Spartan Shape-Up, Day 146:
Well, BlogLand, I am happy to report that I am pretty sure my Mental Block (which was more like a fortress of some sort...) has been thoroughly decimated.
I think I needed Sunday's race - and all the personal victories associated with it - to prove some things to myself, that I wasn't able to do on my own. I hadn't really realized just HOW much I had needed that, until today's run.
Today, I went out for my 5K loop, as per usual. And I ran. And ran some more. And I did get a little tired at one point, but there was no more question mark in my head of whether I was capable of pushing through that - clearly, I was. I had. .... So I did. I just kept running. There were a couple of times that I did some slow, shorter strided recovery times, but still running. I didn't even really think about walking. I didn't need to.
What I likened this to was having a new car (akin to the new body I'm building). When you first get this new car, you have no idea how long it will go after the gas light goes on. So you are really cautious in the beginning - as soon as that gas light goes on (or you get a little tired, running), you stop the car (walk break.). You just have no idea how far it will go on E. Then that day happens that you're on the highway, far from a gas station, and you are on E. Oh crap. You have to keep driving. No other options (... or you have to keep running, because your GT won't let you stop, because he knows this is all in your head)... and suddenly you realize... Wow. Apparently, my car does, in fact, go MUCH farther on "E" than I thought. Or, in my convoluted analogy, You find yourself at the end of a 5K race, with an excellent time, having taken no walk breaks.
I think today, while I was running, I knew that the tired waves would pass. I could keep running through them and come out the other side. Hell, I had demonstrated to myself that I could even throw some hills in there and keep running. Today's route was flat!!
I had no idea the amount that my own mental doubt and insecurity was affecting my running progress. I think, somewhere deep down, as much as I was giving myself these pep talks, and *wanted* to run the distance without breaks, etc.... there was a deep, quiet, doubting part of me that really wasn't sure I could. It was the same negative whisperings from Old Me that tell me that Fat Chicks can't do this stuff, that I must look ridiculous when I run, that why would I think I could run a Spartan Race, when see, I can't even manage 3 miles. You know that voice. We all have it. Mine is just getting really bitter that I keep squashing it and proving it wrong (WAHA!). However, I really didn't realize how much that part had decidedly convinced my subconscious of this. I only really realized today...
... after I'd run the entire 5K, with no walk breaks... and I totally could've kept going at the end. No problem at all. Not only that, I did it at an excellent pace (for me):
Time: 34:38 min
Distance: 3.14 mi
Average pace: 11:03 min/mi
I am a little confused at the accuracy here, as the splits that it shows say I did individual miles in much faster times... but. Hmm. Irregardless, I'm pretty darn happy with NO walks, at an 11 min/mi pace. Particularly considering it must've been actually faster than that as I did have to stop and wait at a cross walk. Sub-11 min/miles. Easily. And I could've (should've!) kept running.
No. Mental. Block. I needed the support to bust through that wall, more than I could know, I guess. Finding myself on the other side of it is really liberating... I CAN do these things. I have now done it on my own, with the concrete knowledge that I could.
Ah, and THEN, the GT and I began the What's Next conversation. Up to this point, this is what was next. I needed to be able to run the entire 5K. I've done that twice. With gas left in the tank. (How long have I been holding my training back, with this silliness, I wonder?) Should I learn to be faster? Concentrate on going longer? What's next?
The consensus seems to be that I'm going to work on mileage, as ultimately, I'd like to be able to handle the more-involved, longer, Spartan races. Speed is less of an issue, while being able to cover the distance (sometimes up to 12 miles) is a big concern. The GT assures me we can get there, if that is what I want. So, on we push, to the next step in my Spartan Shape-Up... he mentioned something about working toward a 10K (6.2 miles). But I'm not afraid. I'm EXCITED. YEAH I'm going to run a 10K, at some point. YES, I want to train, so I can run the Spartan Supers. Push me! I feel like I've really broke down a big insecurity barrier... let's take advantage of that and really see what this body can do! HA!
I don't have the specifics of the training plan just yet... but, stay tuned, BlogLand... the next few months are going to be a wild ride!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Sometimes, you just need an Axe to tear down a Mental Wall.
Spartan Shape-Up, Day 144:
It was RACE DAY, BlogLand! An interestingly eventful one, even:
My day began somewhere between the Ass-Crack of Dawn, and the PRE-Ass-Crack of Dawn. What this means is that, when I left my driveway and made a beeline for the Dunkin Donuts down the road for coffee, the moon was still up. No joke. I got up, got coffee (sweet Nectar of Life!), and was on the highway by MOONLIGHT (looked full, even.).
I was headed out to Walter's Run, a 5K race down in West Roxbury, Massachusetts; A smallish run (not chip timed, about 400 people), but local to my GT and Ms. Fit Bee, and a great way to spend a Sunday.
After driving away from home about an hour or so, my phone working as a GPS in it's car mount, I suddenly realize I have NO BATTERY. Commence Panicking. (Why? Well. How else would I get there? A map? I couldn't call for directions, if my phone (with all my numbers in it!) died.) OH no. After some jiggling of wires, I see that I can get my phone to do a little intermittent charging, as long as I don't hit any bumps, and I start running through Plan B in my head. Shortly thereafter, I hit the NH State Liquor Store Rest Stop. After gathering some sustenance (ever try and get a healthy snack out of a vending machine!?), I happened to ask the attendant if he knew if the big Liquor Store might sell phone chargers. I must've had a bit of a Damsel-in-Distress look or something, because after a few questions, he offered to give me his "extra" one in the car. I told him I had no cash. He shrugged it off. He literally GAVE me his car charger, knowing he'd never see it again (I did offer to return it on my way back). Wow. Who knew the kindness of strangers was still alive? I took this as a sign that this day was meant to be a Good one, and off I went.
After a slight detour to pick up My Supreme Awesomeness of a GT, we went searching for the run... which proved to take a bit longer than anticipated, causing us to be skidding into a parking lot, and jumping out before the car even stopped moving (alright, perhaps that's a slight exaggeration...). Really, we had a WHOLE 8 MINUTES before the gun went off. Oh yeah, we were parked a block away, and no, we hadn't picked up our numbers yet. However, again, the Cosmos smiled on me today, and the organizers apparently decided to delay the start a few minutes, because enough people were running late (ha! no pun intended!). This allowed us JUST enough time to find the gym, grab our numbers, get into the starting crowd, and hear the gun just as we were pinning our last pin in place. Woo! Close one.
We started out at a comfortable pace for me, toward the back of the giant mass of people (leading me to think that my *actual* time might be about 15-20 seconds faster than posted...). I'm not a fan of this part. It's hard to find your stride, get some open road, and not run a bunch of people over all at the same time. I suppose that's why the more competitive types start more up front.
This run started on a slight downhill (Yay!), and leveled out nicely; a great relief after last week's Santa 5k hills! Then we turned up our first "hill". Now, I don't mean to pick on you people that live in flat places. My family is from, and I spent much of my younger years in, Massachusetts. However, when we turned up a wee little rolling "hill", and I heard the lady just behind me start bitching about the "hill," I must admit, I rejoiced a little bit. "If this is what they consider a "hill" around here, I'm going to be all set!!" I thought to myself. You see, there is no "flat" run in Vermont. We're the Green Mountain State. There is a reason the Death Race originated here (aside from the Awesome Crazy people...).
I felt pretty good for the first mile and a half-ish. GT helped keep me at a not-too-fast pace, as I am inclined to fall into, in these competitive situations. I was enjoying the change of scenery, the beautiful day, the company, and getting to stretch my legs after 3 hours in the car.
Then the battle began.
I had the first hint of desire to take a walk break. We had gotten past my warm up and entered the land where the actual work began. My breathing had picked up a bit, and I had to focus on getting the job done. GT and I began to talk (... and by "talk", I mean he imparted knowledge, and I panted grunts of affirmative understanding, between sucking in deep breaths.) about the importance of taking deep breaths... shallow breathing would tire me out more quickly, by not getting enough oxygen to my muscles. I kept running.
Then came the hill. Okay, Massachusetts, it would seem you do have a hill. It wasn't a terrible one, but it was late in the run - more than halfway through. Corrected by the GT, I kept my pace at energy-saving short, but quick, strides. I didn't look at the hill. I looked at the feet in front of me. Right, Left, Right, Left. It was hard now. My brain was heavily suggesting that a walk - just a tiny one! - would be a good plan. You know, tiny recovery. Then I tried to remember how frustrated I feel every single time I come back from a 5K distance, knowing I walked a bit. I latched onto that feeling with an iron mind, and focused in on the GT's coaching words. Short Strides. Right, Left, Right, Left.
We crested the hill and a woman informed us that we were less than a mile from the finish! As much as I wanted to be excited about that, and some of me was, I was trying to recover from the hill exertion. That wasn't happening easily. This is where I would walk, if it was just me running. My brain was screaming that a walk was all we could do. Between heavy breaths, I admitted to the GT that now, I wanted to walk. I didn't stop my labored trot, but I said that out loud. I had felt the inner excuses begin swirling around in my head, why it would be okay to walk, how I was still too fat to think I could do this, and on and on, and needed to stop that process. THIS was the proverbial vertical wall that I couldn't figure out how to get over on my own.
Today, however, I wasn't alone. I can't remember exactly what was said, the moment that I panted out my Walk Confession... but the answer I felt, from my invaluable GT, in my brain was a solid, inarguable, rock-like, "No." There would be no walking. He wasn't going to let me continue getting in my own way. Physically, there is no reason I can't run that distance. But I've been failing because of a long-constructed set of mental hurdles that I have been having trouble identifying and getting over on my own. Today, apparently, we were going straight through them. I WANTED to (so badly!), I just needed someone to believe that I could, right then, at that crucial moment when I started to doubt that myself.
We turned a corner... literally, and figuratively. I was STILL RUNNING.
Yep. Mental hurdle? Begone! I was still running, and I had actually recovered a bit. My legs were turning over, I was concentrating on taking deep, refreshing breaths, and we were still moving forward. It didn't feel bad. I didn't feel bad. My lungs had not, in fact, exploded and my legs, in actuality, had not turned to cement blocks.
Then it happened. The Rocky Theme began emanating from the GT's phone. I laughed, realizing that (omg) I was having fun. I didn't die. I could do this. I was doing it. Nothing like a little Rocky to bring you to Life's big revelations.
In the distance, I could see that the crowd had thickened... it was the finish line. FINISH LINE. I hadn't walked. I certainly wasn't walking now. Oh hey, wasn't I here to try and beat my previous times, too? Cue the Sprint to the Finish.
This may be my favorite part of any competition. Races or otherwise. That moment when you don't have to 'save up' anymore, no more pacing yourself... just go. I kicked it up. I do wish I had really realized that was the finish line in the distance, earlier... I'm thinking I could've done it sooner. But there are always going to be those things to improve upon... At that moment, I was running to the end of a race that I had actually, truly, RUN for the first time in my life.
Wow. If you had said that to me a year ago, I would've laughed in your face. Hard.
Straight into the finish chute I went - happy, smiling and triumphant for more reasons than I could enumerate for you. Coming up along side me, the GT reported in on how he thought we had done "unofficially". Smiles and sweaty hugs were all I had at that moment. Confirmation. Wall, Gone.
Official Results:
Time: 32:40
Ave. Pace: 10:32
That means we hit another goal - finish in less than 34 minutes. I think we did that quite successfully. My previous best time was 34:40... we shaved TWO MINUTES off it. I *averaged* under an 11 minute mile over a multiple-mile distance, for the first time EVER.
There's no excuses now. I have the proof. I CAN do it. I DID do it. Nothing's stopping me now. We're in uncharted territories, and I'm not afraid. Aroo!
To add to the coolness factor of the day, we spotted Colleen Fit Bee, chillin' at the finish, waiting for some more of her friends. (Rumor has it Colleen did it in a ridiculously awesome time, placing 5th?). It was pretty fabulous to meet another one of the Spartan Chicks, in person. That network has been so inspirational, motivational and supportive of me through all of this, that I hope to meet each and every one of them. Colleen's similar major-weight loss journey, to successful marathoner has been nothing short of remarkable. She's living proof that it's possible, if you want it bad enough.
All in all, an excellent day. The only part that went slightly wrong, was the fact that I didn't cool down/stretch enough post-race. Instead, I went and sat and had some lunch (Yum!), then got in the car and sat for another 3 hours. After a solid hour in the car, my knees had begun to stiffen and throb a bit. OW. OWWWW.
Wasn't going to bring me down though... there was too much awesome in today. Came home, worked on re-hydrating, swallowed a handful of Ibuprofen (I may need to buy stock in this company...) and liberally applied the Tiger Balm to my achy knees. Awwww yeeeahhh. Feeling much better already.
....... When's the next race?
With that, BlogLand... I leave you for today. It's time to hit the pillow - Crossfit comes early on Mondays!
It was RACE DAY, BlogLand! An interestingly eventful one, even:
My day began somewhere between the Ass-Crack of Dawn, and the PRE-Ass-Crack of Dawn. What this means is that, when I left my driveway and made a beeline for the Dunkin Donuts down the road for coffee, the moon was still up. No joke. I got up, got coffee (sweet Nectar of Life!), and was on the highway by MOONLIGHT (looked full, even.).
I was headed out to Walter's Run, a 5K race down in West Roxbury, Massachusetts; A smallish run (not chip timed, about 400 people), but local to my GT and Ms. Fit Bee, and a great way to spend a Sunday.
After driving away from home about an hour or so, my phone working as a GPS in it's car mount, I suddenly realize I have NO BATTERY. Commence Panicking. (Why? Well. How else would I get there? A map? I couldn't call for directions, if my phone (with all my numbers in it!) died.) OH no. After some jiggling of wires, I see that I can get my phone to do a little intermittent charging, as long as I don't hit any bumps, and I start running through Plan B in my head. Shortly thereafter, I hit the NH State Liquor Store Rest Stop. After gathering some sustenance (ever try and get a healthy snack out of a vending machine!?), I happened to ask the attendant if he knew if the big Liquor Store might sell phone chargers. I must've had a bit of a Damsel-in-Distress look or something, because after a few questions, he offered to give me his "extra" one in the car. I told him I had no cash. He shrugged it off. He literally GAVE me his car charger, knowing he'd never see it again (I did offer to return it on my way back). Wow. Who knew the kindness of strangers was still alive? I took this as a sign that this day was meant to be a Good one, and off I went.
After a slight detour to pick up My Supreme Awesomeness of a GT, we went searching for the run... which proved to take a bit longer than anticipated, causing us to be skidding into a parking lot, and jumping out before the car even stopped moving (alright, perhaps that's a slight exaggeration...). Really, we had a WHOLE 8 MINUTES before the gun went off. Oh yeah, we were parked a block away, and no, we hadn't picked up our numbers yet. However, again, the Cosmos smiled on me today, and the organizers apparently decided to delay the start a few minutes, because enough people were running late (ha! no pun intended!). This allowed us JUST enough time to find the gym, grab our numbers, get into the starting crowd, and hear the gun just as we were pinning our last pin in place. Woo! Close one.
We started out at a comfortable pace for me, toward the back of the giant mass of people (leading me to think that my *actual* time might be about 15-20 seconds faster than posted...). I'm not a fan of this part. It's hard to find your stride, get some open road, and not run a bunch of people over all at the same time. I suppose that's why the more competitive types start more up front.
This run started on a slight downhill (Yay!), and leveled out nicely; a great relief after last week's Santa 5k hills! Then we turned up our first "hill". Now, I don't mean to pick on you people that live in flat places. My family is from, and I spent much of my younger years in, Massachusetts. However, when we turned up a wee little rolling "hill", and I heard the lady just behind me start bitching about the "hill," I must admit, I rejoiced a little bit. "If this is what they consider a "hill" around here, I'm going to be all set!!" I thought to myself. You see, there is no "flat" run in Vermont. We're the Green Mountain State. There is a reason the Death Race originated here (aside from the Awesome Crazy people...).
