WODs & Well-Being

March 24, 2012 Today was a bitter sweet day filled with actual fear for me. The last day of the Open. The last workout that could help to put CFW in the top 30 and on the way to the Regional competition. However, I have been afraid of this workout since before I even knew what it was. Pullups... and not just regular pullups, chest to bar pullups. OH.MY.GOD. Just a few months ago I was hanging from the bar for dear life with a giant black band pulling with all my might to just get my chin up over the bar... now I have to get my chest to the bar. Yeah, right. Thursday night I spent some of my time at the gym working on my kip and attempting chest to bars. I worked and I worked and with the help of R I was able to figure out a method to get myself through the WOD. That wasnt good enough for me though. I want to be a player in this "game" I want to contribute and I want to do all that I can. My head had to be in the right place and it just didnt feel like it was. I typical

March 23, 2012   WARMUP: Jump Rope Circuit 2X - 10 Singles - 10 Each Leg - 10 Side to Side - 10 Front to Back - 10 Crossover - 10 Double Unders 2 X 9 Fundamentals MOBILITY: Rolling Stretching .

March 22, 2012 When your in elementary school one of the most exciting days are "show and tell" days... or "go to work with your parent" days. Why is that? Because you get to actually bring in to school the best and most exciting thing in your little 3rd grade world and show it to all your friends and tell them all about it... or you get to go into the office (or wherever) and walk in the steps of an adult and actually get to see what they do with your own two eyes. Returning home from a vacation you excitedly print out the pictures  download the pictures onto facebook so you can show off where you have been, only to think "god this looked so much better in person." You can describe to someone for hours on end how amazing London was and what the London Tower Bridge (which happens to be one of my favorite places that I have visited) looks like when you are standing in the park below... but its not the same without seeing it yourself because of the emoti

March 21, 2012 Mornings like this make me very happy and motivate me to start the day off with a smile. I had a great nights sleep last night, woke up and was geared up and ready to tackle whatever it was that was going to be on the board at CFW. To my surprise I was greeted with deadlifts (yay!), rowing and KB swings!! This was going to be a good one!! It was also a great morning to have a run in the warmup and as always there was a great 5:30am crew, JM, L, G, and T!!  My goal… to use all the motivation that I have learned in the last few weeks to really kill this WOD. I enjoy deadlifting (so that helps), and I have been working on my speed a lot… yesterday even. We have also been focused a lot lately on proper form while rowing, making sure to have long pulls and straight backs, which is also a huge benefit for this WOD.   I started adjusting my foot straps to the highest setting as well upon recommendation of one of our CF Family members who was a crew member in college. Its

March 20, 2012 Boy oh boy... I dont have much to say for today except WOW!! Its the 20th of March and it was 80 degrees and sunny!! What more can a girl like me ask for?! I sat on my deck and caught up on my posts when I got home from work... it was so nice to come home and NOT turn on the TV or have to stay late at work. Hubs took the night off from the gym so he was here to get dinner prepped and its grillin up for us now... I am certainly going to take more advantage of our deck this spring/summer. I dont use it enough. I need to soak up the rays and vitamin D every chance I get!! We were blessed with some beautiful weather today!! Happy 1st day of Spring... Spring has definitely sprung!! WARMUP: Row 1K 3 Rounds - 5 Inchworms - 10 Ring Rows - 15 GHD Hamstring Stretch Pigeon Stretch WOD: "Sprung" 21-15-9 for Time - Hang Clean 95lbs - Box Jumps 20" (My Time 8:31 Rx) SKILL/STRENGTH: Weighted Dips 5-5-5-5 *worked on dips with no band with "m

March 19, 2012 ... its really nice out here." A quote by the beautiful Mila Kunas in forgetting Sarah Marshall when she is trying to tell Jason Segal (Peter) that he is over analyzing things way to much. For real, this is a quote to live by. This is something I struggle with a lot... over thinking, over analyzing... and I guess plain complicating things that dont need to be that complicated. Most things in life "are what they are" but when I start to add in all the "other" factors in my mind, they start to become more complicated. Not sure why that is, if its something I learned or inherited... or just a personality trait I might have picked up, but have added that to the growing list of things I need to work on. I think I have been doing a pretty good job with it lately (and yes, I think its due in part to crossfit). The idea again is to live life. Life the life you want to live but dont look past what you have right now, the life that you are currently

