02.24.10 - Oh Craps!

7 Rounds for Time of:

7 Box Jumps (24/20")
7 Kettlebell Swings (55/35#)
7 Push-ups
7 Burpees

Checkout: Sit-ups with 1-arm Kettlebell (30R/30L), 150 Double Unders

Time: 16:25
Comments: This one had the potential to bamboozle me into thinking it wouldn't be that bad, but I think I'm getting wise to these kinds of workouts. Everyone who did it before us confirmed my suspicions by saying how tough it was when we got there. This was a "lay on the ground after" for me and I took about twice as long as everyone else! Used 25# kettlebell.

Since they had all had about 10 minutes rest by the time I got done, they rolled right into the Checkout while I was still panting on the floor. I finally joined them on the sit-ups and was relieved there weren't enough jump ropes because when I borrowed Katy's to make an attempt, I could barely even do singles (I still could hardly breath). I got some nice welts on my legs, too. So instead of 60 sit-ups I did 100 and kept Katy company while she did her 150.

Some good news? I think I've officially moved off the 16" for box jumps.

02.22.10 - 2010 FilFest

4 Rounds for Time of:

5 Deadlifts (225/135#)
10 Knees to Elbows
15 Pull-ups
20 Sit-ups
25 Double Unders (100 Singles)

Time: 21:03
Comments: Callouses on my hands hurt. Did 115# deadlift and grey band pull-ups. Funny when I start on the grey band I think I should move to green, but nope, about half way through I can barely do it anymore. Didn't get my "lucky" jump rope. I won't blame that on doing the singles though. It was tough but not the worst. Definitely distracted me from my crappy mood anyway.

02.17.10 - It's nice enough out

3 Rounds for time of:

500m Row (or run 400m outside)
12 Man Makers* (45/25#)
25 Double Unders (100 single)

Checkout:
30 Ab Mat Sit-ups
20 of those extension sit-ups on that bench thing

Time: 29:21
Comments: You know how sometimes when you run you get a little stitch kind of cramp in your side? During this workout I had one that literally wrapped around my entire body just below my rib cage. Man Makers hurt. I used 20# dumbbells and after a couple attempts at doubles in the first round scaled to singles. Oh, and I did the push-ups/row part on my knees. Yeah. It still sucked. My arms are dead.

Reminder #2: Crossfit and $5 Wine Tuesdays don't mix!

*We only did the initial push-up, not the one in between shown on this video.

02.15.10 - Chippa

1000m Row
40 Walking Lunges (45/35# plate overhead)
40 Pull-ups
40 Dead Lifts (135/95#)
40 Burpees
1000m Row

Time: 28:53
Comments: Josh explained what a "chippa" was but I was kinda spacing out. I think it's when a workout has to be done in a certain order? You can't progress to the next one without completing the exercise? I don't know. I guess I'll look it up – later. (I'm going to bed after this. It's 8:30!) Used 25# on lunge, grey band on pull-ups, and 85# on dead lifts.

I just sorta dreaded this all day and thought a lot about a "strategy". The burpees were my most dreaded, and I knew we were going to be challenged to the Rx'd version of a burpee that was defined at the competition. I even tried to convince myself they'd be easier this way? They were bad. My arms really killed at the end and it was hard from the get-go to do 5 in a row without resting. I got confused in my counting and maybe did 5 less although I may have done 45 by mistake too. I was completely dead on the second row. My first averaged about 2:10 and the second was right around 2:30 give or take.

OMG I almost forgot!!! Tonight I noticed my name up on the "Leader Board". I have the 4th fastest 2000m row time out of all the girls! I about died.

02.14.10 - Crossfit Midwest Sectionals

UPDATE: "Real" videos were posted by the event.

Air Force (Emily)
WOD #2 - Clean and Jerk (Jill, Emily, Mike, Josh, Mark)
Pre-WOD #3
WOD #3 Row, Box, Clean and Jerk, Wall Ball, HSPU (Josh)
------------------------------------------------------------------
Took a ton of really bad pics and videos. The videos give a much better representation of what was going on... Here's the best of 'em.



Mike, Dylan and Adam doing Workout #1 - Air Force WOD. They are the three shirtless in the video, in order from front to back. Each competitor had their own judge (in the blue shirts) that made sure to only count the legitimate reps. The judges were hard core. I mentioned several times I didn't think I had the guts to tell someone working their ass off what they just did didn't count.







