12 weeks complete

So...yesterday I was ready to quit...today I am feeling fabulous! We did handstand holds this morning and I decided that it was time for a new handstand photo. I took one 4 weeks in (left side above) and one today (right side). After the skill session and WOD kicked me in the butt, I went to the car and compared photos. Then I cried. I can't believe the difference. This is a side of you that you just don't see every day. WOW, it is awesome the changes that are happening in my body! Yesterday is yesterday, seize each day as it comes....I choose to do that :P

Today's workout was a doozie. I looked at it when I left the house and thought, "I can do that, 4 push presses, 4 weighted stepups, long, but doable" Famous last words...

Level Two
Skill
A1. Snatch DL x2×5 Rest 2:00
A2. Handstand Push-up+Handstand Hold x2+:15-:30×5 Rest :45
*Work to a challenging, but not max, 2
*Post weights to comments

WOD
15 Minutes, On-The-Minute:
4 Push Press
4 WTD Step-ups (Total)
*M: 135 lb W: 95 lb

Snatch DL weight was 107#, felt good
Handstand pushups, well mine were pike pushups, and I will be working on those twice a day for a while to get them much better than they are.
Handstand holds..nicely done, "push your butt toward the wall" says Tristy so I did. Notice that the right picture is better form than the left. Thanks, Tristy!

Ok, this 15 minute WOD kicked my a$$. Royally. I used a 45# bar only and 3 big weights stacked to step up on. Push press the bar 4 times then back rack it and step up with it. Holy Cow that was hard!! The first 4-5 times I pretty much had to do them with very little rest and then I started seeing spots so I had to take a rest. Tristy pushed me through this (and for that I am thankful!), kept at me to get back into it, get the bar up, be agressive. I dropped one of the big plates and she brought me a smaller one to finish up my step ups. I pushed through the last 5 with a strength that I found in the bottom of my toes, and I finished strong. I missed at least one round, but did a ton of work!

Then I laid on the floor. Just for a little bit. And I got up and went on about my day, feeling pretty badass :)

BTW...I didn't make it to the killer workout last night, just plain ran out of time. But I am sure it will come around again, and I will be ready for it!

This is where I quit....

I decided to do this blog and be completely honest, so I am going to be honest now. This is the time that I quit CrossFit. I have changed my life, I have gone down two sizes, people are noticing the changes in me...That should be enough, it usually is. That is the good part, the bad part is I am tired, I hurt, and I am scared of moving on. This is usually the place where I quit. I have done so many diets and exercise programs that it makes me SICK. Changed my life so many times, for a few weeks or months. Then I quit. Well guess what world I AM NOT QUITTING THIS TIME! Oh, don't get me wrong, I really want to. I really am tired, my body really hurts (so much that I am afraid my husband thinks I love my Airrosti dr more than him), and I am really scared of these workouts. This week I missed Monday because I wasn't feeling well, went yesterday, and was going to go today. Haley had to be at work at 5:45 and Sarah had to be in North Austin at 7 for an EMS rideout, so I didn't make up Monday today, like I wanted to. Monday I heard how hard the workout was by some pretty strong ladies, Tuesday I saw one of the strongest girls I know actually do it, and it knocked her on her butt. (BUT she looked GREAT doing it!!) Today one of my trainer's said she wanted to quit in the middle of the workout, and I think she is a badass. SOOOO, I am scared. But I have heard "If your workout doesn't scare you, you need a new workout." I guess I am good there.

I have been told lately that I am inspiring people. That is why I wanted to write this post. I don't want anyone to think that this gets easy. It gets easier from the beginning, but it never gets easy. I just keep thinking that I have changed my life, and am continuing to change it...one ring row at a time. Soon I will be strong enough for more than 3 partner pull ups, and then will go on from there. I have a long way to go, but I have come a long way from where I started.

I will tell you that I work out with an amazing family of crazy people. I love each and every one of them. They encourage me, inspire me, and drive me to be a better person. We are from all walks of life, but have one thing in common. We are not quitters, we are CrossFitters.

Stay tuned, because I am about to go sign up for this killer WOD this afternoon, and I am going to kick it right in the ass. (of course we will probably be about even, because it will kick mine too!!)

