Crossfit Confession

For those of you who would haven't been picking up on allllllllllll the clues in the past three months, I have a confession:

I'm Pregnant!

Not only am I pregnant, but I've been pregnant for about 12 weeks now.  Which means multiple things. 

1.  I ran my 10 Mile Road Race Pregnant (unknowingly). 

2.  I competed in my Crossfit Opens Pregnant. 

3.  That explains my leave of absence randomly

4.  Explains why I've been "taking it easy" lately

To be honest, before I knew I was pregnant, I didn't notice a damn thing.  I was running and crossfitting as normal.  No problems.  I felt great!!

As time went on and the doctor confirmed the good news, things started to rapidly change.  I started to become insanely tired.  As in, I could barely get up in the morning, and when I finally did, all I wanted to do was to get back into bed as soon as possible. 

Then, the sickness.  It would strike at any time, and it was not good.  

So my only option was to take it easy and rest.  Meaning no crossfit until I was feeling up to it, which was so painfully hard.  

All I wanted to was to feel better and workout, but I HAD to listen to my body and my body was telling me to rest and sleep as much as possible.  I literally felt like I was going to have a mental breakdown.  

Just imagine how I felt.  My ENTIRE LIFE was revolved around Work, Crossfit, and Running, and suddenly I didn't have the energy to get out of bed.

And at the same time, my body was growing.  Everything that I had worked so hard to reduce, was slowly coming back for multiple reasons.  That was probably the hardest thing for me to deal with.  And it's still taking time for me to deal with.  

So let's FF to now, when I finally have my "energy" back.  The news was that when I talked to my doctor about working out, he said that I could do what I want, just as long as I listened to my body, rest when I need to, and drink plenty of water.  SWEET!

Last week I went to 3 WODs and even though I was slow and light weights, I went through the motions and finished, every time.  This has helped me a great deal with many things.  

I feel like I'm no longer a waste of life.  Working out has really become a huge part of my daily routine and going without if for a few weeks was unbearable.  

I am keeping up with my health/endurance/strength.  I'm not trying to set any records here, but I'm just trying to maintain what I have already accomplished.  Even if my heart rate is being raised, I'm not overdoing it.  This will help me AND baby during delivery.  

Everybody at the gym has been amazing!  At first, only Trainer Evan knew what was going on so that if I was going slow or light, he wouldn't scream at me to go faster and just to keep an eye on me to make sure I wasn't over doing it.  Then when we started spreading the good news, people were so supportive of me and most of all super happy / impressed that I was continuing the Crossfitting.  

I am so happy that Dennis and I are able to FINALLY talk about this in our blogs, as it has been really hard to keep this one a secret!  

WOD:

3 Rounds

20 Turkish Get Ups

40 Double Unders

(Between rounds 1-2 and 2-3 row 800 meters)

PR'ed by 40lbs....NBD.

I know that I've talked about the WODs that completely kick my ass and kill my ego and have me leaving the box in tears, but rarely have I ever talked about the WODs that do the opposite.  So that is what I shall blog about today!

Since the new sign in policy, I have pretty much stopped eagerly waiting for the next day's WOD to be posted so I can mentally prepare myself.  I've already signed up for the class and I'm going regardless. 

Yesterday's WOD:

Strength
7 attempts to find your 1 Rep Max of Dead Lifts

WOD:

Rowing Pyramid
Row for 1 Rest for 1
Row for 2 Rest for 2
Row for 3 Rest for 3
Row for 4 Rest for 4
Row for 3 Rest for 3
Row for 2 Rest for 2
Row for 1 Rest for 1

Cash Out:

1 Attempt to do Max Reps of HSPU


Nothing I was particularly dreading, finding your 1 rep max is always fun and rowing is "eh" to me.

So we great care and caution I started loading my bar.  I couldn't remember what my previous 1 Rep Max was so I was going to simply go by feeling.  Too light, I'll add weight, too heavy, drop weight.  Not rocket science. 

I started with a 45lb bar and put two 10's.  Cake.

I worked my way up to 195 and then decided that I wanted to get to at least 200.  So I added 5 more lbs and I was able to get the lift. 

Dennis keeping a watchful eye said that that weight looked easy and that I should keep going.  With only about 5 minutes left, I increased the weight to 215 and was success. 

