More plates, please!

OLYMPIC LIFTING
Tall cleans, 4 x 1; 1 rep= 1 to each catching position: ¼ squat, ½ squat, full squat (70#)
2-position clean & jerk, floor + hang from below knee, 5 x 1 (134#)
Clean & jerk from floor, peak of 1 (153#; PR by 2#)

Small c&j PR but I'll take it! I hit 163# for the clean but pressed out and didn't jerk. BUT! Sam said we should just keep going up in weight and clean.ended up walking away with a 168# clean. That's a 23# PR! I'm REALLY awful/awkward at celebrating my own accomplishments as they happen but I'm pretty damn pleased with my progress.


CORE CONDITIONING

Complete 4 rounds for time (20:14)
Superman hold, 30 seconds
10 pike sit-ups
Wall plank, 30 seconds
10 pike sit-ups
L-hang, 30 seconds
10 pike sit-ups
1 minute rest
CASH-OUT: 50 superman rocks



Meal #1:
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup Ezekiel cereal w/ hot water

Meal #2:
2 egg whites/1egg
1 cup spinach

Meal #3:
4oz chicken
1 cup spinach

Meal #4:
1 scoop SFH whey
1/2 greek yogurt

Post workout:
1 scoop MP Aminos

Meal #5:
5oz ground turkey
1cup green beans

Meal #6:
1 scoop SFH whey

**Had to modify my meals a bit to make sure I was sticking with soft foods

I hate you, broccoli!

OLYMPIC LIFTING ACCESSORY
1) Front squat, peak of 1 ****(202#; PR of 7#)****
failed at 207 then dropped down to 175# for a set of 3
2) Clean pulls, 5 x 2 @ 115% of PR clean (175#)
3) Jerk balance from behind the neck, 5 X 2
4) Superset:
Good mornings (55#): 3 x 12
Barbell curls (35#): 3 x 12 

1 mile run: 9:37

Well, I was feeling really great today, lots of energy and had my meals all set out for the day...until I cracked a freaking tooth eating BROCCOLI during lunch!! Looks like its protein shakes, greek yogurt, eggs, and whatever other soft things I can eat until I can get into the dentist. UGH!

Meal #1
1/2 cup plain non fat greek yogurt
1/4 cup Ezekiel cereal

Meal #2
1 scoop sfh whey
1/2 med banana

Meal #3
4oz chicken
1 cup broccoli
I didn't finish my lunch because I was so upset 

Meal #4
1/2 greek yogurt

post workout:
1 scoop aminos

Meal #5
Soup...I hate soup. I had planned all my meals and I could even have it because of my dumb tooth. SOUPER LAME (yeah...I went there)

Meal #6:
1 scoop sfh whey 

Other than my dental issues, I am so excited to have hit another PR today! I'm feeling stronger and stronger every day and can't wait to see where this journey takes me. I was even more surprised I was sore after yesterdays marathon of classes. I can't wait to get back at it tomorrow.

FINALLY!

 

OLYMPIC LIFTING:
3-position muscle snatch to overhead squat (floor, above knee, hip), 4 x 1

• 1x1@45
• 1x1@55
• 1x1@60
• 1x1@65

2 position snatch, floor + hang from below knee, 5 x 1

• 2x1@65
• 2x1@75
• 1x1@85

Snatch from floor, peak of 1

•  102#!!!! That's a 7# PR for me and I'm finally freaking above 100# for my full squat snatch!!! Not only did I PR, but I got to see some awesome accomplishments from a few other Warfitters tonight. It's always so much fun celebrating the fruits of our labor together and seeing all our hard work pay off. I'm IN LOVE with the accessory class and what it has done for me so far...thanks Sam!

GYMNASTICS:
MOBILITY: thoracic extension, 1 minute; band overhead stretch, 1 minute each side; band assisted pec stretch, 1 minute each side
DYNAMIC WARM-UP: 2 rounds of 30 second stations: cat camels, hollow rocks, lat pulls, scap push-ups, arm swings
SKILL #1: Static holds: L-sit, V-sit. Try to progress to rings
SKILL #2: Weighted pull-up, reach peak of 5 (green band + 10lbs)
MET-CON:
Death by ring rows (8+9)

CORE CONDITiONING:
Iso hyper, 4 x 1 minute
MET-CON: (about 95 reps...I lost count after a while)
At the start of every minute for 10 minutes complete 5 barbell roll-outs, for the remainder of the minute perform AMRAP superman rocks

Meal #1:
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup Ezekiel cereal w/ hot water
2 MP Battle Fuel
6 MP Armor V

Meal #2:
2 egg whites/1egg
1 cup broccoli

Meal #3:
4oz chicken
kale salad
lemon juice

Meal #4:
1 scoop SFH whey
10 almonds

Pre workout:
2 MP Battle Fuel

Post workout:
1 scoop MP Aminos

Meal #5:
5oz chicken
1cup broccoli

Meal #6:
1 scoop SFH whey

Lift things up. Put them down. Repeat.

