WOD 091231

Last WOD of the year.  Free day in the gym.  Pick a hero, girl or benchmark workout.  Awesome opportunity to set a baseline for one of my 3 goals... 5k.  Until of course the weather turns to icy slop.  Concrete was okay at 0515, but brick was really slick and that is what comprises a good portion of the first part of the loop.

So deadlifting... another goal to baseline, but no joy given the 110% I put into Tues.  I pulled 205 and then instead of putting 215 on the bar, I put on 216 so I'd have the PR.  4 separate attempts and only got the slightest bit of tension off the floor on the third one.   Not happy, especially when Jerry reminded me that most of the last month I've been lucky to get into the gym 3 times a week.  Fat with wine and cookies and I can't even leverage it to counterweight a barbell.  Lots of work to do in the new year.

Happy part, Kaitlin pulled 160, so she is well past her body weight with a new max single DL.

WOD 091221 - WOD 091226

Not the best week in the gym.  Weather, plowing, kids out of school, gigantic list of undone Christmas chores and of course proofing college essays...  Exactly the environment that generates a bona fide biological need to go to the gym.
Did manage 2 WODs  Tues and Weds

Tues
 3 Squat cleans every minute on the minute for 10min (around 80%)
rest 5 min then
AMRAP 15 min of 6 Dips, 9 box jump(24"), 12 ghd Situp

need to check the WB, but I think I went at 75lbs and pretty much was cleaning and then riding a front squat.  Not fantastic, but I was able to keep pace.

Second WOD was a challenge... particularly the box jumps.  I know I can nail 24", but I was having trouble and I'm not surprised given that most of the workouts and the shoveling have left me feeling weak in the posterior chain...particularly after the previous 10 minutes of squatting.  I was a little off the bumper plate on one in my first round, and then Kaitlin crashed it in the second.  I made the conscious choice that injuring myself right before Christmas with a boatload of stuff still to do, was not a good idea.  Wrap that pride up in a little package with a bow on it and take off that bumper plate.  GHD's didn't feel to great.  Sometimes I feel them deep in my sacral area of my spine and I'm not sure why... bad form or just bad back?

Wed
More butt blasting...
“Jonesworthy”
Squats - 80, 64, 48, 32, 24, 12
KB Swings - 40, 32, 24, 16, 12, 6
Pullups – 20, 16, 12, 8, 6, 3
That's a whole lot of squatting... need to check the WB, but I think I was around 21 mins on this one
I was happy with my squat form though which is what needs work.  KB swings were at 35lbs and pretty much unbroken other than the 40, and 32 which I broke at 25 each time.  Pullups... well, that's going to be a project we'll address in the new year.  'nuf said.

I did try to impose a family WOD on Christmas Day of  5 RFT of 30 situps, 20 squats, 10 push ups and was all but lynched by the pajama crowd.  Truthfully, there would have been a necessary adventure picking up the paper carnage first and situps would probably have been in lego spiked carpet.  Karolin just borderline sick with a head cold and waking up in middle of the night pretty much put the nail in the coffin.

I can live with it - sort of.  There is nothing worse to drag your healthy habits into the hole than several days of close contact with family who can eat anything and have nothing stick to their ribs.  Add to that fond memories of all the goodies I used to eat as a kid and disaster strikes.

The first present I opened in my stocking was a pair of batteries for my scale.  A powder jacket, base layer jacket and a nice long sleeve shirt will all work well with the compression capris I got for my birthday.  No hints needed, next year needs to be as successful if not more so than the last.  Pretty psyched that I have a physical 11 January and will get some baseline labs next week.  The data should all be better than a year ago, even if I still have a long way to go.

WOD 091229

2 WOD's  2K Row
3 RFT 10 DL + 50 DU's

2K Row... 9:24.3  I used a 5-6 damper setting and it felt very heavy after the 1st 500m.    Definitely need to lower the damper.  I am really not happy about this as I had hoped to go sub 9.  My PR is 9:20 and that was in late February... :(

Deadlifts are my favorite until they are in a circuit.  This was strictly touch and go, no dropping.   It was heavy and I pretty much was still resetting each one to make sure I had core tension.  I used the pro weight of 160 and did DU attempts since I don't have great DU's and thought taking lateral jumps again was not going to improve my DU's.  DU's are about technique and timing (ha, ha) not so much height of jump.
My time

Post WOD pain was very very iffy.  Nothing serious but I did have a couple of DL where the bar got away from me.  It was next day middle to lower back discomfort but it was hard to tell if it was just heavy use, hard work type discomfort or is something just not right.   Glutes seriously blasted, too... especially the right.  So I missed the rope climbing GHD run WOD on Wednesday.  Bummer, I hate having to be smart.

WOD 091219 WOD 091220

So much for the 4.5 mi birthday run in a weight vest.  Didn't make it in to CFOT to borrow one, and God decided that shoveling was to be the WOD of the day.  Soooo much fun.  I haven't had snow like this since I graduated from Notre Dame 22 years ago.  Having it on my birthday makes it just sooo sweet.

So simple estimates with hubby are that a shovel full of snow is about 10# and that we could conservatively estimate that we move 1 shovelful a minute when we took into account rests, moving around, and having to walk the shovel to the snow mountain.  So 4 hrs of shoveling over two days or 240 reps or 2400#.

Yep... moved a ton of snow and had a blast doing it.  And after more than a year at CFOT, I'm lifting it right, so my back doesn't hurt... although my glutes really want a day off.  Plus, I think my "ergonomically' designed bent shovel is more harm than good.  Pretty much like using a curling bar to strict press.

Now maybe tomorrow I can get to that run... or whatever Jerry has in store for me and the weight vest.  I dread the chipper that was supposed to be the hopper....

WOD 091218

 Once through for time:
Wrap all gifts to relatives not in DC area, pack, weigh (thank you zone scale), buy postage on Paypal, and then happily walk to head of the line at post office.

Beat snowstorm!

Not exactly moving 5K overhead by clean and jerk which was the CFOT WOD today, but the 100 burpees set me back a bit in the glute/ham department.  Not a whole lot of hip extension going on, and I'm at that point where I have to reach behind me when I sit so I don't crash to the chair.

WOD 091217

Thursday
A little "active recovery" for those lower body aches and pains. 
5 RFT 250m row, 20 Burpees, 15 GHD situps

Apparently our lack luster burpee leaps have reached epic proportions, so everyone had a tape marker 8" above their max reach as a burpee target.   I'm thrilled that I got through this WOD, because I really didn't think I had the mobility after Tues to do a single burpee.  I made the mistake of wearing pants and a long sleeve shirt though.  Not sure if it is the touch of cold running around, but I felt really uncomfortably warm and pulled a Harold for the last couple of rounds of burpees.  Sorry folks... 5 kids leave lots and lots of stretch marks.

I was a little loopy when I finished.  I kept the rowing mostly under 2:15/500m pace which makes me happy.  GHD's were to parallel or a little more.  But neither Shanyn or I can remember my time... It was either 31: 04 or 34:01... big difference.  But more than 30 mins on a WOD... and it wasn't a Murph or other epic WOD.

On the health front, I see my water consumption slipping and I need to fix that asap.  Eating could be better too, as I really haven't been weighing and measuring much less recording.  Getting lazy and need to get a handle on this before the steamroller of the holidays gets me.  Not gaining, but not losing either... still stuck trading up and down the same 3 lbs for 7-8 mos now.  Not expecting great things in the next two weeks, but there is definitely going to have to be a New Year's push to get tighter on what I'm eating.

WOD 091215 WOD091216

Tuesday Butt blaster
15, 12, 9 DL @160# (Pro)
45, 36, 27 JL
400, 400, 400 run

Love DL's - absolutely... but I stink at them in a circuit.  I don't trust myself to lower the weight to do touch and go, so I have to drop and reset.  And by the third round I needed coaching cues to keep myself driving through my heels.
Jumping Lunges... on my top ten of lousy moves... plyometrics implies balance, strength and speed all together.  I'm lacking in 2/3 of those.  I am happy though that I only found myself supporting my torso on my quads twice.  Ah but those I think were the only two times that Jerry was watching me.  ... ugh!  Moreso than the DL's these left my glutes screaming... which they always do.

400 runs were without much speed... just not a lot of leg left.  But that doesn't bother me.  I realize that it is running to push to the next level and this workout will help with the next run, even if it seems as if I stumbled through finishing this.

Wednesday Rest Day
Missed Death by Pullups.  Needed my sleep in day, and too much Christmas stuff to do to sneak in later in the day.  Really, really sore in the tookus from Tues.

WOD 091214

Strict press x1 - 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 77 (f) 77 (f)
Rep out - 60lbs x8
Nothing glorious but it does tie my PR, and I  felt fairly strong and with good form until the end.  Post WOD pain was minimal, although I could tell I got my back into it on the last couple of attempts.

Missed the second WOD of  dips and double unders...  important Lego procurement meeting on the sidelines preempted that.

WOD 091208 -091211

Sometimes life gets in the way of the workout.  Annoying as all get out, as it is usually the stressors... the reasons we work out... that actually become the road block.  After my great Monday, the rest of the week was absorbed by a pre op appt and surgical diagnostic testing for Christopher as well as a reevaluation of his IEP.  Lots of prep time, little sleep time and that 0330 wake up on Friday to make the OR show time.  I was really blessed to have two aircrew Marines to hang with in the waiting room.  I also will be laughing for some time since the good staff sergeant offered to make a coffee run to the other part of the hospital.  Since I was alone and didn't want to leave the OR area, I was quite grateful.  But over the years I've forgotten what exactly is a Marine cup of joe... I never even drank the stuff in the Corps.  Well, the vente, little sugar, little cream brew kept me awake not only to drive home, but most of the next day!  All's good when Marines take care of their own.  Christopher was also pretty funny in recovery, not wanting to watch the prescribe cartoons in favor of The Price is Right.  No workout, but lots of workouts behind me pumped me up through the week.

