Squat Cleanin Up

5pm @ RNCF

3 x Skill Work
5 x Ring HSPU
10 x Toes to Bar
10 x Pistols

NOTES: I actually did the Ring HSPUs today!!!! I started in a headstand and then pushed up into a HS (that was the hardest part), but once I was up it was pretty easy to crank out 5 in a row.

Squat Clean & Jerk
2 x 85
2 x 105
2 x 135
1 x 155
1 x 165
1 x 175
1 x 185 (Squat Clean PR!!! - failed the jerk)

NOTES: I'm happy with a 185 squat clean.  These squat cleans were feeling really heavy compared to the power cleans the other day. I didn't even really care that I missed the jerk because I was pumped about the clean.

I literally forgot about back squats today.  Oops.

Epic Barbell WOD:
10 Shoulder Press (85) [UB]
15 OH Squat (85) [16-4]
20 Push Press (85) [5-5-5-5]
25 Front Squats (85) [10-10-5]
30 Jerks (85) [6-4-5-5-4-3-3]
35 Back Squats (85) [UB]

TIME: 10:50
NOTES: This was really really hard and made me super sweaty. But, this is the best WOD I've done in awhile.  This is my weakness.  I'm not usually that great with moderate weight for high reps.

Shoulder Mobility

7:00pm @ Chicago Ave Track

8 x 200m Run (200m walk rest)

NOTES: I walked over to the Chicago Ave track after  to do these 200s, which was a great decision. I didn't keep splits, but I felt really quick and light on my feet tonight. It felt great to run a sprint workout again. I felt like a track athlete again.


Cheers to CrossFit Games on ESPN!

Snatch Ladder

5pm @ RNCF

I have to note that I walked to CrossFit WITHOUT A COAT! for the first time in like six months.

3 x Skill Work
10 x BF Pull Ups
5 Sots Press
10 x Russian KB Swing (70)

Snatch:
15 minutes to build to heavy snatch
3 x 65
2 x 85
2 x 105
1 x 120
1 x 130
3 x 142 (fail, fail, fail)

NOTES: I was kind of all over the place on these snatches today.  I got too carried away with trying to move heavy weight and totally let my form fly out the window. I need to remember that I can lift more when my form is better.  Duh.

2012 Snatch Ladder (Modified)
1 minute to attempt weight.
105
115
125
130
135 (failed first attempt)
140 (fail, fail, fail)

NOTES: The one minute rest was no big deal, 140 just felt really heavy.  I video taped myself doing this, and I realized that I change so much of my form (in a bad way) when the weight gets heavy.  I just need to trust my body on this movement.

I skipped back squatting today because my hamstrings were so tight from the 400s yesterday.

Crazy 'Nate' Variation 
10 AMRAP
2 MU
4 Deficit HSPU
8 KB Swings (70#)

ROUNDS: 5
NOTES: I was really proud of myself for linking all my MUs together (except for the last round)! The deficit HSPUs also felt better than ever today because I changed up my kip a little bit (let my hips come off the wall). I was really intimidated by the heavy, heavy, heavy KB swings (70 POUNDS!?!?!), but they ended up not being that terrible.  I did them in sets of 4. The only downside is now my abs are so sore from keeping a tight core throughout those swings.

Rest 10 minutes

4 x 500m Row
1:59.1
  rest 1min.
2:01.0
  rest 1min.
2:05.3
  rest 1min.
2:06.7
  rest 1 min

NOTES: I really hate rowing, and I think it really hates me. I feel like I am fat, slow, and unathletic when I'm on the rower.  Hopefully I can be cured of this quickly! I wasn't too disappointed with my times today, but I could barely walk after my 4th 500.

Shoulder Mobility


Post-CrossFit
As Finals loom near, Loyola thinks it appropriate to fill our bellies full of wonderful breakfast food at 9pm.  Needless to say, my roommate and I took full advantage!

Cheers to free pancakes!

Running Solo

9:30am @ Chicago Ave. Track

400m WU

Dynamic Stretching

8 x 400
400 (1:41)
  rest 1:30
400 (1:37)
  rest 1:30
400 (1:28)
  rest 1:30
400 (1:31)
  rest 3:00
400 (1:28)
  rest 2:00
400 (1:27)
  rest 2:00
400 (1:24)
  rest 4:00
200 (:35)
  rest 1:00
200 (:36)

NOTES: I didn't warm up very much, so my first couple 400s were pretty tight.  But by the third one I felt pretty good and my stride was able to open up. It kind of sucks to do this alone. 400s are already awful, it doesn't help when you have to run by yourself, time your own splits, and monitor your rest. But, I think it's good training.  I haven't done anything like this for a long time.

Since my athletic watch broke, I carried my iphone like a little baton to keep splits/time/rest. And since I don't like to wear headphones, I turned my speakers up super loud and blasted Pandora throughout my workout. It was like toting around a mini boombox.

I'm envisioning that I looked something like this. 

I've literally gained 20lbs of muscle since May 2012 (when I was running at Drake), which definitely makes CrossFit a lot easier - but makes running a lot harder.  I for sure do not feel very light on my feet.  My lungs were recovering great, I just felt generally slow and heavy.  I'm excited to start putting some running back in my training.



Cheers to Glee Pandora station!

Beach Day

9am @ RNCF

3 x Skill Work
100ft HS Walk
5-8 x 1 Arm KB Snatch (35#)
10 x Squat w/ Band

NOTES: I love HS walking...I don't love it as much when I am congested.  The snatches felt pretty comfortable.

