Little Lion Man

See Mumford and Sons.

Check!

Amazing just won't do it justice. And even better seeing them with the boyfriend and the college kid!

The highlight of the evening was during the encore when they invited the other two opening bands, who were also British, to cover The Beatles Come Together. Marcus Mumford sang The Beatles live in my presence. I had goosebumps.

Worth the work put in for the tickets, the long drive, the use of vacation days from work, the lack of sleep and the achy feet/legs from standing for 6+ hours.

I'll do everything in my power to make it to their next show that's in the area.

Game time

Smell that...it's college football!

And it will be in full force starting tonight. And I cannot wait!

The other day the boyfriend and I were coming back from a walk, talking about football being right around the corner, when I had the realization that I've never dated anyone who was remotely interested in college football before. Thankfully that's now changed.

Luckily 'our' teams are in difference conferences so there's no trash talking to be had on game day between us. Though I can hold over his head that that two times our teams have played each other, we have won.

While I'm not an alum of 'my' school, I will claim it as mine. I'll refer to Carolina as a we, our and us. As in, we won last night! Or, did you that play by our quarterback? I know this rubs some people the wrong way, but I don't care. In this state you choose one of three options. Carolina, Clemson, or I could care less about college football. I chose option A, even though my mother tried to push option B on me from birth.

I am proudly rocking my garnet and black today. And I'm proudly a Gamecock!

Freedom

Why is it every time I tell someone I don't want to have kids the first thing out of their mouth is that I'll change my mind followed shortly by the fact that I need a kid.

Sure, I may change my mind, but it's been pretty set for about 10+ years now. The only time I ever thought about it differently was shortly after I realized I was getting divorced and that my window for having kids was closed. That lasted about a week and then I was over it.

And no, I don't need a kid. Especially if I don't want one. That makes zero sense!

Don't get me wrong, I love kids! They're fun, entertaining and can make you feel like a kid again yourself. But they're also exhausting, expensive and you don't know what you're going to get.

I think people who want kids should have kids.

I don't think people should have kids for tax benefits or because it's just what you do at a certain point in your life.

I was slightly concerned when the boyfriend and I started getting serious because I wasn't sure what his stance was. I knew he had nieces and nephews that he loved being around and figured like most he wanted kids eventually. Thankfully, he and I are on similar pages. We're content being the fun aunt and uncle. Take the kids for a weekend, feed them a bunch of sugar, but give them back when they start getting grumpy.

Maybe if we asked people why they wanted children instead of why they didn't want children we'd have more kids born into happy healthy homes.

P.S. The boyfriend would make an amazing dad if we ever change our minds.

More often than not

I just wrote my first legit programming cycle for myself. While I'm only one day in, I'm kind of impressed with myself. Well only slightly.

I haven't been doing traditional CF classes for a while now. I was originally stealing WODs from other gyms sites or doing PDCF wods on my own without the class. I promise I'm not anti-social! Then I decided I wanted to focus more on strength and form in the last four weeks doing a similar a rep scheme every day I went into the gym. But that started to get stale.

So last Friday afternoon I spent a few hours playing in Google docs coming up with a five week plan. I started by listing about 20 movements I wanted to incorporate. I came up with the rep schemes I wanted to do on certain days then started filling in the movements.

Here's what week one looks like...

Day	Workout	Movement	Reps/Time	Weight
Monday		Kipping Pull-ups	5 minutes
	EMOM 10 min O/E	Power cleans	5	65 lbs
		Med Ball Sit-Ups	10	10 lb
	Reps for Time	KB Swing	15-9-6	1 pood
		Wall Balls	15-9-6	10 lb
Tuesday	EMOM 10 min O/E	OH Squat	3	45 lb
		Walking Lunge	5 yd	70 lb
	Tabata	Burpee
		Row
Thursday	EMOM 10 min O/E	Back Squat	5	100
		Dips	3
	EMOM 10 min O/E	Press	3	55 lb
		Deadlift	3	135 lb
Saturday	WOD	TBD

I went week by week, making sure to alternate between upper and lower body within one workout. And tried to stagger the movements so it wouldn't become repetitive. Can't have any boredom, right?