Here it is...
Level Two
Skill
A1. RDL x10×3 Rest :45
A2. CTB Pull-ups x4-6×3 Rest :45

WOD
8 Rounds
1:00 Row or Airdyne for Cals
1:00 Active Rest (3-5 Challenging DB Presses)
1:00 Wall Ball for reps @ 20 lb, 14 lb
1:00 Active Rest (3-5 Hip Clean @ 135 lb, 95 lb)
*Record calories and wall ball reps

If you are not busy between 4:30-6:30 (I haven't decided which class I am doing) please say a little prayer for my strength and endurance. I will run(row) the race before me, and come out on the other side better for it.

Bad day turned out pretty good!

Last night I was such a grump that I went straight to bed after church. I know I set my alarm for 5...I know I did! However, at 6:07, Bart said "Are you guys going to workout?" CRAP!! So I cancelled my 6:30 class and sent my friend Jenny a text asking her to let the coaches know what happened. She said "It happens to everyone in the mornings, go back to bed!!" I did, and called the gym later to sign Sarah and I up for the noon Level 1 class. From now on, I will have two alarms so I don't do that again!!

The good news is that I got to workout with Sarah. It was great to see her in class (I haven't just watched her before because I didn't want to be a mom stalker!) She responds well to coaching and did great today. 37# front squats, 65# deadlifts, and partner pullups!! I did 65# front squats, and went ahead and stayed with her on 65# deadlifts, I did ring rows because my partner pullups are just not happening right now for some reason.

I am so proud of Sarah and her determination in Crossfit. Being 14 she is a normal teenager and when faced with a challenge she sometimes makes excuses. She has embraced this with both arms and loves it just as much as I do.

Haley has had to take almost the whole week off because of work conflict. We are hoping to get her back in the saddle next week.

Tuesday I had a really blech afternoon and was really whiney and down. I realized what was wrong...I had gotten on the scale that morning and gained back 5 pounds. So my resolution is to not get back on it until after the first of the year. It is just not worth it when I know my body is changing, I feel it, my clothes are falling off, and others are seeing it! That night my sweet friend, Linda, called me and said "Girl, you need to go get a new outfit, just one, but do it!" So yesterday, we went to do just that. I wanted a new pair of jeans and told the lady that I didn't know what size I needed. She suggested that I start in the last pair that I know fit, so I said 24 (and those had been snug). I put then on and it was like a pair of clown pants!! Asked for a 22, they were better but she said they will be falling off within the first hour of wearing them. So, I went for the size 20....THEY FIT!!!!! OMG, I don't remember the last time I was wearing a size 20 pants! Sarah picked out a shirt for me and we just started at the 18/20 (I had been wearing 26/28 and 22/24) and IT FIT TOO!!! I am so proud of myself. I made a commitment and am sticking with it. I am about to start my 11th week of CrossFit and can't wait to go every day. I love my new friends, I love my new confidence, I love me :)

See you guys back at the gym on Monday!!

Strength DAY :D

I love strength day, it is my favorite. I just feel like I can take on the world. Of course every time I feel like this something happens to knock me a little off :/ Today my knee was hurting again during warmup. Yesterdays thrusters did a number on me so I called to make an appt with an orthopedist. I have got to get this taken care of. Usually I can push through the pains or they come later in the day, but we were doing some lateral moves that just rub it the wrong way so I limped out :( But I did the rest of the warmup and then moved on to lifting!

Today's WOD was
A1. Bench Press x4-6×4 @ 70-75% Rest :60
A2. High Box Jump x3×4 rest :90
B. Squat x10×3 (Set 1: increase 5-10 lbs from last week, Set 2: 95%, Set 3: 90%) rest 2:00
C. DL x4×3 @ 80% Rest 2:00
D. Ab Circuit: Planks, Tic-tacs, Hollow Holds

I did a 70# bench press, step ups, 65# squats (modified to help my knee some), and 135# on deadlift. It felt good and then I went to try a bigger weight on DL..153#!! I have a new PR on deadlift. In fact I have had new PR's on pretty much everything that I have done this week. So I am feeling pretty good about this :)

Tomorrow I have an Airrosti appointment for my back (knot of stress that has been living there), and next Wednesday I have an orthopedist appt for my knee. I am ready for my body to be at full movement so I can continue to progress!!!