Back Squat
3 x 135 (band)
1 x 185 (band)
2 x 205

NOTES: My heart was not in this lift today.  All I was thinking about was the WOD I was about to do. I didn't feel too comfortable in the squat, so I just stopped.  Andy reminded me that it's OK to NOT PR every single day.  Sometimes I need to be reminded of that.

DL Warm Up
5 x 135
3 x 165
5 x 185

NOTES: These feel so much better than they did a couple months ago, but they still don't feel great. The suggested Regional weigh for the WOD was 225#. That would have murdered me. I could have done it, BUT it would have killed my back and my pride. Not worth it. But I do need to get more comfortable under weights over 200#.

2012 Regionals Final Event #6
3 Rounds:
   7 Deadlift (225# - but I scaled to 185)
   7 MU
3 Rounds:
   21 WB (14# to 10' target)
   21 Toes to Bar
100 ft. Farmer's Carry (70# DB in each hand)
28 Burpee Box Jump (20" box)
100 ft. Farmer's Carry (70# DB in each hand)
3 MU

TIME: 21:21
NOTES: This was the final event at Regionals last year. The prescribed time cap was 17min. Andy extended the time cap for me to 22:00.  I was pretty happy with my performance.  I had completed 15 burpee box jumps by 17:00. I was able to not take too much rest on my MU. The wall balls felt pretty good, and so did the toes to bar.  I took a lot of time on the burpee box jumps - those sucked A LOT. The farmer's carry was nothing. I actually surprised myself on the last MUs and did the first two UNBROKEN. If I had the energy/strength to link those two together, there is no reason that I shouldn't be doing this during the middle of WODs. It would have been helpful to do this with another person. Oh well.



Post-CrossFit:

It's FINALLY warm(ish) in the city! So what does that mean? Beach study day!

                                         

Allie and I spent two hours at Oak Street Beach reading all about contracts, criminal law, and constitutional law. We filled our brains with knowledge while the sun provided us a little bit of happiness :)

Cheers to Emily getting her first TWO MUs!

Friends!

4pm @ RNCF

3 x Skill Work
20ish second L-Sits
10 x Deficit HSPU
5 x Weighted Strict Pull Up (5lb)

NOTES: The HSPU felt pretty good.  I did 10 UB (after one of the coaches challenged me...and I beat him). My strict pull ups feel a lot better.

Power Clean & Push Jerk
2 x 85
2 x 125
2 x 145
1 x 155
3 x 125
2 x 145
5 x 155

NOTES: These felt pretty awful.  I'm trying to learn how to correctly push jerk - it's hard! I don't keep my abs tight and I usually lean forward in my jerk. It helped a lot that Andy was there today to help with this.  I got pretty frustrated, which is why I dropped back down in weight to work on this lift. I spent more time on this than I probably should have.  It's nice that I literally wasn't even thinking about the cleans.  It's nice that 155 isn't a concern.

Back Squat
5 x 125 (band)
1 x 175 (band)
1 x 205 (band)
1 x 215
1 x 225
3 x 205

NOTES: I think it's helping to use the band on the first couple sets to fire my glutes. I hope this helps in the long run.

Rest 20ish minutes to wait for the Class WOD...

Class WOD
20 Power Clean (95)
400m run
20 Shoulder to OH (95)
400m run
20 Power Clean (95)

TIME: 7:22
NOTES: My first power cleans were 14-6, my shoulder to OH felt heavy 5-5-5-5, and my final power cleans were kind of out of control because my heart rate was pretty high: 7-4-3-3-3. I got distracted before the WOD and didn't realize that I still had my Oly Shoes on.  Let me tell you, running two 400s on the cement sidewalks in weight lifting shoes is not the most comfortable or efficient thing. Just sayin.

Today was super quick and I felt like I didn't get a lot of work in. But, now, as I am typing all this out, I realize that I wasn't a total bum today.

I'm just concerned that I might be spending too much time on my lifts/maxing, and not training more WODs.  But who knows.



Post-CrossFit:

Laurie made a surprise visit to Chicago! It's always great to hang out with people who are as equally obsessed with working out and being in beast mode :)

Cheers to Weber Grill!

Jury Duty

Wednesday, like usual, was a rest day. (With lots of law and school)

Thursday: 

3:30 @ RNCF

3 x Skill Work
5 x BF Pull-Ups
8 x Ring Dips
Triple Unders

NOTES: The BF PUs felt pretty uncomfortable in my shoulders today.  I don't think I stretched well enough before I cranked these out.  I love how far my dips have progressed.

Power Snatch:
1RM
2 x 65
2 x 85
2 x 115
2 x 125 (failed first attempt)
1 x 130 (Power Snatch PR!)

NOTES: Andy actually got to watch/coach my last couple reps, which helped a ton.  Even though his cues are simple, they help a ton! This is a PR for power snatch - I usually never power snatch heavy weight.

Back Squat
1 x 125
1 x 175
5 x 125 (with band)
1 x 175 (band)
1 x 195 (band)
1 x 205 (band)

NOTES: I learned that a lot of back pain is resulting from my failure to active/engage my glutes on a lot of my Oly and Power lifts. I put a small above the tops of my knees and focused on pushing my knees out at the bottom.  This actually helped a lot. This wasn't about getting in a lot of weight, it's about correcting my form. I need to do more of this (especially after Regionals).

