WODs & Well-Being

December 31, 2011 Ahh, finally.... the end to 2011. It seems as if every year at this time (with the exception of a few years here and there) I sit and think, 19-- or  20-- HAS to be better than this. What I am not sure of, is how I measure what a "good" year, vs what a "bad" year is. Inevitably, there are going to be good and bad things that happen over many years for the rest of my life. I cant live thinking that each year has to stack up with the last/next, or set myself up for the coming year to be better than the last. My brother Joshua lived every one of his 21 years like it was the last year of his life, and when it came down to it, he lived an awesome (albeit short) life. . Somewhere, I think in 2011 I decided that it was time to live for today, not for tomorrow... life is to effing short. The problem I think, is that I... we... people in general... get "comfortable" with life. We sort of lodge ourselves in a spot where every day life can just

December 30, 2011 As it says in the title of my blog, a quote from Jim Ryan... "Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going." This would be my response to everyone when they think that I am NUTS at the fact that I took today off from work (and have also done this in the past) and still get out of bed at 4:45am and go to CrossFit. Why mess with a good thing, why change what has become routine, if it works... there is no reason to stop! For me, there is not much better than starting my day with a workout. Yeah there are some days where sleeping in is good... but thats saved for the 2 days a week that I take off from my workout. When I dont go, I am missing something. When I dont go, I feel pretty tired much longer in the morning, no matter how much I sleep or coffee that I drink. I dont like to sleep my day away, so even on a day off its nice to get home from the gym at 7:00am and have the rest of the day to do what I want! I will not lie. In the be

December 29, 2011

December 28, 2011 Wow, when I looked at todays WOD last night and got excited! It was titled "Yooouuuuu" and seriously, couldnt have been more "me!" K, T were there with me and I think we were all pretty excited to get the WOD started. These are the kinds of WOD's that really suit me, a good mix of strength and cardio, but certainly still a challenge. When we got going I just kept pushing forward. I had my back to the clock (it was a 15 minute AMRAP) so I couldnt see how much time was left. My goal was to keep moving, dig right into the clean and jerks as soon as I got to the bar and have no rest at all. My mission was accomplished. I finished the 15 minutes with 5 rounds and 21 reps. It felt awesome. After the WOD I decided to skip the skill and work in my biggest "goat." Yesterday I did two dead hang pullups, now I have to get the kip. M helped me to work on it and I started to get it!! I still dont have the kip into the pullup, but I am so clo

December 27, 2011 You know, you wake up in the morning some days... and before you even get out of bed you think "oh god, I dont even want to get out of bed." Before you know it you are up, you stub your toe on the way into the bathroom, you drop the shampoo on your foot in the shower, you cant find anything to wear, and you spill your coffee on your shirt on the way into the office... we have ALL been there. Some days, things all seem to fall into place. The alarm goes off, you wake up with energy, your hair falls just the right way when you blow dry it, the blemishes on your face dont seems so bad, coffee is made perfectly, there is no traffic on the way to work... and you just feel "good." Again... we have all had these days too (we just wish there were more of them). Most days, are like groundhog day... personally. I wake up, put my lenses in, start my truck, get dressed (yes I really do that in that order), grab my bag for the gym, grab my lunch/shake, g

December 26, 2011 THIS was a kick ass WOD... and a great way to start off a day off for the holiday!! What a great family we have at CFW and no better place to be!! Great support, great friends, great coaches... need I go on? WARMUP: Row 1K 3 Rounds - 5 Pushups - 10 Ring Rows - 15 Squats WOD: "The 12 Days of Crossfit" Just like the song... for time... 1 - 2, 1 - 3, 2, 1 - 4, 3, 2, 1 - and so on... 1 - HSPU 2 - Thrusters (65lbs) 3 - Box Jumps (20" Box) 4 - Pistols 5 - Toes to Bar (and I did ALL toes to bar, no K2E) 6 - Burpees 7 - KB Swings (35lbs) 8 - HR Pushups 9 - Abmat Situps 10 - Double Unders 11 - SDHP (65lbs) 12 - Walking Lunges (My Time 28:28)

December 25, 2011 MERRY CHRISTMAS...

