Workout Of The Day

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“To the timid soul, nothing is possible.

To the aggressor,

everything is possible.”

– John Bach, NBA Coach

Monday, December 16, 2013 –  (8 more shopping days til Christmas)

Warm Up:       3 Rounds – 5 Jump Squats, 10 Push Ups, 10 Air Squats

Mobility: 7 Min

WOD: 21 – 15 – 9

Power Clean (115/75)
Burpee
Rest 2 Min
**REPEAT**
20 Min Cap

SWOD: 5 Min EMOM of

5 Strict Press **Go Up As Needed**

Buyout: Cal Row 2 Min AMRAP
Rest 1 Min

2 Min AMRAP ABMAT Sit Up Wall ball (20/14)

The word “timid” is often and inappropriately associated with females.  Growing up I was surrounded and dominated by males my age and older. One particular cousin made it his business to try— notice the word “try” to show me that boys always win over girls.  Ha! Ha!  Pre-puberty years created an equal playing ground and I also enjoyed the wins.

Only two months separated us in age, but once the teen years arrived, the physical battles became an uphill battle.  In my mind, beating 15-year-old Curt was always possibly.  To win, I physically fought hard and sometimes dirty.   In the back yard, I took the hits, never let him see me cry, bit down and came back fighting with a vengeance.

Today we laugh at the silliness of our competitive spirits, but those early years seasoned me and toughened me well for life.

The WOD today was definitely not for the timid.  LOL!  As with many WOD’s, the door to the mental opportunity to quit is always cracked.   From the start, you’ve gotta slam the door shut.  If not, you’re done.

21 – 15 – 9 Power cleans and burpees were exhausting today.  I tried to make the 20 minute cap, but ran out of time after my last 9 power cleans.  I fell short, by 9 burpees.  But the good?  I did my first 21 at 75 pounds!!!  Heeey!!  I dropped down to 65 pounds for the 15 and 9.  What a different 10 pounds can make!    I am also mindful that I cannot afford injuries while training for the spring’s figure competition.  Better safe than sorry.

Okay, so the 5 minutes of strict press were no joke either.   I completed the first minute with 55 pounds.  I managed to squeeze out 4 on minute two.  When I could not get the bar past my the top of my head without using my legs, I knew I needed to decrease my weight.  There’s no shame in my game.  Respectfully I finished the rounds with 45 pounds.  I’m getting stronger!

I’m finally running out of steam and need to re-energize…   SLEEP!

Sweet dreams!

Prepping For My New Challenge

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Meet Stan!

Life is precious and it is short.  The thought of aging and having to sit and ponder over the  What ifs  in my life just doesn’t sit well with me.

Meet my new best friend, Stan.  I’m embarking on a new personal and physical challenge that will require me to rely heavily on him.

I am terrified, but cannot resist this challenge. My heart races and goose bumps cover my body every time I think about it, but I refuse to run away or hide.  My mind and my heart screams, “Go for it!”  So I am.  Stayed tuned!

Enjoy this beautiful fall day!

Do What You Fear!

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Now that I have returned to work, many of my blog posts begin on the football field sidelines.

I am sitting on the sidelines at my son’s football practice.  At 6:15 p.m., the current temp is 82 degrees.  I can still feel the sun on my back, but there’s a nice breeze. My tank is dry.  Unlike this afternoon…  After a brisk walk on the Atlantic City Boardwalk, I returned to the jury room with horizontal water stains lining the front and back of my tank top.

I am trying to constructively work through frustration this afternoon.   Jury Duty caused me to miss CrossFit today.  Once I realized I was going to miss the class, I hurried to Sports Authority to buy a new pair of Asics Gel Nimbus.   I really need a new pair.

My running sneaks were worn down more than I realized. The hint? An aching hip. After closely examining them, I realized they are badly worn on the outer heals of both sneaks. Running in worn sneakers is the worst thing you can do, at least if you’re over 40.

I found my sneaks, but they didn’t have my size. I was disappointed.  However, a friendly sales clerk saved me a few dollars and ordered them online for me.   I pray they are delivered to my home by Saturday morning.  I desperately NEED a long run.

