"I don't care about the weight on the scale - what's the weight on the bar?!"

So, as promised Blogland, this week I got to work with some new stuff - despite being a little sick.
I apparently got this annoying sort of head cold thing that hit me hard for like 24 hours, but was just a nagging stuffy sinus and such for a few days before and after. Happy to report I feel pretty much 100% again, going into this weekend (YAY!).

After spending Sunday recuperating from the powerlifting meet and trying to ward off the pending sickness with a lot of hot tea and good food, Monday meant I was back at it!

We officially started the Couch to 5K program. WOO! For me, I should probably put an (again) at the end of that sentence, but really just semantics, right?

Holly (who's fault this round of C25K is), Stacey and I got together and prepared for battle. Day 1 always seems like the hardest to me, as you're filled with "the unknown"... like, you don't know what it's going to be like, if you can do it, etc. etc.etc.... just question marks. But, I told myself that I should STFU, as at least I'd done this before and more or less knew what to expect (and knew I could do it), whereas Holly was on her first round of this program EVER. She was the only one who got to be nervous on Day 1.

Despite "waiting until Spring" to start our C25K, April 4th graced us with 32 degree temperatures, snow in the air, and ice on the ground. This is not the ideal way I'd introduce a budding runner to running... but, at least it'd all be better from there?

Day 1: 32 degrees and icy! DONE!

I was set up to be the "pacer" for this running expedition, who'd note the walk and jog segments. That's a big responsibility people. Try not to run to fast, don't run too slow, geesh. Since it was Day 1, I went at a real easy 13ish minute pace, so everyone could figure out where we were at. I'm happy to report that (despite dodging ice puddles), I was easily able to complete the minute intervals of running that Day 1 required. Perhaps all my worrying about being so huge and running were unfounded?

Stacey, our entertainment for the run, kept us all laughing and amused, while we got through the work. Holly - our newbie - completed D1 like a boss, with no complaints, no real struggles, and all smiles at the end (maybe I didn't run fast enough!?). Mission accomplished!

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I took it easy on CrossFit this week, as my body/breathing just weren't up to speed, but Holly and I then caught at Zumba class on Wednesday.

I admit... I phoned that one in HARD. I thought I felt okay going into it, but as soon as we started moving, my body was like EFFFF this. I had no ooomph, definitely no jumpy-jumpy's, and zero sass. I gave it all I had at that moment... which was probably like 50% of normal. I still got the blood moving a little bit for like 55 minutes, broke a little bit of a sweat... but man, that was rough. Sometimes, Blogland, it's just about showing up and going through the motions.
I definitely went home, hydrated a lot, and then went to bed super early. Always listen to your body!!!

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I woke up Thursday morning feeling 100% better. Nothing like a good sleep (and a lot of tea with honey) to get you fixed up.

Holly modeling "monsoon wear"

Still took it easy and skipped bootcamp and such, but Thursday was slated for Day 2 of C25k, so I dutifully spandexed up for an easy romp through the cool weather. It was only drizzling on and off when we started, so all seemed well. I generally find it pleasant running in the rain, as did Holly and Stacy, so it seemed like it was going to be a good day.

D2 is the same workout as D1, so there were a lot less nerves going into this one. We'd all done day 1, we just needed to do it again! Inadvertently, I set a bit of a faster pace (around a 12 min/mile) this time, driven on by the rain I think. Nonetheless, my partners in crime kept right up and we completed our session without incidents or complaints, under a slightly rainy and grey sky.

Where we run is about 1/4 mile walk away from Holly's house. We had literally reached the end of our path, could see her house a 1/4 mile in the distance.... and the sky opened up.

This is my, "shit, it's sleeting!" face

Wk 1, Day 2: DONE! (with the pelting rain in the back...)

The rain (now cold) was driving down and blowing nearly sideways, soaking us through, in a matter of seconds. As we rushed for cover (Holly said, "I think I've got one more run interval in me!!"), it began to solidify and pelt us with sleet? hail? That was... not comfortable.  Seriously, at risk of sounding cliche, it was coming down in BUCKETS. The jacket that was "water resistant" enough to keep out the light rain we'd be running through, suddenly took on water like the Titanic, soaking me to the skin.
Thankfully, Holly's mom pulled up in her car to rescue us! YAY!
We were definitely wet, and getting cold... but Wk 1, Day 2 - DONE!

 Tomorrow, we take on Day 3 to finish out our first week and I couldn't be happier. It feels really good to be out running again (Dare I say, I missed it?). It is also nowhere near as awful feeling as I thought it was going to be at this weight. Just goes to show you people, you can run/get fit/workout at whatever weight you want, as long as you pick the right plan. So far, C25K has been really accessible and the intervals gradually get longer, so you have plenty of time to adjust. Assuming I stay on plan, we should finish up around mid-June and start prepping for a 5K race milestone! (MORE MEDALS!!!!!! AND T-SHIRTS!!!!)

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After a mild week, with just a little C25K, today it was back at it, with a training session with Robyn.

First off, let's talk about the important things. I got to me the newest addition to the gym - Spealler - a 7 wk old lab puppy.

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Sparing you most of the gushy details, I definitely smushed his face, rubbed his belly and laughed at his silly puppy run. This little goober will definitely not be short of adoring fans, as I'm pretty sure I saw every person there stop to pet him. #GymDogs are the best. Instant mood-boost for the day!

Continuing on our quest to wreck my shoulders (and maybe make me less t-rex-y), Robyn started us out with some ascending weight complexes.... Push Press, Push Jerk, Split Jerk. Worked up to a solid 130-ish, I believe (limited by the push press), but it was not without stupid moments. I swear, my brain was on short circuit today. Definitely had to concentrate hard to clean up my Split Jerk, which is not an intuitive movement for me. Dear Right Foot, I really need to step BACK with you, before good 'ol Left Foot jumps the gun and steps to center first. Geesh.
Nonetheless, it felt good to be pushing around some weight again (even if it was overhead...). My shoulders and back muscles definitely feel as though we did something....

Never one to leave me without a healthy dose of Cardio for the day, Robyn threw in a 14 min AMRAP:
30-20-10
Wall Balls (14#)
Sit Ups
90-60-30
Jump rope

So, what that means is Round 1 was 30 WB, 30 Sit ups, 90 Jump rope... then 20 WB, 20 sit ups, 60 jump rope, etc.

This was..... unpleasant.

I should clarify. Wall Balls SUCK for me. Not because they are hard from a muscle standpoint (my legs are perfectly capable of squatting 14# and exploding up to toss it)... but DAMN if I am completely unable to breathe doing them.

I started out with an optimistic set of 15 out of 30, took a few deep breaths - still feelin' good! - and closed out those wall balls with another solid set of 15. Yeah. Nailed it.

You know what I found is really hard to do, when you can't breathe? Sit Ups. Followed by Jump ropes (although, I only tripped once, and did all of my sets as I planned to!).

As we entered the second round of wall balls ("Only" 20, right?!), I began to feel as though this is how I was going to die. I had set out to attack two sets of 10, when that quickly became a pipe dream. By 2 sets of 10, I clearly meant hope for 4 sets of 5 and Try Not To Die. When  jump rope is going to be your "rest time" you know it's going to be a rough one.

Round 3, I did a little celebration! Only 10-10-30 and then I would be done!! That breathed a little more life into my efforts.... only to realize that the clock was still going, and I definitely had a few minutes left. *long string of expletives*

Somehow, my mind had managed to deal with this workout by thinking that we'd just be DONE after we did 30-20-10..... but suddenly, here we were... back around at 30.

SURE my lungs were about to explode, I stepped up to do 30 more wall balls. They were not pretty, folks. Or fast. Or coordinated. BUT... they got done.
Miraculously, I even manged to get 12 deep into my next round of sit ups.

Thankfully, the clock saved me and I starfished HARD after this one.

My quads would like to keep reminding me that we did 90 wall balls today, and they're not happy about it. Meanwhile, my shoulder and back muscles feel like chiming in their two cents as well. Oh boy. Tomorrow might be reallll rough.

Tomorrow though, is wk 1, day THREE of our running program. The last run, before we can say we successfully completed Wk 1. WOO.

Sunday, it's back to Hatching out my Squats. It's definitely going to get interesting this time around with some bigger weight on the bar.... but, Hatch says I can, so I will.

With that, I'm off to find some food and perhaps a bit of foam rolling.... (I'm coming for you, Quads!)

“There is nothing impossible to him who will try.” – Alexander the Great

Another big weekend, BlogLand!