I felt pretty good for the first mile and a half-ish. GT helped keep me at a not-too-fast pace, as I am inclined to fall into, in these competitive situations. I was enjoying the change of scenery, the beautiful day, the company, and getting to stretch my legs after 3 hours in the car.
Then the battle began.
I had the first hint of desire to take a walk break. We had gotten past my warm up and entered the land where the actual work began. My breathing had picked up a bit, and I had to focus on getting the job done. GT and I began to talk (... and by "talk", I mean he imparted knowledge, and I panted grunts of affirmative understanding, between sucking in deep breaths.) about the importance of taking deep breaths... shallow breathing would tire me out more quickly, by not getting enough oxygen to my muscles. I kept running.
Then came the hill. Okay, Massachusetts, it would seem you do have a hill. It wasn't a terrible one, but it was late in the run - more than halfway through. Corrected by the GT, I kept my pace at energy-saving short, but quick, strides. I didn't look at the hill. I looked at the feet in front of me. Right, Left, Right, Left. It was hard now. My brain was heavily suggesting that a walk - just a tiny one! - would be a good plan. You know, tiny recovery. Then I tried to remember how frustrated I feel every single time I come back from a 5K distance, knowing I walked a bit. I latched onto that feeling with an iron mind, and focused in on the GT's coaching words. Short Strides. Right, Left, Right, Left.
We crested the hill and a woman informed us that we were less than a mile from the finish! As much as I wanted to be excited about that, and some of me was, I was trying to recover from the hill exertion. That wasn't happening easily. This is where I would walk, if it was just me running. My brain was screaming that a walk was all we could do. Between heavy breaths, I admitted to the GT that now, I wanted to walk. I didn't stop my labored trot, but I said that out loud. I had felt the inner excuses begin swirling around in my head, why it would be okay to walk, how I was still too fat to think I could do this, and on and on, and needed to stop that process. THIS was the proverbial vertical wall that I couldn't figure out how to get over on my own.
Today, however, I wasn't alone. I can't remember exactly what was said, the moment that I panted out my Walk Confession... but the answer I felt, from my invaluable GT, in my brain was a solid, inarguable, rock-like, "No." There would be no walking. He wasn't going to let me continue getting in my own way. Physically, there is no reason I can't run that distance. But I've been failing because of a long-constructed set of mental hurdles that I have been having trouble identifying and getting over on my own. Today, apparently, we were going straight through them. I WANTED to (so badly!), I just needed someone to believe that I could, right then, at that crucial moment when I started to doubt that myself.
We turned a corner... literally, and figuratively. I was STILL RUNNING.
Yep. Mental hurdle? Begone! I was still running, and I had actually recovered a bit. My legs were turning over, I was concentrating on taking deep, refreshing breaths, and we were still moving forward. It didn't feel bad. I didn't feel bad. My lungs had not, in fact, exploded and my legs, in actuality, had not turned to cement blocks.
Then it happened. The Rocky Theme began emanating from the GT's phone. I laughed, realizing that (omg) I was having fun. I didn't die. I could do this. I was doing it. Nothing like a little Rocky to bring you to Life's big revelations.
In the distance, I could see that the crowd had thickened... it was the finish line. FINISH LINE. I hadn't walked. I certainly wasn't walking now. Oh hey, wasn't I here to try and beat my previous times, too? Cue the Sprint to the Finish.
This may be my favorite part of any competition. Races or otherwise. That moment when you don't have to 'save up' anymore, no more pacing yourself... just go. I kicked it up. I do wish I had really realized that was the finish line in the distance, earlier... I'm thinking I could've done it sooner. But there are always going to be those things to improve upon... At that moment, I was running to the end of a race that I had actually, truly, RUN for the first time in my life.
Wow. If you had said that to me a year ago, I would've laughed in your face. Hard.
Straight into the finish chute I went - happy, smiling and triumphant for more reasons than I could enumerate for you. Coming up along side me, the GT reported in on how he thought we had done "unofficially". Smiles and sweaty hugs were all I had at that moment. Confirmation. Wall, Gone.
Official Results:
Time: 32:40
Ave. Pace: 10:32
That means we hit another goal - finish in less than 34 minutes. I think we did that quite successfully. My previous best time was 34:40... we shaved TWO MINUTES off it. I *averaged* under an 11 minute mile over a multiple-mile distance, for the first time EVER.
There's no excuses now. I have the proof. I CAN do it. I DID do it. Nothing's stopping me now. We're in uncharted territories, and I'm not afraid. Aroo!
To add to the coolness factor of the day, we spotted Colleen Fit Bee, chillin' at the finish, waiting for some more of her friends. (Rumor has it Colleen did it in a ridiculously awesome time, placing 5th?). It was pretty fabulous to meet another one of the Spartan Chicks, in person. That network has been so inspirational, motivational and supportive of me through all of this, that I hope to meet each and every one of them. Colleen's similar major-weight loss journey, to successful marathoner has been nothing short of remarkable. She's living proof that it's possible, if you want it bad enough.
All in all, an excellent day. The only part that went slightly wrong, was the fact that I didn't cool down/stretch enough post-race. Instead, I went and sat and had some lunch (Yum!), then got in the car and sat for another 3 hours. After a solid hour in the car, my knees had begun to stiffen and throb a bit. OW. OWWWW.
Wasn't going to bring me down though... there was too much awesome in today. Came home, worked on re-hydrating, swallowed a handful of Ibuprofen (I may need to buy stock in this company...) and liberally applied the Tiger Balm to my achy knees. Awwww yeeeahhh. Feeling much better already.
....... When's the next race?
With that, BlogLand... I leave you for today. It's time to hit the pillow - Crossfit comes early on Mondays!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
"Fear is part of the process. If you weren't scared, you'd be in trouble." ~ Bruce Jenner
Spartan Shape-Up, Day 141, 142 & 143:
Dear BlogLand. I swear I haven't been slacking. It has just been a busy/mentally-challenging few days.
Wednesday's Crossfit workout left me completely incapacitated in my upper body. Major stiff and sore. DAMN YOU PULLUPS. I was still sore on yesterday, and even today, I can feel the stiff sore at the bottom of my bicep when I try to straighten/stretch out my arms. CLEARLY I have identified a weak point that needs to be challenged more. I'm contemplating which over-the-door pull-up bar I'm going to buy with my next paycheck, so I can start working on this more, from home. After chatting with the GT, apparently, I also need to practice just "hanging". I was like, uhm... wtf? But apparently, while we are considering the Spartan Race obstacles to overcome, Monkey Bars is one of the most challenging for me, I anticipate. He says it it my grip/strength ability that will help/hinder me the most there... which I can work on by just hanging and holding my bodyweight for periods of time. I can just see it now... Watching TV... Everyone's sitting on couches, easy chairs... I'm hanging in a doorway.... OH geesh.
Speaking of Spartan Race Obstacles.... I DID IT. I am OFFICIALLY registered for The New England Spartan Sprint in Amesbury, MA. in August. They have my money. I am committed. The GT seems to think that I will be ready to go for some of the Spring Sprints, but that one in August is my GOAL race, so I will be attending that and taking names, either way.
I'm not going to lie, BlogLand, when I signed up for that race and clicked "submit," I felt a little bit nauseous. Like, what did I just DO?! *insert anxious, self-doubting, freak-out* However, what's done was done, and I reminded myself that it was what I wanted, and if I had already come this far.... So. A little pep talk was needed... but my GT helped with that, and I surfed my Spartan Chicks group for some inspiring motivational posts... and took a deep breath. All would be well.
Then I got excited. LOL. I started plotting what other races I could do. I am also very much looking forward to travelling to some of the races. Going to have to get THAT schedule in early so that my work doesn't slap me in the face when I give them the list of Friday's that I need off to travel to races. haha
In other news, No Bread has been a bit tricky lately. With the holidays upon us, there's been a lot of cookies around, goodies, etc. Yesterday, my office ordered my favorite - Buffalo Chicken Pizza - and I wanted to die inside a little bit. I WANTED PIZZA. However, I stuck to my guns. No bread. I ate my turkey/salad lunch. Somewhat angrily, I admit.
However, today I got on the scale, for a check-in that I haven't done in a while. I am: 213.4 pounds. That means I have lost just about TEN POUNDS since November 4th, by doing this No Bread Challenge. Yeehaw!! Maybe a big change was just what I needed to get my metabolism running again. I'm hoping to be under 200 by the time I go on my annual vacation (to the Carribean, in March!).
So... Things are good. Getting better. I think I just needed a day or two off to rest my brain and de-stress a bit.
Tomorrow, I'm travelling to a 5K race in Massachusetts.... After I expressed my thought that I was really aiming to get a new PR - Under 34 minutes and/or no walks - my GT informs me that we're going to do it. I am mildly afraid of what he might have in mind, but looking forward to having the extra support that might get me over this hump.
Stay tuned, tomorrow will be a Race Recap - and a new PR! Cross your fingers....
Dear BlogLand. I swear I haven't been slacking. It has just been a busy/mentally-challenging few days.
Wednesday's Crossfit workout left me completely incapacitated in my upper body. Major stiff and sore. DAMN YOU PULLUPS. I was still sore on yesterday, and even today, I can feel the stiff sore at the bottom of my bicep when I try to straighten/stretch out my arms. CLEARLY I have identified a weak point that needs to be challenged more. I'm contemplating which over-the-door pull-up bar I'm going to buy with my next paycheck, so I can start working on this more, from home. After chatting with the GT, apparently, I also need to practice just "hanging". I was like, uhm... wtf? But apparently, while we are considering the Spartan Race obstacles to overcome, Monkey Bars is one of the most challenging for me, I anticipate. He says it it my grip/strength ability that will help/hinder me the most there... which I can work on by just hanging and holding my bodyweight for periods of time. I can just see it now... Watching TV... Everyone's sitting on couches, easy chairs... I'm hanging in a doorway.... OH geesh.
Speaking of Spartan Race Obstacles.... I DID IT. I am OFFICIALLY registered for The New England Spartan Sprint in Amesbury, MA. in August. They have my money. I am committed. The GT seems to think that I will be ready to go for some of the Spring Sprints, but that one in August is my GOAL race, so I will be attending that and taking names, either way.
I'm not going to lie, BlogLand, when I signed up for that race and clicked "submit," I felt a little bit nauseous. Like, what did I just DO?! *insert anxious, self-doubting, freak-out* However, what's done was done, and I reminded myself that it was what I wanted, and if I had already come this far.... So. A little pep talk was needed... but my GT helped with that, and I surfed my Spartan Chicks group for some inspiring motivational posts... and took a deep breath. All would be well.
Then I got excited. LOL. I started plotting what other races I could do. I am also very much looking forward to travelling to some of the races. Going to have to get THAT schedule in early so that my work doesn't slap me in the face when I give them the list of Friday's that I need off to travel to races. haha
In other news, No Bread has been a bit tricky lately. With the holidays upon us, there's been a lot of cookies around, goodies, etc. Yesterday, my office ordered my favorite - Buffalo Chicken Pizza - and I wanted to die inside a little bit. I WANTED PIZZA. However, I stuck to my guns. No bread. I ate my turkey/salad lunch. Somewhat angrily, I admit.
However, today I got on the scale, for a check-in that I haven't done in a while. I am: 213.4 pounds. That means I have lost just about TEN POUNDS since November 4th, by doing this No Bread Challenge. Yeehaw!! Maybe a big change was just what I needed to get my metabolism running again. I'm hoping to be under 200 by the time I go on my annual vacation (to the Carribean, in March!).
So... Things are good. Getting better. I think I just needed a day or two off to rest my brain and de-stress a bit.
Tomorrow, I'm travelling to a 5K race in Massachusetts.... After I expressed my thought that I was really aiming to get a new PR - Under 34 minutes and/or no walks - my GT informs me that we're going to do it. I am mildly afraid of what he might have in mind, but looking forward to having the extra support that might get me over this hump.
Stay tuned, tomorrow will be a Race Recap - and a new PR! Cross your fingers....
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
“When you have to make a choice and don’t make it, that is in itself a choice.” -William James
Spartan Shape-Up, Day 140:
I woke up on a better side of the bed today, BlogLand. I managed to get my head in a better space, held myself accountable, and got my ass out of bed this morning. Off to Crossfit I went, in the dark, rainy morning. It's true. Getting the sneakers on and out the door is always the worst part.
Got to Crossfit and did the
I woke up on a better side of the bed today, BlogLand. I managed to get my head in a better space, held myself accountable, and got my ass out of bed this morning. Off to Crossfit I went, in the dark, rainy morning. It's true. Getting the sneakers on and out the door is always the worst part.
Got to Crossfit and did the
Warm Up:
- Confluence Warm-Up, x2
I can't quite remember all 10 exercises, but there were push ups and mountain climbers, jumping jacks, superman's, air squats, "dancing crabs"... basically 10-20 of each exercise, getting your body warmed up for the WOD ahead...
Then, it was onto:
Workout: Strength Day: Power Snatch......
- 12-8-5 (to start, having never gone heavy with this move before: 40#)
- 3-3 (50#)
- 1-1 (60#, 70#)
That was interesting. Power snatch is a tricky move. I struggle more with anything I have to put over my head. I don't have the strength/flexibility/mobility in my shoulders yet to make these easy moves to do correctly. Correctly being key, as it is easy to injure oneself if you are lifting too heavy, or doing it incorrectly. While I absolutely know I could've done more than 70# here, I elected to keep the weight here and learn the move more intuitively. I don't have the time, nor desire to be injured! Plus, this particular instructor remains on the cautious side with me, because I'm "new" still. He clearly does not yet recognize my inner beast. I am not as delicate as I look?! LOL.
THEN came the real fun.
- After Party: Death By Pull-Ups......
- 1st Min, Perform 1 Pull-Up
- 2nd Min, 2 Pull-Ups
- 3rd Min, 3 Pull-Ups
- And So On Until Clock Catches You (or 20 min)
UHM. YEAH. We've discussed my T-rex arms. I can't do pull ups. And I confess, I HATE using the bands to do assisted pull ups. I constantly feel like I'm going to slingshot myself into oblivion, or snap myself in the face or something. Totally undermining my badassery. However, You just can't do Jumping pull ups for a challenge like this. I had to at least give it a go and figure out where I could get to. A benchmark for improvement.
I got to the realization that I have TOO much body, still, for my tiny sad arms to pull up. They tried. I used the damn bands. I got through 7 minutes following the formula, using the bands. Then, from minute 8-11, I think I got 7 reps each, and then only managed 3 reps/min for each minute remaining.
It was a good effort. I'm just not there yet. Did I see it to the end? YES.
... and then my shoulders and back began to cry. I swear.
I went to put on my heavy Spartan Race sweatshirt to leave the gym, and I swear that thing weighed 400#. I struggled to get it over my head. My arms were shaking. Got out to my car and attempted to drink from my mostly-full nalgene bottle.... YEAH. FAIL. I totally had to use two hands. Went home to shower... washing my hair, with both arms over my head, was an exercise in Will, for sure.
The Most Tragic Moment: I went to pick up my fresh coffee to start the work day, and couldn't carry it safely with one hand. Hello, total muscle failure.
Luckily, this has improved as the day has gone on, and moved into general muscle ache and OW.... But, I take it as a bit of a badge of honor. I worked that hard. Plus, it means that I'm growing new muscle. YEAH. SOMEday, I'm going to be able to do *one* pull up, unassisted. SOMEday. One day at a time.
Incidentally, today was the last day of my 20th week of training. 20 WEEKS. Holy shit. It continues to amaze me. What I am capable of, continues to amaze me.
Never let your outsides keep the real you inside. Never.
Not choosing to change IS a choice.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The only journey is the journey within. -Rainer Maria Rilke
Spartan Shape-Up, Day 139:
I had a little bit of a "day" today, BlogLand. It was a tough one. My alarm went off this morning for Run Day, and I shut it off and groaned a bit. It was early. My bed was warm. I heard light rain outside my window. I didn't want to. At all.
Why didn't I want to?
