...I started with isometric holds on deadhangs, then dribbled 1 or 2 @ 15# ... weak sauce!

   WOD: 5 rounds @ 5:49
   5 shoulder to over head @ 80#
   10 burpees

   They started as push presses, and then they became push jerks as the burpees kicked my butt. Need to keep those elbows up so I'm not wasting so much energy. Burpees slow, but steady. I confess to going lighter than necessary, but this was my 2nd WOD today and I didn’t get to rest the suggested 4 hours in between WODs ... I also believe that Drywall, Anderson, and Marty let me win... frickin Westside my arse!

   Derek has done a terrific job with CF Construct. I'm going to send a few friends who live in his neighborhood his way. I really enjoyed seeing remnants of the old CFC box there and it was just so nice to hang with some of the old gang. Good people all around.

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so far ranking from 1-10 ...

• sleep: 7
• diet: 9+
• health: 8
• stress: 9 (ugh) 
• recovery: 8
• mental energy: 7
• physical energy: 7

Aim Higher...

WOD @ 18:48

4 Rounds (20 min cap)

• 400M Run
• 20 Wall Balls (14#)
• 10 Pull-ups

Sodding 14# med ball taunted me the whole time ... my bad toe didn’t like the run either, but I just had to buck up. My breaks were too long and I found myself kinda ambling on that last run - but at least I survived and finished sub 19:00. I'm going to hear Matt scoffing at my weak sauce in my dreams tonight.

Part of me believes that I needed to aim higher ... there were many opportunities for me to just keep going, but I didn’t. Perhaps I was capable of a sub 17 time ... I think the only thing stopping me was me.

Post-WOD

• 10 Rope climbs @ 18' 12' ... yes, I had to get up the tree and hang/take down the rope myself ... sucked failing twice and having to start over. Not much of a climber these days, eh?! (I’ll post video of how sad they were later)
• 20 TTB @ 6-5-4-5 ... still not stringing more than 2-3 at a time ... even though I shook the cobwebs, I’m still kinda sore and pooped
• 10 deadhangs @ 3-2-2-1-1-1 ... sad, but kinda worn out

I thought I’d post photos of rope climbs we do at home. Matt enjoys watching me do the work myself and I know I need the exercise. I should also prolly consider wearing a rash guard, though ;) I fought the tree and the tree won... legs and hands were even more trashed

Time to Grow a Pair

Busted up my toe after cleaning up the KBs on Tuesday. Putting weight on it causes awful pain.
Strength: Bench Press @ 3x 85-90-95-100-105 (3x PR = 120 ... a LOT of work to do)
WOD @ CFC: 15 + 1 pullup

• 15 min AMRAP
• 3 CTB Pull-ups
• 6 Push-ups
• 9 Squat Jumps

Unbroken except for pushups in 3's/4's after round 10. I wimped out and did pullups instead of CTB. Bad toe prevented full jump squats or pushups.

This was really fun ... but I have to be honest about something ... I worked hard, but my mental game was off throughout and I just didn't find myself pushing to failure.
Post-WOD:

10 deadhangs @ 3-2-2-1-1-1 ugh!

5 min on versa-I-hate-you-climber

---

Notes: After numerous surgeries and frostbite incidents, you'd think I'd be more careful about taking care of my feet... Glenn's article on the CFC blog today hit close to home and I really appreciated reading that. I only have a few years left to climb the big peaks and made some huge sacrifices to do so ... so without my feet, I'm in real trouble.

In 11 months, we leave for our solo Denali climb and it's time to get my head together. Climbing may not be my career, but it's been my life since I was 14. This will be my 6th season on this mountain and its time to make what few years I have left to count. Something to think long and hard about.

I remember this Army Cpt on Denali last year who lost his legs in Afghanistan ... there he was, dragging his body and his 125+lb sled up and down each cache/carry and working hard during each push ... he climbed 1/3 as fast, but that SOB was hard as nails and always smiled/waved when we passed along the route or saw him at camps. When we finally saw him come into high camp, Matt said that even though he endangers the lives of his climbing team with the handicap, he had a lot of guts for attempting this, we have absolutely no excuse for complaining, and it was time for us to grow a pair. Too true. This guy not only stood in harm's way for us, but set an example for us to aspire to.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/denali/climb/

http://www.summitpost.org/mount-mckinley-denali/150199

Fri 5/20: WOD

Power Clean 5-5-5 @ 85-95-105

It felt super light, but my goal was consistency first, heavy weight second ... Coach said 2 out of 5 looked good. I have some bad habits to correct so I’ll do this again tomorrow. 