Every 15sec for 2min:
2 OH Squats (95)
...next 2 min
2 Thruster (95)
...next 2 min
2 Power Snatch (95)

NOTES: This was ridiculously hard for me.  I haven't died this hard in a workout for a long time.  I had to put the rest up to 30 seconds for the power snatches.  I'm not used to moving decently heavy weight this fast. This is by far one of my most glaring weaknesses.

Rest 10ish minutes

8 RFT
20 DU
10 Pull Up
3 Clean and Jerk (135)

TIME: 16:48
NOTES: This workout was supposed to be 10 rounds - and each round was supposed to be under 90 seconds.  Clearly I failed at that.  This got really hard because my heart rate was out of control.  I wasn't fully recovered from the first workout, and this one just took the last bit of energy out of me.  I generally would have rested a little bit longer, but I had to be out of the gym at 5:00pm, and I was only on round 7 at like 4:59pm.

Needless to say, I got my butt kicked today.  But I needed that.



Life after CrossFit: 



   

As a part of the first year curriculum  each student has to serve on 'jury duty' for a mock trial. While most students complain about this requirement  I thought it was wildly entertaining and informative. Our jury came back with a unanimous NOT GUILTY verdict  (P.S. It was also even more fun because I was the jury foreman and got to announce our decision).


After our hard work in the court, my roommate and I decided to grace this wonderful night life with our presence.  We spent the night sipping adult beverages, mingling with fellow legal scholars, and dancing to 80s music (while trying to avoid the creepy old guys).

And that, my friends, is why this blog post was not posted until 10:37am.


Now I'm off to a Contracts Review session.



Cheers to 10pc Chicken McNuggets!

Big Cleans

1pm @ RNCF

3 x Skill Work
10 x Strict HSPU (these were supposed to be Ring HSPU, but I got scared...)
5 x Butterfly Pull-ups
7 x Russian KB Swings (70lb)

Clean & Jerk
15 minutes to find 1RM
2 x 85
2 x 115
2 x 135
1 x 155
1 x 165
1 x 180 (PR!!!) 
1 x 190 (JUST CLEAN - CLEAN PR!!!)
1 x 200 (fail x 3)

180# Clean & Jerk

190# Clean 

NOTES: I was super pumped about this lift! This is the first time my clean has felt stronger than my jerk.  I need to focus on keeping my core tight during my jerks - it's really taking a toll on my back.

Back Squat
1RM
1 x 125
1 x 175
1 x 210
1 x 220

NOTES: I was a little hesitant on this lift today. I was a little distracted by all the work I had to do after this.

'DT'
5 RFT
12 Dead lifts (105)
9 Hand Power Cleans (105)
6 Push Jerk (105)

TIME: 8:46
NOTES: The last time I did this, like 4+ months ago, I got 13:00.  Needless to say, this was a huge improvement. I was able to do all my DLs unbroken.  I did the hang cleans either 5-4 or 3-3-3.  I did the push jerks either 4-2 or 3-3. I took rest in between all the sets.

15 minutes rest

Old Regional WOD:
1000m Run (tredmill)
30 HSPU
1000m Row

TIME: 10:34
NOTES: I ran on the treadmill because it was down pouring. I did the HSPU in 10-10-5-5. I probably could have gone a little faster, but some random dude decided he wanted to stand right in front of me. I think the run was like 4:2?, I took less than a minute to do the HSPU, and then my row was 4:25.  I clearly need a lot of work on my rowing.

Rest 10 minutes

16 minutes
Even minutes: 8 UB Toes to Bar
Odd minutes: 10 UB Box Jumps (24")

NOTES: This was all about working on efficiency and technique. I felt good on these.  Nothing felt too difficult. I actually ended up taking less rest on the last four rounds because I didn't want to wait.


After my workout, I went to a massage therapist that specialized in Chinese medicine. She did some 'cupping' on my lower back, and this is what my back looks like now.  I feel like I got hickies from a weird space alien.

Cheers to better posture! 

One Hundred and Forty Pounds

5:00pm @ RNCF

3 x Skill Work
Butterfly Pull-Ups
Triple Unders
5 x Sots press into OH Squat

NOTES: I'm glad I've got these BF PUs down, but my shoulders are kind of sore from these.  So I did sets of 5-7.  The triple unders were hard today.

Snatch
15 minutes to establish 1RM
2 x 65
2 x 85
2 x 105
2 x 115
1 x 125
1 x 132
1 x 135
1 x 140 (PR!!!!!! SO PUMPED!!)
1 x 145 (fail x 4)

Not the prettiest, but I got 140! 

NOTES: Words can not express HOW EXCITED I AM ABOUT THIS PR! When I was warming up I didn't really feel that great.  So I spent a little more time at the lighter weights. I was really shocked when 125# felt really light.  I actually had to count and recount the weights because I didn't believe that it really felt that easy. I think the key in my success today was thinking about aggressive, high pulls. I went in with the mentality that I was going to 'power snatch' these.  When I'm thinking about power snatching, I pull a lot harder and a lot higher.  I allow my body to wait out the pull, and then I drop under the bar. When I think squat snatch, I rush the pull and drop too fast. I was super close to getting 145, too!

Back Squat
10 minutes to establish 1RM
1 x 125
1 x 175
1 x 205
1 x 215
1 x 225

NOTES: I felt a little 'off' on my squats today. When I told Andy this, I started to laugh a little bit.  I would have never, ever believed that an 'easy' squat day would consist of reps at 225. Wow.  I've had a lot of progress in a short amount of time with this lift.