March 18, 2012 There is nothing better for someone living the paleo lifestlye than cooking on the grill!! Today was a beautiful day! Hubs and I have sort of a Sunday ritual where we sit together in the morning, plan the meals for the week than make a shopping list that pertains to only what we need for the week... thats how we eliminate buying foods that arent part of our weekly meals and we stick to a budget for food. Our fridge often looks like this before we go shopping...   This is what this weeks "meal plan" looks like: - Every Weekday Breakfast Hubs: Frittata (that he makes on Sunday and separates for the week) - Every Weekday Breakfast Sarah: 6 Egg Muffins (I bring 4 to the gym and leave them in the fridge for after my shower before I leave for work. The other 2 are for Thursday and Saturday AM). - We each have post workout protein shakes, mine in the AM and his in the PM right after our workouts. *I am only listing dinners, every night we make dinner and we

March 17, 2012 This image couldnt have been a better find to describe my approach to 12.4... - a fixed purpose... CHECK - the power and will to persist... CHECK - to have the grit... CHECK - to go the distance... CHECK - hell bent on reaching a goal... CHECK - getting it done... CHECK I will say this... as I try to be as "real" as I can be in each of these writings. Things with me have been a little off and walking into the gym to actually perform 12.4 I was not in a good place. I have some "issues" that I am working out in my head and to be honest, I am trying to use everything that I have written myself as a guide to how to get through it. I think about all the times I have written about strength (mental not physical), courage to be the person you want to be, drive to get there and how not to settle for things you are not happy with. I am that person and I stand 100% behind everything I have written... but I also know that everyone has breaking points, everyo

March 16, 2012 WARMUP: Jump Rope Circuit 2X - 10 Singles - 10 Each Leg - 10 Side to Side - 10 Front to Back - 10 Crossover - 10 Double Unders 2 X Burgerner STRENGTH/SKILL: Mobility & Stretching .

March 15, 2012 When I grow up I want to be like (fill in the blank)... When I become a parent I want to be like (fill in the blank)... I wish I could be as smart as (fill in the blank)... I wish I could do (fill in profession here) as a profession just like (fill in the blank)... Too bad I dont have as much money as (fill in the blank)... I want to go on vacation like (fill in the blank)... I wish I could lift as much as (fill in the blank)... I want to be as fast as (fill in the blank)... I think I can safely say that I have said every one of those statements and I am sure most people at one time or another wish or aspire to be like someone or look like someone. The pisser is, that what "you" dont think about is the path that that person went on to become that person that "you" want to be/look like... I am sure in most cases it wasnt smooth sailing... I am sure that 99% of the time there were snags, suffering, trip ups and what not along their path to &q

March 14, 2012 Sometimes you just have to "let it go." Let go of all the crap that bothers you. Let go of all the dead weight in your life. When something bothers you... figure out why and if its not worth it, let it go. Relationships that are strenuous and constant battles... let them go or learn to live with them the way they are without having any crazy expectations. Money issues, family issues, work issues whatever it may be... its all about learning how to deal with the issue and not letting it get to you. When something happens that it out of your control sometimes you just have to grin and bear it and sometimes you have to just.. say it with me now... LET IT GO... Yes, this is me... the mother of all "hold it all in and use it as fuel for later." I am trying to teach myself to follow the above advice. I have to... there is no time in life for unhappiness. There is no sense in "settling." There is to much good and to much life left to be upset

March 13, 2012 Well well well... I have been looking all over for you for months and you have been nowhere to be found. Welcome back double unders! I was finally able to work my way out of my mood by end of day on Monday... if the 75 degree Monday in March wasnt enough, the ride home from my afternoon meeting with the windows down and my radio blaring certainly was. Sometimes you just need that release. This morning the WOD was a great continuation of that. I was able to clean and do walking lunges with minimal pain in my hip. This is good news... I have ben babying in trying to get back to 100% in case there are any type of squats in the Open WOD this weekend. Still have a twinge when I move the wrong way or try to lift my leg to the side... but its getting better! Remember that whole "patience" thing that I said I lacked... here it is in full force. Anyway... After the WOD (which I loved) was complete the skill was double unders. I knew, just like the toes to bar a

March 12, 2012 Well, its bound to happen. No one is ever in a good mood ALL the time. I will be completely honest (as I always am), I am a pessimist. Hubs can attest to that. I have been really working on one of my major issues. I have a problem with letting things get to me and carrying them around with me all day. Just because one "issue" arises it dosent have to kill my whole day. Even though it usually does. Its only because I let it though. I have a very hard time shaking a bad mood and sometimes I can very easily put myself in that mood with little effort. I have to work hard to find the balance and find a way to let it go. You know that saying "woke up on the wrong side of the bed?" Well I think last night, I went to bed on the wrong side. I was in a lousy mood (for a reason I am totally aware of and have no control over) when I headed upstairs, so in my mind I was already doomed. After a crappy nights sleep (or lack there of) I was up and off to the gym.

