Thankfully we were not too worn out after yesterday's hike, so today we decided to tackle the 13.4 Open WOD.
The 13.4 Open WOD features only 2 exercises: clean & jerk and toes to bar. These 2 exercises are grouped into rounds with increasing numbers of repetitions, as follows:
3 - Clean & Jerk
3 - Toes to Bar
6 - Clean & Jerk
6 - Toes to Bar
9 - Clean & Jerk
9 - Toes to Bar
12 - Clean & Jerk
12 - Toes to Bar
15 - Clean & Jerk
15 - Toes to Bar
And, as you might guess, there is a time component to this one. The goal is to see just how far you can get in 7 minutes. I used a 75# weight for my clean and jerks. I know my ORM (one rep max) for the clean and jerk is a bit higher, but I wanted to be able to knock out as many reps as possible, so I decided to stick with 75# for today.
I managed to complete the first 3 rounds [the sets of 9 reps] and then did 12 clean and jerks and 7 toes to bar of round #4 before I ran out of time [not to mention running out of gas as well].
My hands are a mess now. I have blisters on both hands and on my right hand, I actually have a blood blister. I did quite a bit of swinging in order to get my toes up to that bar. :+)
Actually, today is the FIRST TIME I managed to do the toes to bar correctly. I have really struggled with this exercise. It works the HECK out of your core. And I am thrilled with the number of rounds/reps I was able to complete.
Sure, I'm going to hurt something fierce tomorrow, but at least I'm feeling pretty good right now.
And in other news ... I got a new pair of lifting shoes this week - they are super flat and so far, I am really liking them for lifting exercises. My feet are not cramping during the cleans like they have been doing lately. I have yet to try them on a more ballistic exercise (like jump rope or box jumps), but I am really pleased with the effect they are having on my straight lifting exercises. I'll write up a full review of the shoes once I have really put them through their paces.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
March 30 - A Walk in the Park
Spring is in the air (just ask my allergy-riddled sinuses) and what better way to celebrate than a hike through a State Park? All I can say is (despite the allergies) this made for the perfect Saturday for me!
It's Easter weekend, which means no soccer and no judo. But rather than lament the lack of these fine activities, we decided that it gave us the perfect opportunity to get outside for a bit. And it was a stroke of GENIUS (imho)! I'm so very glad Wonder Dad suggested it!
The weather was perfect - not hot yet, not cold, and not even rainy. So we packed up the family ride and drove an hour East to a park Wonder Dad and I have frequented much in our time together. There were a lot of folks out to spend time on the lake, but we stuck to the hike/bike trails and didn't have to worry about too much traffic. For much of the hike, it felt like we had the woods to ourselves.
And there is just something magical about being out "in the woods" together. No quick pace was needed (though at one point we did double time it for a while to put some space between ourselves and another group - just to preserve the mood). The dog wood was in bloom and left us a carpet of pretty white petals on which to tread. We laughed and teased and enjoyed being together. Our phones were quiet. We were unplugged from everyone else and just totally dialed into one another.
Honestly, I can't think of a better way to spend the day!
We didn't want to walk Wonder Boy into the ground, so we kept this hike a bit on the short side - only about 2 hours. We'll have to go back some time and make the full trek around the lake. But this was a good starting point. I'm already planning more such activities in my head. :+)
It's Easter weekend, which means no soccer and no judo. But rather than lament the lack of these fine activities, we decided that it gave us the perfect opportunity to get outside for a bit. And it was a stroke of GENIUS (imho)! I'm so very glad Wonder Dad suggested it!
The weather was perfect - not hot yet, not cold, and not even rainy. So we packed up the family ride and drove an hour East to a park Wonder Dad and I have frequented much in our time together. There were a lot of folks out to spend time on the lake, but we stuck to the hike/bike trails and didn't have to worry about too much traffic. For much of the hike, it felt like we had the woods to ourselves.
And there is just something magical about being out "in the woods" together. No quick pace was needed (though at one point we did double time it for a while to put some space between ourselves and another group - just to preserve the mood). The dog wood was in bloom and left us a carpet of pretty white petals on which to tread. We laughed and teased and enjoyed being together. Our phones were quiet. We were unplugged from everyone else and just totally dialed into one another.
Honestly, I can't think of a better way to spend the day!
We didn't want to walk Wonder Boy into the ground, so we kept this hike a bit on the short side - only about 2 hours. We'll have to go back some time and make the full trek around the lake. But this was a good starting point. I'm already planning more such activities in my head. :+)
Thursday, March 28, 2013
March 28 - GOOOOOOOAL!
What a night on the soccer pitch it has been! Can I get a "whoop!", please?!
We had another of our crazy Thursday nights around here. After work/school, we took some time to rest and catch our breath before the fun started. By 6:30pm we were loaded up and headed to the soccer fields. Wonder Boy's practice started at 7pm. We dropped Wonder Dad off at the adult fields and then crossed the park to the kids' fields. As there are no games this weekend (Easter is coming), I expected it to be a pretty sparse practice and that was an understatement - only 5 kids managed to show (& one of those is the coach's son). Coach managed to find another team with low participation and arranged a fun scrimmage for the kids who made it out.
