WODs & Well-Being

January 30, 2013 So, yesterday I happened to stumble back onto the “Run for the Diamonds” facebook page. I “liked” it when I had signed up for it looking to see if there were any tips for running oodles and oodles of miles… or perhaps what the course might be like. However, I found it to be a pretty stagnant page that occasionally someone posted something on (having nothing to do with the run).   As it got closer there were some posts about counting down the days and how excited people were. Finally race day, people were posting how inspiration it was to see all the runners, people posted pictures of people they knew and tagged the page so they appeared there… Other than that, it hasn’t moved much. I noticed that there was a post (because FB likes to tell me these things without my asking) that said “the finish line photos are up.” Oh boy. I never did write a post about the run. I was sort of in a blogging slump back in November/December. Things were going really well for me at t

January 29, 2013 Do you dog it? Are there days that you just don’t want to work hard? Are there days that you just go through the motions to get through the day? To be successful, to reach a goal, to get to the point of ultimate satisfaction… you just cant do it. Hard work, dedication, drive… no excuses… that’s what it takes to elevate yourself beyond your goals. This holds true with anything in life. When I was a kid, I can remember going to softball practice for the in-town youth team. When I started out I was   this skinny lanky kid with glasses and a glove that the ball barely fit into that I couldn’t even squeeze. I had no business being on the field, but I really wanted to learn how to play and be as good as my brother was at baseball. I can remember picking daisies in the outfield (because when you are 8 years old the ball rarely reaches the outfield unless it goes through the infielders legs) and being really sad that I didn’t get to be the catcher like was on his

January 28, 2013 ... is that what a goat sounds like? Because I know what one looks like... I have talked about crossfit goats before and I thought today would be a perfect day to do it again! First, lets take a look at what the definition of "goat" is (according to the free online dictionary): 1. Any sure-footed agile bovid mammal of the genus, naturally inhabiting rough stony ground in Europe, Asia, and N Africa, typically having a brown-grey coloring and a beard. Domesticated varieties are reared for milk, meat, and wool. 2. Informal a lecherous man. 3. A bad or inferior member of any group. 4. Short for scapegoat (a person that is punished for the errors of others) 5. Slang to cause annoyance 6. A victim of ridicule or pranks Now... the definition of a CrossFit Goat: 1. A “Goat” is a movement you hate doing, suck at or both. Very simply put, it’s the movement that makes you grimace every time you see it because you can’t do it or you suck at it. (d

January 27, 2013

January 26, 2013 Today was an amazing day. I feel like I have been saying that a lot lately... which I cant imagine is a BAD thing... ever. For the last few months Saturdays at the gym have become a Oly session for me. I have been working on my clean and jerk and snatch as much as possible than using the rest of the time I am at the gym for other skills that I need to work on; toes to bar, butterfly pullups, handstand pushups, dips... and the list goes on... but really my Oly technique has been on the top of my list. Thursday nights and Saturdays have been dedicated to slow first pull, back on my heels, good bar path, quick elbows, dropping quick below the bar, keeping my core tight... I was told (promised almost) that it would be a very frustrating process, but it would be worth it in the end. Having been told that, I knew I would get annoyed, have struggles and get really pissed, but I also knew that that is how I "roll" that I would push through and work hard and get whe

January 25, 2013 WARMUP: Fish Game 2 Rounds - 5 Ring Rows - 10 Good Morning - 5 Inchworms 2 X 9 Fundamentals (1 with PVC, 1 with Bar) WOD: Bear Complex On the min, every min for 15 min - 1 Clean - 1 Front Squat - 1 Jerk - 1 Back Squat - 1 Jerk ( 5@85lb, 5@105lbs, 5@115lbs) *4 Min Rest* 4 Min AMRAP of Lateral Burpees (55 Rx) .

January 24, 3013 It is no surprise that I do a lot of reading on CF stuff. I am subscribed to many FB pages with inspirational and motivational things to keep my mind moving forward. Every day I seem to come across another blog or page geared towards the same dreams and hopes I have for myself and that I write about in my own blog. Whats great is when I read what is written in other places about CrossFit I find myself nodding my head in agreement with everything they are saying... which is great! At least I know I am doing something right! I do realize that my blog isnt very "original" in the grand scheme of things... however everything I write comes from my mind even if it was inspired by something I have seen or read. I saw this on Journal Menu's FB page (which you should go over and "like" right now if you havent already...) and I had to share it. It hits home in so many ways and is EXACTLY how I feel about the crossfit community. Many of us are tryi

January 23, 2013 WARMUP: 3 Rounds - Row 250m - 5 Pushups - 10 Ring Rows - 10 Inchworms - 10 Shoulder Dislocates - 10 Grasshopper Couch Stretch 2 Min Each Leg WOD: Richie Rich 3 Rounds for Time - 10 Chest to Bar - 20 KB Swings (1pd) - 30 Box Jumps (20") (10:05 Rx) SKILL/STRENGTH: Midline 3 Rounds - 10 Toes to Bar - 10 GHD - 10 Hollow Rock .