I'm frustrated, in short. I am, by nature, what one might call an "achiever"... or ridiculously competitive. Once I have my eye on a goal, I am constantly pushing for the next step, next small goal to check off. For instance, in my Spartan Shape-Up journey, losing weight has been at the forefront. I knew what I had to do. I've been diligent about my eating habits. When I started to level off, that wasn't going to be acceptable, so I sought out something that would help keep moving me toward the goal ("No Bread").
Or, in this case, I decided that I wanted to turn 30 and be in shape enough to successfully complete a Spartan Race. When I broke that down, getting in Spartan Race shape involved learning to run. First goal, run short intervals, until I could run for 30 minutes. Check. Next, Run 3x a week, moving up the mileage on the legs. Check. And so on and so forth, bringing us to the present day. Currently, the goal I've been working on is to be able to run a 5K with no-walk breaks. The other goal that I've alternately been working on with that are to be able to average under 11min/mi. over 3ish miles.
I have been working on that goal - run a full 5K, no breaks - for quite a while now. I have not been making any forward progress of late. Not anything remarkable, anyway. I've had really bad days, some better days, and all matter in between.... but I haven't had any breakthroughs. I've done better (less walk breaks), but STILL can't quite break through the 'wall' and get that achievement. I've tried to wait it out, get more miles on my legs, waited for my body to catch up with my training, run a Long Run every week, got in better general shape.... and STILL, no full 3K run.
For an Achiever, being able to check something off the Achievement list is, quite possibly, the most maddening thing in the world. Particularly when you've been as patient as you can, tried every new approach and felt like you were doing all the right things. I haven't been slacking off, I haven't been dodging workouts.... and yet....
... here I am. Lying in my bed, torn about whether I wanted to get out of it and lace up my sneakers or not. Did I want to stay on my quest to Spartan Shape Up and beat my head against this stupid running wall only to NOT hit my goal again, or curl up back in bed and enjoy another hour or so of sleep.
I feel a bit guilty, but today, I chose Sleep.
THEN, I rallied my inner Spartan and reached out. I talked to my Chicks, I threw it all at my GT. I am strong enough to pull out of this self-pity party, before it becomes a pattern that I don't want to repeat.
Again, I have to note the wise words of my GT. After spewing my frustration and upset and defeat at my GT, he reminded me: "So you're training more, eating less and not progressing? See what I'm doing there?" At which point, I admit, I tried to argue. Then again he reminded me that this is why most normal humans make one change at a time to allow themselves and their body's time to adapt... not just jump feet first in the deep end and figure out how to tread water before you drown. I guess that is what I've been doing. For the last 139 days, I've been in a constant state of flux. The next workout to master, the next step to get to, how to improve my eating, etc. My body and life have been in upheaval. I'm not one to do "gradual".
He also took a moment to remind me to cut myself some slack. I know that running is my weak point, thus by nature, I hyper-focus on the weak point and work to improve it. Work hard. I HAVE been doing all the right things. But I can't force my body to catch up. It needs to have a little time to do what it needs to do to learn and grow. My brain also needs to back the eff off a little bit. This is supposed to be fun. This is to make myself better. I need to get back to enjoying it. My GT suggested I break it up a bit - go for a hike, run without checking the mileage, snowshoe.
Although, the GT did make a request. I have not been keeping my Food Log since I began the No-Bread thing. Apparently, GT feels that I need to get back on this wagon. Nutrition may or may not be playing a part in my progress plateau. One thing at a time; I ease up on myself a bit, re-commit to the detailed Food Log, and just keep plowing forward. One thing at a time. ONE.
*deep breath*
And with that, I'm going to go to bed. Tomorrow morning is Crossfit, and it looks like we're Power Snatching the Crazy right out of the Crack 'O Dawn workout, followed by a pull-up Afterparty. Ohhh yeah. This will be fun. :-)
I had a little bit of a "day" today, BlogLand. It was a tough one. My alarm went off this morning for Run Day, and I shut it off and groaned a bit. It was early. My bed was warm. I heard light rain outside my window. I didn't want to. At all.
Why didn't I want to?
I'm frustrated, in short. I am, by nature, what one might call an "achiever"... or ridiculously competitive. Once I have my eye on a goal, I am constantly pushing for the next step, next small goal to check off. For instance, in my Spartan Shape-Up journey, losing weight has been at the forefront. I knew what I had to do. I've been diligent about my eating habits. When I started to level off, that wasn't going to be acceptable, so I sought out something that would help keep moving me toward the goal ("No Bread").
Or, in this case, I decided that I wanted to turn 30 and be in shape enough to successfully complete a Spartan Race. When I broke that down, getting in Spartan Race shape involved learning to run. First goal, run short intervals, until I could run for 30 minutes. Check. Next, Run 3x a week, moving up the mileage on the legs. Check. And so on and so forth, bringing us to the present day. Currently, the goal I've been working on is to be able to run a 5K with no-walk breaks. The other goal that I've alternately been working on with that are to be able to average under 11min/mi. over 3ish miles.
I have been working on that goal - run a full 5K, no breaks - for quite a while now. I have not been making any forward progress of late. Not anything remarkable, anyway. I've had really bad days, some better days, and all matter in between.... but I haven't had any breakthroughs. I've done better (less walk breaks), but STILL can't quite break through the 'wall' and get that achievement. I've tried to wait it out, get more miles on my legs, waited for my body to catch up with my training, run a Long Run every week, got in better general shape.... and STILL, no full 3K run.
For an Achiever, being able to check something off the Achievement list is, quite possibly, the most maddening thing in the world. Particularly when you've been as patient as you can, tried every new approach and felt like you were doing all the right things. I haven't been slacking off, I haven't been dodging workouts.... and yet....
... here I am. Lying in my bed, torn about whether I wanted to get out of it and lace up my sneakers or not. Did I want to stay on my quest to Spartan Shape Up and beat my head against this stupid running wall only to NOT hit my goal again, or curl up back in bed and enjoy another hour or so of sleep.
I feel a bit guilty, but today, I chose Sleep.
THEN, I rallied my inner Spartan and reached out. I talked to my Chicks, I threw it all at my GT. I am strong enough to pull out of this self-pity party, before it becomes a pattern that I don't want to repeat.
Again, I have to note the wise words of my GT. After spewing my frustration and upset and defeat at my GT, he reminded me: "So you're training more, eating less and not progressing? See what I'm doing there?" At which point, I admit, I tried to argue. Then again he reminded me that this is why most normal humans make one change at a time to allow themselves and their body's time to adapt... not just jump feet first in the deep end and figure out how to tread water before you drown. I guess that is what I've been doing. For the last 139 days, I've been in a constant state of flux. The next workout to master, the next step to get to, how to improve my eating, etc. My body and life have been in upheaval. I'm not one to do "gradual".
He also took a moment to remind me to cut myself some slack. I know that running is my weak point, thus by nature, I hyper-focus on the weak point and work to improve it. Work hard. I HAVE been doing all the right things. But I can't force my body to catch up. It needs to have a little time to do what it needs to do to learn and grow. My brain also needs to back the eff off a little bit. This is supposed to be fun. This is to make myself better. I need to get back to enjoying it. My GT suggested I break it up a bit - go for a hike, run without checking the mileage, snowshoe.
Although, the GT did make a request. I have not been keeping my Food Log since I began the No-Bread thing. Apparently, GT feels that I need to get back on this wagon. Nutrition may or may not be playing a part in my progress plateau. One thing at a time; I ease up on myself a bit, re-commit to the detailed Food Log, and just keep plowing forward. One thing at a time. ONE.
*deep breath*
And with that, I'm going to go to bed. Tomorrow morning is Crossfit, and it looks like we're Power Snatching the Crazy right out of the Crack 'O Dawn workout, followed by a pull-up Afterparty. Ohhh yeah. This will be fun. :-)
Sunday, December 4, 2011
"Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way." -Satchel Paige
Spartan Shape-Up, Day 137:
It was RACE DAY, BlogLand! Today, I ran in Burlington, VT's inaugural Santa 5K, for Make-A-Wish. In short, 1200 people in (mandatory!) Santa suits ran through 5K around downtown.
As for me, it was a weird experience. Good, bad and everything in between. I was really apprehensive about this last night, and nerved up, as my last few runs haven't been stellar. I've been feeling really frustrated that I can't seem to get over the hump and run the whole 5K non-stop. And by "really" frustrated, I mean like seriously starting to beat myself up about it. Am I not doing enough? Am I not working hard enough? Am I not pushing as much as I could be? Can I even do it? .... You know, the really awesome stuff that creeps in when things get difficult. I have been fighting it, and continuing to work, and getting reassurance from my gurus along the way, but I was feeling a little insecure about running the 5K.
To add insult to injury, I was going to have to go it alone. I had many friends that would've signed up, but no one expected the event to sell out as fast as it did. I was the only one who got successfully registered. It still sounded like fun, in a way, and I wanted to keep pushing and challenging myself and having these goals to push forward to, so I resolved to do it - alone, as necessary. For anyone that knows me, this may have been one of the biggest evolutions in my Spartan Shape Up. Confident Independence. I am, by nature, a social butterfly. I want people around me, I gather people to me. Doing things alone is counter-intuitive... Instinctively, I want to share these events with people that matter to me. "Alone" is not something I typically enjoy, or do well. However, in Spartan Shape-Up Land, I've found that there is a real shortage of people that want to keep up with me, or do what I need to do, etc. so I'm learning to go forth on my path, whether or not I have company.
However, this does not make it easy. I went last night to pick up my Santa suit. I have instinctive Fat-Chick-Syndrome every time something says "one-size fits all" or something to that effect. Although, apparently, in cheap Santa-suit land, if you were over like 5'6" you got a Mens. Period. I got this suit home, and with mild trepidation, opened it up. Oh it fit. Like it fit to the point where me and my roommate and probably another friend could've gotten in the pants, if need be. Thank God for drawstrings, and some creative tucking.
More difficult was getting out the door this morning, and knowing that there would be no cheering section, at any point. I donned my Spartan hoodie, laced up my favorite Inov-8's and resolved that it didn't matter; I was going to take the advice of all the running gurus, and "run my own race" anyway... What did it matter if I had a cheering section? It was just like doing any other Sunday run, aside from the fact that I was doing it in another town... and in a Santa suit.
The only time I felt really awkward was the down time between parking my car and beginning the race. All the waiting Santas (1200 of them!!) were milling in clusters, chatting with friends... and there I was. I stretched a bit and reminded myself that it was irrelevant. This was a good time to get my head in the right space and remind my legs what we were here to do. The goals I was working towards were to finish in less than 35 minutes, and ideally, run the whole thing with no walk breaks. To help motivate myself and prep, I reviewed some recent inspirational posts on FB and smiled at the "you got this!" comments from my far-away friends (who I am eternally grateful for!).
As Start Time got closer, we started to cluster more outside... there was the college a capella group doing some great tunes (as a former musical theatre, show choir and chorale veteran, I have a real soft spot for a capella music), spectators gathering and a general buzz of festiveness in the air. The sponsoring restaurant had people running giant vats of post-race breakfast to a few different spots in preparation.. and let me tell you, it is an awful tease when a HUGE pan of sausage goes wafting by you at 9am.
Suddenly, it was time. The Make-A-Wish guy gave us a festive motivational speech and the clock was off. The one thing I'd never experienced before, that I'm sure you race veterans will identify with, was the slow, annoying start. It was hard to carve out an appropriately paced spot for myself for the first block and a half or so. With 1200 people needing to settle into their paces, I suppose that's just bound to happen though. I was working hard to cut through the crowd though, as I was really trying to at least match my previous 5K race time. As I got stuck in the slow-moving mass in the first bit of the race, I could FEEL the seconds ticking away. Did I mention I have an eternally competitive drive?
The initial stretch was a nice warm up. A lovely long down hill toward scenic Lake Champlain. It was a beautiful sunny, brisk (high temp, 37 degrees *before* the stiff wind-chill) morning, and it did feel good to stretch my legs. The downhill definitely did allow me to separate from the mass a bit - it certainly helps to be just -that- much taller than your average woman. It means your strides are just -that- much longer a lot of the time, allowing you to just find yourself some space. Although, I should've known, any time you enjoy a down hill in Vermont, that means a killer uphill is sure to follow. This time was certainly no exception. As we ended our downhill at the lake, we turned to truck up a long, slow, moderate hill. At this point, we really began to separate the people there for the fun of the Santa spectacle, and those that were there to run. Interestingly enough, I found myself solidly in the latter group, as I plowed up that hill (leaving many a dude in my dust. I smiled and thought to myself, as I passed each one, "You've been chicked... and YOU've been chicked... and YOU...."). I may not be fast, but there's a lot of muscle on these tree-trunk legs and it can push me slow and steady up a hill like that.
Oddly, I found myself grateful for that hill after a while, just because it really gave everyone more room to move. The mass had really stretched out, the Hill had claimed many a runner and changed them into a walker, and you could finally extend your arms without feeling like you were going to poke someone in the eye. I did crest the hill at a run, and rounded on to the flat... but was feeling the exertion from the hill (it was an evil hill, people.). I pushed on running more than I wanted to, but finally allowed myself to recover and drop into a walk for 15 seconds. That's all. Count to 15, back to a run.
We ran through some nice scenic, mostly flat-ish areas of downtown, working up a couple smaller inclines, which I felt I handled really well in stride. I had found a pace that I was able to pretty evenly maintain, and a runner in front of me that I had my eye on to catch. I find, for me, this is a key element. It helps me to have someone to mentally chase down. Even if I never catch them, it helps me to have a sort of pace car to keep me going at a better clip.
Right around mid-run there was another evil hill, and I admit, I walked *at the top* of this one for another 15-20 seconds. I did NOT however, walk on the hill, as many people did. Waha. Small victories.
Refreshingly, as we got to the end of the coarse, we headed down a long, steep incline - Cliff Street (why are they ALWAYS "Cliff Street"??). I was tired at this point, but I remembered that I wanted to use downhills for recovery time, so I let my strides lengthen a bit and make up some time, as I enjoyed the slightly less taxing effort of the downhill. We rounded the last flat, and I suddenly recognized where we were again... ALMOST there. I was tired. I wanted to walk. Then I heard a spectator say that we had less than half a mile to go. Well, damn. Can't walk in the last half mile. Turned another corner and I could almost see the finish line down the hill and around the corner. YES. DOWN THE HILL. I figured this was time. If I was going to make up the time from the slow beginning, here would be it. I opened up on the long downhill and whizzed by many tired Santas. I embraced gravity, and (maybe slightly recklessly, as I did ponder what would happen if I tripped...) let fly. If you're not going to go guns blazing, what's the point, right?
I came whipping down that hill (I was somewhere in the neighborhood of a 9 min/mile at this point), and rounded the last corner. It was a short sprint (maybe 400m?) to the finish. People were cheering. There was a dude pacing with me at our fast clip, there were jingle bells. I could see the clock. My mind knew where I needed to be to beat my previous time, and my legs felt nothing at this point. I dug a sprint reserve out of somewhere and hauled ass (pardon my expression, but it seems to more clearly express the point) to the finish line, with half an eye on the clock, half an eye on the dude trying to beat me (he must need someone to chase down, too), and one full eye on the imminent SLOW MASS in front of me, before the finish line. I thought a really bad string of obscenities at this point. I was not hauling ass here, just to have my time-beating efforts thwarted by these lollygaggers!
Now. Yes. They were being festive and group oriented. They had linked arms - 8 PEOPLE ACROSS - and were *skipping* to the finish as a group. I appreciate the spirit there. I'm sure the news camera loved it. I KNOW this is not a *serious* run. But I was taking it seriously. So was the dude who was hauling ass up the other side, in my periphery. Suddenly it dawned on me - THIS WAS CLOCK BLOCKING. Dear Carrie Adams, I now comprehend. I feel your rage on this phenomenon.