This weekend, it was time to tackle Open WOD 16.2! I felt okay going into it, all things continued, as I had A Plan.
My goal was to get into Round 3, although that seemed like it was going to be a huge fight, given the fact that knees to elbows was going to be a rough one for my grip and jump rope and I have a hate-hate relationship.
I'm THRILLED to report that not only did I get into round 3, I *almost* finished it!

Starting the WOD, the atmosphere in the gym was great. Something about The Open seems to really bring out the community feel, as everyone is fighting the same battle (It's Us. vs. Dave Castro!). Even better, my long-time Spahten friend and many-race battle buddy, was there visiting. We got our warm ups done, exchanged pep-talks and took our places under our pull up bars.

I was a little nervous, but having thought out a solid plan was really helping me be "okay" with what was about to go down. I admit, part of me was thinking that - worse case scenario - my WOD would only be 4 minutes! WOO!

3...2...1... GO.

I took off with sets of 5 knees raises and was able to consistently bang out all 25 that way, with just a couple seconds in between each set. Right on target!
On to the jump rope, I took a deep breath and feeling good still, I did my two sets - 30 and 20 - right on point. No tripping, no getting flustered. YES.
I picked up the bar for my first set of squat cleans and threw up that 55# bar like nothing (the fact that it was so light caught me off guard a bit! ha!). There are some times that having one skill set like lifting heavy things, comes in handy!
I kept a steady pace and one eye on the clock.
BOOM.
Put down the 15th squat clean and looked nervously at the clock - TIME TO SPARE!!!
WHAAAAT?! I DID IT!

Had to squash that mental celebration a bit, because I knew I'd need all the time I'd banked to keep going, as I started to get tired. Stick to The Plan!

Onto the second set of knees to elbows, and I managed another solid 5 sets of 5 reps to get those things done. It really helped to take a lesson from my Man, the rock climber... don't over grip! There's nothing that's going to burn out your forearms and grip faster than the infamous Death Grip. The Death Grip is often the result of nerves or overthinking... I was not going to fall victim to that! I kept just enough grip to keep me on that bar and made sure to utilize a little bit of the swing momentum ( I wouldn't call it a kip... it wasn't that graceful. LOL!) to help keep moving.
Done!
Onto that damn jump rope!
Definitely starting to huff and puff a bit, but still felt pretty good and strong. A deep breath and on to the jump rope. A little less graceful than the first round, but still manged to pull it out with two big sets. YES!!! Made it to the barbell!
Amazingly, it seemed I was outrunning the clock, noting that I finished the jump rope at the 10:24 mark. A whole minute and a half to bust out like 13 squat cleans!

Now, I will admit (Sorry Robyn!), the squat cleans turned a little more into power cleans and front squats. Weirdly, the fact that the weight was so light (for me) at only 75#,  actually made it harder, as I didn't NEED to get under the bar to clean it. Therefore, I was off and running, up and down!

Looking at the clock, I realized I had started to slow a bit (..can't... breathe... huff...puff...) and had lost some of the time I'd banked. Time to kick it into high gear.
BAM - kick out those touch and go squat cleans!
Putting down number 13, I look at my judge, who enthusiastically smiles and waves me on!

HOLY SHIT. (Yes. That was the actually thought process).

I MADE IT TO ROUND THREE!!

Okay Self, I thought, just keep it consistent!

Grabbing the bar in that third round definitely had a different flavor. I was out of breath and wasn't recovering as much as I needed to. This is where the decision was going to be made, and I wasn't ready to quit yet.

So, 3 knees to elbows in, I drop off the bar. Couldn't quite pull out 5. No problem - I'd planned for this. Now, we're at sets of 3. No problem.

I definitely lost some time here, doing sets of threes, but hoped I could make it up with consistency moving forward.

Back onto that damn jump rope. Definitely less grace on this round, but again (!!!) made it in 2 big sets..... to 49. (D'oh!!!) Lost a little more time busting out that one hop.

I was thrilled to be back at the bar, even though it had gotten reloaded to 95#.

.... but I was starting to fade a bit. It felt like my lungs were on fire, I couldn't breathe.... but I looked at the clock and realized I didn't have time to breathe.

Squat Cleans devolved a bit into muscle cleans and front squats - again, lost some time here, but was able to be consistent. With the clock catching up and the community cheering me on, I pushed to try and bang out those squat cleans, as I knew it was going to be close - I MIGHT be able to make it into Round 4.

Sadly, my cardio-(in)capabilities made the determination on this one, and the clock beat me at 12 minutes - with only 3 squat cleans to go.

AWWWW.... Man. SOOOOOO close. THREE left.

I would've loved to crack round 4, but it's okay. Honestly, I didn't think I'd make it as far as I did, so I'm calling this one a major victory.

On finishing, my grip was blown out and I was drenched in sweat and dying a little bit, so I think I left it all out there.

In retrospect, could I have made it through that third round? Yeah, maybe. There were a couple of places I think I could've saved a little time, or pushed a little harder and cracked into round 4. But, isn't there always? I'm really satisfied banking a score of 261 for this WOD. Amazingly - out of scaled women in the Northeast, this was a good enough score to put me smack in the middle of the field! YEAH! (NOT LAST! EEE!).

The hardest part of this whole WOD was actually the aftermath, for me.

I was feeling pretty awesome coming out of the WOD. I made a good showing and pulled out a score that many people would be happy with. .... Then I looked at the pictures.

*sigh*

It is super hard to feel good about what you've just done, when you see the pictures and they don't reflect the way you feel. I know I'm a big person right now, but I worked hard as hell and I really wanted to see the pictures that reflected that success.

Pictures came out and I got some action shots this time.... and while they're not as bad as the shots from the competition a few weeks ago, it's really disheartening to just continue to see the mismatch between how I feel and how I look. UGH.

BUT. *deep breath*

I'm working hard at refocusing on the accomplishment. Gotta keep your head in the game and keep taking steps - however small - forward.
Today, I focusing on the fact that I not only got out there and am competing in The Open, but I'm doing it as a (gulp) almost 300# women. If I can gasp and pant my way through this shit, anyone should be able to!

Now, we rest, foam roll and gear up for 16.3 to come. I'm happy that we've crossed jump rope off the list, no more burpees..... I'm thinking we're going to see a row in there sometime soon. I would REALLY, really like to see something like a heavy barbell ladder, or something I can really dive into. However, regardless of what is to come, I'm happy I stepped out of my comfort zone and have jumped in to The Open.

"Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan." - Tom Landry

So, Blogland.... The Open 16.2 WOD was announced last night.

Yes... I watched it live with equal parts fear and anticipation. After last week's long and grueling WOD, I was sooooooo hoping for something short and heavy - which would play a little more to my strengths.

What happened? Well, I got my wish about barbells.... but, you have to EARN your way to a barbell. Here's what 16.2 looks like (RX):

Beginning on a 4-minute clock, complete as many reps as possible of:
  25 toes-to-bars
  50 double-unders
  15 squat cleans, 135 / 85 lb.

If completed before 4 minutes, add 4 minutes to the clock and proceed to:
  25 toes-to-bars
  50 double-unders
  13 squat cleans, 185 / 115 lb.

If completed before 8 minutes, add 4 minutes to the clock and proceed to:
  25 toes-to-bars
  50 double-unders
  11 squat cleans, 225 / 145 lb.

If completed before 12 minutes, add 4 minutes to the clock and proceed to:
  25 toes-to-bars
  50 double-unders
  9 squat cleans, 275 / 175 lb.

If completed before 16 minutes, add 4 minutes to the clock and proceed to:
  25 toes-to-bars
  50 double-unders
  7 squat cleans, 315 / 205 lb.

Stop at 20 minutes.

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Well.... T2B and DU's are not in my range right now, so here's the scaled version, that I'll be attempting:

Beginning on a 4-minute clock, complete as many reps as possible of:
  25 hanging knee raises
  50 single-unders
  15 squat cleans, 95 / 55 lb.

If completed before 4 minutes, add 4 minutes to the clock and proceed to:
  25 hanging knee raises
  50 single-unders
  13 squat cleans, 115 / 75 lb.

If completed before 8 minutes, add 4 minutes to the clock and proceed to:
  25 hanging knee raises
  50 single-unders
  11 squat cleans, 135 / 95 lb.

If completed before 12 minutes, add 4 minutes to the clock and proceed to:
  25 hanging knee raises
  50 single-unders
  9 squat cleans, 155 / 115 lb.

If completed before 16 minutes, add 4 minutes to the clock and proceed to:
  25 hanging knee raises
  50 single-unders
  7 squat cleans, 185 / 135 lb.

Stop at 20 minutes.

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Basically the same, I'll just be replacing T2B with hanging knee raises and double unders with single unders. I probably could've handled a few rounds of the prescribed squat cleans, but lucky for me, since I'm going scaled, I get some MUCH lighter weights. 

