WODs & Well-Being

May 30, 2013 I was looking for a good image to "sum up" my day today... and there were plenty with the "finish each day and be done with it" quote from Emmerson... however I felt as if they were too "pretty" to sum up how I feel right now. When I came across this one, I laughed. I needed to laugh. So here it is: Today was just one of those days. Not sure where it started or why... but I can not wait until my head can hit the pillow tonight. I slept terrible last night which probably played a massive roll in my "bitch-tastic" mood. I dont get a lot of sleep at night to begin with, so when I am up for 2 hours tossing and turning in the middle of the night it results in a pretty horrible day to follow. Days like today are days that I get frustrated at mundane things. I start to fall back into my old habits. As I said to one of the guys I work with today "Mrs. Optimism is taking a day off." Which is funny by two fold, one, I have N...

May 29, 2013

May 28, 2013 Its only been a little over 30 hours since Murph... but I am certainly feeling those 200 pushups today! It was not so bad while I was at the gym this morning and really not too bad while I was at work... but the few hours since I have been home, dang! This is the feeling I love to feel. I am starting a little extra skill training to help improve some of my lifts. I am also going to be starting to focus on other days on goats like HSPUs, muscle ups, chest to bars and the list goes on. Now is the time to push, improve and do what I need to do to get where I want to be. There is so much more in me! Cant wait to get it out! WARMUP: 3 Rounds - Bear Crawl Gym - 5 Ring Rows - 10 Spiderman - 10 Scorpion - 10 Toy Soldiers WOD: Thing 1 and Thing 2 3 Rounds - 10 Power Cleans (105) - 200m Run *5 min Rest* 3 Rounds - 30 Double Unders - 15 Burpees (5:32 & 5:00 Rx) SKILL: Good Mornings 1 X 10 @ 45 3 X 10 @ 95 .

May 27, 2013 Fallen but Never Forgotten By: Russell Berger   CrossFit’s Hero WODs are challenging tests of fortitude—but they also represent something greater. Russell Berger takes a closer look at workouts created to honor our fallen. On June 28, 2005, four Navy SEALs on a reconnaissance mission in the Kunar province of Afghanistan were ambushed by an overwhelming Taliban force. Team leader Lt. Michael Murphy, unable to call for help from his location, walked into the center of enemy fire, where his satellite phone might work. He punched in the numbers to HQ and calmly requested reinforcements.  Even after being knocked to his knees from a gunshot wound to his back, Murphy calmly sat back up, steadied himself and continued the call, knowing that it was the only way he might save his men. Once the call for reinforcements had been completed, he returned to the fight. Sadly, Murphy and all but one of his men were mortally wounded after...

May 26, 2013 I am not sure which one I am... I guess the elephant...   I will say the statement is 100% true. I will also say that if you told me that someday I would be out voluntarily running on a Saturday/Sunday morning or afternoon just for the "fun" of it, I would call you crazy!  I have come to realize that I can no longer say I am not a runner. I am certainly not the best runner on the planet, but getting together with a friend and enjoying the outdoors just chatting and running an easy pace has become something I really love. I am also lucky enough to have a great friend to make it even better! Funny that a 5 mile run that just over a year and half ago was pretty much torture and today was relaxing, fun and a total stress reliever.  I guess it is what it is... I am a runner. What the?! WORKOUT: 5 Miles (pretty sure it was about 45 minutes)

May 25, 2013 With all this rain I am feeling like I should be on the lookout for Noah... So glad to be back in the swing of things for a Saturday morning! It was great to have the Oly session and workout today. WARMUP: Oly Warmup OLY: 1 RM Snatch (15 Minutes) 85, 105, 115, 125, 135 (F) 1 RM Clean and Jerk 125, 145, 155, 165, 175, 185 (F) WOD: 15 Minute Clock - 10 OH Squat (65) - 50 Double Unders than with remaining time KB Swing (25) (6:20 + 195 Rx) .