December 24, 2011 Well, here we are again, Christmas Eve. Inevitably it comes every year... December 24th. I know is coming (not that its easy to miss) and there is no way around it... I have been asked 100,000 times... "Why do you hate Christmas?" When the truth is, I do not "hate" Christmas. I should probably explain myself. There are a few really "obvious" and easy to understand reasons, but there are a few reasons that run pretty deep. First... lets talk commercialism. I am not sure when it happened, but all of a sudden "Christmas" started happening before Thanksgiving. Personally, Thanksgiving is my favorite time of year and my favorite holiday. The day I get to spend with my family, there is no stress, there is no pressure, and it seems (except for the people who are actually preparing the meal) that people dont even think about Thanksgiving until the day of, I am not one of them. Its a day of reflection and a day to give thanks for a

December 23, 2011 I have to share this... my "Secret Santa" from the office is the BOMB!! This was attached to my gift... Kettle bell, kettle bell, kettle bell rock Kettle bells swing and kettle bells ring Rowing and jumping and boxes of fun Now the clean and jerks have begun Kettle bell, kettle bell, kettle bell rock Kettle bell press in the quickest time Squatting and kipping for the WOD of the day In the sweaty air What a bright time, its the right time To sweat the night away Kettle bell time, its a swell time To go sprinting at a CrossFit Game Step-it-up Sarah C, pick up your feet Swinging around the clock Mix and a mingle in the kettle bell beat Thats the kettle bell Thats the kettle bell Thats the kettle bell rock! http://www.crossfitrockwall.com/crossfit_rockwall/kettlebell-swing.html  In the gift? A fantastic CrossFit poster that I cant wait to frame and hang up, and a TJ's gift card... that every Paleo Eater could use!! It was a fantastic gift and tota

December 22, 2011 As if there is actually a "day of rest" this time of year. We all know that dosent happen. I am lucky if I actually get a day of rest other times of the year since once I know I dont have a gym day that morning, I know I can do something else that night... or the night before... the calendar fills up with the blink of an eye. This is actually something that I am planning on working on for the new year, but I plan to keep all the commitments that I have made of course! I touched upon the downfalls of the holidays and what it can do to your routine in other posts. Today was a big test for that. Of course with a job in an office comes an office party... and leading up to the party is two weeks of what seems like an unending supply of chocolates, cookies and various goodies delivered to share amongst everyone. They are left looming in the kitchen where I walk through 100 times a day... to get my coffee, to get something off the large printer, to go to the la

December 21, 2011 I know I have talked before about our Crossfit Wachusett Family... but I am so excited to see that 2012 brings to us all. We are changing, we are learning, we are building friendships and we are growing!! Its so exciting and it brings a smile to my face. It really makes me happy to know that M and K have such a great thing going with CFW and the fact that we are all succeeding is a tribute to them and their programming, their support and their coaching! I keep thinking of where I was just a few short months ago... August 8th is the first entry in my journal... The things I have been able to do, the things I never thought I could do and the drive I have to get better has been amazing. It feels like the first day I did crossfit I took an oath that I was going to throw myself into this 100% and nothing was going to get in my way. I now find my time at CFW the best and most rewarding part of my day. As hard as it is to get up some mornings, as tired as I am the night

December 20, 2011 Make way for the crazy week ahead. Thankfully I dont buy a whole ton of Christmas gifts. I dont decorate my house (we arent home 99% of the time anyway) and I dont really buy into the whole commercialism of the holiday. Unfortunately, its hard to escape it completely. I dont "hate" Christmas, and I will explain that in another post eventually I am sure, but I have to address the crazyness that comes along with it all. Parties, traffic... the grocery store... lists... all that stuff. I have to really keep a straight head and forge ahead with life... "normal" life. This year in addition to the crazyness that normally surrounds the holidays, I am dealing with some additional stresses. Lots of extra driving, and lots of extra emotions. Christmas is hard enough as it is without all that. It is certainly no ones fault, and I know for sure that I am not obligated to do all the things I choose to do... but I will tell you, nothing feels better than m

December 19, 2011 This morning was excellent! Of course I checked the website last night and was fully aware to what I was getting myself into on the Monday before Christmas. Of course its the coldest morning yet... so what does that mean?? Ohhhh, that we are going to have to run outside!! What I was really excited for was the rope climbs in the WOD!! Last time we had them in a WOD I sort of chickened out on the rope climbs because my arms were so sore from previous day. I knew that I could do them but for some reason I was just exhausted that morning. Today, I wasnt going to let that happen. I will tell you, my hands were killing... it was FREEZING on all the runs... and my wall balls were a bit lack luster because of the rope climbs (and Saturdays Cindy) but I pushed through! In the end I was proud of myself, all 3 rounds were Rx and even the one round that I froze at the top of the rope... I managed to finish! I do have a few war wounds... bruises from the rope, but hey... ju

December 18, 2011 Wintersong By: Sarah McLachlan The lake is frozen over The trees are white with snow And all around Reminders of you Are everywhere I go It's late and morning's in no hurry But sleep won't set me free I lie awake and try to recall How your body felt beside me When silence gets too hard to handle And the night too long And this is how I see you In the snow on Christmas morning Love and happiness surround you As you throw your arms up to the sky I keep this moment by and by Oh I miss you now, my love Merry Christmas, merry Christmas, Merry Christmas, my love Sense of joy fills the air And I daydream and I stare Up at the tree and I see Your star up there And this is how I see you In the snow on Christmas morning Love and happiness surround you As you throw your arms up to the sky I keep this moment by and by If you want to hear it, its right here!

