the fittest games were an incredible experience for me. I journeyed to the top (winning the bear complex and the gymnsatique wods) and over the edge (the fourth/track wod). the win in the bear complex came simply from gaming it right. first set of 3 was at 120 pounds and then went straight to 140 using some stratgey provided by Armen Hammer. the gymnastics wod played to my skill strengths (muscle ups, toes to bar, double unders) and I was definitely flowing. the view of the crowd was incredibly motivating from the athlete's standpoint.
I also had two wods that broke me. the first was the gasser with shuttle runs. I wasn't fully warmed up by 9:15 in the morning and by the second shuttle the blood felt like ice in my veins. I was stiff and had a terrible time controlling the 35# dumbell. finished about 14th.
the fourth wod was my chance to stay in the race. I planned to do the squat snatches in sets of 5 and stuck with that. I was first off out of the snatches. Lisa was right behind me and powered through the 15-12-9 sumo dl high pulls and push presses. Chardonnay and Whitney passed me as well and Karen had posted the top time of the day in the earlier heat. I had trouble staying on the bar and finishing the reps. I was completely broken by the sdlhp and pp. the thought of the final 200m was horrendous and I wanted to step off the track at the 100m mark. my back was locked up, my legs were tree trunks, and it felt like i was running through molten lava. you can see the video of me crying about it. I'm pretty sure I uttered the words "I've gone too far. This is too much." I had definitely pushed to the farthest edge of my comfort zone at that point. It was by far the worst I have felt in a WOD in a long, long time. I'm glad I went there. It's a nice place to visit, but not to stay...
Ended up third on the weekend, by a hair. I feel like I've come a long way, and I am excited by the path ahead of me!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
did we just break up?
I know I'm a day late... but from the inside of my heart... Happy Valentine's Day!
I'm dissapointed that my favorite holiday snuck up on me and I did not make a single Valentine this year. I promise you, loves, you'll get a good one next year!
I'm dissapointed that my favorite holiday snuck up on me and I did not make a single Valentine this year. I promise you, loves, you'll get a good one next year!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Notworthitness
My good friend Sam Martin, posted this video today.
He titled it "Sticktoitiveness." Another friend chimed in that it would have been more of a "notworthitness" situation for her. It made me think about what sort of incident would turn me away from a sport I was passionate about.
I say that there is no way I would walk away from a sport I'm passionate about, which means that I must not be that passionate about rugby because today I decided that I am not going to play rugby this spring. I had previously intended to particpate with the Valkyries starting in the next few weeks, but my priorities have become focused. I have decided to commit to CrossFit as my sport for the season. The risk of injury in rugby is too high to compromise my passion for competitive greatness in CrossFit. While every single wod is worth the possibility of it knocking me down, the team and learning aspects of rugby are not enough to overcome the possibility of a crushing tackle. CrossFit has the worthitness.
My focus now turns to training, recovery, and nutrition for CrossFit. And I do not see rugby making a positive enough impact on those areas. Perhaps the mental break would be beneficial to my CrossFit practice, plus the variety of activity. I'm drawing the line and preparing to hold myself to the expectations of the CrossFit Central Team.
I volunteered for a quasi-leadership/captainish role for the CC Team. It means a lot to me that the position was offered and that I was allowed to step up to the plate. Being a team leader has always been a huge part of my athletic experience and while I am far from being a leader competitively, taking an organizational role is entirely sufficient. This role also ties me more closely to the team in that I will be a part of the communication that takes place.
I've been doing double days since the beginning of December. We will see the worthitness through the next few weeks and into Sectionals.
I say that there is no way I would walk away from a sport I'm passionate about, which means that I must not be that passionate about rugby because today I decided that I am not going to play rugby this spring. I had previously intended to particpate with the Valkyries starting in the next few weeks, but my priorities have become focused. I have decided to commit to CrossFit as my sport for the season. The risk of injury in rugby is too high to compromise my passion for competitive greatness in CrossFit. While every single wod is worth the possibility of it knocking me down, the team and learning aspects of rugby are not enough to overcome the possibility of a crushing tackle. CrossFit has the worthitness.
My focus now turns to training, recovery, and nutrition for CrossFit. And I do not see rugby making a positive enough impact on those areas. Perhaps the mental break would be beneficial to my CrossFit practice, plus the variety of activity. I'm drawing the line and preparing to hold myself to the expectations of the CrossFit Central Team.
