The CrossFit Chronicles @crossfitchronicles-blog - Tumblr Blog

Physical Strength vs Mental Strength.

I'm not sure what upset me more when I went back to CrossFit this week. I don't know if it was the fact my body had lost its strength or if it was the fact my mind had lost its strength too. Beyond that, one of the coaches, who I've met before came up to me and introduced himself like I was a noob. Told me he'd never seen me there before. If that's the case, how come I know you? I realise he has a lot of names to learn and faces to remember but come on. I'm not gonna lie, it hurt. Enough bitching about that - back to the point. I knew my body wasn't in the shape that it had been when I was going regularly months (and months) ago. I was prepared for that. Or I thought I was. I didn't know my lungs would relapse and go back to the crappy little things they used to be. I thought maybe they would have retained something. I thought I was breathing better... And then I tried to do a workout and my chest hurt on the inside, right where it used to. I had to go slower than I wanted and it just aggravated me. Yesterday was basically a running WOD. Now if you ask anyone else in the box they're going to talk about the walk backs. Which for those who don't know, as I didn't its basically a handstand. But instead of flinging your body down and kicking your legs up so your back is to the wall, you're going to put your feet on the wall and move yourself back until your stomach touches. They suck, I'm not going to sugar coat that one. But for me, nothing sucks more than running. The first round was a 500m run. Now I knew I would have to jog it. I KNEW that. I knew people were going to jet out the gates because they're really competitive and that I would never be able to keep up with them. I KNEW that, and I was fine. What was not fine was nearly dying after only 500m. I really had trouble. And that's when it hit me. I wasn't really concerned about the fact that I was no doubt going to be last. Whatever, been there done that. What bothered me, and still bothers me is that I found myself saying, it's okay to DNF this thing. You don't HAVE to do this. Where on earth did that attitude come from? When did my mental stamina turn to mush? It really upset me. And I forced myself to finish. I mean, I didn't run the next 750m I was meant to run, I did a 250 brisk walk. I definitely didn't run the 1k I was meant to run, I did another 500m slow ass jog. But I did the walk backs as best I could without falling on my head and I beasted through those sit ups no problem. I know my physical strength will come back, but I was and still am worried about my mental strength. All in all, I had to be minutely proud of myself because including the warm up and my jog to the box, I probably ran about 2.5k. On a completely other note. My job has been stressful lately. I won't get into it because I'm trying to be more positive on the internet lately, particularly pertaining to my current place of employment. When I went back on Tuesday I wondered aloud if I would be less stressed and less hateful if I returned to the box regularly and had somewhere to blow off some steam. Moral of the story, yes. It is working. Thank god. Also, goal for the year, build my mental fortitude back up. I don't want a quitter's mentality ever again. -Age

An Update As Promised

Alright so first things first. Jon ended up doing the fundamentals class the same way we did, which I read back over recently (because I like to stalk myself and my writing) and remembered exactly how terrible it was. And because I won't assume that you remember how Ris and I did our fundamental classes, I'll remind you. Somehow Derek convinced us that he could do the first two classes in the span of one class. Which basically meant a million and one squats, and me not being able to walk later after I had watched Ris beast through these squats no problem with her awesome spinning toned legs. So, Jon got stuck doing the same thing. It also consists of learning the basic lift forms and that stuff. The second class consists of the more olympic-type lifts. The point is, he tried to tell me I didn't get how much pain he was in. He tried to convince me that he was hurting different from how I was hurting because he had to do these classes all bunched up together and then do a (short - not even a full length) WOD after. I told him more than once that I knew exactly how he was feeling because, you know, I HAD DONE IT, but he didn't seem like he believed me. On the other side of things though, he really enjoyed it. And I constantly see him squatting down into a deadlift position practicing his form. He loves deadlifts - I do too. And the other, other thing is he isn't intimidated by anyone in the box. The people he ended up working out with were a lot bulkier than him and he said it didn't bother him - That he's used to being the smallest guy in the gym, and, here's the kicker, that he actually thinks he did better than them in the WOD. He said they seemed like they were struggling with the same weight he was pushing around and so he felt triumphant and manly and whatnot. He's gonna start up for reals once he gets a paycheck and can afford it. Let's talk about what happened to me on Wednesday (two days ago). I meant to write this that evening but to be honest, shit happened. And by "shit happened" I mean I took a shower and then had no more energy to do anything but sit on the couch in my towel. I didn't even turn on the TV. I think I was recharging myself so I could go out for a friend's birthday celebration. I went to the box not knowing what the workout was. All day I had been telling myself to check the frikkin page and see what the WOD was but somehow I ran out of time. When I got there and discovered it was a WOD which included running, I almost (ironically) ran home. But I said you know what, conquer the fear, do it. So I did. It was six rounds: 250 m sprint (I just went as fast as my lungs - yes, lungs not legs - could carry me), 10 weighted sit ups and 5 deadlifts. Do all that and then you are rewarded with a 2 minute rest so you can amp yourself up (catch your limited breath) to do it 5 more times. Rounds 1-3 went well. I just went, and I may or may not have been at the back of the pack but I was running, so I felt good about it. Round 4 did not go so well. I considered quitting and writing DNF on the board. But considering I wasn't even doing the Rx weights I convinced myself that even if I had to walk it, I would finish. Round 5 I thought I was going to die. I literally thought I was going to keel over and just die. I stopped running long enough for someone to pass me and tell me to get back to running, that I could do it. Round 6 I just wanted to puke. I really just felt something building up inside of me and I thought "if I puke, maybe I'll feel better". I didn't puke and I didn't feel better. But I did finish and what's more, I didn't finish last. Moral of the story? I'm not sure that there is one beyond CrossFit allows you do things you never thought you would be able to do. Like run 2.25km in one day, in under an hour. It may not have been consecutively, but it happened. And for that I am proud. Toodles. -Age

She. Is. ALIVE!!!