5-4-3-2-1
OH Squat (115)
Bar Muscle Ups

TIME: 5:01
NOTES: I really need to re-test of OH Squat max. These squats felt pretty good. I'm a lot more comfortable with this movement. The bar muscle ups felt pretty good - but I wish I could practice these on a good bar (not a huge, fat, stupid one). I have no idea what a 'good' time is for this workout.

Rest 10 minutes.

2000m Row for time

TIME: 8:46.7
NOTES: Andy told me I needed to get under 8 minutes.  Oops. Clearly I have a lot of work to do on this.  I want to work with Morgan on making my row more efficient. I was dead after this.



Cheers to American Sit-Ups!

Law in Pictures

Rest Day. (Ha)

In actuality, today has been anything but rest.

Because so much brain matter has been expended on homework, I decided to share my day through pictures.





I actually don't go to Harvard, but I do go to Loyola University Chicago Law school.



In law school, April doesn't mean showers



It means that finals are looming.



Which means I get to spend all day reading what these guys wrote



In this document



And I get to read about bad guys



And good guys (and girls)



I also get to read about hand shakes gone just swell

  

And those that don't end too well



And that, my friends, is a day if the life of a law student.

Ryan has a little something to say about that.



Thank you Ryan, that's so kind of you.




Cheers to Google image!

Old Regional WODs

12pm @ RNCF

3 x Skill Work
10 x Butterfly Pull-Ups
Handstand Walk
Triple Unders

NOTES: I actually did 3 sets of 10 UB butterfly pull-ups!!!!! They felt really great! I'm so surprised how fast those clicked.

2011 Regionals Event #6:
20 Calorie row
30 Burpee onto 45# plate
40 DB Ground to OH (35# DB in each hand)
50 Toes to Bar
100ft OH Walking Lunge (25# plate)
150ft Sprint

TIME: 13:34
NOTES: I absolutely hated this WOD. Ughhh.  The DB felt like they weighed about 1,000lbs each.  I was NOT comfortable with that movement at all. I did all sets of 5s - with a TON of rest in between each set. My shoulders were so smoked, my quads hurt, I couldn't breathe, and I kept hitting myself with the DBs. THEN, when I finally got to the T2B I could barely hand onto the bar.  It was rough.  I think I averaged about 5-2 toes to bar at a time. It was awful.  I felt like this was my first time doing CrossFit. It was actually embarrassing   The lunges and the sprint were fine.

30min rest...

Variation of 2012 Regionals Workout:
6 Rounds:
200m Row
10 Pistols
5 Hang Power Clean (135#)
Rest 3 minutes

TIME: 24:55

Round	Split	Row Split	Hang Cleans
1	1:40	46.9	4-1
2	1:38	44.8	3-2
3	1:36	44.7	3-2
4	1:36	45.0	3-2
5	1:44	44.9	5
6	1:41	44.7	5

NOTES: This workout actually felt pretty good. I felt like I redeemed myself a little bit.  I need to work on my rowing, but my splits were very consistent. My pistols were good - except for in Round 5 I literally fell over and no repped on of the reps. I'm proud of myself for linking a lot of the hang cleans together. Morgan pushed me on the last two rounds, which I'm very thankful for. I got kinda scared because the bar FLEW out of my hands on the first round.  I lost my hook grip and it was epic.  It was one of the more terrifying moments I've had in CrossFit.


5pm @ Baumhart Gym

My wicked awesome roommate and I had some fun in our building's gym.  She puts up with all of my CrossFit blabber, complaints, concerns, and excitement. Since she is very well educated about the sport, I thought it would be fun to have her do a modified version of the CrossFit Baseline. She KILLED it!

400m Tredmill Run
40 Air Squats
30 Sit-ups
20 Push-Ups

I was very impressed with her performance.  Watch out North Central Region, I think we got a new kid on the block!



Cheers to $5 Footlongs!

Love Me Some Diane

I had a job interview today! Keep your fingers crossed.

6:00pm @ RNCF

3 x Skill Work
10 x KB Snatches (35) - alternating arms
10 x UB Toes to Bar
50 Double Unders

Power Clean & Push Jerk
15 minutes to work up to heavy (not max)
1 x 85
1 x 115
1 x 135
3 x 155
2 x 165

NOTES: These felt pretty good, considering this is the first time EVER I've done heavy push jerks (I always split jerk).  They felt pretty easy, but I would rather split. It's good to work on push jerks, though, because they are more efficient when trying to link reps together.

Back Squat
FAIL
This was awful. I couldn't even squat 135 because my lower back is messed up from yesterday.  It's weird because it didn't hurt on any other movement. Weird.

Diane
21-15-9
Deadlift (155)
HSPU

TIME: 3:04 (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
NOTES: This felt so freaking amazing. Round 1: 16-5, UB.  Round 2: 9-6, 7-4-2-2.  Round 3: 6-4, 3-3-2-1. The last time I did this workout I posted a 4:37 (I had to pull pretty much all singles in the 2nd and 3rd round). I didn't look at the clock once.  If I would have known I was so close to sub-3, I maybe would have sucked it up and done that last HSPU linked with the others. The deadlifts felt so great. My back didn't tighten up at all! (which is a first!).  It really helped a lot that Andy was standing right there reminding me to keep my back and abs tight the entire time. How awesome would that be if this WOD showed up at Regionals!?

Bulgarian Squats
3 x 6 each leg (with 45lb bar on back)

L-Sits
4 x 20ish second L-Sits on parallelettes

That's a picture of the Fittest Woman in the World in an L-Sit in beast-mode. 

Cheers to Boston Police!