OLYMPIC LIFTING ACCESSORY
1) Snatch push press, peak of 1 (153#; PR by 26#)
Pretty big PR! I failed twice at 158#, by then my shoulders and arms were pretty beat and I just couldn't lock out. That's the most weight I've had overhead and I'm getting more and more comfortable in that position. Now, if only I could get my snatch weight up...that would be fantastic!
2) Pause snatch deadlift (2-5 second pause at mid-thigh), 5 sets of 2 with 115% PR snatch (129#)
My snatch is just under 100# but I went up in weight for the deadlifts. I'm feeling stronger and stronger after each of these classes with Sam so I can't wait to get a new PR (hopefully soon).
3) Superset:
Barbell lunges (65#): 3 x 10, each leg, alternating
Wide grip pull-ups: 3 x 12 (black band)
Incline press: 3 x 12 (20# dumbbells) 

1.5 mile run: 15:43
 I REEEEALLY wanted to do the WOD today (love me some deadlifts) but I definitely wanted to keep up with the running momentum I've got going here. I loath running with every freaking fiber of my being so I'm making it a point to run at least 3 times a week, warm-up runs not included.

Meal 1:
1/2 plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup Ezekiel cereal (with hot water)
6 MP Armor V
2MP Battle Fuel

Meal #2:
1 scoop SFH Whey
12 almonds

Meal #3:
4oz chicken
1 cup broccoli

Meal #4:
1 scoop SFH whey

Pre WOD:
2 MP Battle Fuel

Post WOD:
1 scoop MP Aminos

Meal #5:
5oz ground turkey
1 cup broccoli

Meal 6:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt  

Snatch it

Olympic Lifting:
Snatch peak of 1 (99#) New PR; this lift is the bane of my existence! I've been stuck at the doorstep of 100# for sooooo freaking long and I just want to move past the 90's already!
Jerk peak of 1 (151#)

Open Skills class:
Dynamic warmup
2 rounds:
10 cat camels
5 forward rolls
10 scap push ups
10 lat pull downs
5 handstand walk ups
arm circles

Skill #1: Rope Climbs  
I got my first rope climb today! Somehow I've missed the days that we worked on rope climbs in class so I was pretty stoked to have gotten it my first time up. I only had one in me today but I'll take it!

Skill #2: Handstand walking
We did quite a bit of skill work and I managed to get a few steps (well...is it 'hands'?) during the metcon. I'm still not very comfortable being upside down without the wall, but near the end I was getting closer and closer to being upright...upside down. YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!

Metcon:
10 AMRAP (3+1)
15' handstand walk
5 push ups
15'  handstand walk
10 hallow rocks
This was soooo tough! I really wanted to scale the handstand walks but Sam encouraged me to do it RX. She said that I needed to get out of my head and just do it no matter how slow, the important thing was to just try to get comfortable being upside down. I'm glad I did it, my shoulders on the other hand were on FIRE! I can't wait to get to the point where I am comfortable with these gymnastics movements.

Meal #1:
2 egg whites/1 whole egg
1 cup broccoli
black pepper
I was out of broccoli and ended up stealing some of Wes' green juice (lots of spinach, and a pear) to get my veggie fix

Meal #2/post workout:
1 scoop aminos
10 almonds

Meal #3:
1 scoop SFH whey
1med banana
A late start to the day and a busy schedule caused me to 'miss' a full meal. By the time I realized I was late to eat, it was too close to dinner to eat an entire meal.
 
Meal #4:
about 5oz salmon
kale salad
about 1/2 cup cubed sweet potato
Went to True Food Kitchen with my mom for her birthday and admittedly, I had a couple bites for her flourless chocolate cake...ugh, it was so damn good! 

Meal #5:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

OLYMPIC LIFTING, 10:30-11:30a….NEW TIME!

• Snatch, peak of 1
• Jerk, peak of 1

- See more at: http://urbanwarfit.com/scottsdale-crossfit/sam-talks-specialty/#sthash.w7cElTkl.dpuf

OLYMPIC LIFTING, 10:30-11:30a….NEW TIME!

• Snatch, peak of 1
• Jerk, peak of 1

- See more at: http://urbanwarfit.com/scottsdale-crossfit/sam-talks-specialty/#sthash.w7cElTkl.dpuf

OLYMPIC LIFTING, 10:30-11:30a….NEW TIME!

• Snatch, peak of 1
• Jerk, peak of 1

- See more at: http://urbanwarfit.com/scottsdale-crossfit/sam-talks-specialty/#sthash.w7cElTkl.dpuf

Run run as fast as you can...

 I've only worked four days this week but three out of those four days have been 12+ hours long! Sleep has been sparse and my time in the gym has been minimal. This week (and last week) I've had to improvise my workouts during down time at work or when I finally get home at night.

The past two days I've ran 5k's! Yes. A 5k two days in a row. Who the heck am I?! You all know how much I LOATH running, so to have done two in a week (after running a half marathon on Sunday) is surprising. As proud as I am that I was able to stay the course, I feel like I've been missing out BIG TIME by not being able to make it to Urban the past two weeks.

I've said it before and I'll say it a million times more: I can't FREAKING wait until my schedule mellows out!!! But unfortunately, I know the next three months are going to be full of long nights so here is to improving my workouts and lots of running!

