journeyintoselfmatters

Kettlebells & Kool-Aid

2009-05-08T11:43:00.004-05:00

I like kettlebells. Here, I am doing kettlebell "wall bells", and I am in mid motion transitioning to catch the bell underneath in a squat. When we did these in warmups, the 1.5 pood felt good. When I got to them in the workout, the bell was flying all over the place! That is what I love about kettlebell training - it always seems to surprise me. Kettlebell training has also been essential in my development of a stronger core. While I haven't been powerlifting training (taking a hiatus for at the most a year), I can already sense that my core is a million times stronger than it was when all I was doing was the compound lifts of bench, squat & deadlift plus a few minor accessories.

As an update, since I have been gone so long, I still have been consistently crossfitting. I tend to go at least 4 times a week, with usually the goal being 5 if possible. My eating has "generally" cleaned up as well. I am a definite "gourmande" as they say in French - so it is difficult for me to eat clean all the time. So my goal is to eat clean at breakfast and lunch every day & then dinner at least 4 times a week. 80-20 rule for me here.

But back to Crossfit -- I have definitely drunk the Kool-Aid. I tend to tell everyone who talks to me about fitness, getting fit, working out, blah blah blah, about Crossfit. Tell them to come do a class with me on Saturday, talk to them about how much fun it is and how great of a community we have at Crossfit Omaha. Despite my constant gabbing, I have YET to get any of my friends/family to commit to doing Crossfit. I have had ONE friend come and do a Saturday workout with me. She loved it, but didn't commit due to various reasons. Hmmmm...maybe I need to adjust my approach?

Teaching

2009-04-22T16:39:00.004-05:00

Couldn't help but post this link ---- given my new chosen profession (or what will be in one year):

http://thedreamteacher.blogspot.com/2009/03/speaking-out-for-teaching.html

She nailed every reason why I want to become a teacher. Except one. I love my chosen subject. I am seriously passionate about languages. Hell, by the time I was 18 I had studied French, Spanish, German and Italian. Even went to night school at the local community college for my Spanish classes because I thought the Spanish classes in high school were too slow. Really. I was such a nerd about languages. Still am I guess.

Benchmark Week

2009-04-17T10:23:00.003-05:00

This week at Crossfit Omaha has been Benchmark WOD week. I have to tell you, it has been one hell of a week. And it isn't over with yet! I really like doing these benchmarks because it is easy to go back later on and do them again to see if you have improved. I like to improve. But then again, who doesn't? If you go through life without feeling a desire to improve - you are just a zombie. And not the cool, hip zombies either. You are a lazy zombie. Blah.

So today I am having a helluva time lifting my arms. And tonight I'll be doing either Fran (21-15-9 Thrusters #65 and pullups) or Karen (150 Wall Balls for time). Haven't decided on which will be the least painful. The workout that caused the pain was brutal. He kicked my ass. But then again -- heroes' wods should kick your ass. They should remind you of the people who serve and die for your freedom. Here's to you DT.

04/16/09
DT
5 rounds for time of:
105 pound Dead-lift, 12 reps
105 pound Hang Power Clean, 9 reps
105 pound Push Jerk, 6 reps

Scaled this to 100 pounds. Time limit was 20 minutes. I was in the process of NOT locking out my last push jerk when time was called.

04/15/2009
Cindy
As many rounds in twenty minutes of:
5 Pull-ups - 10 Pushups - 15 Air Squats

Ended with 11 rounds + 10 pushups. This is a 1 + round improvement from the last time I did Cindy. AND I am sure that my pushups were legit this time. I think last time I even counted them if I fell to my knees. Not this time. LEGIT!

04/13/2009
JT
21-15-9 reps for time of:
Handstand Pushups
Ring Dips
Pushups

Had 1 ab mat under my head for the HSPU. Also used a blue band on the first 21 ring dips (was the only band open) and then a tan band for the rest of the rounds. I think that I could drop to a purple on ring dips next time. That was the first time I did ring dips. Ever. So I was pretty cautious. Finished in 23:37.

Saturday 04/11/2009 was a fun team workout. Was a great day outside - so included running with a 14# wall ball. Really -- we must have looked like idiots. But how's that for FUNCTIONAL fitness???

04/10/2009
Annie
50-40-30-20-10 rep rounds for time of:
Double Unders
Situps

This was embarrassing. 15:56. I suck at double unders. But I figured I won't get better at them if I keep subbing them out. I ended up getting NINE in a row the last 10. Maybe I am on my way to getting them down...

04/07/2009
Helen
3 rounds for time:
400 meter run
21 Kettle Bell Swings, 1.5/1 pood
12 Pull-ups (garage pull-up bars will be used for this workout)

15:22

Bring on more benchmarks! I am ready for ya!

Music

2009-04-09T09:22:00.005-05:00

Now, this is a completely random post -- and I apologize to anyone who was hoping to find something of substance here -- like how Crossfit is awesome, powerlifting is fun and nutrition is the key. Not in this post. This post is about music.

Anyone who knows me well, knows that I am a concert junkie. I am at least attending one concert a month - and usually more. In March, I went to 5 shows. I listen to a wide array of music, but I would say that I stick mainly with the indie rock scene. My FAVORITE musician of all time is Ben Harper. Honestly. I would be one of those girls that would break down in tears if I ever got to meet him. I feel mighty silly saying that, but I DON'T CARE. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THE MAN.

So - this morning when I looked in my email inbox I received an email from the Ben Harper Newsletter. Ben has a new project going on - Relentless7 - which is a bit more edgy rock than his primary group, The Innocent Criminals. They have a new CD release on May 5th. But that isn't what caught my eye the most in this newsletter. Rather is was this:

R7 AT MILE HIGH MUSIC FESTIVAL JULY 18
Ben Harper & Relentless7 will join TOOL, Widespread Panic, Incubus, G. Love & Special Sauce and more at this year's Mile High Music Festival outside Denver, CO Saturday, July 18. Tickets are on sale now at Mile High Music Festival.