Time to devise a plan, as I always feel better going into situations like this if I have a game plan. If your brain knows what to do before hand - so you don't have to strategize on the fly, mid WOD - I find I get a better performance. 

So first, time to identify my strength here - obviously going to be the squat cleans (which can be done as a power clean + a front squat). I know I can clean the scaled weight for all of these rounds, and I know I can front squat much more than that... so, the squat cleans are definitely going to be my excel area. 

THAT said... I've got to do some steady to fast work before I can get to the barbell, which is going to be the tricky part. 

Hanging knee raises are EXHAUSTING for me. Not as much on the actual knee raise part (not saying that's "easy" though...!!), but more that my grip just fails completely. There's a lot of me to hang from a bar, and my grip just doesn't have the strength to hang there through 25 of these things. SO... how do I work around it? Well, in all the CrossFit tips videos, even for the RX athletes, they recommend saving your grip by breaking up the time hanging from the bar. So, my strategy will be to do 5 sets of 5, with a couple seconds of rest (shake out those hands!) in between. Realistically, I'm going to guess that the clock may catch me after 2 rounds (I'm hoping not!), so I think that sets of 5 is something I can sustain for a couple of rounds. 

Moving on to jump rope...... ugh. (WHY, Dave Castro, WHY?!?!!!). 

Jump rope and I have a really tumultuous relationship. I can actually jump rope, I swear. I can even do it for sets of 50 at a time - I know this, because I have done this. HOWEVER, as soon as my legs get a little tired, it all falls apart; I don't jump as high, I trip on the rope and otherwise generally look like a hot mess flinging a rope around. 

But... in terms of this workout, I think I might be okay. First round, I'll get to jump rope relatively fresh, so I should be able to get through them in one consistent set of 50 (that's the goal). BUT, if I need to stop and regroup, it's going to be 2 sets of 25 (we'll have to decide that one on the fly). The cleans are really light for me, and not a huge amounts, so I should still have a good set of legs (that will get a break while I struggle through knee raises) going into round two. Round two, I'm anticipating two sets of 25 for jump rope. Purposely breaking it up into two sets will allow me to stay focused and composed, rather than flustered and floppy if I start getting tired. 

Let's talk about goals... I feel like this looks deceptively "manageable". Like, I'm going to need to bank all the time I can during power cleans, if I'd like to keep making it through rounds. I'm relatively certain I can make it through Round 1 and into Round 2. I'm also feeling pretty confident that I can make it through Round 2 and into Round 3. My guess is Round 3 will be where my grip starts to fail and I get tired (roughly 8-10 min in), and the jump ropes start to get sloppy/trippy. 

Can I make it to round 4? Possibly I could finish all 5?! Possible - Yes. Not sure if that's going to happen, but I'm going to give it a solid go. Just need to focus on banking the "extra" time early on, so I can rest a little more as the rounds progress. 

BlogLand, send your good vibes this way - I'd like to make a little better score at this WOD than with 16.1 (uuughhh!!!!). 

The good/fun news is that I'll have an unexpected visitor for this WOD!  My long lost Spahten friend and battle buddy needs to do an away-WOD while she's up in my area, away from her home box. YAY! I couldn't have asked for a better cheering section, while I beat this WOD into submission. :-)

Strong, deeply rooted desire is the starting point of all achievement. - Napoleon Hill

Spartan Shape-Up, Day 186:

Back at it this morning, BlogLand, and it felt great. Sometimes, I wonder why I get off track, as I always feel SO much better when I'm training. Dear Self, Learn this Lesson.

So, it was a CrossFit morning, today. I haven't been to CrossFit in a week or so (*sigh*), so I was a little apprehensive today was going to be evil... but as it turns out, today was going to be a Strength Day (YAY! My Favorite!).

We began with a Warm Up:
- 5 min. Jump rope: Things to ponder, to prepare for mastery of Double Unders... Try jumping slower, and letting your heel gently tap the ground each time, rather than staying on the ball of your toes. This was much harder to execute than I anticipated.
- 5 min. leg/hip stretch to prep for today's WOD: Note to self: remember these stretches. This was awesome. It was like mini-yoga, and really stretched out my hip flexors and quads, etc.
- 2 min. in full down-squat position. Ow. There's not much else to say there.
- 2 min. on the foam roller: working on the upper thoracic region of the back, to help with flexibility/tightness, allowing more upright of a back while lifting.

Then, after a little practice it was onto the WOD:

The first challenge was to complete two of the one-minute benchmark activities. I chose:
- Burpees (result: 15 in a minute)
- Sit ups (result: 25 in a minute)
My burpee number felt pretty respectable to me, but one of the other guys in the class busted out 22. Geesh. I felt like I was moving. HMM. Must continue to work on this.

Then, we got to the Strength Activity:
This was how it was set up (before I modified it):

Not for time; complete:

• 1 Thruster @ 1 rep Max weight
• 10 Thrusters @ 80% 1RM weight
• 1 Thruster @ 1RM
• 20 Thrusters @ 65% 1RM
• 1 Thruster @ 1RM
• 30 Thrusters @ 50% 1RM

 Sets of 10, 20, & 30 should be unbroken

That's not quite what ended up happening, mostly because I had no idea what my !RM was going to be, so first, Tyler (the CrossFit Instructor of the day) and I had to find that. As it turns out, I had a solid 1RM at 100#. Apparently, this is pretty good? It caused this other lady in the class to come over and ask me how long I'd been doing CF, etc. and comment on the weight. The tricky thing with a Thruster is that it is basically a front squat - which I am good at - with a Push Press - which my arms/shoulders are not as strong at. It was frustrating to feel like I could've put MORE weight on for the squat portion, but just couldn't QUITE get it over my head, without killing myself. Next time!

So, after a few minutes and 5-10 reps of trying to find that one rep max, I did. Rawr. That felt good.

Then, I backed it down to 70# and did 10 thrusters in a row. THAT may have been harder than the One Rep Max, as you must just keep going. For someone with whiny shoulders and arms (me), that is the hard part. Squats, no problem, but when you must suddenly convince your body that you're going to "explode" and throw this up over your head... there can be protests.

Back to the One Rep Max. 100# was definitely trickier this time. Did I do it? Yes. After a little break, a sip of water and a quick self-pep talk. Thankfully, I like the challenge of lifting, so I was up to this task. It did not STAY above my head for long, but it got there, my elbows locked out, there was a pause... SO, it counted.

Whew. Little break. Back to 70# (My reps are not quite as prescribed, as I didn't have the proper weights to divide them up, and I was mixing up the WOD anyway. ). 20 reps at 70#... THAT was evil. I broke this one into 2 sets of 10. You were supposed to shoot for going straight through the 20... but I was getting tired, and I know that keeping form is more important. Plus, not for nothing, but 70# was slightly heavier than prescribed. So there!

And, I loaded on the One Rep Max, again. 100#. This was REAL UGLY, by this point. I got it to the rack position (at my chest, ready to go up into a push press), and wasn't totally sure I was going to make it down the squat and up overhead. BUT, the worst that could happen was I dropped it (rubber bumpers! Yay!), so I'd at least give it a shot. Dooowwnn to squat. Check. Quick Pep talk. Up! Over head! I made it... but I must admit, I didn't quite get my arms locked over head, and I definitely dropped this bad boy - not set it down gently. So, we'll say I got half credit, here.

Finally (what a relief!), it was on to 40#, and a set of 30. Picking up that 40# felt SO LIGHT after all this. It was a beautiful thing. However, by this point, my muscles were All. Done. so 30 of these things in a row was grueling. I managed 20, then I had to give in, put the bar down and have a couple of seconds, before banging out the last 10.
It was actually my wrists that were the limiting factor. I must work on keeping them straight when the weight is over my head, etc. , to reduce the stress on them.

All in all, I was happy with today's WOD. I put some good work in, found out what my 1RM is, and got my sweat on. Now, a few hours later, I'm definitely feeling it in my shoulders.

After the work out, I was switching my shoes and the lady that commented earlier, came over to ask me about my shoes (Inov-8, for the win!). She asked me how I liked them, and I told her I loved them, though they do take a little getting used to (they're minimalist) for the sake of your legs/joints, but since she was in Vibrams, she'd probably be fine. I commented that I use them to run in, and still love them a lot. And she looked at me dubiously and was like, "Oh? You run in them? Like a couple of miles?" I was like, "No... actually, I've run up to 6 or 7 in these, and never had an issue...".... to which she replied "Oh" and raised her eyebrows at me.

