Snatch Work & 'Jack'

9am at River North CrossFit

3 Rounds Not for Time
Do the entire complex unbroken
5 BB Sots Press
5 Snatch grip press
5 OH Squats
5 BB Jump squats
5 snatch balance

NOTES: This was a fun complex to warm up with. I have to remember the snatch balance set up: start with feet in jumping stance, then jump feet out wider when you squat.

Snatch
30+ minutes of technique

NOTES: This is what I have been begging for all summer. Andy coached me through about a million and a half reps today. We actually took the time to strip down the bar and pull a ton of reps from the high hang.

Here are the cues that actually worked:
'jump' back (aka lean back with your shoulders - think BACK instead of thinking 'don't jump forward')
don't JUMP (you do NOT need to jump off the ground - your feet will move on their own)
squeeze shoulder blades together
keep shoulders rotated back (correct posture!)

I think that these session really sunk in. I'm hopefully that we elicited some lasted change. FINALLY

OH Squat
Find 1RM

1 x 95
1 x 125
1 x 145
1 x 165 (failed back jerk, make)
1 x 175
1 x 185 PR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
1 x 190 (fail, fail)

NOTES: I am ecstatic about this PR. I think OH squat is a very tricky lift, so I'm glad that I'm getting better at it. And the best part about the lift was that it didn't feel that heavy. I KNOW (and Andy agrees) that I could have gotten 190#, but I was really tired and lost focus by this point. I'll get it next time.

Back Squat
Find 1RM
1 x 190
1 x 215
1 x 230 (fail)
1 x 225

NOTES: The weirdest thing has been happening on my squats. I am able to drop, get up from the bottom, and get about 3/4 of the way up, but then I get stuck. It's like I loose all tension in my quads and my glutes, so I loose all momentum and can't stand it up. It's really annoying - especially because it looks like I'm just giving up. I have to keep remembering that I haven't squatted heavy for several months and that I took a whole week off from legs.

'Jack'
20 AMRAP
10 Push Press (85)
10 KB Swings (35#)
10 Box Jumps (20")

ROUNDS: 11 + 24
NOTES: I did my first 6-7 sets of push presses UB, then I broke the rest up into sets of 6-4. I tried really hard not to put the bar down. The KB swings were fine, but I could tell that my shoudlers were fatigued from the 100 pull ups I had done less than 12 hours ago. My legs were feeling a little sluggish (from maxing on BS and rowing last night), so I felt more comfortable stepping down from the box. It kept my breathing under control and it saved my calves/ankles/knees. I wish I would have been chasing people. I'm kind of mad that I didn't pick up the pace at the last 2min. I pretty much kept the same intensity the entire time. I wouldn't be surprised in my splits were almost all identical - which is good and bad. I had enough energy 'saved' up at the end to go harder.



Cheers to cite checking!

#Angie

7:00pm @ RNCF

General Warm Up

"Angie"
100 Pull Ups
100 Push Ups
100 Sit Ups
100 Air Squats

TIME: 14:01
NOTES: I was super happy that I got to do this WOD with Katie. She is the best at body weight/endurance WODs, so it was good for me to try and keep up. I set the pace for the pull ups. I got done in 4:30. I butterflied for about the first 25, but it always feels like it's grinding my shoulder. Not good. I started with sets of 15-10, then 5, then 3, then 2. I only had to do 2 singles at the very end. I don't want to make excuses, but the bar was SO slippery tonight. My hands were literally sliding right off. Ugh. The push ups were awful. I did sets of 10 till about 50, then I did a mix of sets of 3-10. My form is awful. My biggest downfall in this WOD was the sit-ups. I got off the bar like 10 or so reps before Katie, and I was able to get in almost 20 sit-ups before she got down on the ab mat. BUT she beat me by almost 20 reps. So Katie was basically doing 2 situps for my 1. This is not acceptable. I did all the situps UB and I was moving as fast as my body would allow me. After the WOD, Katie showed me her 'trick'. She lifts her hips off the ground when she throws her body back, so she can used the force and the kip of her hips to help propell her body forward. I think this will help. I need to practice it more. The squats were sneaky. I did 50 squats super duper fast without any fatigue. But at about 55 I hit a wall. I finished with a set of 25, 10, 10.

Katie and I are going to do Thursday night WODs together. I'm excited :)

Power Clean
15min to find 1RM Power clean
1 x 85
1 x 125
1 x 155
1 x 170
1 x 180 (fail, make)

NOTES: I haven't done a ton of heavy power cleans lately. I've been focusing on good oly form - so I've been squat cleaning a lot more. I was glad I could get 180# up. I could have probably gone up a little bit, but my wrist was bothering me and I ran out of time.

Jerk
Find 1RM jerk from the blocks
1 x 125
1 x 155
1 x 175
1 x 185 (fail, make)

NOTES: It literally took me longer to move, set-up, and rebuild the blocks then it did for me to actually find my 1RM. Annoying! Katie pointed out that I need to take every rep seriously. I need to do the same form, drop low, and stick each landing like I would for a max. The blocks were a little bit too high for me, so I would kind of brush it on my dip, which would throw off my mojo. I'm glad I got 185#. When I watched the video, it actually looked pretty good. I'm looking forward to getting these numbers back up.

Back Squat
1RM back squat off blocks
1 x 185
1 x 215
1 x 225

NOTES: My legs were feeling kind of fatigued once I got to these. I tried to focus on keeping my core tight. I was able to stand up 225# a lot easier than I did on Monday. I didn't attempt 235# because I could tell my back was getting tired and I didn't want to sacrifice form just for a couple more pounds.

Rowing
8 x 250 with 1:30 rest

57.3
57.9
58.2
57.9
58.6
58.8
59.6

NOTES: I tried to stay as consistent as I could on my rows tonight. I think my form is getting better, but I still pull to my neck/collar bone. That's not good. My butt hurt and I was sweating a lot when I was done, so I think it did its job.



Cheers to block parties!

Power Cleans & Burpees

6pm @ RNCF

3 Rounds Not for Time
5 2 arm C&J with KB (26)
20 Hollow Rocks
2 Rope Climbs

NOTES: I had never done C&J with the KB. It was interesting. I had a problem keeping the KB in close to my body.