Last night officially started the program and from judging at how sore I am today I think I planned it pretty well. I'm excited to see if I can progress over the next five weeks. Maybe see if I can hit a new PR on a select few lifts when its all said and done. 

P.S. After talking about soreness this weekend with the boyfriend, I've realized I've been sore more days than not over the past 12+ months. Thanks CrossFit!

Public Office

Today, for the second time in three months, I'll be touring lovely local administrative offices.

We'll be starting the tour at the one and only Social Security Administration office to get my name changed and to get a fancy new card.

From there we will trek back across town to the always enjoyable DMV. Not only do I get a name change, but I also get to change my address at this stop. Possibly show off the new do (the one Beyonce copied!) in my drivers license photo. Fingers crossed!

Then we'll head downtown to contest a water bill in which I was billed my normal rate but for zero gallons of water used. Not sure how they calculated that!

And finally we'll do a hopefully quick trip in the bank to update my account information with new name and request a new debit card be sent my way.

Not my ideal way to spend an afternoon off work, but I'm happy to finally be able to start signing my old name again.

Bonus time

Usually the second weekend of the month is reserved for trips to Raleigh to visit the boyfriends parents and to wash Pepsi trucks.

Not this month!

Just to be clear, I enjoy those weekends quite a bit and always leave having had a great weekend. However, I am happy to have a bonus weekend at home with the boyfriend to do whatever we want. And to not leave my sweet pups at home.

Last weekend we ran into some extra time we weren't expecting and didn't really know what to do with so we planned ahead for this weekend. And we're doing two things I'm super excited about.

Numero Uno: Painting!

The spare bedroom in the house will one day become a lounge/reading room. But for that to happen, we have to paint it and get all the stuff we intend to hang off the floor. After this weekend that problem will be solved and all we'll need is a quick trip to IKEA to give the room a purpose.

Back to the painting, I know most people don't enjoy painting. It's a chore. You can pay people to do it for you. I'm not that person. I really enjoy painting, especially when it's going to totally change a space. For example, I painted the kitchen and dining room of my old house within 24 hours of getting the keys. I painting my living room purple on a whim one Sunday afternoon. I up and decided to take down the wallpaper and paint my hallway on weekend for fun. I'm that person. I also painted the boyfriends dining room while in the process of moving in and painted his kitchen a few weeks later.

It's a bit of a combination. I enjoy painting. I'm not afraid of colour. And it's a relatively cheap and easy way to change the look of room. Plus it can be a quick process.

All of that said, we're painting the lounge room this weekend and I cannot wait!

Numero Dos: Date Night

The boyfriend and I don't eat out much. Not because we're recluses, we just both enjoy cooking and can prepare some damn good meals so why go out all the time. Every now and then we do on your own nights which usually mean he cooks something I won't eat and I'll get take out of something tasty like pizza or mexican. But rarely do we go out to eat together.

We actually didn't have our first meal out together until in May when we went to Charleston. We have since gone out a handful of times, but it's still a rare occasion.

All that said, I'm super duper excited to go out Saturday night. Throw on something other than my usual attire. Eat some tasty food. Have an excuse to Eat dessert. Just be out of the normal routine. It's going to be a grand time!

Introducing....

The divorces are final. I've got my old name back. And we’re nearing the one year mark.

I think it might be time to finally introduce the boyfriend.

*insert drum-roll*

His name is Charley. And I think he’s the cat’s meow!

I was looking back through my old calendar last night and we were reliving some of the first few times we started hanging out. It was really fun to think back to when it all started. I can remember the exact moment when it crossed my mind that I could be interested in him beyond our friendship.

We had met a couple years back through our spouses. They worked together and slowly we became couple friends. You know, dinners, movies, weekly ultimate Frisbee and a few trips out of town. Never once during that time did I think about him outside of the capacity of a friend during that time.

Then the ex-husband moved away and those couple’s nights came to an end. He started showing up less and less for ultimate, but I never thought anything of it. Come July, I joined PDCF, of which he was already a member. We chatted here and there at the gym, but nothing too serious. Then one night I had hurt my knee and was going to sit out the WOD. He said he was taking a rest day and asked if I wanted to stretch it out and join him and his pup for a walk. Thought it was a little odd, but didn’t put much thought into it. When I got there he informed me that he and his wife had also separated and she had moved out a month ago.