Wonder Boy played like he was ON FIRE! He didn't score, but he had 2 assists and was covering the whole field, it seemed! We packed it in a few minutes early (7:45) so that we could book it back across the park to the adult game. I knew our team would also be short handed. We have several who are out injured and a few others who just couldn't work the game into their schedules.
We arrived just a few minutes before the end of the first half. Wonder Dad was already on the score board, having snagged himself a goal while the boy and I were at practice! And after just a few minutes of me hitting the pitch, he placed a perfect ball at my feet. In fact, it was so perfectly place, I could barely believe it and my shot sailed just wide of the goal.
But fortunately, I would get another crack at it just a few minutes into the 2nd half. Again, it was Wonder Dad that put the ball right where I needed it. The goalie had come WAY out so a quick touch, just out of his reach and I managed to log my first (& probably only) goal of the season!
It's not often a defender like myself gets a chance to score! And though I am already SUPER SORE, I am floating on air regardless. :+)
We've got a bit more than a week off before our next game so I am just going to soak up this moment.
We had another of our crazy Thursday nights around here. After work/school, we took some time to rest and catch our breath before the fun started. By 6:30pm we were loaded up and headed to the soccer fields. Wonder Boy's practice started at 7pm. We dropped Wonder Dad off at the adult fields and then crossed the park to the kids' fields. As there are no games this weekend (Easter is coming), I expected it to be a pretty sparse practice and that was an understatement - only 5 kids managed to show (& one of those is the coach's son). Coach managed to find another team with low participation and arranged a fun scrimmage for the kids who made it out.
Wonder Boy played like he was ON FIRE! He didn't score, but he had 2 assists and was covering the whole field, it seemed! We packed it in a few minutes early (7:45) so that we could book it back across the park to the adult game. I knew our team would also be short handed. We have several who are out injured and a few others who just couldn't work the game into their schedules.
We arrived just a few minutes before the end of the first half. Wonder Dad was already on the score board, having snagged himself a goal while the boy and I were at practice! And after just a few minutes of me hitting the pitch, he placed a perfect ball at my feet. In fact, it was so perfectly place, I could barely believe it and my shot sailed just wide of the goal.
But fortunately, I would get another crack at it just a few minutes into the 2nd half. Again, it was Wonder Dad that put the ball right where I needed it. The goalie had come WAY out so a quick touch, just out of his reach and I managed to log my first (& probably only) goal of the season!
It's not often a defender like myself gets a chance to score! And though I am already SUPER SORE, I am floating on air regardless. :+)
We've got a bit more than a week off before our next game so I am just going to soak up this moment.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
March 27 - WOD
Today was our "back in the saddle" day. And while we are both still very sore (especially through our legs), we both agreed it was time to get back on track with our workouts. After searching crossfit.com, we picked the following for our WOD:
AMRAP (as many reps as possible) in 12 minutes of the following exercises:
4 - Shoulder Presses
8 - Sumo Dead-lift High Pulls
12 - Front Squats
The prescribed weight was 75# for each exercise. And for a change, we actually used the PRESCRIBED weight! Confession: Yes, I did practically break my arm patting myself on the back for that one. What can I say? It felt GOOD to finally be able to complete the WOD with the prescribed weights!
I managed 6 full rounds plus one more set of 4 shoulder presses in the 12 minute time limit. That gave me a "score" of 148. I'm good with that.
Of course, I can't finish a single WOD without feeling run down and this was no exception. In fact, I pushed through my 6th round hard and fast to make sure I made it by the end of the 12 minutes. And now my shoulder (my old nemesis) is already starting to fuss at me. I guess at my age there's always some body part that is complaining. I'm going to hit the Advil and then do my best to ignore it.
Tomorrow we have a soccer game and then it gets pretty quiet for the Easter weekend. I think that should give us plenty of time to get back on schedule. (If I can move after this WOD). LOL!
AMRAP (as many reps as possible) in 12 minutes of the following exercises:
4 - Shoulder Presses
8 - Sumo Dead-lift High Pulls
12 - Front Squats
The prescribed weight was 75# for each exercise. And for a change, we actually used the PRESCRIBED weight! Confession: Yes, I did practically break my arm patting myself on the back for that one. What can I say? It felt GOOD to finally be able to complete the WOD with the prescribed weights!
I managed 6 full rounds plus one more set of 4 shoulder presses in the 12 minute time limit. That gave me a "score" of 148. I'm good with that.
Of course, I can't finish a single WOD without feeling run down and this was no exception. In fact, I pushed through my 6th round hard and fast to make sure I made it by the end of the 12 minutes. And now my shoulder (my old nemesis) is already starting to fuss at me. I guess at my age there's always some body part that is complaining. I'm going to hit the Advil and then do my best to ignore it.
Tomorrow we have a soccer game and then it gets pretty quiet for the Easter weekend. I think that should give us plenty of time to get back on schedule. (If I can move after this WOD). LOL!
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
March 26 - Recovery Time
We have done something the past few days we normally reserve for when we are sick - we took 2 whole days off from working out.
