But First, Coffee...

When I tell people that I coach CrossFit at 5:30 in the morning, I get a whole range of appalled faces staring back at me - generally followed by the 'how do you do that?!' question.  Coffee, people.  So. Much. Coffee.

But lately, when I've been waking up (at 4:30am) - I've been noticing that there are several distinct stages to the wake up process.  

Stage 1)  Denial.  

Is that my alarm clock?!  There is absolutely no way that it is already 4:30.  I just barely fell asleep.  

Stage 2)  Snooze.  

9 minutes more sleep will make my life better.  Just 9 more minutes.  

Stage 1)  Denial.  Round 2.  

Is that my alarm clock?!?!  No way it's been 9 minutes.  

Stage 2)  Snooze.  Round 2.  

9 more minutes.  I just need 9. More. Minutes. 

Stage 3)  Acceptance.  

Okay.  No more snoozing.  Must get up.  But at least there's coffee. 

Stage 4)  Hope.  

Wait.  Maybe class is cancelled.  I should check my email.  Maybe no one is signed up for our most popular class of the day.

Stage 5)  Resignation.  Round 2.  

Of course class isn't cancelled.  Okay.  Time to get up.  Must get coffee.

Stage 6)  Annoyance.

Dog crawls into warm spot in the bed.  I feed you AND pick up your poop - you should at least be up when I am up.

Stage 7)  Anger.  

Where is my sports bra?!  Why do I only have one sock?! Why didn't I get organized last night?! It's so much easier when I'm organized.  It's like I'm new.

Stage 8)  First sip of coffee.  

I officially feel sorry for people who don't drink coffee. This is amazing.

Stage 9)  Ready to roll.  

10 minutes, one cup of coffee, a giant to-go cup and some mascara.  Let's do this.

Stage 10)  Caffeinated enough to annoy the crap out of my athletes.  

Winning!

That, my friends, is how you get a functional CrossFit coach at 5:30 in the morning.

2014 CrossFit Open: A Recap

Let's talk about the 2014 CrossFit Open.  Now that it's over, I feel like I am much more able to look back at it objectively (as opposed to looking on it with sweltering amounts of hatred).  Let's take a look at each of the individual workouts and how they stacked up: 

14.1 - 10 min AMRAP: 30 Double Unders, 15 Snatches (55lbs)

I did this workout twice officially and once unofficially.  That may have been overkill.  But the first 'unofficial' time was really just to practice and I did it light (at 35lbs).  My first official attempt was terrible.  I probably spent 8 minutes doing double under attempts and I left the gym super irritated by the whole thing.  My third (and final!) attempt was significantly better - a 50 rep improvement and included a new PR of 30 unbroken double unders for me.  Yahoo!  This workout felt like an awesome start to the Open, it was a manageable weight, the movements were tough but doable and it did nothing but raise my level of optimism at this year's Open. (I should have known it would go downhill really fast.)

14.2 - A Terrible Concoction of OH Squats and Chest-to-Bar Pullups

It made me feel better that all but two people competing in the Open at Sound got scores of 10 because chest-to-bars were just not happening.  This workout was awful.  I can't get chest-to-bars and there wasn't really anyone who could even coach me through it.  I'm getting close enough to the bar - I just literally can't touch it.  Which is aggravating... and soul crushing.  This workout was a disappointment because I'm actually really good at overhead squats and I love doing them.  I wish they would have been paired with something else because I think I could have killed it.

14.3 - The Posterior Chain Torture Device of Heavy Deadlifts and Box Jumps

In what may be the most controversial Open announcement EVER - Dave Castro brought us an ascending ladder of deadlifts, where not only did the weight increase, but so did the reps.  CrossFit affiliates were outraged, even going to so far as to publicly announce that they would not be participating in such a terrible workout for their athletes (ironically, some of these gyms also have Regionals level athletes who had to complete the workouts in order to qualify - so I'm not sure how they worked around that.).  I, for one, was PSYCHED about this workout.  I LOVE heavy deadlifts.  I KILL at heavy deadlifts.  BRING ME MY TROPHY!!!!!!!!!!!  Okay... so that may have been a little bit overzealous of me.  I ignored everyone for days who kept telling me how bad it was for me and how much danger I was putting myself in.  Didn't care.  I LOVE DEADLIFTS.  

And then the day came to actually do the workout.  And holy crap - deadlift set #2 at 135lbs suddenly felt way heavier than it should.  And then 20 at 155lbs felt like approximately 1000lbs.  25 at 185lbs?  Barely made it through.  But I did.  And then I could barely walk for three days.  Okay... maybe these arguments denouncing this workout were justified.  

14.4 - The Chipper From Hell

This workout was just as labeled.  The Chipper From HELL.  Okay... it wasn't actually that bad if you like/are good at toes to bar.  Which I'm not.  Let me simply explain the physics of this to you - you have to touch your toes to the bar - above your head.  So when I'm standing - I can grab the bar when my arms are fully extended - that's what?  9 feet??  And I have to get my feet up there?  AT THE SAME TIME!?!?  No.  

This wasn't my proudest workout moment.  It also didn't help that I had gotten home from California two hours before, I was tired, I was hungry, I was cranky and my heart was just a little bit smooshed from everything going on. 

This workout was literally soul-crushing.  

14.5 - Never Ending Burpees and Thrusters

Because who doesn't like doing 20+ minutes of strenuous work under heavy load with no rest time?  Fuck you, Dave Castro.  Seriously.  A descending ladder from 21 of thrusters and bar-facing-burpees?   No.  This workout left good athletes sucking wind and wanting to die.  The great athletes finished like it was a warm up - but the rest of us struggled.  

