It's lame. I know it. I've been meaning to get back on here for MONTHS. I've had a lot I have wanted to post, but once you get behind, it's just hard to get going again.
Excuses, excuses.
I know.
So I guess before I can get back into the swing of things, I'm due for a massive catch up.
And maybe an explanation for the (lack of) posting.
That last one is going to be a bit hard. I fell behind. And then I didn't feel like sharing. And then I realized how far behind I was in posting that it was just easier to ignore.
But the truth is, I really like blogging these things. So ... while I make no promises that I won't let life get in the way again, I'm all for starting anew. Hopefully it'll be worth the read.
Now ... as for what I've been doing for the past ... oh ... I don't know ... 8 months or so ...
Well ... really, I've been doing a lot of the same things as the last time I sat down to blog ... crossfit about 3 times per week; judo here and there; neighborhood jogging 2-3 times per week (depending on the weather) ... still trying to eat the Paleo way ... and just trying to stick with the healthiest of choices all the way around.
In fact, one of my favorite distractions from THIS blog, has been my food blog: Mama G's Go-To Meals. I've been collecting and modifying recipes for almost a year now and the food blog has given me a place to keep my favorite recipes in one place. I'm a bit behind in posting there as well, but I do have a few more recipes lined up. And hopefully more inspiration will hit before I run out of those I have queued up for posting.
And that's really it. I mean, there is work and family and such, but nothing BIG has changed. I just need to get back in the proverbial saddle. And with this post, that is what I'm doing.
So ... what to look forward to?
My thoughts on this year's Crossfit Games Open workouts, a few successes and milestones, and maybe I'll even share a few pictures too.
Until then ... stay tuned. I intend to be back much sooner than the last time I signed off on a post!
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
July 31 - WOD
Today's WOD, featuring shoulder presses, was a nice change of pace from the high intensity we've faced the last few times out.
Today we were tasked with 5 sets of 5 reps each of strict shoulder presses. I managed the following:
Set 1: 65# * 5
Set 2: 67.5# * 5
Set 3: 70# * 5
Set 4: 75# * 5
Set 5: 80# * 1 + 77.5 * 3
As I say quite often, my shoulders are probably the weakest muscle group in my body. I was a bit rough on them in my younger years and they like to complain long and loud about it these days.
But even with that said, I am finally starting to see some strength and range of motion improvements in my shoulders. Doing this movement super strictly made sure that my shoulders were not getting help from any other muscle group. Often, I will resort to a slight dip in the knees to help me propel the weight up. But, of course, that doesn't push my shoulders to where they need to be.
I'm really glad we had this WOD today. Sure. I'll need Advil tonight, but at least I feel like I am pushing my body to where it needs to be.
We finished up with pistols (5 each, left and right) and 35 knees to elbows.
A good solid WOD. I'm happy.
Today we were tasked with 5 sets of 5 reps each of strict shoulder presses. I managed the following:
Set 1: 65# * 5
Set 2: 67.5# * 5
Set 3: 70# * 5
Set 4: 75# * 5
Set 5: 80# * 1 + 77.5 * 3
As I say quite often, my shoulders are probably the weakest muscle group in my body. I was a bit rough on them in my younger years and they like to complain long and loud about it these days.
But even with that said, I am finally starting to see some strength and range of motion improvements in my shoulders. Doing this movement super strictly made sure that my shoulders were not getting help from any other muscle group. Often, I will resort to a slight dip in the knees to help me propel the weight up. But, of course, that doesn't push my shoulders to where they need to be.
I'm really glad we had this WOD today. Sure. I'll need Advil tonight, but at least I feel like I am pushing my body to where it needs to be.
We finished up with pistols (5 each, left and right) and 35 knees to elbows.
A good solid WOD. I'm happy.
Monday, July 29, 2013
July 29 - Isabel
Today's spin of the hopper landed on "Isabel." This is the first time this calendar year we've tried to do this WOD. Snatches are one of the more difficult exercises for me.
For those who have never seen a snatch, it looks like this when done right.
I know I don't look like that yet, but I am now able to get the bar from the floor to overhead without a pause (like the clean and jerk). I need to work more on getting under the bar for the press up. This has a lot of advantages, not the least of which is that you can use your legs to get the weight to full height and not have to rely on the smaller upper body muscles to do that part of the work.
I intend to keep working on it.
For today though, I managed my 30 snatches (with a 65# bar) in just under 5 minutes (4:46). And I'm good with that for now. I hope that, as my overhead squats get better, this exercise will improve as well.