I have to say that I about sh*t my pants. I am buying my tickets TODAY. The lineup for Saturday is fantastic - with the bands above plus some others I love such as: Ani DiFranco, The Black Keys, India.Arie, etc. Sunday's lineup is good too, but I think I will just hit the Saturday shows. This announcement made my day. Seriously. Now I am off to go buy tickets. You should too. Hey, we could carpool!

Ben Harper and Relentless7

Coaches

2009-03-31T15:55:00.012-05:00

Here at Crossfit Omaha we have some truly amazing coaches

Every single one of them knows not only how to teach - but how to coach.

Every single one of them expects me to go all out every day. No excuses.

I'm truly lucky to train under you guys

Thank you.

Workouts (I'm really behind, so I won't post all of them):
Monday 3/30/09:
3 rounds for time of:
Tabata Burpees, 4 roundsTabata Situps, 4 roundsTabata Wall Ball,
4 rounds
Rest 1 minute
Total: 261

Saturday 3/28/09:
Team Hanging Grace
50 reps for time:
75 pound Hang Squat Clean and Jerk
Teammate: Bryce
Time: 7:40

Friday 3/27/09:
21-15-9
Box jumps 20 in
Deadlift 140#
Clapping pushups (hopping the first 21 and then to "on knees" clapping)
Time: 9:10

Thursday 3/26/09:
GOT MY FIRST ROPE CLIMBS!

Wednesday 3/25/09:
30th BIRTHDAY!
and...
Push press --- ended up with 118 x 2 for last "set" of three. I think we ended up doing close to 9 sets that day.

Secret

2009-03-30T15:12:00.002-05:00

I just had to share this. Found it on the Crossfit Affliates blog:

Brian Bowen of CrossFit Ramstein shares "A Little CrossFit Secret."
"A Little CrossFit Secret" by Brian Bowen

I would like to let you in on a little secret: A secret to CrossFit excellence. Your thoughts may now be drifting to the foundation of any elite fitness program -- nutrition. Okay, so now the gears in your head are turning and now switching to intense metabolic conditioning. I'm not denying that you are right because you are, in fact, correct. What are you thinking about now? Is it gymnastics perhaps, weightlifting, sports? Ah, so you know the theoretical hierarchy of developing an athlete. Big deal, right? Actually yes, it is quite a big deal and I trust that each of you fully understand it.
So, those are the essential ingredients for forging elite fitness but what happened to that secret that I mentioned? Now don't fret my contrarian brethren, I'm getting to that. As a CrossFit trainer, I strive to teach you every movement correctly so you can perform them safely. As you become consistent with the mechanics of the movement, only then will we ratchet up the intensity. Once the level of intensity seemingly cannot go any further, we must dig deep within ourselves to overcome the mental and physical exhaustion. Is this an easy task when tackling a WOD by ourselves? I would venture to guess that most of you probably answered a resounding "NO" to that question -- I know I did. Sometimes we need just a little more, that extra push that will compel us to fight through the discomfort. But where do we find that? Where does it come from? It comes from the little secret.
So, what is this secret already?! The secret of course is you, me, and every other member of the CrossFit family. And whittle that down even further to the members of your own affiliate box. Do they give up on you? Do they tell you that it's okay to quit when they know that you can continue? The dedication and loyalty that I've seen within my members is truly second to none. Just when you think you cannot go any further, you hear the screaming, the words of encouragement, the "Pick up the f*#*ing bar." And so you do. You pick up the bar and keep going.
The secret: There it is. We know this secret. We understand it and we embrace it for its marvelous meaning. Seeing the determination and willingness to push yourself further than you've ever imagined is something that I truly treasure. We are not wired to quit. We just aren't programmed like that. And because of that, we will not and cannot accept mediocrity. Our CrossFit family will take us to new levels of intensity that we've never experienced before. In turn, we will reach new levels of fitness that we never dreamed possible. I would like to offer a sincere "Thank you" to not only the members of CrossFit Ramstein, but to the members of every CrossFit affiliate around the world. Our support system will now and forever remain unmatched!

Irish luck

2009-03-17T13:55:00.003-05:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day! This is definitely one of my favorite holidays. I think it must be because of my love of Guinness! I also have over 1/2 Irish heritage, with my mother being full-blood Irish-American and my dad having a percentage in him too. Its also one of those holidays were you get together with friends and family and just have fun. There are no dinners to make or presents to buy...it is just plain fun!

Crossfit has been great lately. On Friday the WOD posted was backsquats! 5x5s! Now that is my kinda workout. I really had to adjust my form to the crossfit-style back squat, which took some time. At the last set of 5's I think that I finally started to perfect that form thanks to Kylie and Joe's cueing. You see, the way that I squat when I am powerlifting is completely different than that of the crossfit style. I am much more upright, with a more "oly weightlifting" style squat (i.e. chest up, hands in tight to shoulders, elbows driving in front of my body) when I powerlift. I ended up doing 187# for the last set of 5's. It was really light though. I felt that I needed to just work through the change in the form, and concentrate less on trying to max out. Next time around, with my form perfected, I'll go for the max out.

Last night was a different kind of monster. WOD was:
6 rounds for time of
15 DB powercleans (from the floor) (25# DB)
15 Wall Balls (14#)
200M run

Finished around 20:20...there was a time limit of 20 minutes on this one, so not sure of my final time, but Kylie said I came in about 20 seconds after time was called. My lungs were shot. Physically, the wall balls and powercleans were not so bad. I know one of my weaknesses is my lung capacity (stupid smoking for 12 years will do that to you) and this one really pushed me there. I did make sure to work at my highest intensity, which I feel really good about. If this workout would have come up when I first started crossfit it would have killed me. So kudos in that I almost finshed it! Next time around...I'll kill it. ;-)

Butt Cramps

2009-03-12T08:57:00.003-05:00

So after my pity party on Friday night (which the more and more I think about it - I REALLY was frustrated about my rhythm and not my ability) I came into Crossfit Omaha on Saturday morning looking to redeem myself. Perhaps a little overeager, because I ended up doing an extra round! Didn't realize it until afterwards of course, but hey! I am pretty sure it made up for the suck that I had on Friday night. We did the following:
6 Rounds (I did 7)
20 lunges
20 ball slams (16#)
Time: 10:45 -ish
Lunges give me butt cramps. And I continued to have these through Tuesday! Couldn't walk up and down stairs for fear that I would loose control of my legs and fall. I was officially walking like a duck.