Okay.  Here is my thought on this.  It seems to me that while Rich Froning and Sam Briggs were done in 8 minutes - the rest of us mortals were still in our sets of 18, 15 or if you were exceptionally lucky, 12, at the 8 minute mark.  But no one, except super star athletes were finished in sub 10.  How exactly is this a test of your fitness?  I seemed more to me to be a test of who doesn't puke.

To Recap: 
I actually really liked the first workout.  It was tough, it was  heavy, it was an overall physical challenge - but it didn't make you want to die at the end.  People could get through it (well... I guess if you had double unders - if not, you were spending 10 very frustrating minutes jump roping).  But the rest of the Open was pretty much awful.

The 2014 Open was soul crushing, body crushing and a killer.  Personally, I don't feel like a whole lot of these workouts were a test of overall fitness - but instead a way to definitely divide the super CrossFit athletes from the normal folks.  I have been lucky enough to have amazing athletes as friends - and they struggled through these workouts.  There was a clear dividing line between the athletes that would be moving forward to regionals and those of us who won't.  

Could I have trained more and done better?  Absolutely.  I'll be the first to admit that.  Honestly, this year's Open couldn't have come at a worse time.  Trying to get Brand M off the ground, dealing with my Grandfather's passing, and all of that - it was just a terrible time for me to try to focus on anything.  

Oh well.  Onto the next.  

The Coaches Corner: Snatches & Burpees

Hey yo!  It’s one week closer to the start of the 2014 CrossFit Open.  Who is with me?  

This week I’ll be going over burpee and snatch standards.  Who doesn’t love this wicked combination of movements?!

Burpees 
Before you start doing everyone’s favorite movement – we’ll need to set up a target.  The target must be at least six inches above the athlete’s fingertips when they are standing and reaching as high as possible.  Athletes must touch their chests to the ground at the bottom of the burpee and hit the target with both hands at the top.  Easy peasy, right? 

Snatches 
Snatches are a little bit more complicated.  And by a little bit more, I mean a lot.  Each rep counts once you have control of the barbell overhead.  Pressing out the arms at the top to complete the movement is allowed as long as the barbell does not touch the shoulders or head. Also, sorry to tell you – but you are responsible for loading your own weight on the bar.  If the workout includes a ladder – I’d recommend having all the weights that you need lined up and ready to go.  Doing math when you are hopped up on adrenaline is not something that anyone wants to do. Snatches must start from the ground and return to the ground at every rep.  

You can definitely expect to see these movements in the 2014 Open.  They will be brutal and you’ll want to quit.  Don’t!  You’ve got this.

Past Examples of Burpee/Snatch Workouts 
13.1
In 17 minutes
40 burpees
30 snatches (75/45)
30 burpees
30 snatches (135/75)
20 burpees
30 snatches (165/100)
10 burpees
AMRAP snatches (210/120)

12.2
AMRAP 10 minutes
30 snatches 45/75
30 snatches 75/135
30 snatches 100/165
As many reps as possible, 120/210

12.1
AMRAP 7 minutes
Burpees

The Coaches Corner: CrossFit Open Prep

It's time to start signing up for the annual CrossFit Open and therefore - time to start getting ready to kick ass in the workouts!  I've had a lot of questions about the Open is and how it works - below, you'll find some answers to those questions.  And every week for the next six weeks - I'll select a couple of movements you'll  likely see in the workouts and break them down to CrossFit standards for you, plus give you a couple of helpful competition tips.  If you have specific questions or want more information - shoot me an email or leave me a comment! 

CrossFit Open: What is it?

The 2014 CrossFit Games season begins with the worldwide Open competition. Everyone in the world is invited to compete in five workouts over five weeks, posting their scores online. In 2013, almost 140,000 athletes competed in the Open. Competitors will be ranked both worldwide and by region. The 48 fittest individual athletes and 30 fittest teams from each region will earn invitations to one of 17 Regionals.  The registration fee for the Open is $20 and you can sign up online at games.crossfit.com.

How do I get judged?
Every Open workout needs to be judged to count. Athletes will be able to do the workouts at a specific time weekly at SoundCrossFit.   SCF coaching staff will serve as judges but individual athletes are also encouraged to take the online judging course.  Not only does completing the judging course allow you to serve as a judge for your fellow athletes – but it also helps to even better define what standards are expected of you as a competitor. 

When does it start?

The Open kicks off on February 27 and will run for five weeks.  Every Thursday at 5pm (PST), a new workout and demo will be posted online.  Competitors have until Monday at 5pm to complete the workout and have their scores posted and validated online. 

What should I expect?

The Open workouts are designed to test competitor’s physical strength and endurance.  Each of the five workouts will test different skills and the standards to complete the movements will be clearly laid out.  To see a full list of the 2012/2013 workout, visit the Games website.

What happens if I can’t finish a workout or lift the weights required?

No big deal.  You’ll be scored for as many Rx reps as you finish – and each workout has different requirements.   I want to encourage all of my athletes to try the workouts but I also recognize that some of these movements and weight standards aren’t manageable for all.  As coaches and judges – we will work with you to make sure that you are able to compete what you can without causing injury. If you can't quite complete a movement or make the weights - don't get down - you'll know what you need to work towards for next year! 