May 24, 2013 I saw this top when we were at the Regional last weekend. I laughed so hard, but didnt buy it... its pink (not my thing). However I thought it was appropriate for todays post! WARMUP: 3 Rounds - Row 250 - 10 Spiderman - 10 Pushups - 10 Toy Soldiers - 10 Shoulder Dislocates 2 Minute Squat Sit Group: Snatch Warmup OLY: Snatch 1RM 12 Minutes to find 1RM Snatch 85, 105, 125, 135 (F) WOD: White Walker 12 Minute AMRAP - 5 Thrusters (65) - 10 Bar Facing Burpees (9+1 Rx) .

May 23, 2013 Like everyone else on the planet, there are some morning I find it hard to get out of bed. There are some days its hard to put on a "happy" face and walk around like I have everything together. There are times when I take a long hard look at where I am in my life and think "is this where I thought I would be." I havent always been a positive person, I have talked about that before. In fact, the "glass is always half full" people always seemed to find a way to piss me off because I felt like I was just treading in deep water constantly and going absolutely nowhere. I was so unhealthy. I may have looked like I had it together on the outside (to some... dont ask Hubs, he knows I was a walking headcase). I had more nights than I want to remember where I say at home and beat myself up over where I was in life, what I was doing, why I was stuck in a crappy job, why I couldnt afford to buy a house... I wouldnt sleep at night because as soon as...

May 22, 2013

May 21, 2013 ...AND NOW BACK TO YOUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED PROGRAM!! Phew... I really feel like I have been in a whirl wind adventure since that very first Open workout was announced on March 6... two and a half months ago. Each week was filled with a little bit of this and a little bit of that. The weeks following, after qualifying were filled with extra training, a little added stress and honestly, a ton of fun! Finally it was all wrapped up in tight little bow this past weekend at the Regional. Yesterday, I treated myself with a nice relaxing rest day from work and the gym and today... we are back to "normal." I will not lie. It was a breath of fresh air to go to the gym this morning and feel no stress or pressure on my own performance. One of the things that this whole experience has taught me was to really take a step back and remember what it is that I love about CrossFit. I love the way it makes me feel. I love the happiness and satisfaction that I get from g...

May 20, 2013 If you know me (and heck even if you just are an avid reader of my blog) you probably already know that I am an emotional person. I write from my mind and my heart and pretty much take the filter off with what I decide to share publicly. This isn't really anything different from my every day life as it is as an "anonymous" blogger in cyber space. I say what I feel and more often than not, even if I don't "say" it... its written all over me. I have been thinking for the last 24 hours, since I started the trek home from The Northeast Regional, what words I would use to "sum up" this weekend. How was I going to take three days and press them together into one post. Just a few words. I realized really in the last week leading up to The Regional how much I have invested of myself into CrossFit and how emotionally connected I am to the sport and the family that I have been so blessed with within the walls of CrossFit Wachusett. The wor...

May 15, 2013 I WILL SUCCEED!   WARMUP: Open Warmup SKILL: MU Practice (30 Minutes) .

May 14, 2013  Today seemed like another good day for a lighter post. When I saw this picture I thought it was perfect. WARMUP: 3 Rounds - 10 Lunges - 10 HR Pushups - 10 Toy Soldiers - 10 ATW - 5 Handstands OLY: EMOTM for 7 Minutes - 1 High Hang Squat Clean - 1 Hang Squat Clean - 1 Squat Clean and Jerk (125lbs) TEAM WOD: 4 Rounds - 500m Row - 30 Double Unders - 4 Pistols (10:44) .