Since I still had time, I figured what the hell, I put on 2 more 10's making it 235 and failed.  I wasn't sure how to feel since I didn't know what my previous 1 Rep Max was so I was eager to check when I got home. 

The rowing was challenging, but I pretty much killed it.  Girls were expected to get 3,500 meters and I finished out with 3,889.  I felt like my form was much better than it has been in the past which will obviously help with my speed / pace.

After a bit of a rest, I did my attempt at Hand Stand Push Ups and with two abb matts below my head, I was able to do 16 in a row.  The second I was back on the ground I decided that I'm no longer allowed to use 2 abb matts.  From now on, I will only use one. 

I drove home and checked my last 1 rep max and it was 175.  I increased my 1 rep max of dead lifting by 40lbs.  How cool is that? 

Everybody did a fantastic job at the box today and I left feeling so proud of myself and everybody else that got a PR!

Who's Walking Funny Today? This Girl!

After getting back at it 3 days last week, I took the weekend off and now I think I'm ready to do my normal 4 WODs a week.  I started off with yesterday and even though it's a rookie mistake, I didn't check the WOD beforehand. 

I got there early and watched the 5pm class do the strength.  It.Looked.Awful. 

Strength:
Back Squat Ladder
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10   OR 110 Back Squats in 35 minutes.

I was going to Cherry Pick and do the Endurance, but to my horror the Endurance was the Strength.  F you Evan!!

The RX'ed weight for girls was 135lbs so I went a nice light weight of 65lbs.  I wasn't trying to be a hero today, at all. 

So we all partnered up and seriously, special should out to my partner. Together we kept the best pace and pushed each other just enough to get our reps in.  Even though we only had 35 minutes to get 220 squats, plus changing the weights (she was being a beast and doing it at 105lbs), we were both able to successfully finish the rep scheme and had almost 2 minutes to spare.  That's fucking teamwork!

*Side Note*  Even though the individual WODs/Strengths are really empowering on their own, doing Partner WODs/Strengths can feel just as accomplishing.  Maybe you were the reason your partner pushed through those last few reps, or your partner cheering you on got you through those last few seconds of endurance.  Whichever the case, working with somebody that is stronger or weaker, slower or faster has many many many many benefits and it's just another reason why Crossfit is awesome. 

So after completely fatiging our legs, thighs, and butts, we had to do todays WOD.  yay.

TABATA: Burpees
TABATA: Ring Rows

TABATA = 8 Rounds of 20 seconds of work with 10 seconds of rest inbetween.  So for example it would be 20 seconds of work, rest 10 seconds (1 Round) 20 seconds of work, rest 10 seconds (2 Rounds), etc all the up to 8 Rounds and we had to do that twice, once for each movement. 

Catch?

Your score is the lowest round of reps.  So if Round 1 you did 20 Burpees and by Round 8 you only did 1, your score = 1.  

I've learned the hard way to pick a number and stick with it each round.  So With that in mind, I decided I wanted to do 5 burpees each round and 5 ring rows each round.  And I did, and my final score was 10 (5 burpees + 5 Ring Rows).  

Not quite elite, but not horrible.  Believe me, I was winded after all that!!


Again, I'm just happy to be back at it and even though I still feel sluggish, I know that it's good for me.  Even if today I'm walking around like I'm 80 years old, even though I'm 29 (Happy Birthday to me)! 

3 WODs in the Books!

I am so proud of myself for completing 3 WODs this week (2 of them were 6am'ers!).  As you all probably noticed, I had been out for about a month and I was truly worried that I wasn't going to be able to get back into the rhythm, but after this week, I have nothing to worry about.

The funny thing about taking a month off, is I feel like I've taken a month off.  I get easily winded, I've obviously packed on a few extra unwanted pounds, and my recovery times during and after the WODs are longer. 

I know that after about a month or so of 3-4 days a week I will be back to my normal self, but it just goes to show that Crossfit is something you have to keep up with regularly. 

Crossfit610 just implemented a new policy where members have to to sign in for classes ahead of time and if you miss your class, there is a monetary penalty before you can rejoin a WOD.  Like any change in life people were a little skeptical about it, but honestly, I love it. 