Jennifer, Josh, and Emily during Air Force. Jennifer and Josh are front and center. Emily is the little one in the back by the pole in the dark purple tank top.





Jill and Josh box jumping during the final WOD. Josh is in the middle between the red shirt and the other shirtless guy.

The whole weekend was a lot of watching some incredible athletes give everything they had to the point of floor hugging and rolling when it was all over. It was awesome! I can confidently say I was grateful to be a spectator. Everyone did fantastic and all the girls advanced to compete in the Regionals in Denver. YAY for them!

02.12.10 - Crossfit Sectionals

 

We made it! Slight hotel mishap. I booked us at the wrong place by mistake. Figured it out so we're not parking by cars like this one any more, but it was a nice welcome to kick off the weekend.

02.10.10 - Max Out

Box Jump - As tall as possible
Turkish Get-ups - As heavy as possible

MetCon - As many reps as possible, 10 minutes

10 Knees to Elbows
10 Push-ups
20 Double Unders

Box: 29"
Turkish: 25#
Reps: 3

Comments: It took me a while, but I did 60 double unders! None in a row, always with a hop in between, but 60! Ok and the box? I never did more than 16" before I don't think? 20" at the most. A couple guys got up to 52" and man was it fun to watch them! I mean, the "box" (a little table kind of thing with weight plates stacked on top to reach the 52" mark) was higher than their waist! These were tall dudes! Never did a Turkish before, so learning it was awkward. That weight was heavy. I would like to practice this – I know I can do better next time they come around. Fun Max. Lots of group cheering, encouraging and clapping, with an audience on the upper deck even. Two new callouses on my hand from the KTEs.

02.09.10 - How We Row

5 Rounds of:

12 Thrusters (#65)
9 Pull-ups
6 Ring Dips
3 Handstand Push-ups

Checkout: 100 Sit-ups

Time: 21:44
Comments: I love when I get totally bamboozled by a WOD. I scaled this one so completely in my mind, it didn't seem that bad. Plus, the times being posted earlier in the day weren't that high. Who were these earlier people because they hauled ass!? And so many were Rx'd!

Ok, so I scaled it to #55 after I practiced a couple. Pull-ups w/grey band. Ring dips I imagined I would do using a box. That was until Jennifer the Punisher threw a band on the rings. Er? Finally sorta started to get the balance on this at about the third round, but bloodied my shin and noticed bruises (dirt?) forming during the sit-ups. Handstand push-ups were cute. All I wanted was to just do a handstand and sorta pop down a bit like we did when we learned them. Nope. The scale was to put your feet on a box, hands on the ground and attempt Full Range Of Motion. Um? Not quite. By the time I was thru, Thrusters were broken down into 3 very painful 4s. The pull-ups were the easiest and I even heard JTP say the grey band was looking "too easy". PLEASE!

I had cramps all thru my torso by the end and I sorta had to walk around in a daze for a while afterward. Great Workout.

02.05.10 - It Back

Bench Press
3-3-3-1-1-1

Tabata Intervals (20 sec all out/10 sec rest)

8 Intervals Push-ups
8 Intervals Kettlebell Swings
8 Intervals Bench Press @ 40%
8 Intervals Box Jumps

3 Rep Max: 85
1 Rep Max: 90
Total Reps: 294 (62 - knees, 80 - 20#, 101 - 35#, 51 - 16")
Comments: I liked this workout. When I saw 100 in sight on the bench press I thought no problem but then I hit the wall and could barely lift the bar at 101. Box jumps still terrify me.

02.03.10 - 1 Row 2

10 Burpees
20 Dumbbell Push Press (45/30#)
30 Pull-ups
40 Sit-ups

2 Rounds

2000m Row

2 More Rounds of the MetCon*

Time: 38:54 (Row 9:55)
Comments: This. Was. The WORST. One. Yet.
I mean, along with box jumps, burpees are my most disliked exercise at Crossfit and tonight it was my favorite part of the workout because there were only 10 of them per round. Used 15# dumbbells** on the push press, and these were the second worst part. Worst? The friggin' pull-ups! Getting to 30 sometimes 1, 2 at a time? FOUR times? Horrible even with the fat grey band***. When I sat down at the rower I thought, There is absolutely no way, and also, No way to quit. I just rowed. And rowed. And tried to catch my breath. And thought about how thirsty I was. And tried not to think about what was ahead of me... 2 more rounds... now fully exhausted. Each set of exercises I tried to break down into 5s. This really messed with my ability to keep count, because I was basically delirious. Got really confused during one set of pull-ups and one set of sit-ups.

