Did Helen today
3 rounds for time
400m run
21 35lb kettle bell swings
12 pullups
Although I can now "do" kipping pullups, they're not consistent. So I did kipping pullup "attempts" I probably made it over the bar 2 of every 12.
Time 12:07
Friday, January 30, 2009
Monday, January 26, 2009
More PR's--It's great being a "newbie"
So, I'm enjoying my newbie status as evidenced by my frequent PR's. Word has it that the better you get, the harder you have to work for PR's. That is, once you become an elite athlete, even shaving a second off or adding a few pounds to your max weight is quite a challenge.
Okay. I'll worry about that when I get there. For now, I'm enjoying watching just mere days elapse between weights that were once very hard for me, suddenly become...well doable if not somewhat easy.
Cool.
Today I managed my previous max Deadlift load of 160 in 3 sets of 5.
It took me 3 weeks for the next PR, but I eeked out 3 sets of 5 shoulder presses at 60. My previous PR was 55. I also did 3/5 of weighted negative pullups at 10lbs, and I beat my previous 250m rowing time of 1:02 by 5 seconds at :57.
This is so fun.
Okay. I'll worry about that when I get there. For now, I'm enjoying watching just mere days elapse between weights that were once very hard for me, suddenly become...well doable if not somewhat easy.
Cool.
Today I managed my previous max Deadlift load of 160 in 3 sets of 5.
It took me 3 weeks for the next PR, but I eeked out 3 sets of 5 shoulder presses at 60. My previous PR was 55. I also did 3/5 of weighted negative pullups at 10lbs, and I beat my previous 250m rowing time of 1:02 by 5 seconds at :57.
This is so fun.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
OMG!!! I can now do kipping pull-ups!!
Today was a banner day. Great workout this morning with AMRAP deadlift at 1.5X bodyweight and 7 kipping pullups. Although my bodyweight is 130, my max DL is only 160, so Coach Ortiz had me do my Deadlifts at 135. And as of this morning, I still couldn't do kipping pullups, so I did attempts. I completed 7 rounds. What an awesome workout!
But tonight at O-lift was spectacular!!!
Not only did I PR, completing 5/5/13 of 100lbs in the backsquat, I also PR'ed completing 5/5/5 at 75lbs for push press.
Then I went outside to do my prescribed 3/5 negative pullups, which I did. I told Liz I was close to being able to do a kipping pullup, and she asked me to show her, so I figured I'd give it another try. Lucky me, Coach LeClair was there too. He coached me to really "kip" and use my hips to get myself up there....and I did it! Then I did it again! Then again!
I CAN'T BELIEVE I CAN FINALLY DO THIS AFTER 6 MONTHS OF TRYING!!!
Very cool. Now I'm much closer to being able to do all the workouts to standard.
...Now I've got to work on my pushups!
But tonight at O-lift was spectacular!!!
Not only did I PR, completing 5/5/13 of 100lbs in the backsquat, I also PR'ed completing 5/5/5 at 75lbs for push press.
Then I went outside to do my prescribed 3/5 negative pullups, which I did. I told Liz I was close to being able to do a kipping pullup, and she asked me to show her, so I figured I'd give it another try. Lucky me, Coach LeClair was there too. He coached me to really "kip" and use my hips to get myself up there....and I did it! Then I did it again! Then again!
I CAN'T BELIEVE I CAN FINALLY DO THIS AFTER 6 MONTHS OF TRYING!!!
Very cool. Now I'm much closer to being able to do all the workouts to standard.
...Now I've got to work on my pushups!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Fight Gone Bad PR!
I attended the Crossfit Level 1 Certification up here in Union City this weekend. It was amazing! I learned so much...not only about Crossfit, how it works, etc., but also got a lot of correction in my form (especially squats)!
It's wonderful to constantly improve and be able to measure that.
Anyway, we did Fran and Fight Gone Bad over the weekend. Fran was scaled. Maybe because of the lack of food, or sleep or both, but I was totally arching my back to get the 65lbs up, so we scaled down to 45. Needless to say, with jumping pullups, my time decreased dramatically to 5:41. Cool, but I'll be more impressed with myself later when I can do it to standard.