Movement Standards

Chest to Bar Pull-Ups

At the top, the chest must clearly come into contact with the bar.  At the bottom, arms must be fully extended.  Kipping and/or butterflying pull-ups are allowed as long as both of these standards are met. 

Make sure that your chest touches the bar below your collarbone to count for a good rep.

Thrusters

This is a standard barbell thruster in which the barbell moves from the bottom of a front squat to full lockout overhead. The bar starts on the ground. Use of the rack is not allowed. The hip crease must pass below the knees. A full squat clean into the thruster is allowed if the bar is on the ground.  To finish the movement, the barbell must come to a full lockout overhead with the hips, knees and arms fully extended, and the bar directly over the body.

Fully extended and locked out at the top.  Don't drop into your next rep until you hear your judge count your rep. 

MOBILITY, MOBILITY, MOBILITY!!!!!!

Athletes competing in the CrossFit Open MUST be doing mobility at home on their own.  It is highly recommended that each athlete has their own foam roller.  Don’t have one yet?  Get one. Here are my Amazon recommendations

• TriggerPoint Foam Rollers are excellent and run between $30-40 for a 13” roller. 
• High density rollers are also available for $20.  They are a bit longer (usually 3') and can be harder to store for those in smaller spaces. 

Other great mobility resources? 

• Becoming a Supple Leopard by Kelly Starrett.  Fantastic book with tons of mobility movements and tips.  $40 on Amazon - worth every penny!
• Lacrosse balls.  These guys are so easy to carry around or put in your desk at work that there really isn’t an excuse not to have them!
• CrossFit Coaches.  Ask any one of the coaching staff at your gym – they’ll be able to give you some good guidance.

Drink lots of water.  Water is crucial to recovery from competition.  Make sure you are drinking a lot of it – even on days that you aren’t working out. My tip? Get a 40oz bottle and fill it at least twice during the day. 

Nutrition.  Make sure that you are eating healthy.  Competing takes a lot out of your body – it’s crucial that you are giving it the best food and nutrients that you can.  Also – start taking a fish oil supplement.  It does wonders in helping your recovery.  It reduces inflammation and helps with blood flow – both things that will help after you’ve given a workout 110%.  Questions about fish oil? I found some good information here: http://whole9life.com/fish-oil-faq/.  

Why Will You Compete?

Tomorrow is the day.  The day that registration for the 2014 CrossFit Open begins.  You can register up until the day before the first workout but the majority of us overzealous crazies will register early.  Somebody asked me the other day - 'are you trying to make it to regionals?'  Ummm... no. That isn't even on my radar.

So - why do I do it?  Why put myself through five grueling and painful workouts if I know I'm not going to 'win'?  Well. Lots of reasons.  

Here are the top five reasons why I compete (and why you should too):

1. Because I can.  And really... anyone can.  The first workout in 2012 was 7 minutes of burpees.  ANYONE can do a burpee.  Don't let the weights and times of all the other workouts intimidate you.  Last year, a gal at my gym did almost 150 fourteen pound wall balls to a 10' target.  I don't know if she'd ever picked up a 14lb medicine ball, much less done a workout with it.  And she KILLED it.  That's the point of the open - to crush your limits.
2. To beat myself.  Last year I came in 19,220th place out of the 27,820 women who completed all five workouts.  Awesome right? Okay... not that awesome.  But this year - I want to beat myself last year.  
3. To compete with friends.  There aren't very many opportunities that you have to compete against your friends at the gym - trying to beat them while cheering for them to get one more rep.  You work your ass off, give each other sweaty hugs, and then you go have a beer afterwards.  It's the best kind of competition.
4. To feel awesome.  Last year, I didn't think there was any way that I could do ANY of the workouts for the Open.  I was so intimidated.  The workouts are long.  The workouts are heavy.  But you finish it - and you feel awesome for finishing it.  
5. Because why not?  Seriously... why not compete?  It costs $20 and you get to see where you rank against all the competing CrossFitters in the world. In. THE. WORLD.  Where else can you see where you rank against a whole world of athletes?  I'm not positive - but I think no where.  (Unless you are an Olympian.  And in that case - having you compete in the CrossFit Open is remarkably unfair and I protest.)  

So... have I convinced you?  Why will you compete?  

Merry Christmas Y'All!

Merry Christmas y'all! Tis the season - the presents have been unwrapped, the annual Molle Mexican food fiesta is in the oven, 'A Christmas Story' has been watched at least twice, and I'm drinking my 2pm glass of wine (don't judge me - it's a holiday). 

This time of year can be incredibly stressful for some people - myself included (hence the 2pm glass of wine).  I think it's very easy for people to review the last year and start to panic about all the things left undone, messed up, or not yet started.  It's even easier when you start to add massive amounts of family time into that and all the inevitable questions that come from great aunt Shirley, like - why aren't you married?  how is your job?  why can't you deadlift 300 pounds yet? yada, yada, yada.  (For the record, I don't have a great Aunt Shirley - but I do picture the voice in my head sometimes.  And if I did have a great Aunt Shirley - she'd probably not ask me about my deadlift.)