Seriously afterward? I couldn't even get dressed. One hand would go in my sweatshirt sleeve, and I would have to take a rest and just stand there and space out. Same with my coat. It's almost 8 and I can't even imagine eating dinner. Honestly I don't even know if I can watch TV.

*Is this a MetCon? I forget? Are most of the WODs MetCons?
** Was the push press Rx'd? Or was it supposed to be 30# in each hand? No. Way.
***One light thru the dark, dark forest were the two times I actually got into a sort of kipping rhythm (total fluke I couldn't make it happen when I tried) and was able to crank out maybe 10 at a time.

02.01.10 - In Da Front

Front Squats for 3 Rep Max
3-3-3-3-3

100 Front Squats (125#, 75# or 60% of 3RM)
Each time you put the bar down, row 250m.

Max Load: 105#
Time: 18:32
Comments: I went 55# at 35-15-20-20-10 (4 rows). I already feel it in my back, shoulders, wrists, knees, legs, torso – where else is there? That was intense. Worked out with Vance. She was a great partner. I love the lifting WODs!!

01.29.10 - Cindy

5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Air Squats

As many rounds as possible completed in 20 minutes.

Checkout: 10 minutes of planks (:30 hold / :30 rest)

Rounds: 13 2/3
Comments: This was a big workout for me. My very first time at Atlas Crossfit, 10.26.09, we did a half-Cindy (10 min). I completed 4 1/3 rounds (and suffered for about a week afterward!). Tonight my goal was 12. I used a grey band, and a bench sideways for my push-ups.* So I think I had a +150% improvement over my first attempt? I would consider that progress. My planks in the checkout even felt pretty good, and I didn't have to put my knees down even once during the holds. It will be interesting to see how my body takes the beating.

*I really like doing push-ups like this because I feel like I just do them with WAY better form. I got up to my chest for the most part on my pull-ups, and low enough in the squats that no one told me to go lower. In fact, when it was time to do the squats, and I was dying to take a breather, I got so hot it was actually better to keep going because the breeze felt better on my face than the overheating while trying to rest!

01.28.10 - Overhead Squat

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

MetCon
15 Kettlebell Snatch right arm – 15 OHS (115, 85)

15 Kettlebell Snatch left arm – 12 OHS

15 Kettlebell Snatch right arm – 9 OHS

15 Kettlebell Snatch left arm – 6 OHS

15 Kettlebell Snatch right arm – 3 OHS

15 Kettlebell Snatch left arm

OHS Max: 70#

Time: 8:37 (15# kettlebell/40# barbell)

Comments: Felt great to be back at it yesterday. I finished the MetCon too fast, which makes me think my weights were too light. Should have used a 20# kettlebell and from now moving forward, nothing less than that when we do KBs. The bar could have been a little heavier too. And, I think it's hard to get a true Max with my relative inexperience, because it's still pretty scary to be responsible for that heavy weight over my head. I just need to get more comfortable. I also forgot to pay attention if I was keeping my weight grounded on my heels. I have a feeling I was not because my balance never really felt as solid as it sometimes does.

In other news: I hit a GOAL last night! (I need to revise it because obviously this was way too easy?) But still! Between the Max and the MetCon we were kind of milling around and I decided to practice the rings. So I jumped myself up there and held it for like 2 seconds in utter shock. I'd never done even a second before. I tried it again and was stunned I could hold it – what felt like 5 seconds! The third time I was like, Look! to Katy while I was up there. And the forth time I had her time me, to ensure I'd done the 5 seconds for real. I did. Changing the goal to 30 seconds.

Also did some double-unders pretty easily after the warm-up.

01.27.10 - Annie (and then some).

I had to skip today. Was set to go tonight despite the soreness from Monday that is still lingering in my arms and torso, almost worse than yesterday. This was a real traveling, surprise-locations kind of soreness, reminiscent of some of my WODs early on.