Today, however, we did Fight Gone Bad. My first score of 197 was respectable, but today I did 220!!! Okay, so I still have a long way to go (which is what makes the journey so great), but I AM FREAKING ECSTATIC!
Actually, let me say that again...I AM FREAKING ECSTATIC!!
Whoooooooooooooooo!
I love Crossfit so much. It is the coolest, most bad-assed philosophy and group of people I've ever had the pleasure of being associated with.
Life is good.
It's wonderful to constantly improve and be able to measure that.
Anyway, we did Fran and Fight Gone Bad over the weekend. Fran was scaled. Maybe because of the lack of food, or sleep or both, but I was totally arching my back to get the 65lbs up, so we scaled down to 45. Needless to say, with jumping pullups, my time decreased dramatically to 5:41. Cool, but I'll be more impressed with myself later when I can do it to standard.
Today, however, we did Fight Gone Bad. My first score of 197 was respectable, but today I did 220!!! Okay, so I still have a long way to go (which is what makes the journey so great), but I AM FREAKING ECSTATIC!
Actually, let me say that again...I AM FREAKING ECSTATIC!!
Whoooooooooooooooo!
I love Crossfit so much. It is the coolest, most bad-assed philosophy and group of people I've ever had the pleasure of being associated with.
Life is good.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
5K "Since I quit Smoking 4 months ago" PR
We ran a 5K tonight. I was hoping to break an 8 minute mile average. No such luck. I managed to do this in 25:44, which is about an 8:21 minute mile.
Better than before, but not as good as I know I am capable of. When I was in NC, I got down to below a 7 minute mile. Grrr. Keep pushing, Shannon. Keep pushing.
Better than before, but not as good as I know I am capable of. When I was in NC, I got down to below a 7 minute mile. Grrr. Keep pushing, Shannon. Keep pushing.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Why I no longer drink alcohol
So New Year's Eve was my last day drinking alcohol. So that means that I now have 14 days of sobriety.
There are many reasons I don't drink alcohol anymore, but the main reason is that I want to be the best I can be. Alcohol slows me down, it ruins my buzz. The sugar inhibits me from performing as well as I can, and it's addicting. Someone once told me that sugar molecules are quite similar to cocaine molecules. I don't know if this is true, but I can believe it.
I've always been told, if you want to do well in life, do the things others aren't willing to do. I've been drunk--plenty. I know what it feels like. It's fun, but excelling is funner. Being present is funner. Dancing while high on life, staying up til 2am and waking up ready to run 6 miles is "funner".
I recently read Alan Carr's "The Easy Way to Quit Drinking". Although not as good, in my opinion, as "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" (which I credit, along with Crossfit in helping me quit smoking 4 months ago), the book still made some excellent points. Namely, that alcohol is an addictive drug...period. And like any addictive drug, it well, over time, it will cause you to become addicted to it--unless you practice excellent discipline to fight off its addictive urges (my opinion in italics).
Over the last many years, I've gotten pretty good at that. I've often gone months at a time without drinking. Then I'd have a bad day, I'd drink a few glasses of wine, and the next day I'd literally have to fight not to do it again. Or it would be a more subtle craving, but it would still be there. It's very seductive, pernicious and covert. And it's bad for you strictly from a carbohydrate level.
Even the Crossfit Journal makes mention of this (carbs being bad): "Excessive consumption of high-glycemic carbohydrates is the primary culprit in nutritionally caused health problems. High glycemic carbohydrates are those that raise blood sugar too rapidly.
What is the Problem with High-Glycemic Carbohydrates?
The problem with high-glycemic carbohydrates is that they give an inordinate insulin response. Insulin is an essential hormone for life, yet acute, chronic elevation of insulin leads to hyperinsulinism, which has been positively linked to obesity, elevated cholesterol levels, blood pressure, mood dysfunction and a Pandora’s box of disease and disability. Research “hyperinsulinism” on the Internet."
I did research hyperinsulinism, and what came up interestingly enough is that alcohol is a big factor in this.
The Crossfit Journal also discusses the benefits of caloric restriction and longevity.