Monday and Tuesday consisted of workouts that included a few of my favorite movements:
Monday:
25 minutes working with a partner
12 Handstand pushups
12 KTE
Tuesday:
15-12-9-6-3 reps for time of:
Sumo deadlift high pull (75#)
Push jerk (75#)
Time: 10:21
We then messed around a bit with handstand walks. A note on that - Crossfit has started to satisfy my desire for doing gymnastics again. I always dreamed about the fact that a gymnastics place would offer adult classes, because I was certain I would join. I did gymnastics for 14 years! I still dream about it. At least now I get to do certain things like handstand pushups, handstand walks, etc. without looking like an idiot!

Disappointed

2009-03-06T19:12:00.003-06:00

Man -- I haven't been disappointed in myself during a workout for a long time. But this time I most definitely was. The workout was fairly straightforward:
4 rounds
15 pullups
18 wall balls (10 ft 14#)
21 kb swings (1 pood)
I wish I knew where things started to breakdown. Anyways, my forearms were screaming, I had dirt in my face from the wall balls that kept hitting the dirt and then on the 4th round, to top it off I landed really hard from dropping off the pullup bar and the balls of my feet are in major pain (was wearing VFFs). I felt that I couldn't get a rhythm. I felt I wasn't up to my potential. And with the pain coming from my feet, I basically gave up. Yep, I gave up. I don't do that very often. But I...gave...up. To everyone out there...never give up, it really isn't worth it....and you'll end up with a big D for disappointment floating around your head. Now off to ice my feet...

Crossfit Omaha to the power of 70

2009-03-01T16:32:00.004-06:00

WOW! There were 70 of us yesterday doing the W.O.D. all at the same time! What an amazing event. Kudos to CFOmaha for being able to organize this all. The W.O.D. was :
Chief-"ette"
As many rounds in four minutes of:
DB Single-Arm Hang Snatch, 2 reps each arm (50/35)
6 Burpees
135/95 lb Dead-lifts, 9 reps
Rest 1 minute
Repeat the above cycle four times.

It was killer watching 70 people do this at once. It was also killer to do that workout. I really pushed myself, almost the point of pukie. Hopefully they got some of that pain on video! :)

Also earlier this week I did:
2/23: DB Chief
2/24: Weighted pullups (GOT MY FIRST STRICT PULL-UP!)
2/26: Pushup clock : made it up to15, then did some rowing sprints

Results....2nd place!!

2009-02-24T13:57:00.010-06:00

One week later and here I am posting the results. Oh well.
Miami was incredible. The competition went smoothly, the crowd was fun, most of my powerlifting buds were there...and I GOT SECOND PLACE! This, in and of itself, is a HUGE accomplishment for me. To give you an idea, I am usually placing much lower than that (last year I placed 6th). Due to a few key movements in weight classes, as well as decreased participation (most likely from the economy) I was looking, before the competition, to place second. However, Priscilla Ribic, world champion, who normally is in the 148lb weight class, moved up to the 165lb class. Now, if I was able to get all my lifts in, I could make a run at first place.

Squats: I ended up lifting a 330lb squat. My 3rd attempt I failed (347). I hate to say it, but I knew then and there I needed that squat to stay in the race. Donna Marts, my competition, is a really good bencher and decent deadlifter. I was pretty disappointed after that lift, because I did my classic "getting soft" in my midline when coming out of the hole. While my midline is MUCH stronger since I started crossfitting, it is still my weakness.
Bench: 226 lb personal record! Bench was soooooo smooth. I hit it right in the groove Check it out:

Deadlift: Got 330 lbs on my second attempt. That matches my personal record. But it was a heckauva lot easier than the last time. Went up like a rocket! My 3rd attempt, the coach wanted to drop me down, since Donna made her last deadlift and there was no chance for me to win, but he didn't get the attempt change turned in in time. So, I tried to pull 363. Yeah. 33lbs over my personal record. It was ugly. But hell, I got it off the floor before I started shaking like an egg beater!!! Here's that funny video:

So all in all, was a great day. I ended up pr'ing on my total by 10 pounds! And second place! I still can't get over it.

So what is next? I am taking a break from powerlifting for 3 months (at least) to concentrate on crossfitting full time. I think that this switch-up will help to strengthen some, if not all, of my weakness. Plus, I really want to see what that will do to my body composition. Hell, swimsuit season is coming up right? But seriously, I am thinking of traveling back to Miami is August for the North American/Pan-American Powerlifting Championships. Not sure about that though, so will keep ya posted.

Women's Nationals T - 3 days

2009-02-11T13:57:00.004-06:00

As some of you know, I will be competeting in my 4th USAPL Women's Nationals on Sunday morning. One great thing about it? It is in MIAMI!!! Talk about a great location! Another awesome thing about it? I have a chance to place 2nd.

At first I thought -- ugh...pressure -- As usually my placing is around 5-6. This year though there is a huge drop in the amount of women competing, which makes my placing possibility higher. I will have to hit all of my lifts. My numbers will matter much more than they have any other year. Good thing I have Gregg Jones, master number-worker helping me out! But in the end, that pressure I felt after first seeing the roster has dissipated. Why? Well I figure that it truly is the same as any other competition I go to. I always put down my best. I always go 100%. And who knows? Maybe this tight competition will make me go 110%, 120%? Lets hope so...I am looking for some rockin PRs. More to come...

Guinness is good for you...

2009-01-29T08:12:00.004-06:00

I've been awful about posting lately! So sorry! I get caught up...then say - well I got these great photos on my camera of Crossfit Omaha workouts, so "wait until you get those uploaded onto your computer" and then put off posting until I have those done (which I haven't yet), etc. etc. I think that it is just time to repost. Especially as it has been 2 weeks since I have posted last. Sad. Honestly, not sure that I remember all of my workouts!

