Karen

Wall Balls …. We Meet Again

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We’ve had a few WODs with Wall Balls in them lately but nothing too terrible. And although I dread them, I dread KAREN even more! That’s 150 Wall Balls AFAP! As. Fast. As. Possible!

So it’s a given that I’m gonna whine, cry and B!†©h about this freaking workout. Like more than ever. But damn it, I showed up at 5 a.m. KNOWING what was in store. So I feel, although I’m probably pretty annoying, that I’m allowed such moaning and groaning. Hehehe. Right?

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2/21/14
Test Day
Strength: Push press 3,3,3 1,1,1
Yup Coach wants us to KILL our shoulders before we throw a medicine ball up 150 times. Yay fun! I went with Handy Dandy Multi-grip bar to alleviate wrist pain. This bar is a little awkward and even though I use it often, I never load it with weight as it’s already 65lbs on it’s own. But today we were going for HEAVY but I had to test the waters slowly. 65lbs isn’t putting any strain on my wrist but I wasn’t sure what more weight would do. Eventually I worked up to 105lbs and I was good there. I was a little less stable and didn’t want to push my good fortune at getting that weight.

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MetCon: Karen – 150 WB 20/14
I don’t wanna but I gotta! At this point I didn’t care if I met the 15 minute time cap we had, only because we had 15 minutes left in class. My mind was prepared for a DNF. 3-2-1 GO. Hmmm the first 10, not so bad, 3 second break, next 10 not too bad either. Then 5’s from there on out. I felt good for the first 80 then slowly started falling apart. A lot of my MIND came into control vs. fatigue. But it’s no JOKE either way. Time: 13:23

2/21/14 WOD

2/21/14 WOD

This was a personal best for me. The last time I did an official Karen was a little over 2 years ago and finished in 14:37. And with all the ups and downs I’ve had on my journey… I was plenty excited to have a better time! But then I started thinking about some of the OPEN WODS where you had 12 minutes to do 150 wall balls, double unders and whatever else. I got 133 wall balls in 12 minutes last year! I was in a better place though. I tried beating myself up over it, but then shook it off and went back to being happy at a new PR!

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PRETTY MUDDY GIVEAWAY!
Don’t forget to enter for a free entry into the PRETTY MUDDY GIVEAWAY! Invited your friends to enter as well. Or just tell them to use the discount code: GIRLSGONESPORTY for their $5 coupon code and cross your fingers that you win! For real though, I’m giving away:

2 standard race entries (up to a $69.50 value) – offered to two separate winners

2 family edition entries (up to a $45 value) – offered to two separate winners

What is Pretty Muddy?
Pretty Muddy is a 5K adventurous obstacle course mud run for any woman who wants to get outside, spend time with friends, and have fun. And believe it or not it was dreamed up by a pair of husbands that were looking to do something for their wives. Friendship, Fun and Fitness! They wanted to provide a stress-free environment where you can just let loose. It’s a 5K that you can run or walk. It’s not timed. And the obstacles are legit. Nothing to worry about. Just have fun!

HOW TO ENTER idrankthecfkoolaid.com’s giveaway

It’s simple.

1. Email me at idrankthecfkoolaid@gmail.com and tell me who you are and if you want to be entered into the standard race entry or the family edition entry. There is an EMAIL ME link on the right hand bar. The email you send me will be my way of notifying you if you are a winner.

2. And then comment on THIS POST that you emailed me! It’s that simple! I’ll be taking entries through end of day of 2/25 11:59 pm CST. I’ll pick a winner on 2/26. And should have entry codes for you by 2/28.

I will not use your email address for anything other than contacting you if you are a randomly chosen winner. I was provided my own personal race entry as incentive to host a giveaway but I would have hosted it none the less!

That’s a WRAP!
Happy Weekend y’all! Go forth, be active and eat clean! Your mind and body will thank you for it. I promise!

There is a CrossFit Boom Community WOD tomorrow at 9am as well. So if you’ve been itching to try something new, GO! It’s for all ages, fitness levels, shapes and sizes! And it’s FUN!