I came into work this morning and found this countdown on my desktop! Our Annual Franchise Conference is one of the biggest events that we do so this really stresses me out. Being an adult blows!

5k time - 35:43 running is clearly not my strong suit...I am DYING to lift all the thiiiiiiings!

Meal 1:
1/2 plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup Ezekiel cereal (with hot water)
6 MP Armor V
2MP Battle Fuel

Meal #2:
1 scoop SFH Whey
12 almonds

Meal #3:
4oz chicken
1 cup broccoli

Meal #4:
1 scoop SFH whey

Meal #5:
5oz ground turkey
1 cup broccoli

Meal 6:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

So. Freaking. TIRED!

BLAH! Today has been way too long and definitely didn't go the way I would have wanted it to. Work is getting increasingly busy to the point where I had to be in the office until 8:30pm tonight. I didn't even know that I was pulling over time until late this afternoon. I was frustrated thinking that I'd finally be able to get back on a normal schedule but I managed to sneak away for the accessory class while everyone else in my department took a break for dinner. I would have loved to have done the WOD tonight too but it just wasn't a possibility.

I wasn't prepared to be at work for so freaking long so I didn't have a real dinner, I just made due with my protein, almonds and whatever I could find in the break room. I used to store tuna at work but never ate it, but it looks like I need to keep food at work since late nights will probably be the norm for the next few weeks. 
 
OLYMPIC LIFTING ACCESSORY
1) Snatch push press, peak of 2 (127# PR)
2) Pause snatch deadlift (2-5 second pause at mid-thigh), 5 sets of 2 with 110% PR snatch (107#)
3) Superset:
Barbell lunges (#65): 3 x 8, each leg, alternating
Wide grip strict pull-ups: 3 x 10 (black band)
Incline press: 3 x 12 (20# dumbbells) 

Meal 1:
1/2 plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup Ezekiel cereal (with hot water)
6 MP Armor V
2MP Battle Fuel

Meal #2:
1 scoop SFH Whey
12 almonds

Meal #3:
4oz chicken
1 cup broccoli

Meal #4:
1 scoop SFH whey

Pre WOD:
2 MP Battle Fuel

Post WOD:
1 scoop MP Aminos

Meal #5:
1 scoop SFH whey
15 almonds
1 med banana

Meal 6:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

Lift all the things

OLYMPIC LIFTING, 4pm:
Tall cleans, 4 x 1 (1 rep= 1 to each catching position: ¼ squat, ½ squat, full squat)

• 1x1@45
• 1x1@55
• 2x1@65

2-position clean & jerk, floor + hang from below knee, 4 x 1

• 1x1@77
• 1x1@99
• 1x1@109
• 1x1@121

Clean & jerk from floor, peak of 1

• New 1RM: 151#

 I'm 24# away from hitting my clean and jerk goal for the year! I was stuck at 143# for the longest time but I definitely think that the accessory class has been helping with my lifts.



GYMNASTICS, 5pm:
DYNAMIC WARM-UP: 2 rounds of 30 seconds of each: german hang, hollow rocks, lat pulls, scap push-ups, arm swings
SKILL #1: skin-the-cat/back lever
SKILL #2: bar muscle-up
MET-CON:
AMRAP 12 Minutes of: (4 rounds)
3 bar muscle-ups muscle-up transitions
6 skin-the-cats german hang jumps
12 tuck jumps
I just couldn't get the skin the cats so after struggling with them for almost 4min, I transitioned to german hang jumps. This was rough.

Meal #1:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup Ezekiel cereal w/ hot water
6 MP Armor V
2 MP Battle Fuel

Meal #2:
2 egg whites/1 whole egg
1 cup broccoli
black pepper

Meal #3:
1 cup broccoli
5oz chicken

Meal #4:
I missed this meal and was starving during Oly so I bought a bar at Urban

Meal #5:
5oz cod
1 cup broccoli

Meal #6:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tbsp. peanut butter   

Helloooo nurse!

I took the day off of work today so that I could drive my boyfriend to and from his dentist appointment. They were putting him under and needed someone to be there the entire time so I took the whole day off so I could be there for him and then spend a few hours at Urban later in the evening. Well, as we all know, not everything goes as planned in life.

Westly didn't take well to the anesthesia so I wasn't comfortable leaving him at home for hours at a time so I skipped mobility and olympic accessory and did my own metcon at home. I definitely wish I could have thrown around some weights today but sometimes other things in life become much more important. Typically I would feel guilty about missing out on a workout but not today. I was able to take care of my best friend and still make sure that I got in a good workout. I am terrible at finding the motivation to workout on my own so to be able to be close to home and still workout felt great. Oh my gosh! Is this what BALANCE feels like?!

Anyway, I'm looking forward to getting back into a regular routine, especially since my eating habits follow suit when I'm on point with my workout schedule.

