Sweat Is My Lifeblood

have it your way for under $1?

2012-01-06T20:18:00.001-07:00

This is my son. He is preparing for a post-apocalyptic world. You know - when food gets scare and we have to live off the land. Eat bugs. So he is practicing by eating his stuffed lady bug.
So maybe not. I was going to blog about the post apocalyptic world, but then I remembered it is New Year’s Resolution time. Pfft! I understand it helps some people to associate a literally new time with new behaviors. I just hope that people start moving towards nipping problems as they occur rather than waiting for the calendar days to dwindle down to another year.
Why the picture of the boy? Why not? He’s nomsing on a fake grumpy ladybug. That just so happens to be more real than other food out there. You think that All Beef Patty for $.99 is really 100% beef? Really? It’s cost less than a dollar! What does that tell you? People have been trying to show just how little meat is in fast food burgers. Nothing new. Last year, when sued, Taco Bell said it HAD to add other things to its meat to bring up flavor and quality. It’s not affordable food, it’s cheap…in quality.

So if you must use the New Year’s as a time to straighten out your habits, think meat. Sure you want to save money, but don’t be stupid about your health. It might be better to remove a habit to support a healthier lifestyle. Go to the bar four times a week to drink with friends? Drink water, don’t go out so much, carpool to save gas money. A few extra dollars will allow you to buy real meat and cook your own hamburger or scale up from fast food joints to an actual restaurant that serves real meat burgers.

For most diets, processed foods and fast foods are not at the top of the list. In this world and time, when you can get that many people to agree on one thing, slap a “profound” sticker on it and call it good.

The Problem

2011-12-12T21:13:00.001-07:00

Source

So, I’m on this corrective exercise kick because I recently got my NASM CES certification. The education brought up some good points though. Aside from the process used to guide clients towards more correct movements, there were some key identifiers that we as personal trainers, coaches, and athletes do not always address.

For example, you’re doing a workout with squats and you hear feedback to stay on your heels. You try, you really do, but your heels don’t want to stay down. You hear that you need to push out on your knees. You focus on your knees and nothing happens. The inability to correct your technique may not be simply corrected just by identifying poor movement pattern.

How’s that possible? If your heel is off the ground, it’s off the ground. Plain, simple. Wrong. Rather than dictate what is wrong, ask why is it like that? If it were so simple, saying “keep your heels on the ground” should have worked to correct the issue. What happens when you try to keep your heels on the ground? Do you find that your upper body movement changes, you want to fall backwards, or you become instable? The muscles in your calf may be tight. Stretch them out right? Good.

It doesn’t end there though. Make sure that was or was not the sole cause. Why was your muscle tight? Do you have to sit a certain way at work, do you wear shoes with heels? Start to address those issues. Maybe you can’t change what you have to do at work, but you can practice some trigger point therapy with a lacrosse ball and you can take breaks to stretch out and prevent your muscles from becoming too tight.

If simple cues are not fixing your technique problem, start looking at why. If you hear repetitive cues about your technique, look at what’s going on with your mechanics. Ask yourself why you cannot correct your form. It may just be the newness of a technique or it may be something related to your biomechanics. You’ll never find out if you never ask yourself why though.

You Are Your Worst Enemy

2011-12-08T21:12:00.000-07:00

Source

We are told to suck it up. Fight through the burn. Embrace the pain. All things which are true and necessary when you need to make improvements…to a point. You may not think of yourself as a person to take this to extremes, but you can easily desensitize yourself to yourself.

Yeah. Crazy, right? Think about it though. You constantly struggle to make gains which means ignoring or bypassing that burning in your quads. It means you continue to run even when you feel out of breath. You see that you get better with your workouts, you’re feeling healthy. Then you plateau. Initial thought? You must need to push it even more. You need to go faster and lift heavier. Obviously, you’re slacking.

Wrong (at least in some instances)! You may have been fighting through it so much that you forgot how to listen to your body. That burning sensation is actually a muscle strain. The sensation of being out of breath is a respiratory system infection. Your inability to lift like you used to is a shout out from your joints to give them a break. When you mistake these signs as things you need to fight through in your workout, you’re asking for trouble. Injury, illness, poor recovery.

I’m not advising that everyone scale back on everything instantaneously. Knee jerk reactions aren’t necessary here. I just think we all need to exercise some serious thought about what our bodies are telling us. We’ve become so disconnected with our bodies because of what our peers, coaches, and the media may be telling us. None of these people know your body like you do…at least they should not. If someone else notices a limp before you even register the pain, shame on you. It isn’t cool to be that separated from the entity that provides you a connection to the physical world.

Spend some time getting to know how your body reacts to things. Get intimate with the signs your body sends you when it starts to speak. And also listen. If you’re a poor listener, you should at least know how to listen to your body.

working out s-mart

2011-11-08T09:48:00.001-07:00

"Shop smart. Shop S-Mart." Thanks Bruce Cambell. But really, think like you shop - smart...especially during your workout.

I'm getting into the workout thing again. I never left, but I'm slowly ramping up to my prepregnancy practices. I have to play it smart though. As much as I would love to just rip into a workout, I can't do that. Not in the least. Other things I can't do - get the same max efforts on my lifts as I used to. I'm not admitting defeat and saying I'll never be there. What I am saying is I'm smart enough to know I am not there right now. I have to work my way back to that place.

That's ok. To be safe, I have to know a "second" me. The post partum me that hasn't lifted heavy, sprinted all out, or done muscle ups for the past couple of months. To anyone in a similar situation - be realistic about your skills. If a workout requires you to be a level 3 ninja and you're only a level 2 - scale it back. If something smells remotely dangerous, work into it slowly. It goes back to the "if ___ jumped off a bridge, would you?" If someone asks you to do a movement you are not comfortable with or at a weight you are afraid of, think about it. 1. Is this person just trying to motivate you? 2. Is what is being asked realistic? 3. Is it safe? Just because 1 and 2 have an answer, it doesn't mean that it is safe. Approach the goal in steps, build up to a weight or a speed methodically. Work on speed once you've mastered the other parts or modify movements.

The thing is, you shouldn't rely on someone else to read your body for you. As a trainer, I try to, but you should know best. If you don't know your bottom from your top end, you need to be taking this workout thing pretty slowly. Your top priority should be familiarizing yourself with your comfort zones, limitations, and habits. How can you push your boundaries if you don't know where they are? How can you eliminate your limitations if you don't know where to find them? If you can't smell what the Rock is cooking, you better check yourself before you wreck yourself. Be responsible enough to know yourself, it'll make meeting fitness goals safer and more enjoyable.

deep squat workout

2011-10-24T16:25:00.000-06:00

Source

I was going to make a big baby post, but that was really too much to read at one sitting. So I'd like to do a semi-flash back along with a delivery post.

First is flashback time. I'm glad to not be pregnant anymore. It wasn't the worst thing of my life, but that final month sure did "exercise" my nerves. I'm assuming it was a necessary evil to prepare for being a parent and having my every nerve exercised by a child. That's cool. I was glad to not be physically assalted with strangers wanting to pet my belly. However, I was tired of hearing about the phantom pregnancy back pains, belly buttons, etc. that I did not really experience. The best advice I got was from mothers who finished telling me about their pregnancy experience with "but every pregnancy is different and who knows what you'll feel and go through." YUP! No matter what your mother or other women in your family experience, your pregnancy will be your own. My mom doesn't call much, but when she did call it was to assure me taht I'd have a c-section like her and would also not be able to breastfeed...like her. Wrong on both accounts. Don't get tied up in other people trying to take away what fun and joy you can have in your pregnancy experience. Like a bad workout, dust your shoulders off and press forward.

If you read my personal blog, you know I wasn't blessed with the naturally glowing skin. I had wisely invested in make up. Not the "I spent my babysitting money on glitter at Claire's" make up, but the adult stuff. I also got many questions about my workouts. It might have looked crazy to the new person, but those that have seen me workout prepregnancy know that I was scaling back. Where you start effects what you can do as your pregnancy progresses. Being in shape beforehand made it possible for me to continue Crossfitting throughout my pregnancy. I went in on Wednesday to do a workout, later that night my water broke, and the little one was welcomed into the world the next day. So yeah, I worked out to the end of the pregnancy. Srsly.

I'm glad I continued exercise because it also paid off in the delivery room. I ended up having an epi, so I couldn't use the squat bar like I wanted. That turned out to be just fine because we managed to still get me into a squat position. DEEP squat. None of that 90 degree or higher stuff. Think leg press machine. I squat well over 200lbs, well over. So you can imagine that squatting out a 7 lb baby went by pretty quickly. Judging by the responses, it went faster than the nurses and OB thought it would go. Having done Olympic weight lifting, squatting, and lunging like crazy gave me the core strength to push according to the OB's instructions. Is control all that necessary? YUP. Some pushes were hard, some were halted faster than others, and some were easy pushes. In all, it took me seven contractions to evacuate Cillian from my belly.

Someone mentioned that delivery was like a hard, deep squat workout - I couldn't agree more. At least, that was my experience. I think many ladies of an athletic/fitness background will have similar reactions. But hey, everyone's body is different.

when you don't want what you need

2011-09-18T20:45:00.000-06:00

Source

The other day, I was thinking of all the things I want. I want to not feel tired, I want to not be hungry and only be able to take two bites of a meal before my stomach is full, I want to look down at my belly and not be reminded of Aliens as the little parasite moves around. All of these things are normal though. In fact, they are signs that I'm having a healthy pregnancy. So what's wrong with me?

Aside from the lifeforce leaching parasite, I think a lot of people actually know what I'm talking about. You get so excited about these things you want, that what you need drops by the side. In the gym, including myself, I've heard people say how much they want to lose those last five pounds or lift just a few kilos heavier. They get excited about Crossfit and want to reach all these high levels of performance right away. It all sounds good. Plus, goals are powerful things to have. There is nothing wrong with that.

However, we can't forget about what we need on our way to attaining what we want. We need to be healthy. We need to learn self control/restraint and healthy living habits before tackling ways to get rid of those last five pounds. What good does it do you to either starve or be an exercise bulimic so you can lose five pounds? That's not a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. What good is a heavy bench press when you can't squat half that weight? Most of your activities of daily living, leisure, and recreation involve movement of your core and lower limbs. If you're functional strength is lacking, the gains you do make will not be balanced. Boo! That's a lot of work going into wants and skipping of the must-haves.

I don't mean to be Debbie Downer (ok, maybe I do), but it is good to give yourself a mental check when you feel the rush of excitement for new goals dealing with what you want. Ask yourself if you have or have not met the requirements for what you need. Before going for the aesthetic goals, have you met the functional ones? It may draw out the timeline, but it will end up being easier.

So to all those people who say they need to get in shape before coming to my gym. Think about what you need. If exercises and workouts and be modified for you to help you get fit safely, do you need ramp up time? Maybe you just want to take it easy with your workouts? Will that help you get to where you need to be? If you've been doing that for some time and have not gotten the results you NEED, then maybe it is not what you need but what you WANT. Switch gears. It's hard to admit, but skipping what you need is a short cut. Suck it up, stop cutting corner, and go get what you need.

home stretch

2011-07-29T21:41:00.002-06:00

I'm well into my third trimester! Home stretch folks. With the little one treating my uterus like a punching bag, I can tell the time for him to get out is nearing. I've got bigger in the belly. There's some mild swelling in the feet. I take the occasional naps.

How do I feel? It's the most asked question at the moment. I feel pretty good though. No back pain yet, but I acknowledge it may come later. No hip pain. No odd tummy dealings. I feel like a rolly polly at times. I have to roll back and forth to get up or push myself out of chairs. A friend gave me a prenatal yoga dvd and I'm pretty sure I owe some of the good feelings to it.

What am I doing in the gym? Still working out. The intensity has gone down quite a bit. Still staying away from max lifts. I can still do pull ups, but muscle ups have been lost. I also mix it up with my PR Fit Club program. Lots of lunges, squats, and triceps dips to go around. I also do the South Side Johnny's Running Club every so often. Keeping in mind all the safety nets my OB gave me, working out has been helping my energy levels stay consistent.

What have I learned? Well, like graduations and weddings, pregnancy is most certainly not about me. It's not about my crazy need to be competitive with myself. It is not about my idea that pushing my own limits is fun. It is not about being neurotic about physical appearance. So what did that leave me with? Not much is left of "me." That might be a bit cruel to say. Perhaps the word "balanced" is better suited for this situation. It hit me pretty early, this was about the little parasite leaching my life force from the womb (I know, cute nickname). Then again, it is all about me being able to provide the healthiest shot at survival for the littlesucker. I have to remind myself that "toning me down" is for something greater than any of those things.

The most concern I see is from fellow female athletes who wonder about the adjustment to being pregnant. It's horrible at first. It sucks to watch other surpass you. It sucks to see people progressing and not be able to cheer by their side. After being submerged in a figure training program, it sucked to know that I wouldn't be getting that look. One might think that the bigger I got, the worse those feelings would be. It's the opposite. The bigger I got, the more the point was driven home - I'm not alone in this and it couldn't be solely about me. If I am to pass along the bad ass genes, I better give the little parasite the best environment to see that through. If I give him what he needs, he will thrive. I may not be an overwhelming force in the gym at the moment and there may be those relishing in that, but you can bet my little parasite will kick your weak sauce's ass. That's how this team rolls.

is it about being a purist??

2011-06-29T10:47:00.001-06:00

Today, I was introduced to a lovely article discussing some new cycling champion of vegandomness. Now, I have nothing against vegans. Really, I don’t. I understand the general population of Paleo diet supporters are not in agreement with the vegan diet, but I’m more a to each their own person. Eating Paleo made me feel wonderful, if someone can find the same feeling on another diet, why would I interfere? And if someone can be allergic to wheat, there’s a chance a person can be allergic to something found in a meat dominated Paleo diet. Rather than force people into a diet change, I’d rather provide information and let them choose.

The actual subject of the article was not my problem at all. If you’ve been in the Paleo kingdom, you’ve heard the phrases Paleo + dairy, 85% Paleo, 80/20, or strict Paleo. So why wasn’t this guy called a 90% Vegan or Vegan+Fish? It seems that so many people are willing to bash and label Paleo dieters more than other diets. When I explain my diet to people I always say I “try” to eat Paleo. WTF? Are there 80/20 Weight Watchers? We all understand the “trying” part of things, right? What was so great about the cyclist in the article? He was on a mission to prove that you could do anything on a Vegan diet. What was not highlighted was the “+Fish” part, it was a small note at the beginning and end. Was that ok? YES! Especially when reading the response from Bostrom about not getting caught up on the word "vegan."

I’ve found that many Paleo dieters get their science mixed up. There are some Paleo foods that are not recommended in high quantities because of recent scientific findings on their content of antinutrients. It is not that these foods are not Paleo. There are just other reasons not to eat them. Some take it to the next level with intermittent fasting. Others look at what was historically available and tailor their diets to those quantities. Paleo doesn’t require weighing and measuring. It isn’t necessarily low carb. People confuse eating Paleo for health with eating Paleo for performance (AH HA!). That is exactly what the cyclist from the article was about. He was going for some improved level of performance. For him (maybe not for every vegan), that means supplementation with non-Vegan food.

Sorry it took so long to get to my main point, but it is important to distinguish goals when it comes to diet. If you are working with people to meet their goals through diet, work with them. Give them information about a recommended diet. If they’re not taking to it, find other ways to meet their needs or adjust their goals. Like Bostrom was saying in the article - don't get caught up on the words that describe the diet, instead put attention on the goals. Not everyone has the luxury or ability to be a purist of any diet. It doesn’t make one better or less than…unless you’re watching Scott Pilgrim and then there is a definite line that’ll bring in the Vegan Police and they will take your away your Vegan powers. It was in the movie, it must be true. Eat well my friends.

zombies on the brain

2011-06-21T07:47:00.001-06:00

Source

For those that put on weight easily, don’t feel totally hopeless. Is this you? It certainly is me. I have to constantly watch what I eat. My body responds to nutrients (of any kind) by packing on pounds. You name it – muscle or fat, it loads up on the body. I look at a bench press and gain 10lbs. I think of a cookie and BAM, 5 extra pounds. So sad…until the zombie apocalypse.

Do not feel totally at a lost my easygainer friends. It may be tempting to look at the hardgainer (someone who has a hard time gaining weight) next to you as they pummel 50k calories of food into their piehole. It is ok, life will continue for you. When it comes to feast/famine times, you’ll be a winner. Why? Our bodies are efficient. Don’t think of it as a horrible genetic downfall, it is survival instinct being promoted through the generations for the ever impending zombie apocalypse. Our bodies will be able to strip nutrients from anything and everything we eat (as it has already shown it can do). What benefit is this? When food sources run scarce because you’re running from zombies and can’t stop for ho-ho’s at the local Loaf n’ Jug, you’ll still have something to burn. Meanwhile, your hardgainer friend with the uber high metabolism will be burning more calories than he/she can turnaround and will eventually…slow…down. Two things happen at this point. Your friend is either zombie food or you become the hero that has to drag your friend to safety because you have enough stored up energy to support that activity.

No, this is not an invitation to become overweight. It’s an invitation to not be down on yourself for having qualities that may currently seem less than favorable. I see too many people not just work against the gifts they have, but totally despise them. Sure, you’ll need to monitor your diet more than the hardgainer. If you want a particular look, you’ll have more tweaking to do in terms of body composition, if that’s your goal. But maybe you’ll make strength gains faster. Maybe your body adapts better to changes in the environment. You need less fuel and end up saving money. When you’re watching what you eat, you’re a cheap date. The point is, when you accept and work with what you’ve got, it might make things goes easier and you may just enjoy the journey a bit more.

Paleo Me vs a Baby Class

2011-06-16T11:50:00.001-06:00

Source

We’ve been to a few baby classes and have a few more left. You can imagine the thoughts running through my head as a person who avoids grains, legumes, juices, and sugar. I’m not what you call “with it” when it comes to conventional diets. What has been most helpful to deal with these classes is having an open mind. As a Paleo promoter, you want others to have an open mind about your diet. It’s a two way street.

While there were plenty of strange looks regarding what we ate, there were no attacks. Actually, the dietician was helpful in recommending other things to eat besides grains and dairy that would help get vitamins and minerals they provide. She also didn’t discourage me from eating fish, but recommended safer types of fish, which also happen to be more sustainable. That has winning all over it.

Next, we talked about exercise. Then I realized the intent of this class. It was for the average mother and/or father-to-be. What I did not know was the level of nutrition and exercise knowledge of the “average” person was lacking. The ladies around me looked ok, minus one with an obvious weight problem. Then I realized that’s what most people go for - how they look. If they look thin and slender, that’s acceptable even if they feel like crap and under-perform. I managed to keep my mouth shut after I came to this realization and sat through the class upset and sad.

Why did the instructor say “…and you should do this throughout your life” after most of the exercise demos? Most likely because the population the class was geared towards does not exercise much. The instructor knew this exercise business would be new and wanted to encourage people to continue. I felt sad for her. She’s fighting a battle against nonsense. BUT individuals are also responsible for their own health and the health of their children. There are people who are not interested in finding honest information about their health. Despite my feelings on other diet and exercise lifestyles, give it some effort. I’m pretty sure most healthy lifestyle prescriptions do not advocate the consumption of fast foods, sugar, and sedentary behavior. It doesn’t take a genius, just someone that cares.

It wasn’t all sadness. I had some positive takeaways too. The Movement U seminar, where Jessie Stensland blasted me about posture ended helping me still. I’m not a huge lady yet, but I also wasn’t one of the expecting mommies complaining of back problems even though I was the furthest along. I have gained A LOT of weight, but none of the pain. This may not be the case next month, but I’ll take the delay. The instructor loved squats. "They’re good for labor" she said. Thinking about getting pregnant? Squat like hell. Then don’t stop. Where you start at when you become pregnant will help determine what you can do throughout your pregnancy. If you’re strong to begin with, you’ve got more leeway than the lady who doesn’t lift because she want to bulk up. And finally (and obviously), exercise during pregnancy is recommended. You may have to make adjustments, but it’s not the end of the world. I’m no expert, so don’t take my words as gospel. BUT, what I’ve heard so far hasn’t made me throw stones yet. Happy. Panda.

My first notion was this class was a fight to support my Paleoness and Crossfit addiction. I was wrong. I was the least of these people’s concern. They’ve got worse populations to address than the Paleo convinced and exercise savvy. Don’t become part of that other population.

bring on the hate (angry post)

2011-05-27T12:47:00.000-06:00

Raechelle Chase - Source

My belly is getting larger. Some people take the time to tell me how much they notice that, which is usually fine with me. I understand. The situations where it is not fine are the ones followed with a snide comment about never being able to return to "normal." I've been told this several times throughout my life. At one point, a co-worker stopped me to say she "couldn't wait until I had children so I could have my figure ruined too." I've been constantly laughed at and told not to get too comfortable with my shape because it will never be the same after children. These people made it my only option to looking "good" was to never have children. Let me make a few things clear - I don not confuse health and looks. While I am a vain person, my ultimate goal is health. Also, do not mistake your shortcomings for my limitations.

Carla Sanchez - Source

I liken it to people who automatically accuse high level athletes of using performance enhancing drugs. Might there be a chance the person is so far better than you that your scope of knowledge in training and athletics cannot comprehend the work put in by athlete to reach such levels of performance? I've said it before - I've been accused of taking drugs. It's ridiculous to even hear because I'm in no way at that elite level of performance. The person that said it was not used to seeing women in the gym and therefore assumed any woman capable of lifting her body weight was on steroids. Thanks guy, it was a good laugh. What brings me back to calm are comments like the Beth said when I met her at a Crossfit competition - I don't believe in blaming my children for the shape of my body. WHAT!!? Yeah, she called all you ladies out just like that. My hero. Do not blame innocent children for your choices.


