10.29.10 - WS Tower Trot

10K (6.2 miles)

Time: 1:12.59
Comments: Katy and I both ran a 10k this weekend. I would have Never. Ever. In a million years. Even considered signing up for one. Ever. Before. In My Life. But after last week's 5k, and after agreeing to do another one yesterday, (only to find out the 5k started an hour later than the 10K at the on-site registration), I thought, What the hell? Let's do the 10k at 8:30 instead. I CAN NOT believe I have zero repercussions from this event. I am SLIGHTLY sore in the hips and ankles. This is nothing compared to the way I feel after any given Monday at the gym. I am also 100% confident that without my previous 6-7 months of CrossFit work outs, this accomplishment would have been an impossible reality. It is the furthest I have ever ran in my life! I SUCK at running! I told people afterward that it didn't really compare to a CrossFit workout in discomfort level. Not even close. It took a lot longer, but was just easy-breezy in comparison.

I averaged under 11:45-min miles. This seriously blows me away. PR in that it's the longest I've ever run. By far.

05.25.10 - T-shirt Winner!

1-1-1-1-1 Snatch for Max

Run 200m
20 Kettlebell Swings (55/35#)

4x on a 3:30 Interval

Snatch Max: 80#
Comments: I would have bet money I'd done a Snatch for Max at this point, but was surprised to see I didn't have one recorded. So 80? That's 25# over a weight I used in a WOD a couple weeks ago, and now I have a baseline. Had about 2 min rest between intervals and used 25# KB. Sprinting the run hurt my left thigh and my calves also hurt after, so did some stretching before we left. Katy suggested maybe we're too "old" to really sprint a run. I gave her the hairy eyeball (our birthdays are both within a week) but I also think she might be right!

In other news: I "won" the t-shirt competition, but question whether I really "competed" with anyone!

05.24.10 - AMRAP

3-3-3-3-3 Push Press

AMRAP
As many reps as possible in 12 minutes.

10 Squat Cleans
20 Sit-ups

3RM: 95#
Reps: 4.75
Comments: I tortured myself with too much "fun" this weekend and payed for it today. Sweating my ass off felt kinda good, actually. And for some reason I was able to match my 1RM on the push press, which tells me I need to try for a new PR. Dang it was hot down there! The gym was crowded today – lots of new faces.

05.22.10 - ABTA 5K

Time: 32:56

Comments: What a pleasure to run this morning and not totally die doing so! Under an 11 min pace no less. I shocked myself mostly in that I was barely even winded and recovered almost immediately upon finishing. Super fun, and awesome to see some old friends from Junior High I haven't seen in over a decade. Makes me want to sign up for the Tower Trot next weekend.

Not so CrossFit, but a result of...

05.19.10 - Hump Day

3 Rounds of:

800m Run
1000m Row

Time: 31:10
Comments: This was exactly what it looks like. Lots of running and rowing. I really stink at running. Especially on my toes as my calves are STILL killing me from Monday. Boo Hoo.

05.18.10 - Bear Complex

5 Sets of 7 Rounds

Power Clean
Front Squat
Push Press
Back Squat
Push Press

Increase sets to Max. No dropping the bar during rounds. Rest between rounds as needed.

Max: 70#
Comments: 35/45/55/65/70. Previous weight max was 55, back in January (first workout after Basic Training). I really love this one and I was actually... genuinely excited when I saw it posted.

05.17.10 - Tabata with a Twist

Overhead Squat for Max
5-5-3-3-1-1-1

Tabata Style
(8 sets of each exercise, 20 sec active/10 sec rest, for 16 total minutes)

Jumping Pull-ups
Supermans
Dumbell Push Press
Jumping Split Lunges

OHS: 75# (PR!)
Tabata: 8/8/5/8
Comments: Tabata is deceptively challenging. 20 seconds is a LONG TIME, while 10 seconds is VERY SHORT. Used 20# dumbells. Last time we did Tabata we recorded our LOWEST number of reps, which is what I've done here. However, 8's were pretty consistent for each exercise throughout all 8 sets. Tried hard to maintain a rhythm. I did hit some 10s & 11s, but not on the push press. That was just awful.

PR on the OHS by 5#!

Added a 5th Goal: Bench Press 135# (45#bar and 2 45# plates - Thanks Tone!)

05.13.10 - Make It Up (Monday's)

Back In Action

5 Rounds for Time:

30 Kettlebell Swings
20 Burpees
10 Pull-ups

Time: 27:21
Comments: I DID 100 BURPEES!!! (I mean, I txt'd my brother and called my parents about it – I am such a nerd!) After threatening all day that maybe I would do only 4 rounds, or maybe 15 burpees instead, I did all the reps. That's the most burpees I've done in a workout so far and I have to say it's one of my proudest accomplishments at ACF. ;) Only sorta kidding. Maybe a bigger accomplishment was declining happy hour tonight to make-up Monday? Grey band was actually sorta launching me over the bar, but I'm not complaining. Used only 20# on the KBS. Wouldn't change a thing – the burpees were my real challenge today.