WOD 091207

Monday WOD.  Always nice to leverage a couple of rest days, and I was looking every one of my nearly 45 years at our holiday party Friday night, so I didn't do much this weekend.  Probably should have skipped First Friday.  I have no idea what I ate earlier in the week, but I was feeling terrible and looking it too.  But when your one of the crew is making their final appearance in the box, you get out of bed, do the WOD and you show up for the party too.

Erin will be really missed... and not just for her Irish name... Erin, Shannyn, Megan and then Christine always is a funny mix working in on a barbell.  No I will miss her for her passionate personality.  Pretty much like me, she lives life fully and knows how to be really happy and really frustrated.  Never lukewarm, never tepid, and rarely timid with big weights and speed, she brought energy to 0515 - well as much as any of us bring.  Erin is also a great peer coach, willing to point out form flaws, note improvement, and most importantly knows when to push and when to just turn off the clock or load and call it a form day.

We shared alot more than similar height too at that barbell.  It was a privilege to know her through this last deployment and hope that a little of my endurance in the military spouse department was able to rub off.  Some of my favorite moments at CFOT include those self imposed after work mile runs along the Potomac.  And I have to give her full credit for getting me to run a road race for the first time in years.  She was also one of the instigators (with Martha) resulting in me being in a bar without my spouse, dancing to some music I probably was really glad I couldn't discern the lyrics.  But the best was sharing a drink and getting out to see Julie and Julia...good movie about good food and good friends.

So now I give her back to her dh and wish her well in Germany.  She was lightly chastizing me Friday night to set a goal and do something about that pull up problem of mine.  Not sure what is going to happen there, but I hope she is as  happy as I am with my 21:00 effort this morning.  So incredibly sweet to be able to climb a rope in a WOD, not once but 5 times.  (the 3rd one was technically a miss by half an arm's length.)   This was totally not happening two weeks ago, and it was frustrating as I could do this once upon a time.  It took me over a year to learn it years ago, so it sort of has sentimental value to me.  I don't cinch... I wrap.  I'm slow and anything but monkey like.  But when you've been worn down by life for more than a few years, being able to climb a rope is a great metaphor for pulling yourself out of a hole.  It is so empowering and really makes you feel that you can get yourself out of just about any rotten situation.  Time to buy me some super socks... my nice long pants keep getting in my foot lock and making me slip.

The rest of the WOD was 75# C&J's... pretty much a form work weight, but that is where I am with Jerks.  Still trying to get good form and the elusive pull under the bar.  I'm also watching it to make sure that it isn't overhead work that was giving me back trouble last month.  In lieu of double unders I did the 30 lateral tuck jumps.  They weren't very high or very plyometric, but I worked them.  And truthfully, it was nice to work a skill without getting a lashing!

WOD 091204

First Friday... Jackie... in a skort... slow at 15:55.  Most of the misery in the thrusters.  Couldn't get much more than 5-7 together at a time.

But that's what you get when you burn the midnight oil for a few nights.  Pretty sure the celebratory trip to Micky Dee's yesterday didn't help.  Or the two glasses of champagne.

But I really don't care today - in that good sort of way.  Christopher did very, very well on all his testing yesterday.  While he demonstrates a deficiency in working memory commensurate with hefty ADHD, he tracks to the average on all other cognitive tests.  I don't think in 19+ years of having kids that I've been so thrilled to see "average" on an assessment.  Most importantly, it confirms the tests done 2 years ago, and sets Christopher up as the first (of hopefully many to come) known case of a child with 3q29 Microdeletion Syndrome who is not mentally retarded.  The geneticists and other specialists can move forward with documenting his story, and hopefully other parents of these very rare, special kids can share a glimmer of hope.

Now, on to the birthday party.

WOD 091203

Wonderful WOD   4 rounds  50 airsquat/400 m run.
Hopefully will get to this later today, in a skort to celebrate Bryn Layne Avery's arrival yesterday afternoon!

But first... to Bethesda and special testing for Christopher.  As I mentioned in some earlier posts, his case is being prepared for publication in a medical journal, so there are many wickets of testing and documentation.  And those come in addition to the usual continuing effort to keep him healthy and growing.  Good news/bad news... it is easy to get appointments this time of year because most people have their focus elsewhere/ my schedule is way overloaded.

2 birthday parties this weekend.... ugh!  I'm deferring confecting the first cake to Eric.  The second, I have to make as it is the last time I will have my Erin home for her birthday... 

WOD 120209

Jerry's Birthday!
Choose either 2 cleans on the minute every minute for 43 mins or 43 cleans for time.
Given that I've been away from the barbells for over a week, I took the latter WOD and spent 11:00 working my way through 43 75# cleans.  Nothing speed shattering.  I intentionally took my time to try and get as many weightless as possible. 

I started the afterwork, but then took advantage of Keturah's coaching to work on my pullups.  Sort of back to square 1, working just the swing, but I'm now using a much taller bar.  Trying to get more upper body movement and less knees and lower body motion.  We'll see.  Nice raw hands for my efforts today.

Packed a workout skort in my bag today... I promised McCall that as soon as her baby girl arrives I'm doing a skirted workout in her honor!

Get real!

It does happen from time to time that I get comments from my children's teachers about what they eat for lunch.   Most of them are about how "interesting" the lunches are, which I often think is just a hidden judgement for not sending PBJ or "lunchables" 5 days a week.  No, partly because Christopher has so many food allergies and sensitivities, "left overs" make a huge part of the lunch planning here.  Red quinoa usually draws the most curious looks, while my homemade chicken fingers usually gain praise.   But I had to laugh out loud the other day when my 3.5 year old very honestly answered her teacher's question about what she had for breakfast.  "Steak".  "No Karolin, not what you had for dinner last night, breakfast this morning".  "Steak."  At this point I was called in to confirm and earned the "Really?" And I said "Sure, you know,  the old fashioned breakfast of  cube steak, eggs, maybe toast or potatoes with fruit?"

The humor gets better though when discussing teenagers and babysitting.  I don't often need one, since we are still pretty well staffed here, but I loved the comment, "you have all that organic stuff at your house.  My kids like to babysit where they have "real food."

Really?

Back at Halloween -at one of my kid's schools, I was thanked for helping out with the festivities with a very nice note and one of the many pumpkin pies that the little guys didn't even get to tasting.  As is the unfortunate case these days, it was a commercially prepared pie of perfect proportions, instead of one of those slightly lopsided delicious creations from your own kitchen.  Of course I had the internal struggle of disposing of it uneaten, as the nutritional consequences of such an adventure are always disastrous, but throwing away food is not part of my moral fiber either.  Time to debate the classification of this entity as "food."  A slice would probably actually kill a child in an "underdeveloped" country.

So enter in the teenage son, who is always willing to help dissolve dessert dilemmas and we sliced and tasted.   And that is where that pie served its purpose in its poor over processed life.  Thomas' comment, "I have been so spoiled.  This doesn't even taste good."  He was right - crust with the density/texture of curing resin and a filling with zero loft, as if someone had skipped the egg.  And of course... way too much sweetener.  I swear if it had been a fruit pie, it would have been jelly.

Definitely not "real" food.  And I'm so glad that I've raised teenagers to know the difference.   I can't tell you how many colleges have dropped to the bottom of the list because the food services doesn't support their vision of eating.  Even Notre Dame, which has one of the highest ranking food services in the country sports a long list of things that Kaitlin won't eat because they just don't taste right.

Enough musing on the reality of food.  It is a truism that it takes time to plan, shop, and prepare really good food.  And I really need to get back at it.

Catch up posts

Place holder post to record everything I've missed recording. 

No I'm not dead

and neither is my blog.  Both of us are wheezing and gasping for breath, but hanging in.  A bazillion things have kept me from writing, which may not be of consequence to the few who read, but it means I'm losing my fitness log.  So back on it, and after a few catchup posts,  I should be breathing better.

WOD 091025

Yes that is a Sunday date above.

I ran my first road race in 11 years Sunday.  No it wasn't the USMC Marathon, or even the 10K Fun Run (got to love the USMC sense of humor!)  Rather it was the Goblin Gallop in Faifax - a 5K run (costume optional) to raise money for kids with cancer.   Best of all I ran it with Erin, who thinks this is her last road race before she leaves DC in December.

Road races are like test taking days.  You get to find out just how well you've studied and been diligent about your homework.  My study ethic has been a bit unorthodox by runner's terms.  I have been doing CF for the last 14 months, with a smattering of longer cardio adventures - mostly elliptical in a small gym.  I ran 3 miles at the end of last month and 3.5 on Columbus Day.  That's it. 

So what did I get?  Just what Jerry promised.  A body faster than it was 10 years ago.

Granted the Susan G. Komen Races for the Cure I ran in 97 and 98 were not chip timed to be particularly accurate, but I finished those in about 33min and could probably give myself a generous minute to cross the start in such a huge race.   I finished the Goblin Gallop yesterday in an unoffical 31:15.

It was a bit windy and hilly, particularly in the 3rd mile, when I started to get tired.  I still can't drink from a water stop to save myself, but at least I didn't aspirate... too much.  The first mile was maddening with the lack of space to run, so I was really looking for the outside to get some room.  I ran without my iPod, which would have been fine, except that I've gotten used to having it.  Fortunately "Single Ladies" is probably the most brain hijacking song I've heard in awhile and it was on instant recall in the sluggish moments.  New shoes were great.  So happy to have them and feel well cushioned.  I know pose runners out there are cringing, but one thing at a time.  I'm running!!!!!