Sorry, sorry, life just kinda got in the way and I neglected this site. But I'm alive and well. So, i too took a hiatus from crossfit for the summer, for about a month and a half. I went back in August (I think), and I've been taking it pretty seriously ever since. After reading Age's 'Things that irk me' post - which was brilliant - I thought I'd drop something similar, but not as funny. Things that you don't expect to happen: you join crossfit to drop a few pounds, or bulk up a bit, but alot changes mentally that you probably won't expect...

You become immune to sweat spots - in any other gym in the world you would not only be squeamish about a human outline of sweat on the floor, you'd also complain to the management. In crossfit, when your class immediately follows another, you quickly stop caring about the sweat stain, it will only be a matter of minutes before you are contributing to it.

You lose an unGodly amount of sweat - and I mean unGodly. There will be so much sweat your eyes will burn, and you won't care, all you'd be thinking is "one more rep".

It stops being about what you look like, and more about what you can do - mentally you switch up completely. You stop watching for definition to show, and by the time it does show you'll hardly notice, because you're now measuring your body through what you can do. RXing pullups, handstand pushups, and double unders, will bring as much pride to you as waking up in the morning and seeing the definition of a 6pack forming. When you start RXing full workouts, deadlift twice your body weight and manage muscle ups, you feel like superman. And the most exciting thing will be, you'll be too focused to notice your body physically change - and when you do look, it will make your week.

Ladies: You stop trying to be cute - I've been to numerous gyms, but I've never seen as much change as I do in the box. They will come with their hair pulled back into the perfect ponytail, their outfit will be sexy, and some of them even dare to wear makeup, and as a result they are restricted. Their makeup will run if they sweat, their hair will fall into their eyes if they move too fast, and those cute little booty shorts will ride up a little too high if they try too hard. I give them a fortnight before they start wearing something less sexy and more practical.

Guys: You stop trying to look bad - the most popular (but not the most practical) sneakers, the latest shorts or pants bought a size bigger for comfort, and (from what I can assume), the wrong underwear. Like the ladies, it doesn't take the men long to figure things out like wearing the correct size clothes enables them to hold onto you better when doing something like double unders, ugly running shows will help your feet survive the workout without limping, and of course, no chaffing. Also, I've noticed that the guys in our box are taking alot to braces; back braces and knee braces in particular - something usually seen as a weakness is worn with pride to prevent unnecessary injury.

You hit level 'Gym Peacock' - a phrase I coined a few years ago in another gym. I noticed that when someone is at a gym long enough, they tend to feel the confidence to wear something more 'to the trend'. As I said, this is in all gyms, but in crossfit the trends are different. For the men it tends to be crossfit shirts, whether they be Reebok, or from another box they attended - they wear these shirts as if its a sign of their dedication to the sport. For the ladies, its closer to trend, right now its yoga wear, so 95% of the ladies that have been in attendence for more than a few months, and have the back muscles to prove it, tend to rock their Lululemons. In my opinion, its something to reinforce the idea that they are in fact ladies, as the the competition and smack talk between the genders can get intense.

Your opinion of beauty changes - this was a big one for me. Being from a solidly built family, and having enough chub on me to make my BMI 'overweight', I wanted to join crossfit as a way to burn some serous calories. I wanted to be skinny, to attain a body size that was pretty much impossible for me, but I thought if i dedicated enough time I could do it, I also kept in mind that I am a mesomorph, so I had to watch how hard I pushed myself or else I'd bulk up. But the more time I spent at the box the more I started to respect a muscular female body, its not as masculine as I first saw it to be; to me now its more proof of what you're capable of. And even though I'm still aware of how much my body is toning (I'm not trying to be the next Thorisdotter), I don't hate the size of my shoulders, or my calves as much as I would have a year ago... The same goes for the men. On saturday a male crossfitter told me how he looked at athletic women differently, and how their weight no longer scares him off like it would have years ago, he said "If she's 135lbs, I'd say 'yeh, she's the weight I can back squat', if she's 185lbs then she's a deadlift". He doesn't know how much he made my day.

You understand why people say 'crossfit is a lifestyle' - it's not because there's a dietary factor in it, or because of all the abbreviations that take forever to learn. Its because of the people. You go there and you feel encouraged, people are genuinely willing to help you and won't watch you struggle. And because of this you are more willing to come again, and again. You quickly become hooked on trying harder in the workouts to achieve better scores,complex moves and heavier weights. And when you get them down you want to show them off and master something new. And while you are there you develop relationships with people - you sweat together, struggle through the wods together, and congratulate each other on another workout done. And one day you'll realise that these people are like family to you, you have seen each other at your best and worst and have never judged (because you looked just as shit), you look forward to seeing them the next day and achieving something new together. This is not something you find often in a gym, people tend to stay to themselves and are unwilling to break their pace to encourage another person, and coldness like that (to me) doesn't encourage you to go back as often, at the end of the day it feels like no one cares if you succeed or fail.

Alright I think thats enough for one post... *whew*. I'll try to update again with something soon - again forgive me. Outside of the box I'm a very lazy person.

Ris Xx

Another Word for Hiatus.