How does the story end, you ask? Well. I said the fastest tiny prayer to whatever deity would listen, begging that this blockade get the eff out of the way, so I could continue my line drive. Magically, the seas parted. Well, ONE person let go of arms, leaving me *just* enough room to do some sort of high-speed crazy-person dance maneuver and get through to the finish line. For perspective, I crossed the finishing line at just over a 6 min/mile pace. My normal pace is around an 11 min/mile. For me, I was cruising.
Crossing the finish line, I still felt good. Riding high on that adrenaline rush, I snagged my pretty awesome finisher medal (Bling! woot!) and was immersed into a crowd of finished Santas. Suddenly, a tiny wave of sadness rolled over me. My eyes flashed around the crowd looking for someone to share my exhilaration with... people that were there cheering for *me*... but I was suddenly reminded that there wasn't going to be anyone. I was pretty happy with how I had done - particularly after I milled over and checked my official time - just slightly diminished by the fact that there was no one there to share with. Then I remembered - I had you all, BlogLand! I took my ridiculous Santa suit/medal/sweat self-portrait and sent it off to FB. I texted the results to my GT. I wasn't alone in my success, I would just have to share it differently.
I wandered back to my car to shed the hot-as-hell felt Santa suit. (Seriously, that was the worst part. Yes, it was a cold day and when the wind came up, I was happy to have it... but all things considered, it was WAY too warm.) I redonned my Spartan hoodie, so I wouldn't freeze to death with cooling sweat, and called my mom to share in my victory. She's not athletic in any way, but is supportive in anything I do. It was nice to hear her affirmations.
Mom couldn't really chat, so I was left alone with my thoughts, for the 45 minute ride home. I stopped to get the best "recovery" drink EVER (Regular Dunkin Donuts Coffee. OH yeah.), and headed out. I did come to a few breakthroughs, through this process. I thought about my fabulous sprints to the end... My legs did this easily, and they weren't tired. Surely this means I could pick up the pace a bit over the course of the course? Further, one would think that if that energy is IN there, then I should have absolute confidence in the fact that I should NOT have to take a walk break. Plus, I again felt like a runner, crossing that finish line. My time was respectable and I know I was focused and doing everything I could to push myself to the end.
My revised goals for next week's 5K (With Colleen to meet and subsequently chase down, and my fabulous GT to flog me forward) are to a) Run the 5K in less than 34 minutes, and/or b) average less than an 11 minute mile.
Today's race shook out like this:
I'm pretty okay with that. My placing puts me just about in the lower-middle (average), my time is ONE whole second faster than my previous 5K, and my average mile time was a new PR by a couple of seconds. A good run, particularly since I went into it feeling a little less than confident.
Interestingly enough, it seems that I did actually achieve some of what I'd hoped to - My times/paces are improving. Looking at the mile splits on my tracker:
Mile 1 pace: 10:45
Mile 2 pace: 11:30
Mile 3 pace: 10:34
I started out strong, and finished strong. Clearly, I need to work on that middle piece - and typically I find that that is where a lot of the walking wants to happen - but those breakdowns make me feel a bit more successful. If I could run my last (tired) mile in 10:34, then in theory, I should be able to run ALL of my miles that way, right? or at least sub 11 minutes? That's what I'm going for.
Now, I sit home with some achy knees... I should know that hard, fast downhills on knees that have damaged cartilage aren't great. But, what's a little soreness, anyway? And now... to bed. Crossfit is early tomorrow, and there's just no rest for the wicked... ;-)
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Spartan Shape-Up, Day 138:
My internet connection died (!!?!?!!?) last night, BlogLand. It was a veritable crisis, particularly when I wanted to share about my Santa run! However, I thought I'd tack today's short-ish entry on the end.
Life got in the way today, it seems. I missed my CF class (I was actually sad!), and had to work early/late for some overtime, and there was no time to workout. I did make some excellent quinoa breakfast pudding stuff, though, in preparation for some good No-Bread breakfasts.
HOWEVER, I did want to chime in my two cents about the Zensah Calf Compression sleeves I bought (yes. Hot PINK.). I love them. A whole lot. I have some pretty chronic trouble with my calves being tight and/or cramping during runs. WELL, I ran the whole 5K in them yesterday and had zero issues with my calves. Even on the long uphills. I wore them for an hour or so post-run to help recover, and let me tell you, my calves felt fresh. WOO. If I had known all along that Compression sleeves would be the answer... Seriously, I highly recommend them. These Zensah ones are super soft, yet seem durable, and have some fancy sort of ribbing design to "pinpoint" particular parts on the muscles, as well as to help with shin splints. I don't know if they really did anything, but it made me feel like I was getting more for my money. hehe!
And with that, I'm out, BlogLand. Tomorrow's a run morning. I'm intending on donning my new lovely calf sleeves (they did add to the keeping my legs warm, perhaps that was part of the help?), and heading out for a pre-work go. 3 solid miles is what I'm aiming for. No walks!
It was RACE DAY, BlogLand! Today, I ran in Burlington, VT's inaugural Santa 5K, for Make-A-Wish. In short, 1200 people in (mandatory!) Santa suits ran through 5K around downtown.
As for me, it was a weird experience. Good, bad and everything in between. I was really apprehensive about this last night, and nerved up, as my last few runs haven't been stellar. I've been feeling really frustrated that I can't seem to get over the hump and run the whole 5K non-stop. And by "really" frustrated, I mean like seriously starting to beat myself up about it. Am I not doing enough? Am I not working hard enough? Am I not pushing as much as I could be? Can I even do it? .... You know, the really awesome stuff that creeps in when things get difficult. I have been fighting it, and continuing to work, and getting reassurance from my gurus along the way, but I was feeling a little insecure about running the 5K.
To add insult to injury, I was going to have to go it alone. I had many friends that would've signed up, but no one expected the event to sell out as fast as it did. I was the only one who got successfully registered. It still sounded like fun, in a way, and I wanted to keep pushing and challenging myself and having these goals to push forward to, so I resolved to do it - alone, as necessary. For anyone that knows me, this may have been one of the biggest evolutions in my Spartan Shape Up. Confident Independence. I am, by nature, a social butterfly. I want people around me, I gather people to me. Doing things alone is counter-intuitive... Instinctively, I want to share these events with people that matter to me. "Alone" is not something I typically enjoy, or do well. However, in Spartan Shape-Up Land, I've found that there is a real shortage of people that want to keep up with me, or do what I need to do, etc. so I'm learning to go forth on my path, whether or not I have company.
However, this does not make it easy. I went last night to pick up my Santa suit. I have instinctive Fat-Chick-Syndrome every time something says "one-size fits all" or something to that effect. Although, apparently, in cheap Santa-suit land, if you were over like 5'6" you got a Mens. Period. I got this suit home, and with mild trepidation, opened it up. Oh it fit. Like it fit to the point where me and my roommate and probably another friend could've gotten in the pants, if need be. Thank God for drawstrings, and some creative tucking.
More difficult was getting out the door this morning, and knowing that there would be no cheering section, at any point. I donned my Spartan hoodie, laced up my favorite Inov-8's and resolved that it didn't matter; I was going to take the advice of all the running gurus, and "run my own race" anyway... What did it matter if I had a cheering section? It was just like doing any other Sunday run, aside from the fact that I was doing it in another town... and in a Santa suit.
The only time I felt really awkward was the down time between parking my car and beginning the race. All the waiting Santas (1200 of them!!) were milling in clusters, chatting with friends... and there I was. I stretched a bit and reminded myself that it was irrelevant. This was a good time to get my head in the right space and remind my legs what we were here to do. The goals I was working towards were to finish in less than 35 minutes, and ideally, run the whole thing with no walk breaks. To help motivate myself and prep, I reviewed some recent inspirational posts on FB and smiled at the "you got this!" comments from my far-away friends (who I am eternally grateful for!).
As Start Time got closer, we started to cluster more outside... there was the college a capella group doing some great tunes (as a former musical theatre, show choir and chorale veteran, I have a real soft spot for a capella music), spectators gathering and a general buzz of festiveness in the air. The sponsoring restaurant had people running giant vats of post-race breakfast to a few different spots in preparation.. and let me tell you, it is an awful tease when a HUGE pan of sausage goes wafting by you at 9am.
Suddenly, it was time. The Make-A-Wish guy gave us a festive motivational speech and the clock was off. The one thing I'd never experienced before, that I'm sure you race veterans will identify with, was the slow, annoying start. It was hard to carve out an appropriately paced spot for myself for the first block and a half or so. With 1200 people needing to settle into their paces, I suppose that's just bound to happen though. I was working hard to cut through the crowd though, as I was really trying to at least match my previous 5K race time. As I got stuck in the slow-moving mass in the first bit of the race, I could FEEL the seconds ticking away. Did I mention I have an eternally competitive drive?
The initial stretch was a nice warm up. A lovely long down hill toward scenic Lake Champlain. It was a beautiful sunny, brisk (high temp, 37 degrees *before* the stiff wind-chill) morning, and it did feel good to stretch my legs. The downhill definitely did allow me to separate from the mass a bit - it certainly helps to be just -that- much taller than your average woman. It means your strides are just -that- much longer a lot of the time, allowing you to just find yourself some space. Although, I should've known, any time you enjoy a down hill in Vermont, that means a killer uphill is sure to follow. This time was certainly no exception. As we ended our downhill at the lake, we turned to truck up a long, slow, moderate hill. At this point, we really began to separate the people there for the fun of the Santa spectacle, and those that were there to run. Interestingly enough, I found myself solidly in the latter group, as I plowed up that hill (leaving many a dude in my dust. I smiled and thought to myself, as I passed each one, "You've been chicked... and YOU've been chicked... and YOU...."). I may not be fast, but there's a lot of muscle on these tree-trunk legs and it can push me slow and steady up a hill like that.
Oddly, I found myself grateful for that hill after a while, just because it really gave everyone more room to move. The mass had really stretched out, the Hill had claimed many a runner and changed them into a walker, and you could finally extend your arms without feeling like you were going to poke someone in the eye. I did crest the hill at a run, and rounded on to the flat... but was feeling the exertion from the hill (it was an evil hill, people.). I pushed on running more than I wanted to, but finally allowed myself to recover and drop into a walk for 15 seconds. That's all. Count to 15, back to a run.
We ran through some nice scenic, mostly flat-ish areas of downtown, working up a couple smaller inclines, which I felt I handled really well in stride. I had found a pace that I was able to pretty evenly maintain, and a runner in front of me that I had my eye on to catch. I find, for me, this is a key element. It helps me to have someone to mentally chase down. Even if I never catch them, it helps me to have a sort of pace car to keep me going at a better clip.
Right around mid-run there was another evil hill, and I admit, I walked *at the top* of this one for another 15-20 seconds. I did NOT however, walk on the hill, as many people did. Waha. Small victories.
Refreshingly, as we got to the end of the coarse, we headed down a long, steep incline - Cliff Street (why are they ALWAYS "Cliff Street"??). I was tired at this point, but I remembered that I wanted to use downhills for recovery time, so I let my strides lengthen a bit and make up some time, as I enjoyed the slightly less taxing effort of the downhill. We rounded the last flat, and I suddenly recognized where we were again... ALMOST there. I was tired. I wanted to walk. Then I heard a spectator say that we had less than half a mile to go. Well, damn. Can't walk in the last half mile. Turned another corner and I could almost see the finish line down the hill and around the corner. YES. DOWN THE HILL. I figured this was time. If I was going to make up the time from the slow beginning, here would be it. I opened up on the long downhill and whizzed by many tired Santas. I embraced gravity, and (maybe slightly recklessly, as I did ponder what would happen if I tripped...) let fly. If you're not going to go guns blazing, what's the point, right?
I came whipping down that hill (I was somewhere in the neighborhood of a 9 min/mile at this point), and rounded the last corner. It was a short sprint (maybe 400m?) to the finish. People were cheering. There was a dude pacing with me at our fast clip, there were jingle bells. I could see the clock. My mind knew where I needed to be to beat my previous time, and my legs felt nothing at this point. I dug a sprint reserve out of somewhere and hauled ass (pardon my expression, but it seems to more clearly express the point) to the finish line, with half an eye on the clock, half an eye on the dude trying to beat me (he must need someone to chase down, too), and one full eye on the imminent SLOW MASS in front of me, before the finish line. I thought a really bad string of obscenities at this point. I was not hauling ass here, just to have my time-beating efforts thwarted by these lollygaggers!
Now. Yes. They were being festive and group oriented. They had linked arms - 8 PEOPLE ACROSS - and were *skipping* to the finish as a group. I appreciate the spirit there. I'm sure the news camera loved it. I KNOW this is not a *serious* run. But I was taking it seriously. So was the dude who was hauling ass up the other side, in my periphery. Suddenly it dawned on me - THIS WAS CLOCK BLOCKING. Dear Carrie Adams, I now comprehend. I feel your rage on this phenomenon.
How does the story end, you ask? Well. I said the fastest tiny prayer to whatever deity would listen, begging that this blockade get the eff out of the way, so I could continue my line drive. Magically, the seas parted. Well, ONE person let go of arms, leaving me *just* enough room to do some sort of high-speed crazy-person dance maneuver and get through to the finish line. For perspective, I crossed the finishing line at just over a 6 min/mile pace. My normal pace is around an 11 min/mile. For me, I was cruising.
Crossing the finish line, I still felt good. Riding high on that adrenaline rush, I snagged my pretty awesome finisher medal (Bling! woot!) and was immersed into a crowd of finished Santas. Suddenly, a tiny wave of sadness rolled over me. My eyes flashed around the crowd looking for someone to share my exhilaration with... people that were there cheering for *me*... but I was suddenly reminded that there wasn't going to be anyone. I was pretty happy with how I had done - particularly after I milled over and checked my official time - just slightly diminished by the fact that there was no one there to share with. Then I remembered - I had you all, BlogLand! I took my ridiculous Santa suit/medal/sweat self-portrait and sent it off to FB. I texted the results to my GT. I wasn't alone in my success, I would just have to share it differently.
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| Santa 5K Run, Burlington, VT |
Mom couldn't really chat, so I was left alone with my thoughts, for the 45 minute ride home. I stopped to get the best "recovery" drink EVER (Regular Dunkin Donuts Coffee. OH yeah.), and headed out. I did come to a few breakthroughs, through this process. I thought about my fabulous sprints to the end... My legs did this easily, and they weren't tired. Surely this means I could pick up the pace a bit over the course of the course? Further, one would think that if that energy is IN there, then I should have absolute confidence in the fact that I should NOT have to take a walk break. Plus, I again felt like a runner, crossing that finish line. My time was respectable and I know I was focused and doing everything I could to push myself to the end.
My revised goals for next week's 5K (With Colleen to meet and subsequently chase down, and my fabulous GT to flog me forward) are to a) Run the 5K in less than 34 minutes, and/or b) average less than an 11 minute mile.
Today's race shook out like this:
| Place | 736 (Out of 1257, I think?) |
| Net Time | 34:42 |
| Pace | 11:10 |
I'm pretty okay with that. My placing puts me just about in the lower-middle (average), my time is ONE whole second faster than my previous 5K, and my average mile time was a new PR by a couple of seconds. A good run, particularly since I went into it feeling a little less than confident.
Interestingly enough, it seems that I did actually achieve some of what I'd hoped to - My times/paces are improving. Looking at the mile splits on my tracker:
Mile 1 pace: 10:45
Mile 2 pace: 11:30
Mile 3 pace: 10:34
I started out strong, and finished strong. Clearly, I need to work on that middle piece - and typically I find that that is where a lot of the walking wants to happen - but those breakdowns make me feel a bit more successful. If I could run my last (tired) mile in 10:34, then in theory, I should be able to run ALL of my miles that way, right? or at least sub 11 minutes? That's what I'm going for.
Now, I sit home with some achy knees... I should know that hard, fast downhills on knees that have damaged cartilage aren't great. But, what's a little soreness, anyway? And now... to bed. Crossfit is early tomorrow, and there's just no rest for the wicked... ;-)
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Spartan Shape-Up, Day 138:
My internet connection died (!!?!?!!?) last night, BlogLand. It was a veritable crisis, particularly when I wanted to share about my Santa run! However, I thought I'd tack today's short-ish entry on the end.