January 22, 2013 Do you get nervous before a workout?   A common question from noobs… often wondering if that feeling of butterflies in your stomach as K and M get ready to start the clock, than proceed to count down the infamous 3…2…1… GO…. is going to last forever.  The answer: YES! The feeling is still there for me… every single time! And I hope it never goes away!   When I first started, the nerves were for different reasons, they stemmed from fear. The “fear of failing” in front of other people passed through my head plenty of times as I stood amongst people of all levels with the unknown in front of me. I didn’t want to make a fool of myself, fall on my face, get 1 round when everyone gets 4 or be the last person still working when everyone is done… but I began to  realize, every person in that room is thinking the same thing about themselves and those who aren’t, they have been there… they have let that fear go, they have other things to be “nervous” about. Those

January 21, 2013 So here is the deal… you walk into a CrossFit gym and look around and you will see a lot of similarities. They all have a pull up rig, they all have rings, rowers, kettle bells, boxes, stacks of weights, GHD’s, ab-mats and of course bars and PVC, some have med balls piled high, some have a  climbing rope… most have a PR board and each and every one has a WOD board with todays’ WOD displayed for all to see. That’s it folks… those are the “material” things that make up a CrossFit box. More often than not, they are a converted warehouse, a garage or a car dealership…. Wide open, no ceilings with stall matts on the floor to break the fall of the weights on the concrete. There is nothing “fancy” about an orange home depot bucket full of chalk and jump ropes hung on a nail in the wall… we checked “fancy” at the door. Functional space what  we need. However, those things, those material things. They don’t make the box. They are the things that allow the bo

January 20, 2013 A few weeks ago I was on FB and I friend of mine (that I havent seen since the 8th grade) posted about a charity strongman competition that he was going to be attending. Well, Hubs and I have attended strongman before, and we are always looking for something fun and different to do on the weekends... so we decided to go. As a plus, I was going to get to see two people that I havent seen in a really long time AND it was going to be a charity event so we were going to be able to contribute to a good cause as well. After committing to the event I was obviously interested in seeing what the charity was all about and who was putting it on. I was so very excited for what I found! I had heard in the news before Christmas about the 9-year-old boy from Salyersville, KY named Dalton with stage 4 Cystic Fibrosis. There was nothing more the doctors could do for him, so they sent him home with a few weeks to live. What you may have heard on the news was his dream to break the

January 19, 2013 Keep working, keep pushing... no matter what. I am always afraid, I am always on edge... but I will not let it consume me. I will not let it take over. I can only be who I am. I can only be proud of the person I am.... and I am. I am doing it, regardless of my fears. Go big or go home baby... WARMUP: 2 Rounds - Jumprope Circuit - 10 Spiderman - 10 Shoulder Dislocates - 5 Wall Ball - 5 Toes to Bar Snatch Warmup 2X (1 PVC, 1 Bar) SKILL/STRENGTH Snatch 85, 95, 105, 115, 125 (F 2X) Clean and Jerk 115, 125, 145, 155, 165, 175 (Clean, failed Jerk) .

January 18, 2013 I cant help but laugh at myself these days when I arrive at CFW. I get out of my car and head into the gym with my duffle filled with clothes and toiletries for my shower and work day, armed with my notebook, protein shaker and water bottle… I drop my bag in the locker room and head to the workout area. This is where it gets funny. I grab my notebook, protein shaker and water bottle… than fumble around with my wrist wraps, lifting shoes, jump rope and belt. Its almost as if I need a second bag to get myself from the locker room to the gym! One of the things I cant seem to wrap my head around are the knee high socks that a lot of CrossFitters like to wear. I do have a pair… I bought back in October at the Beast of the East. They sat in my drawer for a while when one day JM was at the gym wearing hers… she loves them. I happen to have the same pair as one of the pairs she has. They have been hanging out just waiting for the day that I decided to wear

January 17, 2013     WARMUP: 3 Rounds - Row 250m - 10 Spiderman - 5 Pullups - 10 Shoulder Dislocates - 5 Toes to Bar SKILL SESSION: Snatch 3 X 1 X 55lbs 3 X 2 X 65lbs 3 X 2 X 75lbs 3 X 2 X 85lbs Work 65lbs for form Clean and Jerk 3 X 65lbs 3 X 85lbs 3 X 105lbs 3 X 115lbs 3 X 120lbs .  

