Thee Total

“The CrossFit Total“
Back Squat, 1 rep
Press, 1 rep
Deadlift, 1 rep

Woohoo! Woohoo! Woohoo! Woohoo! 

What more can I say? Woo hoo! 

I'm really glad that I was able to PR on both the back squat and Press, but I am even more elated that I was able to deadlift 195 AGAIN! I set that PR in April of this year, then hurt my back in May-- compounded in June-- so I have been working to get back to that level of strength. In April I was 10# heavier at 105. So, I'm sooooo stoked that I am markedly stronger across all lifts and sub 100#s.

I'm soooo happy. Not to mention my upper body is trying it's best to catch up with the strength of my lower body. Just set that bench press PR 2 weekends (70#)... And pull ups and dips are done with ease now. 

These small improvements has totally blown away the argument that I have to gain weight to get stronger. This entire time I believed that I would have to get back to 105# to be as strong as I was prior to a.) my whole 30 cleanse b.) my back injury. Well, now that I'm even stronger than when I was 105#s then that just makes me fully embrace the possibility of loosing weight... To be specific, I currently eat like shit, yet I still hover at about 95#s. Come Jan 2, I'll more that likely embark on another strict 30 day cleanse (just eating meat, veg, high fat, minimal fruit, no alcohol, no sugar, dairy ok), which could equate to more weight loss. I'll accept it knowing that it doesn't mean a strength set back. I would just have to train harder (and slower) to have strength gains. 

So many words and theories, I know. 

So sleepy. Oh, which reminds me... I've been sleeping like 11 hours a night. I guess my body needs it. I wonder if this equates to my strength, or at least lends to it.... I definitely believe that since I no longer work in that shitty job I rest better. 

Ok, bedtime 

They all have the same look, she says.

4 Rounds for time of:

5 Muscle-ups

10 Front squats (165/110)

I started the evening with 2 Mobility WODs. One for for my shoulders and another for my hips. 

I then proceeded with 400m walking lunge, which really kicked my ass- literally! I stretched and stretched my posterior chain as much as I could as shit was starting to seize up. 

I then I took up where I left off on my Wendler Strength program doing Bench Press 35-40-45 x5, maxing out at plus 10 (over 5) at 45#s.

After all that I attempted the day's WOD. I probably should not have. I think I "practiced" too many jumping MUs before the clock started, and blew my load... cause when the it was go time my arms just would not work. I did 3 jumping MUs then had to scale back to MU transitions. 

My shoulders have been fried since doing Elizabeth (21-15-9 Squat Clean/Ring Dips) on Friday, then Fat Fran on Sunday. 

I think a rest day is in order. 

Oh, I thought I sprained my foot when during the run for Nutts I dropped the 25# plate on my right foot, but picked up the plate and kept running. Woke up this morning to find that I couldn't  put weight on my right foot and had some swelling. Well, later in the day, I just massaged my foot and ankle and moved it around and it felt GREAT! Like nothing even happened. 

Sleepy. 

Interlude

I have made a vow to take 7 days of rest. I will resume CF next Thursday at Track Night.

I have isolated my discomfort  to the psoas majora muscle. I will ice and roll daily. I will probably do a couple epsom salt soaks as well. I pray I heal quickly so I can resume my Strength Bias program.

I bid Adieu!

Testing my inner strength

Five rounds for time:

7 Front squat (185/135#)

10 Burpee pull-ups

What a day. So much on my mind, and in heart, trying to listen to my gut, still not trusting my intuition.... With all this, I really wanted to unload all this "heaviness" at the box. Just lay it all out. 

With this in mind, I attacked my 1st Strength WOD with lofty goals. My 1RM max, set in November is 105#s. In the past 3 months I've attempted to set a new 1RM of 110# twice about a month ago, failing both times!!!

I remembered being discouraged. I just kept thinking, "What's 5#s more over my current PR of 105#?"

