10.25.10 - Happy Anniversary!

5-5-3-3-3 Front Squat

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
Kettlebell Thruster (35/20#)
2-4-6-8-10-12-14-16-18-20
Body Rows

3RM: 85#
Time: 15:50
Comments: I first walked in the doors of Atlas one year ago today! After the body rows tonight, I'll probably feel the same in the arms I did at the end of that week. Still love/hate it, in a good way. Went a little easy on the front squats: 55/65/75/85 (skipped the last one, ran out of time). I didn't want to kill myself and my 1RM is 105# I think from several months ago (UPDATE: 110#). Used 15# KBs. And scaled the rows to a manageable angle, but stayed on my heals and felt a good range of motion thru the 20. I'm scared for my arms though. Rolled them out a bit on the foam roller after. Still scared. Oh yeah, we did some solid foam rolling in the beginning, and it felt really awful but good too. He kept saying to try not to grimace. Ha.

In other news: Terry complimented my Thrusters! After I made sure he wasn't being sarcastic, I was kinda flattered!

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.

01.16.10 - EBC Yoga.

This is non-Crossfit, but a workout nonetheless, and it got me up and out the door EARLY this morning. My lower back is kinda killing me. Downward dog? Something happened under my left rib cage. It feels like a cramp and keeps randomly showing up, taking my breath away? Besides going to East Bank Club for the first time in over 10 years, I did some new things today. Like hanging upside down from ropes on a wall, which felt both terrifying (initially) and terrific (once I locked it in). I'd like to have ropes like that in my house.

Time: 1.5 hours stretching.

I feel like adding stretching like this at least once a week would be a great compliment to the regular WODs. We sat in the steam and sauna afterward. Holy awesome. EBC is huge. What a totally different environment from our Box. We had lunch in the grill afterward. I would say we spent about 90% of the conversation talking about Crossfit. I'm starting to notice some similarities with my desire to discuss this and my father talking about fishing. Sorry, but if you act even remotely interested, I can't shut up about it.

Thanks Jacki for a different, new and fun morning!

01.13.10 - NTRVLS

6 x 500 meter Rows
2 minute rest interval

Checkout
5 x 1 minute Planks
1 minute rest in between

PNF Stretching
3 x per leg/hamstring
passive 30 sec/active 20 sec

Time: 2:07. 2:04. 2:08, 2:10. 2:08, 2:08
Comments: This one for some reason made me so nervous I was sick to my stomach when we left for the gym. Rowing hurts in all kinds of places, and I wondered what would fail me first. In between the sets, my forearms felt it a lot. Lots of tingling and even red blotches. During it was hard to tell what hurt most. My quads definitely went in the first round. For the first two rest intervals, I didn't get off the seat because I was afraid to try and stand up. I got up after the third, but not again until it was over. Lots of sweating for a non-sweater.

Followed by planks. Are you kidding me? I failed at this. I mean, I did the best I could and tried to keep my hips down, use my abs and all that, but common. I definitely "rested" by putting my ass up in the air, and once or twice went so far as to put a knee down for a sec. After about the third one I said to Katy, I think this might be worse than the rows.

I am already sore across the top of my back and in my shoulders and it seriously might be from the planks! I am also actively thinking of transitioning to a more Paleo way of eating. Nothing crazy, just more conscious.

Highlight: When Josh said, "I don't see any grimaces? This should be FUCK-KING HOR-RIBLE."

REMINDER: Going to $5 Tuesday Wine Night the day before a workout does NOT make it any easier.