Perspective

It is all about perspective I guess. 

I woke up this morning, late, and feeling hung over, though  I doubt 3 beers on Saturday night translate to a Monday morning hang-over.  I'm sore, my ears are stopped up, and I just wanted to stay in bed on this dreary, gray, cold day.  I laid there in bed rationalizing that I could miss today's workout, "no big deal".  After all, I was late waking up, no time to shave my legs, my stuff isn't packed for the workout, what would it hurt to miss it?  But then I got up and moving and convinced myself to pack my workout clothes anyway. 

I got to work, sauntered in, wishing I didn't have to be here.  The parking lot was empty this morning, thanks to it being Columbus day, fall break, and cold and dreary, there are NO students here today.  I even posted on Facebook how I didn't really want to work out, it was one of THOSE days where I'd go anyway, even though I didn't want to.  Then one of my amazing CrossFit Apex friends posted and told me to look at it from a different point of view. I don't HAVE to work out today, but I GET to work out today.  Which led me to a bit of a guilty feeling about the fact that I CAN workout, and so many people CAN'T. 

There are thousands of people in this country who can't work out for one reason or another, they are limited physically, or mentally, but either way, they just aren't able to get in a workout.  I CAN.  I have an amazing husband who will be home with our daughter after dance class for 2 hours before I get home.  I have an awesome mom who will be taking the other 2 to swim team, and they'll get home about 10-15 minutes before I do probably.  I have a supportive sister who will help chauffeur my 6 year old from school to dance class.  No one is mad at me for going to work out, they are all proud of me for taking the time to make myself healthier.  So who am I to complain about going to work out, when there are a ton of people with less supportive families and friends than I have? 

So, it's all about perspective.  Do I necessarily WANT to go workout today?  No.  But I CAN go workout today, and I WILL go workout today.  I will do it in the cold, and I won't push any less than if I was 100% in the mood for the workout.  I owe it to my supportive friends and family to make the best of every opportunity to work out.  I owe it to my kids to be the best role model possible.  I owe it to myself to find my full potential as a woman.  I want to know just how much this body can do, and right now, it is hand-cuffed with years of fat and sedentary lifestyle.  So, I'll go, and I'll push, and I'll bust my ass, because in all seriousness, that's how I will know what I am really made of. 

So, to CrossFit I go tonight....and I'll post about it tonight once I get home.

Biscuit

Don't EVER give up!

Sitting here eating my favorite after workout breakfast, scrambled eggs with salsa.

Today's workout SUCKED, but was awesome at the same time.  How is that even possible?  I ask myself that every single day.  How is it possible that sucks so bad can feel good.

Warm up:
100 meter run
10 push-ups
10 air squats

Workout--This is MY varied workout, not what was prescribed
30 walking lunges carrying a 10# plate
50 box jumps using 12" box (not to everyone out there, doing these with your feed wider apart makes it easier, a new discovery for me today.  Thanks Karen!  You rock for pointing this out!)
20 Sumo high-pulls  with 40#
20 kettle bell swings with 26# kettle bell
20 power cleans with 40#
20 burpees--I had to use the 12" box to modify these because I was so shot after the box jumps
20 push presses
10 hand-stand push-ups, which I did with my knees on a 20" box because I can't do real ones yet

Now, let me say, not eating before the workout, BAD IDEA!!!  Not having a water bottle with me, Even WORSE idea.

By the time I finished my 50 box jumps and 10 sumo high pulls, Tyler came over with a small white board with reduced numbers of each of the exercises above.  I was feeling pretty overwhelmed already by the box jumps (I've never done 50 in a WOD before let alone all at one time) and the scaled WOD was, I don't know, embarrassing?  I did the next 10 Sumo high pulls and felt myself starting to wobble.  I was woozy, hot and light-headed.  I went and got a small drink of water and sat down on the bench.  I decided I couldn't allow myself to quit, and walked back over to where I was working out.  I sat down on my box, I pulled my shirt up over my face and cried.  I cried because I didn't want to quit, but thought I was going to have to.  My pride hurt worse than anything else.  I was failing, and I wasn't going to be able to finish even the scaled workout.  When I opened my eyes, Tyler was sitting there asking me what hurt.  He gave me a little pep-talk  and talked about how hard I was working.  He told me that there were going to be good and bad days.  I wouldn't be able to have perfect workouts every day.  After I heard him out, my head had stopped spinning, and I went to try to finish my workout.  I did my 20 kettle bell swings in chunks, 10, then 6, then 4, then 2.  I did my power cleans in 2 groups of 10.  When it came time to do my burpees I knew I was going to have to do the modified version with the box.  I had to do them 1 or 2 at a time, but I got through them.  I did my 20 push-presses without stopping.  When it came time to do my push-ups with my knees on the box.  I got up on the box, but then couldn't figure out how to get my hands on the floor without falling off the box.  I did my hand stand push-ups without stopping.  I finished my workout in 23:48 I think, but I did finish it.  More importantly, I finished it strong.  I never gave up.  And we can't give up.  Those of us who are on this journey to lose this much weight can never give up trying.  If we give up, the fat wins.  We have to continue to fight.  Sometimes it is fun, and we have huge accomplishments to show for it, but other times, it is incredibly difficult   and giving up seems like the logical next step.  Giving up is never logical.  Keep fighting, and I have to believe, some day, we will see the results that we are longing for.