Then 21-15-9 @ 5:50
- Deadlift (105#)
- Pullups

It was hard not going to RX DL weight, but I know I have to break bad habits on that front first (i.e., turtle back). So there were short, 1x breaks per round on the DL. My pull-ups were disappointingly slow work, though. Was only able to keep them in 2s and 3s. 6min on the Versaclimber was tough and I can use the feeling light-headed excuse all I want, but for a sub-6 sprinty-type workout, the truth is that I didn’t mentally get in it. Tomorrow is another day to turn it around and I’ll keep chipping away.

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ranking from 1-10 today...
sleep: 8
diet: 8
health: 8
recovery: 8
stress: 7 (personal stuff)
physical energy: 7 (I took 3 points off for too much energy?!)
mental energy: 7 (see above … I felt kinda hyper)

Tuesday 5/17: Paleo Challenge Day 2

This is a before and after photo of my range today. I cleaned it for the first time by myself - Yay! (Don’t judge! I’m still learning!) ... mayhaps a visual of my digestive system given the glutens, starches, and sugars I’ve been over-enjoying! But hey, that’s where I let myself go ... and every day is an opportunity to clean things up! I think I’ll keep these photos handy as a reminder of what will happen if I don’t take better care of myself.

Today’s WOD @ 26:46 (?)

1K Row
50 Pull-ups
50 Wall Balls
100 Double-Unders
500M Row
25 Pull-ups
25 Wall Balls
50 Double-Unders

Woo! I loved this chipper, but my body didn’t do what I was telling it to, so I let myself get angry. That helped, but then somewhere during pullups, I broke down and grabbed a purple band. First time in a year … Ego CRUSHED! Body awareness and squat movements also annoying because WBs were not hitting depth consistently even with 10#. Then I got flustered, did 30 WB instead of 25, and took :10+ on breaks. DU’s weren’t consistent either (5s, 10s, 15s?!). I ended up with 26:something-who-cares-cause-I-was-lazy-and-didn’t-earn-it! Went home, did GHDs and worked on front squats in shame! Lesson for today was more mental than physical. Loads of opportunities to improve!

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	Breakfast @ 07:52 1/2 avocado 1c grapes 20oz black coffee 12oz bottle of water Vitamins E, multi, and gingko biloba Didn’t have the appetite to finish the grapes or coffee, so I set them aside for my next meal
	Lunch #1 @ 10:55 Finished the grapes, coffee, & avocado 8oz beef tenderloin 1L nalgene of water & lemon broccoli/red pepper mix chunk turkey jerky (craving salt) I gobbled this up right when I returned from the box
	Lunch #2 @ 13:35 1/2 lb poached chicken 1 handful of dried cherries 1 handful of almonds still working on 1L nalgene
	Snack #1 @ 16:35 1/2 grapefruit handful of cherries 1.5 tbs almond butter 1 handful turkey jerky
	Dinner-ish @ 19:22 1 paleo pack (almonds, walnuts, turkey jerky, and cranberries) 1 chicken breast  (oops. didn’t make it into photo because I was hungry...)

ranking from 1-10 today…
sleep: 7
diet: 9 (2x yay!)
health: 9
recovery: 9
physical energy: 7 (I took 3 points off for too much energy?!)
mental energy: 7 (see above ... I felt kinda hyper)
stress: 7 (personal stuff)

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Notes:

I am enjoying the fact that my appetite is handling all this food well and I’m not craving the junk food like I thought I would ... but then again, it’s only day 2 and I feel good overall ... but we’ll see in another week. So far, my body has been responding well to my “re-ramp-up”, I’m going into training with a lot more knowledge and skills this time (thanks to the CFC Crew), and I’m trying to listen more and stick to good habits (my ego wants to go balls out and just lift a shitload of weight).