Well anyways, what I really wanted to say is that I have been doing this little experiment: drinking a lot of Guinness! I've told my friends that I am convinced that it is making me stronger. Or really, maybe that is just an excuse to have more of it! I actually think that Guinness is clearly placed on the right side of the Healthy/F-off Scale, and try to convince myself that it is placed higher on the healthy axis than it probably should be. No matter though, I have upped my Guinness intake for the past month and it seems to have paid off (see that squat workout below)! Got to love the scientific method.

01/28/2009:
3 Rounds for time of:
21 - 24 inch box jumps
15 - 14 lb wall ball
9 - 77 lb sumo deadlift high pull
Time: 11:41

01/26/2009:
Powerlifting squat day:
Worked up to 335 for 2 repetitions. Full gear. Felt AWESOME! Given that my one rep max at this weight is 347, I think I am gonna kill the squat at women's nationals. Must be all that Guinness.

1/22/2009:
Did good ol "Kylie L" (7 rounds: 7 burpees, 7 pullups, 7 box jumps). Finished in 11:16. I remember this one back in August and how much I hated it! I checked and back then I finished in 14:39...now thats a pretty decent improvement :)

1/21/2009:
Modified the Crossfit Omaha workout a bit...needed to go heavier in the deadlift since I am so close to Women's Nationals: 185# DL 5 reps20 Air SquatsStill did 5 rounds. Finished in 6:53. My back was screaming at me...I just screamed back.

1/20/2009:
Powerlifting: Bench and Deadlift. I found out that my bench shirt needs replacing because 220 (or was it 230?) felt like I wasn't getting any pop out of it. Took a look at the seams and it was time to thow that one away! Can't remember how deadlift was...

1/19/2009:
Powerlifting: Squat. I have no idea what I did that night...and don't have my book in front of me to record it here.

1/17/2009:
Powerlifting: Deadlift. Once again, can't remember.

1/16/2009:
CFO workout of 50-40-30-20-10 rep rounds of: Box Jumps, 20 inch box ; Situps. Finished in 17:23 and I remember that night I finished last out of the group. That sucks. Box jumps and situps are both weaknesses of mine that I need to continue working on.

I think that I'm all caught up now on the workout posts...

-12 degrees this morning

2009-01-15T14:38:00.003-06:00

Ok -- I am done with winter! 4 more weeks until beautiful Miami Florida. Honestly, the weather better not let me down there - it must be bikini weather...and tank top weather. I miss my tank tops. Honestly though, I am getting pretty excited for this competition. My training has been a bit erratic, for instance the blizzard like weather we had on Monday prevented me from going to Lincoln to train with my powerlifting coach, but that's how it always is. I never train like I would like to. Every competition I always go back and say that my training will be more consistent the next time around...but it never is. I guess at least I am having fun. That's why I do it anyways!

Tuesday I went to Crossfit Omaha and did the WOD of:
5 Rounds
12 full clean squats (I did 77#, Rx'ed was 95#)
15 pushups (Rx'ed was 21)
Time limit: 20 minutes

Positives about this workout: I finally got the motion of slapping the bar against my thighs down pat. I have bruises (painful nasty ones) to show for it. Ricky, one of the trainers at CFO, is fantastic at breaking down complex movements into phases and really amazing at showing/teaching these movements.
Negatives: I did not finish in the time limit. I was FIVE pushups away from finishing. This was most definitely a case of 'the pacer' coming out in me. I paced myself way too much. I get to a point sometimes in these 'moderately' heavy workouts where I am afraid of form-breakdown and that fear makes me slow down. I remember hearing while I was on round 4 someone call time and it was 17 minutes something - I kicked it in gear and honestly think that round 5 was my fastest! And despite my screaming thighs and occasional grunting (which I never do but couldn't help myself here - I so wanted to finish in time...) I blasted through the squat cleans. For the final 15 pushups I went as fast as I could but my dang arms kept on failing. Being that close yet still failing to make time made me mad. But a postive in all of this failing was a breakthrough in my limits. A realization that I can complete complex movements (safely) under far more stress than I think I can. I am grateful for every time that I have a breakthrough like this because they are those catalyst moments that will only propel me forward. So Tuesday was a good day.

Tonight I am off to Lincoln to train powerlifting - no blizzard to stop me today.

Quit? I think not....

2009-01-08T11:31:00.003-06:00

Was perusing my favorite sites today and found this article by Jon at AgainFaster.com : DONT QUIT . I really love the way Jon writes - simple, to the point and inspiring. Take a look!

Was at CF on Saturday and participated in a team workout -- I think that team workouts are the best. They push me to work harder because I am not only accountable to myself, but also to my teammates. Was a good time and left my calves hurting even until today (Thursday). Also on Monday I did some powerlifting training. I haven't benched in a long time. I think even since the competition! I worked up to 195 x 2 with the shirt on. Not a bad workout, considering the time off!

I also can't believe that I am only5 weeks away from Women's Nationals. I will compete again at 148 since my bodyweight has been hovering low. It should be an awesome competition - with my goals for this one being the following: Squat: 350-360# range; Bench: 230-240# range; Deadlift: 340# range. Personal Records all around! Can't say where I feel like I will place, since I am not sure of my competitors yet. I always do go in with the goal to never place last! Which, you know, may sound bad, but the caliber of women competing in the 148# weight class is outstanding. There are a few world champions and world record holders.

Tonight I'll be training squat and deadlift -- more than likely putting the suit on (which I LOVE!). I'll also hit up Crossfit Omaha on Friday and Saturday. I need to force myself into a rhythm again since the holidays got me all "cheered up"!

Weakness

2009-01-02T13:55:00.002-06:00

Weakness: MIDLINE Strength. Resolution: Work my @ss off to make it strong.

Today I really felt that weakness. I did the following:
3 Rounds:
Row 500m
15 Deadlift 155#
15 KB Swings 1.5 pood

After round one I dropped to 1 pood. My midline was screaming at me, and I didn't feel comfortable enough swinging that KB around. I finished in 20:13.

Blessed

2008-12-22T11:34:00.005-06:00

I know this might be a bit early...since we still have another 1.5 weeks left in 2008, but I can't help but think about how blessed I have been in 2008.