Float Like a Butterfly

4pm @ RNCF

3 x Skill Work
10 x Butterfly Pull-Ups
8 x Ring Dips
10 x OH Squat (35)

NOTES: I finally linked together 5+ legit butterfly pull ups! The work finally finally paid off! For those of you who have no idea what a butterfly pull up is, watch the video below (it's dramatic, and in slow motion!).  The ring dips felt awesome today - I did all sets of 8 UB without any problem.

Power Snatch

15 minutes to work up to heavy (not max) POWER clean

3 x 65

4 x 85

3 x 105

5 x 115

NOTES:  These felt pretty good considering I'm better at squat snatches. I actually video taped myself today.  I think it's super helpful. I'm going to try and start doing this more often for my Oly lifts. 

Back Squat

10 minutes to find 1RM

1 x 125

1 x 175

1 x 195

1 x 220

1 x 230

NOTES: I'm glad I went for 230 again today.  I wasn't feeling super strong on these, but my form seemed better. 

Helen

3 RFT

400m Run

21 KB Swings (35)

12 Pull Ups

TIME: 844

NOTES: I tried to run hard, since it was only 3 rounds. The first two 400s felt pretty great (minus the fact that we have to run around a city block), but I kind of died on the last one. I did all the KB swings easily UB. The pull-ups were alright. The first 12 were unbroken, then 7-5, then something like 5-4-3 (I think I might have done like 15 pull ups on the last set...). I'm pretty pleased with this time.  I did Helen back in September and recorded a 10:14 - so I had a pretty significant time drop (and I know that I was probably running a lot faster then - I've gotten slower and slower as I've progressed further into CrossFit and further away from track). 

4 Rounds Not For Time:

20 x Hollow Rocks

20 x Hip Extensions on GHD

Ring Muscle Ups

1 MU every 30 seconds for 10 minutes

NOTES: This felt pretty good.  I didn't cash out on these. They stayed pretty consistent throughout the whole 10 minutes.  I'm getting more and more comfortable on the rings. 

Bar Muscle Ups

NOTES: A group of us were messing around with these. I think I did about 20 total over a period of time. I was doing consistent sets of 3, and I got in one set of 5 and one set of 7.  These felt great. 

Shoulder Mobility/Stabilization

Cheers to polka-dot rainboots! 

May it Please the Court

Today was all about Law School.

I had my first day in 'court' this evening.

I presented an oral argument in favor of granting a motion for summary judgement in front of a panel of three Justices at the Daley Center.

In sum, my case was about not holding innocent, hardworking physicians (like my client) liable for unforeseeable injuries to third-party non-patients. Plaintiff (opposing counsel) had the burden of proving that a special relationship existed between Plaintiff and Defendant's patient and that Plaintiff's injuries were reasonably foreseeable.

Even though these facts might not seem very interesting to you, they made for riveting oral arguments.

Me and Adrienne at the Daley Center. Post-Domination! 

It's always fun to suit up and show off those lawyer-ly skills.



And, of course, this can be related to CrossFit...

CrossFit challenges me everyday. I'm used to competition, and I'm used to having to work hard and work controlled even when my heart rate and my adrenaline are uncontrollably spiking. These practiced skills definitely came in handy tonight.

Giving an eight minute oral argument and a two minute rebuttal sounds a lot better than a Fran-rap.  Just saying.



Cheers to Suit-Up!

Stupid 'Nancy'

4pm @ RNCF

3 x Skill Work
10 x Deficit HSPU
2 x Rope Climb
10  x Triple Unders

NOTES: The pushups felt average. I should probably note that this is my 6th consecutive training day...Rope climbs felt great. I focused on controlling my descent. The triple unders are really fun.  I was actually able to link these together after Andy pointed out that it's much more efficient to jump without tucking - so it's easier to rebound off the landing.

Squat Clean & Jerk
15 minutes to work to heavy (not max) C&J
1 x 85
1 x 125
2 x 145
5 x 155

NOTES: I need to focus on keeping my elbows up in my jerk. I keep letting the bar slide down my chest.  When I actually focused on this and corrected it on one of the 155# reps, the bar felt like it weighed about 10 pounds.  It was sweet.

Back Squat
10 minute to find 1RM
5 x 125
1 x 175
1 x 195
1 x 215
1 x 230 (PR!!)

NOTES: These felt pretty good today.  I'm glad I sucked it up and threw on the extra five pounds today.

Waited for about 20ish minutes to jump in with the class WOD...

Nancy
5 RFT:
400m Run
15 OH Squats (65)

TIME: 14:33 (Boo)
NOTES:  (Warning: Pitty Party) This was the worst my back has hurt since 13.2. I could barely shuffle my feet or squat below parallel.  This made me feel stupid and extremely non-crossfit.  It's also really embarrassing to have a background in track and field and then suck at running.  Clearly I'm upset with my awful performance. Ugh.  Nancy is dumb and she is not my friend.

Rest 15-20ish minutes...

3 RFT:
100 DU
20 Pistols (alternating legs)
10 Shoulder to OH (105)

TIME: 10:30
NOTES: The DU felt pretty good.  I was doing 60-20-20, or pretty close thereto.  The pistols actually felt great, considering this is like the 3rd time I've ever done them. The shoulder to OH were jerks, and the only place I felt these were in my quads.  I don't even think my shoulders were activating at all.

Checkout:
3 Rounds Not for Time:
10 x GH Sit-Up
10 x GHD Raise

NOTES: I should probably do these more often. I  never mess with the GHD.


