Saturday, September 29, 2012
I don't do sickness.....
Well, I have been fighting a cold for 2 weeks and now, it has traveled to my chest. In a mere 24 hours I have gone from a bit sick, to coughing so much that I can't function. This morning I coughed until I got sick, and now my back, chest and ribs feel like I was in a fight with Mike Tyson and all I got were shots to the body. I am not a pleasant person when I'm sick, and when you add my asthma to the mix, it makes it even worse. Please lord, let this cough last less than the normal 10-14 days for me, so I can get back to my workouts on Monday. I don't want to miss any more workouts. I can't miss any more workouts. I need to stay on track. UGH!! I hate being sick.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
REDEMPTION is sweet...
So, today I had to go back to the Box. It is funny how intimidating just showing up can be after an embarrassing WOD like I had on Monday night. To make matters worse, I was working out at 7:00 am, which I had never done before, and but for the coaches, didn't really know anyone there besides the coaches, until Baller showed up.
The warm-up looked like a work-out for most people, 1 minute intervals of the following:
1. Sledge hammer throw (beating the shit out of a tire with a sledge hammer.
2. Flip over tires (don't laugh, this isn't easy when they weigh 250 pounds each)
3. Tricep dips
4. Lateral Med Ball Jumps (Jump over a medicine ball from side to side)
5. Agility Exercise. (parallel PVC pipes about 6" off the ground, from the left hop over, both feet in the middle, continue to the right and go back and forth hopping over these bars.)
WOD 1: 5 rounds
10 pull-ups (mine are still VERY assisted)
20 wall ball shots (8 pound medicine ball)
10 burpees (still using a 12" box thanks to the hip flexor issues)
5 Cleans (I used 40#, not the 95 RX)
Tabata Training: (I don't know who or what Tabata is, but I didn't like this, AT ALL!!)
30 second intervals with 10 second breaks in between
8 intervals total
Kettle Bell swings (I think I missed one round but still totaled 35 for the 3 rounds I finished)
Reverse ab-mat sit-ups (I was only able to bust out 20 of these total)
After all this was over I was under the distinct impression that dieing might feel better...That was of course, until Jim came over and told me we were going to run 100 meters. I was game, and knew I could handle 100 meters, but much more than that I might have to slug him. On the way out to run he handed me a 10 pound weight to carry in front of me on the 50 meters out, and then told me to carry it over my head for the 50 back.
I think sometimes, people who are my size and trying so hard to make such a drastic change are scared to death and have no expectation of succeeding. I have failed more times than I can count, and probably wouldn't admit the number if I knew it. When failure has been your only benchmark in the past, as soon as the going gets tough and you fail, it's easy to walk away and give up. That is what I have always done in the past. As soon as I failed once, I walked away, I gave up on myself, I decided to take my grandmother's words to heart that, "If you were meant to be thin you wouldn't have to try so hard." Well, this time it was different. Even though I was demoralized and embarrassed by my performance on Monday night, I came back to that work out and finished what I could. I got up yesterday and walked/jogged the amount of time I was supposed to for my half marathon training. I continued the work that was necessary, I didn't give up on myself, or on my dream of being fit and healthy. I walked into the box today determined to finish, whatever it took. I did that, and you know what, it felt really, really freaking good! So when you fail, whatever that looks like, you don't have to swallow that and let it eat you up from the inside out. You have a choice. You can either let it take over your mind or you can use it as fuel to continue to push harder and work harder in the next workout. I know what I chose to do with Monday night's failure....what will you do with your next failure?
Princess Biscuit
The warm-up looked like a work-out for most people, 1 minute intervals of the following:
1. Sledge hammer throw (beating the shit out of a tire with a sledge hammer.
2. Flip over tires (don't laugh, this isn't easy when they weigh 250 pounds each)
3. Tricep dips
4. Lateral Med Ball Jumps (Jump over a medicine ball from side to side)
5. Agility Exercise. (parallel PVC pipes about 6" off the ground, from the left hop over, both feet in the middle, continue to the right and go back and forth hopping over these bars.)
WOD 1: 5 rounds
10 pull-ups (mine are still VERY assisted)
20 wall ball shots (8 pound medicine ball)
10 burpees (still using a 12" box thanks to the hip flexor issues)
5 Cleans (I used 40#, not the 95 RX)
Tabata Training: (I don't know who or what Tabata is, but I didn't like this, AT ALL!!)