Heather Bergeron - Source

For those "blammers," I have a few names for you people - Heather Bergeron, Raechelle Chase, Jenn Gates, Michelle Mayberry, Cheryl Brown, Carla Sanchez and every other Performance Ready Hot Mama winner (my figure coach and team). The last few are IFBB Pro and NPC competitors. What else do these ladies have in common? Children. Some have more, some have older kids, some are single mother *before you make a comment, not all are stay at home moms, but don't knock the work of a stay at home mom either* All of these ladies are also hot. A blamer may be right. If I can look like any of those ladies mentioned, I'd gladly go back to something other than my pre-pregnancy body because I'd be going to something better body.

I know the immediate feedback to some of the ladies is about plastic surgery. That can only take you to a certain place. It cannot keep you looking fit forever. There is a type of consistent effort that gets a body into that shape and MAINTAINS it. There is a mindset that is necessary to raise children, work, and compete in athletics and figure/fitness competition. If you don't have that mindset, it's ok. But if you secretly see that as a shortcoming, don't use it to restrict what what others are capable of. achieving.

Cheryl Brown - Source

It comes down to this. You could be one of three people. The first person sees a someone who is "better" in some aspect. They are inspired to put in the work to make him/herself better too. The next person substitutes a false ceiling in hopes of justifying his/her current status and lack of willpower to make changes. The third person does not care. He/she sees no need to change, but still gives people credit when it's due. We all have different goals, there's no need to burn someone who is accomplishing his/her goal when it is not one of yours. Which person do you allow yourself to be?

fat, wet, and happy

2011-05-19T19:39:00.000-06:00

Source

I took a lot of time off last week. It was a rough week at the works. So I was determined to return to my fitness this week. So Tuesday we got a great AMRAP with chest to bar pull ups. I love those like I love my calluses ripping and bleeding. Seriously though, it was a good reminder that I need to workout. Wednesday though, that was all about fun. It was time for the South Side Johnny's Running Club. I'm not the let's run everyday type. I'm the "I like to jog and a run because I need zone out time" type.

Off to the bar we go. I know what you're thinking - the bar? They sponsor the running club and provide us with a nice and welcoming place to meet (not to mention sweet potato fries). It was raining earlier in the day. It slowed down. In all my experience with Colorado Springs, I made the decision to dress as if the rain would not return. My mistake. It rained like crazy on the most absorbent hoodie I owned. I couldn't zone out with all the rain and soaking wet hoodiedom. Luckily, I had more fun running and working out in the rain than I've had in a long time. First, the temperature was actually warm despite the rain. I got to roll around in grass, which I never get to do at work. THEN I got to thrusters with a rock. It reminded me of those falling rock signs. Now all I needed was a cliff to throw the rocks from so they landed right in front one of those signs. When I was done, I got to eat some tasty food. That's a pretty good deal.

Crossfit is about the unknown right? Well, if there is anything impossible to predict, Colorado weather would be one of them. You might as well be prepared to workout in a range of conditions on any given day. Perhaps it would have been nicer with the other jacket I own - the waterproof one? Meh. It was a good mental exercise in general preparedness to just go out and do stuff without complaining about my lot in life. How lame would it be to only be able to do things when they've met the stringent conditions you've set for it? That's a reason why some workout routines are never established. Life is rarely like that, so why should your workouts be any different? Embrace the total cluster that a wrench in the plan brings. It might actually turn out to be a better time than you gave it credit for.

Paleo Prego

2011-05-19T19:00:00.000-06:00

You had to see it coming - the onslaught of pregoposts. Sorry, this is probably one of many...

Since I've told people I'm pregnant, everything I eat seems to be under scrutiny as a "craving." Fries make me happy. There's a deep history between me and French fries that only a select few know the reason. I like to bake sweet things too. I don’t do it often because sweet things are cheats, once again, not a daily thing. My blog is about training, not baking. You won’t be seeing everything I bake. You will see those especially friendly to long time Paleo enthusiasts that may have problems finding a satisfying cheat that won’t tie their GI tract in knots. I have been known to have ice cream as a dessert with friends. So next time you see me eat ice cream and ask if it's a craving, I'm likely to say "No, moron. I just like ice cream." Don't be offended of my response and I won't be offended of your question.

That's what it's really about. The idea a liberty card on eating exists. You know, the "eat whatever you want because you're pregnant" card. It doesn't exist. There is no "card" for any reason. Seriously. The holiday season is not a multi-month pass to a gorgefest. At that point, it's not a cheat, you've fallen off the bandwagon. And that's what is encouraged by these "cards."

And there are people that will tell you it is ok. Do not listen. It is a ploy to make you miserable and sad like them. I don't know what you're thinking, but I'm thinking about the time and effort it took to get to a level of health I'm happy with. It took a lot of mental and emotional reprogramming to live comfortably with a Paleo diet. It took some decent level of effort to make working out a priority. Now, why would I use a liberty card to throw it all away and start back at square one? Why would I set up baby to have an addiction to sugar and have the same issues. It doesn't make sense. Live a little, enjoy life. Everything has consequences. Before you let loose, know what your limits are and when a quick recovery becomes lost.

3, 2, 1, DONE!

2011-05-06T15:11:00.001-06:00

Source

That’s right, it is finally over. It feels odd knowing that this Saturday will not hold any CF Games WOD. There will not be any anxiety built up over how I need to tackle the WOD or the skills in it. It’s all over…or is it?

I heard many members from my gym comment about how they'll continue to work their weaknesses. It's pretty damn inspirational to know that when it's over, it's not really over. It also made me wonder - why? The competition was over. Right? This is what happens when you compete not only for a place, but to make yourself better. That whole progress thing doesn't stop just because the competition stops. It's a continual process. The Crossfit Games Open was a great event, but the people wanting to better their skills provided the heart and guts of the event. Inspiring is what it is. Rather than rest on your heels until next year, how about you get better - now.

The Crossfit Games are over for me, for reals. I'm excited for those I know continuing onto Regionals and hope to make it down to watch both Regionals and finals. But how did I do? Pretty good. At first, I was disappointed to not make it to the next round. But there's something to be said about being able to make up with heart and guts what you lack in ability and talent. It's not always enough, but it was enough to make me smile. And when I look in the mirror, it's not your ass I see, it's me. If I can't smile upon my own performance, I fail. I'd post my results, but the site is down for finally tallies and I honestly don't remember how I did with each workout. At first I teetered with that Top 60 group. You know, the 60 that progress to the regional competition. I didn't end that way though. I finished 80th out of 400+ ladies (non-masters) in the Southwest region. . Not to shabby for a pregnant lady. We'll see what happens next year

Disappointed...in a good way.

2011-04-23T19:55:00.000-06:00

Source

Some Crossfit Open Games workouts have past since my last blog. How have I done? Ok. I say that in an accepting way, not all bad.

My goal was to push from the get go and give what I could to the workout. Did I get there? Somewhat. For the fourth workout, I had a goal and was about few reps shy from it. I was slightly disappointed I didn't reach my goal. I MAY have done better if I tried again, not by much. That's why the disappointment isn't so bad. I got close to my goal. I didn't kill myself, but I did test my limits. It wasn't the easiest recovery, but I did recover. It was a quick and I was back to training with minimal downtime. Could I ask for more? If I did, I couldn't ask for much more.

I was happy with my efforts and happy to be disappointed. Who really enjoys disappointment? Being disappointed because you quit, lost your will, or gave up is one thing. It's a horrible thing really. Being disappointed because you were close, but know there wasn't much left is another thing. It's on the border of something to be proud. I gave it my all, acknowledged what I gave wasn't good enough, and I'm determined to get better.

The fifth workout was a different challenge. I'm making some great gains towards my figure competition. I'm training hard and keeping my diet in check. I never had huge problems with the diet...until this week. It was carb and fat cutting week and was lower in calories than ever. I was a wreck earlier in the week and slowly my body is adjusting. It isn't the optimal diet for Crossfit though. I had a few options - don't do the workout, ease through the workout, or just do it and see what the hell happens. So I did it. I pushed it. I managed to not pass out :) I got a meager 8+ rounds. I wanted 9-10 rounds. Disappointed still, but I know my goals were better suited to a better fueled body.

What this did tell me is that I can beast through a pretty jacked workout and come out surviving. Sometimes we never test ourselves in those uncomfortable situations because we have the luxury of preparation. We take our time to carefully plan things, create strategy, and optimize the preworkout conditions (sleep, diet, etc.). I didn't have all those. Diet was automatically out of my hands, which affected my sleep. My strategy was to not pass out :) I felt pretty strong on everything but the toes to bar, which I usually crush. It just didn't work my way this time. What did work my way were the power cleans?? Don't ask how that happened. I'm honestly happy with how I did those, which balanced out the disappointment.

Ultimately, I'm disappointed because I know there was an ounce more to give lurking somewhere. I'm enjoying it though. I like knowing that I can move my limits further than I thought. What was a problem today won't be a problem later. If you have the faith you can do better, take a step forward. Having high standards or raising your own standards is better than giving up on yourself.

my CF games update

2011-04-10T19:46:00.000-06:00

Week 3 of the Crossfit Games has concluded. My conclusions - it's concluded :) A lot of learning points on this one. It was the first "event" after making a promise to myself to not do multiple attempts at a WOD. My response has been a mix of punishment, acceptance, and getting over "it."

So many things from one stupid event. Amazing, really, and also cheap considering the gravity of the Crossfit Games is nothing life affecting for me. I consider it a great playground to learn and practice things that I can carry over into more serious parts of my life. Don't go thinking that I don't care about my fitness, I think we all can figure out how I'm trying to separate the layers.

The WOD (workout) was five minutes of a squat clean followed by a jerk at 50kg. I thought it would be too heavy for me to get many in. I'm confident in my cleans at that weight, not so much with repeated overhead action. I told myself that if I do this only once, I better make it good. I got 22 rounds in. It was better than I thought I would do and still far from my goal. Funny how that works out right? I set a goal of anywhere between 25-30 rounds. If I tried again, could I have got it? I'm pretty sure I could have. That's the punishment. My competitive side has to sit and wait for the next workout because it doesn't get a chance to do it again. That's what I get for holding something back knowing that I only had one chance.

That was yesterday. Today is the getting over it part. There's no need to let thoughts of could/should haves wreck my life. That's usually what I like to do though, so it's somewhat a struggle. I've accepted my score, my performance, the fact I had something left in the tank and I'm moving forward with life. Today, I recovered. Today, I was well enough to prepare my food for the rest of the week. No, I didn't do what I wanted on the last workout, but it's not the end of the world.

I add it to the rest of my pile of "experience." I know how it feels to do well enough, but know that there was more to give. It was between half-assing something and going balls/ovaries-to-the-wall. Depending on the situation, it may or may not be what I want. I know the feeling of pushing myself beyond my comfort zone, but not to utter exhaustion. That can be pretty damn helpful later. Not the best performance, not the weakest. Lots of nice things to learn. Not so shabby. I'll take it and press.

make it right

2011-04-02T18:39:00.000-06:00

We all have a choice. Rarely can we say someone "made" us do something. Perhaps we persuaded ourselves the consequences of not doing something were worse than doing something, especially when doing something we don't want to do.

Right now, I'm sitting waiting for my husband to show up so we can head over to the gym again and do the Crossfit Games Open workout...again. I'm on a different diet, have allergies, multiple bloody noses, am recovering from an illness, am recovering from a week of hard workouts (for both the fitness prep, Crossfit, and CFE), a long week at work, CBTs up the yin-yang, drill weekend, a friend's birthday party, and mopping about my own aging earlier in the week. So I'm thinking - if I'm having a pretty shitty weekend, what the hell am I doing going to the gym again?

Source

It's that competitive side of me. Those who hate to be beaten know this side well. We have wrestled control of their lives from this side fight day-in and day-out to maintain a healthier balance of life. I did this once. Too many competitive events to train for at one time will undo it all. Out goes concern for sleep, recovery, and properly fueling every endeavor with good nutrition.

The new Crossfit Games Open format has me thinking. A lot. Now is the time to train, fuel, and recover. The balls/ovaries to the wall time is later. I have to get there first. I also have to consider the fact I want to compete on a team. It isn't just me I have to think about, but a potential team that may rely on me further down the road. Let's say my gym's team makes it to the next round. Here we are a step closer to our goals, but I've crapped on my own health so much I haven't gotten stronger or fitter. I may actually pull my body in reverse and be of no help to my team. That'd suck for everyone.

What's my plan? I'm not backing out of anything I signed up for. Not in the least. I'm getting smarter about how I'm gearing up. The ability to do the Crossfit WOD multiple times isn't helping. While it's easy to try it once to get a feel for things and then again to really get a great score, may not be in my best interest. I don't think it's wrong, but I don't have the right mindset to take advantage of it. I need to just get there, not get there with the best score. Just get there. And while I'm doing that, I should be doing what it takes to make sure that when it is go-time, I'm at my best.


Source

Knowing I can repeat a workout for a better score caused me to hold back on the first workout. I need to work on going all out from the start. What happens then? I have no regrets about my performance, I can't say I didn't give it my all, and I get used to doing it right the first time. How am I to learn from my mistakes if I'm allowing myself such a loose leeway to make them? Even in more traditional sports where a majority of "things" are known do not have do-overs. If you scratch your jump in track, that's one down. Sure you have other attempts, but that's what I'm considering the other workouts as - my next attempt. What would Holmes on Homes do? Make it right.

This all good talk until I can make it happen. Maybe I'll start this now...or next week :P

8 Minute Meditation

2011-04-01T11:34:00.000-06:00

Source

I got done reading 8 Minute Meditation awhile ago. I thought I’d give it some post-reading settling time to see how it really goes. I asked for this book because I thought meditation might be a good thing. It is supposed to be calming, distressing, and soothing. I’ve used different types of meditation as part of classes before, but using it on my own, for no specific reason was not working for me. Yes, even months after finishing the book, I still find time to meditate.

This book sounded like a good way to start practicing meditation. I had a guided sleep relaxation session that was somewhat like meditation…except the voice of the therapist annoyed more than relaxed. I knew that wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. Unfortunately, most times I tried to meditate before bed that lady’s voice came into my head and gone was my dream of zen.

So I thought I’d pick up this book, read it in a night and be set to go – forever. Not quite so fast. This book is an eight week program. I obviously missed that part in the summary. The author takes you through a different meditation technique each week. The techniques are sandwiched by a pretty thorough introduction and a nice conclusion. Overall, I liked the book. The techniques are simple. They are easy to understand and implement. The eight minute time limit is also nice. It keeps you from thinking about how much time the session will take from your busy schedule. Eight weeks is enough exposure to allow to figure out how you want to continue. Sounds simple? Really though, it was.

I’m not 100% sure what zen is, but I’m all about finding it. I didn’t meditate every day like the instructions asked and I still don't. That’s ok, but that’s also addressed in the book. It’s as complete as you can get for what is being taught. No, it didn’t lead me to my zen spot. I do feel it helps me go to sleep easier. It shoves the low priority thoughts from my mind so they are not recurring nuisances later. It gives me some quiet time with me. I don’t have to spend money at the spa or go on a shopping spree. I’m not some seven level meditation master, but you don’t have to be to start experiencing some of the benefits from a little quite time and meditation.If you're curious about meditation or have dabbled in it and not sure where to go from there, pick up this book. It's relatively inexpensive and easy to find. Don't worry about people thinking you're odd for carrying around a meditation book, they thought that way before they saw the book.

inspiration

2011-03-09T21:00:00.001-07:00

Source

I just got done watching some of the webcasts of the Arnold Sports Festival. What can I say? Everyone I saw was an inspiration. What does that matter? Sometimes we dedicate so much to sleep, diet, and exercise but still find ourselves plateauing. If I'm really doing so well in those arenas, where else is there to look but inside? I needed an internal heave-ho and seeing the competitors at the Arnold really did it.

Why is that? Watching the Figure International pre-judging, it seems every lady called out had either completed a masters degree, had at least two kids, or donated an entire paycheck to a charitable organization. Who does that? I find it pretty hard to stay in shape, have hobbies, and work. Add on the life of being a professional competitor. It isn't a cheap sport and is loaded with some time demands. To be able to do these things while raising children, childbirth, and school, it's a wonder they don't look worn out. The winner of the Bikini International is an 18 year old student on a fast track medical school program in Florida. And I think I'm tapped for time. Aside from those girls, a couple of the coaches from Crossfit Soco were competing in the weightlifting events. Jacki and Natalie aren't what I call huge girls. They are however what I call bad ass. They take away excuses of size some of tend to associate with strength. They are proof that size isn't always the limiting factor we let it be. Anyone that's been close to a goal knows success is just as nerve wracking as failure. It is no small feat to put yourself up on a platform with your only options being success or failure.

Sometimes I think of these things as a slap in the face, calling me lazy or less than. Inspiration isn't about making you feel bad though. It is about making the impossible seem possible. These are people with everyday concerns about children, life, money, etc. They have jobs and aspirations like the rest of us. Some want competitive events to be their job, some want to go on to be something else. The idea is to find something that inspires you because it's more than a slap in the face. Inspiration goes on to tell you to stop beating down on yourself and recognize it can be done. The moment you look at something inspiration and start the negative self-talk, stop. That mindset is the enemy. Realize someone is showing you a potential way to get things done. Figure it out, make it your own. Be great. In the words from Harold Lamb, that means "to crush your enemies, to see them fall at your feet -- to take their horses and goods and hear the lamentation of their women" (check it out, pre-Conan - Genghis Kahn: the emperor of all men, 1927; p. 106-107). So maybe not JUST like that, but you get the idea - allow yourself to be inspired.

MovementU Seminar at Crossfit Soco

2011-02-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

Source

One word – awesome. If you were unable to attend this seminar, you missed out! Not to worry, Jessi Stensland has more lined up. If you’re not into triathlons, there’s also a partial day “run only” class. It was well worth it to attend the full seminar though.

I’m not going to give away any of Jessi’s material, in part because I can’t say some if it as well as she did. The day started off with the some movement preparation work and a posture check. Then followed some lecture. I was about to say “education” in place of lecture, but the education portion isn’t limited to the lecture part of the seminar. Then we went over some posture, mechanics, and corrections for running, cycling, and swimming.

Throughout the seminar, there were snacks provided. Have you ever been sitting in a seminar and been distracted by your grumbling tummy? Yeah, she didn’t want that. Lunch was also provided. While the lunches were not strictly Paleo, there were plenty of delicious things in it that I could eat. I think most of it, if not all of it, was gluten free.

Who is this appropriate for? Everyone. It’s reasonably priced, especially when compared to Crossfit certifications. For the beginners, it will get you started correctly. I would highly recommend this if you are a beginner triathlete. Why bother correcting bad habits when you can learn to do it correctly and safely from the get go? For the middle of the pack people, something like this is important if you intentions are to perform better. For coaches, it's great to pick up new methods and cues for your athletes. It's also approved for USAT and ACE continuing education.

The swimming portion wasn’t the biggest eye opener. I don’t say this because the information was less than relevant. I say this because I knew my swimming sucked, so I expected to be hit with lots of information. There were a lot of dry land skills presented so I can maximize my time in the water with drills. When I did Team in Training, drills were an essential part of practice. This probably explains why my first swimming experience wasn’t the dread I thought it would be. But after TnT and swim lessons, I let go of the drill work and my form suffered. Any time in the water was a waste of time. Don’t be fooled that you’re getting in mileage when your form sucks. Perfect practice makes perfect. A Craptacular practice makes crap. RLY.

Source

The bike portion was the last part of the day. I made some slight changes to my posture. When Jessie gave me some cues, I wasn’t feeling the correct muscle activation. I was about to give up on it all, but Jessi wasn’t having it. She tried something else and BOOM, I got it. After thinking about it, it all made sense. If I changed my posture enough, there’s a good chance that I needed to change the setup of my bike to accommodate the new posture. Frenchy, the road bike, is now a step closer to being almost as good a friend as Rocky, the mountain bike.

As part of the seminar, we got a good template to start with. Also, we talked about changing the culture of the endurance world. First was an emphasis on movement prep, joint mobility, and joint stability. The other part was the importance of interval training vs the building mileage. That is a tough nut to crack. I’ve dabbled in both. I did Crossfit Endurance (CFE), which combines intensity, interval training, mixed with pacing. You get the same physiological effect from certain interval workouts as from long, slow distance practice. With the freed up time, you can concentrate on movement prep and recovery. While doing CFE, I couldn’t help but think about how many miles I was NOT building. I gave the programming what efforts I could and I got good results. A part of me thinks that I could have given it a better shot though. Next time, I’ll do some consistent mental checks to make sure I’m really dedicating my efforts to that style of programming. We’ll see how it goes, I’m pretty excited to be applying all the new stuff I’ve learned.

the kool-aid is waiting for you

2011-02-25T12:16:00.001-07:00

Source

I had a friend make a comment about how she didn’t realize everyone who Crossfit was NOT some superstud looking athlete. If you’ve been in an affiliate, you know that Crossfitters come from many walks of life and have even more varied goals. We don’t all look like Adonis. Step back and take a look at all the pictures on the main site, different affiliate pages, and personal blogs. It is easy to see how someone can come to that conclusion. I read tons of comments about how “hot” Crossfit makes people look. It is not all about looking like an athlete rockstar. It is about health.