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Wednesday Wall Balls

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EQUALS NO FUN for this girl! If you’ve been around long enough, you should know without a doubt that me and wall balls might as well be mortal enemies. It doesn’t matter if it’s a 10lb ball or 14lb ball, I DISLIKE this movement torture. To make matters even more interesting, it’s not just KAREN (aka 150 wall balls), It’s Karen + other crap.

But before I dive into that brutality, can I get a WOOOOOO? I can’t hear you! WOOOOOO! Ya let me tell you what you are yelling for (you better be yelling) … wait for it, wait for it … a 20lb PR on my Back Squat! YA!

Today was a retest for those of us that missed last week… cough cough ME. And I was a little hesitant/scared! I didn’t want to fall in the DID NOT PR category. But I am finally making gains. I went from 145lbs to 165lbs. So excited for that and now 200lbs doesn’t seem like a pipe dream anymore. It’s a realistic goal!

2/20/13 WOD

2/20/13 WOD

MetCon: 12.4 – 12 minute AMRAP of 150 wall balls, 90 DU, 30 MU
Last year when they released this WOD for the CrossFit Open, I pretty much laughed. This time around for this throwback WOD there wasn’t so much laughing but more of a sigh and OH HELL. At least I have a PR for the day. Just do better than last year! Right?

Even though I am dumb for defeating myself mentally before the clock even starts, I found some sort of pace and was over half way through the wall balls before I was halfway through the time! And then that wall that I like to run into popped up and I hit it, HARD! And then I just counted myself out. It’s not gonna happen. And with that sucky ass attitude why would it happen? I had about 10 NO REPS throughout where the ball made the distance but didn’t touch the WALL! So that was wasted energy! When time was called I had 133 completed. Yes it’s improvement over the 120 I had last year but I really feel like I should have finished. Barely a month after last year’s beating we just did plain ol Karen and I finished in 14:37 so I think for sure I would have beat that time. I know there are folks who get 150 wall balls finished in half the time or LESS. One day I’d just be happy with a SUB 10 minute score!

14 days till the open and I’m at about an 80/20 clean eating situation. I haven’t made it to a 90/10 or just an all out 100% commitment. What is wrong with me? I’m getting back there though, just very slowly! Ernie says he’s committed to being strict for the next 14 days and on into the open so maybe that will help me out! I know there’s a few folks at the BOOM Box trying it out now and I hope you all are staying strong and following through. Help me to get back on it! Please!

Also, my friend Vicki shared this AWESOME video, all about the PALEO:

On that note. EAT CLEAN ladies and gents! Smile! Share your AWESOMENESS with others and enjoy the day!

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Embracing the SUCK – AKA KAREN!

Yup it was a morning full of KAREN! For those new to CrossFit or have no idea what Karen is you’ll learn a few things quickly. 1. It’s a 150 wall balls for time 2. I hate WALL BALLS and 3. This was one part of the CrossFit Games Open WOD 12.4 (which I failed miserable at).

With that said let me repeat for the 7897697th time I HATE WALL BALLS! RX was with a 14lb ball. Besides doing this for the 12.4 WOD I had never done Karen before and I have only ever once used the 14lb med ball. For 12.4 I think I got 120 wall balls in 12 minutes. So Coach clearly doesn’t like any of us to be busting this out so soon. We had a 15 min cap which I was sure I wouldn’t make. But I had to give it a go. Besides the pure hate of this movement have I told you I completely suck at it as well? YES I SUCK at Wall Balls too 😦

4/16/12 WOD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I knew I had finished 50 under 5 minutes but that was the last time I really paid attention to the clock. I just knew I had to knock sets of 5 down as best as I could. Every now and then I’d hear the time but never put the time and my reps together. Everyone else in my heat had finished so of course they are all supporting and rallying me on. I’m down to the wire and I have 25 left. Coach is pushing me and I’m keeping up to his demands. He tells me I have 10 seconds left to do my last 3 reps and I barely push it out, but I did! WOOO VICTORY sorta if you know you suck and don’t compare yourself to elite athletes! So I laid on the ground for a good while. Sat around for a while longer. Attempted some sort of mobility for even longer. Finally I take a look at the board and see 14:37 ?!? I thought dsylexia had kicked in and walked up close to make sure because I knew I was down to the wire. It had to be 14:57 right? So I ask Coach what the deal was and he calmly says “oh I lied” !!!!! Hahahah seriously? So I finished 23 seconds better than I thought. It’s not HUGE I know but it made me feel a little more beastly! Hahah! Thanks 5am-ers for being a great SUPPORT group 🙂 Love y’all!

