journeyintoselfmatters

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...

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.

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: 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.