There are many things Crossfit is not. It is not a religion. It is not about making you puke. It is not about pushing you to unhealthy levels of exhaustion. It is not about judging your initial level of fitness. It is not about minimizing your accomplishments. It is not only for elite athletes. It is not about making fun of who you are. It is not about making fun of who someone else is. It is not about arrogance. It is not finger pointing. It is not about alienation. It is not apologetic.

Despite the comments you see regarding any of these things, Crossfit is about health. It is about taking you from Point A to Point B, where Point B is a place better than Point A. It is about prevention of illness. If you go to my affiliate, you know it is about a supportive community. It is about scaling and modifying to recognize your commitment to fitness. It is about making the programming accessible so you too can “drink the kool-aid.” It is about cheering on other people in the gym because you share an experience - the struggle of a workout.

With the many things Crossfit is, there is plenty it is not. The reasons people participate Crossfit are unlimited, unrestricted, and often times unadulterated. If you are thinking about Crossfit or making healthy changes in general, do not be discourage by comments you read. Be encouraged that there is a community out there waiting for you. I know it sounds corny, but it is true. Srsly. Yeah, there’s kool-aid, it's for everyone though. I mean, only if you consider health a kool-aid.

Need proof. Watch this.

dry what?!

2011-02-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

Dry needling. I never heard of it until the other day. The nice folks from Synergy Manual Therapy stopped by to demonstrate the technique at Crossfit Soco yesterday. I'm not usually one to volunteer for events involving needles.

After a quick discussion on the technique, I was curious. It way it was explained reminds me of e-stim. Obviously, they specialize in manual therapy, so they probably don't have electrical stimulation units in their office. The goal is to target a muscle area with the needle and move it around in such a way to get a muscle to release its contraction by changing its current electrical pattern. Electricity in my muscles?! Yeah, true story. If you don't know much about your nervous system and how electrical pulses hop inside your body, Google it or try this website.

I have been doing some isolation exercises and my hamstrings seem to have suffered the most. The past few days, they have been tight, sore, and overall just a mess. The area the therapist dry needled was just above the knee. She also caught the lateral portion of my thigh as evidence my tightening of my IT band. The needle is inserted into the tissue and then "see-sawed" a few times. The typical result is a tightening of the muscle. After a few moments it begins to release.

Dry needling felt like someone was tickling me, but on the other side of my skin. It was uncomfortable, but not painful. The worse part is getting it done the first time and realizing the therapist has more needles to use. I'm not sure about other people, but the sensation of the needle moving stuck around for awhile. The next day, the area felt pain free. I don't have any measurements on flexibility, so I can only say that it felt easier to stretch to or beyond where I was at in previous days. However, the effects seem to be very localized. I still have the same tightness I had in the muscle belly, an area that was not needled.

Would I recommend this? Maybe. This was a demonstration, so it was free. I'm not sure how much a session usually lasts or costs and how many needles are used. Those sound like things that would be discussed during a consultation. If your curious, a consultation may be in order. If you have an issue that hasn't been resolved through other methods, dry needling may be worth a try. Will I try it again? It is not at the top of my list. I see a reasonable priced massage therapist who can cover more area with her hands than can be comfortably covered with needles. The Synergy representative did mention that needles have the ability to get deeper than other forms of therapy. I will definitely keep that in mind.

Look Better, Feel Better Week 7

2011-02-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

I did not completely give up on this program. What I mean by that is I’m too lazy to opt out of the emails it sends me for the length of the program. This week went over healthy eating habits when eating out at restaurants. I’m always game to improve my restaurant eating habits. So I read on.

This week’s advice was ridiculous. It advised avoiding any meal containing coconut milk. At least they’re consistent. The avoidance of coconut milk was probably recommended on their avoidance of fat. Coconut is fatty. It is also yummy. It is also nothing to fear. There’s a collection of studies found here. They discuss the benefits of coconut in general, but are countered with a doctor's skepticism on certain claims of the panacea that is coconut. It is not a professional/peer-reviewed article. But it provides some nice resources if you'd like to look at them yourself. If you surf on over to Mark’s Daily Apple, you will also find a breakdown of various coconut products.

For those of us sensitive to dairy, coconut milk is a great option. Yes, it has fat in it. Get over it. There’s a few studies, like this one (abstract only), that indicate coconut oil may have a slenderizing effect. Is it that simple? Probably not. There are many mechanisms not accounted for in an abstract. I’m just not impressed with the “avoid fat at all costs when eating out” recommendation. Although, there is a good chance that quality may be an issue with certain restaurants. In these situations, you may just want to avoid the restaurant all together. The same goes with fatty cuts of meat. Good quality, grass-fed meat fat is awesome. Poor quality, grain-fed meat fat is not so awesome. Love on one, avoid the other. Not so hard to grasp.

Source

Look Better, Feel Better, you still disappoint me. Your program does sound spot on for anyone following a conventional diet. Thanks to the Food Pyramid, we’ve seen nothing but skinny people in the US, right? Wrong. There are plenty of obese people. Many have given the conventional diet a run for its money and have not seen the health and fitness benefits that the “science” that supports it. I am just astonished that as someone singled out as needing to lose weight (me), I was given the same crap that’s been shoveled down my throat through mainstream media and education for years. If it hasn’t worked this far into my life, what makes you think your program would do any better? Now I understand the draw of fad diets, anything and everything that is different may be able to help because this crap hasn’t worked. Thanks for promoting such desperation in some people that they will turn to anything that offers a sign of hope. Maybe one day those people will start turning to a less fat-phobic diet. As soon as I get the energy to stop these emails, I will.

Figuring it out

2011-02-20T10:38:00.001-07:00

I've been taking trips to the globo gym lately as part of my figure competition preparation. What I've found is a gym with some poofy medicine balls and space for wall ball shots. Plyo boxes for box jumps. Some girl (not me) using the pull up bar to do burpee pull ups. WTF globo gym? That's right, some of these gyms have recognized the appeal of Crossfit. Some have their own affiliate. While I don't feel totally at home in this place, it has come a long way from what I remember. The resentment towards Crossfit is dwindling.

Source

I've come to realize a few things. If the Crossfit community is to continue to grow, we need to welcome everyone. That means those people we make fun of on the elliptical. Crossfit can be done anywhere, including the globo gym. Someone's membership at a globo gym has no bearing on their knowledge or acceptance of Crossfit. After all, I was there. It is very possible a Crossfitter was visiting and saw me on a seated leg curl machine and though "poor, hopeless soul." We cannot keep up with the snooty attitude and expect these people to feel comfortable coming into our affiliates.

I realized that despite the community you belong to, if you're in the gym, it's probably for a similar reason. We want to be healthier, feel better, and/or look better. We all have some level of dedication that keeps us returning. The few isolation movements I've been doing have been crippling! I haven't done calf raises in years and it took awhile to recover from a few sets. Crossfit didn't prepare me for this, but it wasn't meant to do that. It takes a different mindset for this approach, but I'm giving it a chance.

I've been doing some research. I found a few competitors that use strictly Crossfit for their preparation and a few that use some Crossfit. It gives me hope! Thanks ladies. Also, as functional as Crossfit is, it is good to know that combined with the right diet, figure judges appreciate the aesthetic value of it. Until my first competition, I'm giving my routine an honest shot. It's rough on the mind, but necessary. Plus, it's a good check to keep mentally flexible to different physical demands.

athletic ADD

2011-02-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

I am not the most patient person. As my excitement for the Crossfit Games was drawn out over ?? months (it's still being drawn out) my mind has moved elsewhere. I decided to do two figure competitions with the possibility of more later in the year. This requires non-Crossfit protocol. A good friend had the sense to ask if I was still intending to participate in the games since I had another event requiring my time and energy...ummm, yes.

Source

My goal with the Crossfit Games this year was to compete on a team. The rules say we all have to compete as individuals first. The motivation of many ladies I knew was obliterated with just a few sentences and we're now struggling to find female competitors. Boo :( There are few individual sports I find entertaining and I was looking forward to a team. Rather than throw away the work I put in, I decided to keep on keeping on. At the same time (because I have athletic ADD), I decided to do something with concrete, specific details laid out - the figure competitions. I'm not the type to wait around for word on formatting, rules, etc. I needed something fixed. Something with a short time line in terms of competition time (six weeks vs one day).I'm balancing the waiting game with the predictable.

How the heck am I going to do both? Who knows. Right now, I'm just winging it. I have a workout and nutrition plan provided by my figure coach. I've been able to turn it into a two-a-day format with workouts. Workouts for a figure competition are geared towards appearance, while Crossfit is geared towards function. That's ok. Since my affiliate team heartbreak occurred, I find this to be a great way to cope. The stability with the figure competition is quite soothing. The diet is pretty consistent with my current diet. Not much to change there. For me, it is not as stressful as others may believe.

So what does the "I always need something to do" person do when his/her plans are crushed? Plan again like crazy! Two figure competitions, an aquabike, a triathlon, MAYBE a military pentathlon, archery, jiu jitsu, and the Crossfit Games. When I hit a stopping point with one, I've got something already set up in the transition. If you don't have athletic ADD, no need to follow my example. Figure out what YOU want to do. Make a simple plan to have fun doing physical activities, then do what has to be done when your parade gets rained on. It's pretty crappy to have your fun taken away, but worse when you're not equipped to deal with it.

Why do I do this to myself?

2011-02-04T10:23:00.000-07:00

Source

I don't expect to be great at all things. I expect to try things I know I'm not great at. I practice skills I'm strong at and try to be ferocious attacking weak skills (aka weaknesses). I don't want to be familiar with a weakness. I want to be BFF's with it. I want to let it know it is not the boss of me. Example. I'm not a fan of center stage. I'd rather share the spotlight with a friend or completely give it to another completely. To me, it's pretty scary. What to do? Step out of the comfortable, familiar Crossfit box I've been living in and enter a figure competition.

Competition judges will not care about my Fran time. They won't ask about my dead lift. I'm excited to be trying something different and scared because I'm out of my comfort zone. By myself. On a stage. To be judged. I am unfamiliar with the entire process. Become comfortable with a it, right? Someone remind me of that when I trip on my heels while walking :) This is a serious issue though. I'm a fan of individual sports, but the fear of center stage has driven me away from many non-sport experiences. I was prepared, I was ready, but I also felt eyes start to converge on me. I hate that feeling. Scary. What better way to get over that then to be on a stage for the sole purpose of having people put eyes on me?

Last week, there was a Talk to Me Johnnie post titled What are You Training For. It inspired me to make sure I'm doing what I need for my training purposes, whether it's a weakness or a strength. To test that concept, you should try something specific in it's own setting...away from the gym. How else will you know if your skill sets are worth their weight? If you can make up for a weakness with a strength and still have a good workout time, that's great. But with the wrong mindset, it does nothing except encourage "gaming" of the system at the expense of making yourself better. How will I know I'm comfortable with my weakness if I don't do something specific to being center stage? Train to attack your weaknesses.

Weakness is limiting. It can be physical or mental in nature. I need to find it and beat the crap out of it. To do otherwise is to accept mediocrity. I equate weakness to fear. It is the fear of failure as much as it is the fear of success. To me, being fearless does not mean the lack of fear itself. It means finding your fear, confronting it, and beating the tar out of it. If you win, great. But it is impossible to lose. You don't have to be great, just up to the challenge. Whether your weakness is crappy Olympic lifting form or crowded spaces, be fearless in your pursuit. Search out the cause of your weakness. You'd be surprised to know how many physical weaknesses stem from what's going on inside your head. If you think you do not have a weakness, let me rephrase it for you - you are comfortable at being weak.

Book Review: 4-Hour Body

2011-02-02T09:30:00.000-07:00

Book review time! I got done reading 4-Hour Body by Tim Ferriss last week. I had to give it time to settle in before reviewing it. As a Paleo diet promoter, I wanted to hear about how great it was. But this book isn't designed for that person. A full-on diet book is appropriate for that person. This book is a book of short cuts, but not in a bad way.

Source

We all get short on time, patience, and other resources. The 4-Hour Body provides the reader with a decent guide to maximize what resources he/she does have. I like that some diet recommendations are in line with Paleo. Those expecting the ultimate diet short cut can still expect to have some work ahead of them with trimming out certain items. Sorry, there is no easy pill.

The sections of the book are geared towards goals - getting lean, putting on muscle, recovery, sex, and sleep. Each section is worth a read, but each section also reads great on its own. What does this mean for you? It means you can attend to your goals faster than if you had to read the entire book. Don't get me wrong, there is useful information in each section. But you can read those sections while working on your primary goal. No need to stop in the middle and wait around. That's pretty efficient and Tim Ferriss a black belt in efficiency. He probably puts German engineering to shame...unless he is German engineered.

My favorite part of the book was on cheat days. I don't have all out cheat days. This comes from an intimate knowledge of my dietary capabilities and not an admonishment of cheat days. That's a nice way of saying I know I will cause damage that will take more time to recover from than an entire cheat day is worth. Trust me, I can get it done. I digress. The section on how to minimize the impact of diet cheats is awesome. I'd like to do more of my own research to confirm what he presented. The good part is there are plenty of resources included in the book, so the research is easy to find. I felt the money I paid was made up in this section alone.

The other sections were also good, but not as great of a concern to me. They are concepts well known to me through previous athletic, fitness, and academic experience. Don't get it twisted, those of you without this background would benefit from these sections. I am in great appreciation of Ferriss' lab rat mentality with recovery/rehabilitation methods. Although, results of one person does not indicate repeatable measures. It is still useful in the sense that he's cut out some ambiguity. One method of recovery/rehab may seem viable to you, but the cost/benefit analysis he provided nullifies its usefulness. The set up of the book allows you to look at a method less Gucci, but kinder on the wallet and will allow you to experiment around with multiple methods. Not such a bad idea when you may have to try more than one thing. Once again, very efficient.

If you have some money to spend, buy the book. If you're looking for diet specifics, I recommend Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes. If you've read that book and The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf, go for this book. The one thing this book doesn't do is get into the science of the diet like The Paleo Solution and Why We Get Fat. If you already have a good understanding of this science, you will benefit from reading the 4-Hour Body. If you are still a little lost on these concepts, the 4-Hour Body will provide you with some guides, but will not extend your knowledge so you can make a lifetime worth of good dietary choices.

it's all in my head

2011-02-02T08:52:00.001-07:00

I realized that I may seem rather body conscious to people. That's ok or should I say "let me explain...?"

I am somewhat smart. Rest assured that while I may not have the keenest common sense, I am not a dumbass. I enjoy athletics, but I also enjoy art, literature, and philosophy. Truthfully, the intellectual parts are a large piece to why I am concerned about my body.

When we have poor nutrition, we begin to get ill. Our systems start to misfire, the don't communicate with each other correctly. We break down. When we let our bodies crap out, we also get injured. We don't give our bodies what they need to recover and rebuild. This could lead to issues with getting to sleep and/or staying asleep. So now our bodies are ill, injured, and unable to attend to these maladies. Treating your body like crap leads to failures in your soft tissues, muscles, bones, skin, endocrine system, etc. How does this sound enticing?

All this stuff pours into the mind in the form of mental stress. Now we have physical and mental stress. You worry about your injuries and how having limited range of motion will affect work and family life. Your lack of sleep causes you to be less alert in the workplace and while driving friends around town. Your heart rate increases in response to this stress. You start to worry about something during most of your waking moments. Since you can't get much sleep, that's a lot of time. Sounds not so enticing.

Source

That is not how I want to spend my time. I want to spend stress free, pain free time with family and friends. I want to spend time thinking about the book I just read. I want to spend time developing my own philosophy to guide my life. I cannot do that if I have a torn up body and a mind full of stress. Cultivate the body and you will cultivate your mind. For all the people that think being healthy hinders "living in the moment," think about what kind of "moment" you're really having when your body is crapped out. Keeping your body healthy reduces stress and puts you in a better position to handle the seemingly insurmountable obstacles when they rear their ugly head. As Jack LaLanne put it "...I want to live while I'm living." So while the screw health, we're all going to die types are crashing their bodies, the health-minded bunch will continue to enjoy the well rounded benefits of health and be able to take advantage of life. RIP Jack.

Sleep. Do it.

2011-01-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

Source

I think people look at me and find my concern with sleep neurotic. Research the terms sleep deprivation, weight loss, stress, and/or athletic performance. You'll find many hits ranging from academic writings to mainstream media articles on the subject.

I was planning on listing several references and then talking about each one. After selecting a mere 20 articles, I decided that wasn't the smartest thing to do. So go do the research yourself. You'll find plenty references to how sleep deprivation hinders weight loss, athletic performance, and general health through jacking up hormonal responses and metabolism. I automatically think of unhealthy levels of cortisol, but this wasn't the only hormone that was brought up in my research. If I could spell out, IL-6 and the others, I would...ok, I wouldn't, I'm lazy. Hormones drive many functions in your body. If you screw up your hormone levels, you affect those functions.

A friend was recently wondering why her running performance and fitness levels were not improving. She is not getting much sleep at all. I told her to fix the sleep problem or accept the consequences. It may seem harsh to say that, but it's true. Your ability to get sleep does not rely on your choice in the matter. You may have a job that keeps you from sleeping, but you love the job and refuse to quit. That's fine. I just ask you accept the consequences. Your body doesn't care how you explain, rationalize, or prioritize not sleeping. It only reacts to the action.

I admit that there are nights I don't get good sleep. I make a decision on whether or not I will get any benefit from working out or if I'd be better off sleeping more. There are also times I know my afternoon is booked, so I must workout in the morning. I either don't workout that day or I workout knowing that my performance will be far from stellar. Then I work like hell that day to make sure I get enough sleep. Put sleep high on your priority list. Be the guy/girl at work labeled as "selfish" because you leave on-time to make sure you get things done and can go to bed in a timely manner. When you go to work the next day and ask people why they look like crap, it just may make you feel better for being called selfish.

quickie post - grab 'em in the biscuit

2011-01-25T21:06:00.001-07:00

Paleo deliciousness. There was a recipe posted on the Robb Wolff website for Paleo Biscuits and Gravy. I've had a problem with a few Paleo style recipes being weak on the seasonings. If you compare my gravy coloring to the one from the Robb Wolf website, you'll notice mine is very red. That would be the tons of chipotle powder I added. It ended up being spicy enough. I halved the recipe because I only needed enough for my husband and me. It came out fantastic. I did add some fat in the form of oil when adding the arrowroot because the meat didn't drain much fat. I used the So Delicious Unsweetened Coconut Milk. There was no taste of coconut in the gravy. For the biscuits, I used crossed the biscuit recipe from Elana's Pantry and the one on the Robb Wolf website. I'm not a fan of using just the whites of egg. I buy them whole, so I use them whole. This was super easy to make, super easy to clean up, and delicious to eat. If you have some time, try it!

be selfish

2011-01-24T08:46:00.001-07:00

Things I've heard recently begin with the words "I wish I were like..." Really? If you're constantly wishing to be something or someone you are not, you need to be more selfish. There is an assumption that no good can come from being selfish. There's a good side to it though. If you have no idea who you are, if you answer questions about yourself with "umm, I don't know," then you can probably do with some time to ponder all that is you.

I've seen visual train wrecks haunting the isles of Wal-Mart. Not the prettiest picture, but sometimes I can't help but smile. Here is a lady decked out in the most outrageous outfit...happy with herself and not giving a damn about what anyone else thought. I loved that! Her life is not about me, so why care what I think? On the other hand, I've seen people absolutely clueless on what makes them happy. They have no idea what they want out of life, a relationship, or a job. Hearing nothing but "I wish I were..." was worse than the momentary loss of sight from the Wal-Mart horror.

How are you supposed to know what makes you tick if you don't think about yourself? What works for me does so because I'm selfish. I've taken the time to find out my limits, my motivators, what sets off bad behaviors, and what encourages good behaviors. I take time to make sure what worked for me in the past, still holds true in the present. When you're selfish you can "be honest with yourself." In the gym, you'll know when you're truly being lazy or when you really need a rest day. When you eat, you will know how to set yourself up to avoid cheating. You're list of goals should come being selfish. You'll never know which rabbit to chase unless you are selfish with your own time and thoughts.

I know what eating healthy and being fit provide for me. It is a healthy foundation to achieve my goals. I have a billion hobbies and I wouldn't be able to do them if I lacked in this area. It gives me the ability to help others. I am strong and mobile enough to help my friends move and kick stupid people out of a house party. I'm strong enough to participate in martial arts classes that give me an added sense of protection. I'm a firm believer that a fit body encourages a fit mind. The list is long, but I know it.

Not the idea of "selfish" you had in mind? Once you realize it can be used in a positive way, it doesn't seem so bad. Just don't get carried away with it. If you have no idea what you want out of fitness, health, or anything in life, it could pay to be more selfish with your time and thoughts. It's a never ending process, but you can't start if you don't know where to begin. Take a little time to be selfish and figure that out.

more outrageous than Jem?

2011-01-20T11:20:00.002-07:00

Yesterday I was thinking about all the things I'd like to do and how little time I have to do them. I got worried that I would not be able to do all these things because I either lacked time, money, ability, etc...but then I cracked down on myself. That type of thinking doesn't get me anywhere or get me anything. Srsly.