Hold the phone! We are both getting divorced at the same time?!? Oh well, guess it happens, right?

Back to that exact moment.

I was at my then brother-in-law’s house watching the Olympics. There were a few of us there, including Charley. At some point during one of the events he was giving me a hard time about my “boyfriend” Ryan Locthe being a moron (It’s true, he totally is). I looked at him to reply and he didn’t look quite the same to me at that moment. Something had changed and it gave me a serious case of the butterflies.

What no one tells you is that no matter how old you are or what you’ve been through in your life, a crush is a crush is a crush. Over analyzing, sweaty palms, butterflies. The whole nine yards. That was me. I was on the phone with the college kid 24/7 wondering if he liked me too. I was a 28 year old soon to be divorcee that felt like I was in elementary school all over again. I liked a boy! Did he like me back? Circle yes or no.

Time passed and it soon became clear I wasn’t alone in my feelings. The year flew by and before I knew it I had moved in and our divorces were right around the corner.

And here we are, a year later from when all those butterflies started kicking around in my gut. Every now and then I’ll catch him glancing my way at the gym and I still get those butterflies. 

Idle hands

I've got somewhat of a dilemma.

I’m really enjoying my new job and the work I’m doing. It’s pretty different from what I've done before. Doing accounting work is like a giant game of match.

Part of issue is I’m having a hard time managing my work flow. Not that I have too much to do. Quite the opposite on most days, I breeze through my work too quickly.

I’ve run into this issue before.  But in positions of employment, my work space had a bit of privacy so I was able to fill the lulls with the internet. However, my new work space is a tiny cubicle that has my back to face a hallway. Meaning, everyone can see what I’m working or not working on as they pass.

Very few people here have privacy when it comes to their work space. The few that do are the ones who have offices and those folks keep their doors closed mostly. An abundance of privacy! Lucky.

My days working for a non-profit I hated my job and how the organization was run, but I had an office.  And at Dunder Mifflin, I didn't quite have an office, but I had some privacy. And my boss didn't mind what I did in my down time as long as my work was finished. Those were the days!

Now I’m resorting to slowing my work down and stretching it out so I don’t have to look busy when in actuality I don’t have any work to do. I hate not doing my work to my best ability. I don’t want my co-workers to think I do my work at a snail’s pace. But I also can’t twiddle my thumbs until something lands in my inbox.

What’s a girl to do?!?

To good friends

In case you didn't know it, I share my life with some pretty fantastic people!

I came home yesterday to find a card in the mail from my first friend from college.  We lost touch after college, but over the last year have reconnected, thanks to my divorce.  The first time we got lunch last May, we spent a solid five hours catching up. We've gotten together for lunches and dinners here and there this past year and it’s like we never lost that time after college. Picked right up where we left off.  That’s a good friendship.

Then there’s the college kid. Sadly, I haven’t gotten to spend as much time with her this summer as she’s been back and forth from Charleston to home. Thus she hasn't been back to CrossFit either. However, when she is here, we make sure to squeeze in some girl time. We can have fun doing practically anything. And we have the BEST junk food/movie days!

And we can’t forget about one of my other favorite people, my old boss. Practically my first boss. She is fabulous! Sadly, she moved a few months back. She has an amazing energy and it’s just fun when she’s in the room.  Plus she’s a sugar fiend just like me. It’s never going to be a bad time when she’s around, that’s a guarantee.  The only flaw is that when we do get together, we always seem to run out of time.

I adore my friends and would do anything for them. This past year I've learned how important good friends are and who I can always count on. They've all been amazingly supportive this past year. They’re all one of the best things that came out of my divorce!   

Now what?

What am I supposed to do now?

There are few times in my life when something ends and I feel like I need to fill a void. This is one of those times.

The boyfriend and I spent a good portion of the weekend watching the 2013 CrossFit games on ESPN3. And all of a sudden it was over last night.

What now?

That's excitement right there! 

I ask myself this every four years or so after the World Cup ends. A month of one to three games a day and all of a sudden it ends.  

This is a very similar feeling.

Beardy was my favorite athlete! 

I didn’t even watch every single event. Not even every heat of the events that I did watch. Yet, I still have this void.

