Dear CrossFit Games 2013 – Watch Out, I’m Getting Better

I know I haven’t written in a while (again) but I don’t like feeling *forced* to produce a blog post.  I find the blogs that post multiple times a day or even many times a week to sometimes be “fake”.  I suppose to some degree everyone has an online persona but they all seem the same.  I don’t want to become something I’m not, in order to increase blog traffic or twitter followers or more “likes”.  I want to blog for me, and to share information with others. The blogs I love don’t follow a “format”, don’t post what they eat every day all day, and have an attitude and aren’t afraid to speak their minds.  They are interesting, and stimulating, and make me think or learn each and every time I read.  That’s what I want this blog to be (one day…).

That being said the last few weeks have been very busy.  I spent the week after my DNF half marathon working at a horse farm so needless to say I was not only sore but super tired.

Cold, snowy week at the barn

During that time I also got sick and didn’t complete 12.3, and then I worked the weekend of 12.4 and just didn’t do it.  It’s not that I didn’t want to, but I think I realize just how much I have to work on to even properly compete in the CrossFit Games.  So now I have my list of things to work on for next year’s games:

- strength and form for Oly and power lifts.  I bought Rippetoe’s “Starting Strength” and I plan on programming myself a strength program starting this summer. I’m also going to make a real effort to attend my gym’s Oly lifting class when I’m not working. Can’t wait to get back there next Wednesday.

A little "light" reading. Bring on the PRs

- gymnastic type movements.  I still can’t do a kipping pull up, so this is my immediate goal.  We are having a gym event on April 21 and I really want to do it prescribed, so that’s my deadline for learning the kip.  I need to get better at push ups and sit ups as well, as well as toes to bar.  Increasing core strength will help me overall anyway.  Muscle ups are NOT in my future, at least not at this point.

- nutrition.  I know I don’t eat properly a lot of the time, and although I can’t fully commit to a Paleo diet I do plan on eating a lot cleaner over the next year.  I did join Weight Watchers again 2 weeks ago, in an effort to lose the “last 15 lbs” but it’s already a struggle to eat less while working out more.  We’ll see how this goes.

- commit to the gym 4-5 times a week, minimum.  I’ve gotten back up to 4 regularly, and did 5 last week (I also just finished my 4th day in a row). The more I’m in the gym, the better I’ll get.

So those are my “CrossFit Goals”.  Let’s see if I can stick to them this time around.  I’ll need to kick my own ass to get better.

Happy Monday, everyone

What are your goals to improve in your sport? How do you stick to them?

Musical Motivation – CrossFit Open WOD 12.2

As I posted yesterday, this is the workout for WOD 12.2 of the Open:

Proceed through the sequence below completing as many reps as possible in 10 minutes of:

30 Snatch (M 75 / F 45 lbs)
30 Snatch (M 135 / F 75 lbs)
30 Snatch (M 165 / F 100 lbs)
Max Rep Snatch (M 210 / F 120 lbs)

This workout begins from the standing position. The athlete will complete all reps at the first weight before advancing to the next weight. Score is total reps completed in 10min.

I’m not super strong on this lift, so I’m unsure if I’ll even be able to get any of the 75lb ones, but I sure am going to try!  The following are a couple of songs that I plan on having on my playlist when I tackle this WOD later this morning!

“Soldiers”, by Otherwise

Best lyrics:
We are the ones who will not go unspoken
No we will not sleep, we are not sheep
We are soldiers

Next up: “Bangarang” by Skrillex

There is some swearing in this song but overall there really aren’t many lyrics.  It’s the general feel of the song that is so kick ass.

Finally, we have “The Enemy” by Godsmack

An oldie but a goodie. Best lyrics (there is some swearing in this song, too):
I am realizing that everybody’s lost their simple way
And now that it’s here, I see it all so clearly
I’ve come face to face with the enemy, the enemy

Hope you enjoy the music, and I hope it pushes me through WOD 12.2!!
 

Friday Five

1. Got my bloodwork back from the doctor on Wednesday – and of course nothing can ever be straight forward with me! So a few months ago I noticed pain and swelling in one of my index fingers.  It eventually went away but then came back in other joints and fingers on both hands.  My doctor is testing me for rheumatoid arthritis, which is an autoimmune disorder where the body attacks the joints.  It can manifest in hands, elbows, hips, knees, and feet, among other places.

My bloodwork was fairly inconclusive – out of all the factors they tested, 3 were elevated but this can be normal in about 10% of the population according to my doc (although, for example, one of the normals was 1 and my reading was 8!!).  I had some x-rays of my hands today and have an appointment with a specialist in a few months, so hopefully we’ll be able to figure all of this out fairly quickly.

2. WOD 12.2 of the CrossFit Open was posted on Wednesday night:

10 minute AMRAP:
30 snatches at 45 lbs
30 snatches at 75 lbs
30 snatches at 100 lbs
As many as possibly at 120lbs

This is a snatch:

The 45 will be easy – I’m just hoping to be able to get at least one 75lb’er tomorrow! I was SO CLOSE tonight!

3. Physio was kinda fun on Thursday – minus the pain when she rolled out my IT band.  I enjoy being attached to the machine that tingles my knees while they are being iced.  I nearly fell asleep.  I also got some exercises to do at home to strengthen my glutes and quads.

4.  I’m still sad I’m missing my race on Sunday. But I’m not dwelling on it anymore. I’ve got other things to worry about (hello, 75lb snatch!!!)

5. So we got Bubba back tonight. His mom was diagnosed with ovarian cancer earlier this week and we are going to watch him for a few months for her until she gets a better handle on her health.  I’d appreciate prayers for her if you can spare them.

Sorry for the lack of photos, it’s been a long week! I’ll post my Snatch Motivation Music tomorrow morning before I head on over to the gym.  Wish me luck.

Have a great weekend!

7 Minutes of Burpee Hell – Musical Motivation

Hello and good morning!

While I may not be running right now, I’m still challenging myself.  As I mentioned previously, I was peer pressured into joining my gym’s team for the CrossFit Open.  I think there might be 18 or 20 of us signed up now! This is great, because with a team you have more of a chance of moving on to regionals than most of us would on our own (my chance on my own would be a big fat zero).

I  know 7 minutes might not seem like a lot of anything, but burpees are HORRIBLE and 7 minutes definitely equals a horrific workout.  I’m just hoping to keep moving and to not puke on the gym floor during or after the workout.

Anyway, this week I have been psyching myself up by listening to some kick ass songs that I hope will push me to my limit and help me get a great number of reps in that 7 minutes.

First up: “Get Thru This” by Art of Dying

Best lyrics – If I can get thru this, I can get thru anything

Next: “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” by Kelly Clarkson

Best lyrics – What doesn’t kill you makes a fighter

And finally: “Remember the Name” by Fort Minor

Best lyrics - This is ten percent luck, twenty percent skill
Fifteen percent concentrated power of will
Five percent pleasure, fifty percent pain
And a hundred percent reason to remember the name

Have a great weekend!