Life got in the way today, it seems. I missed my CF class (I was actually sad!), and had to work early/late for some overtime, and there was no time to workout. I did make some excellent quinoa breakfast pudding stuff, though, in preparation for some good No-Bread breakfasts.
HOWEVER, I did want to chime in my two cents about the Zensah Calf Compression sleeves I bought (yes. Hot PINK.). I love them. A whole lot. I have some pretty chronic trouble with my calves being tight and/or cramping during runs. WELL, I ran the whole 5K in them yesterday and had zero issues with my calves. Even on the long uphills. I wore them for an hour or so post-run to help recover, and let me tell you, my calves felt fresh. WOO. If I had known all along that Compression sleeves would be the answer... Seriously, I highly recommend them. These Zensah ones are super soft, yet seem durable, and have some fancy sort of ribbing design to "pinpoint" particular parts on the muscles, as well as to help with shin splints. I don't know if they really did anything, but it made me feel like I was getting more for my money. hehe!
And with that, I'm out, BlogLand. Tomorrow's a run morning. I'm intending on donning my new lovely calf sleeves (they did add to the keeping my legs warm, perhaps that was part of the help?), and heading out for a pre-work go. 3 solid miles is what I'm aiming for. No walks!
Friday, December 2, 2011
“Triumphs without difficulties are empty. Indeed, it is difficulties that make the triumph. It is no feat to travel the smooth road.”
Spartan Shape-Up, Day 134 & 135:
Dear BlogLand... I totally passed out early last night, so no blog. My Bad, I'm sorry. I DID however get my run in and everything, so now to make up for the missing post!
Day 134: Run Day!
So, I got up yesterday, feeling a wee bit stiff from the previous day's CrossFit session. I'm going to blame it on the series of "Good Mornings" that I did... My hamstrings were stiff and NOT all amount moving. However, I was a run morning, and I figured that it'd be good to move them around a bit and warm them up.
I decided to go a route that I haven't gone in a while... It's my dreaded "hill" route, which involves a pretty substantial uphill in the first 5 minutes.
I started out okay, deciding to take a slightly slower pace to begin, knowing that I'd have to get that hill. I did plow right up the hill, non-stop; I was pretty proud of that. My legs were still feeling kind of tight... but, if I stopped every time I was stiff, sore or tight, I'd never get anything done. hehe
On I trucked. Not exactly feeling like a graceful gazelle. I pushed and pushed, because the goal I'm working toward is to be able to run 5K without any walking... so far, I've not been able to do this. I was really hoping today was going to be the day. I pushed and push, and felt a little nauseous, but I kept running. However, I still had to walk, here and there. I found that really disappointing. My legs just didn't have it. They felt so freakin' heavy. I tried all the mental tricks I've learned, all the techniques, but I still had to walk - there was no way around that. The stats for the run, overall, were pretty BLEH too:
Time: 38:50 minutes
Distance: 3.26 miles
Pace: 11:55 min/mi
I'm not happy with this. Particularly since the goal was no walking. I would like to babble the excuse about sore hamstrings, or something like that... but. There really isn't an excuse. It just wasn't awesome. HOWEVER. I DID get out there and run.
I had a tough couple of hours after that, when I got home and looked at the stats, knowing I hadn't run the whole thing, etc. I've been working really hard and just want to RUN and ENTIRE 5K. At this point, I feel like that shouldn't be that hard to do. Physically I MUST be capable (My all-knowing GT assures me that I *am*). For whatever reason, I just can't seem to find the groove, or push past whatever mental hurdle is blocking me from getting there. I was feeling extremely Un-Spartan after that run. I tried to rally a bit, reminding myself that it was VERY Spartan of me to get out there and run, despite the fact that it was cold (at first), and it was early, etc.
However, I may have opened a can of worms. My GT and Guest GT (Sergeant Sedlak!) are both off in Texas this weekend at the Spartan Race Super... but both have it in for me when they get back. Sergeant Sedlak has informed me that he and his giant leap-tall-buildings-in-a-single-bound legs ARE running 5 non-stop miles, shortly after he gets back. He's going to chase me. (!!!).
Next weekend, I'm headed down to Massachusetts for Walter's Run where I'm meeting up with my GT, and Ms. Colleen Fit Bee. I'm anticipating a mental flogging by my GT to minimize/eliminate any walking moments I may think that I need, in that race, if he doesn't virtually coach (live mapping on iMapMyRun + texting!) me before then.
I will get over this weird hurdle. I think I may just have to accept that I need some help to do that. Not something that I naturally accept all that easily. I'm not sure why I'm having such difficulty, but I'm calling in the reinforcements now. I expressed to Todd and my GT how at a loss I was with this, and how I was doing all the "right" things, and I didn't know what to do... and it seems like they've both got a plan.
ANYWAY. That day did pick up just a little bit, as I got in the mail my new Zensah Compression Leg Sleeves. And yes. I bought them in HOT PINK. Why? Because I felt that if I was going to be wearing them around, looking ridiculous, I might as well fully commit to the ridiculousness!
I tried them on and wore them around the house for an hour or so, and they feel pretty promising. I may try racing in them this weekend, and see if that helps with the calf cramping, etc. A full review to come, after I've more fully tried them out...
Today, Day 135, was supposed to be a run day. But I'm hurting. Totally had to Tiger Balm my hamstrings last night, and swallow a few more Ibuprofen. I'm feeling a bit insecure about this weekends race (particularly after that last run I had), and really need to get my legs in shape. I'm thinking of picking up some Epsom Salts tomorrow, so I can have a nice, hot bath tomorrow, too. I think tomorrow I may go for a little run (1-2 miles) just to warm up the legs and move the blood around a little. But pretty much, it looks like I'm going to take a couple of rest days, until Sunday's race. Must. Get. My Hamstrings. back. GRR.
So, That's where I am right now, BlogLand. Sore and a little disheartened with the running... BUT, not to worry. I'm rallying the help around me, and I WILL push through to run a full 5K before the new year. I promise. That's my Goal for myself.
Stay Tuned!
Dear BlogLand... I totally passed out early last night, so no blog. My Bad, I'm sorry. I DID however get my run in and everything, so now to make up for the missing post!
Day 134: Run Day!
So, I got up yesterday, feeling a wee bit stiff from the previous day's CrossFit session. I'm going to blame it on the series of "Good Mornings" that I did... My hamstrings were stiff and NOT all amount moving. However, I was a run morning, and I figured that it'd be good to move them around a bit and warm them up.
I decided to go a route that I haven't gone in a while... It's my dreaded "hill" route, which involves a pretty substantial uphill in the first 5 minutes.
I started out okay, deciding to take a slightly slower pace to begin, knowing that I'd have to get that hill. I did plow right up the hill, non-stop; I was pretty proud of that. My legs were still feeling kind of tight... but, if I stopped every time I was stiff, sore or tight, I'd never get anything done. hehe
On I trucked. Not exactly feeling like a graceful gazelle. I pushed and pushed, because the goal I'm working toward is to be able to run 5K without any walking... so far, I've not been able to do this. I was really hoping today was going to be the day. I pushed and push, and felt a little nauseous, but I kept running. However, I still had to walk, here and there. I found that really disappointing. My legs just didn't have it. They felt so freakin' heavy. I tried all the mental tricks I've learned, all the techniques, but I still had to walk - there was no way around that. The stats for the run, overall, were pretty BLEH too:
Time: 38:50 minutes
Distance: 3.26 miles
Pace: 11:55 min/mi
I'm not happy with this. Particularly since the goal was no walking. I would like to babble the excuse about sore hamstrings, or something like that... but. There really isn't an excuse. It just wasn't awesome. HOWEVER. I DID get out there and run.
I had a tough couple of hours after that, when I got home and looked at the stats, knowing I hadn't run the whole thing, etc. I've been working really hard and just want to RUN and ENTIRE 5K. At this point, I feel like that shouldn't be that hard to do. Physically I MUST be capable (My all-knowing GT assures me that I *am*). For whatever reason, I just can't seem to find the groove, or push past whatever mental hurdle is blocking me from getting there. I was feeling extremely Un-Spartan after that run. I tried to rally a bit, reminding myself that it was VERY Spartan of me to get out there and run, despite the fact that it was cold (at first), and it was early, etc.
However, I may have opened a can of worms. My GT and Guest GT (Sergeant Sedlak!) are both off in Texas this weekend at the Spartan Race Super... but both have it in for me when they get back. Sergeant Sedlak has informed me that he and his giant leap-tall-buildings-in-a-single-bound legs ARE running 5 non-stop miles, shortly after he gets back. He's going to chase me. (!!!).
Next weekend, I'm headed down to Massachusetts for Walter's Run where I'm meeting up with my GT, and Ms. Colleen Fit Bee. I'm anticipating a mental flogging by my GT to minimize/eliminate any walking moments I may think that I need, in that race, if he doesn't virtually coach (live mapping on iMapMyRun + texting!) me before then.
I will get over this weird hurdle. I think I may just have to accept that I need some help to do that. Not something that I naturally accept all that easily. I'm not sure why I'm having such difficulty, but I'm calling in the reinforcements now. I expressed to Todd and my GT how at a loss I was with this, and how I was doing all the "right" things, and I didn't know what to do... and it seems like they've both got a plan.
ANYWAY. That day did pick up just a little bit, as I got in the mail my new Zensah Compression Leg Sleeves. And yes. I bought them in HOT PINK. Why? Because I felt that if I was going to be wearing them around, looking ridiculous, I might as well fully commit to the ridiculousness!
I tried them on and wore them around the house for an hour or so, and they feel pretty promising. I may try racing in them this weekend, and see if that helps with the calf cramping, etc. A full review to come, after I've more fully tried them out...
Today, Day 135, was supposed to be a run day. But I'm hurting. Totally had to Tiger Balm my hamstrings last night, and swallow a few more Ibuprofen. I'm feeling a bit insecure about this weekends race (particularly after that last run I had), and really need to get my legs in shape. I'm thinking of picking up some Epsom Salts tomorrow, so I can have a nice, hot bath tomorrow, too. I think tomorrow I may go for a little run (1-2 miles) just to warm up the legs and move the blood around a little. But pretty much, it looks like I'm going to take a couple of rest days, until Sunday's race. Must. Get. My Hamstrings. back. GRR.
So, That's where I am right now, BlogLand. Sore and a little disheartened with the running... BUT, not to worry. I'm rallying the help around me, and I WILL push through to run a full 5K before the new year. I promise. That's my Goal for myself.
Stay Tuned!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney
Spartan Shape-Up, Day 133:
Ahhh, another O'Dark Thirty CrossFit morning, BlogLand. Strangest thing happened this morning... I was really tired (hadn't slept much), and really wanted to stay in bed. Then I thought about missing CF, and I was like, "Awww... " because I generally enjoy it. And I am growing to enjoy the people, too. There is one (I'm sure she's super human and/or bionic) chick in my class, that keeps asking me about Spartan Race and how my training is going, etc... That's pretty cool. I am definitely a socially inclined person... having a "community" around me is important. The created community piece has really set the CF gym apart from the "regular" gym I used to go to. I like it MUCH better.
Anyway, onto today's fun... First, it's Day 1 of the 100 Burpee challenge. Basically, Day 1 = 1 Burpee, Day 2 = 2 Burpees, Day 100 = 100 Burpees. I got out of bed, did my obligatory burpee before I even put my contacts in and away I went. Incidentally, the "wide stance" tip that my CF teacher gave me REALLY helps. I suppose, depending on who you talk to, it may not be "technically" correct, but I'm still doing the same motion, just more efficiently. That makes sense to me. Plus, it allows me to bust out more without wanting to die. I am tucking this away in the back of my brain for Spartan Race penalty burpees... hehe
Onto the Warm Up: 21-15-9....... (21 of everything, then 15, etc.)
Ahhh, another O'Dark Thirty CrossFit morning, BlogLand. Strangest thing happened this morning... I was really tired (hadn't slept much), and really wanted to stay in bed. Then I thought about missing CF, and I was like, "Awww... " because I generally enjoy it. And I am growing to enjoy the people, too. There is one (I'm sure she's super human and/or bionic) chick in my class, that keeps asking me about Spartan Race and how my training is going, etc... That's pretty cool. I am definitely a socially inclined person... having a "community" around me is important. The created community piece has really set the CF gym apart from the "regular" gym I used to go to. I like it MUCH better.
Anyway, onto today's fun... First, it's Day 1 of the 100 Burpee challenge. Basically, Day 1 = 1 Burpee, Day 2 = 2 Burpees, Day 100 = 100 Burpees. I got out of bed, did my obligatory burpee before I even put my contacts in and away I went. Incidentally, the "wide stance" tip that my CF teacher gave me REALLY helps. I suppose, depending on who you talk to, it may not be "technically" correct, but I'm still doing the same motion, just more efficiently. That makes sense to me. Plus, it allows me to bust out more without wanting to die. I am tucking this away in the back of my brain for Spartan Race penalty burpees... hehe
Onto the Warm Up: 21-15-9....... (21 of everything, then 15, etc.)
- Superman's
- Walking lunge
- Burpees (Yep! More Burpees!)
Next, we moved onto Strength/Skill:
- Split Jerk: 5-5-5-5 (20, 40, 50, 60#)
Like my problem a couple of weeks ago, I have no frame of reference for how heavy I could/should do these. Therefore, I had to start out light and work up. (Plus, my CF teacher is of the cautious sort, since I haven't been with CF long, even though I've been lifting regularly... grr.). Anyway, the net result of this nifty little move is that I figured out that 60# is way too light for me. I may not be in crazy good shape, but having a burly sort of capacity for weight-moving activities runs in the family. I swear. See here, my Great Grandfather, Louis Cyr - The Strongest Man in the World!
I would like to note, for the record, that my 91 year old grandmother still flips her own mattress, when the spirit moves her. We have strength in our DNA, I'm sure of it.
Incidentally, I will say that I feel a little ridiculous doing this move, and quite often think, "SUPASTAR!" when I do it... but, I suppose that that is neither here nor there. ;-)
ANYWAY... Onto the Main Event:
Workout:Partner WOD - One Person Works While the Other "Rests"....... (please note the "" on Rests...)
- 25 Wall Balls (10#) / Mt. Climbers (2 Count = 1 Rep)
- 25 Pull-Ups / Double-Unders (or 3 Singles = 1 Rep)
- 25 Good Mornings (45#) / Sit-Ups
- 25 KB Squat Cleans (16#) / Push-Ups (knees)
* Partners perform both movements then move on
* Record time as well as "resting" reps
Yeah, it was an interesting WOD. Mountain Climbers suck in the same way that burpees do, though. My partner was pretty cool, and she and I are at relatively the same place/pace, so it kept me moving. It was quite a cycle of movements, and by the last things - I ended up doing KB Squat Cleans last, I was moving a bit slower (my hamstrings were beginning to go jelly from the Good Mornings...), but got that business done, nonetheless. I will say, as an aside, that it was a weird sensation to randomly have just my hamstring quiver while I was trying to stretch, later on.
The finish time for my partner and I was just over 12 minutes (within a minute or so of most everyone in class), and our total rep count (between both of us) was 280 - right in line with the rest of the class. Woot! It makes me feel better to at least be in the same realm as the "regulars".
That said, I'm pretty tired. Tomorrow morning is a straight up, no-holds-barred run morning. The Goal: Run 5K (3.12mi) without stopping. At all. My guest GT from a few weeks ago is keeping tabs on me, and threatened another Crack O' Dawn workout, if I don't hit that target. Physically, there should be no reason that I can't do it at this point... just struggling to get the brain (and subsequent body) on board with that thought.