Source

Last weekend I read The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton, PhD (2005). It gets a little quacky at the end, but it's still a good read. Some parts, I'll have to re-read to make sure I'm tracking with the author. The book breaks ties with simplistic biological concepts. There's a discussion on epigenetics, how environment affects DNA expression, and another discussion on quantum mechanics as applied to the field of biology. Both are put in terms that I understand. The last part goes over the power of negative and positive thoughts. I equate it to the biological equivalent of self fulfilling prophecy.

I know, it sounds corny. Get over it. I don't try to positively thinking my way to flying without wings. I do resist one of my favorite activities - muddling in a pool of "I can't" and "it's not practical." You know what I'm talking about. It isn't the outrageous things, like flying, we con ourselves into thinking are too hard. It's the things that barely challenge us but certainly push the limits of our comfort. We make up weak excuses to not push those limits.

Positive thinking does NOT make it acceptable to ignore areas where I'm lacking. I acknowledge that I don't have everything. I accept that I'm not everybody. I'm OK with it. Once that happens, the positive thinking wave can be used to figure out what other steps need to occur to reach a goal. If it is a skill in the gym, I may need strength. With negative thinking, strength is something that I don't have. It blocks me from realizing a skill is in reach. Positive thinking reminds me that I can get there, I may have to put in some work though. No biggie.

So I'm back to thinking of all the things I'd like to do and trying to figure out how I will get there. It is a better way of looking at life rather than spreading hate throughout my kingdom of cubicles. And by the bye, the other term I have for positive thinking - determination. Get some!

Feel Better, Look Better Week 2 makes me angy

2011-01-18T08:44:00.003-07:00

Source

It is week two for my Feel Better, Look Better program my health insurance recommended for me. Soooo. After reading my previous day's blog, this week's recommendations are somewhat angering.

First, they recommended a balanced diet according to the Food Pyramid. They told me to get about 55% of my calories from carbohydrates, avoid saturated fats, limit fat intake to under 30% of my calories, and to write a food journal. The recommendation for vegetables as a source of protein was just laughable. I know vegans have to look to vegetable sources for protein, but I'm not one of them. I'm do not avoid saturated fats. So meat is an efficient way for me to get fat and protein. For carb intake, the plan recommended fruit juice. FRUIT JUICE?!

The goods of week two - food journal and an emphasis on variety. I'll give this program credit in these areas. The journal was a nice template that would help the beginner. I prefer a spiral bound journal with blank pages. It was nice to see them make a recommendation and provide a tool to follow through with it. The bad - the program follows only one guideline - The Food Pyramid. These guidelines have obviously not helped America bounce back from obesity. We are getting fatter on these recommendations, so why wouldn't this program provide more options?

If week three mentions anything about a steady level of cardio exercise throughout the week, I'm giving up on it. I'm getting my crap together to start a figure competition. My comments on that may end up replacing this miserable Feel Better, Look Better program. If the assessment's recommendations were real, why weren't they recommending immediate consultation with a doctor or dietitian? What I would want is someone to take my health markers on the diet I'm currently on, tell me what is wrong with them and why I need to improve them even though they are in the normal range. Then I'd like for this person to watch me as I change to their diet recommendations and pay me for each marker that changes for the worse. I lie, I wouldn't change my diet. I've been there and it was nearly my demise. I'm not willing to torture myself like that again. I'd rather do a hero WOD.

calories in, calories out.

2011-01-17T11:11:00.000-07:00

It would be great if it were so simple. People find ways to make it work though. I used to subscribe to the belief that in order to be healthy and lose weight my calories consumed had to be less than my energy expended. At one point, I wanted to drop below 130lb. I'm 5'4 on a good day, so this wasn't an unreasonable weight goal. I'd get up early in the morning and do an hour on the elliptical and 30-45 minutes on the treadmill. Either in the same session or later at night, I'd do some weights. I'd take one real rest day and one "semi" rest day where I'd leave out something. I'd eat small toast for breakfast, a Subway sandwich for lunch, and some rice n' adobo for dinner. I kept my intake well below 1500 calories. Oh, and I eventually had to take heavy meds because double doses of Ambien and Lunesta couldn't help me sleep. When the lack of sleep got to me, I'd pass out...while driving. Nausea was constant. I overloaded on energy drinks because I was always tired but could never sleep. Some part of my body was always in pain. Every change of season brought some type of illness or allergy. After one month, I saw the weight drop. After two months, I was there. At three months, my body quit and I was gaining weight again, and I would continue to fight this battle for awhile. People still said I looked great, so I thought my hard work was paying off and it was all worth it.

But, this routine ended up failing me. There must have been something wrong that I did, right? If the twinkie diet could help a man drop weight and Jared from Subway could eat his way down in size, I must have been in the wrong. I have an assumption though. If you are so far down the path of unhealthy weight (i.e. you're obese), any dietary change can have beneficial impact. You cut calories, you cut carbs, you exercise. You lose weight. Awesome. At some point, that stops working. Have you been at that point? You plateau and don't see the weight loss? Most people I talked to about my weight loss issues assumed that I wasn't eating like I should or didn't exercise enough. They basically called me a liar. I get that though. If a diet works for most people, then I should see results if I truly did what I told them. If you were to talk to me, I'd ask the same question - "are you really being honest with your activity levels and food consumption?"

Here's where things get not so cut and dry as calories in=calories out. Our nervous system runs on electrical impulses. Our bodies are regulated by hormones. These things don't always care about laws of thermodynamics. Although the analogy of the body to a machine is often made, it is not that all things are equal. Your body knows how to identify essential fatty acids and essential amino acids. It also know that there are no essential carbohydrates. It knows when your blood sugar is low or hi. The nervous system can reroute pathways when trauma occurs to one. Your body convert proteins and fat into sugar for your brain to use. It's a smart system. Hormones can even interact with their environment, that how they figure out what they'll do next. Insulin is a hormone. It reacts to the amount of sugar in your blood. Name one thing that effects the amount of sugar in your blood? Carbohydrates. So that's why you see some people getting uppity about the amount of carbohydrates in their diet.

But, but, but...all the people who lose weight monitoring calories...may also be restricting carbohydrates. Gary Taubes does a great job explaining how scientific experiments are not so scientific. One of his blog articles on the matter can be found here. Read it, he does the best job of explaining it. Count the number of people you see succeeding with calorie restriction as a lifestyle with how many people you see fail at it. I'm not just talking a temporary diet to fit into a small pant for a school reunion. I'm talking about a sustainable way of eating and living a happy life. Even if I could sustain what I did before, I would not be a happy camper and my body would have surely ended up in an ER. Not only did calories in=calories out put my body in a horrible place, it took what seemed like FOREVER to recover.

I know I'm not the only one out there who has experienced problems with that type of diet. While I promote the Paleo diet, I understand it is not the only way to restrict carb intake. I would love for everyone I know to try the Paleo diet or the Primal Blueprint, but if is not your cup of tea, just try moderating your carbs. What's the worse that can happen? Your body becomes stable and more regulated? You sleep better? You look leaner without the hours of cardio? You now have time freed up to enjoy life? Boo, that's just horrible! I'm assuming that's what you're saying if you refuse to give up some carbs because you HAVE TO HAVE your croissant, bagel, rice, potatoes, etc. Besides, you would get your card taken away if you gave up . Just FYI, my mom knows I don't eat rice, she stills considers me Filipina. My cousins in the Philippines still talk to me. No one has shunned me for not eating fried chicken. If you have to lead a life where you are a slave to something, please pick something better than calories in=calories out. Please.

CF Games:Crossfit Ladies ::Miss America:Cardiophiles

2011-01-16T20:13:00.002-07:00

Source

Earlier in the week, I was reading up on the newly minted Miss Colorado. I did some research and found this article. She discusses how her diet and exercise help her maintain her great shape.

It is absolutely lovely advice if you love her shape and who wouldn't, she's a pageant winner. Count me in that group. She's svelte, she's got skinny arms, and she spends 45 minutes on an elliptical. She partakes in carbs and doesn't believe in cutting them out. That's cool.

Miss America competitions are not for everyone though. After helping a student of mine with her prepare her speech for a pageant competition, I realized that I could never be in a pageant. Give credit to those girls. They work hard to look a particular way.

The Crossfit Games and any Crossfit type of competition is the pageant of "our kind." Some of us eat Paleo, some of us Zone. We take our diets seriously. We don't succumb to mainstream promotion of any way to eat. Whether we're a meatasorusrex or a vegan vixen, we prefer looking at the science and making decisions based on a serious understanding of science, intentions, and goals.

We don't do cardio...That's a lie. But we have a true understanding of variety of exercise. We go for maximal intensity some days, max weight on others, and we may do a 5k cardio run when we feel like. We don't have skinny arms, we have muscular arms. Our hips and thighs are evidence that we can squat more than Barbie. Some of us have six packs and some of us have lovely, layered guts. But all of us are up for a good workout with tire flips and rope climbs and that's hot. We don't need an elliptical, we need a box jump.

We don't fit into Miss America competitions. We don't look like those girls and that's ok. They have their stage and their show. Leave them to it. Most of those ladies have mastered how they need to diet and exercise their way to that winning look. Our pageant stage is the gym floor, a lifting platform, a pull-up bar, a box jump. Our talents are our times in Fran, Helen, Murph, etc. We compare max deadlifts and admire a good muscle up. We don't rock the bikini competition, we rock the sports bra and tiny short competition.

The girls we see growing up, we don't tell them to cardio their hearts out. We tell them to do exercises that make them grunt and do the ugly lifting face. Girls around the world, when you see pageants, realize IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY FOR YOU. There are many definitions of beauty and that's just one. If you don't fit in that world, try mine. I've got a spot for you at my gym.

despite all your efforts...

2011-01-12T14:35:00.000-07:00

You eat health and you get a fair amount of exercise during the week. Sometimes, you take long walks and sometimes you play a pick-up game of ultimate frisbee with friends. Despite all your efforts of dieting and exercising, you still haven't meet your goals of performance, health, fitness, etc. You're doing everything you should, so what is the problem? If mediocre is all you want or good enough seems just fine to you, then you give up. Really, there's so much more the health and wellness than diet and exercise. There are plenty things that can thwart your efforts.

Number one on my list is sleep. Some people, like Robb Wolf, rank sleep above all else. Apparently, we humans need a lot of it.You ever feel like you do the exercises you need and eat as clean as possible, but you still are not happy with your performance? Check your sleep. There's a good chance that both quality and quantity are suffering. I try getting more sleep before opting to take a performance enhancing supplement or diet aid. One typical recommendation is to make your sleepy place void of all things light. I wake up to an alarm clock, but I keep it covered so the light is blocked. I keep my cell phone in it's case and turn off the screen. I leave anything charging in a place that hides the visible light. If you can put all these things somewhere else outside your bedroom, even better.

I also keep a hawk's eye on my recovery. Full rest days are days away from the gym workouts. I may get on the foam roller and stretch out, but there is no working out on this day. For active recovery, I'll do more a different sport/activity at a lower intensity. Since I spend most of my time Crossfitting, I may use some low intensity tri workouts as an active recovery. I also have other sports I participate in to change up the routine. Whatever it is, I like to keep it outdoors if possible. It breaks the association of the gym as the only place for working out. It also exposes me to natural sunlight and helps with vitamin D production. In the wintertime, if you freeze easy like me, just make do with what you can. Recovery gives your body time to repair from all your perfect exercising. If you're pushing your limits in the gym, you should feel the need for this rest day if you listen to your body. If you're listening but don't hear your body talking...

Lying hurts everyone, especially when you lie to yourself. You ever hear that person in the gym constantly wondering why he/she isn't performing like they should? This person does not know why performance is suffering when diet and exercise have been followed so perfectly. That's right - perfectly. This person may even go on to blame problems on the diet and exercise routine being followed. Do you keep an honest diet and exercise log? Detailed and honest logs will help you figure out if you've been lying to yourself. If you look back at your food log and see you've cheated on your diet 50% of the time or slacked off on weights during a workout, you're "that" person. If you have not kept an honest journal, you should probably not be saying you follow anything perfectly. And I say honest because I've seen people opt to not put things in a journal because they just had a "bite" of cake or just one small cupcake. It doesn't count because it wasn't really a meal. Hmmm. LIARS!!

Source

Really, there are so many reasons why diet and exercise are not helping you get to where you want to be. Are you taking drugs that alter your body's chemistry (big one for the ladies)? Do the supplements you take have any other ingredients that may be counter to your goals? Is there a significant amount of stress in your life? There are too many questions with answers that can lead to resolution. There are helpful ideas to find an answer. A good journal, an adequate understanding of what you consume, knowledge of family medical history, and an honest outlook on your lifestyle could help pinpoint potential roadblocks. If you're experiencing some hiccups, don't give up. Take a step back and get to some good old fashion problem solving.

the kind of help that hurts

2011-01-12T13:26:00.001-07:00

Last week, I had to take my health insurance's health assessment. Yes, I had to because if I didn't I would get another $15 taken from my paychecks until I did. Despite my relatively high score, I was told I could make immediate improvements on my weight and activity level. I was also offered a chance to sign up for some free coaching programs with the suggested program called Feel Better, Look Better topping the list.

This week, I got my first email from the program. The topic of the week - setting goals. Really? They obviously don't read my blog. So, after being told by the assessment program that I had areas needing improvement, I was prompted to set my own goals. Problem? Yes. If I need to set my own goals, I must recognize a need to do so in the first place. When a program tells me I have to set my goals, I feel it should set them for me. I obviously don't see a problem with my weight or activity level, I feel no need to set a goal. The team that developed the assessment should have programmed in a response dictating what the goals should be. It's not to say that they gave me nothing to go off of at all. The assessment results told me that my healthy weight range was 111-145. We're they insinuating that I drop weight towards the lower end of the scale? If that entire range encompasses a healthy weight, any weight within it should be fine. Any suggestion to improve should probably done with more information than was gathered on the assessment.

There was some good value to the information provided though. For the person who truly needs to make health improvements, setting goals is a good starting point. The information provided on how to set reasonable goals was in line with things other people have said. Most of all, it was in line with common sense. I still stand firm in my stance that there should be more feedback on the assessment for potential goals. If you're going to recommend coaching programs to a customer, you should give some specifics. Knowing what constitutes a health diet and weight lost trends would be beneficial to many people. I find this program lacking and it is only week one. However, I'm somewhat optimistic that this program may be helpful to those who truly have no clue. The rest of us should can roll eyes now.

doing some light reading

2011-01-10T11:23:00.000-07:00

Source

I like to read "stuff." For Christmas, my dad bought me several books. The two I finished most recently were The Essential Guide to RF and Wireless by Carl J Wesiman and Better Than Good: Creating a Life You Can't Wait to Live by Zig Ziglar. Neither book ended up on my all time favorites list.

I doubt you're reading my blog because you are into wireless technology. I do have a job and it does not include blogging. It includes a lot of involvement with wireless technologies. Honestly, I also have an interest in things other than fitness and health, RF technology being one of them. I find it nice to have hobbies and interests that do not include the gym. I am an advocate of making oneself multidimensional by having hobbies and interests that do not include the gym. So, to give myself some depth, I got caught up on wireless fundamentals. Quick book review - if you've worked in the aerospace industry (aside from SATCOM), this book will be nothing more than a reference of things you know in a better to understand format. There are some details that those in the industry could do with, this book does not include those details.


Source

The second book is by a motivational speaker I have heard of since I could remember. I'm not the biggest fan of reading motivational or self-help books. I'm also not a fan of ruling all things useless, so I picked up this book to see if my passion for learning was greater than my distaste for self-help books. Ziglar's book is HEAVY in testimonials. I'm not a fan of those. The book is also heavy on religion. I'm not the most religious person, but I'm a huge fan of prayer. No matter what or who you pray to, I think it affects your life if you use it. For such a God-centric book, discussion on communicating with the man above left me unfulfilled. This book did have some great insight on failure and passion though. It wasn't anything new or awe inspiring, but it was a good reminder on things important to life. Fitness and health are supposed to help you to lead a life you enjoy. If your life outside of the gym is not joyful, you got some issues to work on...outside the gym. There was plenty of discussion on the many ways to take care of yourself physically, spiritually, and otherwise. It had some decent take-aways.

Reading takes time away from other activities. It gets hard to do when you could be doing other things. Sometimes we need to dig through all that information though. For such uninspiring books, I felt better after reading them. I felt like I had some intellectual growth and reconnection. I felt assured in the steps I was taking to lead an enjoyable life. Mostly, I felt reaffirmed that I had an existence outside the gym that was being supported by what I did in the gym.

complaining in the gym

2011-01-07T09:55:00.001-07:00

Source

I complain about a lot of things, including workouts. Consider it an acknowledgment that a workout sucks, but I will finish it. My goal isn't to bring someone's mood down. My goal is to let that person know, I understand the suck of the moment too. There are also times I am working out a problem, one piece at a time. While the entire movement isn't great, maybe the first part is. It's all my mind can handle. I acknowledge the problem I'm having, but I'm still trying to make progress on it. My goal is not to say "look at me, look at me," but to remind myself that progress can be slow and I will get there if I keep trying.

There are also those that know what their problems are and don't fix it. They continue to complain about it. Take an inflexible person. He/she knows that the limited range of motion is going to make movements difficult, but this person refuses to work on flexibility. They don't stretch out after a workout nor do they warm up before it. When it becomes a limiting factor in a workout, this person complains. Please stop whining. I have no tolerance for it. You willingly let this problem get worse or not get resolved. It is very irresponsible behavior towards your body.

If you whine, evaluate what's going on. When I feel complaining mode starting to set in, I ask myself a few questions. Have I complained about this before, is it getting excessive? Can I correct what I'm complaining about? Is what I'm saying encouraging quit in those around me? I like my gym friends, I want them to progress. I don't want any of my actions to encourage other people to quit when they can still give. If you're in a good gym, this is a mutual thing. People encourage each other. Maintaining this environment means keeping whining to a minimum. Before you wreck it, ask yourself about the why and what of your whining. Also ask if it is necessary to air out your whining to everyone or if it is better suited to keep to yourself.

what I learned from my cat today

2011-01-05T12:19:00.000-07:00

Pets can teach us a thing or two. This is my spoiled rotten kitten. She's not of kitten age any more, but she might as well be. That green ball is a lacrosse ball. It's a pretty dense ball, heavier than a tennis ball. My cat doesn't weight much, definitely under 10 lbs. She's got typical cat paws, nothing like hands. Yet, she managed to take that ball from the living room to our bedroom...up the stairs. WTF?

One time, I caught her playing with a house slipper of mine. It was about the same length as her. She carried it up the stairs in her mouth.Crazy!

So what's the lesson? Aside from unconditional love, this pretty kitty has unconditional heart. I've seen plenty of people with "heart." Kenny Florian has a lot of heart. And I've seen people "heart" their way to a prelim tournament. You better have something to back up all that heart to get farther. You either have heart because you have talent or you use your heart to develop more skills and compliment your drive. Also, my cat did not quit. She could have (and has) left her toys in the middle of the floor for me to slip on. She wanted a play toy upstairs though, so there it is. If she truly wants it, she makes it happen. Finally, she's having fun playing. Life doesn't have to be the doomsday we make it. We can break it up and have a good time doing silly stuff. Mix in some play with that work.

Thanks for the friendly reminder kitty.

prepare to offend others

2011-01-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

I've been eating as close to Paleo as I can for "awhile." People now know that I do not eat or try not to eat certain foods. Around the holidays, I hear a lot about offending people by not eating the food they give you. I get that. Whatever your reason, it can be hard for others to understand that something they created isn't good enough for you to eat. Trying to explain that can be pretty hard, especially if they are non-believers. I tried to be partially accommodating this year as proof that I'm not as selfish as the naysayers would believe. It isn't always about me and here is my attempt to show you that...

From now on, you can fuck off...

I received some candy the other day. I have had sweet indulgences before, but they were usually homemade, had little processed foods, and fewer preservatives to extend their shelf life. My tummy was not prepared for what would happen next. A few bites of chocolate (which I typically love) and up came a not equally tasting biley "thank you" from my stomach. A few pieces of candy sent me railing at both ends. I threw it in the trash...ok, I kept the other chocolate that didn't have the same effect. I will also not forget thinking about a few tablespoons of a harmless gravy that obviously contained flour. It took about five minutes for it to start working is magic on my system. I bolted upright and left the table long enough for my mother to find me and ask if I was ok.

Never again. I'm sorry there are those that do not comprehend my diet or the sensitivity of my digestive tract. Scratch that, I'm not sorry, I just acknowledge that this point of view exists. Even if you were willing to share the experience of blowing up of the bathroom and demi-vomit taste in the back of your mouth, it's not a wise move for my body. Whatever I ate in the past and however my body dealt with it is long gone. These are things my body does not want. I'm sticking to cheats that don't make me feel this way. Sometimes that means a more expensive chocolate or a smaller piece of something else. That's ok, I don't need a lot and I don't need it often, just enough for one cheat.

If you're serious about being Paleo or any other diet that is restrictive in any way, prepare to offend others. Be gracious for offers of food you don't eat, but be persistent in rejecting them. If you know they will hurt you, why eat them? If it is something that isn't such an issue, flex with the situation. Be cautious, what was tolerable at the beginning of your diet may not be tolerable months down the road.

boo to this morning

2011-01-03T12:20:00.000-07:00

Today was supposed to be the first day on CF Football programming. I'm not going to lie, I was pretty pumped. We got out there, warmed up on a chilly morning, got done with the strength portion of the workout. As I'm getting ready to start the METCON, I find out it is time to leave. WTF? Really?