05.12.10 - No Name MetCon

5-5-5-3-3-1-1 Bench Press for Max

4 Rounds of:

24 Air Squats
21 Sit-ups
18 Box Jumps
15 Push-ups
12 Body Rows
9 Ring Dips

Bench: 100# (PR!)
Time: 21:05

Comments: This one reminded me of when I started at Atlas. All the things we sort of learned first maybe. I knew it was going to be long and hard. It was.

05.11.10 - GRACE

Grace (YAY!)

30 Clean & Jerks
(or floor to locked out overhead)
135/95#

Row
3 x 750m, 2 min rest in between.

Time: 4:59
Row Times: 3:20(?)/3:20/3:17

Comments: I have been dying to do this one since I first saw it in action back in December, so I was psyched when it showed up this morning. Used 75# which may be the most weight I've used in a workout with multiple reps. I don't have a clean & jerk recorded at a max. This weight felt about right altho I inadvertently cheated on the first couple reps when it was pointed out I wasn't fully resetting from my split. I NEED to see this on video, because I felt pretty sloppy actually. Once we get going I really question the intensity with which I engage my legs, and whether I'm really getting myself UNDER the bar.

Row felt just okay. Again didn't feel like I was using my legs enough.

05.07.10 - TGI Almost Saturday

Handstands
Double Unders

Comments: Last day of active rest week. We worked on handstand progressions. I can do a solid head stand and learned how to "approach" the handstand (arms overhead) that made the movement a little better. Hand stands are funny to me in that sometimes I can totally do them and sometimes I totally suck. No real rhyme or reason. Maybe I should clarify that some DAYS I can, some I can't.

Liked the jump rope progression. Likewise with the jump rope, I have on and off days. I can usually kinda do a 1-single, 1-double rhythm, but not doubles consecutively. Well tonight I did 3 double unders in a row. My form totally sucked, but I got 3. In Jr. High we had a dedicated rope jumping unit in PE. I was pretty good at it in like, 7th grade. Our "final" was to make up a routine. Double unders, cross-overs front and backwards, slalom. We also did it during dry land swim practice back in the day as a way to improve our reaction off the block (or something...). So I have it in me, but I definitely need to practice. That's a couple years ago after all – :).

05.05.10 - Progress (Happy Cinco de Mayo)

We worked on the pulls and form of the Olympic Lifts:

Deadlift
Clean
Snatch

Comments: Can't get enough of the lifting, practice or otherwise. Practicing is great. Learned some new moves with the kettlebell (windmill) and did some stretching. I used to click with the clean, but now I sorta like the snatch. I don't know, half the time I feel like I do them right and half not. I tend to get really messed up when we slow the movement down. Kinda bummed we didn't get to learn the kipping progression.

In other news: I learned about Dynamic Apnea today. To see this in action, check out this video. Talk about a subculture – some of these people have learned to hold their breath for nearly 8 minutes. Can't wait to get back in the pool.

05.03.10 - Active Rest/Skills Week

Self-Myofascial Release (Rollers)
Corrective Static Stretching
Rowing Fundamentals

Comments: So it's active/forced rest week. Today we focused on these things. Liked doing the rollers but it tests my patience. I was eternally grateful we didn't use them on our arms, because the backs of mine from the elbow up are still sensitive to the touch from Friday. After I was done with everything I went back in the studio and considered trying it out for a little while on my own for about 2.2 seconds. I think I need another day or two before I subject myself to that degree of torture. Stretching with the band felt good.

Our last focus was the Row. We were to do a 2000m at 70%. So I set out, kept it slow and steady. I was pulling about 18-22 per minute, about 2:00-2:15/500 pace. Ah, I beat my PR by one second? I broke a sweat but wasn't even winded. It's been about 3 months since my last recorded 2000. My time today was 8:50.

May 22, 2010 - ABTA 5k

Anyone interested in running a 5k for a good cause?

One of my oldest friends has been suffering from the effects of a brain tumor for several years. If any of you are preparing for other races, maybe you'd be interested in practicing through this event? Here are some details, but email me (hillaryweber [at] gmail.com) if you have any questions.

It's $30 to register. ($40 on race day, online registration closes Wed, May 19)
You can run or walk.
Saturday, May 22.
@ Soldier Field.
8:30 am start time.
More information: www.pathtoprogress.org.

The American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) is a 37-year old organization that helps support patients and families dealing with this disease as it works to find a cure.

This event is pretty low key. People walking bring strollers, dogs, etc. and tend to walk in "groups" so the walk is pretty slow. Runners go off ahead of walkers. This is my 3rd year participating, and I've signed up to run (yikes!) for the first time.

I think that's about it?