So... instead of thinking of the unfinished, questionable, and bad things from 2013 - I've decided to take a minute to review what went well.  So... here are some of the highlights of 2013:

• Started the year with friends in Tahoe. Fabulous trip.  Got back to Seattle just in time to do my first CrossFit competition.  Didn't do well but had an awesome time.  Also, didn't die.  Victory!
• Became a CrossFit coach.  Scary but fabulous.  So glad I did it.  
• Ran Tough Mudder Whistler.  Okay... by ran, I really mean ran/walked/complained for 13 miles.  But didn't die. Victory!  (And now that I've forgotten how badly it hurt, I would totally do it again.) 
• Bought a house and rescued a dog.  Pretty much turned my life upside down.
• Competed in my first solo CrossFit competition (Bacon Beatdown).  Didn't do bad.  Didn't do well.  But didn't die.  Came in right in the middle.  Victory!
• Competed in my third CrossFit competition with a team of friends - did well!  Didn't win. Didn't even feel close to dying.  Victory!
• Left my job.  Am taking early retirement.  (Just kidding.  I'm totally looking for another job.)

So... instead of being stressed about all your 2013 to-dos that have been left undone - how about you take a minute to make your own highlight list?  Look forward to 2014 and a chance to get it all done.  That's what I'm doing anyways. 

Pride Goeth...

Okay... we all know the proverb "pride goeth before a fall".  Well.  I am here to be the walking, limping example of that.  

Last week, I fell and fell HARD off of a pull-up bar doing kipping pull-ups during a warm-up.  The warm-up people, the WARM-UP.  I can't even claim that I was in the throes of a hard workout - nope.  I was just making sure that I had my kip down.  Turns out - I didn't.  

Pride wasn't really my whole issue - although it was definitely a part of it.  My biggest problem was lack of focus. I figured that I knew what I was doing enough to not need to give it my full focus.  As I was staring up at the ceiling from the flat of my back - I realized that I should have been giving 100%.  Instead of thinking about what I was doing - I was three steps ahead instead of being in the here and now.  

I am currently paying for my lack of focus.  I slipped off the pull-up bar on while kipping and landed right on my back.  According to my chiropractor and PT, I've got a deep bruise, some sprained ligaments and jarred my hip pretty darn hard.  Sitting, laying down, standing - it's all some level of uncomfortable.  But... it is getting better.  I'm optimistic that in a few days, it will be fine (keep your fingers crossed for me anyways because this walking like an old person is just not cutting it!).  

An additional downside of maiming myself?  I missed the Mustache Dache.  I went and cheered the team on but I was obviously not running it (my chiropractor actually told me that I wasn't even allowed to think about it).  But here's a picture of the amazing team from Sound CrossFit:

Great job Team Snatch 'n Dache!!!! Next year, I am totally running this with you guys!

CrossFit Truths

Lately, I've had several people look at me like I'm nuts when I say that I do CrossFit.  Here are a list of the general 'are you crazy?!' statements that come along with the looks AND my rebuttals: 

"What are you?  Like really strong? "

No.  I am not 'really strong'.  But I am strong.  And I have worked my butt off to get there.  I didn't walk in to the gym on my first day strong.  Yes, some of strength can be contributed to your body build and athleticism - but I've worked hard to increase my one rep maxes and to get 'strong'.  

"Isn't that super expensive?"

 Well.  CrossFit isn't cheap.  I will be the first to admit that.  BUT... here is a list of other things that aren't cheap: yoga, pilates, kickboxing, designer handbags, dinners at Canlis, Lululemon, massages, wine clubs, Louboutins, and trips to Bali.  (Okay, obviously, this isn't an extensive list.)  

I have no idea where this came from - but it was posted on the gym's Facebook page and I love it.  So true.  That being said, don't try to come between me and my fancy handbags. 

"Aren't you afraid you are going to get bulky?"

 Do I look bulky?? (Think before you answer that.)  

Side note: I put on a pair of my super stretchy skinny jeans (some may call them jeggings - but I refuse) this weekend and I looked like the hulk.  My quads have gotten extremely strong looking (but only in one pair of pants).  Yay?

 "Ew.  Don't you sweat a lot?"

Ummm...  Yes.  There is a lot of sweat.  Gross stinky sweat.  In my opinion, a little sweat never hurt anybody.  The benefits of sweat seriously out weigh the downsides (downsides being stinky, damp, hmmm... is there more?? Probably.)  What cracks me up most about this is I've actually had someone ask me this who swears by hot yoga.  

 "Isn't CrossFit like a total cult?"

Yes.  And I drank the kool-aid.  

NO!  We are not like a cult.  Just like being a sorority is not a cult either. Cults are scary things that usually result in a mass murder/suicide (and no, I totally didn't watch a three-hour documentary on cults one time - I'm WAY cooler than that). Okay... if CrossFit IS a cult - it's the kind of cult I want to be involved in: promoting healthy living with a great community of people who support each other?  Sold.  

Side note: Thank you to Jonestown for giving us the ever relevant reference of 'drank the kool-aid'.  Cyanide laced beverages?  Where do I sign up?

"Isn't CrossFit a guy thing?"

No response.  Just no response. 

The Next Challenge

For the last two months, I've been making goals and working on hitting them in order to be ready for the Beatdown.  Even though I didn't do as well as I was hoping to do, I'm still pretty pleased with my performance.  So what's the next big thing?  Who knows.  And I could really use someone to help me decide - any ideas?

In the meantime, I have signed up for a 5K.  The Mustache Dache to be exact.  Why in the world would I want to do a 5K?  Good freaking question.  I have no idea.  Okay, actually I do have an idea.  Simply just because the theme is mustaches.  There really isn't a better theme than mustaches for a 5K.  I designed awesome mustache themed t shirts, I found press-on mustaches (to which I was quickly shown up by PINK mustaches! Thanks Barb!), and bought sweet stackable mustache wristbands.  So... I guess my next challenge is to run a 5K without passing out or crying.  Since I keep meeting marathon runners lately, I feel like a 5K is a wimpy kind of challenge.  But for me, it's huge.  I'm not entirely sure that I've ever run 3.2 miles without stopping.  Hmmm... (the awesome outfit that I am going to wear is what is keeping me enthusiastic right now.  That and the beer garden at the end.)