I wasn't sure how to take that. Old Me chimed in her two sense about how that woman must not think a fat chick like me could possibly run 6-7 miles.... but then, I tried to remind myself that she just watched me do a respectable heavy thruster... surely she must think of me as slightly more capable "athlete" (I use the term loosely). But... Who knows. I didn't like the tone of her look at me. Bleh. I think it is just the mind-set that I've been in, lately. Still not quite out of it... but seriously, BlogLand, I swear, she gave me an "oh reallllyy..." look, like I was making that up.

Ah well... I will leave you with these words to reflect on:

"Some of the greatest battles will be fought within the silent chambers of your own soul." - E.T. Benson

Part 1: Transformations and Goodbyes, 2011

Spartan Shape-Up, Day 164:

I have a lot of ground to cover today, BlogLand. In usual fashion, I'll be touching base on today's WOD, but then - since it is the eve of a new year - I would like to reflect a bit on the watershed that was 2011. It's been a hell of a ride, and it seems only right to pay my respects to some of the things that have marked the year as a critical one in my life.\

But first, down to business. Shape-up, Day 164, was a CrossFit morning. You know you've really become a different person when you voluntarily set your alarm for 6am on a SATURDAY morning to get up and head to the gym. Now, granted, I'm still not a super pleasant person about it, but I *did it* and that's all that really matters. The CF people don't care if I'm mostly disheveled, cranky or brainless, just so long as I do work and get sweaty. So, up and at it this morning, I headed over to the gym.

Today's Warm Up was a fun one:
Partner Med Ball (10#) Tosses!

• 10 squat throws (like a wall ball to your partner)
• 10 side throws (10 each side)
• 10 backward overhead throws
• 10 (each side) seated  tosses (sitting in a V, legs off the floor, your partner tosses you the ball, you receive it and touch it to the far side and toss back to your partner)

The WOD today had a "Buy In" of 100 Double Unders... Which I can't quite do yet ( I can manage a few, spaced apart, if I really work at it), so it was about 300 jumps to get the equivalent.

Feeling pretty warmed up and ready to go, we moved onto the main event:
Today's WOD:
EMOTM (Every Minute On The Minute)

• 5 Pull-Ups (jumping pull ups, for me)
• Clean and Jerks (40#)
• Complete as many rounds as necessary to total 85 Clean and Jerks

My time for completing this beast was 20:45, which was a pretty respectable one, as far as the class goes. What saved me was my ability to beast through the clean and jerks. I noticed many of the women in the class (fact, not comment on the gender!) took a lot of breaks, where I was able to keep pushing through lifting maneuver. I think, too, this particular weight (40#) was a bit light for me. WOO. I was unsure how much to really pile on there, as it seemed like this WOD would be an arduous one, all about endurance... so I wasn't really thinking that trying something heavier would be feasible. Next time, I'm thinking 50 or 60# might be more appropriate, as even at the end of 85 C&J's, I was still doing  okay. Incidentally, by my calculations, I would've done 100 jumping pull ups to complete 20 minutes worth of rounds.

THEN, just because CrossFit is AWESOME, there was an "After Party" of 100 sit-ups. That became a little bit of an evil mind-over-matter adventure. I was good for about the first 40. Then 41-60 wasn't horrible, with some brief breaks. Then we got to 60-100. Grueling, I tell you, BlogLand. I have never had "abs" in my life, and they are still on the learning curve. They were SCREAMING by #95. But I did it. I got through all 100, and I wasn't even the last one done (I know it's not a race, but it makes me feel better, as a bit of a gauge, that I'm not looking like a total idiot, finishing 10 minutes after everyone else.).

So, there you have it. Today's CrossFit times. I will say, as the evening creeps in, so does some really distinct soreness in my shoulder blades (yeaaaahhhhh pull ups!), and a pretty fatigued core section. Although, I suppose that is to be expected!

On a related note, last night, I ventured into Dick's Sporting Goods and purchases an over-the-door pull up bar. I decided I needed a little more bonding time with one, than just the CF WODs, in order to conquer my chronic t-rex arms. According to the GT, I'll be doing some negatives on that bad boy, daily, until I can do a real pull up. (Goal: Be able to do one, unassisted, pull-up on my birthday - July 6th - which is my 30th!!)

Alright, housekeeping blogging done, on to the Big Stuff.
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2011 has been an year that I never could've foreseen, prepared for, or hoped for any other way. It has been filled with painful realizations, a lot of soul-searching, sweat, tears and  complete change. I wish I had a more eloquent way to put this, but 2011 was really my "Holy Shit" year. I had lost about 20# on my own, but wasn't really going anywhere fast with that process, I was turning 29, my knees hurt, I didn't feel pretty, I didn't feel healthy, I was existing in my skin, but not really living my life. Holy SHIT, I said to myself. This can't go on, something has to change. That had to be me.

I made some life altering decisions. Despite the fact I (unexpectedly) lost my job, when through some personal and financial crisis, and waded through a lot of stress, I wasn't going to let Life win, anymore. I wasn't going to sit on the couch and pizza-eat my way into temporarily feeling better. I wasn't going to wish I could do all the things that me on the inside has always wanted to be able to do... I was going to take some action. This was a terrifying concept for Old Me.

Where to begin? What to do? How to start?
The answer is ANYWHERE. Just take a step. Then another one. The early part of 2011 found me doing exercise-ball workouts, from the instruction packet that comes with it when you buy it, in the basement. I did a fun Zumba class several times a week, and began to plant both feet firmly in a new lifestyle. At my Zumba class, I found support in my tiny, dynamo of hip-hop/latin energy, Nicole, and her co-instructor Betsy. Not only have these two amazing ladies become close friends that I'll carry with me all my life, they were the beginnings of a crucial support system that every person making a major change needs. When I had to tone it down in Zumba, because my body couldn't handle the cardio, or when I arrived at the end of classes red faced and panting, I never received anything but positive energy and affirmations. It is easier to keep beating your demons into submission when someone tells you that you're doing a good job (and checks up on you when you don't show up to class!!!).

As the process got in motion a bit more, I added some basic weight training to my routines. You know, the run of the mill stuff that everyone knows how to do... some bicep curls, some presses, things like that. Nothing fancy. I struggled with 8# dumb bells.

Gradually, I started to see some results, and I had been following Spartan Race on Facebook, after recommending it to friend. It seemed extreme and crazy, but the Spartan aspect seemed fun, and I thought someone should check into it... but certainly not me. I couldn't do that, could I?

Starting to feel a bit stronger and more confident, I recognized the need for something more. The next thing. However, resources were limited, I couldn't afford a gym membership and I had no idea what to do next. You can read up all you want on the internet, but sometimes you just don't know what you don't know, and you need help. Taking one of the biggest leaps in my life, to date, I reached out and ASKED for help (not something I've ever been very good at).

Enter my incomparable Guru Trainer. A close friend of mine, educated in the field and athlete in his own right, answered when I tenetively asked for a few workout suggestions. Then I had a few questions about those mini-assignments, here and there. And more questions... to which he could always provide me a factually based, reasonable answer ("But WHY should I start incorporating Bulgarian Split Squats into my routines???? WHYY???").
Then, during the summer, I had a crazy thought. *I* wanted to do a Spartan Race. I wanted, when I turned 30, to be a person that physically COULD complete a Spartan race. (Which was a fire that was fueled by volunteering at the VT Beast this year!) After expressing this to the GT, we got down to business. I needed a more structured, efficient plan (especially since I didn't have access to a gym any longer). I needed to start running (say, WHAT?). In 4-week increments, GT and I worked through evolving goals and plans - hence the birth of this Spartan Shape-Up Blog. I tracked all the data on spreadsheets... but so much of my transformation was mental, that it seemed only appropriate to chronicle this lifestyle overhaul in more detail, as well.

In short, that's how you find me here, BlogLand. So, as this is New Year's Eve, I would like to recognize a few things that I will be leaving behind in 2011, and a few particularly memorable moments.
I am leaving behind Old Me. I will NOT be trapped by my physical limits, or mental misconceptions about what I can and can not do. I CAN do anything, and I will.
I am leaving behind eating habits that do not help fuel my ambitions. Yes. I will still eat cupcakes occasionally, but in moderation, infrequently, and only if they're really tastey - no more eating mediocre things, for the sake of eating.
I am donating an several entire wardrobes to the local GoodWill. By hanging onto all the clothes that do not fit me, not even a little bit, I feel like it affords me the 'option' of creeping back into those sizes. That is never going to happen again. Someone else, that actually needs it, should be putting these clothes to use. Not the Old Me lurking in the back of my subconscious, saving them as a safety net.
I am (constantly working on) shedding the giant mental roadblocks that still want me to think of myself as the "Fat Chick" that couldn't possibly do that, be that, or go there. I am leaving a significant amount of those broken walls in 2011 (Thank you to for the Sledgehammers that you have provided to aid in this process..).
I am leaving behind (or finding new roles for) people that can not accept the things that I need to do for me. I need to be healthier. This is what I'm choosing to do. Accept that and support me - Better Yet, Spartan Up with me!! - or step aside. I am leaving behind your eye rolling, snide comments and negativity.

