36-26-37

It's one of the first cold days this fall and I have goosebumps on my arms. Not only because I'm a bit chilly but also because I'm about to whip off my shirt so that I can get my measurements taken for a bridesmaid dress.  Those of you that know me know that I take my shirt off all the time at the gym.  I do it because it makes me feel powerful and proud of my muscles(and also because I'm not a fan of sweaty shirts).  This is different though.  In fact, I am dreading the feeling of the tape measure against my skin and seeing the numbers- bust, waist, hips- written down on paper.  I find myself having to concentrate on not sucking in because it used to be like second nature to me.

I keep telling myself that numbers don't matter unless they represent weight being lifted at the gym. I promised myself I wouldn't step on a scale or take my measurements because they were no longer important.  However, I suppose that sometimes(like when ordering a bridesmaid dress) you need to.  Before I have a chance to put my shirt back on I hastily grab at the paper worried that someone else will see my measurements before me.  As soon as the paper is in my hands I, almost instinctively, start to analyze the numbers.  My eyes focus on the waist measurement- 26inches? All I can remember is measuring myself before my wedding almost 2 years ago and having a 24inch waist.  Frantically I look at Michael and ask him how it is possible that my waist has grown (the wheels already spinning in my head with ideas about how I can get it to go back down in size).  He laughs and points out the fact that if I didn't have ab muscles that it would probably be smaller.  Suddenly the wheels stop turning and I snap out of what I will refer to as 'skinny vision.'   What does he mean no muscles? I've worked hard for this body! I love catching a glimpse of my muscles in the mirror, being able to throw heavy weight over my head and hoist my body up a 20ft rope.  You see it all over the crossfit community - "strong is the new skinny."  While I know now that statement is true for me personally I'm not so sure it is has become mainstream...yet(give it time)!

There have been numerous blog posts written by female crossfitters about body image. In fact, it is something I have written about in the past more than a few times.  In part the reason for that is because so much of our culture as females revolves around it. What is ironic is that we do it to ourselves. If you can believe it I was once part of a group that sat for an hour at dinner discussing body parts we weren't happy with.  By the time we were done I didn't even want to eat my salad. I look back on that now and think ARE YOU KIDDING ME?

While being image conscious isn't necessarily a bad thing the image that is currently being put forward as 'ideal' is not good. I am a firm believer though that with every CrossFit affiliate that opens and every company that chooses a female athlete to be their spokesperson that image is changing.  The below Nike Ad made the rounds about a year ago, but it is actually from 2005.  For some reason it still hasn't caught on which is why I thought it was worth bringing back for a peak.  My butt is big(37 inches big in fact), so are my shoulders, and my lats.....and I am proud of them. 

I've said it before...

...and I'll say it again- what a difference a year makes.
A year ago I was in Saskatoon competing in a competition hosted by Synergy Strength & Conditioning. It was my first CrossFit Competition and I was in the Intermediate division.  Throughout the competition I watched the athletes in the 'advanced' division and at the end of the weekend made the decision that I was going to train hard so I would be able to compete alongside them the following year. And so..there I was...competing this weekend at the Bridge City Beatdown in the 'Beasts' division.

I have had a variety of emotions sweep over me in the day or two following the competition. Originally I was upset with my performance. There were numerous points where my mental game just wasn't present(prowler push) and silly mistakes and technique problems(missing a 141# jerk twice because of bad technique). However, after my initial frustration wore off I realized I should be happy with how things went and more importantly with how far I've come as a CrossFit athlete.

The best part of the weekend was the chance to feel like a part of a community again.  First, I got to join up with the athletes from CFW and I realized just how much I missed them.  On a bigger scale though I also got to meet and compete against a lot of awesome athletes from the prairies.  I always find it amazing how much the CrossFit Community comes together at competitions-how you hear and see athletes on the sidelines cheering for their fellow competitors-it is unbelievable to be a part of it.
(On a side note: The judges were also AWESOME!! Cheering for you, yelling at you to pick up the bar and congratulating you after you were done. A serious amount of thanks is owed to them)

Of course I'll use a little bit of that original disappointment I felt to fuel my training for the next month leading up to the Big Dawgs Bash in San Diego next month. After that (besides sectionals and hopefully regionals next year) I plan to be back in Saskatoon, schedule permitting, again next year.

Below are two pictures. One from Saskatoon last year(left) and one from this year(right).

Random thoughts

1.  Progenex Recovery-Tropical Vanilla is awesome!

2.  My next competition is only 5 days away. WOD's are released today. Yay!

3.  So, I hear that you are supposed to do one thing every day that scares you? Well, today I am doing 8 20ft legless rope climbs.

4.  When looking at my shoe collection I realize that I now own 5 pairs of CF shoes.  In fact for the last 6 months the only new shoes I have bought have been shoes for CF.  It is crazy how much my life has changed.

5.  When getting a new license the lady asked me for my weight. I proudly looked at her and said 138 a number I would have cringed about a year ago(when I was practically starving myself to maintain 120lb).  Now I am happier, healthier, and get way more compliments(don't judge..I like getting compliments).

6.  I need to find a job. However, I refuse to just settle for something. Life is too short to work somewhere just for the sake of making money.

Hitting Goals

Right now I am down in New Jersey visiting my parents. Last night we headed into NYC and I indulged a bit-ice cream, chocolate, alcohol(okay maybe more than a bit). I very rarely do this and I felt pretty guilty, especially when I got home and saw the WOD for today on the Big Dawgs Blog-a 1RM Power Clean.  A few weeks ago I had set myself a goal of doing a 150# PC by the end of August.  After PC'ing 140#x2 a little while ago I sent my video to a friend for some analysis.  I have been focusing on the tips he gave me and I knew that 150# was well within my reach.