I volunteered for a quasi-leadership/captainish role for the CC Team. It means a lot to me that the position was offered and that I was allowed to step up to the plate. Being a team leader has always been a huge part of my athletic experience and while I am far from being a leader competitively, taking an organizational role is entirely sufficient. This role also ties me more closely to the team in that I will be a part of the communication that takes place.
I've been doing double days since the beginning of December. We will see the worthitness through the next few weeks and into Sectionals.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Happy 6 Month Anniversary, Heart Valve!
What has it been like coming back to CrossFit from open heart surgery? Surprisingly enjoyable.
I don't mean to say that my physical state was not completely sucky for quite a while, but considering the alternative scenarios of this situation, it could have been a lot worse.
It has been enjoyable with the main reason being that I have had the best care possible. I had full health insurance associated with the best hospital and surgeon on the West Coast. My family was there for me every step of the way and my friends were unbelievably supportive.
I was inactive for merely 3 months and my recovery has been relatively easy. I would be willing to guess that a lot of people would not go back to their previous activities after a major operation, but the CrossFit lifestyle is what made my surgery easy and what makes my life enjoyable.
This whole thing has been enjoyable in the sense that the experience moved me beyond what I thought I was programmed to do. I feel I have achieved something unexpected. Heart surgery created a sense of novelty in my life, in that the challenge has become greater than before. I can look back and know that I have grown, maybe become more complex.
The hardest thing I have faced is myself. I have high self expectations. The biggest expectation I hold is to continue to live my life as closely as possible to my pre-surgery physical state -and eventually- better than before.
I'm lucky that I can participate in the things that I love and I'm lucky to enough to be able to work towards getting back on the podium. I'm lucky that this has been easy and that I can look back and call it enjoyable.
I don't mean to say that my physical state was not completely sucky for quite a while, but considering the alternative scenarios of this situation, it could have been a lot worse.
It has been enjoyable with the main reason being that I have had the best care possible. I had full health insurance associated with the best hospital and surgeon on the West Coast. My family was there for me every step of the way and my friends were unbelievably supportive.
I was inactive for merely 3 months and my recovery has been relatively easy. I would be willing to guess that a lot of people would not go back to their previous activities after a major operation, but the CrossFit lifestyle is what made my surgery easy and what makes my life enjoyable.
This whole thing has been enjoyable in the sense that the experience moved me beyond what I thought I was programmed to do. I feel I have achieved something unexpected. Heart surgery created a sense of novelty in my life, in that the challenge has become greater than before. I can look back and know that I have grown, maybe become more complex.
The hardest thing I have faced is myself. I have high self expectations. The biggest expectation I hold is to continue to live my life as closely as possible to my pre-surgery physical state -and eventually- better than before.
I'm lucky that I can participate in the things that I love and I'm lucky to enough to be able to work towards getting back on the podium. I'm lucky that this has been easy and that I can look back and call it enjoyable.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Blowing up the comfort zone
Three drastically different deposits this week.
Thursday was the breakdown/suckitup/walkitoff/toughenup/learn/grow/perspectivesetter. I set some new PR's to start the morning because they were movements I've never tested before. The following metcon set some baselines as well in terms of "hard" and what will qualify as "worse" in the future. The most bankable aspects were that I kept squatting even through the choked up feeling and that I did every damn rep, no scaling, no modifications. I learned that I'm still not a quitter. I banked 300 reps, in sets of 2-3-4-5. I broke through my comfort zone and into that unhappy place and made it my sunny day, even though the sun wouldn't come up for another half an hour. And then I went home, ate steak and raspberries and coconut juice, showered, slept, ate sausage and eggs, and moved on with my life. No pity party, victory hug only for having completed it.
Friday was the shakeitout/letitgo/breathedeep/havesomefun/weekendwarmup. Got back onto the rower for the first time in Texas, but the lack of a monitor on the SicFit erg means that we just rowed for 250 strokes. I actually really appreciated not staring at a tiny demeaning computer and was able to think about technique and the potential power output. Went through the motions on some skills, including the always exciting sledgehammer tire strikes. I like to think of myself as a woods-woman when I'm hitting the tire, maybe wearing a plaid top, jorts, and boots, splitting wood to take home on the 4-wheeler to cook freshly dressed venison (holy shit I've been living in Texas too long to actually think that is acceptable.) Moving on I realize that that ridiculous fantasy probably just stems from my love affair with the BFT because the next exercise with tire flips with jump-through. The flips/jumps were hard, I got really dirty and I loved it.
Also did rugby fitness testing Wednesday night.