December 17, 2011 I missed the "Cindy" Lou Who workout on Thursday... so I knew Saturday morning I was in for it... Cindy is one of those WOD's that you love to hate! After being at the gym with KP on Friday morning, I knew my arms were going to be jello at the end of the workout (and the rest of the weekend). But I was really looking forward to it. What I did have to do today was something that I have been sort of dreading. K mentioned to me last week while I was doing pushups in a previous workout, that when I get tired I tend to lead with my chin into the pushup. Almost like I am trying to fake myself out to feel like I am getting my chest closer to the ground than I really am. Not good... but really, quite true after she mentioned it and I paid attention to it. I am good for the first set usually... or at least 20 of them (not necessarily in a row, but before I get tired and dont get my chest down). We talked that day and she told me I should do a strict pushup to

December 16, 2011 Everyone needs a "Me" day every now and again. I decided that with everything going on and my inability to shut my brain off (that I posted about yesterday) that I should take a personal day off from work and use the day in whatever way I wanted. Typically on my days off, even holidays that I am home, I dont sit around. Not only am I a "fixer" but I am also a "do-er." Well... most of the time. Yes, laundry needed to get done, there were dishes in the sink, both bathrooms needed to be cleaned and the whole house could use a good cleaning, but not today. Today was for me. I got up, went to the gym at my usual time (which most people think I am crazy for doing on days I have off). I got to actually enjoy a cup of tea while watching a show I had on the DVR... than I was off. Took a ride to my parents house, than to visit my brother. It was nice, no pressure, no schedule, no running around. Had a nice visit than headed out. I had some ot

December 15, 2011

December 14, 2011 So, I was driving home from Boston tonight talking to my Mom. I expressed to her how poorly I have been sleeping. This is nothing really "new" in my life, there are times I sleep well, and there are times that I cant sleep for more than a few hours without waking up. Usually, more often than not, a restless night stems from to much on my mind. When I am thinking about something, worried about something or even if I dont realize I am... its no sleep for Sarah. While I was talking to my Mom about this (its not the first time we have talked about it), I was saying how I just cant clear my mind. I have spent the last few weeks worried, tired and stressed... and while the worry outweighs everything else, it causes more stress on other things... the job and being able to concentrate even while worrying, the bills that they get paid on time and I dont forget anything, and how could I forget the wonderful joy of the holiday season (oh joy the holidays), which in

December 13, 2011 Wherever you go, go with all your heart. - Confucius Change... I havent met many people in my life that welcome change with open arms. Is it the unkown or unfamiliar that makes change so hard?  Maybe its it our inability to adapt to something that we are not used to... or maybe its that we dont want to adapt to something new and we are just "comfortable" with the way things are. When the level of comfortability shifts it throws everything off and change is inevitable. It comes in many forms, big and small... what might be significant to one person is totally insignificant to another. When your favorite restaurant changes the menu and takes your favorite dish off it can really put a damper on a dinner out. When your home team trades a player it can throw you for a loop. When you split with a significant other the stars seem to not align anymore for a while. When suddenly a person who is completely independent has to depend on another person, it takes a b

December 12, 2011  "Nothing can stop the man/woman with the right mental attitude from achieving his/her goal; nothing on earth can help the man/woman with the wrong mental attitude." -Thomas Jefferson A quick post to let you know I am going to attempt to get back into my daily blog posts this week. The last 7 days my life has been a little upside down, its still rocking quite a bit, but a am sailing straight ahead at least. I have been inspired by what has happened to truly understand that physical boundaries are not set in stone. I thought I understood how much your mental toughness had to do with success and strength, but now I can say that I have seen it with my own two eyes. There are so many things in life that can inspire us for different things. If you like to cook, you might be inspired by a cooking show, if you like to paint, maybe a museum or a book might do the trick... for me, right now, inspiration is coming from what I consider to be a miracle I witness

December 10, 2011 WARMUP: 3 Rounds - 20 Walking Lunges - 15 Air Squats - 10 Spiderman - 5 Jumping Pullups SKILL/STRENGTH Deadlift 1RM 185(5), 205(3), 225(1), 236(1), 240(1), 256(1), 260 (fail)

December 9, 2011 WARMUP: 25 Double Unders 3 Rounds - 10 Abmat Situps - 10 Back Extensions - 10 Toes Through Rings 2 X 9 Fundamentals 25 Double Unders 2 Min Shoulder Opener @ Bar WOD: 5 Min AMRAP - 5 Pullups - 10 Airsquats (7 Rounds + 3) SKILL/STRENGTH OH Press 3-3-3 65, 75, 80 (failed), 75 Push Press 3-3-3 80, 90, 105 Push Jerk 3-3-3 105, 115, 125