I read the workout. Annie. Lots of jumping rope for me with the singles, and wow can I even do sit-ups today? But okay. The row? Do-able but not at a record pace after all that comes before it, like.... Man-maker – ? – that sounds like maybe one of those get up off the floor with a kettlebell or a sort of barbell routine. Undeterred but curious, I looked it up. The Man-maker.

I tried to find or figure a way this could be scaled, because 30 push-ups or burpees would be hard enough with the way I'm feeling. ONE of these exercises includes: burpee, 3 pushups, single arm row on either side, a squat clean, and a push press.* Thirty Times? I have to admit defeat before I even began. If that makes me a sissy, so be it.

Which begs the question I've been bothered with all day. Is it better to go and have a weak, poorly formed and executed workout just to log the day? Or to take the time I feel my body is telling me it needs to recover, so when I go back I have the strength I need for a solid workout?

We go back and forth, ranging from YES you should rest if you need it, to comparing how we feel with the contestants on The Biggest Loser, working out 8 hours a day, everyday.

For some perspective, I just tried to do ONE Man-maker (unweighted!) in my living room. I seriously could barely do the push-ups, let alone getting the full range of motion. I tried it again, dropping to knees push-ups and knees rows. Is this a proper scale? Regardless it still felt incredibly difficult to do just the one.

Tomorrow is another day... and I have Dinner Club. Will still try and squeeze it in even if it kills me.

*I think this guy is actually doing it wrong, like his feet are supposed to be between the barbells on the clean/push press.

01.25.10 - Dumbbell Day

ANNIVERSARY! Today marks the beginning of my 4th month doing Crossfit. That means, I've officially been at it for three months!

7 Rounds of:

Both Arms: using DB's, start light and increase slightly each round to find max load.
Full Squat Clean, Split Jerk Left, Full Squat Clean, Split Jerk Right, Hang Split Clean Left, Hang Split Clean Right, Hang Split Snatch Left, Hang Split Snatch Right

MetCon
"Twenty-one"
Complete for time:
20-1 Pushups
1-20 Situps
(20 pushups/1 situp, 19/2, 18/3, etc.)

Time: 27.32
Comments: The lifting was awkward. I found it hard to concentrate and get the moves right, let alone w/good form. Got up to #20 on each arm. Wasn't that nervous about the MetCon because I knew it would be awful and a mental challenge just to finish, so I didn't let it get to me. Felt a little bit better when I remembered I could scale them, which I did after the 18 push-ups. Started using a small box to assist. Then Jennifer brought me a bench, laying it on it's side, and that really helped quite a bit. Not sure if it's true, but in my mind I got my head/torso down further than normal because the floor wasn't in the way? Like I could get it below the plain of the bench where my hands were? Which felt like maybe I was getting the right range of motion. Then at around 12 sit-ups, I used dumbbells to weight my feet down. Questioned whether this was full-on cheating or not, but I did see Chris Spealler do Angie using dumbbells on his sit-ups, so that made me think it was ok.

In other news: Pleased to report there was no backlash from the row. Not in ANY muscular pain yesterday or today. I doubt I would have said the same thing 6 weeks ago.

01.23.10 - 500 Meter Row

Time: 1:47.2

Comments: I am pleased.

My heart was pounding before I began, but then I just went. When the time was only at 0:28 I couldn't believe it. I watched it slowly click to :30 and got kinda panicked. Had a burning in the muscle over my knees, but nothing else was really registering in particular – shock? Afterwords it did, in that everything was "zooming" under my skin on my arms and legs. I don't know how else to describe it? Then it felt like two pool balls were starting to grow on either side of my ass by those "butt bones", but that sensation stopped pretty quick. Then I just walked around and gulped air and tried to drink some water and coughed for about 15 minutes. Katy was a SPECTACULAR cheerleader.

I started with a standard ACF warm-up and some extra time on the rower.

BONUS: I beat Brad's (1:51.1), which was my unofficial official goal. He'd never rowed before and had no technique, even falling off at one point, and bouncing the machine around on the floor, so I know it's short lived. But until he gets on it again I can claim victory over him in this one physical challenge.

Lindsey took my measurements after. I will take them again at the end of February, just to see.

1.20.10 - 2000m Row (or the day 1/2 Angie made me cry)*

2000 meter row.