So, now that there's one down range, it is time to do it again.  When?  Not sure.   But that USMC fun run sounds like a good target.  I'm open to other ideas... only if you are running with me.

WOD 091023

No CFOT today, so I will miss back squats.  Bummer because today I could really use the tension break that moving heavy weights can give.  Planning to run the Goblin Gallop with Erin on Sunday, so all is not lost.

No sleeping in.  Up at 0430 to beat traffic with Christopher to Walter Reed for an MRI.  Given that he has to be absolutely still, he had to be sedated.  No matter how strong inside and out your life and fitness plan makes you, there is nothing worse than watching someone sedate your child.  You make sure the last words you share are good ones, and hope that you get to share some more in a matter of hours.  It doesn't matter that your intellect tells you over and over that this is done hundreds of times a day without incident.  There is still a whole different feeling when is it is your child and you already know his neuro system is challenged.

Watching him wrestling and thrash in a semi conscious state is awful.  Where's my kid who was telling me all about the Legos he wants for Christmas?  To take him home in the car about as put together as a drunk 3 sheets to the wind is nerve wracking.  Paying attention to traffic, watching him flop around like a newborn puppy and prayer that he doesn't vomit, pretty much saps all my mental capacity.

He made it until we were 200 yards from home.  And then despite the zofran,  his little 45lb body was heaving the mere 150 calories I was able to get into him.   Poor kid.  Hopefully an afternoon on the couch perusing the plethora of catalogs promising holiday delights will help him regain his balance.   Mine too.

WOD 091022

Nemesis Week continues. Snatch 1, 1, 1,1, 1,

I can pull from the floor... I've done clean pulls somewhere to around 130
I can only clean to about 95... tells you something about my hip extension and jump and elbow whip
I can only snatch 65... and that was a PR today.
And we all know if I had to land that snatch in a squat, we'd be back on a training bar.

I made 4 attempts at 70 but without that third pull to dive under the bar, I just can't do it.  So I need to learn find that.   Back this summer we did a progression with squat balances, which obviously was enough to get most everyone else dialed in on the form for this.  I however, am going to need a heck of alot of work if I am going to get anywhere with this.   Jerry had very little to say to day... about as much as I have dive under the bar.  Ugh, after a year, it is tough to be so lacking in form on a lift.

Finished with an 800m.

WOD 091021

Rest Day... wasn't planning on it, but woke up so sore, I couldn't tell if it was the WOD or the flu.  Fortunately it was the former and the extra sleep will help stave off the latter.

WOD 091020

21, 15, 9 Pullups, Hang Clean & Jerks, 400 m run.  Invert ladder on PU's and Hang clean & jerks.

Not the day to show up late at the gym.  Too much to do.  Group warm up, tape, band, find the right weight.  I think I was three steps behind all but the last minute of this workout.  I scaled the weight from 65 to 55.  While I think I could have done the 65, I'm pretty sure it would have been really ugly.  Movement, speed, load.  Still healing that glute and sort of need that for hip extension ...another day playing smart so I can play again tomorrow.

Pullups were nothing spectacular, most of the cleans and jerks were okay - although I did 11 the first round despite Jerry specifically pointing out it was an increasing ladder for the cleans.  Really?  Only I would be so dense to try to make the wod harder

Jerry egged us on to push it by putting the run at the end of the rounds.  Nothing epic here, but I did hang about 5 yards off Tracy going into the last run and was happy to have something left crossing Montgomery coming back.  It is really hard to pass someone in the street with oncoming traffic, but I did and left myself rolling on the floor wondering if maybe I do have asthma at 19:56.

****
Glute ham developer situps.  Fortunately we were just exploring this and going face up to get the abs. Face down to work glutes and I would have been out.   I only did 4, but I was surprised that despite feeling too sweaty and slipping, I actually can reach back and touch the deck.   I don't have the right knee bend to use my quads correctly, but hope to give it another go tomorrow - in pants.

WOD 091019

Nothing like trying to heal a sore butt and have this little doozy come around from the Hopper.
21, 15, 9 OHS and lateral burpees.  Lucky us, Jerry left off the pushups that went with it.  Someday, I hope to do 21 OHS with 65lbs over me.  But today was not going to be that day.

I could have made a great case for skipping this.  My two worst exercises in a couplet.  Happy Monday? Ugh. But I didn't miss it.  As bad as I stink at OHS, there is absolutely nothing to be gained by not doing them.  Nothing gets better by ignoring it.   So there I was with a 35lb bar trying to fix what's broke (or find what's never been there) in my squat.  Some of it is the joy of age and flexibility. Sure, but some of it is also 32" gams have more work to do than 27".  Yes OHS is where I actually wish I were short... for about a second. But what the real problem is with my squat is my motor planning.  For years upon years between ballet training (your butt goes under not back in a plie) and military training (you stand and march straight with hips rotated under), I just don't plain stick it out.  Add to that the simple fact that God granted me plenty of breadth and mass in the tookus department, which is not particularly coveted in our culture and heck, I've got so much stuff keeping me from getting it right.

I have got to get that duck tail mentality,move my butt back, create a lumbar curve, and then squat... knees wide over toes et ansi de suite. I tried it this morning, mostly after the workout, because it does feel weird in my lower back.  I'm certain I'm engaging things that I haven't been using (like ever?!) and don't want to overdo it. 

11:28.

And then Jerry was the awesome coach.  He put my head right back on where it needed to be by introducing me to someone new in the gym as a Marine using the present tense.  And then I gave it my all to some flexed arm hang and hopefully motivated this young woman to keep at it with CF and her desire to go to officer candidate school.

Yesterday I slid into a dress for church that I haven't worn in ages because it had looked more like a sausage casing than a sheath dress.  So nice to have wiggle room.  Even cooler to have one of my fashionista teenagers tell me I looked good. 

Now that will get my arse out of bed for OHS.

WOD 100916

Recovery day.  Not a Rest day, just plain you aren't doing nothing if it hurts day.  Bummer.  I hate missing a good Friday workout to set me up for the weekend and  I really like The Chief...

I hate it when I have to be smart.

WOD 091015

Deadlift 1,1,1,1,1

PR at 215, but my left leg hurts from mid glute to mid thigh. My form was off at 205 and the bar got away from me a bit. I was "aware" of my left hamstring, but it didn't hurt per se. And then it got me mentally and after 215, I couldn't get tension off the floor.

I'm hoping 2 things... one that it was feeling a little weak before I started from my serious efforts at running lately and the burpees last Friday, so this isn't a permanent wall. I have a stong desire to hit 225. And two, that it mends quickly. I have yet to put on my new shoes and get in a run. I love CF, but it is when I am able to consistently add my 2-3 long cardio workouts a week that I've made my best progress in the weight managment department.

I need a little perspective this morning too. With the Hopper coming up there has definitely been more competition talk around the gym. I normally stay clear of comparisons to anyone other than myself. Deadlifting seems to be the exception as once upon a time, I had one of the 10 best DL's in the gym. It lasted only about a month, but it felt so good to have one little part of CF where it seemed I could more than just hang with the pack

It is a good thing that I have motherhood as my training in this area. I know I've done a good job when my kids surpass me... academically, physically, and hopefully in holiness. Most days in the gym, I feel good when a younger, newer crossfitter bests me. It is a sign of progress for them, and I smile, because I genuinely believe that if they can attain and then maintain my level of fitness, they will be well served into their golden years. If they push themselves with the simple fact that "a 4o some year old mother of 5" is doing this, then so be it. To adhere to the unspoken CF standards of breathing every bit of fire you've got... even if it's only a spark, and to be the oxygen to someone else's fire are the true tests that every CF athlete must meet daily.... regardless of the number that goes on the WB.

Somehow, I carved out DL's from this line of thinking, but I shouldn't. I need to be dang proud that I sailed out of bed before even most hearty souls this morning, with a big wooting "it's DL's" smile on my face, and only a little tentativeness about how I missed matching my 3RM PR on our last outing. I laughed at myself trying to "inchworm" and then shared a barbell with a bunch of strong women as easily as I would share a cup of tea.

WOD 091014

Rest Day. I still chuckle every time I write that. Bwahahahaha!

WOD 091013

Strict Press 1,1,1,1,1

35, 55, 65, 70, 75 (PR?), 80 (f), 78 (f), 76 (f)

Still trying to find evidence to the contrary, but it looks like a nice PR in the overhead category. Corrections? I need to work on not pushing forward, but straight up. Surprise... it has something to do with droopy elbows and flexing wrists. One smart thing I did here was to not over work the warm ups. I only did 2 reps at 35 and 55 before switching to singles.

Took my sweet time with Erin on this, so didn't get much of a finisher.

The warm up with box jumps didn't feel too strong after my "longish" for me run yesterday. Watching the left foot too as it seems to swell more after exercise.

Labs all came back normal from the doctor, so I guess we get to attribute my maladies to moon phases and tides at the moment.... ugh

WOD 091012

Columbus Day.

Gorgeous chilly morning in the upper 40's at 6 am when I headed out for a run. Too many things scheduled to make it to CFOT today. Unfortunately it is starting to be dark longer in the morning, so I needed to keep to main streets of my neighborhood. Good news though is that the traffic/exhaust is lighter on a holiday. Not sure of my time but my distance was near 3.5 miles and included the significantly uphill efforts on S. Van Dorn on the outbound leg.

I couldn't get anyone to go with me, but it was still glorious to run some hills that a year ago would have waxed me flat.

