This video makes me smile.

07.11.10 - Handstands

I've been out about two+ weeks due (in part) to this pulled spot in my abdomen that makes it impossible to do just about everything (especially burpees and push-ups) without reigniting discomfort. I don't know if I'm being lazy or smart in holding back, but even doing a bunch of silly handstands in the pool made it faintly reappear, so I guess you could say perhaps I am erring on the side of caution?

Katy and I were kind of cracking up at how ridiculous it is to pretend doing handstands in the pool compares to the handstand shots on the beach and such that people tend to send in to the gym. We got a good laugh about how it might be funny to submit this photo to the box, but this really is meant to be a joke. I will say, that while I have done a zillion handstands in the pool in my life time, I had never done them while thinking about my body positioning, and trying to do them in good form before. It's harder than it looks, and I might even say, maybe it's a good way to practice? Best of all it's fun.

So far over the past two weeks I've regretted missing most WODs. I did not, however lament over having to skip today's: completing 100 Thrusters while breaking them up by doing 4 burpees on every minute. That would have been brutal to say the least and I applaud all who accomplished it! I seriously wonder if I would have showed up to this one.

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.

04.23.10 - CFit at SC (Alt)

ACF WOD: Hundo's
(100 Burpees, 100 Wall Balls, 100 Box Jumps)

100 Burpees hurt my feelings when I saw it. I went over possible scales and racked my brain for a way to wrap my head around how I'd get through it. I remember doing 40 straight burpees in a workout so vividly the idea of 100 broke me. But I REALLY wanted to get 4 workouts in this week. So tonight I got back in the pool for the first time since I started Crossfit, and thanks to an article I found months ago written by Tim, completed my 4th WOD this week!

Swimming WOD:

200m Kick
200m Pull
200m Pull with Paddles
200m Paddles
200m Paddles and Fins
200m Fins
200m Swim

Time: 23:15
Comments: Flanked the workout with a 200 warm-up and cool down. That was a lot of swimming with paddles. Holy triceps/shoulders. Averaged about 3:15 per 200 with the only rest in between being transitioning "equipment". I really wanted to keep the intensity up to match a true workout at the gym. I think I did a pretty decent job? My last recorded time for a 200 in a legitimate race was 2:28, so I figure swimming basically a straight 1400 at a 3:15 average/200 isn't bad, especially since I hadn't been in the water for 6 months. I actually felt pretty strong and good overall, and I loved approaching a swim set with same mentality I've adapted for our regular workouts. Keep going. Swim as fast as you can. I can't wait to do this again and I loved this set!

Disclaimer: I actually swam yards, not meters, but in an attempt to keep things relative have used the meter as my unit of measure. Close enough.