I went back. There was a point when I thought I probably was kidding myself about wanting to go back. I just knew myself and I knew I am terrible with long term commitments. But somehow, through all of my other commitments and illnesses and (let's be honest here) excuses, I actually went back. It's been two days. I went back on Monday. I texted Ris yesterday explaining how I forgot what it was like to hurt the day after a workout. It's true. I had completely forgotten. I'm not sure how I forgot because that's a lot of what CrossFit is - pushing through the pain and getting stronger. But somehow, it slipped my memory. She told me to wait until tomorrow - today. Cuz it's always worse the second day after. We all know that. Surprisingly, I'm not hurting nearly as much as I thought I would. It is difficult to put on a jacket though. And since it is raining and crappy weather out, I am in an unfortunate need of a jacket. Today I go back again. I go back 15lbs lighter than when I started this time last year. Not from CrossFit mind you - I've been dieting like a crazy person for nearly two months now. And I think I lost muscle mass too. So I'm going back lighter, quite probably weaker and more determined than ever to get myself into the shape I want to be. I'm not into being complacent anymore. And I think over this past year, that is what CrossFit has taught me the most - if you want it, work for it. ... Cuz you don't get to a 200lb deadlift by chance. Today is another milestone day. I have convinced my boyfriend that he will enjoy CrossFit and he goes today for his first introductory class. Updates on that will surely follow. I'm pretty sure he won't be in nearly as much pain as Ris and I were in during our intro classes where we did about 5 million squats and I had trouble walking for the entire weekend following that adventure... But! I am hoping (maybe sadistically) that he hurts just enough to make him groan when he sits or stands. If only so he knows I've not been over reacting for a year. Toodles. -Age

Things That Irk Me at the Box

Alright, so this week we both went back to the box. We had a week hiatus (maybe a little longer for me) and went back with full enthusiasm (okay, that might be an exaggeration). My membership was up and I decided to go with the one month membership instead of the 10 class pass knowing that June is going to be a busy month for me. I am determined to get back to the box on a regular basis so I'm using the extra money I paid as yet another reason to go. With that, yesterday sparked an idea for an interesting blog post (or at least I hope it's interesting). An interesting idea is what I have been lacking and that's the reason for the lack of writing I've been doing. And so, without further ado, I present (in no particular order): Things That Irk Me at the Box. 1) That one PVC bar which doesn't have the cap on the end. 2) People who use too much chalk and get it everywhere. Then inevitably, on the worst chalk days, we have to roll around on the ground for whatever reason. 3) People who don't understand that not everyone is built the same. I have asthma. It's no joke. I try really hard not to use it as a crutch. When you're like okay we're just going to run, or okay just lift that 105 bar without stopping, it makes me feel a little violent. I would love to switch lungs with you so you can comprehend what I deal with on a daily basis here. 4) Eager Beavers. I understand you really want to learn the kipping pull up (and now after you've been irking me for a few months, you've actually gotten it down, congrats on that), but I honestly do not appreciate you coming in before the end of my class and using the rig as your personal jungle gym, leaping around, throwing your feet everywhere and making a whole pile of noise. People can do pull ups, I'm sure its exciting when you can actually do it using only your own strength, but I'm sorry to break it to you, you're not special. Sit the fuck down and wait for my class to finish. 5) People who can't manage to courteously put away their bars and/or their kettlebells. I know it's easier to put the bar in the slot closest to us, but how the fuck would you like me to get my bar in there after you've blocked a slot? Take the minimal extra effort, and use your giant CrossFit sculpted shoulders to hold your bar up a little longer and put it in the sensible slot. And as far as kettlebells go, can you PLEASE put the like-weighted bells together? There's a system people, use it. Then I don't have to waste 5 minutes trying to find the last frigging 35lb bell because you decided it should live with the girt bells. 6) The fact I don't have a six-pack yet. This one is in there for you, Ris. We (well, you) go religiously 4 times, sometimes 5 times every week, push ourselves (yourself) more every time and still the definition we (you) want isn't there. What gives? 7) Runners. I think this only irks me because I'm jealous. Sometimes I wish I could be a runner, because honestly, you never see any overweight people who tell you they get up at 5am and go for a run. My physiotherapist told me the other day I would never be a runner at that has put my head at ease a little. The fact is though, I dread that 500 or 750m run every day I go, and you rush out of the gates like its a race and come back looking fresh and revitalized and I look like an asthmatic mess. 8) Skinny bitches. Nuff said. 9) People who leave a sweat angel (it's just about as glorious as it sounds... ew) and then make no effort to do something about it. There's a mop - not that I think its completely sanitary, but it makes me a feel a little better. 10) When I'm so gross that I leave a sweat angel. 11) People who don't get as gross as me and look just as good after the workout as they did before. These may also be the same people as the skinny bitches. (Who, to clarify, aren't actually bitches, they're really nice, but they're skinny, so, 2 points against them.) I think that's everything. If it's not, I'll edit this and add stuff on. Or maybe later there will be enough more irksome things to make a second post about it. TTFN -Age

Miracle Cures

Every weekday morning around 10 minutes to 9am I get into the company van and I set off on my short drive to work. Somehow, at that exact time every day, the radio station owned by the company I work for (and conveniently generally listen to) happens to have an interview with someone or another and I end up sucked into these conversations. Sometimes the interviews are seamless, like easy conversation between friends. Sometimes, unfortunately, its more like going to the dentist. Dreadful and painful. "Pulling teeth" doesn't even begin to describe some of these interviews. It's not the DJ's fault either. These people know they are coming on the radio, the companies they represent know they are coming on the radio, and they still don't animate themselves, they still send the dullest people. Back to the point. At least once a week I'd say the morning DJ has this one company come in for an interview. Now granted, they pay for the air time, so it's their prerogative if they wanna blow up the airwaves. But these women... Every time they're on... They seem so... Happy. They talk about these ways of cleaning out the toxins in your system. Easy fixes. (Expensive, but easy nonetheless.) They talk about this miracle beverage. This therapy, that therapy... And the conversation is effortless. They believe what they're saying, you can tell without seeing them. I think if you asked me about CrossFit on the radio I might be the same way. I don't really have anything bad to say about it. Last week I didn't go to the gym once. Not once. And the only bad thing I have to say about CrossFit really, is this: when I don't go, I feel like crap. I committed to help out with something which was happening in the evenings, and there was no time for anything but that last week. This week, it's in full swing, everything is more organised and I can take my designated time out to workout again, thank god. These women who come on the morning radio show talk about how when people start drinking this miracle beverage they feel so much better, everything, mind, body, soul, it all falls into place. They're waking up feeling rested - having not known what being well rested really was until that point. And lastly, they realize without this miracle beverage they feel a little irritable, they feel sluggish, and a bunch of other negative things. That's how I was last week. I felt exhausted, I felt fat, I felt irritable, I felt lazy... And all of it was topped off with my lack of desire to eat well. I don't even want to face the scale for fear I really did do myself in a bit. I went back yesterday and today though I ache in my usual way the day after a workout, I feel so much better. It may not be as easy as drinking a miracle beverage every morning, but you'll be hard-pressed to find a day when I don't recommend CrossFit to anyone who cares to listen. -Age