Unfortunately I left my diary (aka CrossFit log book) at RNCF tonight.  But, I think it's pretty impressive that I wrote this all from memory.  Hopefully no one steals it and uncovers all my super secrete training secrets...


Cheers to lemon-lime Gatorade!  (that stuff is like sunshine in a bottle)

'Girls' Test Week

4:30 @ RNCF

This week I'm testing a lot of the 'Girls' WODs.  Get excited! 

3 x Skill Work
10 Butterfly Pull ups
5 Sots Press
10 OH Squats

Snatch
15 minutes to work to Heavy (not max) Snatch
6 x 65
5 x 85
4 x 105
3 x 115

NOTES: I was really trying to focus on form today, and I think it really paid off. 115 felt really great.  I wasn't jumping forward too much, and I was catching it in a good position right over my head.

Back Squat
15 minutes to work up to 1RM
1 x 135
1 x 185
1 x 205
1 x 215
1 x 225

NOTES: I felt good up until 225.  At 225 I paused way to long at the bottom and struggled to get back up.  It was not pretty and I broke form pretty bad.  I let this weight play a mental game with me.  I just need to focus and get after it like all my other lifts.

'Amanda'
9 Squat Snatches (95)
9 MU
7 Squat Snatches (95)
7 MU
5 Squat Snatches (95)
5 MU

TIME: 8:41
NOTES: Surprisingly  the last round of snatches felt better and more comfortable than my first round.  I think as I fatigued I thought more about form and pulling. I did all these as quick singles.  The snatches were by far the 'rest' period of this WOD. The MUs felt pretty good.  I just really need to learn how to string this guys together in WODs.  I did all singles, which is a huge, huge, huge waste of time. I also need to learn how much time to allow myself between singles. I only missed one MU (3rd one in on round 3).  It was actually a pretty bad miss that kinda tweaked my elbow, but I'm feeling fine now. Andy suggested I do some EMOTM MU work.  I think that's a great idea.

   

Shoulder Mobility


Cheers to leopard print umbrellas!

My Sister, the Outstanding

This weekend my amazing, beautiful, smart, athletic, spunky sister received the 

Outstanding Junior Award at Indiana State University! 

This award is given to juniors for their outstanding achievement, service to their class, and for living up to the ideals and values of the university. 

    

You're awesome! And you deserve it! 

Congratulations Seester! 

Cheers to Kelly! 

Meet me at the Track

9am @ Chicago Avenue Track

800m Warm-Up

Dynamic Stretching

Medball Medley
20 AMRAP
6 Ball Slams (10lb)
9 OH Squats with Medball
12 Sit-Ups with Medball
400m Run with Medball

ROUNDS: 6
NOTES: I was having major flashbacks to the good ole days of running track & field when I met a group from RNCF at the track this morning. Like most track practices, it was cold, windy, and drizzling  Perfect combination for repeat 400s, with added medball fun.

My shoulder were super sore from last week's training, so I ended up only running two of my 400s with the medball. I decided it would be better to try and run these 400s as fast as I could, than to blow up my shoulders while simply shuffling my feet around the track.

It felt good to get out there and run. My lungs felt great. My shoulders did not.

I'm definitely looking forward to more track WODs as the weather warms up!



Cheers to red lipstick!

Prowler Push

8am @ RNCF

Shoulder Mobility

Hip Mobility

Partner WOD
25 AMRAP
6 Squat Clean Thrusters (95)
2 Ropes Climbs
10 Wall Balls (10ft target)
[rest while your partner completes one round]

ROUNDS: 12 + 6
NOTES: This was an awesome WOD. It was made even more difficult by the fact that I partnered up with Mr. Doug 'Lightening Speed' Germano, so I felt like I had no rest. I'm super proud of my progress on rope climbs. This was the first time I had ever done rope climbs in a WOD...and I did 12 of them. The squat clean thrusters weren't too bad. I'm just not used to doing thrusters over 65, so the first round was a little shocking.  I did my wall balls to the men's height, which took some getting used to. Overall, great workout. I was super gased by the end.


Rest 20ish minutes.

Prowler Push
10 AMRAP
50m Sled Push (120)
100m Run

ROUNDS: ? (5-7)
NOTES: I didn't keep track of my rounds, I just tried to keep moving the entire time. If you ever want to attract a lot of attention to yourself, take one of these sleds and push it down the sidewalks of downtown Chicago.

This was the first time I had ever played with sleds. It was actually really fun.  My quads were on fire from the combination of heavy squat clean thrusters and this beast, but it felt good. I am definitely glad to be outside running again (even though it snowed today!?).

Shoulder Stability/Mobility

I made the difficult decision last night to accept my Individual bid to Regionals. I'm super pumped to see how I perform against the best of the best in the North Central Region. 

Cheers to Snow?! 

Claudia

5pm @ RNCF

3 x Skill Work
8-10 Deficit HSPU
10 Toes to Bar
10 Triple Unders (!)

NOTES: My shoulder/arms/chest are actually really sore from Cindy yesterday, so the deficit HSPU were harder than usual. I did my first set of 8 unbroken, then two sets of four, then three sets of three. The toes to bar felt great. I'm working on making those quick with less of a kip. The triple unders were really fun. I'm not able to link them together, but I could string together a triple under, a couple DUs, triple under, DUs, etc.

Power Clean & Jerk
15 minutes to establish 1RM
1 x 85
1 x 125
1 x 145
1 x 165
1 x 175 (just power clean, no jerk)

NOTES: I was surprised how easy the 165 power clean felt. Andy told me to stop when I started splitting my legs/not landing my clean in a normal position. I caught 175 with my legs a little wider than I would have liked, and my elbow is bothering me, so I didn't jerk it. I wish that I could've had someone watching these power cleans. I don't really know what these are supposed to look like/feel like.