Princess Biscuit

The Sissy Test

My day off today wouldn't have been complete without a workout.  So, after I dropped the kids off to school, Ella and I headed to the box.  Got warmed up and stretched and then Tyler told us that we were going to do the Sissy Test today.  I pretty much know that I am a sissy, so volunteered to take that as fact and skip straight to Tabata training.  Tyler, who is AMAZING said, "nope, you're going to have to prove it."

So here is my modified version of the "Sissy Test"

800 meter run
15 pull ups
1 crucifix push up (on my knees)
13 pull ups
3 crucifix push up
11 pull ups
5 crucifix push ups
9 pull ups
7 crucifix push ups
7 pull ups
9 crucifix push ups
5 pull ups
11 crucifix push ups
3 pull ups
13 crucifix push ups
1 pull up
15 crucifix push ups
800 meter run

Took me 32:48 to complete it.

Tabata training today was 20 seconds on, 10 second break, 20 seconds on 10 second break.  The 2 movements we did were dead lifts and squat jumps.  I used 40 pounds for my deadlifts.  Feels awesome to have completed that, and now, at 9:00 tonight, have a date with the neighbor to run for 30 minutes.

Rockin' out the workouts.

Krista

I did real burpees!!!!!!

OH MY GOODNESS, today has been an AMAZING day!!!

First, God answered the prayers of many for one of my best friends of 23 years.  Then, we got good reports from Daddy's doctor that he has not had any additional mini-strokes, today was my Friday at work, and then I went to work out.

Now, for those of you who don't do CrossFit, this should give you an idea how it feels to do a CrossFit Workout:

I'm pretty sure I typically resemble the guy in the yellow tank and the guy laying in the ground struggling to breathe.  If you ever wonder about the exercises that I reference in my blog, you can always watch videos to show you what these exercises are supposed to look like.  You can find those videos here to help understand the things that I post.  

So, tonight's WODs were kinda crazy, but totally awesome for the fact that while I worked it out at a snail's pace, every one of the 3 WODs had exercises that intimidated the hell out of me and that are WAY outside of my comfort zone.  

The first WOD I did was 7 minute AMRAP (as many rounds/reps as possible)

run 200 meters

7 T2B (toes to bar) I just did pull my knees as far up to my chest as possible 

5 inverted burpees  Fat chance, I did an air squat and a bronco kick

**I completed 1 full round of this plus another 200, & another 7 knee lifts 

WOD #2, again a 7 minute AMRAP

10 bent over rows

10 burpees over bar (do a burpee and jump over the bar)

Tonight was the first night I did real burpees.  No 12" box under my hands, I actually went all the way to the floor and got up.  I looked more like I was 87 than 37, but I did it.  I only completed 2 full rounds of this WOD, but with as slow as I was getting up and down, I'm ok with that.

WOD#3: another 7 minute AMRAP

10 box jumps (I used a 12" box)

10 air squats

20 ab-mat situps

I completed 2 full rounds of this one in 7 minutes as well.  I actually did all the box jumps too, no step-up step-down like I used to have to do.  The box jump is mentally intimidating for most people.  If you don't have your mind right, you WILL fall, which has always been my biggest fear.  

My numbers for each WOD were far lower than most everyone else at the box today.  The fact of the matter is, I don't give a shit.  This is a process.  Sometimes I will be proud of the numbers and the times.  Sometimes I will NOT be proud of the time, but I will be proud of the accomplishments I made.  And sometimes, just showing up is good enough, because that is out of my comfort zone.  The face it, it is a process, and one that I am becoming more and more proud of on a daily basis.  It's going to take me a year or so to get where I want to be weight-wise.  It will be so sweet to get there, and will be worth every time I couldn't finish a work out, every time I was able to complete a new exercise.  Each little success is another brick in my wall of success.  I'll get there quickly enough, in the just right amount of time.  