Kicking Ass and Being Brought to My Knees (literally)

I've committed to doing quite a few more things than usual lately, and it all seems to be culminating right NOW. I think I'm so used to not being busy that I've just been saying yes to anything I actually want to do. Recently, the things I want to do has increased. I don't know why, but it has. Something is going to have to give, because I can't do them all at once. I'm not about double booking and bailing at the last minute. Gonna have to sort that out.

My point is, (and amazingly there is a point) is that through all of this busy-ness, I have never once thought I should cut out my daily workouts to make more time to do these other things. So. I went on Monday. And as per usual I underestimated the workout. Initially, I was confused because the website had the workout strangely worded. When I got to the box I understood it, and somehow thought it would be okay. And I guess it was, but I think somehow I manage to block out the memory of wanting to die during these workouts, and I therefore keep going back for more abuse. I believe there is a term for someone like me. I'll give you a hint, it starts with "maso" and ends in "chist". So the WOD was 5, 3 minute AMRAP rounds with a minute break in between each round: 3 Thrusters 6 Box Jumps (which are now step ups because my physiotherapist said so) 9 KBSs The first round I kicked ass and finished 54 reps, or, each set of movements 3 times. The second round I was about 6 KBSs away from 3 rounds, the next two I got 41 reps and the last I got 42. Whatever the math is on that, I know it added up to 230 - a number I thought impossible when I looked at the board at the beginning of class to gauge where I should be. Now, I know my physiotherapist said I can't do the box jumps as jumps, and I had to step up because of my wiggly pelvis, but I do feel like I cheated a little - despite those step ups still hurting my knee towards the end. I also felt like I cheated because I can't (yet) squat as low as I'm supposed to in the thrusters. However, I pushed as hard as I could and do not feel as though I could have gotten any more reps in at any point in the WOD, which is a new feeling. And I feel even better about it, (I'm going to apologise in advance for this Ris, I'm sorry) because I kicked Ris's ass in reps. Which never happens. I attribute this to three things. 1) my shitty squats or lack thereof 2) my step ups vs her box jumps onto the Rx box 3) the fact she HATES KBSs I've been basking in this glory for two days now, and tonight I'm sure my basking will be cut short due to the F#!@?$ up WOD today. Walking lunges and running. Can you rent oxygen tanks? Or can I borrow someone else's knees for an hour? Because I think I'm going to need both today. I'll just have to go with my latest motto, "go til it hurts". F*!$%^& walking lunges. My knees AND hips hate those. Just gonna bend my knee til it starts yelling and then go to the next step. I can't overthink this before I even get in there. Gonna attempt to get rid of the negativity... or at least try to shrink the pessimism. -Age

I Got the "OKAY" To Go Ahead

I went to physio this week. I had been holding off writing another post until I got the okay to continue CrossFitting my life away. I was seriously worried she was gonna tell me it was a terrible idea and why on earth would I ever think CrossFit was a good thing or that my body would ever be capable of withstanding that which CrossFit throws at it. But she didn't. In fact, for the first time in a long time, I didn't hear a condescending tone in her voice. I felt at ease - she was just there to fix my knee and she didn't think I was a lazy fat girl who only came to her when I was severely broken from being a lazy fat girl. She applauded (in as much as a physiotherapist is going to applaud when she's used to dealing with the likes of the national rugby team) my effort to get fit, and mentioned quite a few times that I'm hyper-flexible. Who knew. Apparently being hyper-flexible isn't that exciting for me though. Yea so I can touch my toes no problem (the minute I can't touch my toes I know I've done something incredibly wrong, let's hope it never gets to that point), and apparently I can shake my hips with finesse in salsa like a champ... but when it comes to doing box jumps above 14 inches, my pelvis is too wiggly and we're gonna have to hold off on that (thank god I have an excuse!). I went to the box 3 times this week, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. On Tuesday I went to do my normal duties at the dance school I go to, as well as participate in the start of the bachata and salsa choreography routines for the big show in the summer. Bachata was great, it's a good group of people and I like who I managed to get partnered with. We'll see if I get to stick with him - I think we'd look great on stage together. But I digress! After that hour I spent the 30 minute break between classes busily swiping people's credit cards for various classes. The beginning of term is always busy. Shit... I digress again! The salsa routine is an intermediate/advanced routine, which I am uber pumped to be able to be a part of. No one [looked like they] questioned my being there. And I didn't question it either. But it meant doing something a little new to me, hustle. For an hour and a half. If you think that's funny, if you think, "meh, that ain't a workout like CrossFit is a workout" I challenge you to hustle for an hour and a half. Then get back to me. On Wednesday the workout was: 10 min AMRAP. 10 Push Ups 15 Sit Ups 20 Walking Lunge Steps When Ris and I started this CrossFit adventure, both of us were hungry for information. We searched and read blogs to try to go into this with as much knowledge as we could. I sat down and read probably about 2.5 - 3 years' worth of blog from this one woman who said although she was improving all over the board, her push ups still sucked. I'm gonna have to concur there. I felt those push ups yesterday. I had done 60 of them. Yesterday the workout was: For time. 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 Wall Balls Burpees Double Unders. The day burpees and I are friends is the day I no longer need to CrossFit. Maybe my burpees will improve when my push ups improve and I'm not snaking my way up into a plank position or dropping my lower half before my chest hits the ground. Until that point (and likely well beyond that point), however, I will loathe burpees, pretty sure. This morning I was awake but my body was not prepared to lift me away from my mattress. I hit snooze for 40 minutes. I just wanted to lay there until my muscles weren't sad any more. And at the same time I wanted to get up and stretch and feel the pain everywhere. I worked hard this week. The pain in my muscles can confirm that. Lastly, (cuz this post has already gone on far too long) I took my third comparison picture this past Sunday. It's a little delinquent, I'll admit, but with this sort of thing, that's probably the way to go. The longer you wait the more distinct difference you're going to see. I've got a little side by side comparison and I think everyone I proudly showed it to (so I could make sure I wasn't going crazy/imagining weight loss/trying to stay positive about killing myself weekly so I would continue going) had a hard time disputing there was a difference. I've lost inches in my natural waist for sure, and I think my arms are toning up, thank god. I'm debating posting the picture online, for any one of various reasons. I know when I read that same woman's blog I really did enjoy seeing her body change. It was tangible evidence. I can tell you that I can dead lift nearly 200lbs, but what does that really mean? How does that translate into fitness? What does that mean to the noob who is reading this trying to gather information like Ris and I did so many months ago? Gimme a few more days. I'm still debating it. If someone convinces me its a safe thing to do and I'm not gonna have crazies arriving at my door looking for the headless chick in her booty shorts and sports bra, then I'll probably post it. Until then I'm gonna sit here daydreaming about laying in a huge Japanese soaking tub, just whiling away the hours and the stiffness in my muscles. -Age

