Kettle Bell

Lazy and Sloppy

lazy

Hello there, I know it’s been a few days since I’ve checked in and to be honest I think I like bombarding you all on a less frequent basis. (Is that even a sentence?) I may go back to a more daily thing but for now, every couple of days is my new strategy. If you have been around for the long haul you would know I was a daily blogger. I was on top of everything, my check ins, my workouts, my EATING!

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2013 however has been lazy and sloppy. I guess it just reflects my everyday which = LAZY and SLOPPY. I did the Whole30 like a champ and everyday after that has been one failed goal/plan after another. I commit, declare it to the world (aka this blog), do good for a day or two then stomp it to the ground until it no longer resembles the awesome shiny plan I had in mind. I really think in the end it’s just me burning out but trying to hold on to NOT burning out. I’ve also had quite a few absences at the BOOM Box and many days of sporadic, not healthy, junky eating. Overall I’m not overeating but I’m not eating well. Which is a small win, cause I LIKE TO EAT… ALOT! And of course that starts the vicious cycle of feeling like crap, being tired all of the time, not recovering as quickly, etc. It sucks! But it’s a ride that I can’t get off of lately. I’m not stuck, I’m just not letting go of the bad habits.

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Since I slept in on Monday, I showed up for the 7pm class at CrossFit Boom. It was kind of nice. I was awake. My body wasn’t all tight and achy and I felt rested. The downside was that I felt like my day had already worn me out some so I wasn’t as fresh as I actually did feel.

4/29/13

Skill/Strength: 10min Handstand Work
I was the only one there for 7pm so it turned into Stephanie needs a PULL UP work. I’m down to the skinny little blue band for assistance. But when you take away that band, I got nothing. I don’t know what changes in my head that says I can’t do it but there is a switch hiding and I don’t know how to flip it. Hell I can’t even find it! I’m close. So close.

4/29/13 WOD. Big difference when I'm at the end of the day!

4/29/13 WOD. Big difference when I’m at the end of the day!

MetCon: Run 800m, 18 Hand Release Push Ups, 9 Hang Squat Clean to Thrusters 135/95#, Run 400m, 21 HRPU, 7 Hang Squat Clean to Thrusters 135/95#, Run 200m, 24 HRPU, 5 Hang Squat Clean to Thrusters 135/95#

Looks brutal, IS BRUTAL! For one thing that’s a lot of running I don’t like doing. Add to that that I’ve been MIA for a couple of days and eating like shit. UGH. And sure enough that measly 800m was killing me. At least Push Ups are something I do fairly ok. Next up, THRUSTERS! Before we got started Coach wanted me to stick with a weight where I would go UNBROKEN for the first set of 9. Geesh, I wasn’t sure, so we went with 75lbs. Although I wanted to drop the bar I did not! I fought through and completed the goal set before me! Too bad I had to run 400m after that. I was smoked. I couldn’t breathe. To be quite honest I was ready to puke. Thrusters take everything out of you :/ So I walked, then jogged, then walked, then trotted and so forth. It’s only 400m but I was so over it. I started off the 21 HRPU strong but faded fast. My shoulders were shutting down fast. When it came to Thrusters I know Coach wanted me to go Unbroken but I could only do 3 before I dropped the bar. Finished with two more sets of 2. Holy cow I was tired. The 200m was worse than the 400. I pretty much couldn’t get more than a trot and mostly walked. As for the 24 HRPU, I tried doing sets of 6 but only did one set of 6 and slowed to sets of 3 or 4. It was make it or break it time for those last 5 Thrusters. I knew I couldn’t let go of the bar and after 3 I was so close to dropping it. I just let it hang in my hands, which by the way is a bad idea, but I couldn’t drop it. Busted out the last 2 reps without letting go. Time: 17:20 Not a good showing for me but I finished the work and finished on a good note.

strong

4/30/13
I enjoyed the sleeping in so much, that I thought I’d give 7pm another go. Not sure if I’ll stick with 7pm because it does takes a good chunk of my evenings and my kids are super busy at the same time so I may try to do a combo of 5am and 7pm. The good thing about 5am is that my workout is completed before my day even gets started. The bad thing about 5am is that it is so freakin early! And I’ve been doing the EARLY workouts since Feb 2011. It wears thin after this long.

Skill/Strength: 2 Push Jerk EMOM for 10 minutes @70% of 1RM Push Press
As I typed that I realize that may look like a foreign language to some of you. I know a few years ago when I first ever looked into CrossFit that’s what steered me clear of ever looking further into it. So please if you have any questions on anything that looks like jibberish, feel free to ask.