However, the combination of bad food, no air-conditioning/crazy humidity, the pending hurricane and my nervousness led to a TERRIBLE night sleep.  So, when I woke up(tired and with a sugar hangover) and started getting ready to go to the gym I had to mentally push the negative thoughts I was having out of my mind.  The people at CrossFit Hamilton were AWESOME and there was some pretty wicked energy there when I arrived.  It must have rubbed off on me becasue as soon as I started warming up I knew I was going to PR.  Sure enough I put 150# on the bar and it flew up.

The best part about the PR was that it was easy-in fact it almost caught me off guard because of how great it felt. 150# felt really light and I know I can do more.  While I am really happy with today I have already set myself a new goal - 160# by the end of September.

"Every ceiling, when reached, becomes a floor..."-Aldous Huxley

First video...

I took some video footage of the Big Dawgs WOD for today which was:

15 power snatch - 115#/80#

9 box jumps - 24"

12 power snatch - 115#/80#

12 box jumps - 24"

9 power snatch - 115#/80#

15 box jumps - 24"

My time was 8:19 and I was really disappointed(especially after seeing the other times posted).  I hurt myself mentally on this as I told myself when I saw it posted that the snatch weight was going to be 'heavy' for me and so I started making excuses(sore legs from Thursday, not wearing oly shoes....) before I even began. As a result I took WAY TOO MUCH rest between snatches. The weight never got too heavy but I convinced myself I needed to rest to ensure I didn't fail any reps.

To sum it up. I need to learn to start telling myself that I CAN do met-cons with 'heavier' weights.  The weird part about this is that 80# shouldn't even be that heavy for me.

I was a bit embarrassed to share this video but figured that it keeps me honest. It is only the first and last 9 snatches to show the difference between the beginning and the end of the WOD.  Please ignore the yelling(after starting to video myself I have come to realize how annoying I am....sorry!)

Accountable

This is a quick post on 2 goals I have set for myself. 

By the end of the month I am going to Clean 150#.

I felt it was important to put it out there in order to hold myself accountable

Today I cleaned 140#x2 and missed 150# twice but only because of stupid mistakes.  I got some good advice from a friend who watched my video of it and I know I will get it next time I try.

By the end of the year I am going to get a sub 9-minute "Helen"

I did it today(stupid idea) at one of the gyms here in Edmonton but it was after my Big Dawgs training for the day (no excuses).  I know sub-9 minutes is within my reach(I did everything unbroken) I just need faster run times which should not be hard for me.

*On another quick note I can say that since starting Big Dawgs I have come to value my rest days a lot more.  I used to take rest days whenever I felt I needed them(which wasn't very often) but now I need them and I am using them to recover(lots of stretching, walking, icing).

Changes...

There have been lots of changes for me this week. The changes varied from my address to my training schedule.  Change can be stressful but it can also be fun and I think that the biggest factor in deciding the outcome of any change is how YOU deal with it. So I am going to let everyone in on a few of the exciting things that have happened as a result of the changes this week:

• Michael and I are getting to the gym at 6am to do our WODs together. I am enjoying working out first thing in the morning again and I love walking home from the gym (although I sometimes have the urge to knock on all the houses and drag people out of bed to do a WOD so they can feel the same way as me). 
• Edmonton has LOTS of AWESOME Farmers Market's.  Seriously, I was amazed at the quality of the produce and meats this past weekend. I am looking forward to this Saturday so we can go back.
• My diet has changed(a bit..don't worry I am still the 'paleo nazi') and I have been enjoying preparing food again(because I am cooking for 2 again...). I am in the process of trying to gain lean mass which is way harder than it sounds. I sometimes feel funny when most people are trying to lose weight that I am trying to gain it.
• I am finding that learning how to push myself when I am not competing against someone else(before Jodi and I were doing Big Dawgs together) is hard but in the long run I think it will be beneficial.
• I have made it a goal to start filming my WODs...especially the lifting.  This is mostly so I can critique myself but also so that no one back in Winnipeg starts going through withdrawal(I know you miss the shrieking...)
• I finally ousted our TV into the guest room. We haven't had cable for 2 years and I was getting tired of it taking up space in our living room.  I plan on turning the living room into more of a library with a fireplace(a fake one unfortunately...) and I can't wait!

These are just a few of the good things that have happened this week.  I still miss everyone in Winnipeg and there are still parts of moving that suck but I have decided to put them behind me and keep moving forward with a smile.

Also on the topic of changes. This week I genuinely enjoyed myself during a rowing WOD(Row 1k for time....done in 3:52.3...wanted 3:49...next time I'll get 3:45).  If anyone remembers the me from about 6 months ago you would know that rowing would have been at the top of my list of weaknesses. Now I would list it as a strength.  To borrow a phrase from Again Faster...I have 'embraced the suck' of rowing.

Moving Weekend

This weekend was spent moving from Winnipeg to Edmonton.  I was determined to not let the drive put my training on hold and luckily I was able to follow through on that.

Saturday we stopped in Saskatoon and the Big Dawgs WOD consisted of cleans and burpees as well as 400m sprints. I had to improvise a bit for the cleans but felt good after that I had done my own variation of the WOD and been able to move around after being in the car for 8 hours.

We arrived in Edmonton on Sunday and had to be at our new place to meet the movers for the unpacking of the truck.  Luckily, I have a very understanding husband who agreed to stay for the unpack while I headed out to the gym on base.  I am pretty excited about the fact that the gym here has its own CrossFit area and was even more excited to see it fairly busy when I arrived.  When I saw the Big Dawgs WOD for the day I cringed a bit as it contained Double Unders and my skipping rope was buried in a box somewhere but I found out the gym had skipping ropes you could sign out.  After a decent warm up I got started and my DU's were horrific-I wanted to curse the new rope(a rubber one rather than my cable one) and then realized that the rope shouldn't matter, I should be good enough to not let the skipping rope dictate how my DU's are that day-lesson learned.  I was able to make up some time in the WOD during the lunges and pull-ups but I still felt deflated once I finished.  Now, a day later, I have decided to start incorporating DU's back into my warm-ups again along with wall balls(my other big weakness).

