Thursday, February 26, 2009

More PR's!

We ran the same 5K that we ran a few weeks back. Then was 25:44, this time I PR'ed at 25:28...not a stellar improvement, but I'll take it!

We reassessed in O-lift this week. Whoa! Wanna hear some amazing wins?
When we started O-lift mid December 2008, here were my MAXIMUM LOADS for 1 rep:

Deadlift 145
Backsquat 90
Press 55
Pull Ups 0 (neither kipping nor deadhang)
Cleans 70

We reassessed everything (except Cleans)again this past week ending February 27. Here's where I stand now for MAXIMUM LOADS for 1 rep:

Deadlift 205-----A 60 lb improvement!
Backsquat 130----A 40 lb improvement!
Press 70----A 15 lb improvement!
Pull Ups 2 Dead Hangs; 6 Kipping Pullups
Cleans (Didn't reassess, but I ended the last class at 80)

Wow. Nothing like watching yourself get stronger. I swear I'm starting to feel like a kid again!

Monday, February 23, 2009

2 New Cool PR's

Tonight we reassessed for my Olympic Weightlifting class. Scary, but true, my max backsquat just 9 weeks ago was a mere 90 lbs. Now it's still "mere", but DAMN, what an improvement. I backsquatted 130lbs tonight!

On top of that, now that I have kipping pullups, I've been trying to get a deadhang pullup. I have one of those home pullup bars that goes over my doorway. About once a week, I'll pull it out and attempt a dead hang. So far, no go, and I've had it since Christmas.

Well tonight, one of the assessments was max # of deadhang pullups. I figured, what the hell, I'll give it another shot. Holy Cow! I did 2!

One thing very cool about Crossfit. If you just show up and try hard, you WILL see an improvement. Everyone in my class PR'ed tonight!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Mind Tricks

Funny how the mind works.

I went to O-lifting class on Monday night. I was shooting for a Deadlift PR of 180lbs with 3 sets of 5 reps each.

I was working my way up to my hopeful PR weight. I mis-tallied and wound up doing 2 reps at 185 (thinking it was somehow 170) and 1 rep at 195! It was so freaking hard!

I actually told Coach Holiday, "Do you ever have a week where you're lifting something you should be able to lift, yet it feels extremely heavy for some reason?"

He said it might be diet or lack of sleep or something.

Then I recalculated my weights and I burst out laughing. OMG! I was just lifting 15 lbs more than I was planning....no wonder it was so heavy.

Go figure.

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Mental Strength (aka Discipline)

I've realized one facet of training I love is that as I get more physically fit, my mind also becomes sharper.

I also realize that the constant honing of my mind's sharpness is what's going to give me the edge I need to take my body to the next level.

Like anyone, "I don't want to do what I don't want to do." I really need and want to challenge myself to push through those mental barriers and stops just because they are uncomfortable or don't "feel" good.

This is especially true, since I've just taken on a commission based sales position again. I used to be the top of my field doing sales a number of years ago, and it is a field I only enter if I am willing to fight. Mental acuity, perserverance and attitude are the ONLY reasons one becomes successful in that industry.

It is constantly pushing past the "I don't feel like making another phone call" that ultimately gets the job done.

This directly relates to what is holding me back physically too. "Oh, it's uncomfortable", or "oh it hurts, I want to stop now" frequents my mind, even when I KNOW I am capable of more. I'm a bit of a baby still when it comes to pain. I know that with practice in handling it, my tolerance will increase, and I believe that by at least recognizing this, I am on my way to conquering it further.

Granted, my body has limits. I get that. But inherently I KNOW that I can push a little harder than I do, and that overcoming these mental obstacles is key.

On that note, Kellie and I (who both got on the board for doing Cindy to standard for the first time ever this week), both admittedly SUCK at pushups. And both of us can use some work on our squats too (who can't?). So we've both agreed to do 20 wall squats (Ow! Yuck! Hate 'em) and 20 pushups (feel about the same way) daily.

The discipline will come in when "I'm tired", or "it's late" or whatever bullshit excuse I know my mind will try to feed me when it comes time to get these done daily. And we're talking less than 5 minutes of work here!

So here's my opportunity to work on my body by way of my mind--with the good fortune of having a friend to be accountable to by my side.

Let's do it!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Gratitude

I cannot but help to post about my gratitude to the amazing people I have in my life today.

First and foremost, I must acknowledge Coach Eric LeClair. A true leader in every sense of the word, he has allowed me to push harder, work smarter, do more and believe in myself further than any one person has ever inspired me to go.

Secondly, I must acknowledge Coach Vanessa Ortiz for the same. Her coaching has also propelled me to new heights that frankly, I would not have reached so rapidly without her help. She is a bright, shiny and beautiful light. Watching her grow as a gifted coach has also been a blessing.

There are other people in my life who inspire me, but truly, these two beings deserve the highest honor I have to give.

Thank you.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

I am Cause

Okay. So the FACT that I have no job is settling in, and I'm finding myself allowing fear to get a foothold. This is not good! I missed two anaerobic workouts in a row, so I'm feeling a bit down about that too.

It's time to get off my buff ass and get to work! I am CAUSE! If I sit here all day and don't look for work, only I am to blame for having no money. If I sit here and play on Facebook and don't make any calls out, only I am to blame for having no money.

I am not a victim, and it's time to get off me arse and prove that! Ayyy!

I have an opportunity to make some phone sales today. I am doing that.
I have an interview to be a personal assistant to someone today. I am going there.

Let's do it, woman!

Saturday, February 7, 2009

Zone is Working!

I've been adamantly sticking to the Zone for the last 2 weeks with no cheating whatsoever. It's great! If anyone ever thinks they need drugs, dude, they should just do the Zone. It's like being on speed, regarding the amount of intensity and energy you have....but it doesn't die out, so long as you stay in the Zone.

However, like Katie, I have noticed an increased edginess. The aggression part of it, I think is good, but sometimes I feel so aggressive, I find myself becoming very impatient with people who I love.

So I'm going to try changing some things around a bit.

I'm going to start the Paleo Diet this week, although my reasons for that are more of an effort to find a way to train harder without getting sick so easily. I want to see if I can push the envelope a bit, b/c right now, even with rest days, if I have too many anaerobic days in a row, I can pretty much be assured of getting a cold.

Elsewhere in my life, things are coming along. I still don't have a job, but I've had two job offers (if I want to do commission only sales), I'm looking at starting my own business, and I've applied for the census.

Politically, I'm having a blast! The ONLY reason I got involved in politics is to further Hydrogen-on-demand. Lots of people don't know what this is. In a nutshell, it is a way that you can convert the car you have now to run partially on hydrogen, which is created by a small water tank "electrolyzer" you install under your hood.

The greatest thing about HOD is what it does for the environment--it decreases smog emissions up to 90%. But there are also other added bonuses, in that HOD increases power, torque and gas mileage.

So it's really quite cool, and virtually unknown.

So I'm involved in the Pickens Plan which is really fun, and I also head up a Burbank4Obama group. It's interesting to realize how much say we actually do have as citizens if we just band together and put pressure on our representatives.

Cool.

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Jackie

Not to standard, as I don't completely "have" kipping pullups yet
1000m row
50 squat thrusters 45lb bar
30 pull ups (did kip attempts)

13:05 (still 14 seconds behind Donna...dang!) :O)