Fast forward to today, and I thought, I'm going to set a new PR. Of course, I actually thought, I'd be happy if I did just one rep, but successfully completing a 3 reps, that just sent me over the moon!!! :)) It was difficult, but doable. I'm sooo happy. Setting a new PR is so satisfying.  

Following the CFSB (that's Strength Bias) template, I proceeded to prepare for a high intensity WOD, taking today's WOD and modifying it so that it would fall under 10 mins and keep the intensity high. I dropped down to 65#s and lessened the reps to 5 & 7 vs. 7 & 10, respectively. After lifting those heavy loads, this WOD was definitely brutal. I just kept thinking, I just want this to be over, I just want this to be over!

End of round 2, I felt hopeless. My legs were so fatigued at that point. My burpee pull ups felt so slow. When I got to the burpees in round 4, I saw the light at the end of the tunnel and put into high gear and went all out. 

I finished my last set of front squats and Diso called "9 mins in!" I knew I wanted to be under 10 mins so I pushed through the last 7 burpees and called time at 9:29. I collapsed and writhed on the floor, feeling my stomach convulsing. My head was reeling... Burpees do that to me. 

This was exactly what I needed. 

4 hours later and my legs are just killed. 

I am love

Press 2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2

Day of my Crossfit Strength Bias regiment. Read all about it here.  At round 7, I put on another 5#s and failed. Zeb had the great idea of adding smaller increments, 2#s totaling 47#s. I was able to get it over my head once, but could not get full extension on my 2nd rep. I finished out with 45#s on my last 2 sets. 

50#s is my shoulder press 1R PR set in January when I did CF Total; this was a lot of reps, so it made sense that I was going to failure. 

This wasn't as exciting as my time I spent coaching the kiddies tonight :) 

I have commitment issues

Today was a"technique" day. Since pledging to do a 2 month Strength conditioning focus, I didn't really think out how to program it. I came and just sort of picked a lift to do without rhyme or reason, and snatch came out my mind's hopper.

Well, I was fortunate enough to share with Zeb that I have no idea how to structure my strength conditioning to equate to results. He shared with me a CF Journal that provided the answers to what I am seeking. It is CFSB- Crossfit Strength Bias. This article line for line sorted out all my of concerns on to get stronger, faster... CF Gold I call it.

If you dont have a subscription to CF Journal, then you're a dumbass. Get it. Read this article. Read all the articles.

Let's see how the next 6 weeks go. I'm sooooo excited.

Changing my regiment

RUN TO THE BOX FROM MY HOUSE
Here is the MAP of the route I took. 

I did not run for time, but just to work on my endurance. I was proud that I ran the first mile with stopping. The 2nd mile was pretty tough for some reason; I think because it was the long stretch on the Marina with no "markers." The 3rd mile I did run/walk, but the stretches of running were extensive. I would "bargain" with myself like say, "Just run to that pillar." When I'd get there, I'd rationalize that I'm not tired and tell myself to run to the next marker that I saw, so the third mile went quickly. As well, I was encountering more traffic lights, so it forced me to stop. Therefore, I made the rule that I had to run to each traffic, no ifs/and/buts.

When I got to through my final (red) traffic light at the 90 Fwy, I jogged all the way to the box without stopping :)

Things I learned on my run: I have to keep looking up. I have the tendency to look down at the ground in front of me and I think it makes me "dizzy." Upbeat music is a must; I kept getting Ray Charles and Diana Krall coming up on my shuffle, that I finally put it on the hip-hip folder and I getting into the zone was easier.  Once I get past that discomfort phase, I realize the my body will keep going as long as I keep my internal voice quiet.

I plan to run to the box every Tuesday :)

I got the box knowing that I wasn't planning on doing the WOD. I wanted to work on building my overhead movements. I picked push press and push jerk.

I set 2 new PRs. 1RM PR for Push Press @ 70#s and 1RM PR for Split Jerk @ 80#s. 