30 second intervals with 10 second breaks in between
8 intervals total
Kettle Bell swings (I think I missed one round but still totaled 35 for the 3 rounds I finished)
Reverse ab-mat sit-ups (I was only able to bust out 20 of these total)
After all this was over I was under the distinct impression that dieing might feel better...That was of course, until Jim came over and told me we were going to run 100 meters. I was game, and knew I could handle 100 meters, but much more than that I might have to slug him. On the way out to run he handed me a 10 pound weight to carry in front of me on the 50 meters out, and then told me to carry it over my head for the 50 back.
I think sometimes, people who are my size and trying so hard to make such a drastic change are scared to death and have no expectation of succeeding. I have failed more times than I can count, and probably wouldn't admit the number if I knew it. When failure has been your only benchmark in the past, as soon as the going gets tough and you fail, it's easy to walk away and give up. That is what I have always done in the past. As soon as I failed once, I walked away, I gave up on myself, I decided to take my grandmother's words to heart that, "If you were meant to be thin you wouldn't have to try so hard." Well, this time it was different. Even though I was demoralized and embarrassed by my performance on Monday night, I came back to that work out and finished what I could. I got up yesterday and walked/jogged the amount of time I was supposed to for my half marathon training. I continued the work that was necessary, I didn't give up on myself, or on my dream of being fit and healthy. I walked into the box today determined to finish, whatever it took. I did that, and you know what, it felt really, really freaking good! So when you fail, whatever that looks like, you don't have to swallow that and let it eat you up from the inside out. You have a choice. You can either let it take over your mind or you can use it as fuel to continue to push harder and work harder in the next workout. I know what I chose to do with Monday night's failure....what will you do with your next failure?
Princess Biscuit
Monday, September 24, 2012
Rough night...
Well, sometimes I just wish I could shut off my emotions and let my body do what it is supposed to do. Unfortunately I am just not good at that, and tonight was worse than most. I have heard for years that the most difficult part of losing weight is the commitment and the food part. Just about anyone can go to the gym and kick ass for an hour and sweat their butt off, but it's what you eat between those workouts that not only fuels your body, it helps determine how much weight you lose and how many inches you lose, etc. I've seen one of those Facebook post cards that said, "An Olympic workout can't out train a bad diet". True enough.
Let's be honest, for some people, it can. I have been jealous/bitter for years that some of my friends have the ability to eat whatever they want and never gain a pound. My husband is even one of these people. What I have come to learn over the years is that even if that is true, the picture of the outside is not a true representation of what the body is doing on the inside. As an example, even though I am 5'2" and weigh 260 pounds, my blood pressure and cholesterol levels are normal. I'm not even pre-diabetic yet, let alone diabetic. I have been very fortunate thus far to not be diagnosed with any of the highly-touted co-morbidities associated with obesity, though I'm completely aware it is just a matter of time.
All of this rambling is to say when confronted with my eating habits tonight, I was completely freaked out. See, I have been eating Custom Fit Meals for the last 3 or 4 weeks, and it was so easy that way. I ordered food on Tuesday, it showed up on the following Sunday and Wednesday. I had no concern about what to cook, or making good decisions, except telling them what to send me. Well, it's the end of the month, I only get paid once/month (on the last day) and the money for Custom Fit Meals ran out this week. I forgot my lunch at home, and when mom brought me lunch, I had a double cheeseburger from McDonald's and a diet coke. Not what I have been eating, and trust me, my stomach hates me right now. Having to stand in the office at the box having a discussion with some of my friends that are trying to help me about what I ate today was overwhelming and embarrassing! I appreciate their help, I just need to not let the feeling that I have let them down affect my workout.