I am going to try to start posting on here more often about my training and eating to keep me accountable. I have signed up for 2 upcoming events- the Bridge City Beatdown in Saskatoon in September and the Big Dawgs Bash in San Diego in October.  I am hoping to see some of you there!

Heading Home

I am writing this post from the Los Angelos International airport after having spent a week in California to watch the CrossFit Games.  A few moments ago I was flipping through some pictures of the games and was overwhelmed by a mix of emotions.

First, I am sad that the experience is over.  The people from CFW that I got to share the trip with have become amazing friends.  It hit me that when I get back to Winnipeg I won’t be getting back to life as normal and I won’t be competing against, coaching and cheering for my friends at the gym anymore. Instead I’ll be reading about their achievements through facebook statuses and sending them motivational texts.  While I know that leaving will not really be goodbye I am having a hard imagining CrossFit without them.  It is odd to think that when I get back to Winnipeg everything I own will be loaded into a moving truck and even weirder that in a few short days I will be living somewhere new.  I guess I should thank CrossFit though for making me always ready for the unknown…

I also feel motivated though (in fact, after flipping through the pictures I was on the verge of setting myself up in the corner of the airport and doing a HSPU and luggage deadlift WOD.)  Being able to watch the games athletes push themselves to the limit a few feet away was unbelievable and I realized more than ever how badly I want to get there. I know it may be a long road and I will have to work unbelievably hard but I also KNOW that I CAN get there one day. So, I am going to share with everyone right now a goal that I have been internalizing for quite some time-I want to be a competitive CrossFit Athlete.  Like I said, I realize that I have a long road ahead of me and that it may take me a few years before I am ready but I am going to put in the time and effort and I AM GOING TO MAKE IT THERE.  There was a post on the Big Dawgs blog a few weeks ago that made me begin to think about sharing my goal with everyone and now my post-games excitement has allowed me to finally do so.

Stay tuned to the blog this week for 2 more updates. One will be about my CrossFit Goals for 2011 and the other will be my Thank You Letter to CFW.

Energy...

So, I just finished a 7 day cleanse.  While I was worried it would be tough to do I actually found it quite easy(except for day 2 when I debated attacking a stranger to steal their bag of popcorn).  Interestingly enough my energy increased with each additional day on the cleanse.  So last night when I saw todays WOD for Big Dawgs was building to a heavy Deadlift and a 1RM Bench Press I was intrigued as to how they would feel.   I ended up getting a 15# PR on my deadlift(with a hook grip nonetheless) and it felt easy. I know I could have done even more but I stopped as the directions were to build to a heavy single and not a 1RM.  My BP numbers weren't great. I cannot figure out my issue with this as I have a fairly strong push-up. I will need to get my next attempt on film to try and figure it out.

Anyways, enough about me. Yesterday the energy at the gym was great! I coached almost all day and got to see people hit PR's on their DL's and one of the other coachs do their 'Birthday WOD.'  Best of all though I got to see one of the other women at the gym get their first muscle-up(Congrats RC!!)  Getting to see the transition finally 'click' for her and then her reaction afterwards was unreal!!!  It(no joke) was almost better than getting one myself. I know I have said this before but as a coach seeing other people(especially your friends) PR is an unbelievable feeling and something I can't really explain.

I leave for California to watch the CF Games in 3 days! I cannot wait to experience the games for the first time and even better to do so with some of my closest friends.  Woohoo!!

The return...

So, here is the news you have all been waiting for... I'm back!!  I am sorry for not posting on here for so long. Excuses suck so I won't make any instead I'll fill you in on what has happened since I last posted and then let you know where I'm at now.

About a month ago I went on as a member of the team from CFW to compete at the Canada West Regionals.  Training for the team was a surreal experience and I have so many memories I will cherish for a lifetime.  The best part was the culmination(the actual competition)and although I only got to compete in two events over the course of the weekend I was able to challenge myself in a way I never had before.

After I got back from Regionals I took about a month off. I tried to get back to training a few times too soon and got kicked in the butt when I tried.  During my month off my husband(Michael) and I went on a House Hunting Trip to Edmonton. He is in the forces and we got notice we were being posted there while I was training for Regionals.  The time away from the gym was nice because it made it easier not to be training with everyone back home.  We didn't find a house on our trip and got notification we were on the wait list for military housing(PMQ) and that it could be a few months before we got something. So, Michael went ahead to Edmonton without me and I stayed behind in Winnipeg and decided to start a new training program-Big Dawgs.

This brings me to about a week ago.  At the end of my first week of following the Big Dawgs blog Michael phoned me to let me know we were offered a PMQ.  My feelings were mixed-excited to be with him again but at the same time upset to be leaving CFW.  The people at CFW have become so much more than my fellow athletes, clients, and trainers they have become my family.  I can't imagine what it will be like not pulling into the parking lot at 5:45 every morning or being made of fun of because I'm still there at 5:45 that night.

However I am looking at this as a new adventure. I have moved many times before and I enjoy the challenge of finding my way around a new place.

So, that is where I am right now. I am following the Big Dags blog for training. I am going to California with some of my favorite people to watch the CrossFit Games in two weeks. As soon as I get 'home' I am uprooting myself and landing in Edmonton.  More importantly though I am happy and finally out of my post-regionals funk.

Stay tuned for more blog updates(I promise...)

Team Training

Well, I am officially 1 week into team training and have another 2.5 weeks left before Regionals and I am absolutely loving it. Being accountable to other people adds an interesting factor into training.