Some of my blessings have been:
-Morgan McKenna Erb born March 12, 2008 (my baby niece)

-Buying my first house!

-Obama - nuff said
-Meeting new friends: Lori, Cari, Sarah, CF Omaha friends...
-Reconnecting with old friends: Amanda, Megan, Joel, Chris...

-Living it up with all my friends! My motto surely has been: Life is too short to stay home! :o)
-Getting fit as f*ck with Crossfit Omaha! (well, I am not quite there, but at least on that road!)
-Having my little sis move back to Omaha - so awesome to have her here!
-My family -- amazing in every aspect

When I reflect, I am sure that I am missing people or forgetting about certain moments. But I can say without a doubt that 2008 has been an amazing year. Here's to 2009 being even better!!!

MidWest Senior States 2008

2008-12-08T18:48:00.005-06:00

Well...I made weight! 67.2 kg! And I had a GREAT day! Actually, the best day that I have ever had in the weight class, because I beat my total record by 5 lbs! Starting out with the squat: I opened at 303. Felt awesome, so 2nd attempt was...um forget. I don't even think I know what it was. I usually don't ask. But, I did get stuck a little in the middle, though kept on going and got a good lift. 3rd attempt was 347 - which matched my PR. It was also a grinder...but I stuck with it and got a good lift! Not bad for someone who thought 2 weeks ago that my squats were going to suck! Bench press went ok. I opened at 197. Got it-piece of cake. I went up to 220. That one I sunk it a bit in the chest, didn't stay tight like I should have, and on the lockout ended up struggling a bit on the lockout and the bar ended up dipping. Red lights. I didn't think it was that bad, so I told Steve to bump it up to 225. That would have been a PR and a state record. Well...it was a big "no go". Couldn't even get it off the chest much. Felt like either I was out of the groove, or just plain tired. Oh well. On to deadlift. Opened at 297 - got it. Bumped it to 325 on the 2nd attempt. Grinded that one out. Now...my Mom, who has had a phenomenal day, is my only competition. While I have her beat on the absolute total, she has a chance to beat me pound for pound with her wilks. I need to pull my last deadlift. 330, which is a match PR. I stuck with it...and got it! Nice! I have to tell you though...my Mom is an inspiration. She not only set 3 American records and 5 state records, but pulled a 369 lb. personal record (and american record) deadlift!!! The lady is 136 lbs...and if she doesn't mind me stating her age - 56 years old! She is amazing!!!
I really want to thank all my friends for coming out to watch me on Saturday -- it was amazing to have that many people there rooting for me! Crossfit Omaha, Shan & John and Brian --- YOU ROCK!

1 more day

2008-12-05T10:29:00.002-06:00

WHEW!!! This morning I woke up and was 150.8# -- I am blow away by my weight progression this week. I started on Monday at 155, Tuesday 153.6, Wednesday 152.6, Thursday 151.8, Friday 150.8. I am positive to be able to make 67.5kg (148.8#) tomorrow morning. Funny thing is, I ATE! Really! I cut out the carbs - refined ones anyway. I still ate a ton of veggies and fruit on Mon - Wed in the morning. I also haven't yet started to truly dehydrate. Doing that today. What I did do is eat a lot of clean protein, veggies and drank tea/water. I used to do around 2 sodas a day, so cutting that out I am sure has helped. Has it been hard? Yep. I can't wait to add back in the fruit for my sweet tooth. I have been chewing gum instead! :) But I am gonna roll with the changes. Keep it up after the competition. I hate cutting weight, so there is an incentive! :)

almost there

2008-12-02T09:11:00.003-06:00

<---me squatting at my first women's nationals in 2006

okay so you know how last week my squats stunk? well last night was much better. MUCH better. I got into my new suit (ouch is all that I have to say...think it took me 20 minutes!) which helped a bunch. Its amazing how stretched out that last one was. And I ended up with a 335# squat for one. Remember that last week 315# for 2 felt really heavy. I am actually really happy with that. Now on to dropping weight!

I hate dropping weight. But things seem to be going in the right direction anyway. Yesterday I was worried because I was at 155#...that is a bit much to get down to 148.6 by Saturday. Well, on the scale this morning it read 153.6. Not bad. I have decided that by Thursday I need to be at 150-151. Thats the make or break day. Reason being is that I don't want to be so dehydrated on Saturday that my performance suffers a ton. And dropping 1-2# of water weight is easy. I am crossing my fingers that this works. I keep reminding myself that I just need to stay off the "crack" (i.e. refined sugars), limit my good carbs and watch my sodium intake. Should be enough. I remember a few years ago I was at 153 the day before the competition and I lost 5# of waterweight in a day. Now it wasn't pretty and my performance wasn't too hot, but at least I know that my body can do it. Tonight I'll be heading into Crossfit Omaha to sweat a bit, do a little metcon workout to ramp that metabolism. And speaking of CFOmaha...they ROCK! Hope a bunch of them show up on Saturday as planned...won't let you down my friends!

Belief

2008-11-26T14:53:00.002-06:00

Funny how I found this today after my last post...... Belief - thought I would share.

Getting Ready....

2008-11-26T10:41:00.003-06:00

I have a powerlifting competition on December 6 that I may (or may not) be ready for. My training cycle got all messed up (coach on vacation and then father in law passing so emergency trip to France meant that I didn't powerlift for 3 weeks...) and while I can see its effects in certain areas, it doesn't seem to have made a difference in others. My bench is still really good. Well - considering that I am dropping a weight class (hopefully!!! I am still 6 lbs away and 1.5 weeks out) and with the missed training - I benched 225 lbs for 2 on Monday night. Not so bad at all since my PR at 148lb weight class is 220 (and the state record). My deadlift seemed to be awful - until last night I switched up from sumo to conventional and pulled easily a 300# that I couldn't get off the floor for 2 tries with sumo seconds before. Not sure what is going on there, but when you don't train sumo (training hiatus), its really hard to do sumo. Also, with Crossfit, I've been doing conventional training, so maybe there is a difference there. So maybe the deadlift won't be too bad. For squat ---- jeez has it gone down. I did 315 last night for 2 and it felt really heavy. Last competition I opened at 319! It has really frustrated me. BUT I have to remind myself that I am 10lbs lighter -- and because of that, not only may I have lost a bit of that brute strength, but also my suit is fitting really loose. May need to invest in a smaller one here soon. My coach also points to the fact that my peak might be about a week off...and that if I had one more week of training it would be better...but unless God suddenly gives me an extra week, that ain't gonna happen! I think that the key going into this competition is to remind myself that I am (will be) 15 lbs lighter than I have been in 1.5 years AND that all I really need to do is total enough to qualify for Womens nationals in the 148# class (I already have at 165#, just want to have my options in February to compete in either). Still doesn't take away that squat frustration.