The truth is though, we just plain over did it. First the Warrior Dash, followed by soccer the next day. Then we did 2 of the Crossfit open workouts in less than a week. Then we topped all of that off with another soccer game. In the span of a week.
And now our bodies are paying the price.
I think tomorrow we will have to do something though. At least to start breaking back into our routine. I hope my body is up to it!
The truth is though, we just plain over did it. First the Warrior Dash, followed by soccer the next day. Then we did 2 of the Crossfit open workouts in less than a week. Then we topped all of that off with another soccer game. In the span of a week.
And now our bodies are paying the price.
I think tomorrow we will have to do something though. At least to start breaking back into our routine. I hope my body is up to it!
Sunday, March 24, 2013
March 24 - Living Up to Our Name
Tonight we got another chance to disguise our exercise as play time, and yes, I'm talking about another soccer game.
I think that is one of the things I love most about soccer. It's a heck of a workout. Running, turning, kicking, and even falling. It becomes a full body workout the way we play. So unless we're playing against teenagers, it doesn't FEEL like a workout. It's just running and laughing and enjoying some time with friends. :+)
OK, so that's not exactly true. It most definitely feels like a workout. We're not exactly spring chickens any more, but it's still the best kind of workout - the kind where you have fun the whole time! And tonight we actually got to play against another team that falls into the same age range as we do for a change.
Despite that, they had a number of speedsters (who barely made the 30 year old cut off) and they ran us pretty ragged. To top it off, a cool front came through with some serious wind and made it down right COLD out there tonight.
But I'm not complaining. I had fun. I made a couple of nice defensive stops and I didn't get hurt. For me that's a win (even if the score sheet says our team lost the game)!
One downer though ... we are missing a few key players due to injury. And as of late, it seems like at least one of our guys goes down hard in each game. When you're as "mature" as our team, you can't take too many of those hard falls before you can't get up any more. *sigh*
Our team is called 'the Injured Reserves.' I hope we can stop living up to our name long enough to field a healthy team before the season is up.
I think that is one of the things I love most about soccer. It's a heck of a workout. Running, turning, kicking, and even falling. It becomes a full body workout the way we play. So unless we're playing against teenagers, it doesn't FEEL like a workout. It's just running and laughing and enjoying some time with friends. :+)
OK, so that's not exactly true. It most definitely feels like a workout. We're not exactly spring chickens any more, but it's still the best kind of workout - the kind where you have fun the whole time! And tonight we actually got to play against another team that falls into the same age range as we do for a change.
Despite that, they had a number of speedsters (who barely made the 30 year old cut off) and they ran us pretty ragged. To top it off, a cool front came through with some serious wind and made it down right COLD out there tonight.
But I'm not complaining. I had fun. I made a couple of nice defensive stops and I didn't get hurt. For me that's a win (even if the score sheet says our team lost the game)!
One downer though ... we are missing a few key players due to injury. And as of late, it seems like at least one of our guys goes down hard in each game. When you're as "mature" as our team, you can't take too many of those hard falls before you can't get up any more. *sigh*
Our team is called 'the Injured Reserves.' I hope we can stop living up to our name long enough to field a healthy team before the season is up.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
March 23 - WOD
We made what has become a rare appearance at the gym today to get in our WOD. We decided to try our hand at the 13.3 open WOD and it called for wall balls (here's an example). We don't really have the set up for wall balls, so we thought we'd use our gym membership for a change. :+)
The 13.3 Open WOD calls for the following:
As many reps of the following as possible in 12 minutes:
150 - Wall Balls (14# ball, 9' target)
90 - Double-Unders
30 - Muscle-Ups
Now, I'll be honest, I have not yet worked up to double-unders. So for that part of the work out, we substituted regular jump rope revolutions. I also cannot do muscle ups. For that, the plan was to do pullups and/or dips. But we need not have worried as we didn't get to the muscle ups. (*sigh*)
I managed to do the 150 wall balls and then 35 turns of the jump rope in my allocated 12 minutes.
I know I say it ALL THE TIME, but that just doesn't sound like much when I see it typed out there. But it was TOUGH! And I spent the whole 12 minutes that Wonder Dad was doing his set laid out on the gym floor. The Wall Balls were a lot more difficult than I had thought they would be. It wasn't a matter of getting the 14# ball high enough - I really didn't have much trouble with that part. But catching the ball was very jarring. My shoulders were NOT happy with me. And let's face it, 150 squats, even without any added weight are always tiring.
So ... my thoughts on 13.3?
Well ... it's another killer WOD but I am really happy with myself for pushing through as far as I could.
Now to head to the soccer field to watch Wonder Boy play! Should be a beautiful day!
The 13.3 Open WOD calls for the following:
As many reps of the following as possible in 12 minutes:
150 - Wall Balls (14# ball, 9' target)
90 - Double-Unders
30 - Muscle-Ups
Now, I'll be honest, I have not yet worked up to double-unders. So for that part of the work out, we substituted regular jump rope revolutions. I also cannot do muscle ups. For that, the plan was to do pullups and/or dips. But we need not have worried as we didn't get to the muscle ups. (*sigh*)
I managed to do the 150 wall balls and then 35 turns of the jump rope in my allocated 12 minutes.