Bacon Beatdown Recap

Hey y'all!  It's finally Bacon Beatdown weekend.  Eek!  I signed up for this in August and October felt like SUPER far away.  Turns out, it came WAY faster than I was expecting.  Here is a rundown of the workouts: 

WOD #1
5 minutes of thruster for total volume
Weight x reps = total score

WOD #2
6 ear-to-ear pullups (I know, WTF are those?!?!)
12 kb swings (36 lbs)
15 goblet squats

WOD #3
9-15-21
Hang cleans (75#)
Burpees (touch hands behind head, jump over bar - because normal burpees are apparently impossible)

WOD #4
1RM of snatch, clean and deadlift

WOD #5
Push-up ladder of deficit pushups and hand stand pushups

WOD #6
60 Double Unders 
50 20# wall balls (20#s?!?!)
40 50# slam balls
30 50# shoulder to shoulder slam balls
20 box jumps w/ 20# wall balls
10 rope scales (monkey style across a rope - ugh)

These workouts are hard.  Totally hard.  And not a fair representation of what was expected based on the 'scaled division' standards. 

A few days ago, I almost walked away from the competition entirely based off of the workouts themselves.  One rep maxes in a competition setting can be scary - it can be exhilarating too - but I know for me, I lose my form and push too far sometimes.  I'm not in tip-top shape right now, my training has been lagging because of my busy schedule.  The workouts totally freaked me out and I'm glad I didn't walk away without even trying - I had a great time hanging out this weekend and meeting lots of CrossFitters from other gyms.  I looked at Tara while 18 lanes of athletes were doing thrusters and dropping the bar left and right and just said "I love this shit!".  I do.  I totally love it.  I love the energy.  I love the sweat.  I love the swearing.  I love going to competitions and watching people push it to the brink.  I love pushing it to the brink.  

But here is the deal.  I know when to stop.  And yesterday, I needed to stop.  My body was done.  This is more than just CrossFit soreness.  I was totally toast.  And my heart wasn't in doing the last two workouts.  When your heart isn't in it, every muscle in your body hurts, and your back is threatening to give up on you - it's time to quit, it's not worth it.

My results for the weekend? 

WOD #1: 41 thrusters = 3075lbs total.  (When you look at it that way, it's super impressive.  I did 3075lbs worth of front squats and push presses.  I am a rockstar.)
WOD #2: 137 reps (or 4 rounds + 5 pullups.  Okay.  I KILLED the ear-to-ear pullups.  Considering a week ago, I was practically in tears because I thought I was going to get exactly zero - I'll totally take 5 rounds of them.)
WOD #3: 7:59. The worst.  I freaking hate burpees.  I was SO SLOW.  
WOD #4:  MY FAVORITE!!!!  PRs for all lifts! YAY!  
Snatch: 95lbs - almost stopped at 90.  Then the teeny tiny little girl behind me hit 95 and I refused to let her beat me.  Take that teeny Canadian girl.  
Clean: 125lbs.  I thought that was a record for my PR.  NOPE!  New PR.  YAY!
Deadlift: 265lbs.  This is a new old PR.  When we retested a few weeks ago, it was 240lb (down from 265lb six months ago.)  

Total place?  28 out of 39 (obviously the two DNFs dropped my ranking - but I'm okay with it - I actually still beat people who finished all events).  My best event was the 1RM event.  My worst?  The burpees.  

Fail. Total Fail.

My puppy is regressing.  This is what I came home to today... 

Busted.  This is the shame face.  Bad dog.  Bad bad dog. 

She's been so good lately.  But this is the definition of 'not good'.  She even ate $20.  Not adorable at all. 

Ummm... what else?  I've had just about the most random week so far.  A couple of highlights from the week: 

• I actually had to use the sentence 'If you are going to say 'swingers', please whisper it so the class doesn't hear it.'  
• I got matched with one of my guy friends on my online dating profile.  Nothing is more hilarious and unexpected than opening up your email to a picture of your friends face announcing your daily perfect matches.  Of course we're 96% compatible - that's why we're friends.  

On a CrossFit note: they announced the first two workouts for The Bacon Beatdown.  First off, ear-to-ear pullups are not a real thing and I hate them. It's not pretty when I try to do them.  It's actually really ugly.  I flail.  On the positive side - my mom was super encouraging and told me that doing one was awesome (thanks mom!!!).  Unfortunately, I have to do six before I can move on to the next movement.  And that's only one round.  

WOD #1: 
9 min AMRAP
6 ear-to-ear pullups (eeeeffffffffffffffffffff...)
12 kb swings (Russian, 16kg)
15 goblet squats

Well.  I may get thru one round if I'm lucky.  

WOD #2 was announced tonight and this one I'm actually feeling good about:  

5 mins of thrusters at the weight of your choice: 75/95/125

Score is total volume: reps x weight -- so I've got to figure out what my best strategy is - lower weight, higher reps?  Or higher weight, lower reps??  At least I'm strong.  So... there's that.  

Only 4 more announcements to go.  

CrossFit's Dirty Little Secret?