Until next time....

Princess Biscuit

Running

I went on my second run tonight, which was the first time I have ever been on a night run.  I really enjoyed the quiet and solitude it provided.  I put my headphones on and just started running around my neighborhood.  It was really, really nice, and quiet, but a bit more steamy than my lungs approved of.

My running coach asked me to run 25 minutes.  I was supposed to see how long I could run the first time, until I got winded, and then walk till I was recovered.  I am also supposed to keep her up-to-date on what I was feeling during the run.  My first running interval was 1:30.  I noticed about .65 miles in that my calves were incredibly tight and feeling like they were tied in knots.  As the run progressed, running became more and more difficult because the tightness in my calves made my knees uncomfortable.  I also realized about a mile in that my lower back is incredibly uncomfortable.

I ended up making it 24 minutes, 1.8 miles, with an average pace of 13:13 min/mile.  Now, if only I can replicate this pace consistently for 13.1 miles, I'll be right under 3 hours for completing the Princess Half.  My ultimate goal is just to finish, but if I could finish in under 3 hours, I would be incredibly proud.

Princess Biscuit

Bullying

October is National Anti-Bullying Month and there is no time like the present to address this issue in this little space of mine.  I have to say that I was never bullied as a child, and I pray that my children never are, but the reality is, statistically speaking, at least one of my children will face this in their lifetime.

I was led to post this after sing this news story/editorial on Emily Joy (from BL13) facebook page.  I guess I am left to wonder what this world is coming to.  How is it that any person watches the news and thinks to themselves, "Gee, I don't think that news personality realizes she is overweight when she looks in the mirror every day, maybe I should send her an email and drive home her responsibilities as a role model."  Who does that?

For anyone who is wondering, though I don't think any of my friends could possibly be this dense, anyone is overweight/obese is painfully aware of their situation.  It's not like we look in the mirror in the morning and say, "hmmmm, look at that beautifully skinny woman looking back at me.  I look hot, I am skinny, healthy, and have a perfect body.  That scale must be wrong, or someone is standing behind me putting their foot on it."  What we shouldn't do, though most of us are guilty of it, is attach our self-worth to the number on the scale.  As the reporter puts it so eloquently, "I am more than a number on a scale".

All of this doesn't just apply to weight, it applies to anything.  Weight, looks, acne, sexual preference, height, you name it.  Bullying and disrespect are learned behaviors.  No one is born knowing how to be hateful and disrespectful to others, these are learned behaviors.  So be a responsible parent and role model to your children by teaching them to treat others with the same dignity and respect that you would want to be treated.  Teach your children tolerance rather than hatred, and love rather than bullying.

Biscuit

Holy Hell!!!

Holy Hell, tonight's WOD was enough to have me still queasy 75 minutes later, which is fitting because we did 75 of everything in tonight's WOD, so it's only fitting to be sick and shaky for 75 minutes after the workout was over.

So, after our stretching and warm-up, we worked on squats and kettle bell swings.  Then it was time to start the WOD.

75 Wall-ball shots (I used an 8# ball, rx was 14#)
75 burpees (as always, I had to use a 12" box)
75 kettle bell swings (I used a 26# kettle bell for 59 of them, 10# for the last 16)
75 ab mat sit-ups

It took me 27:03 to finish.  I was the last one to finish, and thankfully, Jim rallied the troops, and I think every person at the 5:30 class was clapping and cheering me on.  I don't think I opened my eyes after about the 29th sit up.  I couldn't.  I couldn't talk.  All I could do was breathe and count, and both were becoming increasingly difficult.  When I was on 49, Jim said, "Just one more and you're done."  I said, "No, 1 more doesn't = 75" and just kept plugging along.  I always feel guilty when the whole rest of the class is cheering me on and like a total loser, but I didn't feel that way today.  I went in knowing that I wasn't 100%.  I have bronchitis, and asthma, and an ear infection.  The reality is, while the asthma and bronchitis could easily keep me from finishing a workout, I can't allow that to keep me from starting the workout.  Whether I finish or not is irrelevant on days like today.

I was hoping to finish in 25 minutes or less, but that didn't happen.  I took 27:03, but I finished.  I finished damn it.  It hurt, and I still feel like I am going to vomit, but I finished.

Another WOD down, hundreds more to go!

Biscuit