Clean & Jerk
20min to find 1RM
1 x 85
1 x 125
1 x 155
1 x 170
1 x 180 (failed jerk, make!)

NOTES: I usually never fail on my jerk. That was strange for me. I actually hit myself in the chin with the bar on the way up and it totally threw me off. It also hurt pretty bad. Even though I wasn't catching the squat cleans in a good position, I was able to stand them up. Even just a couple of months ago, standing up a 180# front squat when your butt is pretty much on the ground would have been out of the question. Now, I'm confident in my legs and my ability to correct poor form - which I don't know if that is a good or a bad thing. My back felt a little bothered on the cleans, so I decided not to push it. I found my 1RM for TODAY. I'm trying to listen to my body more. And it was definitly telling me to stop.

Deadlift
Find 1RM dead
5 x 135
1 x 180
1 x 215
1 x 245
1 x 265 (fail, fail)

NOTES: I am just going to put this out there right away...I HATE dead lifts. They scare me and they get in my head. Because of my history of back surgery/degenerative disc disease, etc., I am really weary of maxing on deads just for the sake of maxing. To better explain how irrational I am about deadlifting, I felt like I needed to 'warm up' with a couple reps at 135. If you remember (or if you read the above entry), I had just gotten done squat cleaning and lifting 180# over my head. But, yet, I was scared to just pick it off the ground. I'm a weirdo. When I started to lift 265 off the ground I felt my back curl and my low back start to pull, so I immediatley set it back down. That happened twice.

WOD
3 Rounds
15 Power Cleans (145#)
20 Burpees (must touch target 6" above reach)

TIME: 9:59
NOTES: This is an adaptation of the WOD that RNCF did today. It was fun to throwdown with Kayla and Mr. RxBar! I was pretty pleased with my effort. I was surprised how quickly 145# got heavy. I was able to bang out 6 UB reps in the first round, followed by some more UB reps. After I got to about rep 11-12, I pulled singles the entire time. I thought I did a good job getting right back on the bar after I dropped it and took a breath. I tried to move quickly and efficiently through the burpees. I'm glad I did them with the Games standard - it totally changes up the difficulty.


This isn't anything new, but tonight I realized how bad I want to be a great CrossFit competitor. If you want it, you definitely have to put in the work. And then some. And I am 100% willing to do that. Hopefully some changes happen soon :)



Cheers to pennies!

Got My Legs Back!

Monday, August 26, 2013

7:30AM @ RNCF

3 Rounds Not for Time
10 Bottom Up KB (#18, 5 x #26)
10 T2B
10 KB Swings (44, 53, 62)

NOTES: I'm happy that I feel a lot more comfortable with heavy swings. I remember how terrified I used to be of the 53# KB. I used to be a wimp! ha.

Snatch
20min to find Max snatch
2 x 65 (power)
1 x 85 (power)
1 x 100 (power)
1 x 110 (squat)
1 x 120 (squat) fail, make
1 x 125 (squat) fail, make
1 x 130 (squat) fail, fail, fail, make...thank goodness

NOTES: I would have flipped out if I didn't get the 130. I wasn't going to stop until I made it. I kept missing the first rep because the bar was so far in front of me. But, I was able to control my jump a little bit better. It's just really frustrating working by myself. How am I supposed to get better if I never have any eyes on me?

Back Squat
1RM in 4-5 reps
1 x 125
1 x 175
1 x 225
1 x 235 (fail)

NOTES: Considering that I haven't squatted heavy in ages and I took an entire week off from all legs, I was pretty excited that I was able to get up 225#. I should've gotten 235, but I stalled really long at the bottom. I also dropped all that weight on my low back/tailbone because I didn't get out of the way fast enough at the bottom. Or, as Andy so professionally explained, I didn't thrust my hips hard enough or fast enough forward. My hips don't lie.

Push Press
1RM push press in 4-5 reps
1 x 85
1 x 135
1 x 150
1 x 162 fail, fail, make (PR!...)

NOTES: I'm not a fan of push press. Why wouldn't you just use your legs? It doesn't seem very functional to me. Anyways...I got a 2# PR. A PR is a PR, right? I don't work a lot on strict presses. I probably should. With a 200# jerk, I think my push press should be higher.

WOD
5 Rounds
1 Frog Complex (95)(5 x squat clean thruster to back thruster)
10 Pull-Ups
200m Run

TIME: 14:20 (slow)
NOTES: This was awful to do alone. I knew I needed to rest a little bit before I got on the bar, since the whole thing has to be unbroken. 95# got kind of heavy, but breathing was more of an issue than the weight. I also spent a considerable amount of energy to make sure that all of my pull-ups were UB. I have an issue of dropping off the pull-up bar at 5 reps. I'm trying to train myself to keep on the bar for at least sets of 10. I needed someone to push me to the bar.


It was definitely a different world at RNCF this morning. The AM crew and the PM crew are polar opposites. It will be an adjustment.


On the law school side of things, it's baaaaaack! Loyola Law School has welcomed me back with a full load of courses and all the extra-cirriculars you could ever want.

I will not be in the gym on Tuesdays because I have 10 hours of class. Ten. Hours. That's a lot of learning, folks.




Cheers to prepositions!

4 Miles (kinda)

9:00am @ River North CrossFit

Warm Up
400m Run
Dynamic Stretching
Shoulder Mobility

Partner WOD:
4 Miles (20 laps)
150 Pull Ups
200 Burpess
250 Ab Mat Sit-Ups

Partners will be working at the same time, but they cannot work on the same exercise. You must complete each movement before moving onto the next one.

TIME: 36:5?
NOTES: I think Kayla and I strategized and executed this WOD very well. For the entirety of the workout we each ran 1 lap at a time. I started off the pull ups by doing 25 UB. This probably wasn't the smartest decision, but I didn't want to be the first person on my rig to fall off the bar! I was able to get in 37 pull ups before Kayla came in from the run. Kayla was doing about 25 pull ups each round and I was sticking pretty close to 35ish. The burpees were A LOT easier than I thought they were going to be. We were both doing sets of about 30-40 each round. The hardest part of the whole workout was the running after/during the pull ups and the burpees because my shoulders were so locked up. The ab mat sit-ups were 'easy', as to be expected. We were cranking out sets of 50+ each round with ease. Kayla got done with the ab-mats when I was on our 16th lap. It felt strange to be resting in between these final runs, but it did make us run a lot faster.