Sunday 5/15: Paleo Challenge Day 0 ... Planning & Mentally Preparing

Ok, I gotta come clean. I kept oscillating between starting the Paleo challenge Saturday, Sunday, or Monday and messed myself up. Gotta come clean - I had feta cheese in my omelet, hashbrowns, and a bagel during brunch with the gang today. So I guess I have to start the challenge on Monday after all.

Ugh. I let peer pressure get to me and realise how impressionable I can be ... where once I was a leader now a follower be...

Also, one of the coaches busted me on FB ... sheesh. I deserved that too.

I was going to post a photo of said brunch, but I also promised Elisabeth that I wouldn’t post naughty foods until the end of regionals. BTW, not that it makes it ok, but she was at brunch too!

Anyway, I made up a workout from last week.

Pre-WOD:
3×10 GHD + little ab wheel thingy of pain
50 double-unders

WOD: Made up Wednesday’s @ 8:46

2 Rounds @ 8:46
15 Deadlift (75)
15 Push-ups
10 Power Clean (75)
10 Burpees
5 Power Snatch (75)
5 Handstand Push-ups

Post-WOD:
10 deadhangs (3-3-3-1)
(#?) double-unders and yappy hallow ring fun ... I just love the CFC gang because they tolerate my silliness

I really scaled down weight (75#) and HSPUs were reduced to 2-sec handstands, but I’m glad my snatches went unbroken, I maintained ROM integrity, and that I kept breaks really short when I took one. I can’t say how much I appreciate other CF’ers pushing me to stay consistent. I wonder if they’ll ever know what kind of pathetic slob I’d be if left to my own devices... seriously, if it weren’t for climbing and my love for the outdoors, I’d be well on my way to becoming morbidly obese with all kinds of health issues like the rest of my family.

... keep calm and carry on ...

---

ranking from 1-10 today...

sleep: 9  (a full 8+ hours!)
diet: 4 (I blew it with brunch)
health: 6 (allergies?!?!)
recovery: 7 (stiff, but not sore)
physical energy: 8 (really felt great after WOD and hanging with the CFC gang)
mental energy: 8 (see above)
stress: 6

9 - 14 May: Skinny-fat Chick Alert! Skinny-fat Chick Alert!

Monday 5/9

Back Squat 3×3 @ 85-95-105?
Focused on ROM and getting rid of that wierd tootsie roll thing. ALL squat movements are on the top of my suck list, so I’m keeping it light and easy until I am consistent and more body-movement aware.

I’m not above scaling down if it means I can get it right EVERY time and get stronger... stronger glute/ham ROM is definitely on my list of goals. (note the skinny-fat photo of me on the left ... nice cleavage, but scary tummy pooch! eeesh!)

WOD

5 Rounds @ 7:38 of
1 Squat Snatch
4 Overhead Squats
10 Pull-ups

Went light to meet goal of a sub 8:00, but I  think I wimped out because I never really got out of breath or pushed myself to get more depth on those OHS ... Pullups in 3-4′s and nice easy snatch/OHS. I was half asleep and totally humbled by the wave 2 ladies! When I finally adjust to this schedule, I’m gonna start chasing them!

I also think I was half asleep cause it was my first workout at 6am this year! Yep, getting up every day @ 4:30 is going to be an adjustment, but I did it and I’m psyched! yay! (unfortunately, Matt is NOT a big fan because it impeded on his “morning time”, so we’re gonna have to work something out)

Still feeling the awful effects of my “see food” diet ... I am still paying for that red bull, pizzas, and 4lb box of brownie bites in more ways than 1. Coach Zack, I need you!!!

Tuesday 5/10

A – Muscle-up: skill work. worked on hip-to-ring hallowed kips, ctb, false grip, and ring dip
B – Double-Unders (3 min AMRAP): inconsistent but was able to string ‘em

WOD: 40-30-20-10 reps of

Power Wall Balls (14/10#)
Box Jumps (16″)

Ego checked @ 8:42!