"Current research strongly supports the link between caloric restriction and an increased life expectancy. The incidence of cancers and heart disease sharply decline with a diet that is carefully limited in controlling caloric intake."
Indeed, when I lived in North Carolina a few years back, I joined the Calorie Restriction Society. (Look it up on the internet. They're a group who use themselves as human guinea pigs to attempt to prove what has been proven on lab animals for years--that calorie restriction increases lifespan by about 40-60%). I monitored my calories very carefully and learned to live with chronic hunger. I got skinnier than I am now (which wasn't my goal). But the most important thing I noticed was my energy level SKYROCKETED!! I had no Crossfit at that time, so I just went to Gold's Gym daily. I ran on the treadmill, and was soon doing a 6:30 mile!
I realize as an athlete you cannot maintain the low caloric intake of that diet for long, as you simply burn more calories than you consume, which over time would probably lead to death. But it did teach me exceptional discipline, as the prize I got for doing that was way better than the food I missed out on.
I find the Zone Diet to be similar, in that I am always a little "hungry". I LOVE that. Like I said, it makes me aggressive, energetic and more able. No cake, sweets, sugar, alcohol, bread or bullshit is worth not competing on as high a level as I can compete on.
Why handicap myself? I once went 2 1/2 years without drinking. It was the most productive time in my life. And although I know there are lots of hard-core bad asses out there who still can manage a beer here and again, I simply prefer not to.
And to each, his own, right?
There are many reasons I don't drink alcohol anymore, but the main reason is that I want to be the best I can be. Alcohol slows me down, it ruins my buzz. The sugar inhibits me from performing as well as I can, and it's addicting. Someone once told me that sugar molecules are quite similar to cocaine molecules. I don't know if this is true, but I can believe it.
I've always been told, if you want to do well in life, do the things others aren't willing to do. I've been drunk--plenty. I know what it feels like. It's fun, but excelling is funner. Being present is funner. Dancing while high on life, staying up til 2am and waking up ready to run 6 miles is "funner".
I recently read Alan Carr's "The Easy Way to Quit Drinking". Although not as good, in my opinion, as "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" (which I credit, along with Crossfit in helping me quit smoking 4 months ago), the book still made some excellent points. Namely, that alcohol is an addictive drug...period. And like any addictive drug, it well, over time, it will cause you to become addicted to it--unless you practice excellent discipline to fight off its addictive urges (my opinion in italics).
Over the last many years, I've gotten pretty good at that. I've often gone months at a time without drinking. Then I'd have a bad day, I'd drink a few glasses of wine, and the next day I'd literally have to fight not to do it again. Or it would be a more subtle craving, but it would still be there. It's very seductive, pernicious and covert. And it's bad for you strictly from a carbohydrate level.
Even the Crossfit Journal makes mention of this (carbs being bad): "Excessive consumption of high-glycemic carbohydrates is the primary culprit in nutritionally caused health problems. High glycemic carbohydrates are those that raise blood sugar too rapidly.
What is the Problem with High-Glycemic Carbohydrates?
The problem with high-glycemic carbohydrates is that they give an inordinate insulin response. Insulin is an essential hormone for life, yet acute, chronic elevation of insulin leads to hyperinsulinism, which has been positively linked to obesity, elevated cholesterol levels, blood pressure, mood dysfunction and a Pandora’s box of disease and disability. Research “hyperinsulinism” on the Internet."
I did research hyperinsulinism, and what came up interestingly enough is that alcohol is a big factor in this.
The Crossfit Journal also discusses the benefits of caloric restriction and longevity.
"Current research strongly supports the link between caloric restriction and an increased life expectancy. The incidence of cancers and heart disease sharply decline with a diet that is carefully limited in controlling caloric intake."
Indeed, when I lived in North Carolina a few years back, I joined the Calorie Restriction Society. (Look it up on the internet. They're a group who use themselves as human guinea pigs to attempt to prove what has been proven on lab animals for years--that calorie restriction increases lifespan by about 40-60%). I monitored my calories very carefully and learned to live with chronic hunger. I got skinnier than I am now (which wasn't my goal). But the most important thing I noticed was my energy level SKYROCKETED!! I had no Crossfit at that time, so I just went to Gold's Gym daily. I ran on the treadmill, and was soon doing a 6:30 mile!