March 11, 2012 I dont really consider myself "sparklicious" but I found this and I liked it for todays post... .

March 10, 2012 There really is NOTHING like the feeling you have when you have completed a WOD whether it is a "good one" a "bad one" or how "hard/easy" it is... the feeling of satisfaction you have is just indescribable. You might be lying there in a puddle of sweat, or in the fetal position because you cant imagine what its going to feel like for your legs to lift you up off the ground, or you might be standing with your hands on your knees gasping for air and scanning the room for where you left your water bottle. But one things for sure... you can wait to do it again! Its funny because there was a time that I actually gave it a thought. When I saw the board, I thought "how am I going to get through this." Its only natural to look at the series of exercises you are going to put your body through and think that. What CrossFit has helped me to overcome is the feeling that I "might not" be able to do it... the first thought is &quo

March 9, 2012 I have found this in a few different places and wanted to share... The CrossFit Motto 1. I will promise to do my best. My best will vary from day to day, from hour to hour, from minute to minute. But in that minute, I will do the very best that I can. 2. Lactic acid is my friend. The wind is my friend. Anything that opposes me is actually helping me to become stronger. If I had no opposition, I would be weak. 3. If I can run, I run. If I have to walk, I walk. When I am forced to crawl, I crawl. And then I rest and live to fight another day. 4. I fear no man but I fear my workout. If I don’t fear my workout, it isn’t hard enough. 5. I may puke. I may cry. But I will not quit. Ever. 6. I never cheat. There is no honor in cheating. What joy can there be in a victory I did not earn? 7. The workout missed is the opportunity missed. I will not cheat myself of the opportunity to become a better athlete and person. 8. I understand the value of the pus

March 8, 2012 "Learn the art of patience. Apply discipline to your thoughts when they become anxious over the outcome of a goal. Impatience breeds anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure. Patience creates confidence, decisiveness, and a rational outlook, which eventually leads to success." ~Bryan Adams Patience... something I was not blessed with much of! I am sort of an impulse person. I like to have an almost immediate reaction to my actions. I like to see results when I do something. I like to know the outcome once the problem is solved. I like to make decisions as they come to my head and I like to go "all or nothing" with pretty much everything I do. I realize this is a control issue as well as a patience issue... but I think in a lot of cases they go hand in hand. I just have to learn to use my control issue as a positive to allow myself to merge my confidence with my lack of patience. I have learned to be a little more patient as I get older. The quo

March 7, 2012 Take a minute to think about this... "You may think the grass is greener on the other side. But if you take the time to water our own grass it would be just as green." Again another phrase I could easily apply to both life in general as well as exercise and CrossFit. Its so common to want to be/have/do something you feel is so far out of reach. When in reality there are very few things (within reason) that you cant be/have/do without giving it your best shot. Of course... if you wish for a million dollars to land in your lap that's one thing... but if you aspire to be a person that you are not and there is a path that can get you to that goal, its never too late. If you want to change your life, do it. If you have a dream or a goal, whats the harm in shooting for the stars. I have been through quite a bit in my short 31 years on this planet. I know there are other people out there who have been through worse, and the things that I have been through mi

March 6, 2012 WARMUP: 3 Rounds - 20 Walking Lunges - 10 Inchworms - 5 Pushups 2 Rounds - 5 High Hang Power Clean - 5 Hang Power Clean - 5 Power Clean - 5 High Hang Squat Clean - 5 Hang Squat Clean - 5 Squat Clean WOD: "Flow" 3 Rounds For Time - Row 500m - 10 HSPU (two abmats) - 30 Air Squats (My Time 11:48) SKILL/STRENGTH: Cleans 3-3-3 120lbs, 125lbs <--- failed first one and stopped for fear of hurting my hip more... getting frustrated but I know I have to heal! .