So, for tonight's WOD, which didn't look all that daunting on the board, I was already in the wrong place mentally. I was already feeling very overwhelmed by being a screw up. My brain was almost in shut-down mode before I touched a single thing. Then we started. Today's WOD was 5 deadlifts, 5 power cleans and 5 thrusters, on the minute, every minute for 20 minutes. This sounds simple enough, but I assure you, it isn't simple AT ALL!! The prescribed weight was 45# for ladies, which is what I started with since it is well within my normal lifting. I got through 3 rounds like that, and then took off 5 pounds so I was down to 40#. I did the last 5 rounds with 40 pounds. Because of the "start on the minute" part I was only able to finish 8 rounds total. I was having this internal argument with myself that I had already blown the day by not eating right so why was I bothering? Then the asthma started kicking up, and I could hear myself wheezing horribly, followed by the coughing, and gagging and almost getting sick. Yet another reason to quit, but I came back to keep trying. There were 2 or 3 minute marks that I started and got through the dead lifts but couldn't continue with the power cleans. If my memory serves, I did my 8 rounds at minutes 20, 19, 18, 17, 14, 8, 5 and 2. I obviously had long breaks in there, and while embarrassing, at least I didn't walk away when that is all I really wanted to do. I happened to park out behind the building tonight, and at one point I contemplated whether or not I could sneak out the back door and be gone before the WOD was over and not have to face any of the people I was working out with, but then I wouldn't have been able to put my equipment up, and someone else would have had to do it. Also, I would have been cheating myself and my friends out of the respect they were due for completing the workout.
Today was NOT a stellar day, but I did the best I could considering. Tomorrow, I will get up and go for a run. 25 minutes is on the agenda, and I will have to figure out what I'm going to eat tomorrow as well. Maybe some yogurt, fruit and hot tea for breakfast, no clue for lunch, and pork chops for dinner.
Till next time,
Princess Biscuit
Let's be honest, for some people, it can. I have been jealous/bitter for years that some of my friends have the ability to eat whatever they want and never gain a pound. My husband is even one of these people. What I have come to learn over the years is that even if that is true, the picture of the outside is not a true representation of what the body is doing on the inside. As an example, even though I am 5'2" and weigh 260 pounds, my blood pressure and cholesterol levels are normal. I'm not even pre-diabetic yet, let alone diabetic. I have been very fortunate thus far to not be diagnosed with any of the highly-touted co-morbidities associated with obesity, though I'm completely aware it is just a matter of time.
All of this rambling is to say when confronted with my eating habits tonight, I was completely freaked out. See, I have been eating Custom Fit Meals for the last 3 or 4 weeks, and it was so easy that way. I ordered food on Tuesday, it showed up on the following Sunday and Wednesday. I had no concern about what to cook, or making good decisions, except telling them what to send me. Well, it's the end of the month, I only get paid once/month (on the last day) and the money for Custom Fit Meals ran out this week. I forgot my lunch at home, and when mom brought me lunch, I had a double cheeseburger from McDonald's and a diet coke. Not what I have been eating, and trust me, my stomach hates me right now. Having to stand in the office at the box having a discussion with some of my friends that are trying to help me about what I ate today was overwhelming and embarrassing! I appreciate their help, I just need to not let the feeling that I have let them down affect my workout.
So, for tonight's WOD, which didn't look all that daunting on the board, I was already in the wrong place mentally. I was already feeling very overwhelmed by being a screw up. My brain was almost in shut-down mode before I touched a single thing. Then we started. Today's WOD was 5 deadlifts, 5 power cleans and 5 thrusters, on the minute, every minute for 20 minutes. This sounds simple enough, but I assure you, it isn't simple AT ALL!! The prescribed weight was 45# for ladies, which is what I started with since it is well within my normal lifting. I got through 3 rounds like that, and then took off 5 pounds so I was down to 40#. I did the last 5 rounds with 40 pounds. Because of the "start on the minute" part I was only able to finish 8 rounds total. I was having this internal argument with myself that I had already blown the day by not eating right so why was I bothering? Then the asthma started kicking up, and I could hear myself wheezing horribly, followed by the coughing, and gagging and almost getting sick. Yet another reason to quit, but I came back to keep trying. There were 2 or 3 minute marks that I started and got through the dead lifts but couldn't continue with the power cleans. If my memory serves, I did my 8 rounds at minutes 20, 19, 18, 17, 14, 8, 5 and 2. I obviously had long breaks in there, and while embarrassing, at least I didn't walk away when that is all I really wanted to do. I happened to park out behind the building tonight, and at one point I contemplated whether or not I could sneak out the back door and be gone before the WOD was over and not have to face any of the people I was working out with, but then I wouldn't have been able to put my equipment up, and someone else would have had to do it. Also, I would have been cheating myself and my friends out of the respect they were due for completing the workout.