May 13, 2013 Yeah, so I feel like the last few days... weeks even have been insanely intense for me. I have been on a roller coaster of emotions... so what better way to remedy that with... a little humor! Its easy to get wrapped up in the stress and craziness of training and competing and failing and succeeding... so many highs and lows. What I have decided to do is take a step back. Remember where I have come from, the goals I have set for myself and where I am today. Open my eyes and smile the biggest smile that I can spread across my face. I wouldn't be me if I didn't add the stress and emotion to everything I do. I love this shit. I wouldn't do it if I didn't. I also love Pinky and the Brain... ... and squats! WARMUP: 3 Rounds - 5 Burpees - 10 Ring Rows - 15 Squats 1 X 9 Fundamentals TEAM STRENGTH: 3 X 5 Back Squat @ 70% (170lbs) TEAM SKILL: MU Transitions TEAM WOD: - 3/1 Burpee/Muscle Up - 10 Wall Ball - 10 DB Snatches (50lbs) Rest ...

May 12, 2013 I have never seen a group of people work so hard in my life. All 8 members of the CrossFit Wachusett Regional Team kicked some total ass today for our last "full" team workout. You would never hear an excuse out of any mouth in that gym today. I am so so so proud to be a part of such an amazing group of athletes and I am really excited for this weekend!! WARMUP: 3 Rounds - 10 Lunges - 10 Around the World - 10 Squats - 10 Inchworms TEAM WOD: 7 Min to Establish 3RM OH Squat TEAM WOD: 7 Muinutes of Burpee Muscle Ups TEAM SKILL: Single Arm Dumbell Snatches TEAM WOD: Rope Climbs and Squat Cleans .

May 11, 2013 Its not easy to not get discouraged when you are not yet able do something you really want to do... notice I did not say CANT... I was taught at  very young age that if I want something that is difficult for me to achieve I just have to work harder to get it. With time, patience and confidence I will hit my goals. Never, ever, ever, quit. WARMUP: Open Gym Warmup SKILL: MU Work .

May 10, 2013 Its hard for me to put into words the emotions that I am going through at this time. That might seem hard for some to understand, as I typically have no problem dumping my brain into the computer to expunge it from my thoughts. I am finding myself all over the place with excitement, anxiety and  little bit of fear. I suppose that is perfectly normal. There is one thing that I dont have, and that is doubt. Last year when I was volunteering at the Regional I made  promise to myself that I was going to do everything I could to be on that field this year. I pushed through a lot over the last year and after the Open I couldnt have been happier with myself. Collectively, our entire gym worked so hard to place high enough that we could compete at the Regional. The challenges that face me at this point are just more obstacles that continue to keep me motivated and on my toes, pushing and fighting. I will continue to fight and I will continue to put my best foot f...

May 9, 2013 Oh what a beautiful morning, oh what a beautiful day!! I was really really excited to see the WODs released last night and read about the standards. Of course the terrifying feeling of not having a muscle up has passed through my head over and over... and that is one BIG fish I have to learn to fry... and quick! Now, the way they have structured the WOD's this year for teams is  little different. There are two WOD's every day. Each of the 6 teammates will have to complete at least one WOD a day that will also include the rest of the 5 teammates. The second (or first) WOD on each day will be just one man and one woman from each team. All three of each gender have to perform one of the 2 person workouts and all three of the 6 person workouts. It was pretty clear that of the three, day two was right up my alley. I can do Jackie, but I have tough time with pullups. I would be ok with the walking lunges and oh presses... but my double unders and handstand pushup...

May 8, 2013

May 7, 2013 Here we go again... If there is one thing in life that every "adult" learns over time... its the fact that anything can happen when you least expect it. Those things can be good, but those things can be bad... most you cant prepare for. You just have to learn how to go with what happens in life and deal with it as best you can. I plan, plan, plan... and sometimes... it dosent matter. Live takes over and I find myself in a crappy sutiation that more often than not costs money. Well... I just put on my big girl drawers and suck it up. Que sera sera... Today "life" brought me back tot he dentist. I had planned a few months ago to take care of some dental work that I have been putting off due to lack of insurance. The "plan" was one crown a year... so my dentist (that I love) advised which tooth to do first. We had a plan of attack for the order in which we were going to do the rest. Well... as "life" would have it.  Another too...