Not looking forward to tomorrow, I probably won’t be able to walk very well.

On a different note, our weekend was good. Got a lot of baseball in and the rain held off. I didn’t make more brownies as I got lazy! But I will probably bust some out tonight. And I also have a Double Chocolate Cherry Cookie recipe that my kids saw in a cookbook I had recently purchased and requested me to make it SOON!

Hope y’all have an a-MAZING MONDAY!

Separating the BEASTS from the GIRLBABIES aka ME!

And Welcome back to the CrossFit Open Games WOD review as done by yours truly. Don’t hold your breath here cause I’m just a WODSCALA at best but I’m still giving it a go. We are on week 4 of these miserable workouts and let me just say my jaw seriously dropped when 12.4 was released. DROPPED! 12 minute AMRAP of 150 Wall Balls, 90 Double Unders and 30 Muscle Ups! Really CrossFit HQ? REALLY?!? I thought for a split second it was a joke. But I do know better. I was just hoping not to die in 12 minutes. That was really my ultimate goal for the day. Don’t DIE in those 12 minutes!

Let me get things straight before I begin. To some of you, it’s old news but to anyone new I just want to be clear where I stand.

I HATE WALLBALLS! And I REALLY HATE the idea of 150 of those damn things in a row. I’ve never performed Karen (dirty ugly mean filthy girl) so I have no standard to compare myself. Just know I am not friends with Karen or any WOD that involves medicine balls being thrown to a target way above my head!

Also know I’ve only ever used a 10lb medicine ball.

And please note I am a GIRLBABY! Really.

As of last night I wasn’t entirely too sure if I would get to Double Unders but one has to have hope, right? I’m prepared for those at least and well if there was some slight chance I got through all of that we all know I was screwed when it came to Muscle Ups! So why in the sam hill am I killing myself. I have no idea. Just part of it. I’m hopelessly competitive and after today I really just need to focus on the day to day. It is ABOUT GETTING BETTER but it freakin sucks and I’m an impatient chicken!

This morning I’m rushing to the box because I overslept a few or 15 minutes and already dreading the doom that lies ahead at the BOOM BOX. I get a nice warm up, Get my hips stretched out as well. And it’s between Mel and I. She opts to go first which is really great because I just don’t want to go. I didn’t cheer/support her like I normally would have because there is a pit in my stomach. I mostly just pace, stay warm and pace. As I watch her I just know I’m not going to make it. I know mind set is a big part of it but it looked so miserable. She beared through it and did great and NOW it’s my turn. My stomach is literally in knots. My CrossFit Dreams are fading away. Timelines in my head are gone. It’s just me, the ball and the wall and I am not ready.

I eventually get some sort of plan in my head: go for 15, then 10’s then 5’s. But in reality it went 12, no rep, 5, 5, 1, no rep, 4, etc…Maybe not EXACTLY like that but pretty close, LOL. There was never more than 5 linked together after the first 12. I didn’t NO REP as much which was GREAT but I did go much slower – not by want but just by the fact that 14lbs gets heavy fast like. It was a pretty sad showing and I’m very glad there was no video proof. I literally was punching the stupid stupid ball out of anger. I do have witnesses but no actual proof thank goodness!

3/15/12

With all that said I completed 120 Wall Balls in 12 minutes. Boy I am horrible. I know I know… I did it. Whatever. I’m not feeling the warm fuzzies over this. I flat out was bad. Nothing is going to change my mind about that.

Moving on to My HERO, Sherry! She killed those Wall Balls and got 171 for her overall reps. She did amazing. We’ll just have to see how the rest of the Masters crowd does but she’s on the bubble for going to the GAMES. Fingers crossed, prayers being sent, etc. Hopefully 12.5 is something right up her alley and will boost her into the top 20!

There ya have it readers. 12.4 sucked. I suck. CrossFit may be the death of me. Have a pleasant Thursday.