Today was NOT a stellar day, but I did the best I could considering. Tomorrow, I will get up and go for a run. 25 minutes is on the agenda, and I will have to figure out what I'm going to eat tomorrow as well. Maybe some yogurt, fruit and hot tea for breakfast, no clue for lunch, and pork chops for dinner.
Till next time,
Princess Biscuit
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Gonna be a busy week.....
So, here goes for a really busy week. I will be working out a total of 6 days this week.
On Monday--CrossFit at 5:30
On Tuesday--Half Marathon training run of 25 minutes
On Wednesday, CrossFit at 6:00 am (I have to work until 7:00)
On Thursday, Half Marathon training run of 30 minutes
On Friday, CrossFit at 5:30
On Saturday, Half Marathon training run of 35 minutes
This is what my weeks are going to look like until the end of March at least. I am so excited about training for the Princess Half Marathon.
This journey to health and fitness has made a huge difference in my life. I am learning more and more every day what it is going to take to change this lifestyle. It is going to be a lot of work, but it is worth it. I'm in the process of determining how I am going to reward myself for reaching different milestones on my journey. In the past I have always celebrated accomplishments with food, which isn't appropriate, seeing as how I'm NOT a dog, and I'm trying to change my lifestyle.
Any ideas?!?!
I do know for sure that when I get to my goal weight, I want to take a trip to NYC and do the shopping for my new wardrobe.
On Monday--CrossFit at 5:30
On Tuesday--Half Marathon training run of 25 minutes
On Wednesday, CrossFit at 6:00 am (I have to work until 7:00)
On Thursday, Half Marathon training run of 30 minutes
On Friday, CrossFit at 5:30
On Saturday, Half Marathon training run of 35 minutes
This is what my weeks are going to look like until the end of March at least. I am so excited about training for the Princess Half Marathon.
This journey to health and fitness has made a huge difference in my life. I am learning more and more every day what it is going to take to change this lifestyle. It is going to be a lot of work, but it is worth it. I'm in the process of determining how I am going to reward myself for reaching different milestones on my journey. In the past I have always celebrated accomplishments with food, which isn't appropriate, seeing as how I'm NOT a dog, and I'm trying to change my lifestyle.
Any ideas?!?!
I do know for sure that when I get to my goal weight, I want to take a trip to NYC and do the shopping for my new wardrobe.
Friday, September 21, 2012
OH-MY-WORD!!!!!
I am so sweaty that the AC in the car, and subsequently the restaurant, made me have chills.
Sometimes CrossFit makes me question my sanity, and wonder what the hell I am thinking when I walk in there. Tonight's warm up looked like a lot of people's work-outs.
The warm up (after stretching) was run 100 meters, 10 kettle bell swings (I used 26#) and 10 med ball squats (I used the 8 pounder), 3 rounds.
Then the fun started.....she says sarcastically
100 burpees...starting with the clock, on each minute mark, stop doing burpees and do 2 cleans, then push presses. back to burpees till the 2 minute mark, 2 more cleans and push-presses. Continue this process until you reach 100 burpees. It took me 14:30. I still had to modify my burpees with the 12" box due to my hip flexor issue, and I used 50# for my cleans/push-presses instead of the 75# rx. I haven't gotten up the nerve yet to put 75# on a bar and try to lift it just yet.
WOD#2 was med ball sit-ups with a partner--Love working out with you Karen! (sit up, throw the ball to your partner, they to a sit up) for 1 minuted, 15 second transition to cones that you "hopped" over, both feet touching between the cones (this was an agility exercise which I failed MISERABLY at!!!!!) I couldn't hop over the cones, I had to step, and by the time we were half way through the 1st minute of those the muscles on the outside of my hips (the abductors maybe) were SCREAMING at me and we had to do 3 rounds of this
The Finisher WOD was an agility exercise with one of those ladders in the parking lot. Our coach, John, would tell us what agility exercise to do in the ladder. I made it through a few rounds, but after the warm up and the first 2 WODs my legs were SHOT. I was getting so tired I couldn't pick my feet/legs up anymore and I was stumbling, about to fall down. Doing so would have not only wiped me out, but also the 3 or 4 people behind me. Stepping away was better for the safety of myself and the other people in our group.