For anyone who is interested in coming - December 6 - Mid-America Convention Center. Competition is supposed to start at 9am, but they are almost always 1/2 hour late. I will be in the first group to squat :) Being a girl and all.....

In memory

2008-11-20T16:10:00.004-06:00

Of my father-in-law who passed away November 2, 2008. Michel was the kind of guy that you couldn't help but like (even when he was driving you crazy!).

Things I will miss about him: I'll miss trying to translate his crazy "jeux des mots" (l\play on words/puns/etc.) into English. I'll miss talking politics, even though we hardly ever agreed! I'll miss his uncanny ability to pair wine and food. I'll miss our smoke breaks (even though I don't smoke anymore I used to go outside with him during those long family dinners). I'll miss his generosity and love.

Fab told me you said that I had become like a daughter to you --- well Michel, you were my second dad --- merci pour le temps que j'ai pu avoir avec toi beau papa. J'espere te revoir un jour au ciel.

SLACKER!

2008-10-25T10:30:00.002-05:00

Yep...that's me lately. I haven't been to Crossfit in a week and haven't done powerlifting since Monday. Now -- I was out of town from Wednesday to today - but I can't use that as an excuse. Not like I couldn't have done a quick workout in the gym at the hotel I was at.

I find I have a really hard time when I don't have that "appointment" set to work out. And when I set it myself, I always cheat. That's why Crossfit has been so good with me...I go to class at a certain time and don't slack on that. Before I found Crossfit I was only going to my powerlifting training appointments 2 times a week! I had joined 24 hour in the hopes of getting in a couple other times a week...and that happened for maybe 1 month. With Crossfit I have been pretty consistent (except when I am out of town!) and it has been an amazing journey so far. I already feel that the weaknesses that I had in my powerlifting are starting to be corrected (i.e. mid-line strength) and am so incredibly excited to compete on December 6th because I want to measure that improvement. All I got to say is...thank goodness for Crossfit Omaha! I might actually place in the top 5 this year at Nationals if I keep working my ass off like this. But I do have to stop the appointment excuse and just get to it....

Cindy Round 2

2008-10-19T12:34:00.002-05:00

So 8 weeks ago I did Cindy and completed 10 rounds + 3 pullups. But my pushups were really not legit that time - very noodle like. This time I got 10 rounds + 5 pullups and 4 pushups. Not too bad! Feeling good about that time - especially with the legit pushups this time around. And I even did it kinda hungover - might have done better if I hadn't drank so much the night before, but only have the high school reunion weeked once in a great while! :)

Double unders

2008-10-10T14:19:00.003-05:00

At least Ricky and Joe don't do this to us when we are jumping rope.....

I finally got double unders on Wednesday night! I even did 9 in a row!

Apologies for not blogging lately - I went to Palm Springs (update on that to follow once I have the pics downloaded to my computer!) to watch my mom at the IPF Masters World Championships. She got 2nd place! She is an inspiration that woman.

On the workout front - when I was in PS, I didn't do anything. I just drank a LOT of beer and hung out at the pool and at the powerlifting venue. This week was a little tough to get back into it...but I did it full force!
Monday: Squats with Steve
These went well -- tried some weightlifting shoes - I think they will be good for me. Start to put the suit on next week as I will be 7 weeks away from competition
Tuesday: 1 Power Snatch - 2 Overhead Squats - 3 Behind the neck Push Presses - 4 Front Squats - 5 Hang Power Cleans. 5 sets and you cannot set the bar down. I ended up at 63#. Last set was fairly easy, but I really wanted to work on my form as this was only the 3rd time that I have done snatches and overhead squats are still a bit dicey for me.
Wednesday: Did 1/2 Filthy Fifty (as Rx'ed) which is:
25 reps of: (1) box jumps (2) jumping pull ups (3) knees to elbows (4) kb swings (5) walking lunges (6) push press (7) back extension (8) wall balls (9) burpees (10) doubleunders
time was 21:36 - I am trying to work on breaking through those walls, even if it feels like my lungs were bleeding. A couple times I did have to take longer rests because I literally thought I was going to puke, but more or less I tried to push myself through this one. And like I said up there - I finally got the rythmn for the doubleunders!
Thursday: Deadlift with Steve. Ended up doing 300x3 (sumo style with suit bottoms) for my last set. They were phenomenally easy - and this is a big deal since in competition I have only got up to 341.7. My goal for February Women's Nationals is 385# - which if I continue my strength journey, I feel will be feasible.
Friday: Taking a well needed break today!!!!!

WOD 080924 - feeling it...really...

2008-09-25T10:47:00.003-05:00

"If you can talk, you’re not trying hard enough. If your nerves aren’t frayed and ready to rebel, you’ll never get there...There are no pills, no secrets, no passwords on the path to greatness. You’ve got to embrace the pain, push the threshold, and feel the suck, and then you’ve got to muster the courage to go back six times a week." from Again faster.com, Dedication.

I had an epiphany in my workout last night. I am much stronger and fitter than I think I am. I don't push my body nearly as much as I can. My mental blockages are starting to fall, as through Crossfit, I am finally realizing my potential.

Last night I pushed through that workout harder than I ever have before. Last night I competed, not only against myself, but secretly against the girl in front of me. I won, both against my mind and my fellow competitor (who was fully unaware of that little goal I set for myself...).