I was thoroughly entertained with this year’s events. Mostly because I have a year of CrossFit under my belt and can really appreciate what these athletes are putting their body through. It was incredible to watch.

While I’m sad it’s come to an end,  I’m really happy that I won’t have to hear about how Rich Froning is a God anymore. Impressive he’s won three in a row, but I just can’t get behind a guy like him.

Should have been the winner, but I'll settle for 2nd.

I’m sure we’ll see plenty of folks replicating the games events over the next few weeks in my gym. There were already a couple of guys doing the 21k row on Saturday.  Even I tried to do my own version of the pool event yesterday afternoon. Believe me, I’m paying for it. This just makes me wonder what kind of mental state these folks are in to be able to push through the pain and soreness to continue on for 4 solid days.

Handstand walking at it's best!

I don’t have the strength. I don’t have the will power. And I don’t have the mental abilities to ever attempt anything games related. But I’ll gladly watch everyone else push themselves to get there! 

Fittest on the planet!

It’s that time of year again!

The week where folks tune into to watch people who are in amazing shape endure pure agony with the hopes of being named the fittest person on the planet.

It’s CrossFit Games 2013!

The games really started back in March when 138,000 people signed up to compete in the CrossFit open. By the way that is up from 70,000 in 2012. A whole slew of people from my gym competed. One guy was right on the line of qualifying for regional’s too.

After five weeks of grueling workouts , those 40 or so who qualified move on to their regions competition. Of those 40-ish folks, only 2-5 or so make it to the games in California from each region.

And here we are. The week of the games!

While I have zero desire (or ability) to ever try to compete in the games, it’s damn entertaining to watch. Thankfully EPSN picked it up a few years back.

Wednesday night we watched the first of two mid-week events for the individual men and women’s competition. It was simply called ‘the pool event’ which didn't sound like anything special, but it sure was.  The event consisted of a 25 m swim, 3 bar muscle ups, and another 25 m swim. Times 10! They made it look like a breeze. The top time for the men was 10:06. One minute per round. Insanity!  While ESPN didn’t show it, there was another little event that day in the individual competition too. A measly little 21k row. That’s 13-ish miles on a rowing machine in case you don’t want to do the math.

I can’t wait to see what the weekend holds for the competitors. Regular coverage starts today at noon on ESPN and I'll be itching to watch while I'm at work, but I don't see it being feasible. One of those days when I miss working at the place that laid me off. Espn.com was a very welcomed part of the work environment there.

Happy Crossfit Games and may the odds be ever in your favor!

All the single ladies!

It's official....I'm a divorcee!

Other than court running a few minutes behind, it couldn't have gone any better. The judge even complemented us on being the most put together pro se (no attorney) case he's had in a while and said it was practically a pleasure to work with us.

The closer it go in the day to time the more and more knots I got in my stomach, but all of it was for nothing. We answered the judges questions. I made my statements.

I walked in with one name and out with another. I'm happy to have my name back. So happy that I jumped the gun over the weekend and began moving everything over to my new gmail account. Ladies 10 years ago had it easy. Changing your name in the digital world is a bitch!

Oh and for the record, I didn't write that on my car. My lovely mother did while we were in the courthouse. Thanks, mom!

Now just 8 days before the boyfriend will be legally single again. Then the four of us can go on our merry ways and live happily ever after.

P.S. Why is it the first question people ask you after telling them you just got divorced, when are you getting married again? Chill out folks!

Sigh no more

Scratch it off the list! I'M GOING TO SEE MUMFORD AND SONS!!!!!

While I nor the boyfriend got the elusive email invitation to purchase tickets, my bestie, the college kid did. And with her limited 6 ticket allotment she gave two to us.

I wanted to scream and jump up and down at work yesterday when I found out!

I get to hear Marcus Mumford sing live. It will be a glorious day!

Calloused

I've been working my butt hands off this week for a pull-up. It's so damn close I can taste it!

I've been working little by little on getting my first strict pull-up for the last year, but only recently have I really started putting in extra work to get there. I've talked to the boyfriend about it. To the trainers. Even the gym owner. Is my body just not capable of getting it? Is it physically impossible?

Something the owner said about getting a strict pull-up struck a nerve. His wife, one of the fittest, strongest, and most dedicated women in our gym, couldn't do a strict pull-up until after she mastered kipping pull-ups.