I warmed up to 65lbs which seems really light cause it is really light but that’s 70% of my 95lb Push Press. Soooo away we went 2 reps every minute for 10 minutes. My Push Jerk timing is not always consistent so Coach had me really focusing on getting the timing down. I was trying to rush through and getting really sloppy. The work still gets done but not as efficiently. It was a little bit of a struggle to correct my problems. I could understand and feel what I was doing wrong but I was having a hard time correcting it. The last couple of rounds I finally got it under control. I know a Jerk PR is in the near future!

4/30/13 WOD

4/30/13 WOD

MetCon: HELL … not really, just for me though. 4 min AMRAP of: 5 HSPU 10 T2B -rest 1 minute 4 min AMRAP of: 15 KBS 2/1.5 10 Pullups -rest 1 minute 2 min ME DU
Since I can not do Handstand Push Ups yet I had to do them modified and my rep count doubled because of that. The modified version was to have my feet planted on the ground but against the wall. I then had to walk out with my hands a certain distance. Then lower till head touches ground and push back up. I sooooo couldn’t do this properly. It was awkward and I failed miserably. After I did my 10 reps it was off to Toes To Bar. Well I can do them one at a time so I started chipping away. My last 3 ended up being like 10 reps because I couldn’t get both feet to touch bar! I didn’t even get 1 round in, womp womp. After we rested it was on to 1.5 POOD KB Swings. Those I can do. Yay. But then it was Pull Ups. And I had a plan to use only the tiny blue band and I stuck with that plan but I had nothing in the tank from my upper body. NOTHING! I didn’t fall back on thicker bands, I just struggled through and managed 6 reps. Again not even ONE full round, double WOMP WOMP! All I had left going for me was Double Unders. I got to about 35 reps and my forearms were screaming. It was hard to just hold on to the rope. My hands were fatigued. And it was a LONG 2 minutes. I got 83 reps which is better than I thought I was going to get after the initial 35 but I had wanted 100+. This is the price I pay for eating poorly and being lazy. It will come back, I know it will. It’s just a matter of time and a matter of discipline.

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Well that’s it for now folks. I already know tonight’s workout and already want to bail! But I know I can’t so I should be there at 7pm. Also if you are in the area, CrossFit Boom is moving to a shiny new location about a mile from the current box! 2401 Callender rd Suite 111 Mansfield ,TX 76063. We should start working out there starting this Monday, May 6th. There will still be FREE COMMUNITY WORKOUTS on Saturdays as well. Just check out crossfitboom.com for more info.

I hope everyone has been enjoying their week so far. And I hope it ends with a bang! If you’re not moving, start moving! Take a walk, move some weights, JUST GET THAT BLOOD FLOWING! If you’re eating like crap, STOP! Ya I’m talking to me too about the eating part! You know the drill. Make that step towards a healthier life. It’s so much better that way. Cause right know I feel like poop! And I hate it. So stopping hating life and start living and loving it. Go forth and BE AWESOME!!!

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Yes I’m a GIRLBABY … sometimes!

This week has been full of wah wah wah, I know! I think I’m allowed to have a pity party every now and then. And I feel very deja vu about that intro. I’ve probably said something very similar in past posts! At least I’m admitting my faults at the same time and not just sitting here say WHY is this happening to me? And I thank you for putting up with me even if that means you aren’t reading my crybaby petty complaining. I still have people that show me the love and encouragement on the Facebook! And for that I THANK YOU!

As this week comes to a closing I can re-iterate that my eating is tons better than last week. Although my body parts still feel inflamed, the pain is subsiding. Clean eating does a body GOOD, I PROMISE! And although I’m dragging ass at the box I’m still putting forth max efforts. We have a competition coming up in 3 weeks that I am excited about. Well some days I’m more excited than others because some days I’m just nervous thinking about it. It will be fun at least and hopefully we suck less than others! Hahaha! So my goal for the next three weeks is GO HARD or STAY HOME! And I plan to go Paleo 100% if possible – maybe 95% for all you literal peeps just because we aren’t cave folks and I sure as hell ain’t hunting down anything. I typically stick to a 85-90% clean eating range so 100% isn’t a major leap but it’s a leap! And I’m just talking food here. I’m not talking about giving up the beauty of modern times, technology, etc. I’m referring to eating clean, pasture raised, grass fed, chemical free REAL FOODS!

So now I’ve made my declaration I hope most importantly to not let myself down because I want to be better for me but also for all you that read along regularly. I am human, I do make mistakes, I do go off the grid but it’s all about accountability, right? So pray I will be successful. It’s not easy, I will never say it’s easy because life likes to throw you curveballs!

Moving on to today’s WHITEBOARD.