Metcon:
20min Emom
10 air squats
5 push up
AMRAP burpees for the remainder of the minute
-then 1mile run (9:40)
So I don't know why I keep doing this to myself, but every time I workout at home, I throw in burpees thinking its a good idea. Yeah, I know. I should be doing them but they just never get any easier! I didn't keep count of how many burpees I got through, mostly because I was trying not to die :) I was surprised I got through it without my legs giving out after yesterdays half marathon. I've never felt this good after running long distance and I attribute that to my time doing crossfit and getting a post event massage. I hate running but I'm already looking forward to running my next half! 

Meal 1:
Ok, I can't even call this a meal! I overslept and had to rush out the door to get Westly to his appointment on time and didn't have time to grab anything. I found this bar in my bag and ate it out of desperation!
1 Special K cereal bar

Meal 2:
1 egg/ 3 egg whites
1 cup broccoli
Please tell me I'm not the only one who burns eggs! I was trying my hardest to make sure Westly was ok and had his meds on time that I wasn't paying attention to my food...so I ended up with this (I'm not very good at multitasking):

 I wasn't doing very well in the kitchen! I couldn't even filter my water correctly today. I don't know who was a bigger mess, me or Wes.

Meal 3:
1/2 cup non fat greek yogurt
1 scoop SFH whey

Meal 4:
5oz chicken
1 cup broccoli

Meal 5:
1/2 non fat greek yogurt

My eating schedule was way off today! I even had a few sesame sticks in between meals to help satisfy my hunger because my meals were so spread apart. Getting back to a normal schedule is imperative at this point, I fold instantly when my day is outside of the norm. 

Run?! I thought you said RUM!!!!

RUNNING DAY! Started off my day with a lovely 13.1 mile run at the Rock n' Roll PF Chang's half marathon and no matter how many times I run it, it's still a doozy! I didn't spend too much time at Urban this past week, instead I logged some miles and spent time working on mobility trying to prep my body for today.

I'm six months into my crossfit journey and I completely put running on the back burner leading up to this day. In all honesty, running really didn't stand a chance up against my desire to throw around weights and work on improving my gymnastics movements. With that being said, crossfit definitely made a difference in my run today! I PRed by (at least) 15min and didn't feel like I had been hit by an 18-wheeler at the finish line (my official time hasn't been posted yet but this run flew by compared to the other halves I've done). My body actually started to break down before I got tired which surprised the crap out of me! I obviously ran slower than my max effort 1mile run but I kept a really great pace that would have allowed me to run most if not all of the 13miles, just wish my knees and ankles would have cooperated. I'm so grateful for the box that I call home and for the programing that contributed to my improvements in my run. Maybe next time I'll actually throw in some cardio in preparation for my next half!  

All in all I'm happy with my performance. I came home and spent a lot of time stretching and even went to get a massage to get my body ready to hit it hard at Urban. So now that that's out of the way, I'm looking forward to participating in the Opens with all the other Warfitters :)

Meal #1:
1 egg/2egg whites
1 cup broccoli

Meal #2:
1 scoop aminos
Protien bar

Didn't get a picture, we were walking to the start line while I was eating

Meal #3:
about 6oz chicken
brown rice
green salad
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 massive ass chocolate chip cookie
Cheat meal that includes a salad?! This Pyfer meal plan thing has really changed my perspective on food!  

Meal #4:
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 scoop SFH

Meal #5: (later tonight)
5oz chicken
1 cup broccoli

Meal #6: (later tonight)
1 scoop SFH whey

Feed me!

I GOT TO GO TO URBAN TODAY!!!!

Oh sweet day! I left work so fast that I was able to make it to Olympic Lifting and the 7pm class. I couldn't have been happier! I am terribly sore but happy none the less. My left leg (more my rectus femoris/quads) was giving me a lot of trouble while I was in the bottom of my snatch and any other squat movements so I didn't do the metcon, instead I ran 2miles.

My meals were on point but today, for the first time in a while, I felt super hungry even right after I ate. Lunch was pretty brutal. I was super hungry still and had to sit infront of a basket full of treats that I wouldn't have had a problem eating about 6months ago. Worst part is, that damn basket will be sitting infront of me the rest of the week taunting me. I hate you, basket!

All in all, it was a pretty good day and I am happy to have been able to make it to the gym! OH! And I got my first unassisted kipping pull up today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I even strung a couple together! Yeah, today was a good day.

OLYMPIC LIFTING
3-position muscle snatch to overhead squat (floor, above knee, hip), 4 x 3
2 position snatch, floor + hang from below knee, 4 x 2
Snatch from floor, peak of 2

7pm WOD

Bar Muscle Ups Kipping pull ups (5x2-EMOM)

Back Squat (5x7-EOMOM) 115#

Metcon (AMRAP - Reps)

Tabata: 

1. Wall Ball Shots (20/14) 

2. Shuttle Sprints (20') 

3. Thrusters (95/65) 

4. Burpees

2 mile run (18:36)

Meal 1:
1/2 plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup Ezekiel cereal (with hot water)
6 MP Armor V
2MP Battle Fuel

Meal #2:
1 scoop SFH Whey
12 almonds

Meal #3:
4oz chicken
1 cup broccoli

Meal #4:
1 scoop SFH whey

Pre WOD:
2 MP Battle Fuel

Post WOD:
1 scoop MP Aminos

Meal #5:
5oz ground turkey
1 cup broccoli

Meal 6:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

All work and no play...