Belvedere Plantation in Fredricksburg was a good finisher... farmer walking some big pumpkins in the pumpkin patch, rope swinging in a hay filled barn, and soaking up the cool fall day.

Came home to find out that I've run my last run in my shoes... new ones came in the mail. Great last run and hopefully the new pair will hit their 500mi limit sooner than the last pair!

WOD 091009

I love you Lou

7 RFT 3 DL's, 6 Lou Burpees (double push up), 9 Pullups.

Noon time class for me today. Almost didn't make it... I had to run from beyond "the mailbox" where I found my parking space. Definitely one of those days where I could trade my van for a Cooper mini.

Despite my talking smack last night, I didn't go with the Pro weight of 185 and settled in at 165 confident that I could go 7 rounds with it and pretty sure I wasn't going to break form. Too many quirky things on the health front to be playing hot shot with a barbell. I did my first round of pullups on purple floss and then finished the rest with red so that I could be certain to be well over the bar. The burpees stunk... period. This workout was a strengthcon, but it was also a bunch of my weak moves... I'm no fan of circuit deadlifts and I just plain stink at burpees. Besides the push up in there, my squat form hinders me when I try to get back to the sumo stance. That's what hurt my low back in this WOD... not the DL's. What I need to work on is the plyometrics. Why in the world do I need to still be palms on the deck when my feet hit the floor again in a burpee? Who knows. As long as my legs are relative to the rest of me, I must look totally ridiculous hunched over like that. So I worked it some...trying hard to get from push up to deep squat with palms off the floor and feet flat.

Two things I learned. First this does work better, although I'm sure the squat is still pretty horrid. Second, this is a dumb, dumb thing for me to do, barefoot on a cement floor with a bit of rubber padding. While I love to DL in bare feet, I felt it today in my feet - especially that left that has been swelling, every time I landed a burpee or came off the PU bar.

And about 3 rounds into this, my middle toes decided to go numb...

So, last barefoot metcon.
And I still hate noon time workouts... even if Sean and LtCol Dan are there to make me think it's 0515

And I still wait on my lab results... the HBA1C still hanging out there.

WOD 091008

5 RFT 400m run, 40 airsquat.

Today is why I can put up with training in the summer. You know there is a glorious day coming in October when it will be nippy and clear and you just plain feel like running. Not sure there is a weather pattern that makes me feel like squatting, but that's okay.

Nothing fantastic on the time -20:08. I so wanted to break 20, but I wasn't really watching the clock until the end. And in the big scheme of things, I got out of bed this morning having had an uninterrupted (albeit short) night's sleep and had a WOD. And that beats someone holding you hostage in a hospital thinking you might have an embolism anyday.

This girl from upstate NY is psyched. Weather for the hearty souls around the corner! Think I'm giddy now... if there isn't a running WOD as the first flakes start flying, I will just have to ditch CF for the day...

WOD 091007

No box today. Had to do fasting blood work this morning and somehow I just don't think adding a CF WOD to the mix would have helped. As it was it was nearly 0800 before I was able to eat and still didn't feel good doing that.

Memo to others, swelling in your ankle/foot over 8 weeks with intermittent calf pain and a history that includes a 27 hour road trip, will get you house arrest in any medical facility. So went my day yesterday at Bethesda as they searched for DVT and blot clots in my leg. I wasn't allowed to move until the ultra sound was done. Imagine my stress on that one, knowing that I needed to pick up a small fry at preschool on the other side of town. Sure that's why you have friends numbers in your cell phone... right, the one I lost last week. Ugh.

But no clot found and I was set free to go get more bloodwork. So after two trips to the Lab at Ft Belvoir (about 15 mins south of my house) and one to Bethesda (better than an hour the other way with the traffic) I'm pretty much tapped out, but still have no answers.

Hopefully tomorrow I will know. At this point the swooning and numbness/tingling they don't think is diabetes. My fasting glucose is 94. The one student who saw me with the PA did start using the menopause word, but they aren't quite ready to just chalk it all up to mid life hormone imbalances. First they need to check liver, kidneys etc. On my end, I am going to be a little more cognizant of what is happening and when. After a long happy marriage using the sympto thermal methods of natural family planning, it's time to turn that data collection focus a bit.... there probably aren't any more children to be spacing apart.... now I need to start looking for weird fluctuations and see if the other symptoms I'm feeling cluster around the midpoint and end of a cycle.

Guys, if you read my blog and think that's TMI, sorry. I'm sure there is a darling woman in your life that is going to want all the " I " she can get on this stuff by the time she's my age. I seriously think finding an ob/gyn with an openess to holistic treatment is more important to me now than it was at any point when I was having children. Ladies, I'm not liking growing older and closing some of those doors behind me. And I'm certainly NOT enjoying the fritzy crazy stuff that keeps happening. But when I walk down the street and see the goodly number of my age mates in disastrous health, I smile that while DFL could go next to my name on the WB many days, I wouldn't trade that DFL for a DNS anyday.

WOD 091006

Imposed rest day. Up again in the middle of the night unable to sleep for about 2 hours.
Glad to have a doctors appointment Wednesday to ascertain what the devil is going on.

WOD 091005

Back Squats 3,3,3,3,3

A little rough going today with these. My left hamstring into my glute has been just a tad tender so it took a while as usual to warm up in these. I didn't hit my 120 last time but topped out with 3 sets at 115 working to get them well sunk. The first was shallow, and the next two much better. Caught a 1 mile run with Erin as extra and was happy to have hutspa left to kick the last of it down Royal street.

Still battling the swelling in my left foot, and feeling like garbage after I eat. To make things worse, I'm starting to have early waking with that awful sense of worry about just about everything. Great stuff if you want to be on time for work, but I have NO need to be awake at 0230....

WOD 090928 -091002

Hopefully this last weekly post will get me caught up so I can start writing more thoughtfully about my form in each WOD. Last week was better at getting into the gym and I also managed to pick up a 5K with the dh who ran 5mi to celebrate his birthday last Wednesday. I am seriously hoping that it is just blatant disregard for zoning over the last couple weeks that has left me feeling horrible. I'm pretty much where I was in February where I seem to swoon after I eat and my left leg is swelling as the day goes on, tingling and parasthesias in my toes :( I will spare everyone my views on expanding socialized medicine in our nation, but suffice to say, IMHO having degrees in both IT and government... it's vaporware.

Monday was our 2 WOD workout with weighted sit ups to focus on lumbar placement, pushups and double unders. It took me 20:55 to finish it, but I felt strong through it, even my back which admittedly took a beating doing SDLHP's for FGB. I worked six great negatives on my pull ups in lieu of weighted chins.

Tuesday was a disappointment as I wasn't able to match my 3 rep DL max of 185 and only got to 180 for 1 + I couldn't get tension off the floor and I could feel it in my left hamstring. Leg drive just wasn't there. Serious boo hoo since this is my fave lift. But having Laura make a surpise visit to CFOT and celebrating Missy's bday made for a fun 44+ club on the bar.

Wednesday was Eric's actual 50th birthday and while our plans for a hot air balloon ride that I won at a silent auction 5 years ago were dashed by too much wind, we did take it head on and go for a run into Huntley Meadows Park. Eric the regular runner of course was on his own program, but I was happy to move along in the nice weather and pick up some rays... even if it was a dreaded noontime workout.

Thursday was rest using the 3 on 1 off rule.

Friday I did Jackie for 1st Fri in 15:33 - slower than I did in August (15:10 with most of that being in the row (5:35 vice 5:05) So not a good week deadlifting in any orientation/ position.

But 4 WODS in a week - one of which was a 5K AND the dh home on vacation. Pretty good.

WOD 090922 - 090926

Not sure anyone really reads this blog besides me, but if you do, sorry for my lack of writing about the WOD's. As I look back and try and piece this together, I'm probably missing some things. Nevertheless, I don't recommend FGB, redecorating a small bathroom, 2 doctor appointments, and preparing for two family birthdays all in the same week. It sets up for the worst combination of stress, little sleep, poor eating, and ultimately lousy workouts.

I'm not sure if I had a WOD on the Mon the 21st, just that I didn't make it to CFOT,
Ditto for Tues the 22nd, as I know I missed Grace's birthday Tabata FGB.
Wed, the 23rd I hit a PR on 3 RME Front Squat at 105#. That was also the day that I started kicking into overdrive preparing for the weekend
Thurs, the 24th I missed Sean's Barbara birthday
Fri, the 25th I missed the 5K.

I don't think I went the whole week without hitting the elliptical at the neighborhood gym, but I honestly can't remember much more than rinsing lots of paint brushes and relearning that a powder room is a tight space. Ditto for the fact that it takes me forever to clean my house to my satisfaction when I'm doing it alone.

Saturday was our Fight Gone Bad and I was really disappointed with only scoring 184. It didn't help that I drank too much beforehand and at the last minute needed to make yet another head call. I was in the bathroom when 3,2,1 went off. I was pretty much whipped by the third round... that sort of stumbling delirious look, but I was able to finish. I am still trying to console myself with the fact that I couldn't have even thought about doing this last year and that I did it at the Rx weights. My efforts at fundraising were absolutely miserable, which is particularly frustrating when your dad has prostate cancer and none of your sibs ante up. Yep! I just put that out in the blogosphere. I am really grateful to everyone who gave to this cause. I was really cheered by the number of small donations given throughout the country and the reminder that doing little things can make a big difference. Pretty much like when you put a group of people together in a box to workout, something synergistic happens that gives you a whole greater than the sum of the parts. Unfortunately I missed the group pictures, so we will have to rely on my memory that I was there... oh dear!