7/27/12 WOD

Skill/Strength: 3 rounds of 10 for Pistols (one legged squats) and Banded Push Ups
Good news! I finally did Pistols on the ground! I did however use a 15lb plate for counter balance and I could only do them on my right leg but hell ya I was happy. My left leg is sad and gimpy and I was having troubles on the box and on the ground. There’s a painful point in the bending of my knee that hurts like a mofo. Once my IT Band crosses the inflammed bursa sack I’m fine. But it’s the whole OH SHIT IT’S GONNA HURT point that I try to avoid. So Coach is having me do Pistols “backwards” if you will on my left leg. I start out sitting on a med ball. Left leg is flat on ground with heel against the ball and right leg is being held straight out. From there I attempt to stand up. This still hurts but not near as bad as squatting down. I managed to get reps in this way and with more mobility work, eating clean and what now I hope to remedy this whole IT Band issue!

This is how a pistol SHOULD look like.

This is kind of how I did them but with a bumper plate instead of weird KB
looking thing.

I way underestimated Banded Push Ups. My silly self thought a Green Band would be fine! Hell to the NO, I did maybe 5 and Coach gave me a blue band. Still not easy but do-able.

MetCon: 10 Rounds of TEAM 40yd KettleBell Suicides and 80yd sprint
We had teams of 2. The goal was run suicides while carrying KBs. Cones were set up every 10yds for 40yds. If you don’t know what suicides are you are lucky. You run down to first cone, run back to start, run down to second cone then back to start, etc. You may see people doing this at a basketball court or on a football field. It’s a butt whoopin no matter how you do it. Carrying an extra 35lbs well that’s plain ol SILLY and a butt whoopin! I felt gung ho and ready to GO H.A.M. but after the 2nd cone I wanted to just go HOME. I struggled. There is no good way to carry a KB and run, not one good way at all. That’s 200yds carrying a KB and then 80yds sprinting (hahahha, I could not sprint at all) times 5! I apologized to my teammate for sucking. He was going strong and would keep us a little closer to the team we were racing against but I kept slowing us down. Time: 17:40

This weekend will be ALL REST weekend and getting my ass in gear for better eating. I hope you have a Fantabulous Friday and Kick Ass weekend. Enjoy life! I demand it! And everyone with me in chorus: BE AWESOME!

Dreaming to be an ELITE athlete!

Thank GOODNESS they are only dreams. The CrossFit Games Regional Workouts were released and all I can say is WOW! I can’t imagine what the FINALS will be like!

Take a look for yourself!  http://games.crossfit.com/workouts/regionals-individual

Moving ON for sure. I’ll just keep dreaming. And maybe one day I’ll be able to complete that insansity. As for my WOD this morning – Draining for sure!

We worked on Snatch Push Press for Skill/Strength. I’m pretty sure some people call it a Behind the Neck Press as well. It’s a wide grip on the bar with the bar resting on the back of your shoulders. Like as if you’re going to do a Back Squat. Instead you push press overhead. We did a 3rep Max and I managed to bust out 3 reps at 85lbs. I still had that “popping” every time I came down with it on my Right Shoulder. I kind of googled it and read that I may have a shoulder impingement. GREAT another IMPINGEMENT. I already have one on my hip! Can I just get a new BODY? PLEASE! One that works a little better? Hehehe. I found a video at Catalyst Athletics that shows the movement. The link is below 🙂

http://www.catalystathletics.com/exercises/exercise.php?exerciseID=89

So for our MetCon it was 3 Rounds of Hill lunges and 50 KB Swings. Dang that’s gonna be a lot of lunges and KB swings! My legs are still sore from Tuesday…errr and uh Monday! Coach tells us what KB to pick up… 1 POOD for me and now we gotta walk it to our “enemy” the HILL! I hate this hill! I really do because when we are running it’s the HILL that gets me, EVERYTIME! We walk the 200 yds or whatever it is to get to our starting point. Coach marks out a distance of what looks like TOO long for lunges but it is what it is. He comes back and tells us we will lunge from one cone to the other. Run, walk or crawl back and then knock out your 50 KB Swings. FOR TIME! 3, 2, 1 GO. So the first round of lunges weren’t so bad. We all kind of hit them at a good pace and felt good. Not feeling so good after the KB Swings. But I did do the first round UNBROKEN! HELL YA! Second round of lunges – PAINFUL! But survived. Second Round of KB Swings were not unbroken. I did 20, 5, 15 and 10 I think! I was behind John and ODB by like a few swings and was quickly catching up on the lunges but when I got back for the last round of KB Swings I lost form and the back started aching and it was sad. I managed to knock out 15, 5, 5, 5, 5, 15. Finished for a Time of 11:14. The most NOT FUN part was having to carry our darn kettle bell back to the box 😦

4/19/12 WOD

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I did lots of rolling out on the foam roller. Back felt much better. Then I worked on some pullups. I don’t have much time to work on them but I hang around for 10-15 minutes. I can finally do pullups with just the green band! Only 3 but better than NONE! Before I had a combo of the blue and green band. WOOOOO! So excited. So I did 3 sets of 3 pullups on green band and did 10 reps with the combo bands. I’m pretty excited about the progress. Let’s hope I just get this goal knocked out sooner than later!