This past weekend we got the chance to test out our ability to strategize and work together to complete a WOD.  In particular I enjoyed the workout we did on Saturday morning as it included 2 of my favorite movements:

In 25:00
Each team member registers a 3RM OHS + the sum total of 3 sets of max toe-to-bar
You have one rack and one barbell

I almost was able to manage my old 3RM OHS of 110# and for my t2b I did 19-20-20.  I failed on my third rep at 115# once during the 25 minutes and then tried again after the WOD was over and failed again on my third rep.  I was pretty frustrated but I know that I will get it next time I try.

Today we had some HSPU work which felt awesome and I decided to attempt a few HSPU's on the rings after the WOD.  While I couldn't push all the way up I was able to get some movement and I think with a little work I will be able to get one in the relatively near future. 

My diet has been completely dialed  in(from normally about 92 to 100 percent paleo) and I plan for it to stay that way until Regionals.  I have been thinking a lot about the eating habits people form after someone in one of my on-ramp classes asked what I ate for breakfast.  When I told them my breakfast normally consists of leftovers, meat or occasionally eggs they seemed a little shocked and said they couldn't do it because they need to have "breakfast food"(something I hear fairly often).   I tried to explain that "breakfast food" is all a state of mind that has been perpetuated by advertising. When was it decided that cereal and toast were staples of a healthy breakfast? If you don't already eat meat for breakfast I challenge you to try for the next week.

The Opens

Well, the opens are officially over and I finished in 2,418th place(tentatively) in the world.  While I enjoyed myself(for the most part) over the last 7 weeks I am somewhat glad to be finished.  My favorite part of the Opens was to watch people tackle the workouts.  Every Saturday was truly inspirational(though I feel this is overused in CrossFit as everyone/everything is inspirational).

So, what now? I took a few days off of training and today was my first day back. I have never been more excited about a training cycle then the one I am beginning now.  That is because for the next few weeks I will be training as part of the team representing CFW at Regionals in Vancouver at the end of May.

I am still going to try to blog on here but if anyone is curious as to what we are doing training wise you can follow along on our training blog.

No More TV

I feel like I have let you down by not blogging in a while.

Wod4 went alright. I managed to do 12 overhead squats.  I have no problem admittng that I was pretty upset that I didn't make it to the muscle-ups.  However, I believe the workout was programmed brilliantly.  As I have said to many others since then, I believe not being able to do 30 OHS at 90# means someone should not make it to regionals just as much as the inability to do a muscle-up.  With that in mind I can say that I was happy with how far I got and where it put me in the standings.

I am tackling WOD5 tonight before I leave for the weekend. Out of all the workouts the next 2 are the ones I am most excited about.  What excited me more than the actual wod tonight is the fact that I am doing it alongside one of the fiercest competitors at CFW.  I can still remember one of my first 6am classes when I watched MicheB do pull-ups for the first time in a WOD.  I have been trying to catch her ever since and I know tonight will be no different. Good luck Mich-don't forget your rip stick!!

I probably won't be able to blog again until next week  but I wanted to leave you with this. Michael and I haven't had TV in about 2 years.  I cannot even begin to tell you how much it has improved our lives.  The challenge issued by the Whole 30 has prompted me to also cut out movies for the month (which right now I still enjoy on occassion). So, what do you say? Will you cut out your TV for the month of May?

Halfway

So, this week marks the halfway point.  I officially have 3 workouts behind me and I am facing another 3.  The workout last week went great for me and I managed 14+1Clean.  I felt great doing the workout and proved to myself that my strength training over the last few months has really paid off.  Which is a good thing because I will need it for the next workout which is:

AMRAP in 10 minutes
60 Bar-facing Burpees
30 Overhead Squats(120/90)
10 Muscle-ups

I am actually pretty excited about the upcoming workout because it includes 3 of my favorite movements in CrossFit.  I was a little nervous about the muscle-ups today because of the turn-out at the bottom(I've only ever done them strict with my palms facing in at the start) but I was able to do about 6 today and they felt great!  The burpees have a little twist to them(jumping over the barbell) but I think they will be fun.  Lastly, the OHS don't scare me(too much).  I'm approaching this workout the same way I approached the last one- with an open mind and without putting any pressure on myself(easier said then done).

One thing I would like to touch on quickly is all the complaining I have seen/heard about this workout so far.   So many people have posted about how they are upset muscle-ups came up.  Instead of being upset that they came up why not use it as motivation to start working on them.  A few months ago I realized that if I wanted to compete I needed to build up my strength. Guess what happened? This week the workout also includes a relatively heavy lift(shocking I know with all the attention that has been drawn to the muscle-ups).  Today I watched 4 people(might I add they are all strong athletes) attempt the workout and none of them got through the 30 Overhead Squats in the time limit.  If I had been faced with this workout before I started working on my lifting I don't know if I would have been able to do more than 1 OHS at 90#.  However, I feel confident going into this workout because I have spent the last few months doing something about one of my weaknesses. Alright, end of rant.


ATTENTION: Please don't think the above paragraph is trying to say I'm a perfect athlete(take a look at the leaderboard) or that I don't have any weaknesses(how about a 200#deadlift for more than 1 rep-been there, not done that).

WOD#3

WOD#3 of the CrossFit Open was released last night and it is:

5 Minute AMRAP
Squat Clean(165#/110#)
Jerk(165#/110#)

While it is not what I was hoping for I am still excited(which seemed to surprise lots of my friends). Looking back in my logs I was shocked that a little over 6 months ago my 1RM C&J was 110#(I remember being happy at the time because it was only 10pounds off bodyweight).  Now that I have spent the last 3 months focusing on strength I am eager to see how many I can do at that weight in 5 minutes.

I am planning on throwing down the WOD on Saturday during the allotted time for competitors at CFW.  I will post an update on here afterwards to let you know how it goes. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Update

So, I promised I would update you on the results of my nutrition appointment.  I will start by saying that it went way better than I could have imagined.