I deserved that :30 penalty for not scaling appropriately! Started with 14# and broke at 15 in round 1 … ditched the b*tch and got a 10#er to get in gear …

Post – 4 x 10 Unbroken Toes-to-bar: 4-8-8-6

Wednesday 5/11

Ashtanga Yoga - primary series. Worked out a few kinks and building my isometric strength back. I wanted to go to CFC today, but I committed to 2:1, I’m sticking to it and letting my ego take a back seat. I’ll see how I feel next week when the Paleo challenge is in full swing...

Thursday 5/12

Worked on DL, presses, and hallows @ CFC and then GHD & deadhangs @ home. Weight not so much important, but getting rid of oddball movement was (e.g., tootsie roll knees, squat wannabe DL, et al). I wanted to makeup Wednesday’s WOD, but I was sore and still nursing my junk food hangover ... also I think I just chickened out... prolly more the latter.

Glutes are gonna be sore for treating my body like an amusement park for all these months. I confess I feel a little deflated being weak and looking scrawny now...

It’s actually scary. Somewhere between getting engaged and the holidays, I became this raging junk food addict alá skinny-fat chick. I look pretty good - but I feel generally crappy, “thick”, and really un-driven. I also let a lot of other things go too, but I’ll leave that for my personal blog... keep calm and carry on ...

Friday 5/13

got up @ 4am to make 7am flight for many, many meetings ... then delayed flight and getting home @ 23:45. i feel like i got robbed by united airlines in more ways than 1

… but i got in 50 situps, 50 pushups, and 10 wannabe HSPUs in a little conference room of the admiral club… not a true wod and in my brooks brothers suit, but better than nothing. I planned to get back to CFC in time and couldn’t get back... my 2:1 goal thrown out the window

food was scarce, but i managed to find a few plain burgers, a wilty airport salad, a banana, starbucks, and a milkshake i’m sure will haunt me tomorrow …

Side note, my glutes aren’t sore ... at all. I thought they “should” be given the work I’ve been doing this week (assuming I did the work right). The truth is, my lower back is a tad sore ... which means my G/H activation needs more work. It’s frustrating.

Saturday 5/14 - Paleo Challenge Day 1... kinda ...

I felt the bacon burger, fries, milkshake, and all the garbage I’ve been eating ... and it showed in my FRAN performance today. Oh yeah, I scaled it. First time ever. Ego checked!

55# @ 8:07 ... oh yeah. It was sad. I added 1:00+ to my prior Fran (7:02) and dropped thruster weight (RX=65#) . . . I’ve become weaker, still underweight, and metcon “gas tank” needs to grow before I am ready. Upside is - what a way to set the bar low for my first day on the paleo challenge! I’m TOTALLY gonna see HUGE gains!

But ... I promised myself that I would get my ROM in order and then work on “performance”. My body is used to carrying heavy weight and I know it will be fierce again pretty soon. The advantage I have this year over last year is that I have a TON more knowledge, body awareness, and skills (thanks to Coaches Bryce, Rudy, Alex, the “old box” gang, and the amazing HQ peeps at all the certs). I’m working! I’m working!

Today I ate:

- handfuls of dried cherries

- handfuls of turkey jerky

- spoonfuls of almond butter

- tuna sashimi (had 2 packages similar to package on left)

- kale salad with shrimp cocktail, onions, and herbs

- coffee (pre-wod), endurox (post-wod), and roughly 2L water (2 nalgenes)

Personal note: I woke up today feeling like a load was taken off my shoulders. I also am proud of myself for starting to open up to others about Diana. I just hope that the few things Matt & I are aiming for go through and our plans can actually carry in... keep calm and carry on ... keep calm and carry on ...

Abbey was supposed to meet me today to work on our ideas for adventure racing, my denali training, and her resume... but she never showed and I have to admit that I was both surprised and disappointed. I always admired her discipline and steadfastness too. Well ... keep calm and carry on ...

---

out of 10 for this week...

sleep: 2 (planning for and doing 6am and 9am WODs are going to be a serious adjustment!)
diet: 4 (not consistent or disciplined, I definitely had a burger binge this week)
health: 6 (see above)
recovery: 8 (very strange! I hit it with integrity and expected to suffer more...)
physical energy: 7
mental energy: 8
stress: 6 (better, but still there)

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!)

BEST. CHIPPER. EVER.

As 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.

Kitty Yoga & Calendars

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):

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.

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