I also was a counter for Erin in the second flight. It was great to see her really blast through it with a whopping 247. I hope to hear about that mythical 300 from her next year at her next duty station. We had some confusion moving through the stations, which was probably my fault and if I do count again next year, I think I will make sure it isn't for the flight immediately after mine. Dazed and confused is not the way to go about counting... even if you are part of the 0515 Math Club!

FGB next year? Sure, but probably not after a week of sucking the VOC's of a paint can!

WOD 090918

FBG Prep 5 rounds of 5 exercises :40 work :20 transition. No rest between rounds. Record total.

I've played the sleep card a bit this week and hit the 1230 class today. I'm hoping that it helps settle down all the chaos that is soooo September. I suppose that a workout that is 85% perfect is better than no workout, so even though I don't enjoy mid day, it was go to get in the box. I loved the way this WOD hurt though. Working to exhaustion is a great feeling the rest of the day.

LOTS of trouble today with KBHP's. I am thinking I want to try this with a barbell, so that I can focus on what I do reasonably well with deadlifts. Box jumps were consistent as were the push press. My numbers were nothing to get excited about, but I was happy to be doing the work Rx'd... something I couldn't even think about last year.

Now I could live would the lowest score in the gym for FGB, but I'm NOT happy that I can seem to raise a single cent for two worthy causes. Ugh!

WOD 090917

Rest day. 3 on, so today is a welcome day off
No motrin, but my legs (particularly my left and left foot) were really swelling last night. Better today.

Other fun stuff to do... remove spills from van, find baker for dh's 50th birthday cake... yes, heresy I know, I'm not baking it....

Loving the rain and cooler temperatures. It smells like another nap today.

WOD 090916

Back Squats 5,5,5,5,5
Max effort 105, 115(2)

Great warmup of tabata situps and slam ball. Really felt the lower body warm up. Erin came in today and subbed strict press since she is injured, so it was good to have a familar face watching me try to sink them. Still don't have quite the right concentration on these as I was feeling really weak coming out of them. Tried my darndest though and I was happy to have better form and range of motion at 105 for 5 than I have even doing 3 reps.

As I catch up writing this tonight, I feel really swollen in the calves and achilles. I hope that's strength coming on...

BTW.... with all the busyness with schools starting, I've been a pushing the limit on laundry. So I dug out a shirt I haven't worn in forever to the gym today. I'm not in any of the pix today, but if you saw me this morning, don't you think I look just a tad different than this pic from Jerry's birthday last Dec? Yeah, I know I was wearing the weight vest for him... :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/crossfitchallenge/3079417012/in/photostream/

WOD 090915

More FGB prep.
Warm up... run Montgomery, 15 box jumps or slam balls, 10 burpees

3 RFT 400 m run, 20 Push Press, 15 KBHP, 10 Pull ups. 21:22

Nothing like adding pull ups to a little FGB work. This was hard. The 53lb HP's are still kicking me pretty hard. I can't do the "plyometric" "kinetic" push press either; my stance widens which tells me I'm leaving the floor and maybe even rebending.

I felt a little alone on this workout today. Erin is out for injuries and Maureen must be on travel. The other women in the gym were either subbing for an injury or scaling, so I missed having a pacer.

This left me laying on the sidewalk...

WOD 090914

Second week of school. Schedule still chaotic, but starting to simmer.
Only one car today, makes getting me to CFOT and everyone to their 'real job' difficult.

So, the neighborhood gym it was, for a circuit of fun.
Elliptical - intervals - 20 mins
500m row
20 airsquats
500m row
20 air squats

Since I missed the weighted chins at CFOT, I added one of those lat pull down bars to the interchangeable pulley system and sat down on the floor for some sets of pull downs. I was curious to see how close I could get to my body weight since I can't do a strict pull up.

I did 4 sets of 10 at 110, 120, 130, 140. Probably could have done more as I wasn't at muscle failure, but since I was uncoached and I almost NEVER do this move anymore, I decided not to superwoman it. Would like to get in with a friend to spot though and do this as a peudo flex arm hang to work the negative.

Finished with another 13 minutes on the elliptical... random pattern and pushed up to level 7

All told I was at it about 45-50 minutes. I also ran into one of the trainers who works out of the gym. She is a level I CF coach at CF Lorton. So it was good to have someone with a smile on their face instead of the bulging eyes and I worked the rower, shall I say a little more vigorously than my fellow gymsters....

All good punishment for eating way too much dessert this weekend....

Goals - CF, the Second Season

Running head smack into popular thinking, I'm going to make the bold statement that "it's not all about me." Nope, not even when making my "personal" Crossfit goals for this coming year. No man is an island, and that is part of why we train as a team. For me, yes my personal health, strength and elusive aesthetics are part of the equation, but alone these are just vanity. Crossfit is functional fitness to help us live, breathe, and move better, but we do that in the context of the world in which we live. We are fit for ourselves so that we can live fully with our families, friends, colleagues and yes the strangers we pass on the street. So, yes I have my personal metrics for this year, but I also have some broader, more community focused goals.

Community
Get one more soul on the planet doing CF
Get one more soul on the planet eating a better diet
Make a video about how to make those tape grips that save your hands.
Make sure I meet at least 2 new people at every CFOT event I attend


Strength
Push press >=100 lbs
Strict press >=85
Push jerk >=90 lbs
Snatch >= 85 lbs
Clean >=100 lbs
Front Squat >= 100 lbs
Back Squat >= 150 lbs
Deadlift >=250 lbs
and of course the elusive unassisted pullup

Metcon/Cardio
500m row <= 2:00
800m run <= 4:15
1600m run <= 9:00
100 Ab Mat <= 2:oo

Form/Function - less quantifiable but still very important
Better squat
Better elbow whip on cleans
Full pushups - always
Conscious effort to stretch/cool down before leaving the gym

Aesthetics
Real simple - 149 lbs - take no prisoners!

Diet
Try 3 new foods (this will be hard... are there 3 left that I haven't tried)
Caffeine reduction....
Consistent on my supplements.

Okay, that's it... about to push the button to put myself on the hook... keep me in check. Lead, follow, or get out of the way!

WOD 090911

Day of Infamy... best handled by a WOD of infamy... FGB

I did the pack version of our FGB prep or 3 rounds 30, 20, 10.
I really struggled with the 53lb KBHP - to the point where Jerry had to give me form correction. This didn't make me happy since KB's are usually where I can keep it together. But since I've only once before used more than a 35, I can be happy that I got through this. Need to sink that butt more and press through the heels.

Of course I had a box jump miss too. Doing these right after the KBHP is a real quad burner.

I really tried HARD to go with good form on the push presses and it seemed to pay off with getting my head through to active shoulder. Thinking traps is really helping this without me goose neckin' it and ending up all kinds of sore.

So about those goals... hang for the next post please.

WOD 090910

Hang Power Cleans... 1,1,1,1,1, ad infinitum or rather, ad maximum.

77... nice number, but not where I want to be with cleans. I have done a HPC at 90 before, but 'twas not to be today.

Good day in the box though, really identifying the form faults. Not sure yet how to get to the fixes, but definitely caught it on video. I am bending my arms at the start of the pull from the hang and my dip needs way less knee and more butt back. Also got to chat about how I can clean more from the floor with my form faults because of the momentum created over the distance.

I finished this by working with a 45 lb bar trying to get this together. I can see if I get to work this some more here soon that I'm going to try to come up with my own coaching script.

From the last time we did cleans or pulls from the floor
"Shoulders forward of the bar"
"Get your knees and butt back and out of the way as you pull"
From the hang
"Butt back, arms straight, shoulders high"
perhaps I also need to add a focus about my shoulders vis a vis the bar.
"Jump to land, open fingers."

Jerry might kill me for this because it sort of flies in the face of the "bar stays close to the body", but I sort of envision a narrow vertical ellipse happening when you view a clean from the profile. Obviously, the better the athlete, the narrower the ellipse.

I think too that I might have better form from the floor because you can get yourself over the bar at the start of the pull. And it is a lot easier to think butt back when you are using it more (from the floor vice the hang)

Lots of good stuff to work into some goal setting for the year.... which should be my next post.

WOD 090909

Still working through the new school schedule, so I was glad to take a rest day from CF. Hit the elliptical for about 37 minutes, just to do a little something.

WOD 090908

Great first WOD of my second year.
Push Press 3,3,3, 1,1,1 Extra FBG intervals - row, box jump, kb high pull (3)rounds.

Good workups to new single max PR at 90lbs. 55, 65, 70 for 3 75, 80, 85, 87, 88, 90 for singles. Some form troubles... losing my vertical torso on the dip. Worked really hard to engage my traps to get that active shoulder.

The extra felt slow and inflexible... still feeling Karen in my quads.

One year later...

Still addicted and still sore!

Saturday 5 September was my 1 year anniversary with Crossfit. Obviously it was a huge occasion... Jerry even closed the gym for the day!

Seriously though, it is a milestone that I don't want to pass by without some comment and maybe a few pictures. But as luck would have it, one of the top 10 reasons I joined CF in the first place was to manage the stress in my busy life. And with school starting yesterday, the chaos and uncertainity that peak the old anxiety meter are at a fever pitch. So look for this post to get updated with some transformation statistics after I sign all these forms!

So pictures... hmm... I'm not hiding them... I just can't get them to upload.... Soni, Katie, what's the deal?

Anyway, in the last year I've lost 16lbs. That of course is the number everyone wants to hear. I started CF at 178 and topped out at a high of 181 shortly after I started. As we all know, the muscle comes BEFORE the fat loss -a fact that I still don't like, but live with. Most of the weight loss though came AFTER I got serious about what I was eating... i.e., eating like an athlete instead of the stressed out zombie I was when I started.