I know I say it ALL THE TIME, but that just doesn't sound like much when I see it typed out there. But it was TOUGH! And I spent the whole 12 minutes that Wonder Dad was doing his set laid out on the gym floor. The Wall Balls were a lot more difficult than I had thought they would be. It wasn't a matter of getting the 14# ball high enough - I really didn't have much trouble with that part. But catching the ball was very jarring. My shoulders were NOT happy with me. And let's face it, 150 squats, even without any added weight are always tiring.
So ... my thoughts on 13.3?
Well ... it's another killer WOD but I am really happy with myself for pushing through as far as I could.
Now to head to the soccer field to watch Wonder Boy play! Should be a beautiful day!
Thursday, March 21, 2013
March 21 - Chasing Youth
My title for today's entry probably should have been "chasing youths." *sigh*
As I mentioned yesterday, we had a soccer game on the schedule for today. But before I go any further, I should tell you that we play in a "special" division of the local leagues. Our division (D-VI) is set up for "mature" players, women, and novices. Our team in particular, is exclusively in the "mature" category - though some of us qualify for the "women & novices" categories as well.
But the team we played last night .... let's just say I'm not sure many of them could even drive themselves to the soccer fields! I'm serious! One kid admitted to being only 13 years old. And watching them dribble the ball at break neck speeds, doing their Lionel Messi impersonations ... well ... let's just say they are not exactly novices either. *sigh*
So we chased a bunch of teenagers all night. We managed to hold on for a 1-1 tie, but that was due to the sheer brilliance of our goal keepers. The rest of us wore out pretty quickly, huffing and puffing while trying to keep up with those kids, so it was a miracle we didn't get totally blown out again.
Oh well ... I guess I shouldn't complain. We actually held the lead for most of the game. And we had a chance for the go-ahead goal late in the final half of play, but it just didn't quite bounce our way. And while I know those kids didn't go home feeling quite as worn out as we did, at least they didn't get to go home with a win under their belts.
As I mentioned yesterday, we had a soccer game on the schedule for today. But before I go any further, I should tell you that we play in a "special" division of the local leagues. Our division (D-VI) is set up for "mature" players, women, and novices. Our team in particular, is exclusively in the "mature" category - though some of us qualify for the "women & novices" categories as well.
But the team we played last night .... let's just say I'm not sure many of them could even drive themselves to the soccer fields! I'm serious! One kid admitted to being only 13 years old. And watching them dribble the ball at break neck speeds, doing their Lionel Messi impersonations ... well ... let's just say they are not exactly novices either. *sigh*
So we chased a bunch of teenagers all night. We managed to hold on for a 1-1 tie, but that was due to the sheer brilliance of our goal keepers. The rest of us wore out pretty quickly, huffing and puffing while trying to keep up with those kids, so it was a miracle we didn't get totally blown out again.
Oh well ... I guess I shouldn't complain. We actually held the lead for most of the game. And we had a chance for the go-ahead goal late in the final half of play, but it just didn't quite bounce our way. And while I know those kids didn't go home feeling quite as worn out as we did, at least they didn't get to go home with a win under their belts.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
March 20 - WOD
In an effort to get back on track with our workouts, etc, we decided to skip any kind of a run today and do another crossfit WOD. We have a soccer game tomorrow and Tues/Thurs are "supposed" to be cardio days.
It may seem a bit nuts after yesterday's WOD, but we picked a WOD for today that was all about the clean and jerk. You might think after all those shoulder presses and dead lifts from yesterday we would shy away from a workout like this, but we figured we'd give it a go.
So here how we broke down our sets of clean and jerks:
set 1: 3 reps
set 2: 3 reps
set 3: 2 reps
set 4: 2 reps
set 5: 1 reps
set 6: 1 reps
set 7: 1 reps
set 8: 1 reps
For my weights I used 75#, 85#, 90#, 95#, 100#, 95#, 95#, 95#.
Before today, my ORM (one rep max) was 95#, so I set a new PR by hitting 100# in my 5th set. I tried and tried to hoist up 105#, but it just wasn't happening today. I think I tried at least 3-5 times trying to get it up. Finally, I had to drop back down to 95# and just finish up the WOD.
I think that, if we hadn't done the shoulder press/dead lift workout yesterday, I could have pushed my ORM a bit further. And that makes me feel good all over (even if I am nice and sore now).
It may seem a bit nuts after yesterday's WOD, but we picked a WOD for today that was all about the clean and jerk. You might think after all those shoulder presses and dead lifts from yesterday we would shy away from a workout like this, but we figured we'd give it a go.
So here how we broke down our sets of clean and jerks:
set 1: 3 reps
set 2: 3 reps
set 3: 2 reps
set 4: 2 reps
set 5: 1 reps
set 6: 1 reps
set 7: 1 reps
set 8: 1 reps
For my weights I used 75#, 85#, 90#, 95#, 100#, 95#, 95#, 95#.
Before today, my ORM (one rep max) was 95#, so I set a new PR by hitting 100# in my 5th set. I tried and tried to hoist up 105#, but it just wasn't happening today. I think I tried at least 3-5 times trying to get it up. Finally, I had to drop back down to 95# and just finish up the WOD.
