WOD 2.27.12

I posted an update of Facebook the other day with my workout. I was so proud of how I did and the effort I put into it.  I mean, honestly, big picture…I didn’t do that great. However, it was my mindset and the push and the drive that was in me during this WOD that made me giddy after the workout. So giddy, I felt like skipping out the door!

The workout of the day was… (my weights, mods are in bold)

A. Touch and Go squat cleans 3 x 10 (build in weight)  (60#, 65#, 75#)

B. 3 rounds for time

30 weighted lunges (plate overhead) (15#)
30 hand release push-ups (knees)
30 one arm dumbbell snatch (15 reps per arm) (10#)
100m run

C. Weighted Plank hold – 2 min (15# plate, 0:35, 0:30, 0:30, 0:25)

via CrossFit Flower Mound: Monday, February 27th.

I LOVE the work we did with squats last month!! I did pretty good WHEN I remembered to keep my shoulders back. Last set was rough and hard but I finished. I’m really progressing in leaps and bounds (…literally…) since I’ve been back from my 2 month hiatus. My cleans, from just two skill sessions, have improved tenfold. Who knew that nearly my entire problem with cleans resided in my shoulders??? My shoulders!!! Since I’ve been pulling back with my shoulders…cleans and I have become friends. We’re not BFF’s yet, but at least we’re past the frenemies stage.

I finished the met-con in 16:41. Not an impressive time, BUT I sprinted every.single.run (which I’ve never done in a workout) and I blasted through the dumbbell snatches. I probably should have done a heavier weight on the snatches but it would have made that plate carry even worse than it already was. The lunges are where I suffered. The actual lunge wasn’t so difficult, it was having to keep the plate overhead that was so hard.

Cash out was okay. Tried to do two sets at 1 minute each but my shoulders just weren’t having it so I ended with 0:30 sets +/- 0:05.

I finished out my day with a super set of 3 x 5 half-pull ups (that’s what I call them. I’m just working on my kip) and 3 x 5 strict, hard ring rows. Pull ups, here I come!! My kip has drastically improved over the last month.

Well, there you have it! Sorry it’s so late…but…at least I wrote it! More soon!

New Year’s Resolutions: CrossFit Goals

Earlier this week I made a list of New Year’s Resolutions.  This is the third installment of several that will be detailing my goals.

I started CrossFit about a year and a half ago. It’s been the best decision I’ve ever made! This year I would like to set some goals for myself. Last year, I don’t feel like I made very much progress because I had no real goal in mind. This year, I’ve set goals so that I have something to strive for in the upcoming year. I’ve spoken with Dave and hopefully these are reasonable goals for the next year…

Improve CrossFit: clean, press, row, run, pull

Clean 115 lbs. (current clean: 100#)

I’d like to get my clean over 115#. I’ve been stuck right at 100 or 105 for a little over a year now. It’s time to get over that hump and get to 115!

These aren’t very good squat cleans…but…you get the point!

Press 120 lbs. (current press: 105#)

The same problem I have with my cleans, I have with my press. So, yea. Need to get that one up. Kinda like this lady.  Except she’s awesomer because she’s 20 wks pregnant!

Row 500m sub 1:55 (current 500m row: 2:02)

Well, that about says it all.

I’m not sure why people video themselves rowing but…works for me! Since I needed a video. LOL

Run: Run a sub 7:30 minute mile (current mile: 9:02)

Pretty self-explanatory and I hope you don’t need a video for this.  And I know that this is pretty dang slow but…I’m really slow because this is cutting a minute and a half off of my current mile time. So…yea…

Pull: Do a kipping pull-up with no assistance (current pull-up: assistance with green band)

I’ve never done a pull-up without assistance. And I’d like to do that. I’d like to at least do one!! So, come December 31, hopefully I can make that happen.

That’s it for CrossFit. Did you set any fitness goals?  What are they?

Workout: CrossFit Denton County Total

Thursday’s workout was as follows…

CrossFit Denton County Total

Find your 1 Rep Max in the:
Front Squat
Push Press
Clean

*Find your “total” by adding the three lifts together. Make sure you write these numbers down, you will need them!

Compare to April 25, 2011.

via CrossFit Denton County.

CrossFit Denton County Total is the same concept as the CrossFit Total, just different lifts.