Last Saturday, with two beautiful women supporting me, I conquered the bridge!!!!  And you know what? I stressed for nothing!!

The night before my walk, I tossed and turned a bit before falling to sleep. The morning before the walk, my nerves ran me to the bathroom several times.  I probably lost a pound or two before walking. LOL!

My fears were counterproductive.  In my mind, I knew that my fear of heights would paralyze me.  I was confident that my fear would overwhelm my spirit and possess me to grip the railings while sobbing all the way across the bridge.  I even thought I might even end up crawling to the other side.

Well…

I was incredibly wrong about crossing the OC bridge.  No crying.  No gripping the rails.  No heart palpitations.  Nothing whatsoever!!

My walk across the bridge was peaceful, pleasant, and breathtaking!  I am sorry that I haven’t walk the bridge sooner.  It was built with pedestrians in mind.

The bridge’s walkway is wide enough for at least four people to hold hands and stroll across.  At 8:00 a.m., the bridge had a steady flow of friendly walkers, runners, and bicyclist.

After the first quarter mile, I was relaxed and began to really enjoy the morning sun, the calm bay, and the great conversation.  I began to appreciate the beauty and the blessing of being on the bridge.

A visitor’s center and fishing pier is located half-way across the bridge. This is also where the urge to RUN set in.  I was dumbfounded that I was afraid of this beautiful and serene like place.

The state estimates that “during peak season, over 40,000 cars pass through each day,”  but somehow the sound of the roaring engines, and perhaps the elevation of the bridge faded deeply into the background.

I am grateful to my friends Nicole and Tara for making Saturday happen.  We walked across and back; five (5) miles total!  Thank you!!

I will be running this bridge in the very near future.

Do what you fear and fear disappears.

David Joseph Schwartz

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This picture was taken as we approached the bridge. Yes, I was still nervous!

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This picture was taken about a quarter-mile into our walk. This is not the highest point of the bridge.

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I was encouraged by my friend Nicole to take this picture as proof that I crossed the bridge. LOL!

Are You Stuck Below Your Potential?

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“You have to set the goals that are almost out of reach.
If you set a goal that is attainable without much work or thought,
You are stuck with something below your true talent and potential.”     –Steve Garvey

Workout Of The Day
Warm UP:  Coaches Choice
SWOD:
Front Squat 2.2.2. @ 88% of 1 RM
 3 Min Rest/Transition
 10 Min EMOM To Build To 1 Heavy Bear Complex
 (ie:  Clean + Thruster To Back Squat + Thruster = 1)


WOD: 3 RDS All Out:
 5 Power Cleans (Heavy)
 5 Front Squats (Heavy)
 5 Push Press (Heavy)

Reading Steve Garvey’s quote earlier today got me to thinking about my attitude toward weight lifting.   I realize that I’ve handicapped myself by limiting myself.

I will confidently look directly at a set of weights and say, “I can’t lift a certain weight.   When I say that I can’t lift something, my friend Tee, who encouraged me to start CrossFit, stares me down and says, “girl, you can lift that!”  Everyone needs a Tee at the gym.  Thanks girl!

Limiting myself with negative self-talk in the gym is ridiculous because nowhere else in my life do I tell myself that I can’t do something.

My fitness goals are always aligned with running.  Wait.  What I meant to say was, I set goals related to running such as completing a ten-mile event with a personal best time.

However, since I started dedicating more time to CrossFit, my goal is to simply  develop strength.    That’s kind of cheesy and vague but the reality is that the less specific the goal, the less I need to concern myself with the big “F” word– Failure.

Now, I am not the kind of girl who runs from a challenge.  I am the tom-boy who, years ago,  wrestled and boxed my male cousins just to prove that girls COULD beat boys.  LOL!!

I am successful at everything I do– so I need to stop pussy-footin around and set some real fitness goals for myself.   If I continue to avoid setting specific long and short-term fitness goals (other than running), as Garvey suggests, I will be  stuck with something below my true talent and potential.  Clearly being stuck there is unacceptable.  It was meant for me to read this quote today.

Okay so I’m going to put it out there…   I want [scratch that] plan to push my body to the max to become lean… lean as in 10% body fat with defined sculpted muscles in all the right areas  I’ve mentally toyed around with the idea of figure competition….  Hmm…   Now everyone knows!