Well damn! If she can't do strict first why do I think I'll ever get it. I have nothing against kipping pull-ups, but there's just something about hanging from the bar and pulling your entire body up versus rocking and using the momentum to help you over the bar. Kipping are great for when you need to string together 10, 15, or 20 pull-ups together quickly. I appreciate them when the time is right, but I want a strict!

That thought sat in the back of my head for a good two weeks. Then I walked by the pull-up bar at the house, jump up so there was a slight bend in my arms and I was able to pull myself up. I did it a few times just to make sure it wasn't a fluke. Then I tried hanging. Nothing. I barely budged. Maybe it's not so much strength as it is shoulder flexibility. Damn you shoulders!

I showed the boyfriend and he recommended working on stretching my shoulder girdle regularly to build up flexibility. Done. I mentioned it to one of the trainers and he asked me to show him. He suggested I try kipping again. Thought back to the trainers wife and figured why the hell not.

So Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday I kipped my little heart out. My hands are screaming at me to rest! I'm practically there. One day soon I'll walk in, hop on the bar and it's going to happen. I can just feel it. And when that day comes, you'll know it because you'll hear a faint scream of accomplishment!

Home stretch

20 days. That's how long I have until I will be officially divorced. And it can't get here soon enough! I get my name bag. No more jokes about being married with a boyfriend on the side. Plus I'll feel comfortable enough to make this thing public again. I'm not trying to hide the boyfriend, but I just felt like it should have been kept private since legally it's not allowed. 

I'm working on my turning 30 bucket list again. Mumford is playing a show in September in Simpsonville so I entered the lottery for tickets. I'll find out Sunday if we get to buy some and scratch it off the list. Fingers crossed!!! 

I also started reading the first book of the Harry Potter series again last week. I sort of forgot it was on the list. Oops! I'm enjoying it so far. I'm pretty sure I only ready book one once. Right before the first movie came out before I really got into the series. 

And I'm pretty sure a pull-up is right around the corner. I can just feel it!

How in the world are we about to celebrate July 4th? It was just Christmas a few weeks ago! I'm ready for some fireworks and good pool time during the week to break up the work week. It's going to be good times! 

Almost famous

Since I had my lapse in writing for a few weeks I decided to just stick to logging my WODs in my CrossFit app instead of doing both. Plus, there's more to life than WOD's...right?!?! Though I'm coming up on my 1 year anniversary. I cannot believe it's been a year. More than that, I can't believe I've stuck with a fitness routine for longer than a month. That has never ever happened in my life. I still have a bunch of things I want to achieve, like a pull-up, but I've made some amazing progress this year that I couldn't be more thrilled about. Here's to another year of accomplishments! 

I was made famous again this week by an article in the local paper about the upcoming corn hole tournament next week. They used a photo from last year's tourney that has me in it. So I'm not quite famous, but it had the folks at work chatting. The boyfriend and I signed up for the tourney and I'm stoked! I cleared it with the college kid first though, since she's my OG partner. She's got some friends coming into town to play so we'll have go out together and have a blast like last year. Though I am curious if we'll run across some folks who used to be apart of my daily life but aren't any longer. Never know in this tiny town!

The boyfriend left yesterday for his annual family vacation in Florida. I was originally supposed to be going, however, with the new job that plan got the shaft. I'm somewhat okay with it because it means I won't burn through my vacation days up front and it will leave a few extra days to take for Columbus. And for when I need time off for the divorce. But boy oh boy do I wish I were down there right now. Running on the beach would have been way more fun than running through the neighborhood alone this morning. Thankfully I had Girl Talk to help me through it. Columbus will be here before I know it!

Doggie Paddle

This is a good solid month old so it's not quite news anymore, but it's still new here! A few months back my folks gave the boyfriend a gift certificate for paddleboarding in Folly Beach. Well about a month ago we left the pups at home and took a quick weekend trip to Charleston to cash in!

First off, we ate some pretty great food! A neat restaurant in Mt. Pleasant on Friday called Crave. I wasn't looking for this in particular, but they had a paleo/CrossFIt diet menu which worked perfectly for the boyfriend. Sure, I'm still not eating processed foods and eating mostly paleo, but it's Charleston. No rules for moi! Chiplotle sliders and mac & cheese for me. Steak, veggies and mashed potatoes for the boyfriend. 