I'd be lying if I said that I'd rather be at work than at the gym on most days. I would also be lying if I said I was on time to work more often than I am to a class at Urban.

I'm sure it's no surprise how upset I was to find out that I'd be missing my workouts because of work this week. I'm working way more hours than my typical 8am-5pm schedule this week and it's already putting me in a funk. I didn't get out of work in time to make it to any classes tonight and even when I got home, I still had work to do. Super lame. I guess it's just part of being an adult though.

I'm trying really hard not to hate work right now for making me miss out on my workouts at Urban but such is life! Love what I do but I wish I could do it when there aren't workouts to be done.

The bright side to not being able to go to the gym is that I'm left with only a few workout options, one being running. Since I'm less than a week away from my half marathon, it would probably be a good use of my time to do some running. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to make it to many classes this week due to my work schedule so this week will be dedicated to running and burpees.

I also know that I've got to be absolutely 100% committed to my meal plan since that's about all I can control this coming week. I'm not sure how happy I'll be by the end of this week with the lack of Time at Urban but I'll be damned if I pack on weight!!!!

Meal #1:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup Ezekiel cereal w/ hot water
6 MP Armor V
2 MP Battle Fuel

Meal #2:
2 egg whites/1 whole egg
1 cup broccoli
black pepper

Meal #3:
1 cup broccoli
5oz chicken

Meal #4:
1 scoop SFH whey
2 MP Battle Fuel

Meal #5:
5oz chicken
1 cup broccoli

Meal #6:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tbsp. peanut butter 

Balls to the wall

 Sunday Open Gym:
Mobility
Back Squat

• 3x5@95
• 3x5@125
• 3x2@145
• 1x1@165
• 1x1@175
• 1x1@195
• 1x1@215 New back squat PR by 20#! Speaking of PRs...I just realized earlier today that I met my goal for overhead squats yesterday when I hit 135#. I think I need to revisit some of goals!

Metcon:
20min EOMOM
Odd min: 10 wall balls (14#)
Even min: 10 kettle bell swings (35#)
I had planned to do Karen but wanted to mix things up a bit while still getting some wall balls in. About half way through, I wasn't getting as much out of my workout as I wanted so I coupled 5 burpees with the kettle bell swings. Burpees two days in a row?! Level with me here, do these EVER get any easier?!?!

Meal #1:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup Ezekiel cereal w/ hot water
6 MP Armor V
2 MP Battle Fuel

Meal #2:
2 egg whites/1 whole egg
1 cup broccoli
black pepper

Post workout:
1 scoop MP Aminos

Meal #3:
1 cup broccoli
5oz chicken

Meal #4:
1 scoop SFH whey
2 MP Battle Fuel

Meal #5:
5oz chicken
1 cup broccoli

Meal #6:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tbsp. peanut butter

Buck Furpees!

Just the word 'burpees' makes my skin crawl!

Saturday Open Gym:
400m run
15min mobility
Overhead squats

• 1x5@45
• 1x5@65
• 3x5@75
• 3x2@95
• 1x1@105
• 1x1@115
• 1x1@125
• 1x1@135 New PR by 20#!! Last time I did OH Squats I just barely hit 115#, I felt pretty good today!

Metcon:
5 rounds for time (7:15)
5 snatches (55#)
7 over the bar burpees
then 35 wall balls (14#)
This is the first WOD that was released for The Primus II competition that's coming up in February. The one thing that totally killed me were those damn over the bar burpees! My legs felt like absolute jello to the point where the wall balls felt damn near impossible. Snatches were easy peasy though! I plan to work on my over the bar burpees in the case that I actually decide to participate in the competition. I really want to but I don't want to do poorly. We'll see!

Meal #1:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup Ezekiel cereal
6 MP Armor V
2 MP Battle Fuel

Meal #2:
3 egg whites/1 whole egg
1 cup broccoli
black pepper




Post workout:
1 scoop aminos

Meal #3:
1 scoop SFH whey
My parent's had a dinner party tonight and I knew there was going to be sushi. Knowing that I'd have a couple pieces of sushi that had rice, I decided to forgo one set meal so I could stay close to calories and carb intake later at dinner

Meal #4:
1 scoop SFH whey
2 MP Battle Fuel

Meal #5:
About 4oz sashimi (no rice) of tuna/salmon
4 peices of sushi
green salad

Meal #6:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tbsp. peanut butter

You live and learn.

Well, I'll start this off by saying that no one is perfect. You can have all the tools, support, and wherewithal to succeed but sometimes, life just happens.

I've been under the gun at work the past few days with various projects and had a bit of a melt down today. It was not pretty! I planned to go to the 7pm class after dinner with my family to celebrate Caleb's birthday but as you can guess, that didn't happen.

My family has and will always be my biggest support and tonight was the perfect night to unwind with them. As you may have also guessed, I didn't stick to my meal plan tonight. I am the biggest emotional eater and needless to say, my emotions have been running high as of late.