That is actually the most weight I've ever lifted overhead. 

I learned today that I really need to work on my speed with the regular push jerk. I switched over to Split jerk, because I was having fear/commitment issues getting under the bar fast enough. I failed one too many times. I KNOW I'm strong enough to lift eh weight, it's just speed and commitment. Knowing I'm strong enough to lift that weight overhead, I switched over to the split jerk, to get my confidence and wanted to set a PR. 

The 80#s felt heavy when I took it out of the rack. Took a big breath in, dipped and drived, and got under the bar quickly. The weight felt solid at the top in my locked out arms. Mid-line felt tight, solid; no longer back "pinching." Super happy. 

Now, I've got to work on my squat clean cause I've never attempted an 80 clean and jerk together :)

So the change in my regiment is that I'm going strictly strength conditioning for the next month... Maybe longer if I don't see the gains I'm expecting. I want to raise all the PRs on all my powerlifts by 10-15#s. 

If the Main Site wod is a heavy-weighted met-con, then I'll do it. For example, tomorrow will be the Games Open WOD 11.3, which is AMRAP Clean & Jerk for 5 mins. That I will do. 

But all the body weight/met con I'll pass. Obviously, I'll make sure I'm getting in a decent amount of cardio in the form of running/Double Unders/Rowing as part of my warm up. 

Let's see if can set some crazy numbers by early May. If I'm not there, then I'll just keep at it. 

Hang Man

Hang Power Clean + Jerk 1-1-1-1-1-1-1

My PR is bullshit. I just searched my blog history and I've never attempted a 1RM Hang Clean, power nor squat. Soooo, while all those are PRs, it's mostly a baseline. Going off memory, I don't think I've ever attempted to hang clean anything over 65#s. I mean, maybe I have, but unsuccessfully. So I'll take the 70#s as a triumph. Especially since I attempted on my 3rd round and failed. I backed off, got my confidence back up and knew it was my head that was stopping me from completing the lift. Lifting all that weight above head is "easy." I pretty sure that I can do into the 80+ overhead. I think I will be attempting jerk from the rack position on Wednesday as my strength day. 

I think I've made the decision to alternate met-con wod with strength conditioning every other day. I want to get stronger so I need to give it more attention. More than what the main site gives it. 

I'm thinking 2 days a week Met-con and 3 days/wk strength. I'm just not seeing the gains that I think other folks I see at other boxes whom do their own programing are accomplishing. 

We'll see. 

Press your luck!

Shoulder Press 3-3-3-3-3-3-3

Upper body strength is definitely my downfall. I have made strides in the past 10 months of doing Crossfit, but I know there is always room for improvement in building my upper body. I looked into all my past blogs and could not find PR for the shoulder press, but I went into the WOD thinking that my PR was 40#s, but it's unfounded. I know that in high rep WODs that included SP, I would default to 35#s. So I'm glad that I got to set a "PR" of 42.5#s . I know that working on my SP will lead me to handstand push-ups, but that's far in the distance. 

I want to make a quick mention of a blog that I stumbled upon, No Crying in Crossfit.  In the right margin, the author of the blog has a heading "BAD ASS CROSSFIT LADIES," followed by a long list of blogs of female Crossfitters. I slowly peruse all the witty blog names, some menacing, some just their given birth name... when I come across "Sweet Assassin." For a second, I thought, "there's another sweet assassin?" I hit the link and it lead me right HERE. I was dumbfounded and touched. In my journey discovering my physical capabilities, meeting goals, taking big strides, seeing the changes in my body and how I approach everyday challenges, never ever have I thought myself a bad ass crossfit lady. This moniker I save for the other women that I cheer on in my box, that I marvel at in the Games, and those I meet in our growing community... but not little old me. So to see myself placed in the group by a BAD ASS CROSSFIT LADY is humbling and inspiring to keep progressing in my crossfit journey. 

Crossfit keeps getting better and better.