I think that, if we hadn't done the shoulder press/dead lift workout yesterday, I could have pushed my ORM a bit further. And that makes me feel good all over (even if I am nice and sore now).
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
March 19 - WOD
It's been hard to get back into the swing of things since we hit it so hard over the weekend. I woke up Monday morning feeling like I had been hit by a truck. I literally couldn't pick out just one area that hurt - pretty much anything from the ribs on down was achy and begging to go back to bed. So we ended up taking an unplanned rest day on Monday.
I am glad we gave it a day. But today it was time to get back on schedule so we decided to do the next "Crossfit Open WOD" (13.2). I have been itching to try this one as the moves were some we routinely train on and I was hoping that would mean a more impressive performance this time around (yeah, right).
13.2 Open WOD looks like this:
5 - Shoulder Presses (75# for women)
10 - Dead Lifts (again, 75# for women)
15 - Box Jumps
The goal is to see how many rounds of this you can do in a 10 minute time frame. I managed 4 complete rounds and then an extra set of shoulder presses and dead lifts. My "score" for that would be 135 (4 complete rounds = 120 points plus 5 shoulder presses and 10 dead lifts).
While I was not as sore as I felt on Monday, I can tell you that I was still not at 100%, so to say. My legs felt like dead weight from even the first box jump. I am happy to say that my shoulder held strong though and the shoulder presses didn't start to get hard until my last set.
The "masters" (the nationally ranked crossfitters) were knocking out in the neighborhood of 10-12 complete rounds. I was foolishly hoping to do about 7 rounds. But taking on this WOD so soon after the Warrior Dash, etc was a bit of a hindrance.
In the end, I'm not unhappy with my results. I pushed through the WOD even though I was tired and still a bit sore. And each day, I am feeling a bit less tenderness in my old bones, so hopefully tomorrow's WOD will go more smoothly.
I am glad we gave it a day. But today it was time to get back on schedule so we decided to do the next "Crossfit Open WOD" (13.2). I have been itching to try this one as the moves were some we routinely train on and I was hoping that would mean a more impressive performance this time around (yeah, right).
13.2 Open WOD looks like this:
5 - Shoulder Presses (75# for women)
10 - Dead Lifts (again, 75# for women)
15 - Box Jumps
The goal is to see how many rounds of this you can do in a 10 minute time frame. I managed 4 complete rounds and then an extra set of shoulder presses and dead lifts. My "score" for that would be 135 (4 complete rounds = 120 points plus 5 shoulder presses and 10 dead lifts).
While I was not as sore as I felt on Monday, I can tell you that I was still not at 100%, so to say. My legs felt like dead weight from even the first box jump. I am happy to say that my shoulder held strong though and the shoulder presses didn't start to get hard until my last set.
The "masters" (the nationally ranked crossfitters) were knocking out in the neighborhood of 10-12 complete rounds. I was foolishly hoping to do about 7 rounds. But taking on this WOD so soon after the Warrior Dash, etc was a bit of a hindrance.
In the end, I'm not unhappy with my results. I pushed through the WOD even though I was tired and still a bit sore. And each day, I am feeling a bit less tenderness in my old bones, so hopefully tomorrow's WOD will go more smoothly.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
March 17 - Ug
UG. That's the word of the day.
I have barely moved from the couch today. And when I have moved, I have regretted it.
Case in point, the soccer game. This was a make up game for the one we had where the ref never showed up. So the only time they could work in a make up game was on the Sunday at the tail end of Spring Break. And yes, you guessed it, that means most of the players and their families had plans for this weekend that did not include soccer.
So despite my legs screaming at me every time I even twitched, we crawled off the couch and made our way to the soccer pitch. Only a handful of players from our team were able to make it. So by the time the game started, we were lucky to have 1 substitute to spell weary players.
The game was ugly. There's just no other word for it. We got stomped. Everyone seamed as worn out as we were feeling. And we looked true to our team name (the Injured Reserves).
Oh well. The next game isn't until Thursday, so we've got a few days to shake this one off and hope that the rest of the team makes it out for the next one.
I have barely moved from the couch today. And when I have moved, I have regretted it.
Case in point, the soccer game. This was a make up game for the one we had where the ref never showed up. So the only time they could work in a make up game was on the Sunday at the tail end of Spring Break. And yes, you guessed it, that means most of the players and their families had plans for this weekend that did not include soccer.
So despite my legs screaming at me every time I even twitched, we crawled off the couch and made our way to the soccer pitch. Only a handful of players from our team were able to make it. So by the time the game started, we were lucky to have 1 substitute to spell weary players.
The game was ugly. There's just no other word for it. We got stomped. Everyone seamed as worn out as we were feeling. And we looked true to our team name (the Injured Reserves).
Oh well. The next game isn't until Thursday, so we've got a few days to shake this one off and hope that the rest of the team makes it out for the next one.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
March 16 - Warrior Up
I'd like to report in that I am feelin' fine and resting easy after my second run of the Warrior Dash today. But alas I have to confess that I feel more like the conquered rather than a Warrior. LOL.