#physio #therapy #burpees are the devil incarnate

Don't think I'll ever feel Randy...

"Randy" was the (hero) WOD today - 75 snatches (wide grip on the bar, pull from the ground to above your head). I've never been a fan of just lifting workouts - to make matters worse, my lower back is killing me from the deadlifts yesterday. I am in serious pain.

Changing subjects completely - I meant to write an entry about new years resolutions. Of course with the exam this never happened. So I'll write one now. Although a year is abit too long for me, so I'm going to go with 'by June' just to make it all the more challenging...

So, by June, here are some things I want to be comfortable with:

The Kipping Handstand Pushup. This is a big goal to even think about achieving, but in the workout yesterday, as I did the handstand pushups, I could feel my legs wanting to help pull my body up. I know this is possible, and very useful because all the crossfit athletes do it. I've managed one at the end of class yesterday, but I want to familiarize with it to make my workouts more efficient.

Butterfly Kipping Pullup. Another something I am halfway to achieving. Well I can do a kipping pullup, but its something about this butterfly method (doing it continuously) I cannot get down and it haunts me.

The Double Under. (When the skipping rope passes under you twice) I swear there is something so simple about this that no one is telling me, they're just waiting for me to figure it out on my own.

Thats it for now, I don't want to bit off more than I can chew with expectations. I will say this though, a real year resolution I want to have down by next year is to be a much better distance runner, at least by my standards. What I mean by that is that I don't expect to be able to run 10K, but i would appreciate the ability to complete 5K is less than 25 minutes. So yes, by December, I will embark on a jog in my free time to see if i truly have completed this.

*Please keep in mind, that with all these goals I intend to work on them in my free time. Success, even in crossfit cannot be reached without putting a little extra into it. Come weekend I will start walking a 5K route on days off from the box, and on Saturdays and before and after class I will be working on my DemiYear resolutions.