I'm disappointed. Nothing in the workout was confusing or should have taken a long time. When I see the workout left incomplete, I'm slightly worried that we're not being efficient with time. I could either wallow in remorse or make sure it doesn't happen again. I'm not big on regret, so guess what...time to get in gear. First thing - less talking. A few words exchanged every so often can add up to 10 minutes. We could have done the workout with that time. The other thing is a faster warm up. Warm ups are no joke. I'm not a spring chicken and it's pretty cold outside (and inside), so a good warm up is crucial to for maximizing output during a workout and injury prevention. I know I slow build for my first exercise no matter what was done beforehand. That means finding a faster warm-up that will still prime the pumps and give me enough time to warm up to the weight I'll use in my workout. Easily said, right?

Today has been a great "learning" situation. In the journal it goes and off to find better methods I go. I have to remember being crunched for time is not an excuse to half ass warm up and recovery time. It should be a motivator in making more efficient use of that time.

more resolution stuff

2010-12-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

This video is a good example of how people can get things done when it has meaning to them and they believe it can be done. The text in the video pointed out that his surgeons felt his abilities would be limited post surgery. When you have a deeply seated reason for doing something, you can go pretty far despite the naysayers.

Source

This is why goals should be meaningful. There will be people who don't care about your goals or if you succeed. If your goals don't mean much, you will fail. When you care and believe in something, like in the guy in the video, you can accomplish great things. Not only did he recover to lift more than they thought, he got PRs in his lifts.

When something has meaning, I raise the "bar" on getting things done. My expectations, my bar is raised so high, God gave it a spit shine. In the same vein, something is always being adjusted. That bar may move, or you may move. Smart instructors in college introduced me to the 80/20 rule. So, I understand I'm not always working with that 20%. In order to get my goal, I may have to come in subpar on a few tasks. It is a move I will make to get that goal though.

Source

Don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about compromising morals. I'm talking about working with others and getting back on track. Unless you live in a bubble you will be around that 80% population. Your friends will not always see eye-to-eye with you on all your goals. You will be offered opportunities for failure. The trick is to make compromises that are in good judgment, won't derail efforts, won't change the end goal, and allow you to make progress. You don't have to be perfect, but just check yourself before you wreck yourself.

We make compromises every day in personal relationships. It is not different when we switch to terms of health and fitness. Make resolutions or goals that are meaningful to you and have enough belief in yourself to face the opportunities for failure that will be constantly presented to you.

resolutions

2010-12-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

Source

It's almost that time of year - New Year's Resolution. I'm not a fan of the resolution. The thought of New Year's Resolutions just gets me flustered. I have a lot of blogs drafts on this particular topic. There's so much I want to say, shouldn't say, and things I'm just too confused about to say. But I felt I should post something, so here's what I've sorted out.

If you want to make a change, you shouldn't wait. I don't think people need to "get ready" to start a change. Isn't that planning considered "starting?" Set yourself up for success and plan for struggles with implementing your change. Do you honestly think everyone will stop having birthday cake celebrations because you made a resolution to not eat sugary foods? You know struggle will be there, have a plan.

Do you truly believe that you will give it your all because a goal has a label of New Year's Resolution attached to it? Get deep. Find a real reason for your goals. My family has a history of diabetes. I don't eat like shit so I can avoid diabetes. It has nothing to do with New Year's. This goal has become a lifestyle, it doesn't end. You can go to the gym every day, not commit to the workout, and make zero progress. You should have something that motivates you to apply yourself. Once you find that motivation, it's a matter of follow through.

Now back to more talking about me...

I've made a commitment to being perfect. I'm not and I understand I will never be, but the goal makes me laugh because it is so ridiculous. Often times, the root of my imperfection has nothing to do with the way it has manifested itself. Woa, right? Currently, I find I start a project with no desire to apply myself to it. My solution - read up on motivation. I've gone back to my roots - Zig Ziglar. My dad made me watch Zig before I was in elementary school. Since then, I've shunned the man's works...until recently. Thanks to the spirit of Christmas, I now have a copy of one of his books sitting in my Kindle (thanks Daddy!). I hope to gleam some information to help me do better at keeping my motivating reasons up front in my life. My other problem is that I have too many things going through my head, it becomes impossible to grasp an entire thought. Daddy also bought me a book on meditation. Awesome. I'm hoping I'll gleam some useful information from these books to bring me one step closer to my goal - perfection :)

I'm not sure what the purpose of this post was. I don't really care. What I do hope is that whatever goal you have, tied to New Year's or not, that you find some meaning in it. Root yourself, ground yourself in something that is very meaningful to you. This is what will carry you through your struggles and if you faulter, it is what will help you self correct. And if you consider yourself a friend of mine, if I can help make you more perfect, let me know and I'll see what I can do :P

mythical balance

2010-12-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Lauren's comment on a Facebook post, I'm not writing about weight loss...somewhat. I'm not a fan of weight loss. I used to get riled up when I hear "I just want to lose 8 lbs" or "I want to fit into the jeans I wore in high school." There is nothing wrong with those goals. When they are not backed by a desire to balance health and fitness, they are hollow. There are plenty of unhealthy ways to achieve those goals. There’s only struggle in trying to find balance, but it’s a good one that makes going beyond those goals easier.

How does the mythical “balance” work into weight loss? I see many failures or “after failures” result from lack of balance. I hear a lot of shit slung about balance and how you MUST have this. You must balance work, diet, gym time, and family. People will preach to you that you can have perfect balance. BS. I have nothing against balance, just like I have nothing against rainbows, flowers, and butterflies. I don’t expect these things to always be around though. I don’t expect balance between every single domain to be in harmony at all times either. I expect a struggle to bring things in close alignment. Life will not always be perfectly balanced, maybe pretty close. There may be a day work requires me to stay late and miss out on family time. I will take a day of leave later to tell work to kiss it while I enjoy time with my family. That struggle is CONSTANT. If I’m always at work late and miss out on family and gym time that is not a struggle. That’s a sign of someone who has quit trying to find balance.

In health, quitting does nothing for maintenance. Let’s say I worked my ass off to make weight for a fight. I went on long runs every day and starved myself. Balance – out of whack, but goal secured. The effort it took to get the goal has drained me. I am unable to put up a good fight. I’m gassed and my body/I quit…again, the first quit was on the struggle for balance. Not good. If I struggled for balance, I’d find ways to cut weight so health and performance are not in jeopardy. The solution may be smarter exercising, change in diet, or different strategy – go up in weight rather than drop. Lots of struggle, zero quit.

It is difficult to balance work, family, food, and the gym. I understand. Making this happen is necessary for healthy living though. I cannot make all things be in balance at all times. I can make consistent, sincere attempts though. I can keep within a reasonable distance that won't cause unhealthy side effects. I don't expect perfection...ok, that's a lie.

programming my little heart out

2010-12-21T11:48:00.000-07:00

Source

I had programming on my mind lately. Aside from maintaining a healthy lifestyle, I want my programming to prepare me to compete during a particular season. Thankfully, there have been tons of articles out to help guide me along my though process. All of them can be found at speedendurance.com.

The first thing that I think of when I try to program my year are my goals and desired outcomes. Jimson Lee talks about developing a programming philosophy based on knowledge of biomechanics and physiology. I couldn't agree more. This year, I wanted to do a triathlon. I had never did one, I couldn't swim. I looked at what was needed for me to have a "stellar" finish vs and "safe" finish. I opted for the goal of a safe finish. I was picking up a new skill in a new sport, that was plenty.Without thinking about biomechanics and physiology, it is easy to overshoot goals and misinterpret the learning process involved in an activity. Before figuring out what my programming goals, I layout my understanding of the activity and see if you can fill in the knowledge gaps.If I can't or I'm too lazy, someone else does it. I joined the local Team In Training which came with a nifty tri coach who had way more experience and knowledge programming workouts for triathlons.

Before I could do a triathlon, I had to learn to swim. An article on the 3 Laws of Speed Development go over the concept of grasping fundamentals. You can trash your progress by training beyond your skill level. Get a firm hold on skill before moving to advanced programming. Programming should also allot time to develop an appropriate level of strength before moving onto another phase. Don't believe me? Read these SpeedEndurance.com articles on improving acceleration and training to run a faster 400. What's appropriate? If you understand the activity, you should understand where the building of strength starts to hamper performance. Not knowing this point is why people "tweak" programs. I'm not totally familiar with Crossfit and how my body reacts to certain programming, so I can't make precise predictions. I can make educated decisions and keep an eye on performance and adjust accordingly though.

In track and field, we spent our prep phase/preseason building strength and on running drills. Many coaches acknowledge the role of strength and power in running speed. Before we ran our hearts out, we had to develop a good strength base. The drills helped us grasp the proper way to run...and to do it consistently! If you have a Crossfit Journal subscription, you can watch the Conjugate System series to hear Louie Simmons talk about starting athletes on his programming before they are strong or skilled enough to handle it. Why train someone to do weighted squat jumps when they can't even do a squat? Get a grip on the skill.Why train someone to use a program that uses barbells if they can't lift more than a 5lb dumb bell? Get a grip on strength.

Source

So going back to having a philosophy based on biomechanics and physiology, I've come up with some priorities.

1. Develop sound lifting and skills biomechanics
2. Train for speed and explosive strength
3. Work advanced skills into training

Common sense? You couldn't guess how many times I've tried to complete a Crossfit WOD before having a grasp on a required skill. Modifying is meant to make programming SMARTER, not allow for poor decision making. There comes a time when skill meets training. You know what that is, the point when you have a skill/weight, but the workout pushes how many times you can do it. A focus on sound biomechanics should drive decision making from this point, not ego. When this question comes to my mind, I'll be ready to move onto priorities 2 and 3.

anything = sexy?

2010-12-16T10:14:00.000-07:00

http://crossfit.com/

Here's a picture from the December 16, 2010 WOD from the Crossfit.com main site. It's a pretty picture, nice view. The comments to the picture were interesting. A majority of comments related to how pretty the lady was. Other comments wanted to know about the front view. There were also comments about how the picture was distasteful, unwanted, unnecessary. Some comments stated that lady in the picture wasn't what a "real" woman looked liked. Interesting.

I've heard claims that the Crossfit community, and others as well, is all about leveraging functionality and strength. Muscles are required to be strong. There is not much definition in the back of this girl. That was the root of some comments. She was stereotypically pretty and not Crossfit pretty. I understand. My first reaction to the people raving about the "Strong = Sexy" Life as Rx tee, what you really meant to say was "Anything without a top = sexy." Don't get the two confused because it is an insult to any Crossfit lady to be put on the same level as stereotypical pretty. Our ladies may not be on the cover of Maxim, but we are all over the Crossfit Journal. And we don't mind that, one day, one of us will make it to Maxim and we will redefine what is stereotypically pretty.

Source

HOWEVER, there is little benefit to calling the lady ugly. Unless your goal is to be mean, degrading, or irrelevant? I could starve myself to see my six pack and muscle striation. Is that "strong" enough for you? The muscular definition we talk about is a RESULT of diet, exercise, and recovery. Functional-minded people get that way because they are healthy rather than their health being a byproduct of muscular definition. Perhaps she is in the the process of getting strong. I would not want to demean her efforts because she takes a good picture. To the people that commented on how pretty she was - good for you.

I don't believe the entire male population consists of pigs and jerks. Looking at my male friends, I say they find most ladies have "acceptable" looks. What they love is not a look though. It's an attitude (and intelligence). Give the guys some credit. While they like strong bodies, they really like a strong attitude. It's the work ethic they admire. When I did my Crossfit cert in Golden, there were three female coaches. All of them beautiful. Not because they had pretty faces. Everything they did was riddled with the desire to make their students better. They focused on being helpful, not catty. They cared. Now that was impressive and beautiful.

Just because someone calls out a girl for being hot, it doesn't mean that lady's looks define the universe of "hotness." Let's not be so hasty to be offended and assume the commenter is a total DB. And can we please drop the assumption that Strong = Sexy refers only to outer looks?

I can't see!!!

2010-12-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

http://www.personal.psu.edu/sms18/kines321/stress.html

I've been thinking a lot about visualization, mostly to take my mind of my aching belly from delicious cheats I had this weekend.

I took a trip down memory lane and remembered what my old pole vault coach told me “This is how you vault. See it. Feel it. Do it.” Right coach. 1 – See it. I have to perform the routine in my head. 2 – Feel it. Each muscle figures out what it has to do to make the picture in my head happen. 3 – Do it. No thinking, just go. Yeah. Sounds great and it works great if you can get it to happen. You see, I have this terrible affliction, it’s called a short attention span. Not too big of a problem, but it is keeping me from going pass the “see it” part in some of the things I’m trying to do.

There's an article on the Speed Endurance website that gives a lot of exercises to improve your visualization skills. If you're short in the attention span area like me, you'll need to remember to keep your sessions short. The purpose should be to have a focused and high quality visualization session. Don't have time for this? Read the link on the picture source. Scratch that, read both. While the first article gives good insight into the neuromuscular activity in visualization, the second article is a down and dirty base level reading to get a quick grasp on the subject. What I've found is that I'm not missing my Olympic lifts because of I'm not strong, I'm lacking the technique. When I have a particular group of qualities already established, I'm pretty sure it means I need to spend more time in my thinktank rather than up my time in the gym. If you close your eyes and try the technique and find that your brain cannot tell your muscles how to move, you'll have bigger issues when you open your eyes.

It's Monday. To help pass time, I'm trying to organize some priorities for the week. Top of the list is visualization, followed by getting diet back on track after some rough on the belly cheats, and trying to sleep at least 8 hours a night. Other things on the list - two-a-days and more food.

blog about blogs

2010-12-09T09:42:00.000-07:00

I have run into so many great blog posts lately, I don't know where to begin my responses. That's a lie. I know where I want to begin - with me!

I sent a question into my old Team in Training triathlon coach (Nicole) about training for both on- and off-road triathlons. For those of you who did the Xterra with me last season, you know it was a horrible experience...worth repeating! While I rocked the bike, I sucked at the swim and run. Nicole's response to my question bring about some great points about how all these events tie into one another for an off-road triathlon compared to an on-road triathlon. I had a great time doing both an on and off-road triathlon, so I want to be able to train to do either. She gave some solid advice about how I can have my cake and eat it too. I can't say it as good as she did, so hop on over to her coaching blog to read her post by clicking here.

I'm excited about the new layout of Robb Wolf's website. There's also a section with real life testimonials in it. Testimonials are great for inspiration. However, I prefer to read blogs. I find the insight that people put into multiple posts is more beneficial. You can see exactly what they eat, read about how they feel, and sometimes see how it ties to performance or just plain health. Feel free to post links to other blogs on my comments section. And no, they don't have to be paleo blogs. I'm an avid meat eater, but I've found many recipes from vegetarian blogs that I absolutely enjoy along with my meatasaurus rex meals.

Here's a video from Art De Vany regarding his New Evolution Diet. I found the link off the Conditioning Research blog. De Vany has a book to promote, so why not talk about it on YouTube? If you're passionate about your health, take the time to learn some background about different diets. If you train people or deal with their nutrition in any way, it is important to understand the where people are coming from regardless of what diet you promote. How will you get someone on your bandwagon if you can't speak their language? How will you attack any nutrition issues if you are clueless about the reasoning behind their choices? Watch, learn, use.

Metabolic Conditioning for Team Sports

View more presentations or Upload your own.

Finally, a set of slides I nabbed from the Sprint Strong blog regarding metabolic conditioning for team sports. Crossfit training is one thing and team sports are another. However, some of the information sounds like elements in the Crossfit methodology. The methodology was built on some pretty sound science, so it should come as no surprise to see bit and pieces of it pop up in other methodologies as well. Crossfit cult members, please remember that Crossfit is built on science, not the other way around. Therefore, it cannot actually OWN science. Sorry guys. Please take a peak at these slides to gain some insight into the sports world looks at metabolic conditioning. I liked the slide where they break down what type of activity is done in soccer. It shows it is necessary to know the sport your working with if you want to optimize training programs.

Isn't learning fun?!

Be Kind to Yourself and Another

2010-12-07T08:17:00.000-07:00

Tis the season for merry making and cheer, right? Black Friday shopping lines and over-spending are not what I consider to be cheer though. You know what else I don't find cheerful? People saying I'm allowed to cheat on a diet at a particular time of the year. I do believe in cheating, but I'm sure cheating the entire "holiday season" is not a good thing. They're talking an entire season, not just a meal! Do not fall prey to these people, they do not have your health in mind.

How do you help yourself? Pick your cheats wisely, make it worth it. You're about to put your belly through hell, it better be delicious. Keep it limited though. Have cheat meals, not entire cheat days. Do not allow yourself to have cheat meals on consecutive days. That's how you start a routine of badness that can ignite a diet failure. If you decide to go for something only slightly off the Paleo path, be cautious. You may not get the typical gastric distress signals to stop eating because you've eliminated many of the gut irritants. There's a high chance to overeat on these foods because they don't knot your stomach. Stuffing yourself beyond satiety with large quantities of an obviously Paleo ingredient is still cheating. Yeah, true story.

How do you help others? Give the gift of health. It does not have to be an expensive posh gym membership. Maybe a drop in card at a Crossfit gym, personal training sessions, Life as Rx tee's are cool no matter who you are, a massage, or food. Food? Yeah - fUd. There's an awesome gift idea at Elana's Pantry. Is it strict Paleo? Absolutely not. Is it pretty Paleo? Um, yeah. And delicious! It might be just enough to 1. Show the anti-Paleo people that there are still tasty treats you can have without the grains, 2. Let your Paleo friends know you care and think they're as sweet as the cookies the gift makes, and 3. Give those struggling with Paleo better options than Oreo cookies for the holidays.

Remember the gift of sleep, especially if you share a bed or house with another. When one is committed to training, a little sickness is "nothing." How about trying to nip that strain, sniffle, or cough before it gets out of control? That's where you come in - show another some love. My husband was feeling under the weather. Today was the day to sleep in, not to workout at 0600. Why? He felt sick. It is ok to take the time to rest and sleep to get better, support your loved one in making this decision because it isn't easy. It's a mental thing. Many of you workout fanatics know that truth. Ease routine "burdens" to lessen the stress load. That can be sharing chores, eating out rather than rushing to cook a meal, and (most important for Type A's) not fretting over a broken routine. High probability the world will not end if you let your loved ones take their time with something and you arrive at the next stop later than usual. However, when all you talk about is being late to the next appointment, it makes it impossible for your loved one to do anything at a less than stressful pace. Take care of one another. If you're that close to a sickie, your turn may be next :P

"It's not you, it's me"

2010-12-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

...that's what you should tell your diet. My diet/way of eating follows the Paleo Diet, Primal Blueprint, or whatever you want to call it diet. Here's a quick run down of some common points among these diets:

These guidelines are stated with more detail in books like The Paleo Solution and The Primal Blueprint. They're also posted on the associated websites for Robb Wolf and Mark Sisson. There's even the Metabolic Efficiency Diet that doesn't market itself with the caveman look, but is grounded in similar concepts of burning fat for better endurance performance. All great ideas from well educated people put out there to help the masses. We are the mass. They're here to help us...if we want it.

Help does not equal handholding.The last few podcasts on the Paleo Solution have included questions where people are so perplexed about why they aren't meeting weight loss or performance goals while following the dietary guidelines. Truth be told, when their diets/dietary habits were presented, it was easy to spot. The people were not following the diets as prescribed. There was dairy included a few times a day, grains all over the place, and bad sleep habits. Somehow these people thought it was ok to indulge in these off-diet habits and still claim to be following the guidelines. Stop lying to yourself.

I see/hear it often. Let's use me as an example. I have a few pounds until I reach my goal weight...for the last few months. Earlier in the year, I did "strict" Paleo for a month with awesome results and even got to my current goal weight. I know I am carb sensitive. Very. In past few months, I had cheat foods - ice cream, sorbet, and alcoholic beverages. Hm. So as a carb sensitive person eating cheat foods, do I really need to question why I have not lost those last few pounds? Not really. I know why. Every time I ask the question as if I don't know - I am lying to myself. When I hear someone say they ate a cheat meal because they ate good all week, but they aren't meeting their diet goals, I know that person is lying to him/herself. STOP IT!

I would like to see things go one of two ways. 1 - Make the changes that need to be made (i.e. take the excuse off the table) or 2 - Accept that the diet is not be followed and don't blame the diet for lack of success. The point of failure is you (in my case - me). If you are on one of these diets and haven't tried the 30-60 days of the strict version, that's failure 1. As I heard it on the Paleo Solution podcast, some people just want to be a unique butterfly in terms of this diet. Follow it, adhere to it, give it a chance to make changes. If you are slow to react to it or have a seriously issues, give it more than 30 days. Once you've done your time on the strict version, you can tweak it to see just how far you can push your cheats. Journal it, document it, so you know where your boundaries are and you can stop short of them in the future.

I journal a lot of things. However, I've failed to journal how far my cheats can be pushed without have a negative effect on my goals. I have no clue if I can have one cheat or two, if I can have sorbet but not ice cream, if I can drink wine but not beer. No idea. None. Time for a do-over!