Cheers to pink post-its!

Muscle it Up

5:30pm @ RNCF

3 Rounds Not for Time
10 Reverse flys in GHD (5# DBs)with 3 second negative
5 Wall Walks

NOTES: I had never done reverse flys in the GHD. I tried to focus on squeezing my shoulder blades together as hard as I could the whole time. It was a good new movement. Andy prescribed 2 wall walks, but that was just way too easy. I bumped it up to 5 UB wall walks, which still wasn't too bad. It was a good warmup.

WOD
Every 2min for 20min to max UB muscle-ups

Round 1 - 7
Round 2 - 5
Round 3 - 5
Round 4 - 5
Round 5 - 4
Round 6 - 4
Round 7 - 5
Round 8 - 5
Round 9 - 4
Round 10 - 4

TOTAL: 48
NOTES: I was disappointed with my first set of 7. The only reason I came off the rings was because my grip was slipping (I didn't put any chalk on my hands). I should have tried to rest longer on the top of the rings when I felt my grip was going. I was very surprised that I was able to maintain sets of 5 for awhile. The last two sets of 4 were kind of scary. I didn't attempt the 5th rep because it felt like I was going to slide right off the rings - which is a terrifying feeling. But, overall, I can admit that my muscle ups have come a long, long way in a relatively short amount of time. (In the Open I didn't link ANY of the MUs)

Planks
5 x 1min planks (30 sec rest)

V-Ups
2 x 20 V-ups

NOTES: Ab work is pretty boring. It was fine. Nothing special. It sucks limiting my workouts.


Cheers to sweet potato pancakes!

SWEAT ON STATE

5:00pm @ Sweat on State

Warm Up
3 Rounds
30 second Plank
30 second high knees
30 seconds of pull ups
30 second butt kick

NOTES: This was a lot different than my typical "skills" warm up. It was very fast and to the point. It got my muscles warmed up and my heart beating a little bit faster.

WOD
1500m Row
5 Rounds
5 Burpee Ball Hops (Do a burpee and then jump over the med ball)
20 Med ball twists (20# ball)
1000m Row
5 Rounds
5 Burpee Ball Hops
20 Med ball twists
500m Row

TIME: 21:5?
NOTES: The gym lived up to its name - I definitely got in a good SWEAT! I tried to go pretty hard on the row. I was able to keep my rower between 2:00-2:05 for the 1500. The 1000m was the hardest. It felt like I was on the rower forever. I was trying to keep it below 2:10, but it crept up to about 2:18 at one point. I was able to keep the rower a little above 2:00 on the 500. I was proud of my focus on my rowing form. I'm not going to say that it was perfect by any means, but it's definitely improving. (It helped that Sweat has a wall of mirrors right in front of their rowers). The burpess ball hops were easy. The med ball twists were extremely hard. I was surprised that I had to break these into sets of 10. The ball kept slipping out of my hands and it was burning my forearms. Overall, great workout.

I highly recommend everyone checking out Sweat on State (1165 N. State St., Chicago)! Katie and Liu are both amazing trainers with great knowledge about fitness and healthy bodies. If you want to get in a great workout with a great group of people, you know where to go.

Thanks for letting me drop in and get my SWEAT on, Katie! I will for sure be back!



Cheers to brand new tweezers!

Benching and OH "Running" Failure

6pm @ RNCF

3 Rounds Not for Time
10 Ab Rolls (bar with 5's on each side - start on knees and roll bar till nose touches floor)
10 Ring Dips

NOTES: The ab rolls were fun, but not that challenging. I used to do these a ton when I was in the 'globo gym' setting - so it's weird to bring them back. The ring dips were good. I was able to go UB on all of them pretty easy.

Bench
3 x 80% (115), 2 x 85% (125), 1 x 90% (130)
3 x 85% (125), 2 x 90% (130), 1 x 95% (140)
3 x 90% (130), 2 x 95% (140)

NOTES: I don't mind benching, but I hate waiting for people to spot me. I feel like I'm wasting my time and their time. Andy is the best spotter...I was happy that I got two good reps at 140 in today. Hopefully all this benching is paying off.

WOD
10 AMRAP
100m OH "run" (45# plate)
10 T2B

ROUNDS: 5 + run
NOTES: I consider this an epic fail. The whole point of the OH run was to tax my shoulders, but it ended up murdering my forearms instead. Since I have little, baby hands, I couldn't reach my hands around the plate when I was carrying it. Because of this, all of the bouncing weight was balanced on my two thumbs. It was extremely uncomfortable and my forearms blew up like crazy. The T2B were fine, but it was hard to grip the pull up bar. If I had to do this again, I would sacrifice the weight (move down to a 25#) in order to engage the right muscle groups.

Shoulder Mobility



Cheers to Allie back in Chicago!

Strict Pull-Ups

Tuesday, August 20

6pm @ RNCF

3 Rounds Not for Time:
10 T2B
10 GHD

NOTES: The GHDs felt pretty good today. The T2B feel great.

WOD
12 EMOM 5 Strict Pull-Ups

Round 1 - 5
Round 2 - 5
Round 3 - 5
Round 4 - 5
Round 5 - 5
Round 6 - 5
Round 7 - 5
Round 8 - 5
Round 9 - 4 + 1
Round 10 - 3 + 1 + 1
Round 11 - 3 + 1 + 1
Round 12 - 3 + 1 + 1

NOTES: I haven't done strict pull ups for awhile. I was actually pleased that I could do that many UB before I had to go to sets of 1. It's the most uncomfortable feeling to do things strict because you know if you just kip a little bit it will be so much easier. But, I'm glad that I'm doing all these things strict. I think it's good to go back to the basics.