Ris Xx

No Excuse Really, Just My Apology

I've been meaning to update for a while now. Life sometimes gets in the way. Work got crazy, home got crazy, I went crazy (with a cold) and then I went away for the weekend and I thought I'd have time then... I did have some time but I obviously didn't post. Thankfully Ris did. Here's where I'm at: Last night I happened to catch a glimpse of the WOD for today, and I got excited. Recently, like, within the last week, I conquered my fear of the hand stand push up. With three ab mats under my head I can get myself vertical on the wall and do a little mini push up. In case you hadn't gathered, a hand stand push up requires pushing your WHOLE body weight... vertically. If I haven't mentioned it before, I'll mention it now. I have ALWAYS been heavy for my size. Not necessarily fat, just solid. Heavy bones or muscle or something. So I've never really been capable of handling my own body weight. Not sure if I should be mentioning this, but we saw a lady who was in a state way beyond our own when we started. And Ris said to me, "look, if she can do a HSPU, you can". I made excuses, I bitched about it inside my head, and that day, for the WOD which called for HSPUs I did them on the box once again. I justified it because there were so many other things going on with that WOD. I think. Last week we had a day when the skill we worked on was HSPUs. Something snapped into place, like those K-nex from when I was a kid, inside my head. I got over the fear of my arms giving out, manned up, and did it. It took a little help at first, but when I got it, the whole group cheered for me. It sounds a little cheesy, but that's what happened. Honest. I guess I'll give a physical update like Ris too. As far as weight goes, I've lost maybe 2 lbs. And I think that comes down to me being sick about two weeks ago, my personal chef/dad being away, so I didn't really eat or move past going to work or feeding the animals. And the entire weekend that week was spent on the couch, watching food network, probably. However, I have noticed a couple differences besides the actual pounds. I've definitely lost inches around my natural waist and around my gut. And trust me, there was a gut. It's still there, but its way smaller. I think I'd be happy to dub it a pooch now. As of yet, I've not downed a size much like Ris, but, I think some of my stuff is fitting slightly looser. I may put another hole in my belt to accommodate before I go out buying smaller pants. This morning, in my battle to get out of bed, I happened to poke myself in the arm. (Don't ask, I was obviously half asleep and I really can't explain much about myself in that state.) I was pleasantly shocked to find where there was previously a large amount of squishiness, there is now a distinct muscle feeling (under a much smaller layer of squish). Due to my lineage, my family and I always dubbed this the "Russian Arm". Could also be described as the old lady wings. Mine weren't quite wings, but when I waved, my arm kind of kept shaking, and I hated it. That's all but gone now. Unfortunately, my arm hasn't really shrunk though, so I still have trouble fitting into some long sleeve ensembles. I guess it's always gonna be that way. This weekend I went to visit my love. He is well aware of the suffering I put myself through weekly, because I complain openly to him. We're both trying to become better versions of ourselves as far as fitness goes. The difference being the directions we want to go. I'm trying to get smaller and he's trying to get bigger. Anyway, despite his awareness of the suffering and his appropriate sympathy when I complain, there hasn't really been a big moment for him or for me where either of us has noticed a change. Two things happened this weekend. The first happened when we were lounging watching a movie. He put his arm around my waist and said, "there's less of you". I'm not sure if this would offend other people, but I was definitely excited. The second happened after I had eaten an inordinate amount of sushi (or maybe it was lemon chicken night... who knows, lots of food was eaten, that's the important thing to note) and I happened to notice my stomach was not as distended as I was used to seeing after such an event. The true test was him poking the pooch and confirming I wasn't imagining it. A little unceremonious, but hey, a test is a test, results are results. Bullet Points of Notage: -I still can't do a crapload of man-push ups. -I still hate burpees. -I still can't do a pull up, kipping or otherwise. -I still can't squat all the way down. (Which means thrusters are a no-go.) -I still skip the running WODs. (I know, I don't really wanna hear it.) -I haven't graduated to the larger (20") box for box jumps (although I have managed to make the jump a couple times), but I have added a fat plate on top so I'm probably jumping 14" instead of 12". -I am now consistently using the 14lb med ball. -Sit ups don't bother me. -I get excited for HSPUs, like in today's WOD. Today is Tuesday, I don't normally go to The Box on Tuesdays because I have Salsa (dancing - not the perfect accompaniment to tortilla chips), but today I think I'll be a few minutes late because this WOD looks good. And also, I suspect CrossFit is helping my core and my dancing in general. (When I'm not ailing from murdering myself at a WOD.) Improvements abound! -Age

#improvements #weight loss #hand stand push up #Russian Arm

Hiatus

For the one or two dedicated readers we have, I honestly apologize. I had exam for work at the end of January, and all my energy went into it. As a result I got into a routine of neglecting this website even more than I usually do. I am ashamed. I will try to be better...

That being said, let it be noted that I never neglected Crossfit. Of late, I can count 6 classes I've missed, 4 the week of my exam, and 2 this week because I had the flu (not to be fucked with - it has been horrible).

So. Let me fill you in on what I have achieved and experienced in these last 3 months of my going and not updating...

BOX JUMPS - Since mid-December I can now jump on the 20" box, which is the women's prescribed height. This is my first RX of anything. I have remained loyal to this height, even doing the 'Filthy Fifties' with it, and if you've experienced it, or researched it, you would realise that its quite a feat. (50 straight box jumps).

1K RUN - As most of the women (I've recently discovered) that attend Crossfit are distance runners, this means nothing to them. But for me, this was certainly something to boast. In mid December, I ran a straight 1K and didn't stop. I have never been a runner, I've always sucked at it from primary school days. I was always at the back, and had always needed to slow to a walk for part of it. So, as stated, this was a big deal for me. I'm all the more eager to try and see how far i can run next.

KIPPING PULLUP - One of my most recent accomplishments. I managed one mid to late January, and have been trying to get more done in a row every week. Thus far I'm up to four, and damn proud.

HANDSTAND PUSHUP - My newest pride and joy. I can now do handstand pushups against a wall easily with three abmats (these supply about 2 inches each in cushioning to prevent me from going lower than my arms can take, the better you get, the less abmats you require). In our last WOD on Monday, it was noted by one of my coaches that three seemed too easy, so for the next time I do it I will try 2. Which is a big step for me. :}

Now, I've also been keeping on top of my taking pictures, and have been trying to note every non-performance change I've been experiencing aswell - if that makes any sense.

WEIGHT - I have put on an additional 3lbs. And for me, this was horrifying. This would equate to a total weight GAIN for 7lbs since I started. I understood from the moment I joined the box that I would gain muscle, but i did expect to see number drop by now to show a significant change in fat loss. I confided in fellow crossfitters at my box who have told me they had experienced the same thing. So be prepared when you join, unless you have a higher percentage of fat to lose (according to my BMI i was 'normal' to 'overweight' depending on what I ate that day) don't expect the scale to tip in your favor.

SIZE - I am slightly smaller in certain areas, I can see it now that I have 4 pictures to compare. My stomach has flattened, my back has thinned out, my waist is smaller, and my muffins are almost all gone. Also, ladies, my boobs have shrunk as well. This isn't an issue for me because I was a DD to start, so going down to a D, make shopping a little easier for me.

TONAGE - My thighs are looking much more toned... but not much smaller, so I remain the same size jeans I was when I started. Eh. Also, my arms and shoulder are looking very toned. This was something I was weary about when I first started - I considered toned arms to be something I wanted my man to have, not me. But after merging with this culture, I find this something I'm now proud of. To me its proof that I have worked my ass off to be a fitter, better version of myself. However, I don't want my arms to get too huge, so I'm not one to overindulge in the Olympic lifts (our little secret). My stomach, is also showing to be more toned as the weeks go on. Nothing spectacular, but hopefully by summer it will be more noticeable.

And I think thats it for now. If you have any questions, I think you can write comments on here (I'm not very tumblr savvy). I'm also thinking against posting my monthly pictures on here, mainly because I've been not thinking and taking them in my underwear. But if there is a big enough demand, I can work something out, I recall on my hunt for 'crossfit results' pictures I had no such luck. So if this would inspire someone, please feel free to ask.