I stuck to my meal plan up until dinner when I had fish tacos and a slice of cake.

Back when I would eat to suppress my feelings, it would typically make me feel better, or so I thought...but not this time. I still felt like I hadn't addressed what was going on in my head and I realized I needed to workout to help cope with the stress, not stuff my face. I instantly felt like crap and regretted my decision to give into old habits.

Like I said before, no one is perfect. I can guarantee you that this won't be the last time that I let food get the best of me. But I do hope that the next time I run into days like these, that I remember to focus that anger and frustration towards something positive and not something that will set me back.

Even though I didn't get to workout, work has been a thorn in my side, and the last half of my meals were crap, I am so happy that I decided not to skip out on family time tonight. I got to catch up with my brothers, hang out with my parents, and see my sister outside of the gym. I could never express how much I love my family :) 

Tomorrow is a new day and I'm ready to get back on track!

Diane, I'm sorry I stood you up. You know I love you.

We're going down down baby

OLYMPIC LIFTING ACCESSORY
Front squat, 3x5 at peak weight

• 1x5@77#
• 1x5@99#
• 1x5@121#
• 1x5@141#
• 3x5@165#

Clean pulls, 4 x 5 @ 90% of PR clean

• 1x5@77#
• 1x5@99#
• 4x5@121#

Jerk balance from behind the neck 4 x 5

• 1x5@53#
• 1x5@63#
• 1x5@77#
• 1x5@87#

This was a lot harder than I thought it would be! The weights weren't heavy as much as the movement were just tough with as many reps as we did. Either way, another amazing class!

Superset:
Good mornings (85#/55#): 4 x 8
Barbell curls (35#): 4 x 12

2 mile run: (didn't time it)

I was hoping to have the energy to do the WOD after but I thought getting a run in would be more beneficial since I'm running a freaking half marathon in less than 2 weeks. Oy vey! All in all it was a great day. 

Meal 1:
1/2 plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup Ezekiel cereal (with hot water)
6 MP Armor V
2MP Battle Fuel

Meal #2:
1 scoop SFH Whey
12 almonds

Meal #3:
4oz chicken
1 cup broccoli

Meal #4:
1 scoop SFH whey

Pre WOD:
2 MP Battle Fuel

Post WOD:
1 scoop MP Aminos

Meal #5:
6oz ground turkey
1 cup broccoli
10 almonds

Meal 6:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

But I don't wanna!

After 5 days of training I decided that I should probably take a rest day. Well, more like my body decided for me, but let it be known that I am not happy about it. I had to force myself to leave my gym bag at home just so I wouldn't go back on my decision. Instead, I spent some time working on mobility, especially in my shoulders since that's where I'm feeling it the most.

It's funny how just over 6months ago you would have had to threaten my life before I would want to go workout regularly, but now I feel distraught at the thought of missing out on a workout. I guess that's a good place to be in! Although, I will say that knowing I was going to miss out on a WOD turned me into a grump!!! Oh man, my poor coworkers didn't stand a chance today hahaha :)

One thing that I was excited about today was the awesome sleep I got last night. My supervisor bought me some Z-Core to try out and I thought it worked wonders. I find that on days that I workout at night, which is most nights, I have trouble falling asleep for some reason. I don't think I'll need help going to sleep other nights but I was pleased with the restful nights sleep that I got.

Meal #1:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup Ezekiel cereal w/ hot water
6 MP Armor V
2 MP Battle Fuel

Meal #2:
2 egg whites/1 whole egg
1 cup broccoli
black pepper

Meal #3:
1 cup broccoli
5oz chicken

Meal #4:
1 scoop SFH whey
1 med apple
2 MP Battle Fuel

Meal #5:
5oz chicken
1 cup broccoli

Meal #6:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
1 tbsp. peanut butter

Dream big. Try hard.

Today was the first day back to a normal work schedule with no holidays or holiday treats in sight, THANK GOD! I stuck to my meal plan and got in a great workout during the Olympic Accessory class with Sam. All in all it was a pretty normal day and of course that means I was challenged by my fellow Warfitters during today's workout.

It seems that I'm constantly pushed (in the most positive way possible) to constantly acknowledge my strength, something that I am not completely sure how to do. I know that I excel in strength focused movements/workouts, but for some reason its just so easy for me to settle for an 'alright' lift that I know I'm not very good at. For example, the snatch! I never seem to be too heartbroken over not moving up in weight because I've already made up in my mind that that's a weakness of mine. Its frustrating that I don't see myself in the same light as other people seem to. Self worth and confidence in the gym seem to be a definite weakness of mine that I clearly need to address if I want to move forward in my journey. I am truly thankful for all the constant encouragement I've been receiving throughout this process of!