We followed this up with a walk around our loop (X2). And despite the oppressive Texas summer evening, it was a nice way to wind down after the workout.
For those who have never seen a snatch, it looks like this when done right.
I know I don't look like that yet, but I am now able to get the bar from the floor to overhead without a pause (like the clean and jerk). I need to work more on getting under the bar for the press up. This has a lot of advantages, not the least of which is that you can use your legs to get the weight to full height and not have to rely on the smaller upper body muscles to do that part of the work.
I intend to keep working on it.
For today though, I managed my 30 snatches (with a 65# bar) in just under 5 minutes (4:46). And I'm good with that for now. I hope that, as my overhead squats get better, this exercise will improve as well.
We followed this up with a walk around our loop (X2). And despite the oppressive Texas summer evening, it was a nice way to wind down after the workout.
Saturday, July 27, 2013
July 27 - Cindy
Last Monday's tabata workout really put us off our schedule, so instead of staying off schedule and following up yesterday's WOD with a run day, we opted to do another WOD today. So we spun the hopper and ended up with "Cindy."
With "Cindy," you do AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) of the following:
5 - Pull Ups
10 - Push Ups
15 - Squats
When we last did this WOD (back in January) we couldn't last the prescribed 20 minutes, so we cut it to 10. Today we decided to push ourselves and our already aching bodies to do the full 20 minutes.
I'm awful proud (& terribly sore) to report that we DID last the full 20 minutes and managed to do a full 17 rounds in that time. I am, of course, still using the bands to assist my pull ups. I like that a whole lot more than doing negatives.
Going the full 20 minutes, the day after another taxing WOD, well ... let's just say I didn't have the gas left for anything else. No ab work, no pistols. But I am really pleased that we got out there and did this WOD. It was hard and there was a point, around the 15 minute mark when I thought, "I've already done more/better than last time, I can quit now." But I held on and finished the workout.
And if for no other reason, that makes me feel good today.
With "Cindy," you do AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) of the following:
5 - Pull Ups
10 - Push Ups
15 - Squats
When we last did this WOD (back in January) we couldn't last the prescribed 20 minutes, so we cut it to 10. Today we decided to push ourselves and our already aching bodies to do the full 20 minutes.
I'm awful proud (& terribly sore) to report that we DID last the full 20 minutes and managed to do a full 17 rounds in that time. I am, of course, still using the bands to assist my pull ups. I like that a whole lot more than doing negatives.
Going the full 20 minutes, the day after another taxing WOD, well ... let's just say I didn't have the gas left for anything else. No ab work, no pistols. But I am really pleased that we got out there and did this WOD. It was hard and there was a point, around the 15 minute mark when I thought, "I've already done more/better than last time, I can quit now." But I held on and finished the workout.
And if for no other reason, that makes me feel good today.
Friday, July 26, 2013
July 26 - Elizabeth
After Monday's WOD, I wasn't sure we would make it back out to the garage again this week and we almost didn't! We walked a nice slow pace on Tuesday and then completely took the day off on Wednesday because I was just so beyond sore. We made it out to the weekly soccer scrimmage yesterday, but we both knew we had to get in a real workout today. Even if my legs still feel like they are stuck in cement.
Wonder Boy is off at a birthday party so we wanted something fairly quick in order to allow for clean up time before having to go pick him up. So we decided to do "Elizabeth" again (we last did it on June 8)
If you don't recall, "Elizabeth" is comprised of 3 rounds of cleans and ring dips, for time as follows:
21 - Cleans (95#)
21 - Ring Dips
15 - Cleans (95#)
15 - Ring Dips
9 - Cleans (95#)
9 - Ring Dips
Today I managed a time of 10:21.8, which is a couple of seconds slower than last time. I guess that is the best I can hope for since I am still feeling the effects of Monday's killer WOD.
Last time we finished up w/ ab work as well, but there was no way I was doing that today.
So ... I guess today is just about getting back on the bandwagon. Hopefully our next WOD will feel a little better.
Wonder Boy is off at a birthday party so we wanted something fairly quick in order to allow for clean up time before having to go pick him up. So we decided to do "Elizabeth" again (we last did it on June 8)
If you don't recall, "Elizabeth" is comprised of 3 rounds of cleans and ring dips, for time as follows:
21 - Cleans (95#)
21 - Ring Dips
15 - Cleans (95#)
15 - Ring Dips
9 - Cleans (95#)
9 - Ring Dips
Today I managed a time of 10:21.8, which is a couple of seconds slower than last time. I guess that is the best I can hope for since I am still feeling the effects of Monday's killer WOD.