I was dreading this a little, considering how horrible I did on the CrossFit Total a couple weeks ago…

However, since failing so miserable during the CFT, I realized how much my attendance (or lack thereof) has been affecting me strength-wise in my performance so I have been coming much more regularly since then.  Plus, this time I really took the time to do some good warmups and I think my head was in a much better place.  I was really focused on the lift and I had a little more try in me than I did during the CFT.  This time I had a partner which I think helped as well.

My previous maxes were 130 – 90 – 100 (CFDC total = 320)

Front squat was first.  I started with warmups of 5 reps at 60# and another set at 80#.  Then a set of 3 reps at 100#.  We started our first max attempt at 120 (I started so low because after the last total, I was sure I’d lose strength on this one too).  It was pretty easy (for a 1 rep, that is) so I was excited to move up.  I moved up to 130, nailed it (barely) and failed at 135# 3 times.  This is what frustrates me about 1 rep max’s.  What’s 5 more pounds?? And why can’t I lift just 5 more stinkin’ pounds???  Anyway…1RM for front squat ended at 130 (+5).

Moving on to push press, I consider this lift a particular strength of mine. I think I am good at them and I never feel like I have a problem with form. I was really, really hoping to move up significantly here. Did one warmup set at 5 reps at 45# then two three rep sets at 65# and 85#.  I started my first attempt at 95# and…Success!  Then I tried 115# and I failed twice.  I dropped the weight to 105# and barely completed the lift, but I got it.  1RM for push press ended at 105 (+15).

Cleans were last and they are quite possibly the worst movement for me.  I’m incredibly bad at them and I’m pretty sure I’ve only ever done 10 correctly in my life. I just have a problem getting under the bar quickly enough and I end up curling the weight rather than getting my elbows up and under the weight quickly.  Dave assured me, though, that we would have plenty of clean practice in the next few weeks (yess!!).  Anyway, I did just a few warmup reps for cleans because I was already pretty warmed up from the other lifts.  I got to 90# pretty easily and then barely got 100#.  Then I tried 110# and failed. I went down to 105#, failed once, then tried again right after and got it.  However, I know it wasn’t exactly a correct movement. I probably could have gotten 110 had I been lifting correctly and not trying to curl the weight up.  1RM for cleans ended at 105 (+5)

New maxes: 130 – 105 – 105 (CFDC Total = 340) (+20#!!)

All in all, I’m happy with the progress I’ve made on these lifts.  I wish I’d have increased a little more on the front squat and the cleans but I’m still happy that I went UP and not DOWN!

~JL~

Workout: CrossFit Total

Wednesday we did the CrossFit Total.  Here’s a rundown of what the CrossFit total is from the CrossFit Journal.  To read the entire article, just click the link.

The CrossFit Total is the sum of the best of three attempts at the squat, the press, and the deadlift. All three lifts are done while standing on the floor. They require minimal and inexpensive equipment. They are not technique- dependent to the extent of the Olympic lifts, yet they require technical proficiency beyond mere passing familiarity. They are safe when performed correctly, since they can all be performed without spotters—alone in a garage if necessary.

via The CrossFit Total by Mark Rippetoe – CrossFit Journal.

Soo…last Wednesday it was:

CrossFit Total

Find your 1 Rep Max in:
Back Squat
Shoulder Press
Deadlift

You find your “total” by adding all three maxes together.

via CrossFit Denton County.

I had to do this alone because I made it up.  We were supposed to do this on Tuesday but I didn’t get my lazy butt out of bed to go to the workout.  My last CFT was 390#.  A PR (personal record) by FAR.  I hoped this CFT would get me some higher numbers.  I didn’t expect much, but I at least expected to stay the same.  Unfortunately, I went down…way down…in my numbers.  My CFT this time was 350#.  ~waaahhh waaahhhh~!

Back Squats were first.  I know the problem on this one.  I didn’t do enough warm up sets and I went too heavy too fast. In fact, on my first attempt at 10# under my last 1RM (1 rep max), I had to bail out of the lift.  That was disheartening.  Matt came over and put my bar back up on the racks so I could try again.  I went down to 110 and tried again.  Then my third attempt was at 135 and that was really tough.  Like.  really.

Shoulder press I didn’t expect much from and I certainly didn’t get much from.  My first max on this one was 60# and my last one was 65#.  This time I started at 45 (the bar) and worked my way up 5# at a time.  I got to 65 and had to actually make the attempt twice in order to get it.  So I almost went down on this one too!  At least I stayed the same though, right?