May 6, 2013 I thought this would be a great day to start a Monday. Every single Monday I get my butt out of bed and get to the gym, just as I do every other day of the week. Than I get myself to work and log into FB to see what happened after I turned into pumpkin the night before at 9:00, when I disconnect from the "interwebz" for a few hours. More often than not I am greeted with all the cases of the "Mondays" that people post on FB... and yes, I have there too. Sometimes I think we forget that its Monday for everyone... and we all know what thats like. But days like today it kind of got to me. Last night right I broke a tooth while I was eating dinner. Damnit it pissed me off. I just got a crown and I was really mad that the tooth right next to it is the one that cracked. No fault of my wonderful dentist  (no really, I love him and don't blame him, I blame my crappy teeth), but its just plain inconvenient. I wasn't planning on  making a trip to t...

May 5, 2013 Every day I wake up with the passion to push myself further. I know that I can be more than I am, that I have more potential, that I can challenge myself more. I don’t discount my accomplishments and the fact that I have reached goals and surpassed my expectations at times, but a life without new goals and new dreams would just be boring. There are things in my life that I have not accomplished yet (of course). Some things scare the crap out of me and that causes me to drag my feet like I am walking in quicksand. I have a tendency in my life to reach for the stars in all that I do… but occasionally that bit of fear gets the best of me, brings fourth the procrastinator and the self-doubt… the words “what if I don’t succeed” cross over my mind. Totally normal, but I know I have to kick my ass in gear and understand my own words. Failure is part of the process. Believe in yourself and you can do anything. Don’t try, and you will never be what you want to be. I use to...

May 4, 2013 ACTIVE RECOVERY: 5K Jog 

May 3, 2013 Whats on the menu? Chicken Spinach and Prosciutto Bundles (find it HERE ) with Spinach, Strawberry and Avocado Salad (find it HERE ) How easy was it to make?   I have realized why people eat chicken so much... because its pretty easy to cook (after you get over the touching raw chicken thing, which I am doing really well at). I think now is the time to point out how NOT boring eating Paleo is. Now we could slap chicken and beef on a plate every day, but WHY?! There are so many great recipes out there. Give some of them a shot, one or two days a week make something out of the norm. Too many and you might get overwhelmed, but just TRY it sometimes. You wont be sorry (most of the time). Now, back to the question, it was pretty easy. I cut the fat off the boneless skinless chicken breasts and arranged them on the wax paper first, than did the mushrooms. I was trying to figure out hot to minimize the amount of times I had to touch the chicken and wash my hands. I...

May 2, 2013 Last year around this time I was invited to an IIDA (International Interior Design Association)Leadership Breakfast where the keynote speaker was amazing... you can read that post HERE if you are interested. A co-worker and friend of mine were invited be the same rep that we have worked with many times to attend for a second time this year. After the positive results last time we gladly accepted (even it it meant that I have to miss the AM session and hit the 5:30pm class at CFW, always good to change things up every now and again).  We all know how speakers can be. Totally hit or miss. Occasionally, you get a total flop where all you hear in your head while the person is talking are sounds like the teacher in Charlie Brown Cartoons... "waaahhh wah, wooow, waaaa, wooow," you look at your watch 1000 times and hope to god you can be put out of your misery soon... awful. The IIDA has proven to me now for the second time, that they are terrific at picking their...

May 1, 2013 If you want to check out the posts from Team Garage Game - 2011 they are right here... DAY1 and DAY2 (just click on the day). In case you dont want to read the whole thing... this is how I wrapped up an amazing weekend and my FIRST crossfit competition ever. We overcame a lot of fears that weekend. Hit some major PR's and really just laid it all on the line. So fun to be able to look back and remember it just like it was yesterday! "I cant say enough about this experience. I cant say enough about crossfit and what it does for me on the inside and out. The weekend was motivating, humbling, inspiring, exciting, hard and fun. Its been a long time since I have competed in any type of athletic event and this brought it all back. I am so ridiculously proud of all of us. I am so so so proud of my husband who totally killed it all weekend, there was a spark in his eye that I have never seen before. My friends T and KP who went above and beyond to g...