There has been a huge fuss lately about the downfalls of CrossFit.  The biggest of these is that CrossFit can literally kill you by giving you rhabdomyolysis.  This article has been circulating the blogs and Facebook and has been scaring the crap out of anyone who reads it - especially those who aren't familiar with rhabdo and CrossFit in general.  There was even a piece on the news about the dangers of rhabdo and CrossFit - I literally got phone calls after that asking me if I should really be doing this stuff.    

Yes.  I should be doing this stuff.  This stuff has saved my life.  

So... what is rhabdomyolysis?  Well... according to WebMD:

Rhabdomyolysis is a serious syndrome due to a direct or indirect muscle injury. It results from a breakdown of muscle fibers and release of their contents into the bloodstream. This can lead to complications such as kidney (renal) failure. This occurs when the kidneys cannot remove waste and concentrated urine. In rare cases, rhabdomyolysis can even cause death. 

 Basically... broken down muscles releasing potassium into your blood stream = bad.  

This is a legitimate thing to be concerned about.  Rhabdo is scary and can be incredibly dangerous - even deadly.  But here's the deal - most people can do CrossFit for their entire lives and never come close to contracting rhabdo.  I know I'm not a doctor (although one of my favorite people is a medical student and I feel much smarter just by looking at her fancy books) - and I'm definitely not trying to give medical advice.  Not in the least.  I'm not qualified for that. But I am qualified as a CrossFit coach.

Here's the deal.  Rhabdo is bad.  As coaches, it is our responsibility to let you know about the dangers of it.  When I first started CrossFit, I remember complaining about not being able to get out of bed because I hurt so badly.  My trainer told me to make sure that I didn't pee coke color - and that if I did to take myself immediately to the hospital.  Not going to lie... this was alarming as a CrossFit baby.  But she explained what rhabdo was and we very quickly and easily deduced that I didn't have rhabdo, but that I was just sore- you know, from lifting heavy weights and being active like I hadn't been in years.  CrossFit will make you sore.  Sometimes incredibly sore.  But just because your abs hurt for days after doing Barbara (not that I would know anything about that!) - doesn't mean you have rhabdo.  

As coaches, we do our best to make sure that you don't jump into a workout with 150% intensity until you are ready.  We make sure that you aren't forcing yourself to lift heavier than you are ready to.  We will scale workouts to your appropriate level.  We encourage you to push yourself but to only go as far as you can safely go.  We do what we can to keep you safe and healthy at the gym.  But we also need your help - we don't know what it feels like for you.  We can tell when you look fatigued, but we have no idea when you hit the point that something hurts (unless you make that awful 'I'm in pain' face).  Tell us.  Tell us what is going on with you and what hurts.  Help us to keep you safe and healthy at the gym.  We will do everything that we can to help you avoid injuries and rhabdo (we actually like seeing your sweaty selves at the gym and want you to come back!) but you've got to put the ego aside sometimes and ask for help.  I know it's tough - I'm a CrossFitter too.  It's tough for me to say 'I'm done - this hurts and it's not the normal hurt'.  

Try not to worry about rhabdo. It definitely happens, but it's rare.  Be smart.  Don't push yourself so ridiculously hard - you aren't Rich Froning.  Drink lots of water.  Eat healthy.  Listen to your coaches.  And if you are really concerned about rhabdo - educate yourself.  The CrossFit Journal has some great articles on it and can be a great resource.  It's one of the places that I go when I'm in need of more information.  They also have great links to outside articles and additional resources. 

CrossFit can be a huge benefit in your life.  It is for me.  It's kept me sane when my life was out of control. It's taught me how to have a healthy lifestyle.  It's been my therapy.  I've made great friends at the gym.  I've gotten more involved with my gym than I could possibly have imagined.  It's made me strong, it's made my body change and it's made me happier.  For me, the benefits FAR outweigh any of the perceived downfalls.  

Be smart.  Be safe.  CrossFit on. 

Barbara = Sore. Oh So Sore.

You know what is happening right now?  My best friend has determined that my online dating profile isn't sufficient and she has taken it over.  Not kidding.  Took it over.  New profile.  New password.  New everything.  I'm pretty sure that she will just let me know where/when I need to be for a date (assuming that I actually get a date).  This is happening.  I'm not sure whether to be psyched or terrified.  

On another note... this week has been tough.  Work (yes, that real job... that place I have to go every day in order to pay my mortgage) has been stressful.  I haven't been able to make it to the gym to workout because between my work schedule and my coaching schedule - I've been running around like a crazy person.  So... I was incredibly grateful to have exactly zero plans on my schedule yesterday.  I cleaned my house (kinda), I caught up on laundry (kinda), I played with Grace (inside... because it was POURING outside).  I went to the gym and did Barbara.  Ouch.  No... seriously.  Ouch.  5 rounds... 20 pullups, 30 push ups, 40 sit ups, 50 squats.  It took me over 46 minutes (with 3 minutes of rest between rounds)... yowza.  I rolled over in bed this morning and had to take an inventory of what I could move and what I couldn't.  Turns out that everything hurts.  Sitting on the couch hurts.  Walking the dog hurts.  Making eggs hurts.  Washing my hair is totally not happening.  

Except for the times when it's just pain.  Like today.  Lots and lots of pain.