Ris Xx

Getting Back on the Horse... Or Down on the Bench

Ever been in a situation when someone starts talking about their workout and then somehow it turns into a pissing contest with every man around you concerning how much they can bench? And then you stand there with a blank look on your face because you've never benched (whatever that means) and you're not sure its even legal in some states but you somehow have an urge to say "yea man, I bench like 600". Well, neither have I, technically. Regardless of if you know if benching is legal in Alabama or not, I'll tell you it's legal here, and benching 600 is basically impossible... unless its 600 paperclips. Last night Ris and I bench pressed for the first time in our lives. We also set a new PR for our cleans and possibly our over head squats (I'll have to check the figures on that one. I'm not entirely sure if I've kept record for that). We did CrossFit Total II, which similarly to CrossFit Total is just finding your one rep max for certain moves. Yesterday we tied again at a total of 270. Our strengths may be in different places but it just goes to show that we just as strong as the other and are evenly matched. Yay for picking the right person to suffer through this with me. Age Ris Clean - 100lbs 100lbs Bench Press - 85lbs 95lbs Over Head Squat - 85lbs 75lbs Total = 270 270 Yesterday I was dead worried about going when I saw squats were in the WOD, but I convinced myself I would go and just not do the squats. Ris convinced me to go and just try one, not push myself but see how I felt. And once I got in there I felt okay. My knee was a little bothersome during the warm up and it frustrated me a little during the cleans surprisingly enough because I couldn't (or mentally didn't want to) get under the weight like I wanted, but I felt okay. I'm glad I went. Despite my shoulders crying quiet little tears when I reach above my head (which is more frequent than one may think - let's remember I'm a camera operator now) I'm happy. And certainly much happier than I was this time last week. Thank the heavens for that. And now I know what I can bench. Let the pissing contest continue. -Age

#CrossFit Total #bench press

What was supposed to be a "Yay! I survived!" post...

So I was all ready to write some amazingly triumphant post concerning how I survived a notoriously hideous workout - Filthy Fifty. 10 different exercises, 50 reps of each, 500 reps total (or if you're like me and can't do double unders, 650 reps total because you have to do 150 single skips). I guess I'll start with that then. Yay! I survived! Now onto more important things. I haven't been to the box since Friday, for a few reasons. Monday's strength portion was over head squats and I could barely walk on Monday. (Mom, if you're reading this, that's an exaggeration written so people feel sorry for me and keep reading.) My knee was aching and I knew squats were not in the cards. And then I saw the WOD, a 3K run. Hell to the No. Tuesdays are back to being a no-go day because I have prior commitments - as much as it breaks my heart these days to stay away from the box. Today was the day I promised myself I'd go, no matter how my knees felt. The knees are feeling better but I don't want to push it - and guess what today's workout is... Squats and running. So that's a negatory on today too. The point is this: Yesterday I must have hit snooze for 40 minutes, today, a similar thing. Besides having no urge to get out of my bed I also find myself unusually snappy and irritable. A couple things have gone wrong at work today and I find myself wanting to run away (figuratively, because actual running doesn't agree with my body), or hide under my desk and take a nap. So I have a theory. I think my body is saying it wants to go back to the gym. And believe you me, so do I (because obviously we're two different entities, my body and I) but today is just not the day. This week has been a flop concerning working out, and perhaps as such (or perhaps its totally unrelated and I'm drawing unwarranted conclusions) I have been exhausted, causing all sorts of riots within my body. Hopefully, tomorrow is a better day, a day in which I only hit snooze twice, a day in which less goes wrong at work and a day in which I get my lunch date back. Congrats to Ris for finishing/surviving that exam. Better you than me darlin'. -Age

#exhaustion #naps #ache #knees #riots #snooze

The Little Wins

You gotta keep your eyes and ears open. If you don't you might miss some achievement you gained if you're not careful. Yesterday we went to our new box to workout. It was large and shiny and still has a bit of the look of a construction zone - but it's ours and it was filled with even more people and still as crowded as the shoebox we were in last week. Maybe it's because this box is right behind my house (the other one was close, but amazingly, this is even closer), maybe its because I used to ride my bike around the building its in when I was little with my brother and we thought we were being adventurous, maybe its because I happened to stop in one evening while they were still setting everything up and not all the equipment was in, but this box feels comfortable. (Ask me if it still feels comfortable in the heat of summer.) For the warm up yesterday we were told to practice double unders for 5 minutes. With so many people at the box, and hating double unders anyway, I foolishly took my time getting to the speed ropes. When I got there, there were only ropes too long for me. While I really wanted to legitimately practice my non-existent double unders, I really couldn't because the rope was too long and kept getting caught on crap. Then we were told to put the ropes away and do two laps. No one really thought about it, but instead put the ropes away where they had gotten them from, on the feet of the rowers which stood vertically. I didn't want to bother everyone and tell them to leave me one free, I didn't want to move all the ropes myself, and I certainly didn't want to make a big production out of it, so I just walked out the door and started running. I ran two laps. Did I mention I forgot to take my ventolin? Oh, I didn't? Well, guess what, I forgot to take my ventolin. And I ran two laps. And I didn't die. And my knees didn't hurt. And my ankles didn't hurt or feel like there was air trapped in the joint somewhere. And I ran the whole first lap in front. And I didn't get lapped too badly which means I kept pace. And I was able to catch my breath. And I did the WOD without ventolin (which is probably out-of-date anyway.. I need to do something about that). And I didn't die. That's a lot of achievements for one evening. But if I'd blinked I think I might have missed them. Shout out to Ris for noticing that I ran. Bigger shout out to her for doing a kipping pull up! That is beast material right there. Props. -Age