Also on the aesthetics side, I'm down 3.5" off my waist and some off my butt. I still stuggle with what is called "core obesity", partly because of age, and partly because of stress and the insulin response. (and oh the comfort food response too!) So getting all the biological inputs to line up is important to improving this part of the package.... as well as my overall health. To keep my stress down, I need sleep, about 30 mins of silence somewhere in my day and lots of paper lists organizing the kid chaos. Improving all these in the next year, is one of my goals.

And the health numbers are the numbers I am most excited about. Before I started CF, my cholesterol was at 225 and the ratio was not great either. It was February when I last had it checked, but it was down to 200, with my ratio around 3.1. So much better. Also on the health front, I've had the ticker checked out a couple of times because I've had chest pains in the last couple years, which of course is the quickest way to get to the head of any line in the medical community. I was born with a RIGHT instead of left aortic arch, so it gets everyone excited when anything seems amiss behind my rib cage. But when you show up with your resting heart rate between 47 and 52, and what is considered a "normal" murmer, everyone smiles and says... what do you do to workout? Oh, and the pain? It is supposedly chrondritis... a forerunner of arthritis messing around with my sternum.

On the strength side, in the last year I've gone from having trouble picking up a barbell to having a brief stint on the leaderboard with one of the best deadlifts in the gym. It's slow progress, but I've gone from one of those green bands to do pullups to a skinny floss. I am getting close to cleaning and push pressing 100lbs. I can hang with the pack when I row (surprise, it is deadlifting in a different plane) and most days, get up on that 20" box a bunch of times without taking out a C2 rower. I still have lots of movement issues - knees when I squat, torso tipping forward, etc. but most days I have better range of motion than when I started.

From a strength and aesthetics point of view I've gained the most in my area of weakness... upper body. Not only do I stand straighter, but there is some definition to my traps and shoulders, and just a wee bit of cut to the old arms. In the clothing department, I'm in a struggle. I've gone from being a 10-12 to being an 8-10, the former being where most medium clothes are sized, while most "small" clothes are 6-8. So I'm kinda stuck trying to find things that are fitting well. Hopefully this will improve as I shed some more lbs.

As for the diet that supports all this... I'm currently somewhere between zone, paleo, and primal, with a heavy dose of Eat Right for Your Type. I am O+ which pretty much sets you down a road of limited grain and dairy, but I don't know if I will ever be totally grain and dairy free. The diet effort though has been doing as much work on my brain as it has on my body. I snuck a small piece of raisin toast this morning with a little almond butter and apricot preserves and I thought I would gag it was soooo sweet. Can't say it's as dramatic in my taste for fat and salt just yet, but I really can't eat coldcuts, cheese sticks, overly seasoned nuts and the like.

I am taking some supplements - an Omega complex, vitamin E, B6 and B12. This is more from a perimenopausal management perspective rather than as part of a training diet. Each of these has been helpful in stabilizing the hormones that start to fritz in your forties, regardless of how much you sleep or how many stressors you have in your life.

So is it working? ... sure when I stick with it. And in that respect, the school year is easier than the summer. Dieting is structure and rhythm. The summer is not, and I feel like I was living in a house of little satans tempting me with that incredible teenage ability to eat like (insert fave 4 letter word) and just keep on trucking. That said, they may buck me and try to wear me down with their complaints... but I AM winning. Swiss chard, kale, and salad grace the table alot around here; and they are learning that complaining and ruining mom's dining experience just earns you the privilege of preparing AND eating the vegetables next time.

The other big switch... when I stick with it... is the alcohol intake. When I'm serious about counting it with my blocks, I drink less and lose more. Another fact, like veggies are your friend, that we all just need to embrace instead of the glass, stein, etc.

So, next post... maybe some pics... and some concrete numeric strength and aesthetic goals for the next year.

WOD 090904

First Friday

I was looking for an end to my no juice week.

After a whole week talking about therapies to help Christopher with numerous doctors, I was really in the "repetition is the mother of learning" mode. Just keep working it and things do get better. So I picked one of my weaknesses - Wallball - and worked it to death.

Karen - 150 wall ball shots for time - 14:57.

I don't think I hit the 10 ft target or sunk them as well as I could have, but they got done. And here on Monday, I am finally moving my quads again. I should have taken Soni's "you're gonna be wrecked for the weekend" words to heart.

But I got to work a FGB move, which is going to be my focus for the next few weeks.

Too much food and wine this weekend... ready to get back at it this week.

Woman, Behold Thy Son

Mulier, ecce filius tuus.

Woman, behold thy son.

Those are Jesus' words to His mother Mary as he hung in his last hours on the Cross. The Catholic teaching on this poignant moment in Scripture recorded by "thy son", St. John, (John 19:26), is that Jesus' use of "woman" and "son", instead of their names, was to underscore the point that Mary is to be a mother to all whom Jesus loved and called his disciples. In this singular moment, Christ gave all his beloved to his Mother for her care and protection. It is here that Catholics find their devotion (note I do NOT say worship) to she who is "full of grace", and they often plead for her intercession to her Son for a modicum of that same grace.

It has never been lost on me that all of this takes place at the foot of the Cross. Nor has it escaped me that only the disciple closest to Jesus and his graced mother were there to bear the horror of the Crucifixion. Only they were there amid the pain to witness the greatest event in all of human history. The lesson is quite simple: Jesus wrought the supreme act of salvation through the pain of death offered to His Father for the sin of all mankind. Suffering is not for naught. And for those who are closest to Him, who participate in His suffering by offering their own suffering as a gift, there is a unique gift of grace. It is here one finds another Catholic tradition: the "offering it up" of little sacrifices.

It is amazing to me that Mary, by grace was able to stand and watch all the Passion unfold and not rush in and try to stop it all from happening. Every mother hopes to have the strength to raise her children to succeed at the tasks willed to them by God. Yet, figuring out when to act and when remain still is the challenge. Turning to Mary's example from that first "yes" at the Annunciation to her tears at the Crucifixion, can be the constant reminder of what we can accomplish with His grace, if we just cooperate with it. If we look for what is God's will and ask for the grace to accomplish it, it will be done.

You can imagine my joy in 2002 when the stick turned blue on the Feast of the Annunciation. To hear in my head that I was going to be a mother again was wonderful. To have this child due around Christmas, gave me the unique position to walk Mary's walk with this pregnancy. It was not an untroubled journey, nearly spontaneously losing my precious passenger at 10 weeks and wondering at 16 weeks if the little one had survived the accidental electrical shock I got from a light switch. As my firm was bought by a company, I took the severance and looked forward to a period of rest from corporate life and a chance to redirect my energies to my family. Fervent was my prayer for this little one, who I was convinced was a little girl and should be named Mary Rose, despite the many complaints of my family. But that was not to be. Instead, at the end of a uncharacteristically long and difficult labor on yet another profoundly Marian feast day - The Immaculate Conception on 8 December - the tiny little boy named Christopher Martin (for Christ and for Mary) was laid in my arms. And every day since, he has been "bearer of Christ" to me. Some days it is those little tastes of His Heavenly banquet - that sweet total bliss that kisses you like an early morning cool breeze. Other days it has been the Cross and I swear I feel the sword prophesied by Simeon pierce my own heart.

I am a firm believer that "mother's intuition" is grace; promptings of the Holy Spirit to listen to what was written into our humanity the minute God made us women. On his first day of life, not unlike any mother after an arduous labor, I asked if my son was okay. The response then was "he's just little". But so began the long series of events where my heart kept saying... something is not right. Unable to nurse, acid reflux, late to sit, late to crawl, late to walk, slow to gain weight, eczema, head slightly misshapen, curving toes, long fingers, sinus infections, food allergies, and most importantly, not talking. As each one of my concerns was dismissed by well meaning doctors who looked at me like I was paranoid, I tried to just enjoy the happy moments. We lovingly teased that Christopher was destined to be pope someday, because at 9 mos he would love to bob forward and kiss the carpet as if he were venerating the soil of the motherland. He particularly loved music, and would often stop his play if something melodic was playing. At 2, with a vocabulary replete with nouns and a few verbs but no phrases, he loved trucks like most little boys and was content to play with them for long periods of time, putting them all together like a long train. All the while, something still didn't seem right and we debated having the next child, thinking, "this seems so much harder than the first three."

Fortunately, Christopher was content to entertain himself, because my pregnancy with Karolin laid me flat with morning sickness so horrendous, I actually took medication for it. At his 3 year check up, the pediatrician started to take notice as Christopher was still not potty trained and was still behind in language, although progressing. We agreed that we would see a speech language pathologist after the baby was born if he didn't catch up. That visit to the SLP began a chain of events that resulted in a diagnosis that changed every few weeks. Speech/language delay, then Pervasive Developmental Delay, autism, and ultimately a rare genetic disorder where a small chromosomal component q29 is missing on one of his 3rd chromosomes. No I wasn't crazy...something was wrong to include one more thing no one had said... mental retardation.

Part of me died that day. I am pretty sure now that it is just the part that was full of dreams and expectations for the little boy, who as a baby savored Gregorian chant, and at 2, loved to celebrate Mass on the coffee table. Yes, the child I felt was so blessed was indeed blessed, but was also marked for a life of struggle. As a former elementary school misfit, I was crushed to know his crosses would be the burdens of trying to relate to people, feeling and giving love, having friends and even living independently. For a woman of Italian heritage, nothing is more painful than to know your child will have difficulty with foods and family banter around the table. I was angry with myself. All that repetitive behavior was telling me something wasn't right and I just missed it or let doctors dismiss my concerns. And I was angry with God... really really angry. It was quite apparent now to me that the reason for my MA in theology was not because I was to teach. No, I needed a profound understanding of my faith, if I was going to pick up this Cross. As it was, no less than 4 priests spent many hours that next year aiding me in finding all that He had written upon my heart. Physician, heal thyself. Theologian, embrace your faith.