On another another note... I have two weeks until the Bacon Beatdown.  And I'm freaking out.  Eek.  I met another girl last week who is doing it and she was so damn enthusiastic.  She's practically brand new to CrossFit (probably hence the first competition enthusiasm) but her 'I'm going to kill it' enthusiasm was mildly intimidating (don't tell).  I know I'm strong.  I know I can do everything that they listed for standards in my division.  I know that I can suck it up and do burpees quickly if I need to (argh).  I've just been so busy and so stressed out that I need to prove it to myself again.  Okay... kick ass workouts are officially on the agenda this week.  Of course, I probably need to be able to move my arms again (whose idea was it to do Barbara again?!?!?!?!). 

A Weekend Report

Seriously. That's the feeling that I had after seeing the WOD posted on Friday (I know, I know... it's Sunday... why it take me so long to post? Because I'm busy, damnit). Lateral, over-the-bar burpees.  As if burpees weren't hellacious enough - now we have to jump over a bar to do them?  Blah.  That's just atrocious.  There was puking.  There was complaining.  There were people canceling out of classes left and right.  Turns out that we hate lateral burpees at my gym.

This weekend, I closed the door on a big chapter of my life - I turned in the keys to my rental house.  This may not seem like a big deal... but it is.  It's big for a couple of reasons: 1) I'm offically not a renter anymore. I know I've been a homeowner for a few weeks now - but seriously.  No more landlord.  No more being able to call someone else if things are broken.  2) This was the place that I lived with Will.  Not to bring this post around to sad note -  but that's a hard thing to walk away from. We had great memories in that house for the short time that we lived there together.  But, I know that it's the best thing for me.  And I love my house and am looking forward to making lots of happy memories here too.  Big steps forward.


On another homeowner note... I had my first plumbing mishap this weekend.  Thank god for friends who know more about plumbing than I do.  After seeing both my dad and Will deal with a backed up garbage disposal - I thought that I could do it too.  Wrong.  Dead wrong.  I managed to remove the garbage disposal - resulting in water and sweet potato pieces shooting EVERYWHERE.  Then I couldn't get it back on.  And the 'what did I do?!' tears started.  I could not be more grateful that Tara was already on her way over for breakfast and a puppy play date.  She walked in and knew EXACTLY what to do.  We even fixed the clog.  AND... it wasn't even my fault.  The prior owner lodged a baby spoon in the pipes.  Awesome. And then we moved the treadmill out of my old house.  Note to self:  when you have a friend who can fix your plumbing AND doesn't look at you like you are nuts when you say 'we can just deadlift it into the truck'... they are totally keepers.

Other random tidbits from the weekend: 

• Cyclocross is the most awesome hipster sport in the world.  Craft beer garden.  French press to-go cups.  Spectators in lots of flannel and hats with teeny tiny bills. 
• Seattle does, in fact, have a velodrome. 
• Let's add cycling on a velodrome to things that I never want to do.  Holy scary.  

On a completely different note... when did Carrie Underwood take over for Faith Hill as the theme song singer for Sunday Night Football?!?!  Hmmm...

A CrossFit Newbie's Guide to All Things CrossFit

Or... 'What I Wish People Would Have Told Me When I Started CrossFit'.

I have been doing CrossFit for 471 days (yes.  I know the EXACT date I did my first workout.).  During these 471 days, I have learned a ton about myself, about CrossFit, about people, about life in general.  Let me share some of the more poignant landmarks and things that I wish people would have told me to expect when I first started.  