Planking
6 Minutes of continuous planking
3 x 1 Minute forward plank + 30 sec right side plank + 30 sec left side plank

NOTES: I thought that doing all these as separate movements would be a waste of time - so I just strung them all together and got in a solid 6minutes of ab work. It really wasn't that bad. My shoulders were the only thing burning at the end.



Cheers to couch pillows!

Death by Strict HSPUs

7:00pm @ RNCF

Unfortunately my quad has been bothering me. I think I tweaked it a couple weeks ago doing some heavy squats. In order to let it heal, I'm completely cutting out lower body this week. I know I can't just go "light" on the legs. That never works. I always end up going heavy. In order to avoid that, I'm devoting this week to getting jacked shoulder and huge biceps :)

3 Rounds Not for Time:
50ft HS Walk
15 Hip Extensions

NOTES: It's always interesting to do HS walks at RNCF when there are a ton of people there. I tried to make it work. I was able to go pretty much UB each time - with only a few obstacles.

Strict Press
Find 1RM
1 x 65
1 x 85
1 x 95
1 x 105
1 x 110 PR!
1 x 115 PR!!

NOTES: My previous PR was 105, which I think was done in December sometime. I literally never do these. I feel so awkward not using my legs - because you know if you just bend your knees the weight will just fly up. I'm as excited as you can be for a strict press PR. ha

Death by Strict HSPU
Every 2min for 20min, Max strict HSPU
Round 1 - 21
Round 2 - 15
Round 3 - 10
Round 4 - 10
Round 5 - 10
Round 6 - 10
Round 7 - 10
Round 8 - 10
Round 9 - 10
Round 10 - 10

TOTAL: 116
NOTES: This was significantly harder than I anticipated. I also fell off super quick. The first set felt awesome! The second set felt pretty hard, and then the rest of the sets were struggles. This was the first time in a long time that I've isolated one body part for an entire workout. By the end of the 'workout' I wasn't breathing hard and I wasn't sweaty, but - no joke - my shoulders blew up and I looked like a linebacker. It was a really strange feeling. It felt like my traps were touching my ears...that might be a little bit exaggerated.

Shoulder Mobility




Cheers to 'Tell me a little bit about yourself'!

P.S. I have my first 'professional' interview tomorrow with a big Chicago firm. Fingers crossed!!

4 Girls Partner WOD

9am @ RNCF

Warm Up

Squat Snatches
2 x 85
1 x 105
1 x 125 (three misses)
1 x 130 (three fails)

NOTES: This was the worst snatch day I've had in a long time. It put me in a horrible mood, and my quad hurts. No comment.

Because my quad feels like it's pulled, I sat out the squat cleans and back squats.

Partner WOD:
Diane
21-15-9
Dead Lift (155)
Handstand Push Up

Isabel
30 Clean & Jerks (95)

Helen
400m Run
21 KB Swings (35)
12 Pull Ups

Karen
150 Wall Balls (14#)

TIME: 21:31
NOTES: I thought that Kayla and I did a pretty good job working through this WOD. If we did it again, I would split it up a lot differently. We pretty much did equal work, which I don't think was the smartest idea for us. I should have done a lot more of the HSPU, Clean and Jerks, and Wall Balls. Besides that, we kept a good pace. I'm excited to have a training buddy.

I feel like I did nothing today. I hate that feeling.


Cheers to Chicago Air Show!

'Power' Lifting & Rope Climbs

10:30 @ RNCF (w/ Andy)

2 Rounds Not for Time:
30 UB Wall Balls (16#)
5 KB Snatch (each arm), 35#, 44#
10 BF Chest to bar

NOTES: The wall balls were actually under control today. Thank goodness. I haven't done that many UB wall balls for awhile. It also felt good to do the C2B butterflies. I was doing sets of 5.

Power Snatch
2 x 2 @ 75% (110)
4 x 1 @ 80% (115)

NOTES: It felt strange to do a whole set of power snatches. I've gotten so used to squatting. It was great to have Andy there coaching me. I need to re-program in my brain how I think of 'pull back'. Before, whenever Andy would tell me to pull the bar back, I was essentially just thrusting my hips into the bar, which was popping it even more forward. I need to think more pull from the traps, and not from the hips. He also fixed my starting position: wider grip, butt up, and shoulders pulled back.

Power Clean & Push Jerk
2 x 2+1 @ 75% (150)
4 x 1+1 @ 80% (160)

NOTES: The cleans felt ridiculously easy, but the push jerks felt awkward. I'm not good at stabilizing my low back when I push jerk. When I split jerk, the positioning of my legs cures that problem. I need to get more familiar with this movement.

Snatch Pulls
A lot of pulls with empty bar

NOTES: I practiced pulling BACK, keeping the bar close to my body, and literally falling backwards in my pull.

WOD
5 Rounds
2 Rope Climbs
20 KB Swings (53#)
20 HR Push Ups
20 Walking Lunges
200m Run

TIME: 20:30
NOTES: I felt pretty good about the rope climbs today. I did the first set of KBs UB and the last four rounds in sets of 10/10. And, of course, my push ups were crazy. Mid-WOD, Andy told me I might as well just do push-ups on my knees...I don't really understand walking lunges. They don't do it for me. I actually moved decently quick on the run and tried to get on the rope quickly. It helped that Andy was beating me on the rope climbs and the KB swings - it kept me motivated. I ended up beating him by 1 second :) BUT he'll complain that I didn't do my push ups 'right'. Nothing better than a little friendly competition!

Cheers to Oak Street Beach!

Muscle Ups + Muscle Ups

Thursday, August 15
4:00pm @ RNCF

2 Rounds Not for Time:
50 DU
5 Sots BB Press (men's bar)
5 OH Squat (men's bar)
5 DB Snatch (each arm)(40, 50#)
1 Rope Climb

NOTES: Everything felt pretty good. The DB snatches felt pretty light.

Squat Snatch
2 @ 75% (115)
2 @ 80% (115)
3 x 1 @ 85% (125)
1 @ 80% (115)

NOTES: These highlighted how far forward I am throwing the bar. It was pitiful. I wasn't able to get under the 115 because it was so far in front of me. I did get all my reps in, but I had a lot of no reps. I'm going to try and go work with Terry for a little bit to try and fix all these bugs.