I am okay with letting everyone know that I officially weigh 130.6lbs which means I have gained 10.6lbs since 13months ago.  However, my body fat percentage is 17.5.  I learned a lot about where I store fat and the environmental factors that have the most influence on me.  While I have done a bunch of reading about studies done on other people it was neat to find out what my problem areas are(hamstrings).  I left smiling(I always leave CrossFit smiling...) and ready to tackle WOD2 of the opens the following day.

Which bring me to today.  A few hours ago I completed CrossFit Open WOD #2 which looked like this:

9 Deadlifts(155#/100#)
12 Push-ups(hand-release)
15 Box-Jumps(24"/20")

Besides a little bit of worry about how my hip would hold up(I have only done box-jumps twice in the last 4 months due to a nagging hip injury) I can't say I was too nervous.  I was able to squeeze out 7 Rounds + 9deadlifts + 1 push-up.  As I called for "chuck" while lying on the floor afterwards there was no doubt in my mind that I pushed myself as hard as I could.  While some people had problems with muscle fatigue on the push-ups that was not my problem.  My main issue was my box-jumps as my hips/quads were unbelievably tired from keeping everything tight on my push-ups. 

While I have been somewhat disappointed about the movements chosen for the WODs thus far(for me) I can honestly say I have pushed myself to the brink in all my attempts.  As ridiculous as this sounds I have been beating myself up a bit because my score ranks me somewhat low in the grand scheme of things. However, I have decided I am going to stop that.  I'm not going to lie and say I don't care at all how I place, because I do(everyone does), but instead of focusing on my placement I am going to use this as an opportunity to figure out my weaknesses and start working on them.

I cannot wait to judge some of the competitors tomorrow when they get their chance to face off against this WOD.  Like I've said before, the only thing better than pushing yourself to the brink is watching other people do it. Good luck everyone!

Confession

I have been eating about 95% paleo/clean/whole30(whatever you want to call it) for over a year now.  A few months ago my husband suggested we try being 100% paleo for 30 days.  I started to recruit others to come on board for our challenge and it actually ended up turning into a competition at the gym.  Everyone put money in and went for a nutrition consultation to measure (among other things) their body fat percentage.   Well, actually, not everyone.  While I committed to my 30 days I never made an appointment to get official measurements done.

I have started to feel a bit like a fraud when discussing my eating habits with people because I have no official proof that eating the way I do is beneficial. So, I have bit the bullet and today I am getting my body fat measured.  While I have lots of personal evidence(my performance has improved, I have more energy and I like looking at myself in the mirror) I feel like in order to validate what I tell others I need an official measurment.  However, I am pretty nervous.

In particular I am scared to stand on the scale because the last time I did I weighed 9 pounds more than I did a year ago and I am almost positive it has gone up. While I have posted on here before and tell people all the time that I love my new muscles when I see the number on the scale I don't like them quite as much.  I'm not sure why it matters so much.  Why can I face workouts every week that scare other people but then hide from my scale?  Shouldn't I concentrate on how I look and feel instead of a number?

After my appointment today I'll post an update on how I feel afterward.  My mental attitude towards weight has been evolving. Obviously it still needs some work though.

The Sport of CrossFit

I played a few sports when I was younger but I would never have considered myself an athlete.  Nonetheless, my competitive side would always find a way to come out and I sometimes think that part of what attracts me to politics is the idea of beating someone else.   When I found CrossFit though I finally knew that I had found my "sport."

Like most sports having fans or a cheering section is part of the experience.  So today seeing people line up along the side of the gym to watch was exciting.  I have to say that while I have a blast competing myself I also enjoy getting the chance to watch other people compete. Being there to push people to pick up the bar one more time or overcome the frustration of a failed double-under is amazing.  I get the same feeling watching a CrossFit Competition that I get watching a Giants game.

Another component of sports is judging.  While exhilarating, judging can also be hard.  Having been on both sides of a no-rep call I can tell you it sucks.   However it is something as an athlete you have to move past and as a judge you need to not be scared of doing.  Unfortunately you don't always make the catch or win the game and sometimes you do get called on a penalty.  That is part of why we practice, to make sure that the muscle memory is there.

The last thing I want to touch on is being part of a team. While CrossFit is not technically a team sport there is a team component in the games.   Also, whenever I step into CFW I feel like I am part of a team.  We all push one another to go faster and lift more.  When another person PR's or succeeds in something I feel like PR'd too just being seeing or hearing about it.

So, check it out.  Have you been wanting to try a new sport? If so, try CrossFit!

Vanity

Todays post is about workout clothes.  This does not mean I am going to ramble on about how my butt looks good in a pair of Lululemon pants(seriously people?).  Instead it is about how what you wear to the gym can give you a boost during your workout(no, I don't have any scientific facts- just experience).  The reason I decided to write about this is because I often hear from some of the ladies at the gym say that part of the reason they like CrossFit is because the women don't care how they look.  I normally smile and nod because I agree...but only to a certain extent.

I believe that as the clock counts down or as you grip the bar for a heavy lift all thoughts of how you look go out the window.  After all, who cares if you have to make "the ugly face" while going for a 1RM Press?  However, I also think that how you feel about yourself going into a workout can affect your performance.  I have noticed that the better I look, the better I feel and therefore the better I do in my WOD that day.  So, if you're like me and wearing a cute outfit makes you feel good then go for it!    My guess is that other female crossfitters feel the same way(has anyone looked at pictures of the top games competitors?).  Let me know if you agree/disagree.

Oddly enough another blog I follow posted a link that relates to this topic.  The website below posts a new outfit daily that matches up different pieces of workout gear to make functional and cute CrossFit outfits.