It’s Thursday folks. I still gotta make those choco cherry cookies and it looks like the brownies will be a staple in our home. Great Success! If you’re local and reading this and want to get a WOD in with the BOOM Beasts then come on out to Stovall Park in Arlington. We are doing an outdoor community WOD and all are welcome. 9am! Let me know! www.crossfitboom.com

I’m also planning on hitting up iChoosefit bootcamp at 7am in Mansfield. Come on out with me there as well if you want 2 workouts or if it suits your schedule better to do one over the other!

Let’s get your fitness in check NOW!

Zucchini-Getti and Baby It’s Cold Outside

It’s midway through the week and the sun finally came out to show it’s pretty face today! Finally! It was a balmy 25° outside and the box inside was good degree warmer coming in at 38° – WOOOO! So cold and not fun. But at the BOOM Box we warmed up rather quickly.

A little warmer than outside

After our warm up, we followed up with more warm up on the rowers. 3 sets of 250M row to get the blood circulating. We then proceeded to KB thrusters. I’m thinking they were 24lb kettle bells but I honestly have blanked :/ 3 sets of 8. A little tougher than I had anticipated but mission accomplished! All this time I’d been staring at the MetCon on the board wondering what weight I would be doing for the Ground to Overhead (GTOH) and thinking the bar will be cold, and just so many random thoughts. Come to find out the GTOH is with a plate. Wow easy enough I thought! Hehe, I wish I wouldn’t have those “easy” thoughts! It is a shoulder burnout then add HR pushups to that! Woooo, It was a good, quick and intense knock you out kind of workout. As you can see in the picture I finished at 6:49. Not bad. I flew the first 2 rounds, then kind of lost all hope after that. Thankfully we only had to do a “buy-in” 400 m run at the start because the air was chilly outside.

WOD 12/07/11

Zucchini-Getti and Meat Sauce

This isn’t my first time to make this dish but of course now that I’ve begun my blogging adventure I will share with you my meal. I don’t have anyone to give true credit to because I’ve just really looked at pictures and got the general idea. I did read somewhere and I feel bad that I don’t recall where I read it that you should let your zucchini dry out some after you slice it up. So leave it on the counter top for 15-20 minutes or put it in the fridge for a few hours (for me it was overnight). This will make more sense in just a few moments.

Tuesday night I decided I would prep the zucchini. I rinsed off about 8 zucchini’s and cut the ends off of each of them. I then slice them in half. I use a mandolin slicer to make thin strips but I’ve just sliced them thinly as well without the slicer so whichever you prefer.  After you have then strips I cut them into even thinner strips. Depending on preference you could have thin or thick “faux” noodles. As mentioned above, I lay them out to dry. I line a cookie sheet with paper towels and lay the zucchini strips on there and for me it is best to keep them in fridge until I was ready to use them last night.

Slicing the Zuchinni

Slicing thin strips to create the Getti part of the Zucchini

Zucchini-Getti Layed out to dry

We buy grass fed beef and I used a little over 1.5 lbs for this meal. I brown it over medium heat with some salt, pepper and cumin. I don’t have the time or patience to make a “homemade” sauce so I go with what looks good at the store. And not only what looks good but what is CHEAP(er). So I found an organic, natural sauce and I get that warming up. While meat is browning and sauce is simmering, I sauteed up some fresh tomato, garlic and mushrooms that I will add to sauce. Once the beef is good I add the beef and veggies to the pasta sauce and let it simmer all together.

Veggies that will be sauteed and added to sauce

Browing Ground Beef and Heating up Sauce

It’s time to get some olive oil in a pan. I sauteed some chopped up garlic then added the zucchini. I season the zucchini with ground thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. The zucchini softens pretty quickly and only takes a few minutes before it’s ready. So plate, spoon out some sauce and you’re good to go.

Sauteing Up the Zucchini-Getti

Finished Meal - Zucchini-Getti and Meat Sauce

And there ya have it. Here’s a rough list of ingredients:

1.5 lbs grass fed beef

8 zucchini

1 tomato

3 cloves of garlic

2 bottles of organic, natural pasta sauce

1 carton of mushrooms

spices you prefer (I used salt, pepper, cumin, ground thyme, oregano)