HOWEVER, Exciting news! This weekend I'm running the 5K Santa Suit run near me, to benefit the local chapter of the Make a Wish foundation. THEN, the following weekend, I'm making a crazy day trip to Massachusetts to run another 5K; only this time, it looks like I'll get to run with my esteemed GT, as well as (finally) meet at least one of the Spartan Chicks that I've "met" thanks to the wonders of the internet. (Have you checked out Ms. FitBee's Blog, yet?!) Good times! What's this "race fever" I keep hearing so much about....?
And now, to get ready tomorrow's morning smoothie (mmm... raspberry with greek yogurt and flaxseed!), and SLEEP.
“Really it comes down to your philosophy. Do you want to play it safe and be good or do you want to take a chance and be great?” ~ Jimmy J
Spartan Shape-Up, Day 132:
I "slept in" until 8:30am this morning, BlogLand, and it was AWESOME. Yep, it was a Rest day around here, and I must say I was glad for it, this week. I have really grown to love my training time (actually looking forward to it 99% of the time) but every once in a while, a break is welcomed. Although, I do think it's a little funny that I now consider 8:30am "sleeping in".
So, I have no crazy WOD to report on, but I did want to take a couple minutes to tell you about some pretty awesome gear I have recently acquired. Personally, as a newbie to this whole "active lifestyle" thing, I generally know I need things, but never know what's good to buy or just seems good... thus, I rely a lot on the recommendations and reviews of people that I know. SO. I thought I would contribute. A few things that I've field-tested lately:
First, as the weather goes crazy here in the Northeast (seriously, it's the end of November and it was 50 degrees today and the snow was melting. WTF?), I realized I was unprepared to run outside without some more tops. As I have learned from some of the Veteran Spartans, cotton (in general) is a no-no. In short, it absorbs moisture, rather than drawing it away from your body. Bad. Wicking, Good.
I ended up buying the Moving Comfort Mobility Long Sleeve (in Spartan red, of course...). I was a little concerned about the sizing, as I've never bought this brand before, and I'm definitely not a small sort of person (I prefer "statuesque" or "Amazonian", thank you...). I'm 5'9" and generally wear a women's size 14/16, at this point (down from about a women's 24. Wow. That sucks to say out loud.). I ended up ordering the XL, according to the size chart. When I got this in the mail, yes, I immediately ripped it out and put it on. The fabric is soft and awesome, and the fit was okay. Personally, I think I would've preferred one size up if that had been an option (as I generally don't like the 'imperfections' to show more than they need to...), but given the fact that I am still on the downslide with my weight loss, I decided to keep it. For anyone considering buying one, I would say they are generally true to size; I am a bit more... top heavy (more on boobs later...)?... than your average chick, so I think some of the smallness of this top stemmed from there.
Next, I took this long sleeve top out for a run. Literally. First awesome feature: "fitted cuffs" with "hidden thumb hole". I appreciated that immediately, upon setting out on that brisk morning. Better than some of the other running tops I have, THESE hand-covering-sleeves actually extended longer down my hand, even tailored to a hand-fitting point. Excellent design.
This is where I reiterate that I am a hot, sweaty mess when I workout. In this shirt, I didn't feel like a sweaty mess - as promised, it did seem to pull the sweat away from my skin, while still keeping me warm in the chill 35 degree breeze. It also has some convenient, slightly stretchier, "venting" panels that I found really added to the comfort (along the sides and under arms).
The only minor flaw I discovered was right at the end of my run. I had managed to put my car key in the 'handy' obligatory tiny pocket. However, Moving Comfort has decided to locate this pocket in a frustrating place (at least for me.). It is on the back of the shirt, to one side... but slightly higher up (not down close to them hem). For me, this made it difficult to get back to my tiny pocket, without twisting the whole shirt around, and discombobulating the orientation of the zipper. That said, during the run, I never noticed my key was in there. Mild, dealable annoyance. I ultimately decided that this annoyance was offset by the extra bonus: this top seems to be made slightly on the longer side. That means, no mid-run shifting/pulling on of clothes! Yay!
Overall, the Moving Comfort Mobility Long Sleeve gets two thumbs up from me. I will definitely be buying more of these - particularly after I drop a few more pounds and the XL is roomier.
Next, we're onto Boobs. Yep. We're going there. We've talked about sweatiness, tears, fat, flab, injuries, weight and emotional turmoil... We were going to get to boobs eventually. I also really feel that for a female athlete (or aspiring one), they are a huge consideration. If The Girls aren't Locked and Loaded during your run or your workout, and you're experience Crazy, Slap-Me-In-the-Face Bounce syndrome, it really makes things unpleasant. Plus, guys, you may not believe this, but it just downright hurts. We need to keep those Ladies in check. Thus, begins the Quest for the Holy Grail... er... I mean, Sports Bra.
Now. Where are all my well-endowed Chicks out there? You know what I'm talking about. You can NOT just walk into a sports store and know that you're going to be able to walk out with a sports bra that fits - particularly if you are a fuller-figured lady. Again, keeping it real, I'm a real person: wearing a women's size 14/16, and sporting a 38DD. Yeah. I am not the ideal sports bra fit model. I also downright refuse to do the double-up trick, with layering sports bras, for added support. I feel that if one is actually doing its job, one should be enough. Therefore, it was an EPIC quest I went on.
Ultimately, after much debate, I ended up trying two different styles by Moving Comfort (which was a highly recommended brand, to me):
First, I tried the Moving Comfort Rebound Racer. This is your standard racer-back style bra; It pulls over your head, but has a 2 hook back closure for added support/adjustability. This turned out to be a blessing and a curse, it would seem. As I pulled this one over my head the first time, I experienced the dreaded - "Oh No, I'm stuck in my super-tight twisted up sports bra that will only let me loose if I manage to dislocate my arm in 6 places and reach around" issue. After much faux-panic in the comfort of my room, I did get this bad boy on. And it was ON, I'll tell ya. But then I realized I needed to clasp the two hooks in the back. That was a slightly less traumatic of an adventure, but because of the extreme heavy-duty elastic band, it was a little less than "easy".
However, I will give Moving Comfort some big bonus points here - the front-adjustable straps. The comfy (slightly padded!), wide straps have velcro adjustments that stay underneath the straps, maintaining your cute-factor (CLEARLY my first priority in a sports bra). The adjustable straps did make it super easy and convenient to get everything situated just so, and ready for evaluation. First, minimal uni-boob syndrome. I wouldn't say The Girls were clearly defined, but you definitely did not have the ugly uni-boob issue. Really, I was so caught up in the fact that my boobs were Seriously. Not. Moving. That I did 5 burpees in the midst of this, just to try it out. Nothing. My boobs were going NOwhere.
... so I went for a run. Again, I will sing the praises of Moving Comfort, here. For the active, full-figured lady, bouncing and chafing are an issue (don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about.). I ran over three miles that day and there was NO bounce. NONE. 38DD's, cemented to my chest. I swear, this is unheard of. I would tell you that I was in love with this article of clothing, except for the tiny seam rub I developed on one side. However, I am willing to chalk that up to the "newness" of the bra, and reevaluate that, once I wash and wear a few more times.
The only real down-side I had with this Rebound Racer was the entry/exit portion of the thing... getting out of it was much like getting into it... a WEE bit tricky, and not for the stiff or un-limber. I was able to manage it, and will continue to do it because of how well it kept the Girls in check during my run... but, I would not necessarily seek out this bra again, in light of:
The Moving Comfort Fiona. Yep, I found it. The Holy Grail. The Ultimate in Boob Control. The Breast-Master. ... okay, I'm done, but you get the point.
I paid just over $40 for this bra, but it was worth every cent of that. I will buy more, just as soon as my paycheck rolls in. Here's why:
The Fiona had all the good points of the previously mentioned Rebound Racer - cushy, front-adjustable straps, somewhat stylish construction, etc. - BUT, it was a regular rear-closure bra. No need to try and wrestle it over my head. While I typically like racer-back styling, I found that the straps for the Fiona were set slightly closer in, making the style equally as comfortable as a racer back, with less hassle. Further, unlike the Rebound Racer, due to it's different back styling, the Fiona had a better handle on the side/back bulges (again, let's not pretend you have no idea what I'm talking about. Just keeping it real!). Where I felt that there was potential to have some unsightly side/back bulging in the racer back, the Fiona kept that all nicely under control with some soft, sleek, moisture-wicking fabric.
And, it goes without saying, I took this one for a run as well. LOVED it. I can honestly say, I have never run feeling less like an episode of Baywatch. It was GREAT. I could focus on my stride, rather than whether or not I was going to knock out an innocent passer-by.
Overall, Moving Comfort gets a gold star from me, thus far. I have decidedly liked all their products that I've sampled, even going so far as to LOVE the Fiona sports bra. I found their prices to be competitive with other comparable active wear (and felt I got what I paid for), and so far so good on a few cycles through the laundry.
I will look forward to trying some more of their products... perhaps some leggings/tights of some sort, next? Hmmm.
So, there you have it. Now, I'm watching the mail anxiously for a pair of hot pink calf sleeves I bought... I'm hoping to alleviate some of the excessive calf cramping I've been having these days. There is also a visit to the Under Armour Outlet in my future... Oh my. What girl doesn't love shopping - even for active wear!
I "slept in" until 8:30am this morning, BlogLand, and it was AWESOME. Yep, it was a Rest day around here, and I must say I was glad for it, this week. I have really grown to love my training time (actually looking forward to it 99% of the time) but every once in a while, a break is welcomed. Although, I do think it's a little funny that I now consider 8:30am "sleeping in".
So, I have no crazy WOD to report on, but I did want to take a couple minutes to tell you about some pretty awesome gear I have recently acquired. Personally, as a newbie to this whole "active lifestyle" thing, I generally know I need things, but never know what's good to buy or just seems good... thus, I rely a lot on the recommendations and reviews of people that I know. SO. I thought I would contribute. A few things that I've field-tested lately:
First, as the weather goes crazy here in the Northeast (seriously, it's the end of November and it was 50 degrees today and the snow was melting. WTF?), I realized I was unprepared to run outside without some more tops. As I have learned from some of the Veteran Spartans, cotton (in general) is a no-no. In short, it absorbs moisture, rather than drawing it away from your body. Bad. Wicking, Good.
I ended up buying the Moving Comfort Mobility Long Sleeve (in Spartan red, of course...). I was a little concerned about the sizing, as I've never bought this brand before, and I'm definitely not a small sort of person (I prefer "statuesque" or "Amazonian", thank you...). I'm 5'9" and generally wear a women's size 14/16, at this point (down from about a women's 24. Wow. That sucks to say out loud.). I ended up ordering the XL, according to the size chart. When I got this in the mail, yes, I immediately ripped it out and put it on. The fabric is soft and awesome, and the fit was okay. Personally, I think I would've preferred one size up if that had been an option (as I generally don't like the 'imperfections' to show more than they need to...), but given the fact that I am still on the downslide with my weight loss, I decided to keep it. For anyone considering buying one, I would say they are generally true to size; I am a bit more... top heavy (more on boobs later...)?... than your average chick, so I think some of the smallness of this top stemmed from there.
Next, I took this long sleeve top out for a run. Literally. First awesome feature: "fitted cuffs" with "hidden thumb hole". I appreciated that immediately, upon setting out on that brisk morning. Better than some of the other running tops I have, THESE hand-covering-sleeves actually extended longer down my hand, even tailored to a hand-fitting point. Excellent design.
This is where I reiterate that I am a hot, sweaty mess when I workout. In this shirt, I didn't feel like a sweaty mess - as promised, it did seem to pull the sweat away from my skin, while still keeping me warm in the chill 35 degree breeze. It also has some convenient, slightly stretchier, "venting" panels that I found really added to the comfort (along the sides and under arms).
The only minor flaw I discovered was right at the end of my run. I had managed to put my car key in the 'handy' obligatory tiny pocket. However, Moving Comfort has decided to locate this pocket in a frustrating place (at least for me.). It is on the back of the shirt, to one side... but slightly higher up (not down close to them hem). For me, this made it difficult to get back to my tiny pocket, without twisting the whole shirt around, and discombobulating the orientation of the zipper. That said, during the run, I never noticed my key was in there. Mild, dealable annoyance. I ultimately decided that this annoyance was offset by the extra bonus: this top seems to be made slightly on the longer side. That means, no mid-run shifting/pulling on of clothes! Yay!
Overall, the Moving Comfort Mobility Long Sleeve gets two thumbs up from me. I will definitely be buying more of these - particularly after I drop a few more pounds and the XL is roomier.
Next, we're onto Boobs. Yep. We're going there. We've talked about sweatiness, tears, fat, flab, injuries, weight and emotional turmoil... We were going to get to boobs eventually. I also really feel that for a female athlete (or aspiring one), they are a huge consideration. If The Girls aren't Locked and Loaded during your run or your workout, and you're experience Crazy, Slap-Me-In-the-Face Bounce syndrome, it really makes things unpleasant. Plus, guys, you may not believe this, but it just downright hurts. We need to keep those Ladies in check. Thus, begins the Quest for the Holy Grail... er... I mean, Sports Bra.
Now. Where are all my well-endowed Chicks out there? You know what I'm talking about. You can NOT just walk into a sports store and know that you're going to be able to walk out with a sports bra that fits - particularly if you are a fuller-figured lady. Again, keeping it real, I'm a real person: wearing a women's size 14/16, and sporting a 38DD. Yeah. I am not the ideal sports bra fit model. I also downright refuse to do the double-up trick, with layering sports bras, for added support. I feel that if one is actually doing its job, one should be enough. Therefore, it was an EPIC quest I went on.
Ultimately, after much debate, I ended up trying two different styles by Moving Comfort (which was a highly recommended brand, to me):
First, I tried the Moving Comfort Rebound Racer. This is your standard racer-back style bra; It pulls over your head, but has a 2 hook back closure for added support/adjustability. This turned out to be a blessing and a curse, it would seem. As I pulled this one over my head the first time, I experienced the dreaded - "Oh No, I'm stuck in my super-tight twisted up sports bra that will only let me loose if I manage to dislocate my arm in 6 places and reach around" issue. After much faux-panic in the comfort of my room, I did get this bad boy on. And it was ON, I'll tell ya. But then I realized I needed to clasp the two hooks in the back. That was a slightly less traumatic of an adventure, but because of the extreme heavy-duty elastic band, it was a little less than "easy".
However, I will give Moving Comfort some big bonus points here - the front-adjustable straps. The comfy (slightly padded!), wide straps have velcro adjustments that stay underneath the straps, maintaining your cute-factor (CLEARLY my first priority in a sports bra). The adjustable straps did make it super easy and convenient to get everything situated just so, and ready for evaluation. First, minimal uni-boob syndrome. I wouldn't say The Girls were clearly defined, but you definitely did not have the ugly uni-boob issue. Really, I was so caught up in the fact that my boobs were Seriously. Not. Moving. That I did 5 burpees in the midst of this, just to try it out. Nothing. My boobs were going NOwhere.
... so I went for a run. Again, I will sing the praises of Moving Comfort, here. For the active, full-figured lady, bouncing and chafing are an issue (don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about.). I ran over three miles that day and there was NO bounce. NONE. 38DD's, cemented to my chest. I swear, this is unheard of. I would tell you that I was in love with this article of clothing, except for the tiny seam rub I developed on one side. However, I am willing to chalk that up to the "newness" of the bra, and reevaluate that, once I wash and wear a few more times.
The only real down-side I had with this Rebound Racer was the entry/exit portion of the thing... getting out of it was much like getting into it... a WEE bit tricky, and not for the stiff or un-limber. I was able to manage it, and will continue to do it because of how well it kept the Girls in check during my run... but, I would not necessarily seek out this bra again, in light of:
The Moving Comfort Fiona. Yep, I found it. The Holy Grail. The Ultimate in Boob Control. The Breast-Master. ... okay, I'm done, but you get the point.