On another note, I am not the type of person who enjoys training just for the sake of training, I need small tangible goals along the way or I'll completely fall off the wagon. Of course I have small goals in the gym but I think my newest goal is the biggest goal I have for this new year: participate in a local crossfit competition in the RX division by the end of the year. Oh man, even just putting that out there makes me nervous, but I made sure to let people know I wanted to podium for Iron Fitness Games and I did, so maybe by putting this out there, I'll actually pull the trigger and do it! I've been rolling around the idea of competing in SpartanFit's Primus competition in the scaled division to continue to get my feet wet and build my confidence until I nail down a few more skills, but I'm on the fence about Primus for now. I consider myself pretty competitive and always want to do my best when I know people are watching so maybe I should do it?! Ugh. Over thinking again :(

Two simple things that I need to keep reminding myself over the next year: Dream big. Try Hard. So simple yet so difficult to master that mindset! I think those two overarching thoughts will get me far in my journey of strength, fitness, and sheer confidence.

OLYMPIC LIFTING ACCESSORY:

1) Snatch push press, peak of 5 (93#)
2) Pause snatch deadlift (2-5 second pause at mid-thigh), 5x5 (87#)
3) Superset:
Barbell lunges (#95/65): 4 x 8, each leg, alternating
Wide grip pull-ups: 4 x 8
Incline press: 4 x 12 (1x12@20#; 3x12@15#)

Meal 1:
1/2 plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup Ezekiel cereal (with hot water)
6 MP Armor V
2MP Battle Fuel

Meal #2:
1 scoop SFH Whey
12 almonds

Meal #3:
4oz chicken
1 cup broccoli

Meal #4:
1 scoop SFH whey

Pre WOD:
2 MP Battle Fuel

Post WOD:
1 scoop MP Aminos

Meal #5:
6oz ground turkey
1 cup broccoli
10 almonds

Meal 6:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt

It's a celebration!

This weekend I had to really force myself to get my butt moving and into the gym. I'm pretty sore and just wasn't in the mood to do anything other than sleep and lounge around, but I knew at that point that I HAD to get into the gym!

Saturdays workout:
Olympic Lifting totals
Snatch
Clean & Jerk
I may have been in over my head taking Oly after doing Isabel on Thursday and then Grace on Friday. Holy crap! My shins, collar bone, and shoulders were pretty bruised up and I don't think my shoulders were going to let me forget how hard I worked the days before. I didn't get any PRs in class but I was getting pretty close and I was ok with that.

Sundays workout:
1000m row (3:56)
Front Squat; worked up to a heavy set of five and then found 1RM (1RM 195#; PR of 50#)
Bench Press; worked up to a heavy set of 3 and then 1RM
1 mile run (9:35)
I am by no means a runner so to have done a mile under 10min was great. 

One thing I've noticed more and more over the past few days is that I am not the best at celebrating my accomplishments. Why is that? Why is it so difficult to be able to celebrate your own accomplishments but so easy to celebrate someone else and their accomplishments? And why is it easier for me to settle for less than push and succeed at something?

Today I worked out with Jess and we both hit PRs on our front squat yet neither of us were very good at celebrating our own victories and diverted to celebrating the other persons. Now, it's always great to cheer your friends on, but let's not forget to celebrate ourselves! We all spend so much time pouring into our own fitness journey's that we should be able to take the time and bask in our own victories. Yesterday I was just happy to be close to hitting a past PR and today I couldn't even celebrate a 50# PR! How backwards is that?! New goal: celebrate everything that moves me closer to turning my goals into accomplishments!

Another thing that I've been thinking about is how often we doubt ourselves; and by "we" I mean "I". I wasn't thinking at all that I'd go into the gym today and hit such a big PR because I didn't think I was capable of it. In fact, that's a fairly common thought for me, "I don't think I can do it, but we'll see." I was so happy to Have Ali and Jess give me the push to just approach the bar and "just lift it!" It seems so simple but I am the master at complicating everything and over thinking. Rob had said that once I acknowledge how strong I actually am, big things will happen. Of course I shrugged off what he said, not because I don't believe and trust him, its because I don't trust myself. Isn't that a shame?! I don't know how to go about trusting my strength more, but I guess just knowing that these are things that I need to work on is a step in the right direction.

This weekend has been pretty normal as far as food goes. Didn't get any photos and the only thing different from my usual meal plan was I had a cocktail at dinner last night and a smidge of flourless chocolate cake (date night).

Meal #1:
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup Ezekiel cereal w/ hot water
2 MP Battle Fuel
6 MP Armor V

Meal #2:
2 egg whites/1egg
1 cup broccoli

Post workout:
1 scoop aminos

Meal #3:
4oz chicken
1 cup broccoli

Meal #4:
1 scoop SFH whey
10 almonds

Meal #5:
5oz ground turkey
1cup broccoli

Meal #6:
1 scoop SFH whey

Amazing Grace

Last night I didn't get to bed until 2am because I was in a terrible mood so I was pretty tired all day. This afternoon while I was pulling out of a parking spot with no cars in sight, some lady came screaming around the corner and decide to honk at ME and flip ME off. Uh, no b****! That's not how I roll! Not in the mood for your crap after only 4hours of sleep. I was annoyed with her so I named her Grace and planned to channel my anger towards her into today's WOD. Today could have been terrible but I've been working on not dwelling on the negative and just seeing the best in everything.