Since that day 3 years ago, so much has changed both for Christopher and for me. Unlike many children with autism, he is verbal, although his language is disordered and he has trouble staying on topics because of hefty attention deficits. Many of the old fears and "stims" have faded, and while the vocabulary is not complex, he can often tell us how he is feeling. I feel particularly lucky as I seem to still be the recipient of his most intimate conversations. On our vacation this summer, as we were walking out of the first of the nine hotels we needed to visit to make the trip, he looked right at me and said, "staying in a hotel wasn't scary, but fun". A true gift when a mere two years ago we suffered several nights in a hotel for my sister's wedding. As it appears from testing that Christopher is not mentally retarded, a fact that will need to be confirmed by more testing, his novel case will be prepared for publication in the medical literature. It is a breath of fresh air to be contributing to the hope of others instead of looking for that hope.

New expectations and new dreams always follow the death of old ones. While Christopher may never be ordained a priest, which in catholic mom lore gives you a leg up on Heaven, he has continually born Christ to me in some rather priestly fashions. I still remember in his heavily tantrumed days, I was also teaching him the words to "Away in A Manger". I hung on those words, "...Baby Jesus, no crying He makes..." and continually calmed him telling him he needed to "match Jesus". Imagine my amazement when on one occasion, Christopher broke through his tears and told me, "yes, Mommy, the Cross." It didn't take an MA in theology to finish that sermon. "Pick yours up and carry it, Mom.

More recently we were in the car approaching a stop light alongside a school bus for a small non- denominational school near our home. Christopher piped up, " Mommy, I want to go to a Christian school." When I inquired why, he flatly replied, "So that I can learn about God." Two weeks later we were crawling in traffic to get to his first vacation Bible school class, certain to miss most of it. I was devastated and really wondering why God wouldn't see fit to get this child of His to this opportunity to deepen his pure simple faith. Christopher willingly sang the Divine Mercy Chaplet (don't worry, it's a comparatively obscure Catholic devotion) with me, giving us moments of peace, if not thinning traffic. It was hard to diminish his elated "it's working , Mom, keep praying." with, "prayer makes us patient with the traffic, it doesn't necessarily move it out of the way."

But at the moment, the memory that comes to the forefront of my consciousness is the one that just yesterday came full circle. Shortly after Christopher was diagnosed, we made a family trek to the National Museum of American History, someplace we thought we could escape the summer heat and have all the kids from teenager to infant enjoy an outing. I had really wanted to show Christopher the transportation exhibit with all the trains and cars. Imagine my devastation and horror when he started running out of the exhibit, screaming with his hands over his ears, terrified by the immensity of the vehicles on display. As we made our way out of the museum, we passed a young child in a wheel chair and at that moment, I could have traded Christopher's autism for a withered leg. Somehow lifting a child over thresholds and stairs seemed so much more doable than mediating your child's social existence with the world.

I couldn't quit that day and life isn't a football draft and trading free agents. It is living fully what God has given to you and trusting that what you have is exactly what you need. As we made our way down to the National Gallery of Art and its calmer environment, Christopher found his place. That ziploc baggie of goldfish crackers flying from one hand, and scampering in a wayward pattern along the curb and landscape, he shared his snack with any wildlife creature who cared a nibble. And there were giggles and laughs.

Yesterday we were back in the NMAH, and I wondered what to do about the trains. We visited the hands on invention exhibit and Christopher gleefully set up an albatross of pinwheels spinning wildly in the makeshift wind of a fan. Despite the crowds he stuck close to me as we admired the Stradavari's, and I had to smile as he identified all the string instruments, noting the differences in tone that they each add to music. I could have wept as I stood in Julia Child's kitchen... the icon of food, family, and fun. Christopher and I chatted about how she was very much like Gousteau in Ratatouille, as she too believed that "anyone can cook." And then as we prepared to leave, I had to take him... and we went into the train exhibit. I held his hand the whole time, and he did react to the piped in "train noises", but we talked about how it wasn't real, that the train couldn't move, and this was a safe way to see something really close. We wandered the rest of the exhibit and a few times, he said "we need to find the exit", which when we did, he promptly said right into my face, "Mommy, it wasn't that bad." A little taste of Heaven.

I suppose one has to wonder why this post and why now. After all, this blog is usually full of my physical aches and pains as I try to maintain some level of fitness. Well if truth be known, it is mostly to give myself a little homily again. After spending numerous hours back in the doctors' offices this past week, it has been a lot of reason without the faith. Ratio non fides. It has been a lot of the scientific analysis of what is wrong with Christopher, what is broken, what cannot be fixed. I'm not sure which was worse - the neurologist who said there was nothing to do for him and "just enjoy my son" or the doctor who seemed insistent on including the fact that I declined prenatal testing during my pregnancy as if that would have been the smarter thing to do. So much of what Christopher isn't, so much of what Christopher will not be. All that utilitarian focus that makes our world one that embraces eugenics as a tonic for suffering. Yes, I needed to write this to put the faith back on the balance of reason. To put the soul of Christopher's differently- abled body back in the forefront of my consciousness.

To do that, I've been going back to some things my priest friends shared with me. One, a good hearted German soul from a huge family of 13 (to include a disabled sister), helped me focus on what Heaven will be like, and specifically on all the catching up Christopher and I will be doing there. Of course this was followed by a harsh reminder that my despair over all of this could very well squander my chances at Heaven. So get it together, sister.

Once a priest in confession asked me to meditate upon how much God must love and trust me that he gave Christopher to me. Just imagine how he might not be as safe if his dear soul had not been born of my womb and entrusted to our care. So many disabled children are abused, a horror beyond imagination.

The other was a young Irish priest, who was willing to take me on in my weakest moments and buffet back my vocal anger at God. He flat out told me that I needed to build the virtue of gratitude, one step at a time. Every time I crossed the threshold to Christopher's room, I was to offer a small ejaculative prayer of thanks for this incredible soul. Just do it, each and every time. He was certain that such a small gift on my part would be rewarded with the grace of a well spring of peace growing in my heart.

And so I try to do, every time I pass into that room painted in Mary's color... blue.

Mulier, ecce filius tuus.
Woman, behold thy son.

Deo gratias.

WOD090902

3 RFT: 20 ring dips, 20 Wall ball, 600 m run
29:28

No juice... not sure what's up, but this was another dragger of a workout. I can live with the valiant effort at ring dips... they really hit my weakness and it takes a long time to do 20. Just turn off the clock and get the range of motion. Not fun struggling for singles at the end, but I did finish them all. But the lack of grace on the wall ball was really discouraging. I really didn't feel like I had any push out of the bottom of the squat and I don't think I made the 10ft target a single time. Doesn't bode well for FGB in 3 weeks. The cool morning was such a joy for running, it really was a downer that I couldn't push myself faster. No juice.

Off tomorrow. Not sure what the WOD will be for FF.

WOd 090901

Wrest Day... aka Wrecked sleep last night.

WOD 090831

WOD for the capable 21->3 ladder (decrease by 3 each round) Lsit Pull ups/ Strict press
ALT WOD 5 rounds 10 PU's 15 Presses, 20 Abmat

If you felt all the dust flowing out of your house this morning, that would be courtesy of me, because I totally sucked at this workout this morning. This was all upper body with brief rest of abmats for me. I worked kipping pullups with my purple floss, and was only able to crank out a couple of doubles. I can't follow directions apparently and only did 10 presses vice 15. I had to strip the weight from 60 to 55 after the first round or I never would have finished. As it was, I was doing the leg quiver and lots of singles by the 4th round.

Yep, this was a just quit WOD. Pull ups felt so weak, you'd never know I've been working on them a year. Strict press could have been considered tolerable, until realizing that I didn't do all that I should have. Just plain rotten. I'd like to say I am looking forward to meeting this one again so I can mark some progress, but I'm still to disappointed to get there.

Probably what really bummed me most was how dang heavy the silly 35# kb swings felt during the warm up. FGB is coming just around the corner, and I don't feel ready to take on anything.

'nough whining. Hit it again tomorrow. Look forward to next week when school starts again and two a day's a couple times a week. Cooler weather coming. All good things.

WOD 090828

Today will be a run day on my own once there is a break in the clouds/rain.

Busy week coming on starting today with SLP, Audiology, Genetics, and Developmental Pediatric appointments for Christopher. Some can be several hours in length and are quite exhausting as it seems I repeat myself many times over...

Besides schedule, running a 5K today is appropriate. Today is Peter's - my uncle and serious XC runner - 47th birthday. Unfortunately his glioblastoma is growing again after several months of no growth and has caused him some seizures as well as put his entrance into experimental drug therapy on hold. Not pretty, not much to do, but prayer and sweat on this one.

Caught Julia and Julie last night at the Hoffman with Erin. Mastering the Art of French Cooking and Joy of Cooking both sit upon my bookshelf, quite smudged with flour, olive oil and perhaps a little butter. I really liked the movie... who wouldn't... it's all about the love of food, family, friends. It is the culture that cooked instead of heated up. It is the culture that fasted before feasting, and it is the culture where a woman wore pearls! (Yes I'm a sucker for Audrey Hepburn too) Julia Child is inspiring because she wasn't perfect, but she cooked her way through the most prestigious Le Cordon Bleu. Martha Stewart could take a few lessons from her in how to be authentically human and see your craft infused with your own good humor.