Emily-1, Boyfriend-0

And after dinner in our wandering around downtown we passed this dessert bar that had a door person. The fact that it had a door person hooked the boyfriend so we went back. He got the very delicious apple pie and ice cream and I choose butterfinger cake. 

Emily-1, Boyfriend-1

With the foodie war tied, I knew I was going to make a pretty easy come back at brunch when we saw the menu at Eli's Table. Sweet potato pancakes and a scratch made biscuit for me. Some kind of veggie omelette and a side of fruit for him.

We have  a winner folks! 

Paddleboarding was the real reason for the trip and boy oh boy was it fun! The spot we paddled out at Folly probably wouldn't be my first pick, but I loved the experience and cannot wait to do it again. Neither the boyfriend nor I fell and we somehow managed to stay ahead of the pack. You can call us naturals I suppose!  Well not really, but it did feel pretty comfortable. 

The CrossFit competitiveness in my refused to allow this other woman to come into the boat landing before I did as we finished up. Just a few harder strokes of the paddle and I was the clear winner. I didn't realize the classes had worn off on me like that until that moment, but I suppose I should have expected it.

All it all it was a fantastic weekend away and I'm looking forward to another day trip down next month. 

On the run

Well I started writing a post through my ever so handy blogger app early this morning, put it down to go for a 2 mile run, which was what I was writing about, and came back to find out it wasn't there anymore. Maybe the app isn't so handy after all.

Anywho...this week started the official training for my next race the Columbus (Ohio) half-marathon. The boyfriend and his family have been running it and the full for a few years now so I got invited up for the fun. The best part is that the boyfriend, who qualified for and ran the Boston marathon a few years back, wants to do my training runs with me. Knowing I'll be running at about a 10 min/mile pace, it makes me giddy that he has the patience to train with me! We'll also be running the race together so he can point out all the cool stuff along the course. I'm pretty stoked.

Training plan looks something like this. Sprints on Tuesday after CrossFit. Long runs on Sunday mornings starting today with 2 miles. And regular CrossFit classes as I've been doing the past 11-ish months. Not my usual training routine but he ran Boston so I cant help but trust him. Oh yeah and he went out and ran the half last year not doing a single training run before. Who does that?!? I guess he does.

Here's to 13.1!

I'm back!

Quite a few things have happened in the last few weeks! And of course I've wanted to blog about them all but I was settling into a new routine and couldn't figure out where blogging fit in there.

First off, that real job I interviewed for I didn't get. Technically. The position I interviewed for was offered to someone else within the company, so they offered me that woman's position. I'm now an accounting assistant for a pretty big farm/vegetable canning company. So far so good! I'm in the middle of my third week so I'm just getting settled in and comfortable with most people. I'm very excited about the possibilities with this company. And with getting more experience in accounting since my degree was in psych. I know it will help me big time when I decide it's time to move on to new places (not anytime soon!)

Living with the boyfriend is still going fantastically well! The dogs have all settled into the new routine and are loving their daily walks through the neighborhood. I've had some fun since moving in with painting the dining room and kitchen. Just one last room to paint, but that will be a joint project.

Just a few more weeks of married life (hopefully)! I filed papers last month and the ex agreed with everything and filed his agreement last week. All that's left is to get a court date. Fingers crossed that goes smoothly and the judge doesn't ask a bunch of questions!

All in all life is still pretty grand! I'm happy to be getting back into a regular routine and to get guy up and running regularly again. No more hiatus!

So....

....I'm slack! I get all moved in with my boyfriend, get a part time job at the cupcake shop in town and just forget about this blog all together! While that's not totally true, having an ever changing schedule and routine has really thrown me off my blog game.

The move went as great! The dogs could not have transitioned any better. So well that we got all three of them in the car Saturday afternoon to visit the cupcake shop to get them treats (i.e. pupcakes). Between the move, going on lots of walks with the pups and starting the new in-between job I was exhausted the first week. Possibly another reason why there were no blog posting going on. Happily I'm finally feeling myself again.