In 2011, I began a formidable list of accomplishments and triumphs, not the least of which are:
That I took the first steps: off my couch, towards the person I want to be.
I found the Spartan Race community (A special Aroo! to my Chicks, who provide daily support, inspiration and motivation!! without you ladies, where would I be??), which has been an AMAZING supportive group of people (most of whom I've not met in person, yet!). I have never felt like I had so much "family" behind me, following my progress, keeping me lacing up those sneakers in the early mornings, or getting sweaty and sore right along side me.
I ran my first (and subsequent several!) 5K race. YEP. I RAN a race. I learned to run this year.
I conquered my fear of the "super-athletes" I thought must reside there, and have now joined a CrossFit gym, which I love dearly. I'm not the Fat Kid, they've never treated me as such, and the things I find I am able to do each WOD are incredible.
I lost 75#, to date. I have gone from a size 24, to a size 14/16, and still counting. For the first time, in a long time, I am almost happy when I look in the mirror.

There is much work to be done, as I look to the year ahead, but as I sit here and reflect on 2011, I am satisfied. I only wish I had begun this journey sooner in my life... but then again, things happen when you are ready for them. I'm not sure the Me of 5 years ago would've been ready to do these things. However, I'm ready now, and I'm living my life with passion, these days. I have a drive and a fire to chase down my goals that 2011 released in me, and there is no stopping now.

As 2011 continues to dwindle, I can only be thankful. It's happening, and I'm making it happen. Aroo!

Tomorrow, with the dawn of 2012, a year I expect to be one of the best in my life, I'll tackle Part 2 of this post. Today, as much as I looked back on where I have come from and bid a not-so-tearful goodbye to Old Me, I'd like to take the fresh start tomorrow to look into the future.

Tonight, as you usher out 2011 with good riddance, or find comfort in it's end at the bottom of a glass of bubbly, I challenge you, BlogLand: What are you leaving behind, for the better, in 2011? What have your triumphs been in the last 12 months? Let tonight be your metamorphosis - truthfully acknowledge who you were in 2011, and DECIDE who you will be in 2012.

Cheers to New Beginnings!

(Stay tuned... Tomorrow, Part 2...)

“Life is a succession of moments. To live each one is to succeed.” ~ Corita Kent

Spartan Shape-Up, Day 126:

Yesterday was a well-earned REST day, BlogLand. Crossfit had owned my back and shoulders on Monday, I was tired, and sometimes you just need to listen to your body and have a break. Plus, looking at my schedule for the rest of the week, I suddenly realized that I had not scheduled in a Rest. Hmm. Superhuman though I may be.... LOL!

Anyway, as I rolled out of bed at some ungodly hour this morning, I found myself suddenly met with Winter. In a big way. I went to bed, a flake or two in the air... I woke up, 8" of snow on the ground. WTF. I *wanted* to curl back up in my nice warm bed, but I reminded myself just how much I enjoy CrossFit (sick, I know.), and I got my ass in gear. Yes, I was outside at 6:25am in capri workout pants, with some sweater boots and a big sweatshirt, finding my car. Then "skiing" my car to the gym (snow tires aren't on yet... ugh.). Nonetheless, not to be deterred, I made it to class.

First, let me tell you about the Warm Up:
30 wall balls
30 burpees
OR 30 wall ball burpees. 

Yes, you read that right "wall ball burpees". I had never met this particular beast before... It involves completing a wall ball movement, then as you come down into the bottom of your wall ball squat, you put the ball on the floor, and (keeping your hands on the ball) drop into the burpee. Essentially, you increase the difficulty of the burpee like 4 trillion times (for me, anyway), because you then effectively have to do a push up (to get out of the burpee), with your hands close together, on an unstable ball.
Definitely not for the faint of heart.
However, after seeing our instructor demonstrate this in a deceptively graceful manner, and having never attempted this before, I decide to give it a go. After all, the warm up says I only have to complete 30 of that evil maneuver, rather than 30 of EACH maneuver if I perform them separately.

.....

EPIC FAIL. LOL. Let's just leave it at the fact that I absolutely do not have the upper body strength or coordination to master this move. Basically, I did my wall ball, dropped down into the burpee and got stuck. While I could push myself up, I couldn't push myself up enough with my arms (shut up people, I am created a little... ahem... top heavy?) to make clearance for my legs to jump in to finish the burpee. It was not pretty. And it definitely was not graceful. It was more Splat-tastic. However, I tried. 3 times. At which point I determined that I had to understand my temporary limitations and get the warm up done, rather than flopping about. 30 of each ensued. Nothing like Burpees to get you 'warmed up' on a frosty winter morning.

Then, after some instruction, we moved onto the WOD Part 1:
5 rounds x 90 seconds per round:
10 light deadlifts (35#)
Max Rep box dips (Total: 73)

I am mildly disgruntled with this particular section. This was supposed to be a "heavy" wod. Using like 80% of your max weight for deadlifts. Unfortunately, there were several new people in the class - specifically, a few women who had just started out and had never lifted weights and could barely manage the 20# bar, let alone weights. Not a snarky commentary - just a factual observation, promise (everyone needs to start somewhere, it just irks me when it effects my workout. Read on). The problem with this is that the instructor lumped me in with them. Made me do the CrossFit "Basic" scaled version of this part of the WOD... which involved a ridiculously light weight (deadlifting 35#.), so that you can concentrate on form. While I understand this instructor's caution, as he doesn't know me yet, even when I asked him if I could add some weight - after he had told me my form was perfect in the instructional period - he said no. Stay basic. 35#. It was like lifting nothing. I don't like being held back, when I am working toward something. I was really interested to see what I could do with a heavier deadlift (these are not skills I've been able to test at home, although I've been developing the pieces), but was not allowed to. GRR.
I decided to keep my mouth shut for now, as relatively new to this instructor (and he teaches often at the time I will go), and keep the peace... but it was frustrating to modify the wod to basic and have to do 10 lifts that were like nothing for me, while the regulars did 5 heavy lifts per round. GRR. Next time.
However, the second part of this part was technically Ring Dips. T-Rex arms strike again, and I really struggle with ring dips. Depending on the day, I modify them to assisted ring dips (using my legs straight out), or box dips. Today was box dips, as my shoulders were still screaming from Monday's push up marathon. Total number of dips for 5 rounds - 73. I'm feeling that in my shoulders, I promise.

Lastly, we moved onto the WOD, Part 2:
5 rounds of:
60 sec jump rope (ideally double-unders, but I'm still in singles)
30 sec rest
Lowest Reps in a round: 103

Felt pretty good about this section. Jump rope is a killer, and I'm really glad that I've been working on that. I'm able to jump a long time, at a steady pace, which is helpful. I'm working up to learning those double-unders, but I can't quite figure that out yet. Nonetheless, the result was that my least successful round (the one with the least jumps) was 103. Not bad for 60 seconds.

Today had been tricky with the eating though. Damn No Bread. I was hungry today. Nothing in my house sounded good. Plus, I have a lot of "not allowed" stuff in my house, due to the presence of roommates. It would be easier if it just wasn't here - things like tortilla chips, loaves of bread, or leftover Halloween candy. I wanted these things BADLY tonight. The hummus just wasn't cutting it. I'm still not happy. Grr. But, sometimes, you must just tell your body TOO BAD. We had plenty of nutrition for today, so, body/brain/whatever is making me WANT THAT BREAD, you just need to STFU. Although, all things considered, I haven't struggled too much with this eating style up to this point... but my stress level has cranked up a bit, which I'm guessing is contributing. Drank a tasty coffee, some more water, and I'm just going to go to bed. Tomorrow is a new day.

OH. I received my AWESOME Spartan Race hoodie in the mail today. I ordered the super rugged one... BOY they were not kidding. The thing weighs as much as I do, I suspect it's bulletproof, and I'm pretty sure I could survive sub-artic temperatures in it. It's an intense piece of clothing. PERFECT for what I wanted though - heading to the gym, in the cold mornings in the winter, and/or other sorts of generally extreme, badass activities. Aroo!

Speaking of which, I need to sleep. Tomorrow morning, I volunteered to accompany a friend to a free Zumba class (I used to go all the time, but needed a new challenge...), and then I need to get in my run at some point. And probably see some family.