Deadlifts are my favorite lift in CrossFit.  I get a little giddy inside when I see them on the board.  Skill, Strength, WOD…whatever.  I like them.  I was super proud of my last 1RM at 170# and I really thought I would have no problem matching that and probably exceeding it by 10 or so.  Boy was I wrong.  My warm up sets proved to be a lot harder than I had originally intended.  I ended at 150#…down 20#

So, that puts my entire CFT down 40#.  What a bummer.  But at the same time, its a wake up call. I have not been as dedicated or as consistent as I should be since the last time we did a total.  I guess everyone needs a little wake up once and a while!

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Thanks for reading!  ~*~JL~*~

Workout: “Angie”

Yesterday’s workout….

Met-con

“Angie”
100 Pull-ups
100 Push-ups
100 Sit-ups
100 Squats

via CrossFit Denton County.

Yesterday was a rough one.  I debated doing this workout Rx’d or not and I’m really glad I talked to Casey and we decided I should do the scaled at 75 reps. 

The pull ups were hard from the beginning because #1 I forgot my gloves and #2 the pull up bar was ridiculously sticky and yucky so it hurt and grossed me out at the same time so they took me a long time.  I did 20 right off the bat and then did the rest in sets of 10 and sometimes 5.

Push ups started to get rough at about 30.  I was really having a hard time keeping my core tight and pulling my thighs up off the ground with my chest.  It ended up looking more like a worm than a push up.  About 5 total were done on my knees at various points during the set.

Sit ups were okay.  Hard.  But not as hard as I thought.  Although…I started getting a little sick to my stomach about halfway through…(reminder of whatever workout I didn’t finish). It was really hard to get those last 40 or so done.

I was so relieved to get to the squats because, of all the things in this workout, those are my strongest skill.  I busted through the squats in just over a minute.  My goal was to finish under 18 minutes and I finished in 18:01 (dangit!)

Even still, this is a tremendous improvement over my time from November.  November my time was 18:36 (I think?????) and I did 65 reps of everything instead of 75.  So…35 seconds less, plus 40 reps…I’ll take it!

Workout: 1 Mile Run & Tabata KB Swings

The workout last Wednesday was…

Strength
Pull-ups 4×5
*If you can’t do them weighted, do every set as negatives

Met-con
1 Mile Run

Cash-out
Tabata 8 rnds of :20 on/:10 off
KB Swings

via CrossFit Denton County.

I wasn’t looking forward to this one because…duh…its running. However it was a huge motivation to get up and go to the 5 a.m. because I did NOT want to run in the 105* heat later that night. 82*>105*.

I did negatives for my pull ups since I cannot do them unassisted. The first two sets I didn’t use any band and plopped helplessly to the bottom of the pull up in about a second…but probably less. The last two sets I decided to use a blue band (a lighter one than the green) to assist me with the negatives. This worked out much better for me and I was able to do about a 5 second negative. I was happy with them but it did make me realize how little I’ve improved on my pull ups and how I should be working more on them than I currently do. (And for the record…I was sore from these for 5 days. Probably pulled my lats on the first two sets. It hurt horribly to put on deodorant because of it!)

By the time I got to the run I was determined that I would run the entire thing without stopping. This is pretty freaking big for me because I sometimes have to walk on 800s. Let alone an entire mile. I forgot my iPod shuffle (that we bought for the sole purpose of lengthy CrossFit runs…oops) so that made me mad.

There was a word on the board that it said not to do. I think it may have been “Lope.” As in “Don’t lope!” (someone correct me if I’m wrong on what the exact word was) (6/17 update: I’ve been corrected. The word was ‘loaf’)I didn’t know what it meant so I asked David. He said, “You know what it is if you do it.” So, I decided I don’t do it since I don’t know what it is. (In case you’re wondering…this does have relevance to my story…:))

So we start out on the mile on the relatively cool and breezy morning and…it felt good. Huh? Running…felt…….good??? Yep. Amazingly, it did. I was giving this mile run everything I had. I was focusing on my breathing, my form and not stopping. David drove to meet us at a point along the path to make sure no one got lost. I heard him yell out his window, “That’s loafing!! Now stop and start running!” I thought he was talking to me and it made me a little mad. I was really trying as hard as I could. Nevertheless, I kept going. When I rounded the curve of the last turn, I ran as hard as I could for the last 400 m (approximately).