I realize as an athlete you cannot maintain the low caloric intake of that diet for long, as you simply burn more calories than you consume, which over time would probably lead to death. But it did teach me exceptional discipline, as the prize I got for doing that was way better than the food I missed out on.
I find the Zone Diet to be similar, in that I am always a little "hungry". I LOVE that. Like I said, it makes me aggressive, energetic and more able. No cake, sweets, sugar, alcohol, bread or bullshit is worth not competing on as high a level as I can compete on.
Why handicap myself? I once went 2 1/2 years without drinking. It was the most productive time in my life. And although I know there are lots of hard-core bad asses out there who still can manage a beer here and again, I simply prefer not to.
And to each, his own, right?
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Doing Kurtis
Heh, Heh.
Did Kurtis today.
800 m sprint
50 Full Squat Cleans 95lbs Women's Standard (I did 65lbs)
800 m sprint
20:37
Did Kurtis today.
800 m sprint
50 Full Squat Cleans 95lbs Women's Standard (I did 65lbs)
800 m sprint
20:37
Monday, January 12, 2009
Annie; scratch; make that Cindy
Did Cindy today. Coach Ortiz really pushed us to do kipping pullups, or at least attempt them. I got as close as I've ever been to actually doing one. There is hope! I'm still stuck on girlie knee-pushups too. Thank the gods I am in O-lift. These scrawny arms need some strength training!
I did 15 complete rounds.
I did 15 complete rounds.
Friday, January 9, 2009
My Friends
I love my friends.
Here are some photos from New Year's Eve. In the photo on the left is my housemate Stacia, my love of 7 years--Dan, and my friend Vickie.
In the right photo are my friends Adelita, Celina and my other housemate, Lisa!
New Double PR!
So I just ran "Lisa's" Trail again.
At the 4 mile mark, I PR'ed at 38:50 (1:17 faster that earlier this week!)
At the predetermined "turnaround" mark (4.09 mi total), I still PR'ed at 39:31 (36 secs better than the 4 mi mark earlier this week)
Boo yeah!
At the 4 mile mark, I PR'ed at 38:50 (1:17 faster that earlier this week!)
At the predetermined "turnaround" mark (4.09 mi total), I still PR'ed at 39:31 (36 secs better than the 4 mi mark earlier this week)
Boo yeah!
01/08 Nasty Girls Version Two
3 ROUNDS FOR TIME OF:
50 Squats
7 Ring Dips
10 Hang Power Cleans 135lbs/95lbs
Completed in 9:22 with 65lb Hang Power Cleans
50 Squats
7 Ring Dips
10 Hang Power Cleans 135lbs/95lbs
Completed in 9:22 with 65lb Hang Power Cleans
01/06 New PR on "Lisa's" Trail
Lisa turned me onto a great trail that literally starts from our front door! It is 4 miles and quite hilly.
Time 40:06
Time 40:06
01/05 Reverse 50 Hell or Heaven?
I LOVE to be challenged to a point far beyond what I think I am capable of. This was good.
Reverse 50/50
50 Double Unders
50 Burpees (CF Games Standard)
50 Wall-Balls (M-20/10, W-16/8)
50 Hip Extensions (GHD or Supermans)
50 Push-Press @ 45lb Bar
50 Hanging Knees To Elbows
50 Walking Lunges
50 KB Swings (M-53lbs, W-35lbs)
50 Jumping Pull-ups
50 Box Jumps
My time was 36:48
01/05/08
Reverse 50/50
50 Double Unders
50 Burpees (CF Games Standard)
50 Wall-Balls (M-20/10, W-16/8)
50 Hip Extensions (GHD or Supermans)
50 Push-Press @ 45lb Bar
50 Hanging Knees To Elbows
50 Walking Lunges
50 KB Swings (M-53lbs, W-35lbs)
50 Jumping Pull-ups
50 Box Jumps
My time was 36:48
01/05/08
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