• Day -31.  A friend is going to tell you that you should do CrossFit.  You are going to laugh and say 'that stuff is nuts.'  But somehow, it sits in the back of your mind and after weeks of ruminating on it, you think, 'what the hell' and sign up for a free trial. 
• Day 1.  You are hooked. It sucks, it hurt and when can you sign up for essentials? 
• Day 2.  You reconsider when you are unable to get out of bed but you've already paid the essentials course fee.  Muscles hurt that you didn't realize you had.  Sitting down and standing up becomes a process. 
• First real class post-essentials.  Terrified.  Absolutely terrified.  These people are strong.  These people are fast.  You go at the pace of snail holding 10 lbs but you do it.  Victory!
• One month into classes.  Everything hurts all the time.  You try to learn everything and struggle at most things.  Why can't you see muscles yet? 
• Three months into classes.  You've lost weight.  You can see muscles.  You give up happy hour, cocktails and cheese because why would you want to to cancel out all that work you just suffered through.  You buy new pants two sizes smaller.  It's glorious.
• Immediately following the purchase of new pants?  First plateau - workout times are fast, like really, really fast.  Body is less sore.  Time to increase weights.  Jump on a higher box.  Attempt double unders.  Basically, time to step it up.  
• First CrossFit Summer.  Friend asks you to go boating.  You have them pick you up at the dock so you can get your workout in first.  Everyone looks at you like you are crazy.  
• Six months in.  Rx your first workout.  You are a rockstar.  You see the CrossFit Games in your future.  
• Six months + one day.  Actually watch a CrossFit Games athlete do a workout.  Brutal realization that you are not as awesome as you think you are.  Also, does that person have a 12 pack???
• Six months + two days.  Up your gym membership to unlimited classes.  12 classes per month is no longer cutting it.  You are determined to be excellent at CrossFit.  Expensive?  Yes.  Worth it?  Absolutely. 
• Nine months.  Sign up for your first competition.  Get killed.  Another brutal realization it's time to step up. Get a gym best friend who pushes you every day. 
• Ten months.  Time for your yearly physical.  Step on the scale and cry.  All the weight you've lost is back.  Wonder how that's possible.  Realize you've lost inches but gained muscle and a CrossFit booty.  Still, ego is bruised from the scale.  Make a promise to yourself to only use the scale when weighing luggage from here forward. The scale is officially the devil.  
• Ten months +.  Realize that you really love this stuff.  Sign up for a Level 1 Certification course.  You are going to be a trainer and you are going to be awesome.  
• First CrossFit Open.  Get schooled every Saturday for five weeks.  DQ on the last WOD because you can't pull your chest to the bar.  Die a little inside. Decide that you will do better next year. 
• Happy One Year Anniversary CrossFit!!!  Take your certification course.  Again realize that you are not awesome and it seems everyone is better at everything than you.  Stand in the middle of the circle of humiliation while demonstrating how NOT to do medicine ball cleans.  Realize you have a million things to learn.  Regardless, pass certification test.  Congrats.  You are a CrossFit coach.  Now panic.
• CrossFit Anniversary + 1 week.  Start CrossFit coaching internship. You may not know everything but you will be the most enthusiastic one there.  You are determined to learn and be awesome. 
• After internship.  Teach your first solo class. Try to keep sounding confident even though you are freaking out.  Go home and cry because you think you'll never be good at this. 
• Continue teaching.  Realize that you are getting better with every class you teach.  Ask questions.  Watch videos.  Learn as much as you can from the other coaches.  Take pieces of their coaching styles and incorporate it into your own.  Before you know it, coaching is coming naturally.  You are having fun and you love it. 
• CrossFit Summer #2. Run a Tough Mudder with friends from the gym.  You won't regret it.  Your body will hurt.  You'll want to cry midway through - then you'll pass groups who started 90 minutes before you and you'll realize that you are doing way more awesome than you think. Three hours later, you'll finish it and have a memory that you'll never forget.  
• 18 months into CrossFit.  You can finally Rx most workouts.  People ask you for help and you actually know how to help them.  You finally feel pretty confident with coaching even though you know there is still a lot to learn.  Expand your friend group at the gym.  Shazam every catchy song you hear and add it to the CrossFit playlist on Spotify. 
• Day 471.  You'll still wake up sore every day.  You want to date someone who gets CrossFit so you don't have to explain to them what Fran is and why you want to do it.  You'll spend more money at Lululemon, Reebok and Rogue than you do at Nordstrom and Target combined.  You'll cry, sweat, and bleed at the gym and love every minute of it.  You will love coaching and seeing people hit their goals and set new PRs.  Set yourself new goals every month.  Set some 'you' time aside.  Find a workout partner who encourages you and will push you to the next level.  Keep working your ass off every day. 
  
  
  

You Know What Happens When You Brag?

You get smacked down with some wicked hand tears.  Yowza.  I make this whole post about 'look at me and my fancy hand care regiment' and then I go and do Fran and BUTCHER THE EVER-LOVING HELL out of my hands. I definitely cried (and swore) a little (okay... a lot) when I washed my hands.  Shit, shit, shit.  Hand tears blow.  I'm not sure what the difference was today... maybe my grip was slightly off, maybe its because I did the whole thing Rx (yup - you got that right - no assistance bands on the pullups.  I am a rockstar.).  Who knows.  Regardless.  Me+hand tears=grumpy pain face.  However, wine+trashy tv=slightly less grumpy (still pain) face.  

Anyways. I'll be totally honest.  My time wasn't fantastic.  9:16.  That's definitely not a stellar Fran time by any stretch (games athletes are sub 4 minutes) but it's the first time that I've done it with no assistance bands for the pull ups. By the way... for those of you who don't speak CrossFit... Fran is reps of 21-15-9 thrusters (65lbs) and pull ups.  And yes... during my set of 9 - I'm pretty much did the pull ups one at a time.  But I did them.  And I did them Rx.  And that for me is HUGE, considering that pull ups have been my major weakness since CrossFit Day 1. 

Yup.

 

Goal Update

It's been three weeks since I posted my goals and wanted to give you all an update since I know you've been anxiously waiting.  

Let's review my goals:

• Unassisted pullups. 
• Kipping pullups.  Link 5 together.
• Pushups. Do 15 legit pushups unbroken.
• Burpees.  Do 30 burpees unbroken without whining.
• Work on my rope climbs.
• Double unders. 15 unbroken.  

 Now... here's the update: 

• Unassisted pullups.  NAILED IT!
• Kipping pullups.  NAILED IT!!!
• Pushups. Did 10, had to pause.  Arms were toast.  Getting there. 
• Burpees. Can do the burpees - just can't do them without whining.  Working on it. 
• Work on my rope climbs.  Haven't gotten to this yet - soon!!!
• Double unders. 15 unbroken.  Still the bane of my existence.  Got 10 today with a single skip between.  Apparently I'm regressing instead of moving forward.  Damnit. 

 So... that's the update on the goals.  (It's been a solid six months of work to get one unassisted pullup - I totally deserve a hug.)  I've got 5 1/2 weeks left before the Bacon Beatdown.  The rest of my goals are manageable but it's seriously time to buckle down and get my ass in shape.  Today's workout killed me: 

20 min AMRAP
200m run (ish... not actually sure how far - we use landmarks!)
3 hang power cleans
5 front squats
7 push jerks

I did 10 rounds plus the run at 60lbs and was thrashed.  I need to get back on my regular healthy eating plan - I can definitely feel a difference in my performance with not eating as well as I should.  

Yup.  This is EXACTLY how I felt this morning.

On a completely different and unrelated note:  I have a blind date tonight.  And I am totally psyched about it.  Stay tuned for the results (and cross your fingers that it goes well!).