Jerk
2 @ 75% (150)
2 @ 80% (160)
3 x 1 @ 85% (175)

NOTES: I did these off the blocks (after I spent about 20 min trying to assemble them to the correct height and drag them across the floor). Even after lowering the blocks, I still couldn't dip as far as I wanted to without hitting the bottoms of the weights on the top of the blocks - so that made things interesting. I wasn't dropping very far under the bar because the weight wasn't that heavy. But, once I got to 175 and I started dropping, I felt a lot more comfortable.

WOD
5 Rounds
5 MU
10 Shoulder to OH (100# with axle bar)
50 DU

TIME: 15:15
NOTES: I was really proud of this WOD. Before today, I was never ever to link multiple MUs in a WOD. Today, I did the first 5 UB and the last four sets 3/2. I did the first shoulder to OH UB and the rest 7/3. I also ended up breaking up the DU into 35/15 in order to give my shoulders a quick rest so I didn't fatigue.


Cheers to sweet potato fries!

KT Birthday WOD

4:00 @ RNCF!!!!

3 Rounds Not for Time:
5 UB Deficit HSPU
20 Hollow Rocks
10 Pistols

NOTES: The deficit HSPU (off of two 45s) felt amazing, since I have been doing them strict for awhile. The pistols felt a little off. They aggravate my hips.

Front Squat
3 x 125
2 x 155

3 x 2 @ 90% (190)
*I had to scale because I wasn't able to stand up 190.
2 x 175
2 x 185
2 x 185

NOTES: I don't know why my legs still feel so weird. My quads feel like they are going to rip apart. Ugh. I should probably take time off from heavy squats, but that sounds like a terrible idea.

Bench
3 x 80% (115), 2 x 85% (125), 1 x 90% (130)
3 x 85% (125), 2 x 90% (130), 1 x 95% (140)
3 x 90% (130) - failed last rep, 1 x 95% (140)- failed

NOTES: I'm not a huge fan of the bench press. I think it's kind of silly, but Andy told me it will help with all my presses. And since he's the coach, I listen to him (most of the time). I guess I'm bouncing it off my chest, which is a no-no.

KT WOD:
In celebration of Katie's 32nd Birthday!
1 Mile Run
100 Double Unders
90 Box Jumps (20")
80 Burpees
70 Air Squats
60 GHD Sit Ups
50 KB Swings (35)
40 Walking Lunges
30 Pull Ups
20 Push Ups
10 Toes to Bar
1 Mile Run
[45 min. cap]

TIME: I had one more lap (about 330m) to go at 43:53. When I got back the clock was stopped at 45:00. I'm guessing I finished between 45:30-45:45.
NOTES: This is definitely NOT my kind of WOD. Right off the bat, I was behind everyone. I ran a 8:00 first mile, which I was pretty proud of. And then I just started chipping away at the movements. I did the box jumps in sets of 20 (with a step down). I did the burpees in sets of 10-20. All squats UB. GHDs in sets of 5-10. I broke up the KB into three sets. I did 10/10/5/5 on the pull ups. I had a little less than 9 minutes to complete the mile. So I'm guessing that my final mile was about 9:30. This WOD confirmed that I am not "skinnyfit". Where is the barbell!?

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE!

Cheers to butterfly band-aids!

All Things Good Must Come to an End

3:00 @ CrossFit Bloomington Normal

3 Rounds Not for Time
5 Bottoms Up KB Press (26#)
4 MU

NOTES: The transition from the 18# to the 26# KB is crazy! It's really hard to keep it balanced.  It takes a lot more muscle and a lot more concentration. I did two sets of 2 MU each round.  I'm still not comfortable with their rings.

Squat Clean & Jerk
1 x 2 + 1 (75% of clean) (155)
2 x 1 + 1 (80%) (160)
2 x 1 +1 (85%) (170)

NOTES: These felt pretty good, considering my legs are really sore and I have two HUGE, uncomfortable wounds on both of my knee caps that like to break open every time I bend my legs. (Whoever thought that doing burpees on a concrete slab - at the competition - would produce positive results clearly didn't test out that theory).  I don't think I'm jumping forward as much in my cleans, but Andy thinks otherwise.  Since today was my LAST day in Bloomington for the summer, I will actually get to work with Andy in person, not over text/video/awkward phone conversations :)

Back Squat
5 x 2 @ 70% (180)

NOTES: These felt so heavy! I think I messed up my quads a little bit after  I took that week off, and they haven't had a chance to recover.  It wasn't necessarily that the weight felt heavy, it was that my muscles felt like they were going to tear (not literally...).  My form looked good though. 

WOD:
40 DU
20 KB Swings (53)
10 HSPU
800m Run
10 HSPU
20 KB Swings (53)
40 DU

TIME: 7:40
NOTES: For whatever reason, I failed about three times each on the DUs.  I was proud of myself for doing all the KB swings unbroken.  In the second set I figured that I would set it down really quick after about 12.  But, I realized that I have a problem breaking up sets when I don't need to.  I really underestimate how far my body can go.  The HSPU were fine.  All UB with just a little kip.  The run was pretty good.  I actually tried to keep moving pretty fast.

Sprints
8 x 100m Sprint (walk back rest)

NOTES: We didn't really know where the exact 100m mark was, so we guestimated.  I picked a distance that was taking me between 14-15 seconds to run.  I felt so great to move fast.  We never get to sprint in CrossFit, so I felt like I was flying.  It brought me back to my good ole track & field days. I'm really glad that Andy programmed these in.



It's crazy that summer is over and I'm moving back to Chicago tomorrow.

I just want to give a HUGE THANK YOU to Tom and Janelle and FitBodies and Chad and Brian at CrossFit Bloomington Normal for welcoming me into their amazing gyms and standing in as  my substitute coaches for the summer.  You guys are amazing! 

                        

And, of course, I need to get a shout out to the girl that did every workout, every warm up, every strength program with me this entire summer.  Thanks Jenna for being my training buddy all summer long! Thanks for pushing me and motivating me and giving me someone to talk to everyday.  I'm going to miss you and our matching outfits :)  Just let me know when you want to come up and visit me and River North CrossFit!