Be thankful for your health, as you wake up tomorrow. Live each moment of your life and be thankful you have the opportunity to do so.

Happy Thanksgiving! Stay tuned for a Turkey Day recap tomorrow... Also known as, can Aja survive Thanksgiving with No Bread?!  

"If you want to accomplish the goals of your life, you have to begin with the spirit." ~ Oprah Winfrey

Spartan Shape-Up, Day 103:

Woot! Beat the Morning, today, BlogLand. That's a big victory for me - got right up, when the alarm went off, rather than hitting the snooze a few times. Running that 5K this weekend really escalated my fire and drive to push this process to new limits. It was the first time in quite a long time that I have wanted to turn around to everyone I walked by and say - LOOK what I DID!! I was proud of myself, and saw a tiny glimpse of the person inside of me that has been trapped for a long time. This was the first major tangible step achieved in this process.

You know how I knew this? I showed people PICTURES  - bad, sweaty, poorly composed, unflattering, candid, unposed - PICTURES of me, during the race. My hair is everywhere, I can't even comment on the unflattering tummy bulges, or bad angles, you know the drill..... But I showed them to people. Proudly, and without even really caring. Why? Because all I could see in those pictures was Victory. Victory over 65#, Victory over my self-doubts, Victory over lifelong habits, Victory over pain and hard decisions.... Triumph as I crossed the finish line. WHO CARES what the hell you look like, when you have a picture of you crossing a finish line, and know how much more than JUST a finish line that is?

SO, yes, I hopped right up out of bed this morning, anxious to beat my WOD into the ground.

So, in the wee hours of the morning (... okay, 7am.), looking out my giant windows on the Northeast's crazy "Snowtober" weather, I WOD'd:

• T-handle tabata swings, 25#: 8 sets (roughly 16-17 swings/set)
• DB Thrusters, 22# DBs: 9 sets, 6 reps
• Push ups: 20

A few notes... You may have noticed I haven't Jump roped before the last few workouts. To be honest, I'm still babying my foot a little bit, as it's not 'right' yet. And, YES, I have a doctor's appointment scheduled, as my new-job insurance has finally kicked in. So, yeah, no jump roping. I did stretch and dance around a bit to get myself warmed up. Yes. At 7am, in my workout zone bubble, I was totally rocking out in my living room, with the curtains open, to the steady stream of traffic filing into the high school near my house. Yep. I'm THAT person.

Second, I'm really beginning to appreciate the Tabata concept. 20 seconds of high intensity effort - in this case, t-handle swings - alternating with 10 seconds rest. 10 seconds does not feel like a whole lot, after about 4-5 rounds. I swear to you, BlogLand, for those that have never tried something like this, I am huffing and puffing and sweaty the same amount if I really push the 20 seconds, and ONLY rest for 10 (not 12, not 15) seconds, as much as when I come home from 45 minutes of running. Seriously. 

Then, when I put DB Thrusters back to back with that, it makes for one killer, high intensity, get your blood flowing first thing in the morning in a short amount of time, workout. Particularly because, whether you realized it or not, you just finished using your quads, hamstrings, core muscles, arms, etc. in your t-handle swings. Guess what the Thrusters use? I use a similar principle with the Thrusters. I do them in sets of 6 reps, with as little rest in between as I can manage. I will say that after t-handle swings, the last 3-4 Thruster sets do have more of a break in between. And you definitely learn to think of some real motivating thoughts, or words, or SOMEthing, to help get you from that 'down' squatted position, to 'bursting' up and getting that weight over your head. It is in those moments that I thank the Cosmos for my muscular tree-trunk thighs. They're hard to fit in jeans, but I'll be damned if they don't have a lot of hidden reserves that get me up out of those squats just ONE more time...

Then, just for funsies (since I had exactly 3 more minutes left in my allotted workout time, before I had to start getting ready for work), I busted out some push ups. I totally rocked 20 of them in a row, without blinking, before my timer went off. At the beginning of this all, 3 was a challenge. Hang on to those little victories, my friends. They are what gets you through. 

On that note, just because I've been rolling over the No Bread plan in my head, today, I have seen bread and carbs everywhere. No joke, I followed a Wonder Bread truck for a good 10 minutes on my way to work today. That never happens. Then, I begun to think about what constituted "carbs" of sorts, and came to the conclusion, that my work is going to be a huge red flag area. Pre-planning to navigate that mindfield is going to be of paramount importance. 

Lastly, tomorrow is Run Day! I'm up early to go for a run before work... It'll be my first training run in the last 2 weeks. Foot is feeling okay, and it felt about 90% okay after Saturday's race....so I'm hoping we should be good to go.... Cross your fingers!

“Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” ~ T. S. Elliot

Spartan Shape-Up, Day 91:

I am happy to report that I'm really back on track, BlogLand. I'm feeling awesome (it was a good day all around, more or less), and physically I feel pretty good - minus the wee foot injury that is still nagging.

It was supposed to be a Run Day for me today, but there's the nagging foot thing. It seems to be on the mend, and it's feeling 'okay'... and I probably could've run on it. However, my logical brain says that one more day of ibuprofen, ice and rest is probably the right answer - particularly because I want to be in tip-top shape in about a week and a half (*gulp* 5k!).

So, in lieu of a run, I decided to go for something also of the cardio-evil nature - so it's Swing Day!

Here's the WOD: (with a 25# t-handle, and 2, 22# DB's)

• Warm up: 5 min jump rope (only stopped once!)
• Tabata T-handle swings: 9 rounds
• Thrusters: 6 reps x 8 sets

Short and sweet (ha!). But let me tell you, I've come to conclude if you do the swing series right (as in you swing hard for 20 seconds, then rest for ONLY 10 seconds), you are really sweating and heart pumping by the end. I use a timer to keep myself on track. Also, this time, I upped the weight on my t-handle (it could be more like 26-27#, but you get the idea), which caused me to be able to do less swings per 20 seconds (only about 15, rather than the usual 17-18), so I think that was definitely a good move. It was time to make it harder. 

Thrusters are everyone's favorite for the same reason. Sweaty and heart pumping in a short amount of time. I keep the 'rest' between sets as minimal as possible (less than 20 sec), to keep the intensity as high as possible.  And, again, I think I'm doing something right, because by the last set, I am WORKING to get those damn DB's over my head and my ass out of a squat. Yikes.

That said, I have no philosophic revelations for tonight, or anything important to say. OH, wait, I do!

So, I'm thinking of taking some 'before' pictures. Really, they'd be like 'mid way' pictures, but they're really the beginning of where it's going to get interesting. The last year and a half doesn't need any documentation. I have the picture that started the whole avalanche and realization process.... and I think now, as I get into my real training, is a good time to start taking progress pictures. Although, geesh, that is a daunting feeling. No one ever really wants to document stuff like that.... but it's true, I think to be able to look back on it will be a good thing. Maybe I can get a friend to take some of me this weekend. Not sure I'll be up to posting them, Blogland (no one needs to see that, at this point!), but I'll be sure to report in. 

OH, and tomorrow I get paid and OFFICIALLY buy my 5K race entry!!! EEEE!!!

Sleep well everyone, and get ready to get up and chase down your goals tomorrow!

“If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.” ~ Frank A. Clark

Spartan Shape-Up, Day 90:

Well BlogLand, it was a much better day today. I think sometimes you just need to have those crappy days, and get them out of your system.

Today, was a Crossfit day for me, despite this foot thing. Seriously, no idea what I did, but it hurts like crazy to walk on. Although, a bunch of Ibuprofen, icing it and generally just dealing with it seem to make it better. Hmm. Felt okay with my sneakers on (vs. pretty work shoes), so I voted that Crossfit was a 'go', regardless.

First off, I would like to start by saying I am currently suffering from Screaming Ring Dip Shoulder & Back Syndrome. Other victims of this terrible disease will understand. Maybe I should explain the skills and the Wod, before I continue to whine?

We began with a 5 min Jump Rope. Gotta warm up you know. I knew it might be an interesting day when the two 18 year old high school football players were visibly annoyed that they couldn't jumprope more than 10-15 consecutively... and I could. Seriously, the short one and I had a bit of a stare down, somewhere around minute 4, when I was still going. Yeah, biatch, I do this ALL.THE. TIME. (Thanks, GT. Who knew this torture of yours would come in handy for gym-time Chicking?) All was well until Tiny Hercules (Lisa, the trainer of the day), decided I should bust out at least 10 double unders. Consecutively, I got 4 (new PR! lol), but managed the 10.