So all in all it was another great day! Kept to my meal plan, another solid day at Urban, and I'm so close to a few of my goals already!! I really hope to be able to keep this momentum going throughout the year. I will say though, that I'm surrounded by some amazing coaches and athletes. Yesterday CJ was really great at motivating me to keep a constant pace during Isabel and today Beau did the same for me during Grace. And of course Sam is always an amazing motivator anytime I improve during gymnastics. Then there's the Swann's! Oh man I could never thank them enough for their constant encouragement and laughs that help me get through a tough workout. And to think, I haven't even scratched the surface of how amazing Urban is and all the wonderful people that make up such a beautiful community.  Ahhh...I'm gushing now. I LOVE URBAN WARFIT AND EVERY WARFITTER OUT THERE!! :) Yeah, I'm happy. My only shortcoming today was that I didn't take pictures of my food :(

5pm WOD:
15min to find Power Clean 1RM (165#)
Metcon (4:00)
Grace 30 Clean & Jerks for time (95#)
One of my goals this year was to get a sub-4min RX Grace and today I was so close!!! This was the first time I've done RX Grace so to even be that close to completing one of my goals is a pretty awesome feeling!

Meal #1:
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup Ezekiel cereal w/ hot water
2 MP Battle Fuel
6 MP Armor V

Meal #2:
2 egg whites/1egg
1 cup broccoli

Meal #3:
4oz chicken
kale salad
lemon juice

Meal #4:
1 scoop SFH whey
10 almonds

Pre workout:
2 MP Battle Fuel

Post workout:
1 scoop MP Aminos

Meal #5:
5oz chicken
1cup broccoli

Meal #6:
1 scoop SFH whey

Isabel is weeping...

Ryan clearly doesn't get it, I've got goals to attain. First goal: kick Isabel's butt!

 

Today went well all the way around. I ate well, I'm happy with my results and improvements in the gym and I'm now even more fired up about reaching my goals knowing that I CAN and WILL attain them ALL!!!

5pm Gymnastics:

MOBILITY: band overhead stretch, 1 minute each side; band assisted pec stretch
DYNAMIC WARM-UP: 2 rounds of: 10 wrist rocks each way, 3 handstand walk-ups, 30 second handstand hold, 10 second lat pull downs, 30 second german hang
SKILL #1: skin-the-cat/back lever (worked on skill; I can now kick into the german hang and back again without assistance!)
SKILL #2: handstand walking ring support (trying to let my wrist heal a little bit more before I get back into the handstand position)
MET-CON:
AMRAP 12 minutes of: (7 rounds)
10 handstand thigh slaps 10 V-outs
15 hollow rocks
10 handstand walking steps 5 ring rows (completely parallel to the ground)
15 superman rocks

6pm WOD:
Max effort single or doubles for 1min x 2 (did two singles then 2 double unders then two more single and so on; worked on skill)
Metcon: Annie (7:57)
50-40-30-20-10
Double under (did singles)
Sit ups

Power snatch 1RM (115#; PR by 15#)

Metcon: Isabel (3:56 @ 85#)
30 Snatches 135#/95#
I totally struggled with deciding if I wanted to RX this workout or finish with a decent time. The last time I did Isabel, I did it in 3:33 at 65#. My time was slower this time but I increased by 20# so I'm confident that I can RX this and do it in under 5min by the end of the year! I'm getting excited to already being so close to making one of my goals and accomplishment!

Breakfast:
1/2 cup of greek yogurt
1/4 cup Ezekiel cereal w/ hot water (I only ate about half of what is pictured knowing full well that I was a little heavy handed with my pour)
6 MP Armor V
2 MP Battle Fuel

Snack:
1 scoop SFH whey (Ugh, I need to remember to bring my shaker bottle with me to work!)
15 almonds

Lunch:
5oz chicken
1 cup broccoli
10 almonds (not pictured)

Snack:
1 med banana

Pre workout:
2 Battle Fuel
1/2 scoop MP Aminos before workout
1/2 scoop MP Aminos during workout

Post workout:
1 scoop MP Aminos

Dinner: (in the making)
5oz chicken (I really need to go buy some fish!)
1 1/2 cups spinach
1 tbsp peanut butter

Snack: (later tonight)
1 scoop SFH whey

Old enough to know better, too young to care.

 

Never again! I've felt like a bag of ass the entire day, but last night was a hoot! Such a great time spent with some of the people who I deeply admire and many failed attempts to back squat Ed. Oh man, that was a fun way to end 2013 :)

Today was spent trying to rehydrate, sleep, and eat. I even managed to get a little workout in even though I am immensely sore from falling a crap tons of times! 

Breakfast:
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup Ezekiel cereal 
6 armor v
2 battle fuel

Lunch:
5oz chicken
1 cup spinch
10 almonds

Snack:
1 scoop sfh
10 almonds

Dinner:
5oz chicken
1 cup spinach

Before bed:
1/2 cup yogurt

I'm really excited about doing Isabel tomorrow! One of my many goals for this year is to have a sub 5min RX Isabel so I'm interested to see how I do to kick off the year and see if I've improved since the last time we did it. (Edit: Maybe we're not doing Isabel tomorrow. I might have lied but either way I'm looking forward to a great WOD tomorrow!)