Sunday I put on a shirt that I have not worn since beginning my workouts It just slid all the way down over my hips like it never has before. The scale is not moving a whole lot, but my body is toning and I am loving the difference!!

Oh my FRANNY!!

Yesterday was the infamous FRAN workout. FRAN consists of thrusters and pullups, 3 rounds of 21, 15, and 9 reps. Oh my goodness, she kicked my bootie!

It was hard, crazy, and again made me reach all the way inside. I did it. Boone said something about a 3-30 minute time span and then said, "We want to try to stay under 15 minutes" I did it in 10:16!!! I am so excited to have that benchmark and kick it next time she comes around. I used 25# on the thrusters and did jumping pullups.

Everyone in class did awesome! I love working out with these great people :)

Well I did it....

I fell apart in my CrossFit class this morning....during stretching warmup of all things. I was tired and my knee hurt with everything that I was doing. A few times I almost tapped out, but kept pushing. Finally the rest of the class went in and I went to pieces. Cried for a little bit, washed my face and went back into the back of the class, hoping no one noticed. We started doing spiderman stretches and my knee hurt again, so I crumbled to tears again. Crap! Tristy was awesome, just asked if my back was bothering me (since it has also been bothering me since Sunday, stress settles there), but that wasn't it. It was my stupid knee and I was so frustrated. She just got an abmat for me to rest it on instead of the floor and I got right back in. It felt so much better being on that. (must remember!)

I was so afraid of the WOD, it looked like so much and since I got there 30 minutes to get Sarah to class I got to watch the 5:30 Level 2 do it. Wow, intense.

Level Two
Skill
Kip Pull-up Review

WOD
1-2-3-4-5-4-3-2-1:
Kip CTB Pull-ups (CTB is chest to bar)
Box Jump (30”, 24”)
Toes to Bar
200 M Run

The first numbers mean that you do that number of reps of all moves in that round, so there were 9 total rounds with 1-5 reps, and a 200m run (row for me) at the end of each round. OMG! So my sweet friends Jenny and Erica said, let's do this, and we decided where to scale and where to get busy and off we went.

I did kipping jumping chin to bar, step ups, and knees to chest or waist depending on how far I was into the rounds. I really thought I was not going to make it and tried to figure out how to make it. The secret is to just keep moving. The neatest thing about being last is that everyone comes to cheer you on. The last three rounds of the row, I just counted my pulls, 1-10 back down to 1 up to 10 and back down, that usually got me at least to the 200. This way I could close my eyes and go away, not worrying about how far I had to go, just counting. On the second to last round, I just kept hearing my grandmother say how proud she was of me, that almost did me in. I was on my own on my last round of 1 rep each, at each station someone different said, "You can do this, 1 left!" I just focused on each task, one thing at a time, then on to that rower, which at this point is no longer my friend. I closed my eyes and started pulling, I heard people gathering around me, encouraging me, loving me, helping me get it done, and then it was over. I was done. I completed my very first full WOD at Level 2. No less rounds than everyone else, just scaled for me. That encouragement is what CrossFit is all about. It did not push me to hurt myself, didn't make me go farther than my ability, it only made me find in myself the desire to finish, the only thing that was hurting were my lungs. My pride in myself was soaring, my love of CrossFit was lifting, my gratefulness of my CrossFit family was glowing. Soon I will know all of the names of my new friends in Level 2 6:30 class, but for now I will give a shout out to Jenny for all of your encouragement all the time, but especially today on the rower side by side, Erica, who can jump all over that box and lift beautifully, and Tristy, who gave me a warm hand on the back and an abmat to rest my knee on :) as well as all of her continuous encouragement. Others I know by sight and not name yet, but Thank You also. Today was tough but it did not beat this CrossFit girl, she is just getting started.

Forgot to post today's WOD

WOD
A. Press x2×5 Rest 3:00 work to heavy but not Max 2
B1. Squat x10×3 @ 65-70% rest :90
B2. Weighted Strict Chin-up x4-6×3 Rest :90
C. DL x3×3 @ 80% Rest 2:00

Sorry! I did a 52# press, 52# back squats, ring rows with a 3 second hold tight at the top of each (thanks MGJ), and 82# deadlift, with 4 135# deadlifts on the end!!

I am sore this afternoon, but feel like it was a GREAT workout. Again, love all of the encouragement :)