I got back and felt like death but David came by and told me I did a great job. I was really proud of myself for running the entire thing. That was the accomplishment for me. Looking back after the run, I’m not entirely convinced David was talking to me. It could have been someone behind me OR he was just trying to get under my skin so I would work harder.

1 mile run time: 9:03 pretty awful, huh?

The “cash out” wasn’t really a “cash out” at all. It should have been called “WOD #2!” Boy was I tired after that one. I used a 26# kettle bell and my tabata score was 9. I got 10 reps on every round except for round 5 (9 1/2) and round 8 (9). Tabata is a form of interval training where for 20 seconds you do as many reps of X exercise (in this case, KB swings) as you can and then you rest 10 seconds. You repeat this cycle 8 times for a total of 4 minutes. Your score is the least number of reps within the 8 intervals.

I was proud of my performance through both of these WODs. I wished my tabata could have been 10 but those two rounds I just couldn’t get it. I also wished my 1 mile time could have been better. Nine minutes is ridiculous, but it’s a start.

Been traveling this week so tomorrow and Friday will be my only times I’m able to go this week, which makes me sad. Next week should be a full week but then the next week, back to Little Rock so it’ll be another 2, maybe 3 day CrossFit week. Unfortunately, the CrossFit in LR charges $15/day so I can’t hardly afford to pay $45/week to go there when I’m in town. Oh well…maybe a couple workouts in my room!

/

Workout: “Annie”

Well, I wrote this a long time ago but I guess I never actually published it…so…here it is!

Thursday’s workout was….

Strength
Deadlift 5×5

Met-con
“Annie”

50-40-30-20-10
Double Unders
Sit-ups

Compare to 11-16-10.

Cash-out
Max Pull-ups x3

via CrossFit Denton County.

For this workout, I scaled the DU’s to 25-20-15-10-5 and kept the sit ups as Rx’d.

This was the first workout that I could not finish.  And did not finish….until the next day.  Thursday I had eaten virtually nothing except for coffee and a soda (which I never drink) for breakfast.  Lunch was a cheesy chicken panini and a caesar salad from Corner Bakery and dinner was nothing (before my workout anyway).  When I started to do the workout, I felt fine but halfway through the 40 sit ups, I started to feel sick to my stomach.  Then, during the 15 DU’s, I started to get tunnel vision and get really dizzy.  I sat down and could not get back up.  I was so sick and so lightheaded I thought I was going to throw up, pass out, or both.  I could barely even talk.  Casey & Scott came to check on me and saw that I as not sweating at all.  It was nearly 90 degrees in the middle of a pretty intense 11 minute workout…this is not good.  Anyway, I got some water in me and a cold, frozen meat of some sort put on my neck to cool me down.  It took me around 20 minutes to recover enough to sit up and another 10 to be able to stand up and walk around.  When I got home, Leighton cooked me a wonderful, filling, nutritious, delicious paleo dinner and slowly, but surely I felt complete recovery by the time I went to bed.

Friday, I went in and re-tried “Annie” again in the 5 a.m. class.  Wow.  What a difference good nutrition makes!  I blasted through the workout and did all the situps virtually unbroken.  I also did pretty well on my DU’s and only broke them up because I missed my jumps.  The last 3 sets of DU’s were unbroken.  My time ended at 10:43 and I’m pretty happy with that.  Especially since back in November my time was around 10:30 and I had to do 2x the singles (so 100-80-60-40-20 singles instead of the DU’s).  So glad I’m finally getting the hang of DU’s.  Can’t wait until I can do 20 or more unbroken!

And…with all that excitement, I cannot remember what I did on my deadlifts…

Anyway…there’s your fitness update for  now (even though I wrote most of it back in April…LOL)

Sorry I haven’t written much lately…honestly…nothing interesting happening lately!  Maybe I’ll just start posting more about my workouts.

P.S.  If you haven’t already, or if you are interested, please sign up for the May Day Challenge at CrossFit Denton County.  It’ll be a blast!! (and scaled so that everyone can participate!)  The proceeds will benefit Champions of Hope, a mentorship program aimed at providing at-risk students in the Dallas area with caring, positive role models who will walk with them from 4th/5th grade until high school graduation. 

If you can’t participate, please come and show your support for me (and CFDC) at the competition!!!

Workout: April 18th

I’ll be quick…I need to get to bed… but here’s today’s workout:

Strength

Deadlift 3×15 at 50-60%
Rest 1:30 between each set.