Typically I plan out my week socially and then I base my Crossfit class times around that.  If I have something going on after work, I Crossfit in the morning or take it as a rest day or if I get out of work early I make the 5pm rather than the 6pm and things like that.  Very loosely based and pretty much whatever I could swing.   

Now, once I commit to 6am class, you bet your ass I don't snooze the alarm anymore in fear that I'll miss the class and have to pay money! 

Also, since the sign up feature, I've never been to a class that was too packed.  It's amazing.  It's adding another level of structure to my work outs and just helps me plan better for the week. 

Plus I get to see all the classes I attend in my attendance summary which makes me feel accomplished. 

Strength:

2 Rep Max Front Squat

95lbs

WOD:

10 Minute Time Cap

2 Rounds

30 Chest to Bar Pull Ups (Green Band)

30 Slam Balls (20lbs0

time: 10:00

Cash Out:

30 Sumo Deadlift High Pull (? LOL) for time (65lbs)

3:19



What A Difference a Year Can Make

Today (April 18th) is Dennis and I's 1 year anniversary of starting Crossfit.  I can remember that time like it was yesterday....


Dennis and I had just celebrated our 1 year anniversary of marriage by going on a Southern Caribbean Cruise and while the cruise was fantastic, looking at pictures of our bodies was not so great.  I decided that something needed to be done and that we would figure something out together. 

Luckily the ROC Social club was holding a local "Biggest Loser" contest (this was their second year doing this) and a few of my other friends had expressed some interest so Dennis agreed that this would jump start our health and fitness goal, what better way than with a friendly competition?

We were excited and anxious to start the competition and when we received the first email about the "Biggest Loser" and how the first weigh in was at Crossfit610 (a sponsoring gym) and they wanted to do a quick introduction about their gym and if people were interested we could join on a trial basis.  DENNIS was furious.

He absolutely hated the fact that we had to listen to a sales pitch before we weighed in and I had to listen to Dennis rant on and on about how pissed he was and how he wasn't going to give "Crossfit610" the time of day and blah blah.

HA!

So, with a heated Dennis we tried to find the location of "Crossfit610" and it was pretty tricky to find and to be honest, was in a sketchy location and when we finally went INTO the gym, was basically a room with pull up bars, weights, and medicine balls.  NOT your typical globo gym at all. 

We were introduced to Trainer Mike who was this shorter tan guy but was pure muscle.  He then started talking about Crossfit and having people being able to do things they never thought they could do physically and that if we joined 610 we would win the contest.  Holy cocky!

Angry Dennis called BS on Trainer Mike and made one of Mike's gym member bang out some pretty impressive pull ups and I believe that was the moment that Dennis was sold.  I really had zero idea what I was getting into, but in attempts to spend more time with Dennis, I signed up for the trial as well. 

Before being allowed into a Crossfit Group class, one has to complete 3 classes called the "Elements" where you learn all the moves you will be eventually doing in class followed by a mini workout.  Trainer Molly recommended doing those 3 classes consecutively and typically they are done in the morning, at 6am. 

So on April 18th 2011 at 5:30am Dennis and I reluctantly rolled out of bed and headed to our first Elements class.  It was horrible!  Weight training was not my idea of working out and when we finally got through the 3 classes, I felt like I had been abused. 

I was sore, I could barely walk, I had puked during the classes, and I wasn't mentally prepared for the amount of effort that was expected from me, but for whatever reason, I wanted to stick with it and get better. 

The coolest part was even though I was an overweight girl that had no strength ability what so ever, Trainer Mike and Molly gave me the confidence that if I stuck with it, trained hard, and put in max effort, I would reach goals I'd never though possible. 

Fast Forward to Today. 

One year later, I couldn't be more proud of myself.  For one full year (with a few weeks off here and there) I have taken the plunge head first into crossfit.

I care about my 1 rep maxes.  I care if I come in last for the WOD.  I have a blog, a fan page, my wardrobe is slowly turning into mostly Crossfit shirts, and I have more photos of Dennis and I lifting things than I do of us out partying. 

Most importantly, I feel amazing and I love what Crossfit has done for me mentally, physically, and socially.  I have met the most inspiring trainers, competitors and gym members.  I know I've said this multiple times but its true, Crossfit has changed me for life, for the better. 

So today I celebrating surviving my 1st year as a Crossfitter and I cannot wait to see what improvements come in the upcoming years. 

THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO HAS MADE THIS 1ST YEAR ABSOLUTELY UNFORGETTABLE! 

annnnnnnnnnnd I'm Back!

I am so happy to report that I finally did a WOD today!


I've been sick and so drained of energy, I decided that until I felt better I would stay away from Crossfit until I was ready to return.  Today was that day.  Ekkk!  


And the funny thing was, I make a rookie mistake.  I checked the blog the night before and said the same thing I've said 100 times only to be dead wrong the next day, "That Doesn't Look so Bad."


I knew I was wrong the second I walked into the box.  I saw people drenched in sweat (most likely because of the 85 degree weather), huffing and puffing, and laying on the floor in sheer exhaustion.  When will I learn that ALL WODS LOOK EASY ON PAPER?


It was really good to see people that I haven't seen since I'd been there last, its really amazing how I only see these people at the gym and how good of friends we've all become.  People were asking me how I've been feeling and were really happy to see me back at it.  It was a nice welcoming feeling and I really appreciate it all!  Then it was time to work. 


We started off with some strength, 20 minutes to do 8 reps 3 times at 80% of our max back squat.  Me, going a bit lighter than the RX'ed stopped at 80lbs and holy shit was a sweating!  Nothing like having your ego crushed within the first ten minutes of of WOD.  


Then time for the cardio/endurance segment of my day.  200 Meter Run, 10 Wall Climbs, 200 Meter Run, 9 Wall Climbs, etc all the way down to 1 Wall Climb and then a nice little cash out of 75 abb matt sit ups for time.  


Thankfully there was a 25 minute time cap on the WOD because I would have been there for hours.  It took me 25 minutes to complete the 10's, 9's, 8's, 7's, and I just barely got through the 6's.  I was spent and completely soaked.  


While cooling down and stretching, I was able to catch up with more fellow fitters and again, it was just so great to be back in the gym.  I'm hoping to get at least 3 days in a week, and then after a few weeks going back to 4 (schedule and health depending).  


I AM SO EXCITED TO BE BACK!




Strength:
8 x 3 Back Squat at 80%
(80lbs)


WOD:
200 Meter Run
10 Wall Climbs
200 Meter Run
9 Wall Climbs
(Down to 1)


25 Minute Cap
I completed through the 6's


Cash Out:
75 Abb Matt Sit Ups for Time


3:01

I'm Alive, I Promise!

I feel so guilty for not blogging in ages, but I assure you I am still alive.  


I've been really sick for a while now and getting through the day is my priority right now.  


I crossfit when I can (which has been rare lately) since I can barely make it through a day of work.  


Hopefully I will be back up and functioning in a few days, and until then please keep checking back for new posts!


-Karen

Backlash of Vacationing

Now that it's been almost 2 weeks since I've been back from vacation, I'm starting to finally feel like I can start getting back into a routine again. 

I know vacations are great, but it always feel like when I get back, I'm more stressed than I was before I left.  For about two weeks before vacation my diet completely fell apart.  It continued to be bad on vacation, and it is just now taking shape. AKA I'm cutting out the junk. 

Over these few weeks I KNEW that I was eating badly, but I kept doing it because I wasn't immediately feeling to effects of it.  FF (Fast Forward) to me right now sitting at a desk and typing this, with a nice little muffin top hanging over my jeans.  Sigh. 

So obviously the diet needs to be fixed asap.  Which Dennis and I have worked hard on this week.  We sat down, planned out our meals, and spent most of the weekend shopping and prepping foods to keep us on track. 

The second thing is my running.  I know that when I was Crossfitting and Running I was burning so many extra calories and I was on my way to my ideal body.  The issue?  My running has stopped, temporarily.

No running + bad eating = less calories burned + more calories consumed


So I need to fix this problem and I need to be patient with the results.  I know that its so freaking easy to pack on the pounds, but it takes pretty much 8 weeks of diet/exercise to see a change in my body. 

I have been true to Crossfit since I've been back.  I average about 4 days a week which is decent and honestly I'm not sure if I could handle any more than that! 


So for those of you who have felt like you've worked so incredibly hard for a VERY long time, just to lose your results in a short month, I know how you feel and the only way to break the cycle is to get back to it. 

Hopefully I will fall right back into my routine and I will be back to where I want to be in no time.