Back Squat
15 minutes to establish 1RM
1 x 125
1 x 175
1 x 195
1 x 205
1 x 215
1 x 225

NOTES: I'm definitely getting more confident under heavier weight. I like this squat program that Andy has me on (aka squat heavy every day).

'Claudia' 
5 RFT
20 KB Swings (53)
400m Run

TIME: 16:10
NOTES: I really wish I could have done this workout with someone. I did men's RX, so I don't know if my time was slow because the weight was heavy, or if I was just running slow. I have no idea if this is a respectable time. I did my first two sets of KB swings unbroken, then the last three I did 12-8. My back really tightened up on the run.  And it was windy.  And it was drizzling   It was just not a very pleasant experience, to say the least.

Work on a Weakness: 
5 x 20 Ab Mat Sit-Ups (30 second rest)

NOTES: I have pretty great sit-up endurance, but I'm pretty slow at them.  I tried to go as fast as possible.



Cheers to Toy Story on Disney Channel!

Cindy

1pm @ RNCF

3 x Skill Work
2 Rope Climbs
10 x Butterfly Pull-Ups
8 x Ring Dips

NOTES: These rope climbs actually felt pretty good once I got the hang of it.  The hardest part for me is actually coming down the rope. I'm feeling the after effects of the rope climb now - aka rope burn on inner thigh. Not attractive. The butterflies were still annoying. The ring dips felts great.

Snatch Work
3 x5 Sots Press (snatch grip shoulder press while in squat position)
5 x 3 Snatch Pulls (110)
15 minutes to find Max Snatch
1 x 85
1 x 105
1 x 115
1 x 125
1 x 132 (fail, fail, fail, fail)

NOTES: After Regionals I have to completely deconstruct this movement. I can pull a lot of weight over my head and get under it - BUT I am doing it in the most inefficient way possible. My hips are shooting up without my chest, I'm not pulling the bar backwards, I'm not bending my arms, I'm jumping forward, and the the list goes on. My previous PR is 130. Snatches make me angry when I can't hit my max. Ugh.

Back Squat
15 minutes to find 1RM
1 x 125
1 x 175
1 x 195
1 x 205
1 x 215

NOTES: 205 felt good. I don't think I actually broke parallel on the 215, so I stopped. My 'squat awareness' was kind of off and I was still thinking about the snatches.

'Cindy'
20 AMRAP:
5 Pull Ups
10 Hand-Release Push Ups
15 Air Squats

ROUNDS: 22 + 24
NOTES: I did the WOD with the 2:00 class. It was fun to jump in a class again. I haven't workout out in a class since before the Open started. These 'middle distance' workouts confuse me. When I finished I wasn't really that fatigued (besides my push-ups starting to suck). I honestly could have kept up that same pace for a lot longer. It's easy for me to go all out and it's easy for me to settle into a consistent pace, but I need to work on finding the sweetspot between those two extremes.


Shoulder Stability/Mobility 


Core Cashout
4 x 1 minute front plank
2 x 1 minute side plank


Post-Post-WOD:
1/2 mile 'Farmer's Carry' with CrossFit backpack + 7 bags of Groceries

NOTES: To be honest, this was the hardest part of the day. My shoulders were on fire when I finally got back to my apartment.



Cheers to Free Happy Hour!

And You Are Formally Invited To...

I have come to associate Wednesdays with great anxiety and anticipation.

For the past five weeks Wednesdays have consisted of Contracts, Constitutional Law, Legal Writing, and the Open Announcement.

Today was no less exciting.

I opened my Gmail to find this gem.

Should I print it out? Maybe frame it? I'm up for suggestions. 

So, instead of furiously analyzing an Open workout tonight, I ate two pieces of Giordano's deep dish pizza. #notpaleo #rewardyourself 

Cheers to Pepperoni! 

Big Weight

3pm @ RNCF

3 Rounds Skill Work:
8 x Weighted Strict Pull-Ups (5lb)
70ft Handstand Walk
50 DU

NOTES: All of these skills were really fun.  I'm trying to work on making my DUs quicker.

Squat Clean & Jerk
15 minutes to establish 1RM
1 x 85
1 x 115
1 x 145
1 x 155
1 x 165
1 x 175 (PR!!!!)

NOTES: I felt really good on these today once I started using my hips a little more in my squat clean. I have a lot of room for improvement - I still don't have an aggressive hip. BUT, I was really excited about hitting 175! Katie took a video of that rep, and it was really helpful to watch myself. It's crazy how good the jerks feel.

1 x 60% Squat Clean (105) every 15 seconds for 2:00
     right into...
1 x Squat Clean + Hang Clean + Jerk (105) for remaining 3:00

NOTES: This was incredibly light. I actually started doing reps every 10 seconds for the first set and every 15-20 seconds for the complex. I was able to keep my heart rate pretty controlled.

Back Squat
15 Minutes to establish 1RM
1 x 105
1 x 145
1 x 175
1 x 195
1 x 205
1 x 215
1 x 225 (PR!!!) 

NOTES: I am stoked about this back squat!!!! 225 actually felt pretty good until half way up - when I let my core get loose. My squatting has improved so much over the last months. I'm excited to keep training this movement.
SIDE NOTE: When I was putting away my weights I made the ultimate rookie mistake.  I cleared all the weight from one side of the bar, which caused the bar to rocket launch off the rack, hit the pull-up rig, send 100+ lbs of weight scattering throughout the gym, almost take out Emily, and cause a really big scene. My bad.