Cheers to suitcases busting at the seams! 

Battle For The Hill CrossFit Competition

ALL DAY @ Illinois State Fair

Jenna, Krystyna, and I placed SECOND at the Battle for the Hill comp! It was a great day of sweat, gaming, and beastmoding.

WOD 1: Team 'DT'
3 Hill Sprints (one each)
120 Deadlifts (105)
3 Hill Sprints (one each)
90 Hang Power Cleans (105)
3 Hill Sprints (one each)
60 Shoulder-to-Overhead (105)

TIME:10:59
PLACE:4
NOTES: This was an interesting event. We realized that all three of us have communication issues. We lost all of our time in transitions in the barbell movements. We were rockstars on the hill sprints. We did sets of 30 deads. We did sets of 10ish on the hang cleans. And we did about 5-10 on the shoulder to overhead. We just needed to be a little quicker on the movements and a lot faster on the transitions. Good, solid start.

WOD 2:
12min Cap
Complete the following:
45 KB Swings (44#) (15 each)
45 Box Jumps (24") (15 each)
36 KB Swings- (12 each)
36 Box Jumps - (12 each)
27 KB Swings - (9 each)
27 Box Jumps - (9 each)
With remaining time, max burpess onto plate. Only one person works at a time.
Score is total number of burpees.

REPS: 156
PLACE: 2
NOTES: I felt great on the box jumps and KB swings. I did all 'elevator' swings, which made them speedy fast, and rebounded on all my box jumps. I think we had about 6ish minutes to do burpees onto a plate. I did sets of 10, Krystyna did sets of 5, and Jenna did 6-10ish. I don't think we could have gone any faster. I thought we had a good strategy. The only bad thing about this WOD was doing burpees on concrete. My knees now sport two beautiful scabs. Very lady-like.


FINAL

Part A:
Max Snatch
10min to find max snatch. Each person has 3 attempts at each weight. You can not reduce the weight.

TOTAL:374#
PLACE:3
NOTES: Krystyna got 113#. Her pelvis was bruised and it was bothering her. Jenna got 123#. And I got 138#. I was really pleased with 138#, considering that this was our 3rd WOD of the day and we were lifting in the scorching sun on hot pavement. I haven't put up more than 130# for awhile. I don't think I missed a rep or had to squat until I hit 138. (103, 113, 123, 133, 138).

Part B:Triple Fran
63-45-27
Thrusters (65)
Pull Ups

TIME:8:00
PLACE:2
NOTES:I was able to band out a lot of our team's thrusters. I did over 35 in the first round. Jenna's butterfly pullups were super helpful. I was really happy that my butterflies held up for so long. I was also impressed that I was able to keep pretty big sets of kipping. I thought we worked really well as a team in this event. We were communicating really well and everyone knew where to be and what to do. Jenna's elbow started bothering her a little bit, but Krystyna and I were able to keep things on track.

I need to give a HUGE shoutout to Chad, who spent his day coaching, strategizing, and gaming for/with us. Thanks for everything!

In addition to our fabulous performances, Roxy, Stephanie, and Melanie got FIRST place in the scaled women's division! They did amazing, and I'm so glad that I got to support them :)

And of course, since we were at the Illinois State Fair, we had to go visit the baby piggies! These little guys were only an hour old!

Cheers to tanlines!

Legless Rope Climbs and Push Pressing

4:30 @ CFBN

3 Rounds Not for Time
10 DB Snatches (5 each arm) (45,50,50)
10 T2B
2 Rope Climbs (one with legs, one without)

NOTES: The DB snatches felt great. The toes to bar hurt a little bit more than usual because of Annie yesterday. The legless rope climbs were...interesting.

I got half way up the rope the first attempt. It was A LOT harder than I expected. I didn't realize that you literally have to go hand over hand on the rope. It takes a lot longer than a 'normal' rope climb and it rips up your hands. It's also kind of crazy to get down. The furthest I got up the 15' rope was about 3/4 of the way. If I HAD to get up to the top, I probably could. But, to be honest, it was pretty scary and it kind of freaked me out. Even though it's spooky, it's always fun to try a new skill. I will definitely be trying these again. Soon.

Power Clean + Push Press
3 x 2 + 1 (75% of PP) (120)
2 x 2 + 1 (80% of PP) (130)

NOTES: These felt pretty good. Brian reminded me to keep my weight in my heels and to remember to 'stomp'. Sometimes when the weight is so light, I let my form slip. He, like every coach I've ever had, told me to ALWAYS practice perfect form. If I can't do it right at a light weight, why would I ever think that I could do it right when it gets heavy.

Snatch Push Press + Snatch Balance
3 x 3 + 1 (70% of snatch) (100)
2 x 3 + 1 (80% of snatch) (115)

NOTES: I have never done a snatch balance heavier than 45# before today. I wasn't able to do the 115# snatch balances. I dropped both of them. But, considering this was my first time playing with this movement, I was pleased. For whatever reason, I LOVE snatch push presses.

WOD
6 AMRAP
4 KB Snatch (44#) (2 each arm)
8 OH Squat (95)

Rest 4 minutes

Mile Run

ROUNDS: 5 Rounds + 7:57 mile
NOTES: Andy prescribed 53# KB snatches. I did one on each arm and made the executive decision to scale. It kind of popped my right shoulder and then screwed with my left elbow. It wasn't anything that actually hurt me, but I didn't think it was worth it to do it in the WOD. But, once I started going and got more familiar with the movement (I usually don't do KB snatches), 44# felt really light. I did all my OH squats UB. I probably could have transitioned a little faster or picked up the bar a little faster, but I knew once I picked up the bar I was NOT going to set it down. They got pretty heavy. I was pretty disappointed in only getting 5 rounds. But, when I texted Andy he informed me that most of the guys got 5 rounds at RNCF. That made me feel a little bit more confident. The run was a run. My shins tightened up super bad and my shoe came untied.


Competition Strategizing

I'm doing a team comp this Saturday with Jenna and Christina (a girl from CFBN). There are only two guaranteed WODs, which they have released. There aren't any crazy skills or heavy weights. We spent a little time throwing the weight around and practicing transitions. It should be a really fun comp. I'm excited to go throw down!