1 min anchored sit ups- 46
40m sprint- 5.7
max push ups- 31 (not chest to deck, 90degree elbows)
300m run- 1:09 (50m shuttle style)
Big rivalry week ahead. The Horns are gonna hook Tech tomorrow, then I will be wearing every single piece of UCLA gear that I have throughout the week until the Bruins come to Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium next Saturday after Fight Gone Bad 5!
Thursday was the breakdown/suckitup/walkitoff/toughenup/learn/grow/perspectivesetter. I set some new PR's to start the morning because they were movements I've never tested before. The following metcon set some baselines as well in terms of "hard" and what will qualify as "worse" in the future. The most bankable aspects were that I kept squatting even through the choked up feeling and that I did every damn rep, no scaling, no modifications. I learned that I'm still not a quitter. I banked 300 reps, in sets of 2-3-4-5. I broke through my comfort zone and into that unhappy place and made it my sunny day, even though the sun wouldn't come up for another half an hour. And then I went home, ate steak and raspberries and coconut juice, showered, slept, ate sausage and eggs, and moved on with my life. No pity party, victory hug only for having completed it.
Friday was the shakeitout/letitgo/breathedeep/havesomefun/weekendwarmup. Got back onto the rower for the first time in Texas, but the lack of a monitor on the SicFit erg means that we just rowed for 250 strokes. I actually really appreciated not staring at a tiny demeaning computer and was able to think about technique and the potential power output. Went through the motions on some skills, including the always exciting sledgehammer tire strikes. I like to think of myself as a woods-woman when I'm hitting the tire, maybe wearing a plaid top, jorts, and boots, splitting wood to take home on the 4-wheeler to cook freshly dressed venison (holy shit I've been living in Texas too long to actually think that is acceptable.) Moving on I realize that that ridiculous fantasy probably just stems from my love affair with the BFT because the next exercise with tire flips with jump-through. The flips/jumps were hard, I got really dirty and I loved it.
Also did rugby fitness testing Wednesday night.
1 min anchored sit ups- 46
40m sprint- 5.7
max push ups- 31 (not chest to deck, 90degree elbows)
300m run- 1:09 (50m shuttle style)
Big rivalry week ahead. The Horns are gonna hook Tech tomorrow, then I will be wearing every single piece of UCLA gear that I have throughout the week until the Bruins come to Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium next Saturday after Fight Gone Bad 5!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Putting Money in the Bank
It has been a little over four months since the sternotomy and we recently had a little goal setting session at one of the CrossFit Central Fall Semester Coaches Classes. I had come up with a list of physical goals that I want to check each month and developed some generic life goals as well.
"Get a Muscle up before Movember." "Three outside class workouts per week." "Dial in nutrition and maintain body composition." "Be proactive." "Know when to be patient." "Grow competitive spirit." "Straight A's this semester, never miss a class."
However, marinating on this subject after the class and after group WOD's, I came up with a more specific goal.
"Put money in the bank."
To me this means making deposits emotionally, physically, and materially as well. I need to look at situations as bankable experiences, even if the outcome isn't terribly successful. Every WOD, class, assignment, project, meal, conversation, will be an investment towards the future. I am also looking for employment to make actual financial contributions to my bank account. This mindset of seeing the bankability of activities has created a positive outlook on recovery, purpose in school, and life here in Austin.
Recently I deposited:
7 Rounds of Cindy in 12 min
1:19 for 400m run
4x 75# Press
5 Days On, 2 Days Off
165# Front Squat
105# Bench Press
3 Sessions Muscle Up Practice
4x 4 mixed grip dh pull ups, 5 man makers 25#- 11:24
Longhorn Football Game
9/11 Memorial Service
Early morning walk around Town Lake
Chicken and waffles
Subsequent IF experimentation
Website project brainstorming
Quizzes in all three classes
Saving up for when I need to check my account and make transfers and withdrawals later...
"Get a Muscle up before Movember." "Three outside class workouts per week." "Dial in nutrition and maintain body composition." "Be proactive." "Know when to be patient." "Grow competitive spirit." "Straight A's this semester, never miss a class."
However, marinating on this subject after the class and after group WOD's, I came up with a more specific goal.
"Put money in the bank."
To me this means making deposits emotionally, physically, and materially as well. I need to look at situations as bankable experiences, even if the outcome isn't terribly successful. Every WOD, class, assignment, project, meal, conversation, will be an investment towards the future. I am also looking for employment to make actual financial contributions to my bank account. This mindset of seeing the bankability of activities has created a positive outlook on recovery, purpose in school, and life here in Austin.