UNPOSTED Checkout: 1/2 Angie (50 pull-ups, 50 push-ups, 50 sit-ups and 50 air squats)

Row Time: 8:51.5
1/2 Angie: 11:56

Comments: I woke up anxious to see what the workout would be since this was to be our first time going three days in a row. Saw the row and thought, I can do that. It will be hard. I want to get my time. Did a little quick math and decided I'd be happy with under 10 minutes. Aaron had sent me a video on this one a while ago, where the guy kept repeating, If you do this/that, You. Will. Die. But whatever, I know I can at least DO it.

This week I am feeling sore thru the length of my abdomen, thru my arms, across my back, and in my shoulders and quads. I have bruises on my knees (burpees, push-ups) and inner thighs (pull-up band). All this was really kicking in when I went back to see the comments and times being posted for today and to my dismay saw that a 1/2 Angie was the Checkout. Click click click and I realized what that meant. Immediately resolved that today, I would not make it to the gym. I just did 45 pull-ups YESTERDAY! Everything is hurting! Following up Death by Pull-ups with this Checkout hurt my feelings.

So I told Katy I wasn't going and she called me a Cupcake, TWICE. It worked. I went.

The Checkout killed me. I could have probably gone a little faster in the Row. 8:30 will be my goal for the next one.

In other news: We registered as spectators and got our hotel room for the Crossfit Sectionals in St. Charles, MO, over Valentine's Day weekend (when Steve leaves to help Brad finish the house – timing is everything). Something like 9 people from our gym are participating and I can not wait to see it all go down. Plus! ROAD TRIP. Yippee.

*Didn't really cry but I did whine.

01.19.10 - f(x)al

Clean
1-1-1-1-1-1-1

Death by Pull-ups
1 during minute 1, 2 during minute 2, etc. Continue until you cannot complete the required pull-ups of the minute you are on.

Max Lift: 90#
Max Pull-up: 9 (w/grey band), totaling 45

Comments: So not feeling it today. My beloved clean, I'm ashamed to say I didn't have it for you at all. Stiffness started creeping in all over this afternoon, so I felt weak and not at all fluid during. But I didn't want to waste the chance to get a new max number, and work on my pull-ups, regardless.

Committed to doing the 500m row for time Saturday. It makes my hands sweat just thinking about it, but I need to get that time posted so I can stop dreading it.

Added to my goals to graduate to the green band for future pull-up workouts. Two more to go.

01.18.10 - ACF Baseline WOD

500m Row

Follow immediately with 2 rounds of:

25 Air Squats
20 Situps
15 Pushups
10 Jumping Pullups
5 Burpees

Complete for time.
Rest 5 minutes (we got more like 8 or 9 thank god)
Do it again.

Time: 8:21/9:52
Comments: This was my first attempt at this WOD. Wow does my endurance suck. Counting was also kinda hard so there's a chance I got mixed up on the squats and sit ups. My arms were like noodles after the first set, but I was pleased I could kinda do the jumping pull-ups, because they were what scared me most. I forgot to think about how exhausting it would be to do this as fast as I could when I first read the workout this morning. That's what should have been the most scary. I just get psyched when I feel like at least I can DO the workout components. I think that I was the slowest posted time of all the attempts today, but again people were cheering me on at the end. Katy and I definitely spent time on the floor afterward trying not to puke and talking about how it would be hard to develop an appetite or even eat dinner later.

But I'm happy to report that I just drove the 2.5 blocks to Dunkin' Donuts for a box of 60 munchkins that I plan to wash down with a 12-pack of beer. (Just kidding Josh!) I did reminisce about the past a bit – Monday nights used to revolve around a healthy dose of Tree Hill and Gossip Girl. Tonight instead I might even watch Katy's Every Second Counts DVD.

In other news: So, after I read the workout, I was grilling up some chicken sausage on the panini press this morning. Because I am sometimes not always entirely bright, I went to move the machine over and fully grabbed the metal base at 400º. Before I could even feel it, and was jumping around the kitchen clutching my finger and yelling expletives, the first thought that passed through my head was, HOW THE HELL AM I GOING TO HOLD ONTO THE PULL-UP BAR TONIGHT!? Thankfully the inch long, 1/4 inch wide blister that screamed at me all day didn't get in the way too much. But I did think it was funny that after F*CK F*CK F*Ck, that was my first legitimate thought.

Still working on my goals. Added holding myself up on the rings with my arms straight for 5 seconds.

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!