Met-con

3 Rounds:
40 Double Unders (or tuck jumps)
12 Front Squats (Men- 135#, Women- 95#)
200m Run

Cash-out
5 Minute Squat

via CrossFit Denton County.

This workout was deceiving.  Sneaky little jerk.  I really thought this would be a quick relatively (as in relative to the CF world) easy workout.  Notsomuch.  First we’ll start with the good.

Deadlifts were pretty good.  I did mine at 75# but really should have moved up to 85# like Matt suggested.  The 5 minute squat was good too.  Made it about 3 1/2 minutes before I had to let the blood back into my legs, then stuck it out for the rest of the squat.  Didn’t have to hold on to anything and I was on my heels the whole time.

So.  Not much to say about my workout except that I’m incredibly disappointed in myself.  On the 2nd round during the run I was cursing myself because I was walking part of the measly 200m run.  What the heck?  I’ve been doing CrossFit for nearly an entire year and I can’t even run 3 rounds of 200m runs with some lousy front squats and jumps in between.  I know I’ve come far in some aspects but when a workout like this kicks my butt like it did…quite frankly it pisses me off.  I’m better than this workout.  I should be able to beat this workout.  I should have had it done in 8 minutes but I didn’t.

So…that’s all I have to say about that.  Time 10:31.  20 Du’s in the first round then switched to tuck jumps.  35# FS.

That is all.

Workout: “Jackie”

Monday our WOD was “Jackie.”

Strength
Back Squat 2×12

Met-con
“Jackie“

1000m Row
50 Thrusters (m-45#, w-35#)
30 Pull-ups

Compare to 10-5-10.

via CrossFit Denton County.

 

Back squats were at 85# and were pretty challenging.  I should have gone up to 90# but decided just to keep it at 85.  My form felt good and I’m doing a much better job of keeping on my heels.

I was excited when I saw rowing…then I realized we were doing thrusters.  Crap! The bane of my existence! (next to running…)  I have never done a workout well or a workout I’ve enjoyed that included thrusters.  (Especially that time Lindsey made us do a tabata thruster WOD. OMG)  Well, I did the scaled which was a 750m row, 30 thrusters @ 15# and 20 pull ups (I used green & red bands).   I finished in 5:55 and I blasted through the thrusters, only stopping to rest my legs once.  The pull ups were unbroken.  I really should have done the thrusters at 35# and the pull ups with either green/purple or just the green.  I did Jackie back in October but I did not record my time so I have no idea how or if I’ve progressed.  Who am I kidding?  I know I progressed.  I could barely even do a thruster back then…

So, overall, pretty happy with my results!  Will definitely push myself further next time!

 

Workout: My First 5K

Today’s Workout

Met-con
5k Run

via CrossFit Denton County.

I tried to call in “sick” for this one until I found out we’d have to make it up tomorrow.

… …

… … …

Okay.  Not really. I just dreaded it more than I have any other workout on the board. Last time we did a 5k, we had the option to do a scaled version (see post) so I chose the scaled version.  This time we were not given the option (and they probably wouldn’t have let me opt for a scaled anyway…) so I had to run the dang 5K.

I started off good.  I was really trying to put to use Brian MacKenzie‘s techniques (of CrossFit Endurance) that we learned at the CrossFit Endurance Seminar last month.  I did okay for a little bit but then I started getting really tired.  Ended up walking a bit on Sparrow and then it just started to hurt…really bad.  My lower calves, ankles, arch of my foot, my butt…everything.  By the time I was about halfway to Brazos (see map here, we made the loop twice) I could only run a few steps at a time because my ankle and calves were hurting me worse than they ever have.  When I got to Brazos and Swallow I stopped to stretch them out for a bit.  From there all the way back to Swallow, I walked and ran intermittently.  When I got to Swallow, I decided that I had to just keep running.  Honestly, I wasn’t winded hardly at all.  Most of the reasons I was stopping was because my legs and feet were hurting so bad.  By the time I was back at Garden Ridge on my way back to CFDC, I had to walk most of the way back.  It was just too painful.  Then, once I got to Moccasin, I ran all the way back in.  I was upset that I wasn’t even winded when I got back.  I should have been able to push through it but it was just too hard and hurt too much.

Maybe next time I can at least run the whole thing.  Slow or not.

Time: 36:50

Leighton did great by the way.  He was convinced it would take an hour for him to finish a 5K and he finished in 32 minutes!! He did awesome!