30-20-10
OH Squat (75)
Toes to Bar

TIME: 7:13
NOTES: I broke up all my OH Squats into sets of 10 and my toes to bar into 5s. I am feeling a lot more comfortable with OH squats. I feel a lot more stable and in control. My legs were definitely fatigued during this WOD, but I still felt pretty good. My hands got pretty sore on the toes to bar.

8 x 250m Row (rest 90 seconds)
1. 1:17 (?)
2. 58.8
3. 58.7
4. 59.2
5. 58.6
6. 57.5
7. 58.3
8. 57.7

NOTES: I have no idea why my first 250 recorded that slow. I think I just messed up the machine. Who knows.  I literally thought my quads were going to burst during the last 4 rounds of this. It was really mentally tough to push hard through those last rounds. It's really good programming to train hard in a fatigued state like that after a long day.


It felt so great to final hit some heavy weights again.  I'm really excited to get back in the gym on Thursday.  (But I think my legs are more excited that tomorrow is a rest day.)




Cheers to a surprise visit from Aunt Heidi and Casey!

(Wo)Man Test

5pm @ RNCF

[First day of Andy's Programming!]

Thank you Billy for the awesome pictures from 13.5. 

3 Rounds Not for Time:
Work on Butterfly Pull-Ups
5 x Snatch Grip Push Press
10 x OH Squat (upright with weight in heels!)

NOTES: Butterflying makes me crazy. It just doesn't click with me. Ugh. Just need (alot) more practice.

Back Squat:
15 Minutes to work up to 1RM Back Squat
4 x 125
1 x 175
1 x 195
1 x 205

NOTES: I actually felt pretty good at 205, but I'm really scared to dump/bail on back squats because I have this awful habit of dumping it over my head - which is very dangerous. I realized today that this mental game of dumping the bar has really limited me on pushing my back squat as high as I know it can go. So, after I got to 205 I took some weight off and practiced dumping it off my back.  Hopefully I get more comfortable with this ASAP.

'Man Test'
5 - 4 - 3- 2 - 1
Squat Snatch (95)
Deficit HSPU (each hand on 45# plate)
5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1
Clean and Jerk (155)
Pistols
5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1
Dead Lift (185)
Muscle Ups

TIME: 22:40
NOTES: First off, that's sexist that it's called the Man Test! Where's the Woman Test!? 
Round 1: (4:08)     Round 2: (8:48)     Round: (9:44)
I was actually pretty pleased with this performance   It felt good to combine super heavy weight with highly technical skills. This is why I love CrossFit. There were like a million people at the gym today, so I had to keep moving my bar around and waiting for people to move (so I wouldn't drop 155# on them...). Needless to say, my transitions were not great and I took quite a bit of rest.

Scapula Stabilization:
2 Rounds Not for Time:
Trap 3
External Rotation
1 Arm Reverse Fly

NOTES: Perform each movement with 3 second negative.


I can already tell, from Day 1, that Andy's programming and coaching is going to be phenomenal  I'm really pumped for Regionals, but I'm even more excited to train hard next season!



Cheers to Spring Weather!

The END of the OPEN

Saturday Evening Festivities:

I had a fabulous time at Barrister's Ball (aka Law School Prom) last night. The night's activities included a mashed potato bar, a light up dance floor, and an open bar. Win. Win. Win. (I wanted to post evidence that I do, indeed, wear non-athletic clothes...on occasion.)

11am @ RNCF

13.5

15 Thrusters (65)

15 Chest to Bar Pull-Ups

[if you complete 90 reps in first 4:00, you get an additional 4:00]

REPS: 130 (!!!!)
NOTES:  I decided to make life interesting and finish the 90 reps at 3:59! That was a bit scary. I was able to get THREE more reps out of this beast! It was a great way to end this epic Open.

Rounds	Rep Breakdown	Time		Split (2nd Attempt) (1st Attempt)
1 Thruster	8/7	:27		(:27) (:27)
1 C2B	8/7	:58		(:32) (:33)
2 Thruster	8/7	1:34		(:36) (:35)
2 C2B	6/4/3/2	2:19		(:45) (:44)
3 Thruster	8/7	2:58		(:39) ( - )
3 C2B	3/2/2/2/2/2/2	3:59		(1:01) ( - )
4 Thruster	5/5/5	5:30		(1:31) (1:48)
4 C2B	2/2/2/2/2/2/2/1	7:11		(1:41) (1:44)
5 Thruster	5/3/2	8:00		(:49) (:35)
TOTAL	130

REGIONALS:

As many of you know (or don't), the top 48 men and women from each region get an automatic bid to Regionals.

And guess what?

As of 8:29 CST, I am 47th in the North Central Region!



Not very many know how many hours and how much effort I have put into this. It is the best feeling in the world to accomplish this.

I'm usually not proud of myself - I set pretty high standards - but I feel so great about these last five weeks. I literally left everything I had in the gym every single week. ( I even puked a total of five times...) I wouldn't change anything.


ALSO...


The top 30 teams from each region qualify for Regionals.

And I'm sure you can probably guess what the good news is.

River North CrossFit is 9th in the North Central Region!

A team consists of the gyms top three men and top three women.

RNCF at CrossFit Crown Point's Winter Classic 

Needless to say, BRING IT ON REGIONALS! 

Cheers to FREAKIN QUALIFYING FOR REGIONALS!!!!!!!!