Had my first interview yesterday for a real job. I felt pretty good about it but that doesn't usually mean much for me. I won't hear anything until next week but I've got my fingers crossed. I think it would be an really great company to work for and very little potential for being laid off as it's a company that's going strong.

The college kid came home last weekend for summer! I'm so happy she's back. We got to hang out a bunch this week with me only working part time right now. Our chick-flick/junk food day finally got to happen! Chick-fil-a breakfast, pizza, chips, salsa, and candy bars were a terrible terrible mistake. We were both in major pain by mid-afternoon. No dinner for either party.

All in all, life is grand. I hope to get back into my routine for posting my workouts here soon now that things are settling down. I've still been going 3-4 times per week but I didn't see much since in posting them all when I had plenty of other things to catch up on.

Making My Move

4/25/2013 WOD:
Run 200 m at start of each round
50-40-30-20-10
Double Unders (4x singles)
Sit-ups
Time: 19:45

I did another workout with the class. Twice in a week! I think it's been since December since that has happened. I had my own workout planned but was talking to a few of the regulars and they convinced me. I made the unfortunate mistake of drinking water right before we started and cramped up miserably during the single unders. I wanted to give some doubles a shot but was in too much pain to attempt to jump higher. Residual soreness from Tuesday plus the lack of AC left me unwilling to do pull-up and overhead squat work as I had planned. Reason # 135135801 why I stopped doing the classes!

Tonight is my last night in my house! It's so empty. Just bedroom furniture and a few odds and ends left to move tomorrow, plus my two girls. I know Beane has been a little more on edge with me taking things out of the house. I'm curious if she remembers the last move or when my almost ex-husband moved out. If she think's I'll leave her too. I keep telling her we're moving but unfortunately she can't grasp it. Tomorrow she'll finally see what it's all about!

Lions and Tigers and Bears...oh my!

4/22/2013 Lifting:
Clean: 5x3 [65 lbs]
Deadlift: 1x5 [95 lbs, 135 lbs]
Double Unders: 5 minutes
Squat: 3x5 [95 lbs]
Press: [45 lbs]
Sit-ups: 40

4/23/2013 WOD:
Pull-ups: 3x5 [banded]

5 RFT
50 yd Bear Crawl
20 Burpees
30 min cap
Time: 15:00 

All this moving and working on cleans over the weekend left me super beat-up on Monday night. I was feeling fatigued early for sure, but still felt like I put in pretty good work.

And last night I did the wod with the class for the first time in over a month. I wanted to do more body weight stuff since I was still pretty sore and was sold when I saw bear crawls on the board. I also knew class would probably get started pretty quick and I was right. I was very very happy with my time! It made me feel better about skipping classes that it isn't hurting me overall. My shoulders were on fire by the start of the first round of burpees and I was quickly wondering if it was a bad decision to do the workout but no regrets. Bear crawls are always worth it!

The move is in the final stages. Having the free time living the unemployed life has allowed me to pack and bring things over as I want which has been fantastic. Makes packing up and moving an entire house much easier. All that's left are my clothes, bedroom furniture and of course my precious little pups. They'll be the last thing to come on Saturday morning. Then we'll have the rest of the weekend to help them get acclimated. My fantastic boyfriend even took Monday off work to spend with us to make it a little less stressful. Lucky me!

Slacker

4/18/2013 WOD:
Pull-ups: 3x5 [banded]

Death by Squats:
Minute One: 1 squat, 1 burpee (95 lbs)
Minute Two: 2 squats, 2 burpees
... until failure
Rounds: 5

4/20/2013 WOD:
Pull-ups: 3x2 [skinny band]
OH Squats: 3x5 [35 lb 1st set, 40 lbs]
Double Unders: 5 minutes

Power Clean: technique instruction

12 min AMRAP:
3 Power Cleans + 1 Shoulder to Overhead [45 lbs]
6 Push-ups [knee]
9 Box Jumps [18"]
Rounds: 9

Sit-ups


I've been very very slack when it comes to this place over the last week. However, in my defense, I've been packing, painting, job hunting and hauling boxes. And today I got the internet switched from my house to my new place. Hopefully in the next week once the move is finished and I'm just at home hunting for jobs we can return to our regular schedule over in these parts.