Cheers to HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

Annie & Front Squats & Broken Ropes

Diagnosis:

I had a check up appointment with my back surgeon this morning. They ended up ordering a CAT scan to make sure that everything was in working order and to double check that the tumor that I had in my L2 wasn't growing.

It turns out that I have degenerative disc disease. I have a herniated disc at L5-S1, which most likely has a tear in the spinal disc. When the disc becomes inflamed, it bumps up against my spinal cord and nerves in my lower back, which triggers the tingling/numbness in my legs and hips. Essentially, the jellylike material inside the disc may be forced out through the tears or cracks in the capsule, which causes the disc to bulge, break open, rupture, or break into fragments.

Degenerative disc disease is generally genetic, but can be aggrevated by age, obesity, and repeated heavy lifting. I'll let you decide which category I fall into. You can't reverse it. There is no surgery/procedure to correct it (besides spinal fusion, which is the ultimate last option). The only "remedies" are anti-inflammatories and physical therapy. I got the OK to continue working out and beast-moding it.

So, naturally, after I get this news I went to workout.


5:30 @ CrossFit Bloomington Normal

"Annie"
50-40-30-20-10
Double Unders
Sit Ups

TIME: 6:55
NOTES: The last time I did Annie I got 5:41. Today, it looks like I did a lot worse. But, this happened when I was warming up...

Instead of grabbing one of the gym's ropes, I decided to do Annie without a handle. It was interesting to say the least. I had to grip the tiny tip of the rope between my thumb and pointer finger (which creating an annoying blister!). Because of this, I missed quite a bit of reps. At least 1-3 every round. My shoe also came untied. The sit ups were fine. I was quite the adventure.

I remember Andy said he emailed Rouge (because he had the same problem with one of his old ropes) and they sent him a new one. I shot them a quick note, hopefully I hear back.

Front Squat
5 x 2 @ 85% (180)

NOTES: I don't remember the last time my butt/quads were this sore. The weighted pistols really killed me yesterday. It's always a good time to do heavy squats when you're struggling to walk before you even start. I tried to focus a lot on keeping my core tights, elbows up, and driving into my heels. I felt pretty solid.

Bench
3 x 80% (115); 2 x 85% (125); 1 x 90% (130)
3 x 85% (125); 2 x 90% (130); 1 x 95% (140)
3 x 90% (130); 2 x 95% (140); 1 x 100% (145)

NOTES: I failed the last rep of 140 and I failed the 145. Besides that, I felt pretty strong. I'm still getting used to benching with my feet on the ground (and not curled up on the bench).

I was supposed to do sets of Good Mornings and Pendlay Rows, but I didn't want to put too much weight on my back today. I was also running out of time. I was trying to get home at a decent hour.

WOD
4 Rounds
400m Run
15 Pull Ups
15 Box Jumps (24")

TIME: 14:34
NOTES: This entire workout was running. I'm horribly out of shape when it comes to running. It didn't help that it was super muggy outside and my legs felt like I was dragging bricks. My pull ups were OK. I did sets of 5 and tried to jump back on the bar quick. I should probably get out of the habit of dropping off the bar so much. I did sets of 10/5 for the box jumps. I'm not really sure why I stopped. I'm still paranoid that I'm going to tear my achilles when I bounce off the box, so I'm always a little more cautious than I need to be.




Cheers to golf umbrellas!

Cinco 1 & Cinco 2

5:30 @ CNBN

3 Rounds Not for Time:
50 DU
10 Sots Press
10 GHD Sit Ups

NOTES: These all felt great. Nothing new.

Snatch
Squat Snatch 3 x 3 @ 75% (110)
2 x 2 @ 80% (115)

NOTES: These felt really light and quick, but when I watch the video I realize that I'm still pushing the bar forward and chasing the momentum. I can't wait to work with Brian again this Thursday.

Jerk
Hold split 3 seconds.
3 x 3 @ 75% (150)
2 x 2 @ 80% (160)

NOTES: Chad gave me a tip that may seem obvious, but it wasn't obvious to me. He told me to push my head back BEFORE I dip, so I'm not trying to perfectly time the bar passing my face and my face moving out of the way. I've witnessed someone someone smack their face with a bar, and it's not pretty. These felt good and stable.

Clean Pull
I did a handful of pulls at 190#. They felt pretty good, but I didn't do the recommended sets.

2013 Games Final WOD:
Cinco 1
3 Rounds
5 DL (I did it at 235, but the Games was 265)
5 R leg weighted pistols (35# KB)
5 L leg weighted pistols (35# KB)
80' Handstand
(7min cap)

1 Minute Transition...

Cinco 2
3 Rounds
5 MU
5 Deficit HSPU (9" deficit)
90' OH Walking Lunge (100# axle)
(7min cap)

TIME: Cinco 1 - 7:02 (I was 3/4 of the way done with the HS walk at the time cap. 1 second penalty for not completing the walk + 1 second penalty for not getting to the 'stop' mat)...Tied for 20th at Games.

Cinco 2 - 7:08 (I had 1 MU up + 5 deficits + OH Lunges left + not getting to stop mat = 8 second penalty)...20th at Games.

NOTES: I was impressed that I could move 235#. I'm still not comfortable with deads, so pulling 235# 15 times seemed scary. The weighted pistols caught my butt on FIRE! And my back fatigued so bad from the dead lifts that it started tightening up when I was trying to hold the KB on the pistols. At one point, I had to drop the bell because my back hurt. The walking HS was fine. I probably could have gone a little bit faster. I didn't realize I was running out of time.


1 :24; :50 (:26); 1:14 (:24)

2 1:55 (:41); 2:30 (:35); 3:08 (:38)

3 4:17 (1:09); 5:01 (:44); 5:48 (:47)

@ 50ft 6:48 @ 70ft 7:00


Cinco 2 made me angry. I should have been able to get to the walking lunges. I did 2/1/1/1 on my MU and 3/1/1 on my deficits for the first round. Then I did all singles. I hate making excuses, so I don't even want to write this, but the rings at CFBN are a lot different than any other rings I've ever worked on. They have a ton of slack (they are hung from a warehouse ceiling) and then bounce out when you catch in the dip. Long story short, these rings exaggerated my bad habit of not keeping the rings close in my pull. I was literally standing, staring at the rings for the last 2 minutes. I had about 4-5 no reps. I should never miss a muscle up like that. Even though I didn't make it to the lunge, I wanted to test it out. It was hard, but I was able to do it once Jenna reminded me to keep my core tight.