I paid just over $40 for this bra, but it was worth every cent of that. I will buy more, just as soon as my paycheck rolls in. Here's why:
The Fiona had all the good points of the previously mentioned Rebound Racer - cushy, front-adjustable straps, somewhat stylish construction, etc. - BUT, it was a regular rear-closure bra. No need to try and wrestle it over my head. While I typically like racer-back styling, I found that the straps for the Fiona were set slightly closer in, making the style equally as comfortable as a racer back, with less hassle. Further, unlike the Rebound Racer, due to it's different back styling, the Fiona had a better handle on the side/back bulges (again, let's not pretend you have no idea what I'm talking about. Just keeping it real!). Where I felt that there was potential to have some unsightly side/back bulging in the racer back, the Fiona kept that all nicely under control with some soft, sleek, moisture-wicking fabric.
And, it goes without saying, I took this one for a run as well. LOVED it. I can honestly say, I have never run feeling less like an episode of Baywatch. It was GREAT. I could focus on my stride, rather than whether or not I was going to knock out an innocent passer-by.
Overall, Moving Comfort gets a gold star from me, thus far. I have decidedly liked all their products that I've sampled, even going so far as to LOVE the Fiona sports bra. I found their prices to be competitive with other comparable active wear (and felt I got what I paid for), and so far so good on a few cycles through the laundry.
I will look forward to trying some more of their products... perhaps some leggings/tights of some sort, next? Hmmm.
So, there you have it. Now, I'm watching the mail anxiously for a pair of hot pink calf sleeves I bought... I'm hoping to alleviate some of the excessive calf cramping I've been having these days. There is also a visit to the Under Armour Outlet in my future... Oh my. What girl doesn't love shopping - even for active wear!
Monday, November 28, 2011
“Eighty percent of success is showing up.” ~ Woody Allen
Spartan Shape-Up, Day 131:
Getting my head back in the game today, BlogLand. It's a new day, a new week, and a refreshed outlook. Sometimes, I believe, you have to hit a low to be able to appreciate the highs.
This morning, I crawled out of bed at O'Dark Thirty (6am), and headed off to the gym - mostly awake. Ish.
I must say, yesterday's ice bath and handful of Ibuprofen really helped the situation, I think. My legs are feeling pretty good today. Lesson of the day: Listen to your Body! It knows best. However, I will say, I did order some compression sleeves for my calves (since this is a chronic problem), in hopes that I can take the ouchiness down a notch - particularly with the increased running schedule.
That said, CrossFit morning!
It looked like this:
Warm Up: 3 Rounds Of.....
Getting my head back in the game today, BlogLand. It's a new day, a new week, and a refreshed outlook. Sometimes, I believe, you have to hit a low to be able to appreciate the highs.
This morning, I crawled out of bed at O'Dark Thirty (6am), and headed off to the gym - mostly awake. Ish.
I must say, yesterday's ice bath and handful of Ibuprofen really helped the situation, I think. My legs are feeling pretty good today. Lesson of the day: Listen to your Body! It knows best. However, I will say, I did order some compression sleeves for my calves (since this is a chronic problem), in hopes that I can take the ouchiness down a notch - particularly with the increased running schedule.
That said, CrossFit morning!
It looked like this:
Warm Up: 3 Rounds Of.....
- 500 M Row/Ski
- 15 Wall Balls (10# ball)
- 15 Burpees
What's that quote? "Your 'workout' is my warmup." ... I kept thinking that, as I powered through this. I have to say, the last 500m row was kicking my ass. I will say though, I got a helpful Burpee-hint from the trainer today: WIDE STANCE. Wide stance as you flop down (and jump back in and up), makes the movement more efficient. You are having to move your body a shorter distance. This little tip made doing burpees a *slightly* less grueling task - and made me feel just a little more competent doing it.
Workout: 20 Min AMRAP Of.....
- 3 Power Snatches (40#)
- 3 Pull-Ups (Jumping Pull ups, still)
- 6 Push-Ups (On my knees, but elbows in!)
- 9 Box Jumps (16" box)
Thankfully, I'm not dead yet. Power Snatches are a challenging movement for me - for some reason, my body has to really think to make that movement correctly. Full hip extension is key - not muscling up with your arms, which I am want to do. Managed to own them pretty damn well though, under the watchful eye of Alan (today's CF instructor). It certainly makes you feel pretty strong when you pop that weight over your head. Rawr.
Jumping pull ups are still a work in progress.... although I do have *much* more control on the 'down', so hopefully those muscles are coming. One day, I will pull-up. Push-ups were also feeling okay today - maybe it's because there was only 6 at a time? I really concentrated on keeping my elbows in (think military style), rather than flaring out with a wide stance.
Just to round out each round, we had box jumps. Ah, box jumps. I love hate you. There's nothing complex about them - jump onto box, stand up completely. But after 20 minutes, I SWEAR to you those boxes grow. LOL.
Nonetheless, 10 full rounds completed in 20 minutes. Aroo!
Oh yeah, and just because CrossFit is aimed at everyone's inner masochist, there was an "Afterparty"!
What's that, you say? Well, after you've done a warm up that would cause most people to head home, then powered through a workout that is not for the faint of heart, THEN... just for FUN, you bust out the "afterparty" if you think you have it in you.
Today, it was an 800m Run. ("just" a 1/2 mile).
Did I do it?....... Yes! Ran the whole thing, no stops, back and forth with another chick in the class who is totally bad ass (seriously, she busts out ring dips and pull ups like they're nothing). It was interesting, she was asking me all about my training for my Spartan Race in the summer... It was fun to talk about the sorts of things I'm up to, working towards, etc. and have someone have a genuine interest. Think I might be able to talk her into becoming a Spartan this year. Aroo!
THEN, as we finished our outdoor 800m - on a balmy 50 degree morning, I came in and died. I mean, stretched. LOL.
Not. Dead. Yet. Rawr.
Good times! Tomorrow, we run!
Sunday, November 27, 2011
"If you can't run, you walk. If you can't walk, you crawl..."
Spartan Shape-Up, Day 130:
Today was a rough one, BlogLand. Like, the kind of rough that I haven't experienced in a long time. I debated how I was going to write about this, or if I was... but this blog is ultimately about honesty, and for me to look back on the reality of my progress... and really, the bad days are part of the process. Added to that thought, I know that many of my readers are on their own journeys, along with me; For me, if I was following along with someone for motivation and/or inspiration, I'd want to know that they were human just like me, had bad days like me, and even had really awful days. Like today.
I was a little bit sore when I got up this morning, from yesterday's CrossFit adventures, but not as bad as I had expected. I was a bit stiff in my upper body and my calves were a bit tight (damn you, jump rope!), but that's nothing new. Thankfully, it was supposed to be Long Run Day, so the upper body was no issue, and I usually warm up out of the sore calves. No problemo. I was looking forward to getting out of the house for a bit and stretching my legs; it's been a few days since I just straight up ran.
I suited up in some new gear (Moving Comfort, I LOVE YOU. Review tomorrow.), and took a look in the mirror. I should've recognized at that very moment that today was going to be a difficult day. When I looked in the mirror this morning, to check out the new top that I had gotten, all I saw was Old Me. I saw bulges. I saw belly. I saw ugly.
More often than not, these days, I can at least see progress: I look in the mirror and while I do recognize areas that still need work, I often now see the strong arms, more defined waist and muscular quads. I can usually look approvingly at myself and the changes I've made.
Such was not the case today. Although, I do feel like this calls for a tiny bit of back story. It's been a tumultuous week or so in my life. My family imploded right before the holiday, including both sides of my divorced family in screaming matches with each other AND me, some of my small family is STILL not speaking to me, and we didn't do any sort of family Thanksgiving. To add insult to injury, there's been a lot of changes in my friend group (which, for me, is really just extended family), and a lot of those relationships have felt far away, distant and just-not-right lately. For me, someone who is very family-centric, emotional, involved and devoted to the people in my life, this is extremely stressful. Everything feels wrong. When everything feels wrong, then it becomes MUCH more difficult to fight the tiny battles that make up the larger war.
Such was the case when I looked in the mirror. When usually I am armed with an arsenal of positivity around me, the emotional stress had really sapped that energy, leaving me vulnerable to sneak attacks by Old Me.
Despite the squishy-bulges I was focused in on, I laced up my sneakers and drove out to my Long Run spot. My thoughts were busy and racing, and I was looking forward to a run to clear them out - I do find it difficult to think about too much while I'm running, because I need to focus on the run.
I set off and was feeling a bit off kilter. My calves were not happy with this, my legs felt a bit stiff, but nothing I wouldn't just warm up out of as I pushed on. I got through the first half mile and nothing felt better. My breathing was all wrong, I was pushing just to make my legs maintain my stride, and I just felt like I had no energy. Drained. Totally drained. I allowed myself a tiny walk-break at a half mile, thinking maybe I just needed more of a stretch and/or warm up than usual, after yesterday's rigorous CrossFit. I stretched a bit, regrouped my brain a bit and tried to remember all the things I've learned from the veteran runners I've come across.
And so, I pushed on... two or three more lengths between telephone poles (it's a dirt road... it's how I measure, sometimes!). All wrong. I just couldn't bring it all together. Focus on breathing, I told myself. Keep the legs moving, they'll warm up. Watch my turn over and stride. How bad did I want it?! I wanted it bad. I pushed through... another two or three more telephone poles lengths. Everything was screaming at me. My legs were in concrete. I broke to a walk. I let out an exasperated sigh. What was going ON? This was unacceptable I told myself. I wasn't even at a mile yet, and I had already walked twice. This was *backward* progress.
I just needed to keep working, I reminded myself. Keep moving. A couple more telephone poles... Not even a mile and a half total... and I was fighting every fiber in my body. Thankfully, it's a quiet dirt road I was running on - mercifully untraveled on a grey, brisk day like today - because then came the tears. Yep. I fought to put one foot in front of the other at the slowest, barely-a-jog-trot possible and hot, angry tears of frustration, disappointment and raw emotion ran down my face.
Was it the bad run? No. Was it the fact that I was having a bout of Fat Chick Syndrome? No. Was it the family bullshit in the background? No. Was it the friend-stuff cropping up? Was it all of those things at once? Yes. Yes it was. Everything. At once.
I was still walking forward, trying to gather myself, and decide what was going to happen next. Since I began my Spartan Shape-Up, I've never quit on a workout. Ever. I've always pushed to completion or my absolute limit - whichever came first. I didn't want this to be the first time. I couldn't tolerate that. But I couldn't fathom more running. I sniffled and the battle raged on in my head. I kept walking forward.
Then I thought of mantra that one of the original Spartan Hurricane Heats coined (I may be slightly paraphrasing): "If you can't run, then you walk. If you can't walk, then you will crawl. If you can't crawl, then I will carry you!".
I couldn't run. But I COULD walk. Wasn't that what this process was all about? NOT quitting? Not letting myself get in my own way? Not accepting my body's limits?
... But it was so hard. I wanted to stop. I wanted to turn around and go back. I heard myself start to come up with good "reasons" to turn back - I was too sore, I'd run the day before, I could do it tomorrow, etc. ad nauseum.
Old Me was making some really excellent points. But then I thought about all the people who have helped me along the way, who have supported me or inspired me. I didn't want to let them down by quitting. What COULD I do, I asked myself.
I was angry that I had to have this battle, frustrated that all these things were sitting on my emotional shoulders and impacting my training, and 300 other things. But I walked. I ran a few more telephone poles, then would walk again. Try and run some more, back to walking.
Admittedly, this four-ish miles was probably more like a walk with some runs in it, than a run I had to walk a bit during. But I finished the distance. I also finished the last half mile or so at a run. It was everything I had, but I wasn't going to finish Long Run Day at a walk.
It was the longest 56:15 minutes I've had in a while. Never got into the running zone... just had a lot of time to think, get angry, feel defeated, hurt, and try and press on through the emotional walls.
As I got back to my car, I didn't know what to do. Typically, this would be the moment where I would declare my accomplishment triumphantly to my GT, or Facebook, or Twitter. I didn't feel triumphant. I didn't feel accomplished, I didn't feel good, happy or satisfied.
I felt slow, out of shape, fat, stupid for thinking I could do these things, and angry that I had ever lead myself down this path where I was bound to fail.
Yep, it's true. I think these things, sometimes.
I have about a 20 minute drive home from that spot, and I used it wisely, I think. I cried. I cried about all the things and people I can't control right now, and I cried out my frustration that I couldn't just run the damn distance. And then I stopped.
I dug in my brain for every positive justification I could think of: Not every day is going to be a PR. Some runs ARE going to feel bad. I've been working hard pretty non-stop, maybe my body just couldn't, today - but tomorrow will be better. Everyone trips... it's about who keeps getting up. How bad DID I want it? Did I want it bad enough to take this day, feel it for what it was, then finish it and move on to tomorrow?
Yes. Yes I do. I felt really bad today, Blog. Readers, if you haven't yet, you'll feel really bad training one day, too. You'll have your own back story, your own negative self-talk, your own thought-demons to slay... but the war is the same. Know that you are not the only one. That helped me today. Even the athletes that we all strive to be have these days. What makes them the ones we strive to be is how they handle those days. Do they let it consume them, drag their whole training regime off track, throw it all away because they had a bad day or two? Or do they get up, dust off and push forward?
So, how did I push forward? Well, I squashed my emotional brain for a bit and brought my logical brain to the surface - what COULD I help. Well, I was sore as hell, my legs were fatigued. Answer to that problem: Ice Bath. That would be a good place to start.
A handful of Ibuprofen and an Ice Bath later, my mind felt a bit clearer. Throw a warm shower on top of that, and I almost felt human again. Am I proud of today's run? No. Am I proud that I am going to get up and train tomorrow? Yes. Old Me would've let this moment ruin the whole journey. Made it come to a crashing halt.
Things have changed around here, though. After a deep breath and a cup of tea, I'm setting my Monday alarm. It's a Crossfit morning.
Today was a rough one, BlogLand. Like, the kind of rough that I haven't experienced in a long time. I debated how I was going to write about this, or if I was... but this blog is ultimately about honesty, and for me to look back on the reality of my progress... and really, the bad days are part of the process. Added to that thought, I know that many of my readers are on their own journeys, along with me; For me, if I was following along with someone for motivation and/or inspiration, I'd want to know that they were human just like me, had bad days like me, and even had really awful days. Like today.
I was a little bit sore when I got up this morning, from yesterday's CrossFit adventures, but not as bad as I had expected. I was a bit stiff in my upper body and my calves were a bit tight (damn you, jump rope!), but that's nothing new. Thankfully, it was supposed to be Long Run Day, so the upper body was no issue, and I usually warm up out of the sore calves. No problemo. I was looking forward to getting out of the house for a bit and stretching my legs; it's been a few days since I just straight up ran.
I suited up in some new gear (Moving Comfort, I LOVE YOU. Review tomorrow.), and took a look in the mirror. I should've recognized at that very moment that today was going to be a difficult day. When I looked in the mirror this morning, to check out the new top that I had gotten, all I saw was Old Me. I saw bulges. I saw belly. I saw ugly.
More often than not, these days, I can at least see progress: I look in the mirror and while I do recognize areas that still need work, I often now see the strong arms, more defined waist and muscular quads. I can usually look approvingly at myself and the changes I've made.
Such was not the case today. Although, I do feel like this calls for a tiny bit of back story. It's been a tumultuous week or so in my life. My family imploded right before the holiday, including both sides of my divorced family in screaming matches with each other AND me, some of my small family is STILL not speaking to me, and we didn't do any sort of family Thanksgiving. To add insult to injury, there's been a lot of changes in my friend group (which, for me, is really just extended family), and a lot of those relationships have felt far away, distant and just-not-right lately. For me, someone who is very family-centric, emotional, involved and devoted to the people in my life, this is extremely stressful. Everything feels wrong. When everything feels wrong, then it becomes MUCH more difficult to fight the tiny battles that make up the larger war.
Such was the case when I looked in the mirror. When usually I am armed with an arsenal of positivity around me, the emotional stress had really sapped that energy, leaving me vulnerable to sneak attacks by Old Me.
Despite the squishy-bulges I was focused in on, I laced up my sneakers and drove out to my Long Run spot. My thoughts were busy and racing, and I was looking forward to a run to clear them out - I do find it difficult to think about too much while I'm running, because I need to focus on the run.