December 8, 2011 If you are a reader and I dont know you in real life, I am sorry that I have been MIA the last few days. I have had a family situation that I have been dealing with... Hopefully I will be back to posting soon. Thanks, Sarah

December 7, 2011 WARMUP: Row 500m 10 Inchworms 10 Back Extensions 10 Grasshopper 2X9 Fundamentals 2 Min Frog Sit Row 500m WOD: "HSPU SDHP What?!" 3 Rounds for Time - 5 HSPU (Green Bands) - 10 SDHP (65lbs) - 15 Toes to Bar (My Time 8:53) SKILL/STRENGTH: 10 Min Squat Sit

December 6, 2011 WARMUP: 3 Rounds - 10 Burpees - 10 Spiderman - 10 Shoulder Dislocates - 10 Hollow Rocks - 10 Med Ball Cleans (20lbs) Lax Mobility WOD: "Annie" 50-40-30-20-10 Double Unders Abmat Suitups (My time 15:46) SKILL/STRENGTH: Chest to Bar Pull-Ups 3 X Max Reps (Thick Green)

December 5, 2011 WARMUP: 3 Rounds -20 Double Unders -15 Air Squats -10 Pushups -5 Wall Walks -10 Jumping Pullups -15 Back Extensions -20 Walking Lunges WOD: "Boat to Rope" 4X500 Row to Rope Climb Partner Rows while You Climb, than you switch for 4 rounds. (no partner means I climb for my row time) (16:56/35 Modified Rope Climbs) SKILL/STRENGTH: Front Squat 5-5-5-5-5 135, 135, 140, 145, 145 (PR)

December 4, 2011 Where are you Christmas Why can't I find you Why have you gone away Where is the laughter You used to bring me Why can't I hear music play My world is changing I'm rearranging Does that mean Christmas changes too Where are you Christmas Do you remember The one you used to know I'm not the same one See what the time's done Is that why you have let me go Christmas is here Everywhere, oh Christmas is here If you care, oh If there is love in your heart and your mind You will feel like Christmas all the time I feel you Christmas I know I've found you You never fade away The joy of Christmas Stays here inside us Fills each and every heart with love Where are you Christmas Fill your heart with love

December 3, 2011 Oh Saturday, how do I love the... let me count the ways. ONE: I get to sleep past 4:45am. TWO: I get to have a cup of coffee before the gym. THREE: I get to go to the gym with Hubs FOUR: I know in advance what my make-up workout is FIVE: Lots of our CrossFit Family goes to gym at the same time SIX: We can take our time SEVEN: We have people cheering each other on during their WOD's EIGHT: We can enjoy each other's successes and PR's NINE: We usually get BOTH our coaches that we love! TEN: Yummy yummy breakfast!! Is that good enough? Do I need to go on? Nah, you get the point. I love my Saturday morning time at CrossFit Wachusett! Its so nice to be there with everyone. I dont get that often in the AM. Its nice to put faces to some of the new names I have started to see on the board. It is great to cheer on others and have them cheer me on while WODing. Its nice to catch up and see how others have reached goals and milestones and help when othe

December 2, 2011 When I was 9 I thought I was "never" going get to high school. When I was in 13 and looked up to the girls who got picked for kick line at my dance studio I "never" though I would be lucky enough to be chosen. When I was lonely and getting picked on in high school I "never" thought I would bring one of the most popular boys in school to the prom (twice). When I started college I "never" thought I would be in charge of the largest club on campus. When I went out for my 21 birthday I "never" thought I would meet the man I was to marry. When I started my graduate studies I "never" thought I would ever finish and walk across the stage with my Masters of Architecture. When I was miserable in my job I "never" through I would find a fantastic place to work. Six months ago when I looked in the mirror I "never" thought I would be able to look at myself and think... damn I worked hard for this body

December 1, 2011 Well, here we are... December. The month that (typically) everything turns brown and mushy. Where it snows and is pretty for about 30 seconds till I realize... one, that I have to clean out my car... two, that I have to drive to work in it... three, that its going to turn to ice and freeze over... four, that its going to be here till spring... five, ok I can stop... can you tell I love the snow! I have been pretty happy with the fact that it hasnt snowed since our freak Halloween storm this year. I can live with that! Mornings havent been so bad, even when its cold (thank you electric car starter). With December comes the holidays. The time of year that everyone stuffs their faces, and somehow feel that since its the holidays its forgiven because "everyone cheats on the holidays." When it is a gesture of kindness to send gift baskets of chocolate, cookies and junk food from office to office (including mine), and you are looked at strangely if you dont par