#ventolin #achievements #win

I write this while I am shaking in my boots regarding tonight's WOD

I'll admit it. I kind of chickened out on Monday. The WOD involved squats and running and I mentally checked out as soon as I saw it. Whether it was because the weather had changed, or because my knees feared the squats, they ached all day and I let that justify not going. Sometimes I'm able to reason with myself far too well, and I hate that about me. So yesterday I almost didn't look at the WOD because I knew no matter what, I needed to go. I ended up looking and was surprised to find myself excited when I did. It was AMRAP for 12 minutes: 5 Chest to Bar Pull Ups (from here on out these are gonna be CTBPUs) 10 Wall Balls (20/14) 15 KBSs (53/35) All motions I can do. Maybe not well, but I can do. Well... besides the pull up.. But that's easily modifiable. In discussing it with Ris we decided 6 rounds would be our goal. I think we had that discussion before I'd actually picked out my med ball and KB. I decided I could RX this bitch. And I blame Jill for that. Last week we did whatever we did and she grabbed the RX ball and I got stuck using it. Now I feel like I can't go back. So I used the 14lb ball, and it actually wasn't too bad. (Of course, I say that now after I spent the evening with an herbal pillow on my shoulder.) Then I picked out an RX KB... I'm not sure if I actually realised how heavy 35lbs was until that moment. It's one thing when you're lifting it on a bar, but when all the weight is concentrated in a small little package I think its more of a shock to the system. But I managed to get it to my little station. When the workout finally kicked in I struggled my way through 5 modified CTBPUs, matched Ris throw for throw on the wall balls and then went to pick up the KB and was like "FUCK! Why did I think I could do this?!?!" Normally I'm awesome at KBSs and I just beast through all of them without a break. That extra 9lbs nearly killed me. I felt it EVERYWHERE. I suppose that's a good thing. But I didn't make it to 6 rounds. I made it through 5 whole rounds and then got through one more set of CTBPUs. Ris beasted past 6 and even past 7 to get 7 and a set of CTBPUs. But hey, I wasn't the lowest on the board AND I RXed that sonnuva.. Today's workout may kill us both. 7 minute AMRAP Burpees.

Come Back Hard

When I left the box frustrated on Monday, Mat said to me, when you come back, come back hard. So I did. Yesterday we were doing some power snatch exercises and I felt my shoulder twinge a little, but as it turns out, that wasn't a factor during the WOD. So I think my shoulder is all but healed up. That's good news. I won't be piling on the weight when I do overhead things in a hurry, but it's nice to know I can push my previous limits a bit. The WOD looked brutal in writing. And it is never a good sign when you can tell it's going to suck ahead of time. It was 5 rounds of death for time: 10 toe to bar (we all know I loathe these) 10 power snatches (75/45) 10 wall balls (20/14) As I'm worried about my shoulder I went with 35lbs for the snatches. We had to partner up again because I think there's a lot of new years resolution people piling in and thus the box was crowded. We did the WOD in heats and I partnered up with Jill again. She grabbed the RX ball and I wanted to smack her. But she's built so small and I'm totally not built that way so I figured if she could do it, I could too. I'm proud to say I RXed the WBs. I guess there's no looking back now. After the first round I kind of wondered what I had gotten myself into, as I do often (and as I think a lot of people do when they're CrossFitting their asses off). I was breathless, the toe to bars were frigging awful (and once again, toes no where near hands) but I didn't die doing them and my grip was much better than the last time I attempted them. Other good news of the evening, I didn't put up the slowest time because I managed to power through being breathless. (A different kind of breathless than Monday, thankfully.) I was spent for about an hour after the workout, but past that point I was okay if I didn't sit still for too long. Tonight I can't make it to the box which is a shame because the WOD is actually something I wouldn't mind suffering through doing. And because I won't be going tonight I have a feeling getting up tomorrow is going to feel akin to moving after being hit by a semi. I may have to preemptively employ my herbal owl (much like this but shaped like an owl) this evening to quell any soreness I can. -Age

DNF

Three little letters which are going to haunt me for a while, I think. You'd think in reading all these posts that by now I would be improving somewhere but last night I couldn't see a damn thing past the 750 total meters I was meant to run. I may be able to push more weight, I may be able to do a few more push ups, I may be able to plank for longer or do more sit ups but apparently, I still can't run. The workout was almost like a team building exercise. You had a pit crew of one helping to change out your weight while you were out running. For time: 15 thrusters (135/95) 250m run 20 thrusters (95/65) 500m run 30 thrusters (65/45) As you should be able to see, the weight gets reduced each time. So instead of coming back huffing and puffing from a little jog, we paired up and our partner fooled around with the weights while we did our laps. Also, there was no way I was going to be able to RX that. I don't think any woman did during my session - and that's perfectly fine. So I did my 15 thrusters at 65lbs (or something close to 15, I immediately lost track when Mat said something to me and Jill didn't know I was a retard when it came to counting, so she didn't really keep track either). It took me longer than the other women, but I think I was using the most weight. And then I went for the 250m run. I had been worried about this since lunch or whenever it was I actually looked at the WOD. As I've said before, I'm not a runner. Long runs affect my knees and hips and ankles. Short runs apparently affect my asthma. I jogged the whole thing and got back to do my 20 thrusters but I could not catch my breath, I had a stitch in my side and the 55lbs Jill had loaded on the bar for me was barely making it above my head. I did three, took a break, did 3 more, took a break, tried to do more, couldn't lock my arms out, so we took off 10lbs. The weight was more manageable but I simply could not breathe. I finished the 20 thrusters as people were coming back in from their 500m run, and I said you know what, I just can't do this one today. I wrote DNF on the board and tried to make myself feel better by putting up the weights I did complete, but I went home pissed, went to sleep disappointed and woke up still annoyed but determined to rock today's workout. I'm just going to have to figure out some sort of alternative for the 50 toe to bars I face come 5:30... -Age

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