My dearest Diane

2010-11-29T20:35:00.000-07:00

It was today's workout of 21-15-9 dead lifts and handstand push ups (HSPU). I've found there are all kinds of "Rx's" the ladies use, like 155, 165, and 185lbs. I chose the internet stalking easy way out and went with what I saw on the main site. What did I see? I saw some bad ass ladies hitting the workout at the full weight, truly as prescribed. I also saw some other bad ass ladies hitting the workout at 185. So that's what I went with that. Why? The weight is commonly used as the suggested ladies' weight for dead lifts in other Crossfit workouts and I'm no Kristan. Eight minutes, fourteen seconds later, I knew it was a good choice.

I'm jotting down times, feelings, feedings, etc. Then I thought, "hey jackass, what about form?" Not on the lift, but HSPUs. What I commonly forget to note is body positioning. What are the points of contact (heels, butt, shoulders), was there any wall climbing with the feet (no, sir), how many times did I come off the wall (LOTS) - those things. I was that chick doing the HSPUs with an overly arching back, using feet to walk the walls, and hands so far apart I only had an inch of travel to get my head to the ground. My next goal is HSPUs on parallets. I figure if I can do them freely, I can do them with whatever other rules people like to apply.

My goal isn't to do the minimum and leave it at that. It's more a stepwise process. Step 1 - be proficient at the true movement. Step 2 - be proficient at the movement + hell. Step 3 - "game" it. Example - become proficient at KB swings, do heavy KB swings, do shrugging KB swing (compliant with "rules" but not "true" to form). Event organizers have a way of throwing in small changes that are technical enough to cause a large effect. Their goal may be to fuck me up, my goal is to just fuck back. I'm not to the point where I can game the HSPUs. Maybe soon though.

How will I track my progress - journaling and blogging! If I don't do it, I'll lose out on some good notes. Write down max efforts, track progress, figure out how sleep and diet are affecting performance. Don't be lame about it, put some detail into it. Serious writing takes time, but it's how all this writing crap becomes meaningful in terms of performance. Journaling isn't just for sissies and suckers. It's good fodder for internet stalking too :P

I'm Making Myself...Me

2010-11-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

Let me get the serious stuff out of the way - SpeedEndurance.com! Try it, you'll like it. Honestly. At least the last few posts on acceleration. Even the former track athletes out there can use a refresher on training acceleration. They're good, short reads, so give them a viewing. Acceleration and speed are important aspects to most training programs. You Crossfit? You need this stuff. You run? You need this stuff. You lift? You need this stuff. I NEED this stuff.

Now onto me! I just got done with a workout this morning. Those of you in Crossfit land might have heard of her - Fran! Let me tell you about my love/hate relationship with Fran. LOVE that she's done in a relatively short time. HATE the fact I struggle with getting her done faster. I am to the point where 30kg thrusters don't really hurt anymore. Pull ups are not the problem they used to be. I'm not perfect, but I'm certainly not struggling with the individual components of the Fran workout. I'm not struggling with the combined components of the Fran workout. I just can't seem to get my muscles firing fast enough to get a better time.

Word association time. First time doing Fran - ouch, hurt, pain, blargglergle (it's a word in Fran-speak). Now imagine doing Fran, finishing Fran, then recovering in like a minute. Yeah, big let down. I'm a clock watcher. Rather than the clock being motivation to hurry up, I see I won't be getting my desired time and the motivation drains. I need new motivation (enter nifty Nike ad). There it is. Allyson Felix and some other ladies reminding me that I have to make myself do this. I can't rely on someone else or another "entity" to keep me magically motivated throughout the workout. I'm not training against you. I'm training against me. Here's what happens when motivation goes wrong - I choose you, I beat you, you leave, you get sick, you have other obligations, I stop. Here's what happens when I motivate myself - I choose me, I beat me, wait - "I" beat "me" so then "me" gets pissed and beats "I." It's the process of continually making myself better and also self-reliant. I don't need you to perform good, I need me. I lost sight of that, thanks for reminding sweet Nike ad.

In typical me fashion - problem found, time for solution. Problem - I'm slow. Solution - get faster. Problem - lack of motivation. Solution - stop being stupid. Just that easy. Done. And. Done.

Max Pain

2010-11-22T16:17:00.000-07:00

http://icanhascheezburger.com/tag/tired/

Last week was max week as part of our two-a-day workouts. I was popped before the week ended, but managed to scrape lifts out until Sunday. I can't say they were my best, but it was all I had to give. Good news was that everything increased. I reached personal goals on shoulder press and dead lift. I'm pretty happy with that. Although the soreness and stiffness has slowly left, I'm still recovering from the tired feeling.

The diet of last week did not fare so well. The week started out wonderfully (yea). Then a drill day hit (boo). And on that drill day was a going away at Itz! (hissssssss). Talk about lack of quality control in the food department. The vegetables were dried out, likely from old age. The dressing looked like it had been there for awhile too. So, I didn't eat much as compared to what I usually scarf down my pie hole. How did that play out? A big fat revenge of the hungry freakin tummy at dinner. There's no escaping your body's need for food. However, there is escaping the simple mental controls that usually keep your intake in check. Oh, it was bad. Everything looked to be tasty and in immediate need to GET IN MY BELLY! And so it was. I ate and drank way more than I should. It would not have been so bad except the delicious dessert treat I got. I should have tried a mini size dessert, but the hunger that built up from lunch was bigger than Fat Bastard from Austin Powers. Down the pint sized sundae dessert went. Suffering ensued for the next two days. Not enough to keep me away from more crap eating on Saturday though (not to worry, I go big or go home). It all ended with a pumpkin cheesecake from Champps during the UFC fights.

http://www.elanaspantry.com/gluten-free-thanksgiving-2010/

I will say that both desserts were delicious. Under certain circumstances, I probably wouldn't beat down on myself for eating them...unfortunately, those circumstances were not present. Cheat choices should revolve around making smart decisions while you're training, trying to meet weight loss and/or body composition goals, and when all other eating has been sound. Skipping meals and consecutive cheats are not sound decisions for me. Some people can handle cheat meals, I cannot. You know if you take too many cheats on your diet and training programs. Acknowledge the weakness and create fix actions. Time for gloating is over. I'm back on the wagon...right in time for holiday cooking :( Not to worry, Elana's Pantry has some better options than what might be presented during the typical Thanksgiving holiday. I suggest cutting recipes in half, especially if you don't need the temptation hanging around for longer than a day (I say this looking in the mirror at myself). I've used different substitutes to make recipes align more with what I should be eating. If you're not big on that, why not just call it even at the fact it is gluten free? Balance out what your taste buds want and what your body can handle. You can tell your appetite thanks without telling your digestive track to go fuck itself. Really, you can. But hey, it's the time to be thankful, not to beat down on yourself. Figure out what that means for your holiday eating plans...just don't lie to yourself.

Take that shoulders!

2010-11-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

New shoulder press max! Moved from 50kg up to 54kg (119 lbs). I'm pretty happy with that. Persistent work in the gym finally pays off. I've been waiting quite awhile for a better shoulder press max. Other lifts have been shooting up except my shoulder press, so you could imagine my joy at any amount over 50kg. It isn't quite what I think I'm capable of, but it is far closer than where I was before. I'll take it.

Making a List. Checking it Twice?

2010-11-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

No double checking this list. It is only a brain hurl of things I think I want to do sooner or later (think near to mid-term future). I am on a short hiatus from "tings" right now, but want to hit the ground running when I'm ready. As much as I love the thrill of last minute ventures, well planned ideas always have a place in my heart and lifestyle. Plus, I enjoy the training aspect of events. So here's a list and maybe a reason why I think I should do things:


Source - http://www.milkeggsvodka.com/

1. Run another 5k - free shirts, little training, charity

2. Xterra tri (sport/sprint length) - last one was horrible tough, but fun

3. Road tri (sprint or oly distance) surprisingly fun

4. Be a PR girl! - Denver area fitness, figure, and bikini team, they're fun and workout a lot (like me)

5. NPC figure contest - see #4, it only makes sense to compete when you're on a team

6. Crossfit Games - Grueling and fun, good energy, plus I get to see the people I facebook stalk

7. Earn more money - I seriously need to put that PhD to work

8. Travel more - culture is great, getting in some of my own is better, sharing it with Andrew=awesome

9. Motorcycle class - I have two of these things but did zero riding last season, I need to get reacquainted!

10. MSC race - Mountain. State. Cup. It's for mountain bikers, equally as enthusiastic as roadies but with less pretentious beings and far less "snoot" than I've got at road events. Apparently, I smell of "mountain."

11. Get Vitamin D - everyone should photosynthesize, it's what skin was meant to do

12. Pole vault - because I love it

13. MMA - I've tinkered with the idea of an mma fight for years and I need to stop that and actually "do that"

14. Balance Crossfit with my other hobbies - I'm Crossfit-centrique right now. There's a reason for that. I'm missing out on my other hobbies though and when the gaming is over, I want to return to a balance between hobbies.

What are your plans for the future? Maybe not next year, maybe it is next month. But if you plan, what are your plans?

Struggle. Word!

2010-11-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

Today's WOD in the land of Crossfit Soco was Seven. It was dedicated to the seven CIA agents killed in Afghanistan on December 30, 2009. It HURT. It reacquainted me with the term "struggle." We're very tight on equipment at our gym because the classes keep getting larger. The weights were scaled so everyone could have a barbell. I'm cool with that. I should have gone heavier on the deadlifts, but the heavy thrusters were enough. Here's what I did:

7 Rounds:
7 HSPUs
7 Thrusters @ 50kg
7 Knees to elbow
7 Deadlifts @ 50kg
7 Burpees
7 Kettle bell swings @ 16kg
7 Pull ups

It's a hero WOD. I hate scaling because I don't do these for myself. I do them for the people they are meant to memorialize, there should be some pain. Someone has sacrificed life. The least I can do is show some appreciation the best way I can. I'm not sure what goes through everyone's head, but a hero WOD is my way of saying "Here's my heart. Here's my soul. Here is all I have to give. I'm laying it all on the line because I'm safe here...and you've helped make that happen. The least I can do is use up every bit of the joy, safety, and life you have afforded me. 3, 2, 1, go."

Today was harsh. It took me about 40 minutes to do all of this. Those damn thrusters were so heavy. And I'm coming off of a honeymoon vacation. Excuses? Yes! Next time I will add weight to the deadlift. I'm not as pissy about scaling though. Most times, it is not about how much weight you lift or how fast you complete a workout, but how much effort you put into it. This truly tested my ability to pull from my reserves, push through pain, and I definitely walked that line of quitting. I will take that A+ on effort and revel in it no matter what I lifted or how long the workout took me.

It was a hero workout. Give all you can. What was the line from Starship Troopers? "Everyone fights. No one quits. If you don't do your job, I'll kill you myself." That's the WOD talking.

How to Eat Paleo in Kauai

2010-11-11T17:01:00.000-07:00

...just go and be :P

Eating Paleo during our honeymoon in Hawaii was no problem at all. I owe a deep thanks to Kauai for making it easy to stay somewhat on track with my diet. Meat was delicious, fruit and veggies were awesome. If you know me, you know I love fruit. It's been my bane as far as body composition is concerned. I have problems stopping at just one piece of fruit. However, in Hawaii it was slightly different. The local fruit was so potent with flavor that I was satisfied with just a thin, small slice of pineapple. What?! Yeah, srlsy. I couldn't believe it either. Just a wee bit of fruit was all I needed? I used to eat cans of pineapple in a day.

This makes me wonder -is it really the quantity we desire or the quality. I'm pretty sure I don't want to overeat on fruit in Colorado. What I want is to eat to a certain level of satisfaction. I am expecting a particular flavor from my fruit and eat until I feel that flavor has been met. When you ship something across country, chill it down, warm it up again, and process it, flavor is hampered. I can't stop eating fruit because my tongue doesn't associate the taste of the crap I get from the stores with what it expects/wants. I'm starting to see the localvore point of view (not totally bought in just yet).

What I've also come to understand is that there will be no pineapple produced/shipped to me in such a way that it maintains the flavor I want. I'm pretty much done trying to buy tropical fruit in non-tropical places. Ok, I get it now - buy seasonal, don't just buy local but buy "native" (you know what I mean). People and science are talented enough to make things grow where they didn't naturally thrive. Having it grow doesn't equate to having the great taste quality. Take advantage of vacations to other places. REALLY enjoy food in other places. When you get home, stop trying to consume as much of it as you can. Besides, there are so many things you won't be able to replicate with that experience, why go set yourself up for disappointment? Create a new food eating experience and enjoy it.

Remember how mom's cooking tastes so good and it can't quite be replicated? Stop trying. Go to mom's place to have mom's food. When you're not there, have something else. Same concept. Stop being one of those people that say how much something tastes better in another place (Guinness/Ireland, beer/Germany, etc.). You're not there, instead enjoy where you are at.

more ungluing the cubicle and sleep

2010-10-26T11:23:00.000-06:00

So I lied. Yesterday that is. About the la cross ball and my back. The chair is a go, at least for today. I've found a way to hit just before the entrance into the "pain cave." I push my against the armrest on my chair! Crazy, right?! No, it's just a way to generate a force that can push my back towards my chair back. What's sandwiched between my back and the chair's back? The ball. In all it's glory, pushing at knotted tissues, working to "unglue" those soft structures in my back. It is not as forceful as lying on the ground and using body weight. However, it is effective enough to help with my issues. To be honest, my back is so touchy right now that the cushiony give of the chair is pretty welcomed. It is letting me put pressure on the right spots without being so painful that I start recruiting muscles to make the painface. Not everything can be solved 100%, so why not take what will do at the time? Multitask - get work done and work on your mobility. That's less work you have to do another time.

Mobility is just one of my stops in my efforts towards improved performance today. I'm currently reading a lovely book called Lights Out by TS Wiley. A few years ago, I was diagnosed with insomnia. Not the take a Tylenol PM insomnia, but the here's a horse tranq insomnia that some people just don't think is real. It sucked. My performance in every aspect of life was dragging. I'm pretty sure it ticked people off too because they didn't understand why things were headed south. I thought I understood. I knew a few things, but not this much.

I haven't finished this book yet, but I have already learned a lot. Sleep deals with everything. It affects more than just mood. If you think being grumpy is the only side effect to not getting sleep, wash your mouth! I don't want to give away the contents of the book. I will say that it is a good read. It is written in a language most people can understand without having an advanced degree in biology. If you want to know the mechanisms behind sleep and sleep deprivation, read this book. The hardest part - not staying up all night to finish reading it :P

Paleoize and mobilitize your workplace

2010-10-25T10:49:00.000-06:00

I didn't want to say mobilize your workplace. That's not the mobility I'm referring to with this post. I'm talking about ways to make the gopher holes I call a workplace more paleo and mobility WOD friendly.

I already ate. My tupperware is empty and the fork is dirty. Sorry. As I finished my breakfast and looked at the crap I bring to work, it made me think of how I've adapted to make my environment to suit my needs. Gone are the days where I blame my surroundings for limiting me. Say hello to the "let us compromise" days. It's a softer, gentler side of me that doesn't include throwing cubby walls out the window.

So here it is - Tupperware, To-Go Ware, and a la cross ball. I found out awhile ago that my sense of portion control was completely obliterated. RLY. When they say you don't need a scale, they were not talking to me. I heard the rule about eating a piece of meat the size of a deck of cards or the size of your palm. Well, I tried that. Apparently, I had hands the size of Andre the Giant and that a deck of cards was referring to greeting cards. Yeah, I needed a scale. To use it for my meal away from home, I have to prepare my meals ahead of time. Now I can't go out of control by relying on my eye as a scale while eating out. I also have a good idea of what my day's intake will be ahead of time. So if I know I'll be having a light breakfast and lunch, I can plan for a heavy dinner. Or if I get hungry, I can look at what I ate and adjust for the next day. I'm also not very good at remembering what I put in the Tupperware. I write on it with a sharpie and wash it off later. What do you mean wash it off later? I prepare days at a time. I used to prepare the day before, but I found that preparing at least 4 days on Sunday was a time saver. So I prep all my food, label it, store it, eat, then record. Thanks handy-dandy food storage device.

It's pretty hard to eat food without utensils...no, no it's not. Really, your hands work great. At work, I get weird looks though. Me being the tree hugger I claim to be, I wasn't a fan of single use utensils. So now I have a cute bamboo set of To-Go Ware from Whole Paycheck. I also have a titanium spork from REI for the emergency situations. It's light weight and folds into obscurity. Perfect to store at my desk. Also, the case that holds the To-Go Ware is fabric. So when I don't have a napkin near, I save my sleeve by using the case. I'm a pretty messy eater, so this helps a lot.

Those are a few things that allow me to eat more Paleo in a rat race world. The la cross ball has less to do with eating and more to do with mobility. It isn't large like a balance ball. It can be placed in a drawer to keep prying hands from taking it. It can be thrown at neighboring cubbies if the occupant is being annoying. Watch out though, it's a dense ball and likely to do damage. While being used for mobility WODs, the ball ends up either on the floor so I can roll out my feet, on the chair to roll out my hamstrings, or on the desk to work the arms. I still haven't found a great way to roll out the back without laying on the floor. Suggestions are welcomed.

In a time where excuses are easy to come by, I don't want to give myself a chance to make one. I'm trying not to let convenience be an excuse for poor health habits. I've crossed off workplace from the list of excuses.

Amazing Grace - Barbells for Boobs

2010-10-23T20:40:00.000-06:00

Here's the Crossfit Soco crew that participated in the 2010 Barbells for Boobs hosted at Progressive Fitness Crossfit. The hosts were kind enough to open the fund raiser to everyone in the area. They were also cool enough to have oranges, apples, and water for us. You guys totally rock and we are so thankful for hosting the event!

It was also awesome to see so many Soco members offering their support for the event. No one has to give and no one has to care. Then again, no charity has to offer something for the money you give. There are plenty of causes that will take your money without offering anything more than a receipt in return. And most times that is enough. For this event, the organization offered a t-shirt and a workout. Thanks to the sponsors for helping defray the cost of running the event. Workouts, t-shirts, snackies make it pretty easy to participate. While I enjoyed all those things, I enjoyed people in the costumes that reminded me of the why we were all there - the boobs. Mammograms. They're not cheap. With differing organizations recommending that younger women not get them, having funding for them is all the more important. I gladly gave what I could to the cause in hopes that it will help someone down the road.

The workout was awesome. I tried to keep good form because one of my lifting coaches was there. Let me tell you, there's the Crossfit way and there is the USAW way. I think I did something between the two. Form isn't the first thing to come to mind at rep 20. I completed Grace in 4:21 using 95 lbs. Andrew did well also, finishing at the men's prescribed weight in under seven minutes. It was a great time, great people, great event. Glad to have participated! Tomorrow, back to regular training.

product review - running gloves

2010-10-20T10:41:00.000-06:00

I like Manzella Gloves, I have a few. I had a Manzella liner in previous years, but it proved to be not warm enough. It's great for times I run a distance that is long enough to see temperature change. The thinner gloves keep enough warmth in so I don't have to layer too much everywhere else. They are thin enough to tuck anywhere when it becomes hot and they are no longer necessary. I keep them in the car as a spare since they don't take up much space. I got a slightly heavier glove this year and haven't looked back. They're still thin, but the material is less porous in structure. I ran the Duke City 5k the past weekend and tried them out. They worked wonderfully. They're thin enough to not be overbearing, but warm enough to provide a purpose. The gloves are surprisingly good at blocking wind. My hands do not collect sweat on them like they do with thicker gloves. These gloves also have some reflective properties which help with low light running visibility.

If you run or do some activities in cooler/outdoor weather, I'd recommend adding a pair of gloves to your wardrobe. Good ones can be found under $20, are well constructed, and use quality material. If you're planning on doing a running event soon, check your good bag for coupons to use at local sports stores and save yourself some money on new gloves.

making it work

2010-10-20T10:27:00.000-06:00

At work. Sitting. SITTING! But I'm not just sitting. I have my trust la cross ball in hand. Well, it is not really in my hand. It is under my leg. That's right, I'm going through and "ungluing" painful parts of my hamstrings and glutes. The chair I'm sitting on does has some give, but it'll do in this situation. Yesterday, I hit the Crossfit Soco WOD in the morning and did my games prep workout in the evening. Great stuff.

Today I rest...sort of. Today I work on hitting the tightness in the legs and back. Why? I want to free my muscles of counterproductive tension. Tension that limits my functional ROM does not help me with technique, strength, or even general fitness. So manual therapy it is. Multitask if you have to sit. My goal is to work the tension away with a hard ball (baseball, softball, la cross ball, etc.) so that I can play better tomorrow.

Today, I'm also going to order some supplements in powder form. I hope to mix these in with foods or drinks. I'm tired of taking pills, I don't get into sunlight enough, and I'm still working on my diet. Once all these things are straightened out, I'll consider ditching the supps. I'll let you know if I have better success with the powder compared to the pills.

Recovery and Beyond (long post)

2010-10-19T14:52:00.000-06:00

If you got a problem and you're not icing it, it's not a problem, you're lying to yourself. Roughly what KStar was saying. Short. Honest. True. Thanks, guy. When I was in my college practicum as an athletic trainer, we had tons of athletes complain of injuries. They also did not want anything more than TufSkin 'n tape on that bad boy.

I'm a lover of cryotherapy. After practice, I'd go soak in the cold whirpool for 15-20 minutes. I miss it :( I find myself not doing much in terms of prevention and rehabilitation. When you have the convenience of a training room, it is easy. It doesn't mean I'm out of options. I've decided to make my own training room. It's not really a room, but a collection of therapeutic modalities to aid in healing. Here's what I think makes a good at home training room.

1. Portable fanciness - If you've never used one and never had a health care professional educate you on its use, do not bother. What am I talking about - portable TENS and IFC units.