But even through the scrapes, the bruises, the cramping muscles, and the mud that seems like I'll never be able to wash it all off .... I'm a happy camper.
I survived another Warrior Dash. My better half (& favorite work out partner in the whole world) & I ran our first WD back in November. And we had such a good time doing it that we immediately signed up for the next one scheduled once we were done.
The first time around, we really didn't train much for it. We stuck to our normal workout routine, but we really hadn't gotten into crossfit yet. And aside from our soccer games, we were only getting in about 1 neighborhood run per week (at best).
This time, we really have been hitting it hard to get ready. We are doing crossfit workouts about 3X/week and running about 3X/week as well. We've upped our distance to around the same distance as that of the WD (which is somewhere near a 5K distance, depending on the exact course). So honestly, I felt good going into this one. I felt like I should be able to perform a little better than our fist showing.
I was W-R-O-N-G.
But saying that, I'm still fairly happy with myself.
The course was fun. We scaled walls, hopped through a tire course, pulled ourselves through and out of soupy mud pits, and ran up and down the rather steep hills of the Rocky Hill Ranch mountain bike park. In the end, we had managed to make it through 12 obstacles spread over about 3.5 miles of the Ranch.
I must confess, those hills are much more thrilling on the back of a mountain bike than they are on foot. ;+) But the park is a really great spot for anything 'outdoorsy.' And I would go back in a heart beat to do it all again (though I would like a month or two for my poor aching body to recover first).
Maybe next year I'll see an improvement in my time. But honestly, I'm not too fussed about it.
I had fun. I trained hard. And I was able to do every single obstacle without assistance.
I'm good.
Now to go find a spot on the couch until tomorrow (soccer game!).
But even through the scrapes, the bruises, the cramping muscles, and the mud that seems like I'll never be able to wash it all off .... I'm a happy camper.
I survived another Warrior Dash. My better half (& favorite work out partner in the whole world) & I ran our first WD back in November. And we had such a good time doing it that we immediately signed up for the next one scheduled once we were done.
The first time around, we really didn't train much for it. We stuck to our normal workout routine, but we really hadn't gotten into crossfit yet. And aside from our soccer games, we were only getting in about 1 neighborhood run per week (at best).
This time, we really have been hitting it hard to get ready. We are doing crossfit workouts about 3X/week and running about 3X/week as well. We've upped our distance to around the same distance as that of the WD (which is somewhere near a 5K distance, depending on the exact course). So honestly, I felt good going into this one. I felt like I should be able to perform a little better than our fist showing.
I was W-R-O-N-G.
But saying that, I'm still fairly happy with myself.
The course was fun. We scaled walls, hopped through a tire course, pulled ourselves through and out of soupy mud pits, and ran up and down the rather steep hills of the Rocky Hill Ranch mountain bike park. In the end, we had managed to make it through 12 obstacles spread over about 3.5 miles of the Ranch.
I must confess, those hills are much more thrilling on the back of a mountain bike than they are on foot. ;+) But the park is a really great spot for anything 'outdoorsy.' And I would go back in a heart beat to do it all again (though I would like a month or two for my poor aching body to recover first).
Maybe next year I'll see an improvement in my time. But honestly, I'm not too fussed about it.
I had fun. I trained hard. And I was able to do every single obstacle without assistance.
I'm good.
Now to go find a spot on the couch until tomorrow (soccer game!).
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
March 13 - WOD
Today's WOD was pretty simple, but in true crossfit style, I am already starting to hurt.
Overhead squats. Need I say more?
Five sets. Only 3 reps each set.
I've made it no secret that I have struggled with this exercise. For my first set, I stuck with using the PVC pipe. But I finally graduated to the weight bar for my last 4 sets.
It might not seem like much. But I am so pleased with myself for using the bar for this exercise finally. I have a long way to go but at least I am seeing some progress. That's good enough for me for tonight.
In other news, we also got our run in yesterday. Just a quick couple of laps around our street before judo class. Since we were short on time, we pushed the pace. It sucked (or at least I sucked wind doing it). But at least we worked it in before time to run to judo.
This Saturday we have the Warrior Dash. Despite the fact that this is a run (which we all know is not my thing), I am really looking forward to it.
Overhead squats. Need I say more?
Five sets. Only 3 reps each set.
I've made it no secret that I have struggled with this exercise. For my first set, I stuck with using the PVC pipe. But I finally graduated to the weight bar for my last 4 sets.
It might not seem like much. But I am so pleased with myself for using the bar for this exercise finally. I have a long way to go but at least I am seeing some progress. That's good enough for me for tonight.
In other news, we also got our run in yesterday. Just a quick couple of laps around our street before judo class. Since we were short on time, we pushed the pace. It sucked (or at least I sucked wind doing it). But at least we worked it in before time to run to judo.
This Saturday we have the Warrior Dash. Despite the fact that this is a run (which we all know is not my thing), I am really looking forward to it.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Confession Time
You might have noticed that I haven't been blogging about our runs as of late.
It's not that we haven't been running. We have been keeping to our schedule. We run at least 3 days a week (on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and at least once on the weekends).