Warning: If you have a shopping problem do not click the link below.
Cute CrossFit Outfits

The Perfect Pair of Jeans

Yesterday was competition day. It was the first WOD in a 6 week process to qualify for Canada West Regionals.  Throughout the day my mind overflowed with new ideas I wanted to share with everyone.  Then today was a somewhat perfect day (a 5k run and brunch with friends) that once again left me with SO MANY thoughts swirling around.  However, I have narrowed all my ideas down to one thing to share for today.  I want to talk about jeans, strong vs. skinny, and body image in general.

I am sure I have spoken with many of you about my struggle with body image.  This takes a lot to admit but on occasion I find myself looking longingly at pictures of bikini models.   There are so many other female crossfitters that have written about exactly what I am about to write about but it never hurts to add to the discussion.

A little background information: I was always 'skinny fat.'  I ran a lot, counted calories, and drove my husband nuts with my scale obsession(well, that part probably still hasn't changed).  Looking back I realize that while I could fit into a size0 I couldn't lift more than a 5# dumbbell.  Around that time I started CrossFit which brings me to where I am now.

The other day I sat down on my bed after trying desperately to squeeze my legs into my jeans.  I knew it was a moment that had been bound to happen eventually(I have read about it and I have been told about it) but it was something I had secretly been dreading.  My initial reaction was to lock myself in my bedroom until I could fit back into them(ridiculous, I know).  Then, I focused my thoughts on the things I can do now with my legs that I couldn't before.  So, I am going to attempt to enjoy the experience of having to get my jeans tailored (smaller waist, bigger legs!) instead of fear it.  After all, when you put on a pair of jeans you should feel fabulous not flawed.

You see, CrossFit has changed me drastically. Physically, I am no longer 'skinny fat' and when I catch glimpses of myself in the mirror I smile when I see the outline of muscles I've never seen before.   Mentally, my idea of what makes a woman attractive has also changed for the most part(like I said, I still look at pictures of bikini models occasionally).   I often think about my old fitness goals: to stay a size0, get rid of my 'belly fat,' and 'tone' my muscles.   Then I compare them to my new goals: to back-squat more, get a faster Fran time, and learn how to do a free-standing handstand push-up. While my old goals sometimes come creeping back(mostly when I flip through a magazine) I am lucky to have women in my life who have been there and understand as well as a husband who loves the way I look.

What are your goals? What do you find attractive?  Has CrossFit changed you?

Intervention

Recently I have found myself in conversation with quite a few people at the gym in regards to nutrition.  At CFW we recently finished a nutrition challenge during which there were some amazing results!  However what I heard from everyone I spoke with regardless of if they finished their 30 days a few months or recently was that they had fallen off the wagon.  I am using today's post as an INTERVENTION and let you know that slipping up is OKAY! 

Think about the last time you were at the gym and you missed the last rep in a set of pullups.  Did you quit afterwards? If you were at CFW I can guarantee you didn't.  Instead you probably shook it off, gripped the bar, and redid the rep.  Slipping up with eating shouldn't be any different.

I will admit that eating paleo/whole30 for me is easy as I have the time to spend on cooking and don't have any junk around the house to tempt me.  At the same time I fall off the wagon sometimes too(even though some of you don't believe me I swear it happens!)  When I do fall off the wagon though I don't stress about.  Instead I enjoy whatever it was I ate and then move on.  Even if you have been off the wagon for a couple of months it is never too late to hop back on.  Just keep remembering how great you felt after your first couple of weeks of clean eating.

If you are struggling with recipes, social gatherings, finding the time to cook, or need someone to check-up on you periodically to see how your doing then let me know.  I am more than willing to be someones paleo-friend!  Also, keep checking back because I plan on discussing nutrition much more on here and I know Tania is planning on holding a nutrition class at CFW sometime in the near future.

For now I will leave you with 5 tips for eating paleo:

1. Always keep a bag of frozen spinach in your freezer.   I recommend the Europes Best brand because it comes in handy little cubes.  Trying adding a couple cubes into whatever dish you are making that day, it doesn't get easier than that.
2. If you are struggling with finding a fast on-the-go breakfast try Egg Cupcakes. They are essentially little pre-made omelets in muffin tins and you can find the recipe here.  Keep in mind you can add whatever meat and veggies that you want-get creative!
3. Try and schedule a couple hours per week to do some prep/cooking(even an hour will do!). In an hour I can prepare 2-3 meals.  During the hour I will make a pot of soup, pre-cut some veggies, and throw some meat(pork chops, chicken thighs) and either a sweet potato or squash in the oven.  This will get you a few meals for later in the week so you have a few stress free evenings.
4. Get your friends on the bandwagon.  Explain to them what you're doing and try to get them to sign up too.  Even if you can't get them to try out your new lifestyle then at least ask them to be supportive. After all, any friend who will make you feel guilty for not eating dessert is not a true friend.  You often hear that "misery loves company" but I've discovered that "bad eaters love company" too.  
5. If you find yourself really craving something sweet then make yourself a cup of herbal tea(I can give you a few good recommendations).

Muscle-Up

The first couple hours of my morning today were awful.  I won't get into the details but I will tell you that it was definitely one of the worst starts to a day I have had in a while. However, once I got into CFW and did some rowing and jumping rope the endorphins hit me and I felt much better.

I continued with my day but couldn't shake a feeling that I should go back to do some skill work.  So I drove back to CFW and worked on my deadlift for a while before deciding on a whim to move onto to muscle-up progression.  I started by working on the transition and then decided to raise the rings and work on jumping into the transition.  After a while I began working on the initial pull and then just for kicks I decided to try the pull followed by the transition.  To my surprise it came easily and I was suddenly in position for a ring dip.  I hung there for a few seconds in shock and then couldn't finish it and jumped off the rings frustrated.  At that moment I knew I could get a muscle-up today.  I waited a few minutes and then gripped the rings, pulled, transitioned and worked to lock it out.  There were a few dreaded seconds during which my elbows were still bent and I could hear everyone yelling at me as I struggled. Then suddenly my arms were locked out and I realized I had just completed my first muscle-up!!!  As I jumped down I was overwhelmed by a whirlwind of emotions and found myself with tears of joy welling up in my eyes.

