Boston

I have no words.  My heart is breaking...

End to a great week

It's been a good great week.  I've run almost 30k since Sunday pain-free, including some uphill and sweet downhill sections and (my favourite) speedwork (800m sprints).  I PR'd a back squat with 95#, and cranked out 20 in a row at 75#.  I push-pressed 75# last night, but couldn't seem to break through to 80#.  Soon...that will happen soon.  I've finally passed under the 200# mark on the digital devil, and have solid prove (physiograph) that I have lost 21.1 POUNDS OF FAT since January 15th.  I'll say that again...-21.1 POUNDS OF FAT!!!  I went from 44.7% body fat to 38.7% in 12 weeks.  Boo-fricken-yah!!!

Last night's WOD was a fun mix of challenging push press to find our max weight, and then a 21-15-9 round of OH walking lunges (holding a weight plate overhead, arms straight, while lunging...each leg) followed by T2B (toes to bar).  My toes are definitely moving higher up the body, so who knows...I may surprise the nuggets out of myself and find those touching the bar any old day now.  Think I'll aim for KTE (knees to elbows) first.  I started out with the 35# plate, but quickly dropped to 25#.  I could do it, just not sure if I could for a total of 90 steps.  After class I had my physiograph.

This is my third since January, when I did the Get Ripped challenge through CFCB.  While I'm not doing the next round of challenge, I and a few of the other ladies are having our own private challenge.  I would have rather to weigh in before class on Saturday, but sadly Coach is busy with expansion, the PR challenge and trying to juggle a whole bunch of enthusiastic crossfitters/coaches.  Turned out not too bad, with only a .8 gain through the day (from weigh-in at WW).  What I loved most of all was the fat number though.  While my muscle pounds haven't changed, my body percentage has, just based on the final number, moving from 26% to 28%.  Danced out of the office with a great big grin on my face!!  Doesn't take much to make me happy!

Quick trip to the grocery afterwards for some diced chicken and bags of salad, and dinner was served.  Totally resisted the urge to treat myself with something ooey and gooey, or even a "quick fix" supper of dip and some kind of dipper.  Considering Calgary's version of a "spring day" begged for comfort food (read: hot, ooey and gooey), I stuck with the cold salad and was fine.  Had it for lunch today too.

Thursday, April 11th

Friday, April 12th

Getting ready for the second PR challenge at CrossFit tomorrow.  Don't even know what it is, as Coach is going to announce it in the morning, aka Open style.  Think there's at least 25 of us competing tomorrow, and again in June.  Should be fun!  Then 18k on Sunday in the snow, yet again.  I'd love to try a Sunday run in nice weather, just to see what it's like, but guess that may have to wait for Funcouver at the beginning of May.  As a lifelong Calgarian, even I am getting weary of Sprinter.  Come on, Mama Nature...what did we do to you?!?  Oh yeah...all the Global Warming crap.  Right.  Sorry 'bout that.

Yay for fitness,



13.5

This is it...the last week of the 5-week CrossFit Open.  When I saw 13.5, I thought maybe Coach was psychic, because this was almost identical to what we did on April 1st...our version of Fran (thrusters, with pull-ups, 21-15-9) which he called Narf...9-15-21 thrusters, with chest to bar.

Then the announcement comes out...say what??


4 minute AMRAP of:
15 Thrusters (100 / 65 lbs)
15 Chest to bar Pull-ups
*4 minute bonus for every 90 reps (3 rounds) completed. (this is where I laughed and laughed and laughed!!)

I knew I was getting no where near doing chest to bars (unassisted, that is), so I only focused on cleaning, squatting and thrusting 65 pounds.  Mission accomplished!  I did three, before my shoulder acted up, so I dropped the bar, and cheered on others.  I was happy.  I got a score, and that's all that matters.

So, 5 weeks, 5 workouts.  I pushed myself to places I didn't know I could.  I lifted weights I didn't know I had in me, but most of all, I tried.  Wait till Open 2014.  I'm going to own it!!!

Ran yesterday, and in typical Calgary fashion, it was on a beautiful Sprinter morning.  That just means that it was foggy and rained Saturday night, in time for the temps to drop below zero, covering everything with a lovely layer of ice.  Made for some interesting footing, and the stabilizers were called into overdrive, but I managed to complete the 17.42k loop.  It was slower than normal, but I was not pushing my group and risking hurting ourselves further.  It wasn't a bad day and for the most part, we ran on the grass when we could.  And after running on the road for part of the loop and down the gravel trail, most of the paths had warmed up enough just to be wet for our return to Eau Claire.  Felt good to do the long run, and I'm feeling very comfortable about running a few km further on May 5th in Vancouver.  Easy-peasy lemon squeezie!!

After running I returned to the Box for the Open wrap-up BBQ, but sadly missed out on everyone competing.  Then a visit with Mom and home briefly before heading out for supper with H-woman.  Probably the best meatloaf I have ever had.  Ever.  So good...

Crossfit tonight was a challenging one.  I think I've actually met a move that I hate even more than burpees.  That would be the dreaded double-under.  Since I ran last week and on the weekend, I decided to give the jumping thing a try.  Sadly, I cannot time my feet and hands (yet) so I spend the whole time whipping myself with my very snappy jump cord, and if you can't do a DU, then you triple the regular skips.  Oh boy!!!  That meant instead of 50-40-30-20-10, I was jumping 150-120-90-20 (attempts = 60 jumps) and 10 attempts (=30!)  Add to that 150 kettlebell swings (50-40-30-20-10) at 26#, AFTER 20 back squats (75#) and you have a very tired girl on your hands.  Happy with her results, but tired!

Really feeling yesterday's run and tonight's lifting, so I think it's time to hit the hay.  In the meantime, I think I've found my new screen saver.


Yay for fitness!