But I have to confess that these runs have been tedious, plodding events. And THAT is why they have been missing. I figure I whine enough on here as it is. I guess I need to find a way to log the activity without the commentary.
In some other news ... the scale is starting to move. Not fast like I would like, but better than that is that I am seeing the results in more practical ways. I am noticing clothes fit better. My recovery time is getting faster and faster. And in general, I am feeling better than I have in years.
All in all I would say I am feeling OK with this journey so far.
It's not that we haven't been running. We have been keeping to our schedule. We run at least 3 days a week (on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and at least once on the weekends).
But I have to confess that these runs have been tedious, plodding events. And THAT is why they have been missing. I figure I whine enough on here as it is. I guess I need to find a way to log the activity without the commentary.
In some other news ... the scale is starting to move. Not fast like I would like, but better than that is that I am seeing the results in more practical ways. I am noticing clothes fit better. My recovery time is getting faster and faster. And in general, I am feeling better than I have in years.
All in all I would say I am feeling OK with this journey so far.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
March 10 - Crossfit Open WOD
So the Crossfit Opens have begun. This is a month of weekly workouts that lead to regional competitions.
For the super fit who can actually compete, you have someone take a video of you doing the workout and you send it in by the weekly deadline. You earn points based on your performance and at the end of the month, those with the most points for each region come together for in-person competitions. And you try to advance from that point through the various levels until you reach the finals of the Crossfit Games in California.
For mere mortals, like the two of us, it means a month of killer workouts to humble you and make you question your fitness goals.
OK, that's a bit harsh, but I am hurting tonight after giving this first open WOD a try.
So are you ready to see what I'm crying about?
The 13.1 Open WOD consists of:
40 - burpees
30 - snatches
30 - burpees
30 - snatches
20 - burpees
30 - snatches
10 - burpees
As many snatches as you can in the time remaining
The goal is to see how far you can get in 17 minutes.
I managed the first four sets and then 19 reps (out of the 20 I was shooting for) of the 5th set in the 17 minutes. That means I did 89 burpees and 60 snatches.
Why, when I type that out does it seem so .... Insignificant? This WOD truly kicked my TAIL. I don't know what else to say? I am totally wiped out! And I can tell already that I am going to hurt for some time to come!
For the super fit who can actually compete, you have someone take a video of you doing the workout and you send it in by the weekly deadline. You earn points based on your performance and at the end of the month, those with the most points for each region come together for in-person competitions. And you try to advance from that point through the various levels until you reach the finals of the Crossfit Games in California.
For mere mortals, like the two of us, it means a month of killer workouts to humble you and make you question your fitness goals.
OK, that's a bit harsh, but I am hurting tonight after giving this first open WOD a try.
So are you ready to see what I'm crying about?
The 13.1 Open WOD consists of:
40 - burpees
30 - snatches
30 - burpees
30 - snatches
20 - burpees
30 - snatches
10 - burpees
As many snatches as you can in the time remaining
The goal is to see how far you can get in 17 minutes.
I managed the first four sets and then 19 reps (out of the 20 I was shooting for) of the 5th set in the 17 minutes. That means I did 89 burpees and 60 snatches.
Why, when I type that out does it seem so .... Insignificant? This WOD truly kicked my TAIL. I don't know what else to say? I am totally wiped out! And I can tell already that I am going to hurt for some time to come!
Friday, March 8, 2013
March 8 - WOD
Today's WOD is a good mix of cardio and strength work. And while I know I am going to be hurting, I enjoyed this WOD.
We did 2 rounds of the following and recorded our times:
400 M run
15 hand stand push ups
400M run
30 pistols (alternating legs)
I am still using a box for assistance on the hand stand push ups, but these were probably my best effort yet. I feel like my shoulder is finally getting stronger.
This WOD took me 18 minutes and 51 seconds to complete. I felt a bit sluggish during the run portions, but that seems pretty much par for the course these days.
I finished the WOD and my time wasn't terrible. I can live with that for today.
We did 2 rounds of the following and recorded our times:
400 M run
15 hand stand push ups
400M run
30 pistols (alternating legs)
I am still using a box for assistance on the hand stand push ups, but these were probably my best effort yet. I feel like my shoulder is finally getting stronger.
This WOD took me 18 minutes and 51 seconds to complete. I felt a bit sluggish during the run portions, but that seems pretty much par for the course these days.
I finished the WOD and my time wasn't terrible. I can live with that for today.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Nice & Easy
Got in a run during Wonder Boy's soccer practice tonight. As much as I enjoy watching him at practice, I have to say I particularly enjoyed tonight's run. I didn't make note of how long I ran, but I just felt GOOD while I was running. It was like a deep breath you take before settling down into a familiar routine. I dunno. The words are failing me here.
It's not like it's been a bad day. It's been busy, but not at the kind of pace where I feel like I'm drowning. And while I did (and continue to) have to do some after hours work, it's not really difficult work, it just has to be done during off hours. So I don't have anything much about which to complain.
But this run ... it just ... I don't know ... settled me down. I had some good tunes on my iPod. I had nice open sidewalks (only passed a few folks/dogs). The weather was a touch cool (around 55F at start time), but I like to run in that kind of weather. I was able to clear my head. And I spent much of the time thinking about my family.