Recently I deposited:
7 Rounds of Cindy in 12 min
1:19 for 400m run
4x 75# Press
5 Days On, 2 Days Off
165# Front Squat
105# Bench Press
3 Sessions Muscle Up Practice
4x 4 mixed grip dh pull ups, 5 man makers 25#- 11:24
Longhorn Football Game
9/11 Memorial Service
Early morning walk around Town Lake
Chicken and waffles
Subsequent IF experimentation
Website project brainstorming
Quizzes in all three classes
Saving up for when I need to check my account and make transfers and withdrawals later...
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Starting September Off Right!
Some recent delights in my CrossFitting adventure:
max rep dead hang pull ups- 6
max reps kipping handstand push ups- 6
max squat snatch- 115 (lifetime PR)
3x power clean and push jerk- 135
AMRAP 6 min
10 thruster (65#)
10 pull ups
4 rounds + 2 thrusters
3x with about 3 min rest
5 weighted pull ups (round 1-10# vest, round 2&3- vest + 12# DB)
5 DL (225#)
15 sand bag slams (25#)
round 1- 1:04, round 2- 1:09, round 3- 1:09
I also got in a 2.5 mile run in 19:13, averaging a 7:53 minute mile- as the 3rd leg of a relay. Not my best ever, but I'm pretty sure it's the farthest I have run without run/walking post-op. My team was incredible with THE Lindsey Smith, THE Carey Kepler, and THE Jessica Estrada pulling more than their weight to take 5th in the Women's Open division. Not bad for a bunch of CrossFitters at the Zilker Relays!
Managed not to completely freeze for about 25 minutes of swimming eeeearly Saturday morning at Barton Springs. The water is like 68 degrees and there is all sorts of wildlife in the pool, but I managed to keep warm and only got blue fingernails after I got out...
We do heaps of toe push ups, jumping/negative ring dips, kipping pull ups, and pistols practice. I feel like I'm working on my weaknesses and getting in a lot of necessary reps. Although I haven't touched a rower or a jump rope since I've been in Texas...
I actually had to hit the books this weekend as school is fully in session, despite only having 50% of my classes this week due to Labor Day. The long weekend was really fun, thanks to development of my social life through Megan and Aaron. My football teams went 1 for 2, got to see Showout and Chardonnay (my training partner) in action when Meg and I joined the Central crew on 6th St. And I watched the Austin Tri from the water station at one of the turnarounds before finally officially welcoming Chelsea and Trey into their new home. Fantastic!
max rep dead hang pull ups- 6
max reps kipping handstand push ups- 6
max squat snatch- 115 (lifetime PR)
3x power clean and push jerk- 135
AMRAP 6 min
10 thruster (65#)
10 pull ups
4 rounds + 2 thrusters
3x with about 3 min rest
5 weighted pull ups (round 1-10# vest, round 2&3- vest + 12# DB)
5 DL (225#)
15 sand bag slams (25#)
round 1- 1:04, round 2- 1:09, round 3- 1:09
I also got in a 2.5 mile run in 19:13, averaging a 7:53 minute mile- as the 3rd leg of a relay. Not my best ever, but I'm pretty sure it's the farthest I have run without run/walking post-op. My team was incredible with THE Lindsey Smith, THE Carey Kepler, and THE Jessica Estrada pulling more than their weight to take 5th in the Women's Open division. Not bad for a bunch of CrossFitters at the Zilker Relays!
 |
| A little nervous before the LONG distance RACE! |
 |
| My team- Lindsey, Carey, me, Jess. |
 |
| The CrossFit Central Crew at the Relays. |
Managed not to completely freeze for about 25 minutes of swimming eeeearly Saturday morning at Barton Springs. The water is like 68 degrees and there is all sorts of wildlife in the pool, but I managed to keep warm and only got blue fingernails after I got out...
We do heaps of toe push ups, jumping/negative ring dips, kipping pull ups, and pistols practice. I feel like I'm working on my weaknesses and getting in a lot of necessary reps. Although I haven't touched a rower or a jump rope since I've been in Texas...
I actually had to hit the books this weekend as school is fully in session, despite only having 50% of my classes this week due to Labor Day. The long weekend was really fun, thanks to development of my social life through Megan and Aaron. My football teams went 1 for 2, got to see Showout and Chardonnay (my training partner) in action when Meg and I joined the Central crew on 6th St. And I watched the Austin Tri from the water station at one of the turnarounds before finally officially welcoming Chelsea and Trey into their new home. Fantastic!
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