March 5, 2012 This article can be found at https://www.againfaster.com/en/blog/2012/01/13/you-are-beautiful/  and was originally published September 18, 2007... but it was published again on January 13, 2012. I would normally just post the link and talk about the article, but I absolutely LOVE this article and want to have it in my own archives.  Anyway... here goes. If I were feeling a little more lawless, I’d gather all the copies of Cosmo and Seventeen, douse them in kerosene, and strike a match. I’d throw in reams of print ads from Calvin Klein and watch with delight as Kate Moss’ stick-thin image was reduced to carbon. I’d add copies of Shape and Runner’s World until the flames reached toward the heavens, and then I’d crank call the editorial desk at Muscle and Fitness until they stopped publishing pictures of women on steroids. I’d get the master tapes of America’s Next Top Model and dub over them with “ Nasty Girls ”, broadcasting the results on every television station

March 4, 2012 I talked yesterday about how wonderful my CF Family is and how amazing they were at cheering me on during my 12.2 WOD. But today I need to share how awesome it is to be on the other side of that coin.  When Hubs and I joined CF we had no idea that with joining we would become a part of something so special, something that is really hard to explain. There is a connection that happens within a CF Box that is so cool… there are no clicks, there are no groups, there is no cattiness, there is no drama… all that is left outside the doors of the gym. Once we enter we are all on the same level, we are all standing behind one another fighting for one another and pushing, cheering and coaching each other on to reach our highest potentials.    Leaving the real “coaching” to the coaches… we have all learned how to share our knowledge with each other where we think someone might need it. We all have strengths, we all have weaknesses… and if we share them all with one another

March 3, 2012 “If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all." --Michelangelo I feel like this is a pretty fitting quote for today. Since joining CrossFit and the sudden surge of crossfit sweeping the nation there have been loads and loads of before and after pictures plastered all over the internet.  Whether it be abs of steel, a kick ass back or a really tight butt, there are 100 comments of people saying "I want that" or "I will never have that" or even "how could you even do that?!" I was even looking at some pictures of Annie Sakamoto and was told "thats gross" by someone in regards to her muscles which actually made me laugh... I look at her and swoon. To me every muscle on her body and every line of definition is a clear indication of her hard work and dedication to her body. Its really easy to say "I want that" but in reality... as Michelangelo was probably trying

March 2, 2012 Typically, my Friday mornings consist of a breathtaking WOD and either an ass whooping strength session or an ab wrenching, hand burning... you name it skill session. Today was a different kind of day. Last nights snatching and tomorrows 12.2 WOD makes today a perfect day for recovery and mobility. Having said that... whats a Friday without my CFW Family?! Nothing!! So off to the gym I went at my usual time where I knew I was going to warm up, stretch out and work every mobility move I possibly could to keep my hips, hams, quads, shoulders and back stretched out. the last thing i wanted was to wind up sore for tomorrows attempt. K also advised that I keep my protein intake the same as I would on any other workout day to help with the recovery so I did that as well. The importance of recovery, rest and mobility is as high in Crossfit as it is in any other sport... today was a well needed day! Bring on 12.2! .

March 1, 2012 I walked into the gym tonight filled with emotions. I started going Thursday nights as a "skill" night. Where I could work on the things that I need to develop with less of a time constraint than I have in the mornings. However, since the Open workouts are released on Wednesday nights my time on Thursdays for the next few weeks will be dedicated to working on the skills necessary for the coming WOD. Last week I had my first run with 12.1 and did what felt like a half a million burpees... tonight, tonight was my kind of night... Snatches! WOD 12.2 was released at 8:00pm on Wednesday night... I was both excited and nervous at the sight of it. This is what I was waiting for, something that my strength would play a factor in, something that would boost my confidence. 12.2 for Women: 10 Minutes as far as you can get through this sequence 30 Snatches @ 45lbs 30 Snatches @ 75lbs 30 Snatches @ 100lbs As many as possible at 120lbs I knew going into the gym t

February 29, 2012 Less the a year ago the thought of doing pushups gave me hives... today I am pushing myself to get better and better at them and will no longer sacrifice my pushup form for speed. Its important to me to develop the skills and muscles that you use while doing pushups for my other lifts and movements and... well... its really nice to not dread the pushup days! I went from doing "girly" pushups on my knees just 6 months ago to being able to stay up on my feet for some of a set, than most of a set... and eventually where I am now, where I make sure on each rep my chest touches the ground (to meet CF Standards).   Today was a fun workout for me. Apparently I am one of the few who actually enjoy overhead squatting... or squatting in general for that matter! We started with skill, back squats, which we havent done in a while. Last time I was able to get 190 for 3 reps. Thats was a pretty good accomplishment for me, and today I wanted more. I worked up to 190 a