Good times!
In addition to the fun run, I got my planks, squats, and burpees in for the Planks A Lot challenge. 1 min 5 seconds for each side plank. 2 minutes 5 seconds for a regular plank. 100 air squats and 6 burpees. I *hate* burpees. But I'm doing them. I hope someone, somewhere cares. :+P
It's not like it's been a bad day. It's been busy, but not at the kind of pace where I feel like I'm drowning. And while I did (and continue to) have to do some after hours work, it's not really difficult work, it just has to be done during off hours. So I don't have anything much about which to complain.
But this run ... it just ... I don't know ... settled me down. I had some good tunes on my iPod. I had nice open sidewalks (only passed a few folks/dogs). The weather was a touch cool (around 55F at start time), but I like to run in that kind of weather. I was able to clear my head. And I spent much of the time thinking about my family.
Good times!
In addition to the fun run, I got my planks, squats, and burpees in for the Planks A Lot challenge. 1 min 5 seconds for each side plank. 2 minutes 5 seconds for a regular plank. 100 air squats and 6 burpees. I *hate* burpees. But I'm doing them. I hope someone, somewhere cares. :+P
Monday, March 4, 2013
March 4 - WOD
Monday workouts are never easy. And today is no exception to that little rule. But we pushed though it and all in all, I'm pretty pleased with the results.
Today we did 3 rounds of the following:
** 20 Kettlebell Swings (25 lbs)
** 100 Jump Rope revolutions
** 20 Push Ups
** 20 Goblet Squats (25 lbs)
** 10 Bent Over Rows, Right and Left (25 lbs)
I managed to finish in around 14 minutes and 19 seconds. And I was seriously huffing and puffing by the time it was done.
This morning, I did 1 minute side planks on both the right and left side and followed that up with a 2 minute regular plank. Then I did 100 air squats. And when I got home from work I added 5 burpees. All of this is for the March continuation of the Planks A Lot Challenge over at One Tough Mother Runner.
I haven't had the chance to publish this next thought here on this blog, but (for the record) I *despise* doing burpees. *sigh* Burpees are NOT my favorite. But burpees I will do for the next month. Too bad she didn't add these back in February (since it's the shortest month of the year).
Today we did 3 rounds of the following:
** 20 Kettlebell Swings (25 lbs)
** 100 Jump Rope revolutions
** 20 Push Ups
** 20 Goblet Squats (25 lbs)
** 10 Bent Over Rows, Right and Left (25 lbs)
I managed to finish in around 14 minutes and 19 seconds. And I was seriously huffing and puffing by the time it was done.
This morning, I did 1 minute side planks on both the right and left side and followed that up with a 2 minute regular plank. Then I did 100 air squats. And when I got home from work I added 5 burpees. All of this is for the March continuation of the Planks A Lot Challenge over at One Tough Mother Runner.
I haven't had the chance to publish this next thought here on this blog, but (for the record) I *despise* doing burpees. *sigh* Burpees are NOT my favorite. But burpees I will do for the next month. Too bad she didn't add these back in February (since it's the shortest month of the year).
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Mar 3 - For the Love of the Game
I've already mentioned it, but I really and truly L*O*V*E to play soccer. I'm not some super star. I consider it a good game if I make at least one good pass and at least one good defensive stop and if I walk off the field uninjured. That's all it takes for me, folks. I just love to play!
Tonight's game was another fun one. The ref didn't show up, so the final score won't count for anything. But the 2 teams decided to go ahead and at least get in a scrimmage. A friend's daughter who had come to cheer volunteered to keep the time and we all relied on the honor system for fouls and such.
Every time we play this team, it's a close game. And tonight was no exception. Even knowing that the final score wouldn't be recorded, our competitive natures kicked in and we battled for the entire 60 minutes. By the end of the game, we were starting to get a bit chippy with one another, but we all shook hands when the final "whistle" blew (actually, someone just hollered "Game Over!"). We finished the match in a 3-3 tie, which I think is the perfect outcome for an unsanctioned scrimmage.
I hope the league will give us the chance to replay the game when it will count in the standings.
For now though, it's back to our regular workout routine for a few weeks. Spring break starts next weekend, so we'll have some time off before we start back up. I can hardly wait!
Tonight's game was another fun one. The ref didn't show up, so the final score won't count for anything. But the 2 teams decided to go ahead and at least get in a scrimmage. A friend's daughter who had come to cheer volunteered to keep the time and we all relied on the honor system for fouls and such.
Every time we play this team, it's a close game. And tonight was no exception. Even knowing that the final score wouldn't be recorded, our competitive natures kicked in and we battled for the entire 60 minutes. By the end of the game, we were starting to get a bit chippy with one another, but we all shook hands when the final "whistle" blew (actually, someone just hollered "Game Over!"). We finished the match in a 3-3 tie, which I think is the perfect outcome for an unsanctioned scrimmage.
I hope the league will give us the chance to replay the game when it will count in the standings.
For now though, it's back to our regular workout routine for a few weeks. Spring break starts next weekend, so we'll have some time off before we start back up. I can hardly wait!
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