I set off and was feeling a bit off kilter. My calves were not happy with this, my legs felt a bit stiff, but nothing I wouldn't just warm up out of as I pushed on. I got through the first half mile and nothing felt better. My breathing was all wrong, I was pushing just to make my legs maintain my stride, and I just felt like I had no energy. Drained. Totally drained. I allowed myself a tiny walk-break at a half mile, thinking maybe I just needed more of a stretch and/or warm up than usual, after yesterday's rigorous CrossFit. I stretched a bit, regrouped my brain a bit and tried to remember all the things I've learned from the veteran runners I've come across.
And so, I pushed on... two or three more lengths between telephone poles (it's a dirt road... it's how I measure, sometimes!). All wrong. I just couldn't bring it all together. Focus on breathing, I told myself. Keep the legs moving, they'll warm up. Watch my turn over and stride. How bad did I want it?! I wanted it bad. I pushed through... another two or three more telephone poles lengths. Everything was screaming at me. My legs were in concrete. I broke to a walk. I let out an exasperated sigh. What was going ON? This was unacceptable I told myself. I wasn't even at a mile yet, and I had already walked twice. This was *backward* progress.
I just needed to keep working, I reminded myself. Keep moving. A couple more telephone poles... Not even a mile and a half total... and I was fighting every fiber in my body. Thankfully, it's a quiet dirt road I was running on - mercifully untraveled on a grey, brisk day like today - because then came the tears. Yep. I fought to put one foot in front of the other at the slowest, barely-a-jog-trot possible and hot, angry tears of frustration, disappointment and raw emotion ran down my face.
Was it the bad run? No. Was it the fact that I was having a bout of Fat Chick Syndrome? No. Was it the family bullshit in the background? No. Was it the friend-stuff cropping up? Was it all of those things at once? Yes. Yes it was. Everything. At once.
I was still walking forward, trying to gather myself, and decide what was going to happen next. Since I began my Spartan Shape-Up, I've never quit on a workout. Ever. I've always pushed to completion or my absolute limit - whichever came first. I didn't want this to be the first time. I couldn't tolerate that. But I couldn't fathom more running. I sniffled and the battle raged on in my head. I kept walking forward.
Then I thought of mantra that one of the original Spartan Hurricane Heats coined (I may be slightly paraphrasing): "If you can't run, then you walk. If you can't walk, then you will crawl. If you can't crawl, then I will carry you!".
I couldn't run. But I COULD walk. Wasn't that what this process was all about? NOT quitting? Not letting myself get in my own way? Not accepting my body's limits?
... But it was so hard. I wanted to stop. I wanted to turn around and go back. I heard myself start to come up with good "reasons" to turn back - I was too sore, I'd run the day before, I could do it tomorrow, etc. ad nauseum.
Old Me was making some really excellent points. But then I thought about all the people who have helped me along the way, who have supported me or inspired me. I didn't want to let them down by quitting. What COULD I do, I asked myself.
I was angry that I had to have this battle, frustrated that all these things were sitting on my emotional shoulders and impacting my training, and 300 other things. But I walked. I ran a few more telephone poles, then would walk again. Try and run some more, back to walking.
Admittedly, this four-ish miles was probably more like a walk with some runs in it, than a run I had to walk a bit during. But I finished the distance. I also finished the last half mile or so at a run. It was everything I had, but I wasn't going to finish Long Run Day at a walk.
It was the longest 56:15 minutes I've had in a while. Never got into the running zone... just had a lot of time to think, get angry, feel defeated, hurt, and try and press on through the emotional walls.
As I got back to my car, I didn't know what to do. Typically, this would be the moment where I would declare my accomplishment triumphantly to my GT, or Facebook, or Twitter. I didn't feel triumphant. I didn't feel accomplished, I didn't feel good, happy or satisfied.
I felt slow, out of shape, fat, stupid for thinking I could do these things, and angry that I had ever lead myself down this path where I was bound to fail.
Yep, it's true. I think these things, sometimes.
I have about a 20 minute drive home from that spot, and I used it wisely, I think. I cried. I cried about all the things and people I can't control right now, and I cried out my frustration that I couldn't just run the damn distance. And then I stopped.
I dug in my brain for every positive justification I could think of: Not every day is going to be a PR. Some runs ARE going to feel bad. I've been working hard pretty non-stop, maybe my body just couldn't, today - but tomorrow will be better. Everyone trips... it's about who keeps getting up. How bad DID I want it? Did I want it bad enough to take this day, feel it for what it was, then finish it and move on to tomorrow?
Yes. Yes I do. I felt really bad today, Blog. Readers, if you haven't yet, you'll feel really bad training one day, too. You'll have your own back story, your own negative self-talk, your own thought-demons to slay... but the war is the same. Know that you are not the only one. That helped me today. Even the athletes that we all strive to be have these days. What makes them the ones we strive to be is how they handle those days. Do they let it consume them, drag their whole training regime off track, throw it all away because they had a bad day or two? Or do they get up, dust off and push forward?
So, how did I push forward? Well, I squashed my emotional brain for a bit and brought my logical brain to the surface - what COULD I help. Well, I was sore as hell, my legs were fatigued. Answer to that problem: Ice Bath. That would be a good place to start.
A handful of Ibuprofen and an Ice Bath later, my mind felt a bit clearer. Throw a warm shower on top of that, and I almost felt human again. Am I proud of today's run? No. Am I proud that I am going to get up and train tomorrow? Yes. Old Me would've let this moment ruin the whole journey. Made it come to a crashing halt.
Things have changed around here, though. After a deep breath and a cup of tea, I'm setting my Monday alarm. It's a Crossfit morning.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
“Success demands singleness of purpose.” ~ Vincent Lombardi
Spartan Shape-Up, Day 129:
Holy OWWWWW, BlogLand. It was a CrossFit morning today - Yep, 7am WOD on a Saturday morning. This is an interesting process in redefining myself; I never thought I'd say that I was willingly (and almost enthusiastically) headed to a raging workout at that time of day on a weekend morning. Wow. However, as today's title quote says, "Success demands a singleness of purpose." I am determined that by the summer, I will be at a healthy place in my life, fit enough to successfully complete a Spartan Sprint (and hopefully, a Super and the Beast. Oh yeah, people. I'm dreaming big!). Singleness of purpose: achieve the goal. In that light, one must do what it takes to get there... in my case, it happens to be really regular, hard workouts... 50 days of No Bread... conquering my mental blocks around running... tuning out the negative/defeatist voices... 7am Saturday WOD's. Eyes on the Prize, baby.
So, I arrive at the gym this morning, wrapped up in my new Spartan Race hoodie (seriously, people. This thing is worthy of a Spartan. It is heavy, warm and amazing. Perfect for winter-morning get-to-the-gym!), mostly awake and ready to go. I got warmed up with a 400m ski, just to get my body moving, while class gathered.
Then on to the Official Warm-Up:
10-15 minutes of partner medicine ball drills, 10# ball.
Yes, this sounds like fun... throwing from each side, throwing up (like a wall ball), etc... Then, Katy (today's instructor) put my still slightly zombie-brain to the test. Stand with your back to your partner. They call out a direction (left, right) as they throw the med ball... you register that direction, turn around fast in that direction, catch the ball, and throw back...and turn back around to start again. WHOA that will wake up your brain. haha... AND your abs.
Then, it was on to today's WOD... I turned around to look at it on the board, and I'm sure my face went momentarily pale. It looked horrifically daunting. Like, I did have a brief moment where I thought OMFG... I can't do this!??! Then I had to mentally bitch-slap myself a bit and look at the individual parts. The funny part was when I was looking at the "prescribed" WOD, and then the scaled version, slated for CF beginners. I debated... what to do...!? I had to discuss with the instructor, because: As I looked at the prescribed WOD, I was pretty sure I could get through it - it would just take me a lot longer, and be challenging. If I did CF Beginner version, I could get through it, no issue, much faster... but would I be pushing myself enough? In the end, my Instructor of the Day imparted some wisdom - Do the prescribed version, as much as you can. If you just can't quite finish the number of reps, or with the weight, scale it as you do it, and just record the modifications that you make. That way, you're challenging yourself more than the Crossfit Beginner, but if you can't quite get to the as written version, no worries.
Accepting this approach, I set up my station to do it "As Written" and was determined to get through this set at all costs, unless I really physically failed.
Today's WOD (brace yourself...):
Holy OWWWWW, BlogLand. It was a CrossFit morning today - Yep, 7am WOD on a Saturday morning. This is an interesting process in redefining myself; I never thought I'd say that I was willingly (and almost enthusiastically) headed to a raging workout at that time of day on a weekend morning. Wow. However, as today's title quote says, "Success demands a singleness of purpose." I am determined that by the summer, I will be at a healthy place in my life, fit enough to successfully complete a Spartan Sprint (and hopefully, a Super and the Beast. Oh yeah, people. I'm dreaming big!). Singleness of purpose: achieve the goal. In that light, one must do what it takes to get there... in my case, it happens to be really regular, hard workouts... 50 days of No Bread... conquering my mental blocks around running... tuning out the negative/defeatist voices... 7am Saturday WOD's. Eyes on the Prize, baby.
So, I arrive at the gym this morning, wrapped up in my new Spartan Race hoodie (seriously, people. This thing is worthy of a Spartan. It is heavy, warm and amazing. Perfect for winter-morning get-to-the-gym!), mostly awake and ready to go. I got warmed up with a 400m ski, just to get my body moving, while class gathered.
Then on to the Official Warm-Up:
10-15 minutes of partner medicine ball drills, 10# ball.
Yes, this sounds like fun... throwing from each side, throwing up (like a wall ball), etc... Then, Katy (today's instructor) put my still slightly zombie-brain to the test. Stand with your back to your partner. They call out a direction (left, right) as they throw the med ball... you register that direction, turn around fast in that direction, catch the ball, and throw back...and turn back around to start again. WHOA that will wake up your brain. haha... AND your abs.
Then, it was on to today's WOD... I turned around to look at it on the board, and I'm sure my face went momentarily pale. It looked horrifically daunting. Like, I did have a brief moment where I thought OMFG... I can't do this!??! Then I had to mentally bitch-slap myself a bit and look at the individual parts. The funny part was when I was looking at the "prescribed" WOD, and then the scaled version, slated for CF beginners. I debated... what to do...!? I had to discuss with the instructor, because: As I looked at the prescribed WOD, I was pretty sure I could get through it - it would just take me a lot longer, and be challenging. If I did CF Beginner version, I could get through it, no issue, much faster... but would I be pushing myself enough? In the end, my Instructor of the Day imparted some wisdom - Do the prescribed version, as much as you can. If you just can't quite finish the number of reps, or with the weight, scale it as you do it, and just record the modifications that you make. That way, you're challenging yourself more than the Crossfit Beginner, but if you can't quite get to the as written version, no worries.
Accepting this approach, I set up my station to do it "As Written" and was determined to get through this set at all costs, unless I really physically failed.
Today's WOD (brace yourself...):
- 25 Hand Stand Push-Ups (Modified: Off 20" box)
- 50 Wall Balls (10# Ball)
- 150 Push Ups (on Knees)
- 75 KB Swings (16#)
- 150 Weighted Step-Ups (16" Box, 15# Weight Plate)
- 600 Single Jump-Ropes
- 1 mile run
..... Yep. You read that right. Although you could break it up, or modify it as much as you needed/wanted, the idea was to go through the list, as written - thus completely exhausting one muscle group before moving to the next. I was determined to give this a shot. Slow and steady, I decided, and I could do this..... Just so long as I could get past the first exercise: Hand Stand Push Ups. This is a new kind of evil, my friends. If you have no upper body strength, this particular exercise makes you VERY aware of that fact. I'd never tried these before, so I decided I would give the modified version (knees on a tall box to lessen the weight supported) a go. I was more than moderately terrified, but I tried to swallow that fear and ante up. I will start by saying that this is the ONLY movement today that I could NOT complete in its entirety. I tried. I swear I gave it ALL I had... I just don't have the upper body strength to do that, yet. I did get to 20 (with 2-3 breaks), which was close enough to the written version that I was happy with it. Granted, they were NOT pretty, and I was practically crying on the last two or three before I had to call it done... but I did 20 of something really hard that I'd never done before. Good times. It is pretty tricky, though, as all the blood rushes to your head, then gravity is with you and helps you "down".... and then suddenly, you have to get back up. My T-rex arms were REALLY protesting this idea. But when you get fatigued, it's not like you can just pause in the middle of the exercise, as you're upside down, with your legs on a tall box. You HAVE to complete one more rep in order to take a break. THAT was the worst part. Ultimately, I was proud of getting through 20. It may have been the most difficult exercise I've ever attempted.
Wall Balls and Push ups were pretty straight forward. They were challenging due to the number that we had to do... but I just kept breathing and pushing forward. Again, my T-rex arms rejected the concept of 150 pushups... and for the last 75, I had to do them in sets of 3-5 to get through them.... BUT, I finished. THAT was what was important to me. KB swings, also not a problem. Definitely kept my heart rate up, but was a familiar, do-able movement.
Weighted step ups brought an interesting revelation. I was doing the step ups holding a 15# plate. As I got a little tired (somewhere about halfway through), I reminded myself that I used to have no choice but to heft around that much "extra" weight - and a whole lot more. If I got through this exercise, I could put DOWN that 15# weight, and be that much lighter. That visual of how far I had come helped propel me through those step ups. Plus, not for nothin', but all the running and squatting I've been doing really helped here - my legs were pumping right through this, tired, but with good staying power. It was this exercise that allowed me to mini-Chick the two other dudes in my class - they had pumped out the push ups a bit easier, but they just couldn't keep up the pace on the weighted step-ups. I just zoned in, and kept pace with the rockin' Black Eyed Peas song that was blaring, and tried to have fun with it.
This is where the WOD became a little bit more of a Push. The "as-written" here would've been 200 Double Under jump ropes. I can't do that, yet. It is a skill that I just haven't mastered. The modification: 3x the number, if you're going to do singles. Yes, that's right, 600 jumps. Although, I knew that I could perform this movement... it was just a whole lot of it. I chose to just think of it in chunks.... I did 200, took a break, 200 more and so on, until I busted through it. Considering it was toward the end of the WOD, I think I even looked pretty competent doing it. LOL.
Last but not least was an entirely mental exercise... run 1 mile. I routinely run 3+ miles regularly... but typically not after that kind of a WOD. As I trotted out the door (yep, OUTside... the cold air felt AWESOME at this point), happy to give my legs something they knew how to do and just sort of stretch them out, I was doing well - steady pace - at first.... then, I rounded the corner in the road and saw the HILL. Yep. Just about half a mile uphill. THAT was how we were going to finish up this WOD. I wanted to die right then, yep I did. However, the two other people (two dudes) in my class were still powering forward.... I was NOT about to be left behind. (Sometimes, your weaknesses - like extreme competitiveness - can become strengths!). I did have to take a tiny walk break mid long-ass hill, but I kept trucking... that was what was most important to me. I did get to the top, take a second to reflect on that, and then had a nice, long-strided, run down the hill... I was exhausted, true story. But, I was focused on finishing strong. As I got in the door of the gym, I saw one of the guys totally down and in the starfish pose on the floor, and the other was totally hands on knees. WAHA. I wanted to, but on principle, I stayed head up (panting and sweating like crazy), but TRIUMPHANT. Totally finished.
I felt moderately better at the end, when one of the guys (who is my usual CF instructor during the week) said to me, "Woooo boy! We haven't done a long WOD like that in a while... I'm DONE." It felt good to know that it wasn't just me. haha
That said.... I am now feeling the hurting setting in.... LOL. My shoulders and back are completely spent. Completely. I think now it's time for some ice packs, heat and rest. OW.
However, it's a good hurt. I am on a mission to conquer the T-rex arms. WAHAHAHA.
With that... It's just 258 days until my goal Spartan Sprint. Yeehaw! Eyes forward, one foot in front of the other.
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