Seriously, I think everyone should see this movie and Ratatouille (yes the Disney cartoon). Being able to feed yourself and your family good food isn't really that hard. Both movies are inspiration to cook in the French style. Which by the way, if you read The End of Overeating, may actually have it's paradox wrapped up in a culture of intermittent fasting...

Bon Apetit

WOD 090827

Run, Push Jerk, Pull ups. 800, 15, 600, 12, 400, 9

Stuck with the porch weight again today at 55. 65 felt heavy and 70 impossible. Red banded pull ups since I wasn't get much with my magic purple floss today. Will need to check the WB for my time as I've now forgotten.

My left shoulder hurts in the front, and I could have done better with getting to active shoulder. Saw a note from a Rippetoe article about engaging the traps. I am going to put this on my mental list for my next overhead workout. I think too much about lifting with the lats and I don't think I've ever considered the rest of my upper back. So more thinking to add to the motor planning part of the equation

My left leg is still tender and swelling as the day goes on. Time to see the dr. on this one... DVT is not outside the realm of possibility and that is nothing to mess with. Ugh! Not fair for someone who is eating better this year!

WOD 090826

Rest Day

Just not feeling great. Sore sure from getting back at things, but more bug like... headache and dragging.

Try for tommorrow. No new T-shirt today.

WOD 090825

Back in the Box

I will probably travel log our adventures separately in case anyone is interested in how to get a small herd to graze half way across the country for 9 days.

Today was a strength con circuit. 3, 6, 9 Heavy cleans, ring dips, and box jumps. I played it safe on the porch and only went with 75lbs on the cleans. Probably could have done the 85, but given my erractic life with lifts, I didn't think that was the way to come back to the box. Ring dips were tired and I even stumbled a box jump. But it was 26:18 spent in action instead of watching the trees go by.

Lots of things impeded getting a single good workout on this trip, but there was some fun in a pool and at the beach and tons of walking and carrying wee one around an amusement park. That said none of it makes up for the poor diet that comes when you travel. I am thoroughly convinced that that other than a few diamonds, it is all rough out there in restaurant land. Don't be alarmed when you read my travel log... I wasn't eating pasta at the Italian restaurants but marsala and piccata and subbing veggies on the side. But ugh! I actually had several meals that I would deem unpalatable because of the quantity of seasoning and other additives. I can now add Carrabas to my list of "never go back"

Point is eating heavy and driving makes a rotten combination. I actually have edema in my left foot that looks pretty much like 3rd trimester water retention. That calf feels like it had night cramps too. The right driving hip is sore up to my back and my neck and shoulders have that dull ache. Rats... all this and no great work outs to show for it.

Hopefully with a week back in the box and my fridge and out of the car, things will look better by the weekend.

WOD 090814

Back Squats 3,3,3,3,3 record top load
55, 85, 105, 105, 115, 115, 120 (PR)

Lots of challenges to overcome this morning. My recovery from yesterday is slow. The lower legs feel tight and the forward part of my shoulders is hurting from the pushups yesterday.
My first few sets I had a LOT of trouble getting a decent rack position around the bar. I even had to just lay on the floor a bit, hands clasped behind my head with elbows back to slowly get things opened up. I was able to get a better, albeit not fantastic, position after that. It is really hard to concentrate on the squatting - core, heels, back angle when you are still contemplating the bar placement on your back.

I also think the sleep has really caught up with me, because I just felt mentally foggy... more than just the usual math troubles counting plates at 0515. I don't think I had the quick mental focus to process the coaching cues I was getting.

And then something happened that never has in the box. I got really annoyed with the music. Not the usual, I don't really like rap, type feeling that I can ignore. More of the I really hate this song (Poker Face) and I don't want it or what it represents stuck in my head all day. Catchy tune/beat sure with a bit of edgy attitude, but I really hate the message it delivers. Jerry was nice to skip it for me. Now before you think me a prude, I really don't like Billy Joel's "Only the Good Die Young" for the same reason... great music that makes it hard to see the not so great message that is getting wired into your brain. Unfortunately the next song in the play list was actually worse... something about being "retardo", which regardless of whatever the current vogue connotation is, really hurts anyone who lives in a world with the learning disabled.

So, Jerry has always said, if the music bugs you, better have a play list. So I subjected my box mates to Foreigner, Styx, Kim Wilde, Bryan Adams, Bonnie Tyler, Cold Play, The Romantics, and if we had made it through, it would have been the best of lifting songs.... Queen's "We Will Rock You" It's a play list really suited to a strengthcon, but it sort of worked to at least wake people up. Talk about brain death though... I couldn't remember that "Holding Out for a Hero" was from Footloose (before it was remade for "Shrek", anyway)

I love music and what it does for mind, body and soul. It can drive a mood and create great achievement for athlete, whether it is setting a pace or just generating positive energy. For me, these older classics drag me back to feeling a little younger and vibrant, tearing a hole in a dancefloor somewhere in my 20's. This morning, with my shoulders fighting to wrap around that barbell, I needed to turn on that youthful feeling again.

But this also tells me that I am due for my week off from CF, both physically and mentally. If you need the music to move you in the right direction, by all means do it. But it is just an analgesic, and doesn't really fix what's not right. Time to rest a few joints, sleep the noggin, and start reflecting on the big picture again.

Vacation next week. Hopefully there will be many salads on those menus!

WOD 090813

5 RFT 9 Toes to Bar, 12 Push Press, 15 Pushups, 300m run

My mod - Knees 2 Elbows, 55vice 65 on the Push Press, 4 /5 rounds of pushups were knee push ups.

My time 26:51

Not so great, but I am soooooooooo tired. I have been under 6 hrs of sleep every night since Saturday and I'm starting to think Karolin is a newborn again with her sleep pattern. Actually I suspect it's milk in her diet which she drinks sporadically.

The K2E did feel stronger than they have in the past, plus it was nice to work the core instead of the shoulders on that bar! The 55 on the push press was a choice because my shoulders have been feeling spent and I really wanted to do it right. I was rewarded for my prudence with 5 unbroken sets(resting only in the rack, not setting it down) and fewer form faults. Jerry's emphasis that your shoulder is better protected when you get to active shoulder was a help. Plus 55 is FGB weight for women and a good one to feel comfortable with for 5 rounds. I still don't know what has happened to my pushups, but I am hoping that this turns around. I HATE doing them on my knees and slipping all over an abmat.

Overall a good WOD and payback for the dietary wanderings yesterday

WOD 090812

Rest Day ... sort of.

Didn't want to miss Ellen's coaching on rowing today. So I drug myself to the box and made sure I got in two 500m rows and some abmat work.

Ellen's coaching that emphasized the relationship to the deadlift was a very big help to me. First from a confidence perspective, since deadlifting is one of my stronger moves. Second, it helped make sense of the form of the pull of the stroke. It probably also explains why I like to lean back (or stand up straight) with my row stroke. This is an area where I could probably work on not wasting time/energy, but for now, overemphasizing some should help me get that kinesthetic memory going.

Very, very, very bad diet day. But a very very good learning day. I am definitely a emotional eater and just about everyone knows when the rest of life is out of control, what you eat is still the one realm that is truly yours. So here's my confession. I ate a decent breakfast, and actually a decent lunch. But in between I was at the "snackypoos" in the pantry and by the time I got through the afternoon doctor's appt, I was more than willing to indulge Christopher's request for chicken and fries from Mc Donalds. I got one piece of his chicken, half his fries and the little hamburger for myself. I came home to my pantry friend and ate a bazillion walnuts and at least 1.5 oz of baking chocolate. More garbage crackers too. Pasta and red sauce for dinner. Wine making the sauce, wine in the sauce, glass of wine with dh who came home late for dinner. And then I went trolling for a evening snack of blueberries, cheese, and more nuts. Water intake was not good either.

All good reasons to keep a 35lb kettlebell and a sledge in the garage to work out frustrations. But alas, I only have an axe. Anyone need a hole dug?

WOD 090811

Strengthcon day. 7 rounds - 3 DL's , 5 weighted ring dips, 7 L-sit PU's

My WOD - DL's@ 165 (Pro weight and BW for me), Red banded dips, and Floss kipping pull ups.

Not sure what or when I did it yester day with split jerks, but my right (rear) leg was hurting by afternoon and the ache was starting to climb to my tookus. Really noticed a lack of range in my knee when trying to squat to the lower shelves of the commissary. Also felt it a bit in my back which means I missed something on one of the lifts yesterday.

Deadlifting can be a back issue if your form is off, but it usuallyisn't a problem for me .... unless it is a circuit like today. My form on the uptake is there.. I have the movement, but in a circuit you add the element of speed and actually there is more form since you shouldn't drop it, but lower it. This is where I need to work my form. Sure it is much more fun to drop the weight and then reset, but technically to "do the work" of a met con you need to lower it.

My time today was 17:33 - partly because I was singling a lot of the pull ups, but also we had a bit of a clog with ring dips and kipping going on in the same area. We ladies found ourselves waiting a bit.

I rowed a 500 and 50 abmats for a cool down. Some others went for a mile run, which they said was almost indiscernable from a swim in this morning's humidty.

I'm really tired after 3 nights of interrupted sleep and may have to skip the rowing class tomorrow in favor of zzzzzzzzzz's

WOD090810

Split Jerks, 8 x 1 rep

Max effort -65#
First time working splits as a class that I can remember. Jerry has recommended this stance to me before as it is sometimes better for those without great shoulder stability.

Lots of form work and more still needed. I actually have a subscription to CFJ, so I watched the videos posted on FB yesterday. I will probably have to watch them some more. My dip is pitching forward, my elbows are out of place and surprise my footwork is too slow.

Hanging on to the thought that the journey is just as important as the destination.