Round
1 3/1/1 8:59 (:59); 3/1/1 9:42 (:43)

2 1/1/1/1/1 11:35 (1:52); 1/1/1/1/1 12:43 (1:08)

3 1/1/1/1 - I had 2:17 left after the 2nd round. 5 MU should have been no problem.


Hopefully I can repeat this WOD in a couple of months and do it prescribed (265# dead lift here I come!) at RNCF.



Cheers to score keeper Jenna!

The Crossfit Anthem

Found this gem.  #crossfitjams #takeasipofthiswateritsfromacoconut






Cheers to chalk in the bucket!

Regional Video Flashback

Just me hanging out with my closest friends: Elizabeth, Stacie, and Deborah.






Cheers to ruby red nails!

Endorphins Make You Happy :)

5:30 @ CrossFit Bloomington Normal

2 Rounds Not for Time:
10 Bottoms Up KB Press (18/18/4 x 26#)
10 C2B Pull Ups
10 BB Squat Jumps

NOTES: I was supposed to do 3 rounds, but cut it down to 2 because I felt warmed up and too excited to wait any longer. I tried doing to bottoms up with the 26# KB for the first time. It was hard, but I was impressed that I could do it. I could barely press the 18# in the beginning of the summer. I chose not to do BF pullups because those kind of aggrevate my back.

Squat Clean
3 x 3 @ 75% (150)
2 x 2 @ 80% (160)

NOTES: I would be lying if I didn't say I was extremely nervous to lift the bar off the ground. I started at a very conservative 65# (ha!), just to be sure that my back wouldn't freak out on me. All my reps felt great. In a weird way, this injury might have been a blessing in disguise. I've been paying a lot more attention to my posture and my form. I'm a lot more aware of my midline.

Jerk
Jerk behind the neck off the blocks - hold split 3 seconds
3 x 3 @ 75% (150)
2 x 2 @ 80% (160)

NOTES: These felt really light...because they were. I was very stable in my split. It was easy to hold for the three seconds.

Back Squat
5 x 2 @ 70% (180)

NOTES: I was able to drop and bounce out of the bottom, which helped me engage my glutes. I felt the most comfortable I have in a long time in these squats.

Snatch Deadlift
3 x 5 @ 125

NOTES: I went lighter on these than Andy prescribed because I didn't want to tweak anything. I tried my best to keep these in perfect form.

15 AMRAP
2 DL (125)
2 Hang Clean (125)
2 Jeks

ROUNDS: 30
TIME: My plan was to get a round in every 30 seconds, which would get me to 30 rounds. I feel off pace a little bit, but got back on at the end. The 30 seconds allowed me to get about 10-15 seconds of rest each round. I did all the rounds unbroken. The hardest part were the jerks. After about 4-5 rounds I switched from push jerks to split jerks. My shoulders were burning pretty bad by the end.

As much as taking all that time off was awful, I think it paid off. I felt fresh and my back felt great. It put me in a great mood. I can't wait to go back tomorrow!




Cheers to WWE Monday Night Raw!

Back (in the gym)

I'm happy to announce that I will be BACK IN THE GYM TONIGHT!

After a long, brutal EIGHT days with no CrossFit or no physical activity I am both excited and terrified to get back to the grind tonight.

I'm incredibly excited to get back to training, but I also have this irrational fear that taking this week long break to heal my body has somehow reversed all the hard work I've put in over this past year. Ugh.

Whenever I'm feeling particularly bummed out about feeling injured or banged up, I just remember that the World's Fittest Woman, Sam Briggs, shattered her knee last year and came back and won the Games.  That's impressive and wildly inspiring.

Do you know what's also inspiring? Watching a video of Talayna snatch 185#.

You should watch Talayna snatch 185.

I can't wait to get back to this place. I'll see you in EIGHT days RNCF!

Cheers to Andy getting Instagram!

Lumbar Radiculopathy

Bad news.

I've had to take this whole week off from training because my back decided to be a butt-head.

After Saturday's workout my back began to bother me.  By Tuesday evening, the pain was bad enough that I had to take myself over to Urgent Care at my primary physician's office.

I'm very experienced when it comes to back pain (I had major back surgery back in December 2008 to fix a tumor infested, fractured L2).  This isn't my first time at the rodeo.

Fortunately, after a handful of x-rays and a nice shot in the butt, I was 'diagnosed' with lumbar radiculopathy, which is just a fancy way to say 'you have a pinched nerve(s) in your low back'.

At least the pain in my booty distracted me from my back.  

 I am always so fascinated by x-rays.  How weird/amazing/freaky is it that you can see pictures of your own bones!?

No.  This is not my skeleton. 

Instructions from the doctor were to follow up with my spine surgeon's office (just to make sure that this is not related to my prior treatments), take gobs of anti-inflammatories, and rest.

Apparently my back didn't get the memo that the rest area is closed and not open for visitors. GO HOME BACK PAIN! 

Rest is the nastiest four letter word I know.  I hate to rest.

These past few days I have felt so lazy, so out of shape, so tired, and so miserable.

Luckily I have been swamped with work and research, so I have stayed more than busy.

Hopefully things heal up quick (before I go even more crazy!).

As much as I miss CrossFit and lifting heavy things up and down, I also miss being able to sit in a chair, walk around, and lay in my bed without pain shooting up and spine and down my legs.



It's really easy for us to take advantage of a healthy body.  So don't.  Go do a couple of extra reps for me, and I'll go take a couple more Ibuprofen for us all.

DRAMATIZATION: I do not take this many pills. Thank god.

And If I can't convince myself to send positive thoughts out into the Universe, then maybe this will do the trick.

Cheers to hospital gowns!