1000m row
5 rounds of:
7 push press (75# - prescribed was 85#)
20 db squats (25# dumbbells)

Time: 18:08

Why did I win? I pushed through the weight with less rest - I forced my mind and body to work how I wanted them to - I screamed through those last squats (with Ricky behind me cueing "push through, don't stop, tell your mind you can do it, don't listen to your body" or something to that extent) - and I caught up to, and beat that competitor that I slotted myself secretly against. I might feel like a truck hit me today (never wearing a sleeveless shirt again for push press days, my shoulders were eaten up by the bar), but it reminds me of my win last night. To many more wins....

Friday/Saturday 19th/20th

2008-09-22T15:09:00.002-05:00

Been a little late in posting - sorry.
Here's what happened on Friday:
Benching - a lot of benching. I think that I did 5x5 up to 125lbs index finger on the ring - 5x5 close grip to 120? - and then 5x5 wide grip...not sure there of what I ended with. I am posting at work (shhhhh don't tell!)...so I don't have my book with me. Honestly, my bench feels strong. One thing that I am noticing is the ability to grind it out. Before, I honestly couldn't...now I can. Must be those pushups and pullups...
And on Saturday:
I woke up - was going to go to the 9am Crossfit class...laid in bed. 9:20 rolled around, and I still didn't want to go for the 10am class. Then I got my butt out of bed and went. As an aside, my abs were still incredibly sore from Wednesday's abs from hell workout. I have never had cramping in my abs before...another new experience thanks to CF! Ha....So, I did end up getting to the 10am. And walking in, see everyone at the end of their workout in the 9am class...it was amazing. there were at least 15 people -- and when time was called they all were on the floor. This is why I love Crossfit. Hopefully they'll post some pics of it on the site soon...
Chief'ette'
4 rounds with 1 minute rest in between
As many rounds as possible in 4 minutes of:
2 dumbbell hang snatch (25#) each arm
6 burpees
9 deadlifts (85#)

I did 1st: 3 rounds + 2 Burpee / 2nd: 2 rounds + 6 deadlifts / 3rd: 2 rounds / 4th: 2 rounds + 2 burpees.

Hardest was the burpees. I was able to quickly grind out the deadlifts - as 85# isn't much for me. But those dang burpees. As a positive, I think I am getting better at them!

Front squats

2008-09-18T22:50:00.003-05:00

3-3-3-3-3-3-3 front squats

Ended up for my seventh set at 150. Then decided to do an 8th set at 154. Wasn't too bad. I know I could have done more, but I'll use this as a benchmark for the next time!

Then we did a pushup game...I am getting better, but I still fail on pushups pretty early. Keep working...

WOD 080917

2008-09-17T20:00:00.002-05:00

Strict pull-ups: 65 using a blue band 10-7-7-8...can't remember mid way but ended at 4-4-1 +300 sit-ups.

nice one....

squatting and zone

2008-09-15T21:36:00.003-05:00

Tonight I did some squats:
95 x5
135 x 5
165 x 5
185 x 5
225 x 5 (wraps and belt)
235 x 5 (wraps and belt
Then I did some conventional stance good mornings:
225 x 4
225 x 4
245 x 4
265 x 4

I also decided to start the zone at lunch today. I watched a video on Crossfit Journal -- and I figured why not give it two weeks? So I zoned for lunch, snack, dinner & snack. I am looking forward to this...on the video the gal said "your body will hum on the zone" - I want to know what a humming body feels like. I want to see if it really does improve my performance. Its my little experiment....

Team WOD 080913

2008-09-13T18:36:00.002-05:00

3 rounds for time:
1000m row
80 slam balls
60 jump pull-ups
40 walking lunges

Brian and I were a team for this one and we ended up finishing 32:48. This one was intense -- well what CF WOD isn't? -- but there was a point were I was telling Brian "I am not doing very good...seriously I am not feeling well..." and I wasn't joking. I think that the transition row to slam balls there were a couple moments were I had tingles all over my body. And the jumping pull ups after that slam ball were brutal. Your arms were already jello and then you're supposed to jump and pull yourself up? Ha! Brian was a great teammate -- always pushing me and picking up some of my "slack" or rather my fatigue/failure! I'm pretty happy with how I performed...nothing like having a teammate who you don't want to let down...

Linda...shes a *****!

2008-09-11T19:50:00.005-05:00

So a group of us did Linda tonight. Wow that was brutal. It really puts into perspective the strength of a Crossfitter. Obviously I had to scale (or another thing would be just to pretend that I weigh 120 lbs...ha ha ha) as Linda is the following: 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 of:
Deadlift 1.5 times bodyweight
Bench 1 times bodyweight
Cleans 0.75 times bodyweight

I've been running about 159lbs lately, and while I think I might be able to bench that a couple times, I would need a lift-off and would have to do them one at a time. Deadlift would have been 238.5lbs, and man, I usually have a belt on by then (my max with suit is 341 in competition!). Cleans would have been 119.25lbs. Not quite there yet in my core strength. So instead I did the following:

155lb deadlift (should have gone up, but I didn't know what to expect)
95lb bench (again, should have gone up)
90lb cleans --- just right....

But here's the deal...I got all messed up. I missed a deadlift round...so then I had to add it later. Had a DNF -- got through 3 deads, benches and 1 clean.
I love it that Ricky and Joe had me do this one. It was interesting to put my strength to the test Crossfit style -- and it definitely shows me I have a long journey to get where I want to be, but man will it be sweaty, sore and fun!

WOD 080910

2008-09-10T20:07:00.004-05:00

Worked on Turkish Get Ups today. I cannot believe that I have never done these. I honestly think they have to be one of the best core strength exercises that I have ever done. I'm tempted to go out and buy me a kettlebell so that I can practice these! I ended up doing 1.5 pood with my right hand and 1 pood with my left.

After about 20 minutes of working these -- our workout consisted of the following:
2 Rounds of
Run 400 m (I scaled it to 200m)
12 kettlebell swings 1.5 pood

I started this one with a huge cramp in my right thigh and ended it with a ball in my throat. But hey...thats the fun of it! Finished in 4:48

Brain changes

2008-09-09T16:13:00.002-05:00

This article was linked on the main Crossfit website. I actually did read it all...you should too...