2. Cold whirpool - Don't have room for a motor? Just get a trough or use a bathtub. Ice machines may be hard to come by. Bags of ice in a refrigerator can help. If you don't have the room for a large bath, use a bucket. You will not be able to immerse an entire body in there, but treating ankles becomes a lot easier.

3. Ice cups - This comes in a disposable variety, they are called Dixie cups. You can go the way of the video and use ice cubes. I find these melt quickly. Back to the cups - you fill them up with water and freeze. You can tear and peel to expose the ice when you are ready to use and as the ice melts. I'm also part hippie, so investing in some reusable ones is not a bad idea.

4.Athletic tape - I stick to plain, white tape. Colored tape has runny dyes or is harder to tear. Store it in a cool, dry place. Generally, I stay away from fancified tapes.

5. Prewrap - I like prewrap because I don't believe that every surface on the body needs to be touched by tape. I like for my tape to be able to slide over friction points rather than pull that skin with it. I find this especially helpful over torn calluses.

6. Adhesive spray - With #5 mentioned, I do like adhesive spray. It keeps tape tacked on when you sweat.

7. Band-aides - Get all kinds. Get cheap ones and get expensive ones. You can never have enough.

8. Bandages - I mean ace/elastic wraps. These wraps are not strong enough to create/support joint stability. They're meant to squeeze out swelling. Wrap it in a way that pushes the swelling to a larger area. Give it a better chance to be "picked up" by the lymphatic system. I've seen people wrap an ankle so all the swelling gets pushed towards the toes. Really? Why bombard the smaller area with more crap than it should have in the first place. That shit doesn't belong there!

9. Scissors - Medical scissors, the weird shaped ones that have a lot of length but not a lot of blade. Invest. They do wonders for cutting tape without cutting skin.

10. Disinfectant - You can spring for the fancy ones or just use a 10% bleach solution. This is a "must" for anything reusable, like a bucket. Certain formulas are good for in between uses, like in whirpools. Also, disinfecting wipes for both equipment and skin helps prevent the spread of germs (i.e. ringworm). I like Athletic Body Care.

11. Padding - I mean stuff like mole skin. There's fancy visco-gel materials too. Great for customizing soft protection over tender spots.

12. NSAIDs - I'm not a fan, but I hear they do good things :)

This is not an all inclusive list. It really isn't. It doesn't include all the bug sprays, sun screens, and other fancified things I geek out on. However, it's enough to get an idea of how to take care of people without having a staffed training room. Take care of yourself, take care of your friends. Keep the people in your gyms moving.

One more thing - someone asked me why we try and fight the body's natural path to healing. The body has evolved to a certain point. It's like eating Paleo, we do it because the body has evolved for that style of eating. The normal caveman didn't do Crossfit or triathlons for the "fun of it," never took a fitness test, and probably wasn't keen on maxing out multiple lifts in one session. If you follow the Primal Blueprint Fitness or workout for health and longevity, you can probably get away with less care. If you've dosed your routine with more, you've just told your body to go fuck nature. Training for performance is not the same as training for health. You want to run longer than a bear would spend chasing you. You don't just want to be able to haul a small kill back to the cave, you want to haul an elephant across the street. You will tweak normal Paleo eating to get there, why not go beyond normal recovery too?

What the Holy Hell?

2010-10-17T20:29:00.000-06:00

We went to Albuquerque this weekend to compete in the 5k event at the Duke City Marathon. I have a love/hate relationship with Albuquerque like some people have with running. It is one of the few places that allows me to enjoy and reflect on life at the same time. It's great. So, while enjoying the Paleolithic Solution book by Robb Wolf, I was thinking of recent training goals. I realized that everyone once in awhile, I sabotage myself. What?! Yeah. RLY! SRSLY! As much shit as I talk about pushing myself and doing things to get better and reach goals, every once in awhile peeps a setup for failure.

In his book, Wolf mentioned the importance of sleep. He mentions it plenty of times in his podcasts, but it really hit home when reading it. I was in a mood to enjoy life and reflect, it's Albuquerque. If you've ever taken drugs for insomnia, you know that sleep isn't real sleep. It's like routinely going into a coma that you wake up from hours later with no memories and slightly drunk. With all my talk about rest and making it a priority, I wasn't setting my sleep up for success. What made things worse is the effect shit sleep had on my body composition goals. It is easy to brush over sleep as a culprit for an inability to lose weight. Looking back at my journal, I can see my food was good and my exercise was good. My sleep - crap.

Here's what a typical journal entry on sleep would look like:

To bed at 2200. Took a 1.5-2 hrs to fall asleep. Tossed and turned. Woke up frequently to take a piss. Back to bed. Wake up at 0545. TIRED!!! Dead. Tired.

Yeah. So, I thought being in bed counted towards my sleep. It does not. Also, the quality of my sleep is crap. Boooo! Here I am, pressing myself to do better in every way but not setting myself to succeed. To have those expectations and not get the sleep required to support those goals is sabotage. True story. I thought of starting back up on sleep aids or a little wine to help sleep. That's not going to solve my problem. If you didn't know, I'm getting married soon! BAAHHHH!! I know I'm a sucker right?! It seems the stress of planning and making sure details are in place is getting to me. I have two options - be more realistic with the goals OR forget the stress. How about we balance this? I don't like letting go of goals. I'm going to try to wu-sa-bah my way to less stress, but if I miss a lift or a weight loss goal, I'll try not to be so harsh on myself (yeah, right).

Bummer that I'm not where I want to be at this moment. Bigger bummer if I never got the sleep and never reached my goals. I'm behind my time line of progress, but the goal isn't out of sight. I dislike being wrong, but I hate not making things right. I knew sleep was important, it's my own fault for not being honest with the importance of sleep. I'm realigning my stars for performance. I'll get there. Will you? What are you doing to set yourself up for success?

what's up sugar?

2010-10-15T10:23:00.000-06:00

What's my blood sugar level? I don't know. I have no specific numbers. What I have is a family history of diabetes. I live in a culture where self-induced diabetes is rampant. People are told what to avoid in their diet. There are also plenty of nutritionist to work with that will help you with more complex concerns. For myself, I hired a nutritionist because I knew my chances of getting diabetes were pretty high based of genetics, but I still wanted to eat for peak performance. Breads, pastas, that jazz right? Wrong. Burning the sugar fire is not the only way to performance nor are wheat based products the only source of carbs. This isn't new in science journals, but it seems to be new to most mainstream media and the FDA.

If you think you're insulin is great, ok, moderate, or fine, take an honest look. I've heard my overweight friends and family talk about how good they feel and how they can get around and how they don't need to pay attention to their sugar levels. Then one day, the doc tells them they've got diabetes. Did this happen overnight? Ummm, no. Chances are people adjusted to their level of health and thought adjusted = comfortable = healthy. Just because you are comfortable moving your overweight ass from the couch to the refrigerator, does not mean you are healthy. It means you're used to being uncomfortable. You've adapted to an unhealthy lifestyle. Deep inside, you know that you are eating with the goal of poor health in mind.

"But, I'm ok. It's not anything I have to worry about." Really? I don't know many working scientists and nutritionists. If I'm talking to you, chances are you are not the expert you believe yourself to be. I'm not either. Don't believe everything I say. Believe the science. Look at what a large amount of experts are saying (not just one or two). Be critical of what you read. Become intimate with spotting good research and pointing out poorly drawn conclusions. Then look in the mirror. Have what you been and saying to yourself in the long run worked in your favor? Are you still not where you want to be in terms of health and fitness? If you answer no, then you are not ok and you do have something to worry about. Drop your biased ideas on nutrition, they're not helping you.

You may be fooling yourself to believe things are healthier and portion sizes are smaller. Need help? Get a scale and start weighing. Weight to see if what you "think" is what you are really getting. Quit your baby crying. Put down that ho-ho. Put down that eighth cheat meal of the week. Grow some ovaries and be fucking healthy.

harnessing the power of my inner type-a

2010-10-15T09:49:00.000-06:00

With all this ramp up in training that started, I've had to calculate my nutrient intake. What it's supposed to be, what it is, and what I'd like it to be. I've been fighting between using Fitday and Fatsecret for my nutrition logs. One the one hand, Fitday offers great reports and breakdown. I don't like the interface and think it lacks in the user friendliness of it all. Fatsecret doesn't have the fancy reports, but it does have the basic readouts. It's more intuitive to use and I like the food database. I'm hoping they'll start making changes to it so it can be more competitive with the other site. Also, Fatsecret has a free Android Market app (Calorie Counter) that can use the camera as a barcode scanner. Cool stuff, it wins out so far.

After the first two weeks of recording my diet info, I've come to the conclusion that my eating habits swing like my moods. Perhaps even more than my moods :) It's easy for me to tell when I was low on something because the remarks for the next day are usually related to feelings of "crap, tired, and sluggish." My other observation, I'm not very hungry. You may have heard of this smart cat named Robb Wolf, we're not buddies or anything, but I listen to his stellar podcasts. A few times he's remarked on caloric intake, being too high and too low. Seeing as to how I'm never hungry, it makes sense that I might be too high on my intake. So, I've redone my calculations with a lower factor and will play it out next week. On a positive note, 've also been hankering less and less for cheat meals. Overall, I can't complain about the Paleo way of eating. I'm stronger and leaner. Hooray!

Ba-na-na

2010-10-14T14:07:00.000-06:00

I'm working my way to saying good bye to the banana. You're a great one for texture banana. You're also not the worst thing to eat. Unfortunately, you're not the best thing to it. Somehow, you've become overrated in your ability to provide nutrients such as potassium. There are far greater providers of nutrients than you :( You have quite a few carbs. In the realm of ketogenic diets, you're actually a punk. Awww, but it's ok banana. It's only for the duration of my training. You're not really aiding my training like you thought, so you have to go. And unless I find myself in dire need of you afterward, you may not come back, except on holidays.

What good have you provided me banana? Well, you added awesome texture to my shakes. You thickened them without being powdery. You masked the taste of egg protein rather well. Seeing as I'm phasing out shakes and turning to real/whole foods, you're number is up. Sorry, banana, your ish has got to go.

If anyone has good ideas on what to use to replace the shake utility of a banana, let me know. I'll be phasing out shakes later in the year so I want to maximize shake enjoyment time. So far, I've used pumpkin puree in my shake. It tasted pretty good, but still didn't provide the right texture. Maybe I need less liquid. Here's what the shake looked like - 1/4c pumpkin puree, 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 8oz coconut milk (unswt), 1 tbsp of almond butter, and 1 scoop of egg protein.

Rushing. A tool not to be frequently used.

2010-10-13T22:03:00.000-06:00

Today was about rushing. Up just wee earlier than usual, but it was a rush out of bed to get to the gym to do some work on strength and skills. We didn't want to bother the on-going class, so we stopped one exercise short of our set. Saved for later, don't worry, it was like Crossfit leftovers. We rushed to clean up and rushed to work. Good thing about work? Cubicle walls that allow me to do some of the Mobility WOD. Stretched out and ready to go...to my dress fitting. Back to work I went after my "lunch break." Then rushed over to the other side of town for dance lessons. Rushed back to Crossfit to finish the leftovers and today's WOD. Rushed home to eat. Rushing is done.

A sense of urgency is necessary. I get that. Rushing however is a depreciation of that. It is senseless. Moving quickly, while keeping your wits does not equate to rushing. My idea of rushing is make it from Point A to Point B and saying "fuck it" to everything between. Rushing leads to bad form in workouts. Pushing limits leads to increased condition. Not the same in my mind. Rushing is not a frequent flier in my mind.

On a side note for all the Crossfitting ladies out there in the local area - Myrna's Tailor Shop is the best around. If you've got a difficult figure to deal with (i.e. athletic) and you want to wear really cute clothes, she can help. She's put hands on most my clothes so I don't feel like such a clown in dresses.

Yes and Press! Easy as "set it and forget it." Srsly.

2010-10-11T21:33:00.000-06:00

There's nothing that breaks a serious moment that humorous self deprecation (or directed at others too), don't get it confused with defecation. Totally different. Here's how I see it expressed "oh crap, I did that wrong, I'm pretty clumsy." At some point, it becomes an interference. When you're short on time, temper, nerve, and energy, the wordiness should end. If you know you did something wrong, or see that someone else did something wrong, there is no need to waste time by spending five minutes acknowledging an established and observed fact. It is annoying. Instead, try this:

1. Express an understanding that something was wrong.
2. Either vocalize the correction or listen to someone giving the correction.
3. Press on.

So, in theory, it would go like this:

"I did that lift wrong. I need to not jump so wide." Follow that with an actual attempt to make the correction. I think this is much better than:

"Ah, crap. I suck, I did that completely wrong. My feet were all over the place and my arms were bent. I've been trying to work on it and I'm just not getting it. The music is really loud too and that makes it hard for me to concentrate. Sometimes Bob drops his bar too close to me and I get scared so I stop thinking about form. And then I think I have it all down and go too fast and screw up again. I should just try jumping with my feet more narrow. You think that'd work? I can try it, I guess. I mean, I'm trying, but it's just not working. Maybe next time?"

Yeah. You just wasted precious minutes with an instructor. You've either hogged that instructor to yourself, prevented other students from getting useful critiques and corrections, wasted your own practice, or wasted minutes in a class that is limited in time. Way to go. If the instructor says "wrong," then you say "yes" and press on with the correction. This also applies to the "recovery." If you're in the middle of something, say yes and press is really vital. You make things worse by stopping the flow. Recover! If you miss a step, get to a good point and move on. You do not get to this mystic good point by jabbering about the wrongness of things. You find a reasonable solution and press with it. If you miss the technique on a rep, don't kill your time by pointing out how wrong you were. Suck it up and move on.

Don't make things harder than they should be by stating the obvious. And when your peers in the session need more practice than talk, it will ease the tension on their last nerve. It's easy - say yes and press.

No Jared, there is no "i" in team, but I won't be the "U' either :P

2010-10-07T12:16:00.000-06:00

I'm pooped! A lot going on. This week, we started to ramp up training for next year's Crossfit Games. I'm still torn between competing individually or on a team. I miss team competitions. There's something about trusting another person to give their all and more. Then again...there's something about trusting another person to give their all and more. I've competed on plenty of teams. My favorite was track and field. You had your individual events, your relay events, and in the end - your team scoring. It was everything I wanted mixed with none of the things I wanted. If we all chipped in - the team won. If you chipped in your individual events and everyone else sucked - you still won your event. And if you only liked some members of your team, you either had the relays or you went to watch a few select events.

As much as I'd like to point the finger at another (I really do enjoy that), I have to stop and check myself (before I wreck myself, sing along). I can berate a person for not eating right, not sleeping enough, wimping out, and making poor choices in general. I can say that I'll eat well, sleep well, and Crossfit to the last drop. What I can't say is that I won't enjoy my other hobbies. I'm a hobbiest. I do lots of things. I like my jiu jitsu, I like my belly dancing, I like my triathlon training (holy shit, I can't believe I said that), I like taking more than one day off, I like eating honey by the handfuls. With all that I can give to a team, can I give these things up that I do for myself?

Hard question to answer. Help? Anyone?

Blog catchup post #3, I feel bad

2010-10-03T20:42:00.000-06:00

I feel bad for not feeling bad. I passed my fitness test. I feel bad because I don't feel bad for not getting 100%. There's a scale to the exercises. I maxed out all except the run. I could have run fast enough to get maximum points, but I did not...and I don't feel bad for not giving it my all. That is why I feel bad.

Some history - last year, I had maximum points on the run with a 12:08 mile and half time. It was sad. That is not a fast run. I felt that a system where I could do so well with trying so little must not be a good marker of a perfect score. I didn't give it my all this time around either...but I didn't get a perfect score. It feels right though. It's my punishment for not putting forth my best effort. I don't feel bad about that.

I DO feel bad about not knowing why I didn't try harder. It was like my goal for my triathlon - survive and live to run tomorrow (literally, I ran the next day). Thoughts on this? Maybe I'm beginning to prioritize my energy expenditure. Is it worth it to kick it into high gear and pay for it in other ways? Is it wiser to be conservative and keep my body in condition to train for Crossfit events and the 5k I have coming up soon? Maybe next year I'll be able to cruise at a higher speed so it's not the same discussion in my head.

Blog catchup post #2, who was at your gym?

2010-10-03T20:35:00.000-06:00

Really, who was at your gym? You know who was at ours - Coach Mike Burgener. Natalie Burgener coaches the Olympic lifters at Crossfit Soco, so she was gracious enough to bring her father-in-law to one of her sessions while he was in town. Thanks Natalie!!! One of the reassuring factors of the visit - Coach B teaches his pupils very well. It just went to prove that Natalie and Erin are kick ass coaches and know what they're talking about. I never doubted, but they're all on sync with the concepts they teach. There's no break in "personal style" as you see in some places.

We practiced the snatch for his visit and he came around to give us all pointers. He also explained the purpose of some of the drills. It helps to know why you do the things asked of you. The new folks who were just getting exposed to lifting gained a lot. How often can you say you started out with Coach Burgener? Plus the guy has so much great, positive energy.

Unfortunately, I was so destroyed from previous workouts that I could only do a few reps at a time. If you weren't able to drop in, maybe next time??

Long time no blog, catch up #1

2010-10-03T20:20:00.000-06:00

Drug use. Doping. Unfair advantages. Cheating. Yeah, this was all brought on by Contador's "positive" test. He makes some nice points, the lab makes some nice points, science makes great points. I get that. But what I do not get is how people use "that's impossible" as reasonable doubt of a person's athletic performance.

You may or may not have known I've won a few bench press competitions. Nothing spectacular and nothing record breaking. However, there were many guys who never knew women could lift that weight. The first round of questions asked by these guys - "what supplements do you take?" I took multivitamins, that was it, no fancy boutique blended performance supplements. Then came the steroid questions. Really?! I mean, REALLY?! People were dead set that I was taking something. I didn't break any records. Then I realized these guys were from a place that didn't believe women could use fitness protocols to become so strong. I get that. BUT, please keep your limited mindset from my own performance. I believe I can do. I. Can. Do...if I wanted to.

Is it all cheating though? Sabotage, malicious intent is cheating. Dorking around with someone's equipment, food poisoning, slashing tires. That is cheating. Making yourself better, is that really cheating? What is the advantage of performance enhancers if you have no drive in the first place? If you're a coach potato, performance enhancers will make you a better channel flipper. It won't give you purpose and drive to become a world class athlete. And what about other performance enhancers. If someone lives in an area where access to good food, good coaches, stress free living, and plenty of sleep are impossible, should we limit what other athletes have to even out the playing field? Those are all things that help performance and may not be equally available to all.

I get tied up in these things. On one side, I see how people are upset and assume guilt. Despite my thoughts on the rules, there are guilty people out there. On the other side, I think about personal experience and how some athletes strive for that out of world performance and get knocked once they achieve it. I guess people refuse to believe you are capable of anything if you put your mind to it. Next time you catch yourself saying that to a kid, take it back you filthy liar...or shift your thinking.

Multitasking SOB and the "p" word

2010-09-27T21:18:00.000-06:00

I'm pretty sure that's what I am. At least at this moment, which includes watching tv, uploading pics to MixBook to make a wedding guest book, checking out items on Amazon.com, and figuring out what to eat tomorrow...and also blogging.

What I really wanted to talk about today was complainers. Not just any type of complainers. There's some use to gripping and releasing thoughts on particular activities. I get that, I partake in that quite often. But then there's the line that can be crossed. The person that does this is referred to as a vulgar name placed on female genitalia. It just happens to be one of those words I don't like using due to it's negative connotation, but at the same time produces such bitter, vocal tones that it can be appropriate. I digress, back to those people. I tire of them. They irritate me. If you see me go from a happy mood to a silent mood, chances are I'm fending off the yelling at this person.

Why do you complain? Is it because you are tired or weak? Is it because you are mad at yourself for not being who you are? Do you not have faith in yourself? Perhaps you are a negative thinker? You can either complain and do nothing or dig and finish to be more than you gave yourself credit for. Dear complainers, you are so close to being a quitter. When you opt into something, have the ovaries to finish it or fail out from exhaustion of trying.

Tabata Sprints by 00badness at Garmin Connect - Details

2010-09-24T08:01:00.000-06:00

It's all I could manage to give at 0-dark-thirty in the morning. Seriously, I hit the alarm. Rolled out of bed. Found the day's previous workout clothes...really, just what's still on the floor because I was too tired to put it up, got dressed. ROLLED down the stairs, out the door. Started my garmin before I was running. And what went through my mind?

-GOOOOOOO!!! WAKE UP!!!! or more like this...

It's a horrible way to wake up (the alarm and running). But when you know yourself and that you'll make excuses at any other time in the day, you must force a situation where you can't make excuses. It's too hot at lunch. I'm too tired after Crossfit. Well crap, if I slept at least 7 hrs, then an a.m. run it is. I've run enough to know early morning runs do not produce my best times. Until I can fight off other excuses, I push every miserable inch I can give in the dark of the morning and make the most out of the training I get.

I got new teef!

2010-09-23T20:58:00.000-06:00

My permanent veneers are on, the first thing I wanted to do - EAT!! Vegetables of a varying colors (tomatoes, kale, zucchini) and buffalo!
I'll post pics of the new teeth in my grill when I look less drugged and tired. For now, you get to deal with more food pictures.