I have been trying to get a muscle-up for a while.  I worked on them a couple of months ago with Brendan(one of the most knowledgeable CF coaches I know) and learned a few progressions that I practiced whenever I had time.  Then I almost got one a few weeks ago when working on them with Tania(the owner of CFW and someone I admire). Since then there have been multiple days when I woke up and went to the gym with my sole purpose and goal being to get a muscle-up only to fail.  The odd thing about today was that getting a muscle-up was the last thing on my mind until right before I actually did one.  I suppose it just proves the old saying that things happen when you least expect them too.

It has been a few hours since I got my muscle-up and I am still on an emotional high. All I want to do is more muscle-ups!!  One of the things that excites me most is that I am certain over the next month or so there will be a few more ladies at CFW making it into the muscle-up club on the whiteboard. So, ready ladies? Who is next? 3, 2, 1 GO!

One Week

There is officially one week between me and my first CrossFit Open WOD.  The workout gets announced this Tuesday(7PM!) and then I will be heading to CFW to perform it on Saturday.

It didn't really hit me that I was actually competing until recently.  Oddly enough it clicked in right in the middle of a workout as I was about to pick up the barbell to do a heavy thruster.  Suddenly I felt nervous, excited and really good about my performance going in.

I have had a great week of workouts and feel stronger than ever.  There are a few movements that might come up that make me a bit nervous but there are also lots of things that might come up that I am hoping for.  I know I keep telling people that I'm just doing it for fun and that I don't expect anything but that isn't completely true. I do expect something.  I want to be able to give 100 percent in every WOD and be happy with the score I submit each week.

I know the workouts will be fun no matter what because of the community.  In fact, what I am more excited about than the actual workouts is getting to participate in them with friends.  As a competitive person I have sometimes found it hard to balance friendship and competition. However, at CFW things are different and I often find myself cheering for others to beat my score/time.  I cannot wait to compete alongside the people at CFW and I am expecting to see some exceptional performances over the next few weeks.

So, get ready everyone! The time is almost here!

Row, Row, Row Your....C2?

I had originally intended to come on here and complain about todays WOD which was a 3000m row.  I was going to let you know how much I dislike rowing and how hard I find it to push myself during a long row.

However, today I changed up my routine.  I know that negativity leads to negative results so(while I may have complained a little-oops!) I tried to focus on how much my rowing has improved lately.  Then, I secretly set an optimistic goal of just under a 2:10(per 500m) pace.

Guess what? I was able to hold my pace and actually do better than expected with an average pace of 2:08ish and a final time of 12:51.4ish(can't remember exactly).  Even more important I felt GOOD after I was finished. Well, I suppose the word good is all relative.

So, my advice is- the next time you face a WOD that scares you confront it with a postive attitude.   Trust me, you will feel much better before, during and after.

Winning and Losing

First let me clear something up.  Contrary to the use of the word winning in this post it has nothing to do with Charlie Sheen.  Instead it is about the battles that we, as crossfitters, face every time we step into the gym.


The workout today started with Overhead Squats.  The OHS is my favorite of the squats because it is complex and relies on so much more than just leg strength.  In fact, if you have ever done an OHS you will never forget how focused you were, the feeling of the bar overhead, and what it was like when you hit depth and stood back up. Now that you are imagining that feeling you will know how happy I am when I tell you that today I hit a PR(100#) with a surprisingly easy-feeling OHS.  To put it another way, I won the battle.


It wasn't long though before I was fighting my next battle.  This time it was with Double-Unders and I lost.  I will spare you the gory details but I will tell you it was ugly and not fun.  After nursing my wounds(literally and figuratively) I decided that instead of being negative and sulking I am going to force myself to concentrate on the good.  So, for tonight, I am going to be happy about my PR and not think about DU's until tomorrow (practice makes perfect).


Being negative will never help me(or anyone else) improve and so I'm not going to waste my time on it.  Think about something you accomplished today and smile about it. 

Power Foods

I plan on eventually writing a post about the importance of diet. For now though I wanted to share with everyone my two "power foods."  Hopefully these will be useful to those who are just beginning to clean up their diet as well as those stuck in a 'diet rut'.

First I want to share with you the Scotch Egg.  Many of you reading this have probably seen me around the gym eating a softball shaped object.  Well, that my friends is actually an egg covered in meat-does it get any better?! Unfortunately I cannot take any of the credit so to find the recipe check out The Clothes Make The Girl.  I will tell you that the seasoning I use is a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, sea salt, mustard powder, and ginger.

You have also probably seen me eating "weird leathery things."  Those are in fact Sweet Potato Chews and are so unbelievably delicious.  Once again I am not the mastermind behind this amazing creation but rather found it on The Whole Nine website.  Warning: These are so good I once ate an entire tray.  Keep in mind that over-indulging, even if it is with something healthy, is not a great idea.

Time for a challenge.  Go to the store, buy the ingredients for one of these recipes(or another you find over at either of the links) and experiment with it this weekend.   They are both so simple to make that I don't want any excuses about "not having the time."  Also, your tastebuds will be thankful you did, trust me.

'Jackie'

A few days ago when Brendan sent out the email to all the coachs telling us that on Wednesday we would be doing 'Jackie' I cringed.  Not because any of the movements particularly scare me(1000m row, 50thrusters @ 45#, 30 pull-ups) but because the thought of failing scares me. 