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/google

squat and bench

2008-09-08T21:45:00.002-05:00

Tonight I did powerlifting training with Steve. It went a little like this:
Bench:
75x6 / 95x6 / 110x6 / 115x6 / 115x6
Squat:
95x5 / 135x5 / 185x5 / 205x5 / 205x5 (belt on at 185)
Good Mornings
135x5 / 195x5 / 195x5 (conventional deadlift stance)

WOD 080904

2008-09-04T21:37:00.002-05:00

For time:
39 handstand pushups (blue plate under head)
40 power cleans (63#)
50 KB swings (1)
60 pushups
70 jumping air squats

22 minute time cut-off

I didn't end up finishing this one. I made it through 43 pushups. I think that I could have pushed a little faster on the HSPU -- but oh well! I still can't believe the improvements that I am starting to make. I can feel my core tightening up and my endurance increasing.

Sometimes I try and imagine what I will be like in 6 months ---- hell, I can't wait to see what this will do for my competition in December! Stay tuned! :)

Kylie L

2008-08-29T19:48:00.002-05:00

7 rounds of:
7 burpees
7 pull-ups
7 box jumps (22")

14:39

Can I say that sh*t sucked...bad. I felt like my lungs were exploding. One of the hardest workouts I have done, and actually the first one with burpees. I think those are what killed me. I feel fine when I do pull-ups, box jumps are hard, but burpees...man...burpees SUCK! Oh...did I say that as much as I hated it...I loved it. Crossfit makes me weak in order to make me strong....

May you always have...

2008-08-29T09:28:00.003-05:00

enough happiness to keep you sweet;

enough trials to keep you strong;

enough success to keep you eager;

enough faith to give you courage;

and enough determination to make

each day a good day.

WOD 080827

2008-08-27T19:01:00.002-05:00

3 rounds for time:
60 singles (jump rope) + 15 tuck jumps (instead of 30 double unders)
20 20lb thrusters

8:48

My arms are jello...

I truly love Crossfit -- in less than 10 minutes I did a workout that kicked my @ss.

Cindy and running

2008-08-24T10:37:00.002-05:00

Friday Crossfit I did Cindy:
5 pull-ups
10 push-ups
15 air squats
AMRAP in 20 minutes

I ended up finishing 10 rounds + 3 pull-ups...my push-ups were really sad at the end though....maybe should have scaled.

Saturday morning I did the following WOD:
800 m run
65 jump rope singles + 35 tuck jumps (scaled from 65 Doubleunders since I don't know how to do them)
500 m row
2 rounds

DNF -- had 400 m left on the rowing. Endurance is something that I really don't have right now....and I hate running.

Transformation

2008-08-22T10:29:00.003-05:00

SESA WO SUBAN

"Change or transform your character "

symbol of life transformation

This symbol combines two separate adinkra symbols, the "Morning Star" which can mean a new start to the day, placed inside the wheel, representing rotation or independent movement.

-from http://www.welltempered.net/adinkra/

This is one of the Adinkra symbols that I have tattooed on my spine. Funny, it is right in the middle of the seven symbols. I am a person that is constantly "transforming." I am never satisfied with what I have because I always feel that there is something else out there that is better. Now this doesn't mean that I am not grateful with what I currently have -- I have an amazing life, with wonderful friends & family -- but rather that I am a person in constant state of change with a huge amount of ambition bubbling around her.

Jackie

2008-08-19T20:17:00.002-05:00

1000 meter row
50 thrusters 35# bar
30 pull-ups

Finish: 14:11

I'm starting to feel better about my breathing -- I am not so afraid of breathing hard anymore! Ha ha ha. The powerlifter is going to have some endurance here soon!

Crossfit Omaha Step 1

2008-08-01T11:29:00.004-05:00

So, last night I did my first 1:1 at Crossfit Omaha. Dang that was fun! Joe, one of the founders, was my trainer for the night and I really liked the way that he went about it. Oh - and sorry Joe for getting you talking and making it last so long! But I do love to talk about training methods! We worked on the basics: squat (got some new technique tips), push-ups, pull-ups (yeah! I can do pull-ups! funny how I didn't know that!) . Then it was on to my first WOD: 200 m run, 5 pullups, 10 pushups, 15 air squats. So you know when you push your lungs so hard you feel like they are bleeding after you are done...yep, that was me! Funny though, I didn't even ask Joe what my time was. Oh well. But like I said --- that was fun!
My goals with Crossfit are to use it to better my GPP and to improve performance in my sport, powerlifting. I can't see how it won't make my lifts increase. My powerlifting has been sort of half-ass the past couple years. I pretty much only do about 2 hours of lifting per week and they are concentrated on the main lifts of the squat, bench and deadlift. With that sort of training regimen, I can only improve.
If you want to check out Crossfit Omaha's website: http://www.crossfitomaha.blogspot.com/
They'll be moving to their own space in a couple of weeks...it's gonna be amazing....

First post

2008-05-15T15:39:00.002-05:00

The beginning of "the blog" --- which all in all will just be a big mish mash of my musings.

You know how you discover something and you just can't get it out of your brain? Where you are searching the internet constantly for new topics on your subject of choice? Well, that's me anyway. I find that when I want to do something, I completely and totally immerse myself in it. I search every nook and cranny for new information about the subject. Lately, my obsessions have been: gardening, home remodeling, powerlifting (always!), zen buddhism, dog training. I know, I really am diverse! Here is my reasons for being obsessed about the above:

1. Dog training: just got a beautiful dog 5 months ago --- and I want a super well-behaved dog!
2. Zen Buddhism: if following some path of spirituality...this one takes the cake!
3. Powerlifting: I'm a powerlifter, been one for coming up on 4 years now. I love the sport...
4. Home remodeling: yep, bought a new (old) house --- have many many projects
5. Gardening: my new love. I didn't realize that gardening was so stress-relieving...

This blog won't necessarily be about these topics...but you will sure find stuff about them in here! Enjoy!