Last time we finished up w/ ab work as well, but there was no way I was doing that today.
So ... I guess today is just about getting back on the bandwagon. Hopefully our next WOD will feel a little better.
Monday, July 22, 2013
July 22 - Tabata This
I'm almost too worn out to type in this little write up of our most recent WOD called "Tabata This," but here it goes...
Today we did this WOD which consisted of 5 exercises, 8 rounds each. In each round, you exercise for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds. Then you get 1 minute rest between each exercise.
Tally up your score, you take the lowest number of reps you got in a round for each exercise and add them up. My efforts looked like this:
Rows (45#): 13, 12, 12, 12, 8, 9, 8, 7 [score=7]
Squats: 24, 24, 24, 23, 23, 23, 24, 24 [score=23]
Pull Ups (green band): 13, 9, 10, 9, 7, 5, 5, 5 [score=5]
Push Ups: 14, 13, 11, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 [score=10]
Sit Ups: 22, 22, 22, 21, 21, 21, 20, 20 [score=20]
Total: 65
I'm so worn out and sore. There is not a single muscle south of my chin that doesn't hurt. I actually started to tremble just by standing in the kitchen to get dinner together after this WOD. And then I couldn't even eat.
We *should* have done a reduced effort version of this WOD since we had never done it (or one like it) before today. But we didn't think of that until the damage was already done.
I seriously would like to go to bed and just stay there for the next week. *sigh*
I hope I burned some serious calories because I think chocolate is the only thing that can revive me at this point.
Today we did this WOD which consisted of 5 exercises, 8 rounds each. In each round, you exercise for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds. Then you get 1 minute rest between each exercise.
Tally up your score, you take the lowest number of reps you got in a round for each exercise and add them up. My efforts looked like this:
Rows (45#): 13, 12, 12, 12, 8, 9, 8, 7 [score=7]
Squats: 24, 24, 24, 23, 23, 23, 24, 24 [score=23]
Pull Ups (green band): 13, 9, 10, 9, 7, 5, 5, 5 [score=5]
Push Ups: 14, 13, 11, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 [score=10]
Sit Ups: 22, 22, 22, 21, 21, 21, 20, 20 [score=20]
Total: 65
I'm so worn out and sore. There is not a single muscle south of my chin that doesn't hurt. I actually started to tremble just by standing in the kitchen to get dinner together after this WOD. And then I couldn't even eat.
We *should* have done a reduced effort version of this WOD since we had never done it (or one like it) before today. But we didn't think of that until the damage was already done.
I seriously would like to go to bed and just stay there for the next week. *sigh*
I hope I burned some serious calories because I think chocolate is the only thing that can revive me at this point.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
July 20 - Fran
Trying to build on our efforts from the last time we did Fran, today we bumped up the weight we were using on the thrusters and I went to smaller bands on my pull ups.
Officially, this is what we did today:
"Fran"
21 - Thrusters (90#)
21 - Pull Ups
15 - Thrusters (90#)
15 - Pull Ups
9 - Thrusters (90#)
9 - Pull Ups
My time was improved by around a minute (9:39.9 this time) and on the whole I was feeling pretty good about this. I thought I was sneaking up close to the prescribed women's weight of 95# on the thrusters.
Except ....
*sigh*
Except that 95# is NOT the prescribed weight for women. In fact, the prescribed weight is 65#! So once again, I have made a WOD even harder than it needs to be. *double sigh*
We're going to re-do this WOD in a few weeks. And for a change we are both going to both be using the prescribed weight.
Maybe then I won't have to sit in the corner with a dunce hat after the workout.
Oh, and we finished with 35 knees to elbows. I'm already feeling my abs ache. Along with most of the rest of my body.
Officially, this is what we did today:
"Fran"
21 - Thrusters (90#)
21 - Pull Ups
15 - Thrusters (90#)
15 - Pull Ups
9 - Thrusters (90#)
9 - Pull Ups
My time was improved by around a minute (9:39.9 this time) and on the whole I was feeling pretty good about this. I thought I was sneaking up close to the prescribed women's weight of 95# on the thrusters.
Except ....
*sigh*
Except that 95# is NOT the prescribed weight for women. In fact, the prescribed weight is 65#! So once again, I have made a WOD even harder than it needs to be. *double sigh*
We're going to re-do this WOD in a few weeks. And for a change we are both going to both be using the prescribed weight.
Maybe then I won't have to sit in the corner with a dunce hat after the workout.
Oh, and we finished with 35 knees to elbows. I'm already feeling my abs ache. Along with most of the rest of my body.
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