Then, to continue our warm up, we move onto a 400m row... Good stuff. A different sort of challenge there. One of those brain things, where you try and keep the right form through the activity, while regulating your breathing...

After that, onto some skills building (this is my LAST "learning class" YAY!). Today, we did cleans and squat cleans with a bar and with a KB. I beasted a 40# KB through those, as we had run out of 'lighter' ones, and the rest of the class (including the dudes! weren't up for it. Tiny Hercules decided I was. I swear, she's out to kill me.). 40# is not really a lot, but I have a much harder time maneuvering it for cleans/squat cleans at that size. I would much rather lift MORE weight, but on a bar. .... And then I got my wish. More weight on the bar for me, and a whole lot of small sets of squat cleans, in particular. Apparently, my class was struggling with this form, and (because I squat a lot, and have been for a while)

"Your toughness is made up of equal parts persistence and experience. You don't so much outrun your opponents as outlast and outsmart them, and the toughest opponent of all is the one inside your head." - Joe Henderson

Spartan Shape-Up, Day 87:

I can't help but notice the weather lately, BlogLand. Here in scenic Vermont, it's definitely been some chilly, windy fall weather, with a generous rainy contribution. I'm pretty okay with that, as I've determined that I don't mind running in the rain, and I'd MUCH rather run with a slight chill (as that is only temporary) than slog through the heat. However, I ponder what will happen once the snow flies. Yes. I said the S word. It's inevitable... it's decidedly not odd for us to start getting flurries (even a dusting or so) by Halloween. And then what will I do? Being pretty new to running, I suddenly have lots of questions to research (any input, Readers?):
- Do I still run when there's snow on the sidewalk?
- What sort of shoes do I need to acquire to have successful winter runs?
- What kind of different/special clothes will I need?
- What if it's too icy to run, what's the next best workout substitute (a huge concern, as winters are LONG in Vermont... I don't want to be not-running from November-March...)

Hmm. Lots to think about. Although, on the upside, I did just learn that they've put in an Under Armour OUTLET like 35 min from my house.... that means I ought to be able to acquire all KINDS of excellent sporty clothing. Woot! (I feel that winter running is an valid and perfectly legitimate excuse for shopping.)

Anyway, on to today. It was a real lazy feeling day today. I was tired last night and really hit the pillow hard. Slept in late (weekends have taken on a new meaning, now that I'm working M-F again...), and wandered around in the comfy clothes for a while, chatting with the roommate and just generally relaxing and enjoying having no place to be. I DID utilize that off time to update my whiteboard workout calendar schedule, as we're officially into weeks 13-16 now.

It was a WEE bit scary, as I officially put on the calendar the 5K race that I'm going to do at the end of this month. It's one of my milestone goals (see the sidebar to the right) and one so close to being checked off. I'm nervous though... I still have trouble viewing myself AS a runner (even though I run. Often.), and have some anxiety about looking stupid ("What if I'm LAST? What if I'm that slow, fat chick in the back?!"). I know, intellectually, that these are not reasonable concerns. That simply the fact that I'm there, doing it negates many of those... but... still. Body transformations are much easier than mental switches, sometimes. I look in the mirror and still (often) see 284# me, who could not dream of ever being one of "those people" that ran races.
However, I've been reading some really inspiring stories lately - of people getting through their first 5K, or first Spartan race, or any number of other 'firsts'... and I feel reassured. Not to mention the fact that even if I have to run it alone (and I will, if it comes to that!), I know that there are lots of people out there who virtually have my back and are cheering me on. (Secretly, I'm really hoping that my Mud Mafia t-shirt comes in before then, so I can sport that and feel like I'm racing with a whole virtual team!)
Anyway, enough about that. I have two whole weeks more to freak out about that, and/or reach some sort of Zen place. I'm thinking that next weekend I'm going to go scout the course and perhaps run it, so I know what I'm up against. Take away one of the scary 'unknowns', you know?

Today's WOD was a Body weight workout day. I see so much progress in these workouts, but I really do hate them. haha. These are HARD. Hard in a different way than Crossfit, or Running, or lifting something really heavy... I dunno. Weird.

WOD looked like this (all unweighted):

• 5 min: Jump rope w/u (I'm getting good at this and working on some successful double unders... stay tuned!)
• Squats - 80
• Push ups - 50
• Split Squats - 60 (I also figured out how I was getting weird rug burn on the tops of my foot/toes... put your foot on the arm of a couch for split squats and see what happens. lol.)
• Dips - 40 (being mindful to keep my body *just* in front of the chair, not out forward, stressing my shoulders)
• Calf raises - 30
• Lunges - 30
• Scissor Kicks - 40
• Ball Crunches - 40
• Burpees (...of DEATH) - 10

Definitely not my most bad ass workout, mostly because I ran out of time, before I had to get in the shower and head to a dinner obligation. Usually, I'd try and get one more round in there, making sure most of reps were at least at 50-60. BUT, sometimes things happen. Better 30-40 reps than none at all. 

Tomorrow, I think I'm going to attempt my first Pet Rock Workout. I'm thinking Grover (apparently, my Pet Rocks' name, I'm told...) and I are going to head up Spruce Peak - a relatively easy, not to short, not too long, not too steep, but still slightly challenging, and oh-so-scenic hike near me. My rough plan will be to throw Grover most of the way up, then carry him (about 18#) most of the way down. Somehow, throwing him down the mountain just doesn't seem to make as much sense, at this moment. Hmm. We shall see. It's supposed to be a Run Day, but I'm thinking it will still be a great leg workout, and a nice mental break from just pounding the city pavement. 

AND, Note to Self: DRINK MORE WATER. 

“Nobody ever drowned in sweat.”

Spartan Shape-Up, Day 68:

So, the original plan for today was to get up at the crack of dawn (6am for me), do my scheduled workout (It was t-handle swing day!), go try and learn something at work, come home and head to a Crossfit skills building class.

Thank god that got a bit derailed my by Insomnia and resultant inability to consistently crawl out of bed at an early hour. Why is that good? WELL, it turned out to be Kettlebell day in Crossfit land, too. Not sure two swinging workouts in one day would've been awesome. Although, whatever. haha. I'm kind of enjoying the constant challenge of seeing how far my body can go before it really hates me.

Anyway, today's class was kettlebells skill building - aimed to be part of a series to get you ready to participate in a in a full fledged CF WOD. Which meant, we did a LOT of moving around of kettlebells. How to do a good swing. How to do a better swing. An over head swing. A KB thruster. A KB clean. KB around the world's... the list goes on. We were only doing them in chunks of 10-15 at a time, for instruction purposes, but if you do it fast enough, or with a heavy enough weight, that adds up over the course of 50 minutes!
All things considered, I enjoy kettlebell workouts, though. Somehow, swinging stuff around still seems "fun" whilst proceeding to kick my ass.

Today's WOD: (I'm going to detail the class, too... this particular trainer made us do a lot more hands-on learning...)

• 500m ski (OW. ABS.)
• 500m row (Helloooo back.)
• 5 min jump rope (SO glad I've been practicing. Proudly claiming the honor as the only one who went the whole 5 min without tripping. Yeeeah!)
• 50min KB training: swings, overhead swings, squat cleans, thrusters (...and?)
• Official WOD
• 8 min: EMOTM (every min. on the min.)
• 3 KB Thrusters
• 6 KB Around the World's
• 9 KB Overhead Swings

So, today, I got through that hour of stuff with a 22# KB. No problem, at all. It was really gratifying to do that, particularly seeing the lack of strength in many of the other beginners. Not because they are weak (hell, they are in that class, working to change themselves! That is a strong thing to do!), but it was gratifying to remind myself.. of myself. Why I'm doing this, why I continue to push hard, sweat harder (more on that in a min.), and smile through the stiff/sore days. I've come a long way, damnit... and despite having a LONG way to go, I know I won't go back. 

Now, we need to digress for just a minute, on the topic of Sweat. I may have prompted a bit of a discussion among the Spartan Chicks on the topic of sweat. Mostly because I want to know why Me and Random Cheerleader Chick (RCC) can be in the same class and a few things happen: I work faster, with heavier things, carrying significantly more weight on my body, but upon finishing the workout am back to normal breathing WAY quicker than Ms. RCC, and still good to go for more. However, *I* am drenched. Sweat Puddle (ew. I know.). I may have blinded the poor man next to me, as my pony tail flung sweat into his eyes. It might've happened. Meanwhile, RCC, who ostensibly 'worked' harder than me - as in doing the same/less work was more exhausting for her (she can't continue) - is "sparkling." I'm toweling. LOL. 