TTYL!

The Longest 1.6 Ever!

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“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” ~ Conrad Hilton


TODAY’S STATS:

Distance:     10:01 miles
Duration:     1:49:40
Pace:             10:57 min/miles
Calories:       1398

“Come on girl!  You’ve never been a quitter!  Don’t quit now!  Come on… get your a** in gear!!!”  Someone around 8.4 miles, my hamstrings and quadriceps felt weighted.  Those muscles felt like five pounds of weights were strapped to my thighs with heavy electrical tape.  The goal for today was 10 miles.  Typically 10 miles is cake for me, but I think running in the unexpected heat took a toll on my body. While I was well hydrated, the last time I ran in 85+ temps was probably Fall 2012.  I don’t know about other runners, but my body has to become conditioned and acclimated to the summer temps. In Jersey, we’ve gone from 70ish spring like weather to a four-day 90 degree heat wave.

I had to talk.. more like yell at myself to keep going.  I swear there’s a beastly coach residing within me. She appears only when I am on the verge of quitting.  Her harsh and demonic like voice forces me to push myself beyond, what I think is my breaking point, to keep moving.  I stopped briefly only to take swags of water from my bottle or to douse my body with ice-cold water from neighbors sparsely running sprinklers.  Still the remaining 1.6 seemed like another eight miles down the road.  Mistakenly I listed to my MapMyRun voice update every .3 miles, which made the remaining distance feel even longer.   That was not smart.  Finally I did a quick body check:

Do my knees hurt?  No.  Cramps?  No.  Feel dizzy?  No.  Chest pains?  No.  Do I feel pain…anywhere?  No.  Then keep moving and stop looking for an excuse to stop!

The desire to quit is internal.  If we are not careful, external forces such as negative energy from those around us can trick us into giving up.  Just as Conrad Hilton affirms , Successful people keep moving.  They make mistakes, but they don’t quit. So there you have it…

Keep it movin and have a great weekend!

Have you exposed yourself to your deepest fear?

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“Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes.  You are free.”        -Jim Morrrison

Yesterday’s Stats (10/13/12)

Distance:    8.35 miles
Duration:    1:15;54
Pace:          9:05 Min/Mil (Average) –  5:19 Min/Mil (Max)
Calories:     1170

Arg!!   Grr!!  Immediately after I stopped running, I checked my stats.  I was off 6 seconds from breaking the 9-minute mile pace!  Honestly, this irks the mess out of me!  I know exactly where I blew the 6 seconds.  When I realized my pace was off, I wanted to turn around, walk down my driveway, and start run the route again.  I stood on the front porch loudly grumbling.

While running last weekend, I was frightened by a neighbor’s dog.  This dog is never allowed to roam the yard.   I always hear his bark from behind a wooden fence, but thankfully, until today, I have never seen the beast.

I knew I was in trouble when I came around the corner and the dog was using his hind legs, to ferociously kick dirt on his waste.  He scared the crap out of me.  I made the quickest U-Turn possible… heart pumping double time and all.

I’ve run twice since that day.  While I like my route that runs past this house, intense fear of being bitten by the dog has prevented me twice now from passing the house.

During my run I asked myself what else is FEAR preventing me from accomplishing.  I realize that a little fear keeps me from getting my best time.  Sounds crazy?

What’s my biggest fear? Dropping dead during or after an intense run from heart failure! Simply pushing myself too hard. Yeah, I’m fit.  I get a annual physical, but still.  We’ve all read or heard  stories of how top athletes have died after completing a marathon run or some other intense workout.

So today, I asked myself.  “Okay… so what if I died during or after a run?”

It would certainly be better than dyeing hooked up to tubes and breathing equipment squeezing out my last few breaths of life.   Heck, at least I would have checked out while doing something that I love and am extremely passionate about.  The fact is when our time is up, we can’t do a darn thing about it, and so as long as I’m taking care of myself and making smart decisions, my life is in God’s hands.

I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking about this fear. The tought was random. I did think about it long enough to inspire me to run harder today.  I ran harder, and it showed in my time.   Heeeey, I’m siked!