Wednesday morning I arrived to do the workout at 9am.  On the way to the gym I stopped at 7-11 to get a healthy dose of caffeine in hopes it would boost my performance(if you have never tried this before I suggest you play around with it a bit as it can be helpful).  As I pulled in the parking lot I started to get butterflies.  I knew as soon as I walked into the gym I would have to look at the board and see what the times were already for that day.  There are alot of firebreathers in the 6am crew and I knew as soon as I saw their times my mindset would completely change. Sure enough I looked at the board and saw that the previous top time(10 something) had been crushed with times of 9:22 and 9:48.  So, I revamped my goal and decided I wanted to be sub-10.

A litte background:

• Rowing has been something I have struggled with for the last few months but recently thanks to some coaching tips(thanks B!) I have been becoming more comfortable with it.  I did a warm up 1000m row at 60% effort and finished in 4:22 which is pretty decent. 
• Thrusters are something I have grown to like and while 45# is still fairly heavy for me my goal was to do them fast. 
• Lastly, pull-ups are one of my favorite things and I knew once I got to the pull-up bar I would be able to do them fairly quickly.

Strategizing is a good idea but I find that for some reason my plan always changes after hearing "3, 2, 1, GO!"  and today was no different.  As I began my row I realized I had started way too fast and while I wasn't tired yet I knew if I kept too fast a pace I would be tired when I got to the thrusters. So I slowed it down a bit(ended just under 4:13) and concentrated on my breathing.  The thrusters proved to be difficult, just as I thought they would be, but the first few reps felt fast.  I heard Anthony and B yelling at me but I can never quite comprehend exactly what people are saying to me when I'm in the middle of the workout.  When I got to the pull-ups they were fast, but they could have been faster.  As I went for my last rep I missed it and had to jump up and re-do it.

After I collapsed in a sweaty mess on the floor Anthony told me my time was 9:49(sub-10 woohoo!).  However, I would be lying if I didnt confess that a tiny part of me wasn't dissapointed. I couldn't help thinking that if I hadn't missed my last pull-up I would have been a few seconds faster(in CrossFit every secound counts!)

If you're still reading(I know, it's a long post!), I'll leave you with 2 thoughts from today:

1. I checked my old time(from May 2010) for 'Jackie' from when I still needed to use a band for pull-ups and saw that I had beaten it by nearly 4 minutes.  This is truly when I realized that while I will never stop comparing myself to others that sometimes you are your own best competition. I want anyone who is reading this and hoping to be able to RX a workout one day to know that I have been there too.  I've used a band, I've scaled weight, and I've gotten faster because of it.  Just keep working on weaknesses, having fun, and giving 100% every time you step in the gym. If you do all those thing eventually you will reach your goals and I hope I'm lucky enough to be there when you do!
2. The women at CFW are a group of fierce competitors.  Like I said above, before today the best womens time on the board for Jackie was in the 10minute range.  Today(before 9am) 3 people had already beaten it and I am positive that as the day progresses the trend will continue.  I am willing to bet that by the end of the day there isn't a single previous time still left on the board(In fact, I am skeptical that even my time ends up making the cut). It is truly inspiring to be in the presence of such strong women.  When I think about the group of women at CFW I cannot help but smile.  So,  if any of you read this I want you to know how lucky I feel to share a 'home' with you.

If These Walls Could Talk...

One year ago today I walked into a CrossFit gym for the first time.  I didn’t know it at the time but from that day forward my life would never be the same.  After a year of working out in my basement my husband had finally convinced me to give CrossFit a try.

A few days before starting we received an email detailing what to expect from the on-ramp program as well as a nutrition guide. As I read through the information I started to get that nervous/excited feeling (you know the one you get before you go on a roller-coaster ride).  The morning of my first on-ramp class I was so excited I jumped out of bed at 4am.  Class didn’t start until 6 but I didn’t want to be late so we arrived at 5:30 and sat in the parking lots for 20minutes before anyone else arrived to let us in.  When we were inside I looked around at the facility and couldn’t help feeling that it looked so empty.

As class began we learned some basic movements that we needed to know for the workout we would be doing that day. As Baseline (500m row, 40 squats, 30 sit-ups, 20 push-ups & 10 ring-rows) was written on the whiteboard I remember thinking how easy it seemed. I was starting to become skeptical of the blogs I had read where people had commented that their first CrossFit workout had left them in a puddle of sweat on the floor.  A little over 7 minutes later I had a completely different outlook.

As I finished my last ring row I collapsed on a blue mat, I was coughing and the taste of iron was in the back of my throat.   Looking back on that day what I remember most was not the feeling of exhaustion afterwards but rather the people.  I can still remember my 2 coaches that day cheering me on during the row, I can hear the ‘6AMers’ calling from the other side of the gym “keeping pushing on-rampers,” and I can still see the looks of understanding from the 7am regulars as I began the slow process of peeling myself off the floor afterwards.

The last year has turned out to be one of the best years of my life.  Not only am I in better shape than ever but being a crossfitter has allowed me to become a better person all around.   In fact, the benefits of CrossFit are something I could write about for pages (and I plan to through this blog). For today though I just want to say one thing-Thank You.

Thank you to the coaches who corrected me when my technique was bad and taught me proper form.  Thank you to the people I have met who have cheered me on through my last few reps. Thank you to those that are constantly one step ahead of me or one step behind me making me push harder. Most importantly, thank you to the friends I have made (actually, the family I have formed) at CFW. 

When I walked in the gym this morning at 5:15(I am still always early) the gym no longer looked empty like it did the first day I showed up.  Instead it looked like a place that was full of possibilities. Later as I was coaching I saw people pushing themselves, fighting for that extra inch on their squat depth or that extra pound to get a PR.  Watching as others achieve things they never thought possible is an indescribable feeling.  However, I am certain that if the walls could talk they would be able to easily sum up the triumphs and failures of the members, the community that has formed at CFW, and the benefits of CrossFit in general.