Somehow, this seems counter intuitive. However, I have a very limited knowledge base around the physiology of what's happening, and leave that to the educated ones (that's you, GT.) to answer my incessant "... but, WHY.." questions. My theory? It probably has something to do with the added muscle mass I have, the ridiculous amount of water I drink, the fact that I'm still carrying a significant amount of extra "insulation", random genetics, or some combination of the lot. 

Today's lesson: I'm a girly, ruffle-wearing, stiletto loving, martini-drinking woman... and I sweat puddles when I exercise. It may not be 'pretty', but at the end of the day, the guns/quads/ass I've got to show for those sweaty pushups/wall balls/squats/whatever, are WAY hotter than your dry brow and still-perfect ponytail. 

.... Although, I will still have to consult the great Google Oracle for why exactly that is. Hmm. I'll keep you posted.

Embrace the sweat, Ladies. Consider it a badge of a job well-done. 

"Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you; they're supposed to help you discover who you are." -Bernice Johnson Reagon

Spartan Shape-Up, Day 58:

WHEW. The last 24 hours were intense. No sooner did I finish that blog post about not being a natural athlete, but doing it anyway, and finding your support system, when I was forced to put it to the test. I'll spare you the gorey details, but in a nutshell, I had part of my family corner me and lecture me on this new "extreme" workout stuff, and the "unrealistic" goals that I have, etc. It is immensely difficult to hear that from your family. Just because I have spent too much time being a couch potato, doesn't mean it always will be that way. I feel like I'm really finding myself now - and am amazing myself daily with the things I am growing able to do - and I wish they could embrace that with me. Maybe eventually they will, but until then, I've got to just do what I do, for me. That said, upon leaving the lecture, I got in my car, had a bit of a cry (because c'mon, I'm still a girl and that crap is hard to hear), and reached out to the people that I know would help. After a reassuring conversation with my GT (who has saintly patience with the mental/emotional side of all this for me), the most powerful thing came out of that.
Me: (recanting a sentiment that seem to be prominent from the family) Yes, but these activities are for other people. You know, "athletic" people.
GT: Well, that's you now.

I know that seems like a ridiculously simple thing, to many of you. But spent a lot of your life being some gradient of out of shape/chunky/heavy, and while I was 'active' at points in my life, never would I have been considered "athletic". Spend your life that way, then try (after 30 years) to see yourself in an entirely different light - despite what people close to you are saying. THAT can be a monumental challenge. However, to have someone that knows you well, that you trust, say matter of factly, that that *IS* me now is like turning on a light switch. Yeah, I guess maybe it is. Holy shit.
AND, not for nothing, but I made a comment to my Spartan Chicks, and was overwhelmed at the support-rally that I was showered with. Lesson learned: When the people in your life don't understand, or can't support you - adopt the ones that will.
A big cyberspace thank you, to my GT and the Chicks for helping me scale that particular mountain... Hopefully it's all downhill from here (or, more appropriately, uphill with a rock? lol).

ANYWAY, on to the WOD.

I was all excited because it was cold this morning, and it was going to be Run Day... and then I looked at my schedule... it's actually the dreaded Bodyweight workout day. Feeling rejuvenated, energized and just damn proud of myself for sticking to this, I decided to bust out a really solid workout today:

• w/u 300 turns jump rope

• Squats x 100 
• Pushups x 70 PLUS 10 full out on my toes, not knees! 
• Chair Dips x60 (legs out, no cheating!)
• Calf Raises x80
• Lunges x60
• Scissor kicks x110
• Ball Crunches x90
• BURPEES x 15 (15 solid, good form ones, damnit.)

So. There we have it. A good solid, sweaty day. I may feel those squats tomorrow. LOL. I must note, a few more improvements, though: I managed 10 whole pushups on my toes - not the girly knee way. YEAH. I had a moment where I wasn't sure I was going to get back up, lol, but dug deep. ALSO, in my quest to master the Burpee of Death, I did 15. Sounds low, but considering 2 of those were really difficult for me at the beginning, I'm happy. Plus, they were 15 complete burpees - pushup, jump up, the whole bit. 

In summary, emotional mountain surmounted (for now. lol), channeled into an awesome workout, and now I must go to the hardware store for supplies........... WAhahaha.... 

Oh, and note to self: Drink more water. Geesh.

I am not a natural born athlete, but I disregard that handicap I perform as best as I can…that’s, I guess, what makes me an athlete." ~ Katy McCabe

Spartan Shape-Up, Day 57:

Today is officially the first day of Week 9 of my Spartan Shape-Up training. Yikes. Time flies when you're running all over your neighborhood and lifting heavy stuff.

Before I go into today's regularly scheduled programming, I have to share something written by Spartan Race's own Glamazon, Katy McCabe:
  "I’m not a natural born athlete.  I was born to be heavy, I was born to be slow, I was born to procrastinate, and I was born to under achieve or get by on the bare minimum.  I know that.  I have been in my head and I have seen my own habits and bore witness to my own methods.  I am not a natural born athlete.  Everything I do is hard for me.  Every time I run I’m taxed.  Every time I swing a kettle-bell, power clean 155#, walk up walls, pull up, push down, jump over…it’s difficult and I want to stop.  I am not a natural born athlete.  I beat myself mentally before I start.  I think of ways to give up mid stride.  I don’t see progression.  I have to practice.  I have to fail…a LOT.  I have to do things over and over and over and over.  I have to drag myself sometimes…most times.  I get angry with myself multiple times in every workout.   I am not a natural born athlete.  I know I have limits I face them daily.  I know that when I get home today and strap on my pack that it’s going to hurt and its going to wear on me and I will struggle up hills and over rocks.  I am not a natural born athlete.  I am not particularly good at anything but I do all of these things despite how familiar I am with just that fact.  I am not a natural born athlete, but I disregard that handicap I perform as best as I can…that’s, I guess, what makes me an athlete." ~ Katy McCabe


When I ran across this in my internet traversing today, I suddenly felt a flash of hope, as I identified with Katy's thoughts. These were things I feel all the time, as I eek out the extra half mile in my run, or try and push through that extra set of lifts, these were the same thoughts I've had. Which was amazingly inspirational. Because, hey, maybe that means I'm 'normal' and not just some fat chick with ridiculously big pipe dreams. If Katy (who, I'm sure, can leap tall building with a single bound) questions herself, gets angry at herself, too, then maybe - just maybe - it's all just part of the journey. (Thanks, Katy.)

Having said that, we're onto today's WOD - It's a lifting day! Today's complex went like this:

• w/u - Jump rope, 5min (5 du's without dying! yeah! lol)

• Bent Row x6
• Upright Row x6
• Military Press x6
• Good Mornings x6
• Split Squats L/R x6
• Thrusters x6
• Deadlifts x6

I got 5 rounds of that, with two 21# DB's. 

Admittedly, this is the complex (the dreaded Complex #4, on my list, da da DAAaaaa) that I tend to want to avoid. Why? Because it's hard for me. Or, really, it's not that it's hard for me, but it challenges me to push more than I naturally want to. Military presses with 21 pound DB's are hard, at the moment. Doable, but not easily.They are easier than they were a couple of weeks ago, though, I noticed today, but they're hard (particularly for my slightly slower to learn left arm? wtf? lol). Split Squats, with 42 pounds, followed immediately by thrusters with total 42 pounds, are a challenge to not want to take a break in between. HOWEVER. This is why we do these things, is it not? Because they're hard. So we do them until they get easier, and then we set our sights on the next hard thing, to see what we're made of. So here's what I have to say to you, Split Squats followed by Thrusters of Death: I OWNED you today. 5 rounds. TKO. 

Oh! In other news (how could I forget!), I must report in on my very first ice bath. I wish I had STFU and done that sooner. This was the first morning in probably the last 3 months that I hopped out of bed and didn't hobble around all creaky and stiff. I will say, that lowering yourself (thank GOD I've been practicing my dips, to facilitate a slooooow immersion) into a vat of really cold water is NOT an enjoyable process, once you get past the first few minutes and just go numb, it's really not that bad. You probably don't want to sit there unoccupied (tweet or fb yourself silly, or read a book, or SOMEthing) and focus on how damn cold you are, but it really isn't that bad. Take it from a skeptic. You can do this, and you probably should. You can do anything for 20 minutes, right?? Particularly the persistently stiff muscles in my hip area (maybe adductors?) from running and squatting were really relieved by this. 

Alright, Blog-Land. I bid you adieu for another day, while I wait in slight trepidation for the next block of 4 week plans from the GT (We decided Guru Trainer was probably slightly more grammatically correct than Trainer Guru... lol.). He mentioned things like making a DIY T-handle to do swings with, and that it was time to find and bond with my pet rock. Oh My. It's on like Donkey Kong!