We were supposed to work on climbing the rope tonight, but I have a HUGE fear of it. When I was in middle school I remember we were supposed to climb the rope, and I never made it more than 5 feet off teh ground, if that, and slid right on back down. I've never had the upper body strength to so that when I was thin and healthy, and I just didn't feel the need to embarrass myself tonight. There were, however, quite a few girls who were able to pull it off.
Here's a huge shout-out to my girl, Shaade. Shaade inspires me every time we workout together. She rocks every workout. She is the only girl I know in our box (other than Andrea) who can actually do pull-ups consistently. She doesn't show any struggles, outside of the norm, when we are working out. She lifts twice what I do. She is amazing, inspirational, and a beast in the Box! I love Shaade, and she's just as nice as she is awesome!
I may not have mentioned it enough times, since I've only said it about 18, 276 times....I LOVE MY BOX! they are amazing, supportive and inspiring! Please come visit us.
Princess Biscuit
Sometimes CrossFit makes me question my sanity, and wonder what the hell I am thinking when I walk in there. Tonight's warm up looked like a lot of people's work-outs.
The warm up (after stretching) was run 100 meters, 10 kettle bell swings (I used 26#) and 10 med ball squats (I used the 8 pounder), 3 rounds.
Then the fun started.....she says sarcastically
100 burpees...starting with the clock, on each minute mark, stop doing burpees and do 2 cleans, then push presses. back to burpees till the 2 minute mark, 2 more cleans and push-presses. Continue this process until you reach 100 burpees. It took me 14:30. I still had to modify my burpees with the 12" box due to my hip flexor issue, and I used 50# for my cleans/push-presses instead of the 75# rx. I haven't gotten up the nerve yet to put 75# on a bar and try to lift it just yet.
WOD#2 was med ball sit-ups with a partner--Love working out with you Karen! (sit up, throw the ball to your partner, they to a sit up) for 1 minuted, 15 second transition to cones that you "hopped" over, both feet touching between the cones (this was an agility exercise which I failed MISERABLY at!!!!!) I couldn't hop over the cones, I had to step, and by the time we were half way through the 1st minute of those the muscles on the outside of my hips (the abductors maybe) were SCREAMING at me and we had to do 3 rounds of this
The Finisher WOD was an agility exercise with one of those ladders in the parking lot. Our coach, John, would tell us what agility exercise to do in the ladder. I made it through a few rounds, but after the warm up and the first 2 WODs my legs were SHOT. I was getting so tired I couldn't pick my feet/legs up anymore and I was stumbling, about to fall down. Doing so would have not only wiped me out, but also the 3 or 4 people behind me. Stepping away was better for the safety of myself and the other people in our group.
We were supposed to work on climbing the rope tonight, but I have a HUGE fear of it. When I was in middle school I remember we were supposed to climb the rope, and I never made it more than 5 feet off teh ground, if that, and slid right on back down. I've never had the upper body strength to so that when I was thin and healthy, and I just didn't feel the need to embarrass myself tonight. There were, however, quite a few girls who were able to pull it off.
Here's a huge shout-out to my girl, Shaade. Shaade inspires me every time we workout together. She rocks every workout. She is the only girl I know in our box (other than Andrea) who can actually do pull-ups consistently. She doesn't show any struggles, outside of the norm, when we are working out. She lifts twice what I do. She is amazing, inspirational, and a beast in the Box! I love Shaade, and she's just as nice as she is awesome!
I may not have mentioned it enough times, since I've only said it about 18, 276 times....I LOVE MY BOX! they are amazing, supportive and inspiring! Please come visit us.
Princess Biscuit
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Can you do me a favor?
I have always had a tendency to sabotage myself. I am not sure why, I don't know of some deep-seeded reason for this, it is just my current reality and something I am working on....
In the mean time, can you, as my blog readers help to hold me accountable? One of the reasons I started this blog was to hold myself accountable. I'm especially going to need this as it pertains to my half marathon training. When I am intimidated by a goal I have set, I tend to cower in the corner until it's too late to seriously work toward completion of that goal. I then use lack of training and/or preparation as my explanation for failure.