This week was a great workout week for the days I went. There were 4min rounders, weighted pull ups plus an AMRAP, and a heavy lift day. I got new max's on lifts I never tried to max out before, like thrusters. I did a few CFE running WODs too. The PWO (post workout) snackies are helping a ton. So far, it's been an egg protein shake (Optimum Nutrition), a banana (trying to cut it down), coconut milk (So Delicious), and either frozen berries, 100% cocoa powder, and/or shredded/unsweetened coconut. My recovery is better and I feel really energized for the next day. Don't do one? Maybe you don't need to. Thinking about it? Why not try it?!

Sadly, after so much activity, numbing agents, and pushing on my "mouthbone," I was ready for a rest day today. Listen to the body - check. Enjoy quality time with loved ones - check. Eat great food/feed the warrior 20lbs (a la Lance Armstrong/Dick's commercial) - check. Another reason I eat and workout the way I do - to do the above mentioned things...without guilt for taking a rest day.

5 gallons of freakin' mead sit in front me...

2010-09-19T19:28:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was our Crossfit assessment day. I hired a Paleo friendly RD recommended by Robb Wolf to help with my meal planning, she's Amy Kubal. I wasn't meeting my goals and doing it the way I had wasn't working (thus explaining the failed goals). I looked at this meal plan and scoffed somewhat. How the heck do I power performance off this crap? I ate my words yesterday.

If you asked me yesterday, I'd predict feeling like the dog in the picture on Sunday. Dead. Not true. I'm the cat. I killed it yo'!Not really, but I did good and I recoved like a champ. Within the short breaks, my system was up and running. Today, I have soreness in my belly from first ever real GHD's and that's it. It isn't that I took it easy, but I think this Amy chick knows what she's doing. In the few weeks I've been on this meal plan, I'm getting better. I've always work to be better, but now I have the fuel to keep me on that path. THANKS AMY!

What was my biggest disappointment yesterday? Wallball shots at a 12ft target. Dude, I'm short. That's an excuse. There's no bonus points for completing life when you're shorter than the average girl. Crossfit is no different. I need to work on those. What did I like about yesterday? I got 10 really good HSPU in a row before coming off the wall. Not anything to "run tell that." BUT, I'm happy with the quality of my HSPU and I'm not going to rob myself of the joy that I did enough to put a smile on my face. Yay!

Favorite lines running through my head right now - keep on keepin' on AND "ain't nobody gonna break my stride, ain't nobody gonna hold me down, O NO, I got to keep on movin..."

Also, I we racked our homebrew today. There are, seriously, FIVE GALLONS of mead in my kitchen. Yikes!

I need to pee, but first, this blog

2010-09-16T20:55:00.000-06:00

Here's what one of the drawers in my refrigerator looks like. Yip, vegetables. A shit ton of them. Not just a metric ton, but a s* ton of vegetables. I was more preoccupied with slicing and dicing last week than I wanted to be. Here's my attempt to combat that - slice and dice a few days worth at one time. I'll let you know how it works.

You might be wondering why I don't just get a food processor. I have one. A cheap mini Black & Decker one that doesn't do much chopping or dicing. It mushes very well and spits things out all over the kitchen too. We got what we paid for, sometimes it is better to wait for the savings to kick in rather then get something cheap in price and quality. For now, it's hand cutting everything until the funds allow for an uber delux model food processor...and also good tupper ware. It's amazing how quickly you go through that stuff when you prep so much food in advance.

Not to be outdone by the refrigerator drawer - my din-din. This is my attempt to eat more Paleo goodness. So, I had some mashed cauliflower, Napa cabbage sauteed in olive oil, grilled chicken, and some broccoli/carrot mix. Lots of vegetables...lots. And some meat for good measure and good fat. I've actually had so much avocado lately, that I need a break from it. My alternate means of fat are oils and meat/seafood fat from grass-fed and wild caught sources. I'm trying to remind myself that eating healthy now will pay dividends later...and no, so far there have been no up front savings realized by preparing meals for my fiance and myself. The organic or cleanly raised produce, grass fed moo meats, wild caught sea critters, and free range chicken n' chicken byproducts are pricey. I'm hoping that once I get the hang of all this, I can focus on more cost effective ways of dining in.

Why do I do this to myself?

2010-09-15T21:11:00.000-06:00

I don't usually ask this question of myself, but I do hear it asked of me. Many people want to know why I go into Crossfit day in and day out to tear my body down and build it back up. It seems like a never ending process. I hear people challenge the need for self restraint with my diet. Some people believe that their mere existence is proof they are entitled to enjoy and consume whatever they want without regard to anything. And that's fine...for them. It is not fine in any way for me. Take a look at the picture to the side, that is why I do this - the modern era.

What I learned is I come from a long line of winners. Not necessarily people that win at organized sports, more like people who win at surviving. They win at life. No, we're not chased by large mountain cats and food is very available to us. I get that. Really. This is a picture of my desk at work. I sit all day. I have a nice window that allows natural light in, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm chained to a machine. For those that lose at life, sinking into a lifestyle chained to one thing or another becomes habit. The survivors/winners are different. This type of job wakens a need to be the survivor they were meant to be. It highlights a need to still be strong, to be prepared for anything, and to be prepared to be successful at anything.

To my fellow athletes who get tired of the questioning, I feel you. I understand you've got more to your life than being chained to a monitor and screen. I get it that your work ethic is so tight, you feel like you have to earn the right to eat something. And in the end, we enjoy our lives every bit as much as the people that say they can't do what we do because they think they have to enjoy life. Who the fuck said that enjoying life meant being lazy and glutenous? I enjoy every drop of my life and will work my way to squeeze the most I can from it. To those that doubt, the finish line is probably not for you.

Feed the warrior!

Leftovers for Fran

2010-09-14T21:01:00.000-06:00

Today was a leftovers day. For breakfast - egg muffins from the weekend and a dose of whatever berries and nuts I had leftover. I can't complain about extra berries though, delicious. For dinner, leftover seafood curry. Really, it wasn't a seafood extravaganza, just scallops. I'm digging the curry though since it's easy to make - coconut milk and spices. If you don't want seafood, substitute with whatever or gorge on a variety of vegetables.

Workout leftovers though? Yup, workout leftovers. I was feeling Monday's workout in the legs and shoulders. The a.m. run was sluggish, but it's the morning so I didn't notice. The Fran workout in the evening was all that I could give. It wasn't enough to PR, but Fran gets whatever love I can give her. Today, I didn't have much leftover from yesterday, so she got just a wee bit.

Resting with the Dead

2010-09-04T21:39:00.000-06:00

Friday and Saturday. Nothing. No working out at all. A lot of walking on Friday though. We traveled up to Denver to visit the King Tut Exhibit at the Denver Art Museum. It was wonderful! I just wished there were more dead things or things that used to contain dead things, like the guts jar (conopic jar). We walked for a couple hours in the museum. Then we walked around the Taste of Denver event for a wee longer and ended up walking back to the hotel. After a nice midday nap, what did we do? Walk some more! Up and down the 16th St Mall, to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner, and back to the hotel. It was great. A recreational day with some mild, slow activity with the one I love. Mark Sisson talks about enjoying life and doing some long, slow activity every so often. I agree, somethings are just too great to rush through.

Crossfit Total

2010-09-02T08:52:00.001-06:00

This wasn't a total bust. I did forget my brand new weightlifting shoes for this workout though. That was definitely a bust. Not sure how I did that, but I did. I still managed to get a PR in my back squat.

Back squat - 100kg
Shoulder press - 50kg
Deadlift - 125kg

You can Google the conversions. I'm just happy to be getting better at back squats.

Dear Double-Strength ZeroCarb Rockstar

2010-09-02T08:51:00.001-06:00

You are not my friend. How deceptive of you to sneak in the "double strength." My tummy is still on the mend. You will never grace my counter top again.

-Sunny

Road bikes = water bottle, mtn bike = camelbak

2010-08-29T21:23:00.000-06:00

I finished the Xterra Lory triathlon today. Utter dehydration. First, let me say that I took some friends into this thing with me. I felt slightly responsible, so I tried to stay with one of them for awhile. But the mountain was calling me and my friend reassured me she'd be ok. Is it bad that I tore through the rest of the course without her? Looking back, I wonder if I could have been more helpful during her first tri. I was there to have fun, not expecting to do well or anything...but I did have fun.

The swim was slow. I could tell I was out of practice. I think I swam the mile in June faster than I swam this 880m course. The run to the transition area was carpeted. Do not be deceived, it needed the carpeting to protect little feets from prickly things and rocks. For the bike, tt wasn't what I'd call a beginner friendly course. Maybe to the mountain biking purist, but not to people mostly involved in road triathlons. Welcome to Xterra! Lots of decent climbs with switchbacks and a really wonderful descent. The run was wretched. Absolutely a kick in the pants reminding me that's the result of slacking off on running practice.

My bike still alive. It performed great. My under/behind the seat bottle cages held up well to the jostling of the terrain. What didn't hold up well was the idea I could drink from those bottles while riding rough terrain. If it were a hard packed trail with no switchbacks, 300 other people on the trail, and and rocks everywhere I could have done it. Almost instantly, I remembered why I use a Camelback for trail stuff. It was too hard to take my hands off the handlebars to risk grabbing at anything. What was oddly fun was falling over as people decided "on your left" meant stop in the middle of a single track trail. I know most the people stopped because they were like "are you kidding, where the f do I go on this trail?" It was funny to see the strain to find somewhere to go on some people's face. I'll take that.

This was an awesome fun event. I had no reason doing it in such an unconditioned state, but I still enjoyed myself. I recommend every triathlete do an Xterra or other trail tri - FUN. The 40ft slip n' slide finish that was about 3ft above the ground also helped.

Skills and Drills. Yo.

2010-08-26T21:33:00.000-06:00

Today was our skills and drills session at the gym. Natalie came in to school us all on the snatch and some overhead positioning. I can tell my technique is getting better. I haven't been able to push the weight as much as I want to, but I can tell that the weight I am lifting is not hurting like it used to. It's pretty cool to see. I ordered some Adidas Iron Works III and can't wait for my new shoes to come in. I hope they'll help. Who needs boots with the fur when you got shoes with the mesh?

Here's me in the middle of some KB swings at the local CF competition.

Top 3, I was in disbelief I won.

Dead. Tired.

2010-08-25T11:09:00.001-06:00

We've been doing some longer workouts at Crossfit and it has taken a toll on my body. Today will be a rest day of some sort for me, I just haven't decided which "sort" that is. I've got a triathlon on Saturday and if I feel a fraction of how I feel now, I will fail to even start.

If you're a Crossfitter. It's important to remember that a majority of your workouts should be done in a specific intensity and time domain. It is wise to stray out of those boundaries once in awhile, but you can do damage if it is done too often. If it feels wrong (and you know what I mean), then you probably should take a breather or modify the workout.

I was reading about cheating the workout on my friend's Fit Effy blog. There's something to be said about knowing your limits so you can make appropriate modifications. Sometimes, you may be overstressed or you may need the rest because you actually have a sport to train for (CF is not for the specialist, no periodization) and need to lower intensity, weight, or time. Other times, you may have not noticed your awesome gains in strength and conditioning and you underestimate what you can handle. Blowing over any of these factors can affect your output to be either too much or too little.

Rather than expecting those programming the WOD to know every detail of you, help them work with you by realizing where you are at in terms of fitness, ability, and other training. If things don't work out the way you wanted, make notes and learn from the lesson. Know your limits, program your periodization if you are in training, and BE GOOD TO YOURSELF.

Pistol toting fool

2010-08-24T21:13:00.000-06:00

There's nothing like walking into a Crossfit workout with a face full of makeup. I didn't have time to swipe n' wipe after my wedding makeup run through. So off to sweatsville I went. I should have known that things wouldn't bode well after I broke out in a sweat on my second round of pistols. It's ok though, I just acted like the runny makeup was dirt "cuz I'm tough like that, grrr."

I'm getting antsy about my triathlon coming up. It is not because of my lack of training this time around, not completely. I'm getting antsy because I am considering this measure of my raw guts and athleticism. Will I mentally break? Will I physically fail? Will one carry me through more than the other? Will I have more fun if I wear fairy wings and a tiara? Should I go through the slip n' slide finish in style? All questions that I'm actually excited to see answered. More meandering on a possible costume is in order.

Ultra Minamilist Shoe - Saucony takes the cake

2010-08-22T12:59:00.000-06:00

I got a pair of Saucony Grid Type A4 running shoes a few months ago. After using them for triathlon training and Crossfit for a couple of months, I've come to the conclusion that they rock. They weigh in at 5.5oz and come in a funky white, blue, and red color scheme for the ladies. I mentioned before that they had just enough cushioning, which didn't give enough praise. It is very clever cushioning. It is just enough, but also durable. I've run on road, trail, and gym matting. I've climbed up ropes, dragged them across brick walls, and used them on lifting platforms. I do wear socks with these shoes, for odor control. The shoes are airy enough to keep my feet dry on their own.

For the enduro - These shoes are durable, comfortable, and lightweight. They aren't the cheapest shoe, but cheaper than some of the triathlon specific shoes out there. If you have been in cushioned and stabilized shoes recently, you will have to take the time to adjust to these shoes.

For the multihobbyist/Crossfitter - Prepare to fall in love. If you find it hard to chose between doing a metcon in lifting shoes or regular shoes, try these. They aren't specific enough to have an advantage in lifting, but they do a great job of translating well enough to different activities. They won't suck the energy from a lift like "well cushioned" shoes and they won't have the weight of lifting shoes during a run. They are flexible with good tread and allow your feet to use some of the musculature atrophied by cushioned shoes.

I'm assuming the men's version is quite lovely as well. There's some orange in the color scheme. I bought a pair for my fiance and so far he loves them. He also owns a pair of Vibram Five Fingers. He walks around in those, but doesn't feel comfortable using them for intense activity. If you're that type of person, you may also want to consider some minimalist shoe design.

The Power of Krissy Compels You!

2010-08-22T07:22:00.000-06:00

...well, it compels me. I have a friend (really, I do) and she rocks beyond belief. I consider her to be an athlete that is familiar with her abilities. She did an Ironman, you don't do that powered off self-doubt and a noncommittal attitude. So when she said she wasn't comfortable with her training for a triathlon, I believe she knew herself enough to make that a valid assessment. She's doing a half Ironman tri today. Woa, right?!

I'm doing an Xterra sprint tri next weekend. My training has been nonexistent. What am I complaining about? It's not like I'm doing a half Ironman :P Now, I'll give it to Krissy, she's good. Based on her workouts, she seems to be a good swimmer and very skilled on her bike. I got running. Not only is that just one event of three, it's the last one. By the time I get to the run, my legs are done and my energy is drained. I don't run fast, I just manage to not slow down or struggle at slower speeds as other people. I'm a triathlon newbie, I don't have the experience to feel confident in raw ability to gut out even the shortest tris...until now. If it had been me, I couldn't even fathom signing up for a tri that long, let alone waking up to do it. Guts, that's what it's about.

I've made a good trade for the training I've missed. I have had more sleep, plenty of recovery from my Crossfit workouts, which has both reduced the stress load put on my body and emotions. It was worth it because now I'm motivated to live with the consequences of my decisions - I got to gut it out. What happens, happens, but I will show up on race day with guts on a platter and hand it over to the endurance gods. Thanks for the motivation Krissy. May the power of Woody Harrelson's Zombieland character motivate you - it's time to nut up or shut up ;)

Product Review - Nike Swift U-Back Sports Bra

2010-08-19T21:22:00.000-06:00

Awesome. But restrictive. You can't have it all though right? I'm not a big girl. I'm not a small girl. What I am is just a girl who works out and would like what boobage I do have to not bounce. Those cute, thin strap bras won't cut it during Crossfit or triathlon training. Most of the bras I work out in are fairly compressive. This bra is no different.

Where this bra comes out on top is that the straps are very comfortable and also adjustable. They are padded and soft with some stretch. The back closure is also adjustable, but strong. The hook and eye closures resemble that of a regular bra..."on steroids." While I won't look as cute as I do in the low cut bras I have for the "low impact" days, I do have more control for the high impact days.

The band around the ribcage is tight. It isn't the type of bra you leave on to relax and lounge around. But that's not why you would buy this bra in the first place. Buy this bra if you care about minimizing the bounce of your breasts while being active, but want some measure of adjustable sizing and to squeeze out what bit of comfort is available.

Colorado Springs Area Crossfit Competition

2010-08-19T16:59:00.000-06:00

Ha! I won! BARELY!!

I spent some time trying to tell myself it was about having fun and getting a good workout. Deep down, I knew it was about winning. There is something wrong with me. I can't just participate. I'm that person who is "in it to win it." I've done intramural sports. I understand how to enjoy recreational activities without being the over-competitive monstrosity. That wasn't me last weekend. And as I was going over the last workout of 60 box jump up n' over burpees, I knew I hadn't beat the other girl. She was awesome. She kicked my butt in EVERYTHING. If I couldn't beat her, than I'd beat myself. I made my legs keep pace. I only took two breaks to sip water. And when I was done, I was done. It turns out that attitude had given me a really fast time for that workout. I thought the other girl had smashed my time, but the offset of the previous workout and dehydration caused some confusion in my head. I finished second in that workout. It was enough to put me on top by 1 POINT. So what's the moral of the story - it's you against you, and when you can win against yourself, you may just beat out your competition.

Colorado Springs CrossFit Competition Slide-Video from Tim Banfield on Vimeo.

The Colorado Springs Crossfit Competition SoCo Style from Tim Banfield on Vimeo.

I'm an ass

2010-08-05T16:16:00.001-06:00

The other day's Facebook status - "Sunny doesn't base what she does right on what someone else does wrong. Consider me an independent variable."

I was proud of that. It relates to everything in my life. How does it relate to training? I base my performance on what I feel I can do, my own expectations. I don't/shouldn't base it on someone else's performance. Case in point:

Person 1 - "What did you run that 5k in?"
Person 2 - "24. You?"
Person 1 - "Wow, that's great. I ran it in 27. My time sucks."

Well Person 1, if you live your life dependent on someone else's performance, I guess you do suck. If you consider your performance along your own standards, maybe you did ok. Maybe you were running with a sprained ankle, no sleep, and hungry. 27 is great.

Case 2.

Person 1 - "I need a rabbit to pace me for my fitness test. I'm not good pacing myself and I find it motivating when I have to chase someone."

What if the pacer gets sick? What if you are so far in front of the pack you have no one to chase? Could you have done better if you learned to create your own motivation? And knowing that you are horrible at pacing yourself, why didn't you work on that? Dependent!

In case you're wondering, it's get rid of excuses time for me. I realized there is a place I want to be, in my head. Excuses do not get me to this place. I am looking at things said in the past and how those little excuses have caused lack luster performances. There's a lot I wanted to do, but didn't do and it makes me sad to know there's no one to blame but me. Then I think of the worst - someone sees me being lazy and uses that as an excuse to do the same. I like being a leader and I hate thinking that I may have set that example for someone to follow. CRAP!!

Right now, I'm concentrating on being an independent variable. Step 1 - fuck everyone else (you know what I mean), set my own standards. It may sound selfish, but I will not risk a difference of opinion affecting the standards I set for myself.

tought of the moment

2010-08-02T19:00:00.000-06:00

Athleticism. Don't get it confused with fitness. It isn't that one is of lesser or greater quality, just a different quality.

Getting ish together

2010-08-02T18:43:00.000-06:00

I'm trying to prioritize a few things. I've got an Xterra sprint tri coming up at the end of August. Am I prepared - no. Do I care - not really. I want to have fun with this one, it's outdoorsy. Plus, it's not that much distance so I'm fine with just "winging" it. Now and after that, I'll be doing more Filipino Martial Arts training. In October, Andrew and I are headed off for the Duke City Marathon - 5k Event. I'm also thinking of doing a figure competition some time in either October or November. Oh, and next weekend or so my gym is sponsoring a Colorado Springs Crossfit games series. I also can't forget the 24hrs of Colorado Sprigns bike event I'd like to do...and this is why my crap always ends up a mess.

But really, I am looking forward to the Xterra tri even though I'm not in shape. I enjoyed the last one, so I'm sure this will be even more exciting with the mountain biking.

Still. Alive.

2010-07-26T06:44:00.000-06:00

Last week was Crossfit hell. We completed the CF Games workouts, well, some of them. The sad part is, I was so tired, but I could only imagine how the competitors felt after doing what I did in a week in just a few days. Crazy CF'ers. On a good note, I completed everything without scaling. I just need to work on my times and ability to lift heavy things pretty darn quickly. I'm getting there.

I'm still training for the Xterra Lory Triathlon too. I'm not training as much as I'd like to, but as much as my body can give. I put rest and recovery on the priority list, so we'll see what some high intensity, technical practices can do coupled with a well rested body. Hopefully it can find that happy spot and I won't suffer from missing out on the "do more work" aspect of endurance training. Seeing as the Xterra tri is a sprint and the base I had built was for an Olympic distance, I think I'll be ok. Besides, it's for fun right?

I did what?

2010-07-12T21:00:00.000-06:00

The Monday after my triathlon, I went to Crossfit. Not cool. But I've taken time off since then and I'm back into things. Still swimming! Fabulous. I'm still having fun doing it too! We had a killer workout in the land of Crossfit Soco today. Lots of lifting and running. Tomorrow, maybe more running or biking or swimming? I need to get on the mountain bike more. I was thinking of just riding it around the roads here if I can't find the time to make it to the trails. I need to get off my be-hind and register for Xterra Lory soon.