January 16, 2013 Goals. Its so important to set them. Its important that they are reasonable and achievable in the amount of time you have set for them... oh and you should set an amount of time you want to achieve them in... get it?! The key is there is a difference between "I can do this" and "if I work my ass of, I can do this." There is a difference between setting a goal that is definitely attainable, one that you think there is a small chance you might not reach it in time... and one that is just plain scary. Goals should be all over the map... goals for your immediate future, goals for 6 months, goals for 12 months... 5 years, whatever you need to get the job done. Its important to set them to keep from being content with consistency. They help to elevate life from just day to day to looking forward to reaching new heights and accomplishing new things. Every day we are on this planet we are evolving. We have to... we learn, we grow and we change. Life c

January 15, 2013 WARMUP: 3 Rounds - 1/2 Gym Bear Crawl - 10 Air Squats - 5 Pullups - 10 Grasshopper - 10 PVC Good Mornings Pigeon Stretch 2 Minutes Ea Leg STRENGTH: Push Press 1 X 8 @ 115 lbs 2 X 5 @ 125 lbs 1 X 3 @ 135 lbs 1 X 3 @ 140 lbs WOD: Row Row 500m X 4 (1:46, 1:49, 1:50, 1:51) .

January 14, 2013 Wait what?! Sarah is "having a bad day?!" But... that cant happen. She loves CrossFit, she puts her every ounce of her every being into every workout and always comes out on top of the world in her own eyes... she is never in a bad mood and is always motivational and positive about everything. Ok... first of all Hubs... stop laughing. Second... EVERYONE has bad days.  Everyone. I am sure that there are days that Annie Thorisdottir and Rich Froning finish a workout and think, "damn, I could have done better." For me, on a day like today when I finish my workout, everything seems fine, I gave it my all, laid it all on the line... than the analyzing starts. I am in the shower thinking of all the things I should have done faster, or better or the rest I took... than it rolls around in there for hours. I cant get it out because shy of doing the WOD again, there is no way to "fix" what I did wrong... This is where I am "lucky"

January 13, 2013

January 12, 2013 WARMUP: 30 Double unders 2 Rounds - 10 Lunges - 10 Shoulder Dislocates - 5 Ring Row - 5 Wall Ball SKILL/STRENGTH - Snatch Work, light weight, lots of technique - Clean Work, light weight, lots of technique - Double Unders  10 X 30 (all unbroken!) - 3 X 5 Pullups - 3 X 5 Toes to Bar (working kip) .

January 11, 2012 WARMUP: 3 Rounds - 20 Double Unders - 5 Pullups - 10 Inchworms - 15 Air Squats Pigeon Stretch STRENGTH/SKILL Front Squat (Based off 215lb 1RM) 1 X 5 @ 75% - 160 2 X 5 @ 80% - 170 2 X 3 @ 85% - 180 1 X 2 @ 95% - 200 WOD: Chill Stop 4 Rounds for Time - 15 HSPU (first 10 Rx, remainder with 1 abmat) - 30 Jumping Squats (45lbs) - 250m Row (3 + 5) .

January 10, 2013 Elizabeth Akinwale... my CrossFit Inspiration... Form, form, form... technique, technique, technique... With good technique, comes good form.... with good form comes good technique.. and with both comes a lot of FRUSTRATION! I am working and working to improve my form and develop as a better crossfitter. I was told, and its no joke, that it is going to be a frustrating time. My weights will go down, my ego will get shattered... but if I learn how to lift correctly I will be a better athlete in the end. Here.We.Go... WARMUP: 3 Round - 10 Lunges - 10 Around the World - 10 Ring Row - 10 Wall Ball Rolling/LAX Ball OLY: Clean from High Hang on Jerk Box 65 X 10 X 2 75 X 5 X 1 85 X 5 X 1 95 X 5 X 2 105 X 3 X 2 115 X 3 X 1 Snatch from High Hang on Jerk Box 55 X 5 X 2 65 X 3 X 1 75 X 3 X 1 85 X 3 X 1 95 X 3 X 1 .

January 9, 2013 Its so important to visit your goals daily. Look at where you are, where you have been and where you are trying to go. Sometimes taking a look back at where you have come from allows you to push harder towards future goals. When starting something new its common to set unreasonable goals... you want what you want badly but have no idea how long it will take to accomplish. However, when the time finally comes that the goal is attained, its an incredible feeling. Suddenly, the urge hits to set another goal... something you feel that might be out of reach but "hey, anything is possible." You just want that feeling again. Time will go by and maybe you will set more goals while still reaching for the ultimate, or maybe you will sprint towards that ultimate and hit it again... just in time to set another. Goals are so important in life, but almost as important is the ability to celebrate your milestones... slow down and take a look back at where you have come

January 8, 2013 Hubs bought me a new rope for Christmas... it is kicking the crap out of me! The rope of course... I go off and on getting and losing my double unders. I dont know what it is but for some reason I just cant "relax" and jump. I know what I have to do, I know how to do it... and I know I can do it. Its SO.DAMN.FRUSTRATING. Today could have been disastrous... yesterday during the warmup I couldnt even string together 2 double unders. Thankfully, when we were doing some warmup drills getting loose and practicing double unders I was able to calm myself to get them. Looks like I have yet another thing to add to the list of "what needs work." I know I can do it, I know I can do them... just like everything else, it takes time and dedication. If you want it, you work at it and you get it. Plain and simple... ... even if I look like I lost a fight with a cat and have whip marks all over my shins and forarms... I will win that fight some day! WA