Can you please help me stay accountable? If you see that I haven't checked in in a while, please shoot me a message and ask how it's going. I won't feel like you are hounding me at all, I may well need the kick in the pants that your e-mail, fb message or phone call would give me.
Thanks ladies!!
Princess Biscuit
In the mean time, can you, as my blog readers help to hold me accountable? One of the reasons I started this blog was to hold myself accountable. I'm especially going to need this as it pertains to my half marathon training. When I am intimidated by a goal I have set, I tend to cower in the corner until it's too late to seriously work toward completion of that goal. I then use lack of training and/or preparation as my explanation for failure.
Can you please help me stay accountable? If you see that I haven't checked in in a while, please shoot me a message and ask how it's going. I won't feel like you are hounding me at all, I may well need the kick in the pants that your e-mail, fb message or phone call would give me.
Thanks ladies!!
Princess Biscuit
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Screw asthma....I'm going to beat this!
Tonight was rough. I went to CrossFit APX tonight, coughing, hacking and wheezing a bit, but asthma be damned, I'm not taking a week off from working out.
Tonight's WOD was 6 rounds for time of the following:
3 Snatches at 75# for the ladies (I used 40)
6 overhead squats at 75# for the ladies (I used 40)
9 pull-ups (I use a resistance band to put my knee in to help me with these because I clearly can't do pull-ups yet).
I finished my WOD in 11:44, with a fair amount of hacking and wheezing. As I was finishing, Baller told me I needed to do 10 more pull-ups, and when I told him I was finished his response was, "DO you know the difference between extra and extraordinary? A little extra." So, I did 10 more assisted jumping pull-ups. What can I say? He was right.
The finisher tonight was 10 50 meter sprints as a group. I hadn't finished the first 50 when the rest of the group started their 2nd sprint. I finished the second spring and my lungs gave out on me. (the rest of the group was finishing their 3rd sprint.) I started coughing and couldn't stop. I had to stop or risked going into a full-blown asthma attack. It was totally worth it to work out. I'll be back Friday, and again on Sunday. I'm thinking I might try to do the workout I couldn't finish a few weeks ago and see how it goes, if maybe I can finish the workout this time.
Oh--and in other news, I'm so excited to say that when I got on the scale today that I was under 260 for the first time in quite a while. I was at 259.8, which is a weight loss of 4.4 pounds. I'm starting to see some serious changes in how my clothes are fitting. Things that used to be tight are now comfortable.
I can't wait for my 18's which I have the most of, to get too big. I'm hoping that I can shrink enough that when its time to pack away my summer clothes so I feel comfortable donating them, rather than packing them away and holding on to them.
Until next time,
Princess Biscuit!
Tonight's WOD was 6 rounds for time of the following:
3 Snatches at 75# for the ladies (I used 40)
6 overhead squats at 75# for the ladies (I used 40)
9 pull-ups (I use a resistance band to put my knee in to help me with these because I clearly can't do pull-ups yet).
I finished my WOD in 11:44, with a fair amount of hacking and wheezing. As I was finishing, Baller told me I needed to do 10 more pull-ups, and when I told him I was finished his response was, "DO you know the difference between extra and extraordinary? A little extra." So, I did 10 more assisted jumping pull-ups. What can I say? He was right.
The finisher tonight was 10 50 meter sprints as a group. I hadn't finished the first 50 when the rest of the group started their 2nd sprint. I finished the second spring and my lungs gave out on me. (the rest of the group was finishing their 3rd sprint.) I started coughing and couldn't stop. I had to stop or risked going into a full-blown asthma attack. It was totally worth it to work out. I'll be back Friday, and again on Sunday. I'm thinking I might try to do the workout I couldn't finish a few weeks ago and see how it goes, if maybe I can finish the workout this time.
Oh--and in other news, I'm so excited to say that when I got on the scale today that I was under 260 for the first time in quite a while. I was at 259.8, which is a weight loss of 4.4 pounds. I'm starting to see some serious changes in how my clothes are fitting. Things that used to be tight are now comfortable.
I can't wait for my 18's which I have the most of, to get too big. I'm hoping that I can shrink enough that when its time to pack away my summer clothes so I feel comfortable donating them, rather than packing them away and holding on to them.
Until next time,
Princess Biscuit!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)