Regularly Scheduled Programming

4/11/2013 WOD:
Pull-ups: 3x5 [banded]

3 RFT:
200 m run
20 OH Lunges [10 lbs]
20 Kettlebell Swings [26 lbs]
20 sit-ups
Time: 14:48

Overhead Squats: 2x5 [35 lbs]
Double Unders: 10 minutes, 10 rep PR

4/15/2013 Lifting:
Clean: 3x5 [65 lbs]
Squat: 2x1 [105, 110, 115, 120 lbs]
Bench Press: 3x7 [45 lb]
Deadlift: 1x5 [135 lbs]

Double Unders: 5 minutes

4/16/2013 WOD:
Pull-ups 3x5 [banded]

4 RFT:
250 m row
5 Overhead Squats [35 lb]
10 lunges
15 sit-ups
Time: 13:01

Prowler Push: 6x30 yds [115 lbs]


So I got a bit behind there. I have a very valid excuse, I promise! Friday morning after an hour or so of work  I got laid off out of the blue. I came home, worked like mad on my resume, headed off to Raleigh for the weekend, spent Monday packing (BTW...my house finally rented and I'm moving in with the boyfriend soon),  and Tuesday looking for jobs, prepping the boyfriends dining room for paint, helping my mom. Just finally got some time where I didn't feel like I could be doing anything else. Can't pack because I'm out of boxes. Can't paint yet because I furniture needs to be moved. So here I am blogging, catching up on news, and g-chatting with the boyfriend while trying to return to some kind of normal routine.

Hopefully the painting can be finished by Friday, finish the packing over the weekend then get moved in by the end of next week. My house won't actually be rented until July 1st, but the boyfriend suggested I move in now while I have free time so it's not rushed and so I can be around while the dogs all get acclimated in their new place. He's fantastic by the way! Plus our weekends in May are pretty tied up so it's now or June. Now sounds better to me too!

Oh yeah, and all those workouts above went well and great too! We'll get back to the normal routine here shortly.

Sweat Monster

4/9/2013 WOD:
Pull-ups: 3x5 [banded]

For time:
30 Hang Power Cleans [45 lbs]
30 Front Squats [45 lbs]
30 Kettlebell Swings [26 lb]
30 Goblet Squats [26 lb]
Time: 11:28

Tabata: Burpees and Deadlifts [Burpees only]

I went in feeling great. I left a sweaty mess.

My pull-ups were very successful. I noticed the last few times I was struggling after the second or third rep, but this time it wasn't until the fifth that I was barely getting my chin over the bar.

I decided to do the WOD my gym had on the board yesterday. Seemed like good work and I'd feel okay not making up my squat work I failed yesterday with the two sets of squats in the WOD. I'm sure it was still partly the new addition of warm weather we're having, but damn this one did me in! So much so that I was only doing 5-10 goblet squats at a time.

I started chatting with some folks after and didn't feel like putting in the work from the tabata, but the boyfriend was all set up and ready to go so I decided to only do the burpee portion and rest extra while he did the deadlifts. It was fun to chat and every 30 second stop and go all out for burpees then pick up conversation again. No where else would this be acceptable social behavior.

I'm feeling the cleans and swings this morning! And probably a little bit from holding the bar in the front rack for the squats too. I love putting in good work and feeling the results the next day. Makes all the sweating, terrible faces, grunting and feeling winded worth it.

Speaking of sweat, my non-deodorant experiment is still going strong! I haven't been sweating any more than usual and I swear I smell better after a workout than I did when I was using my regular deodorant. I even confident enough to through my arm pit in my mom's face last week when I went over for dinner after a workout. No grimacing, just pleasantly surprised! Bring on the heat, I'm ready for it!

Just Go Home

4/6/2013 WOD:
Squat: 1x5 [95 lbs], 1x2 [115, 120 lbs]

Handstand Holds: 2x30 seconds

10 min AMRAP:
5 Thrusters [45 lbs]
50 yd Farmers Carry [35 lb/hand]
50 yd Sprint
5 Thrusters
50 yd Sprint
50 yd Farmers Carry
Rounds: 3

4/8/2013 Lift:
Squat: no rep (sore hips)
Press: 3x5 [45 lbs]
Clean: 5x3 [65 lbs]
Deadlift: no rep (tight back)

Double Unders: 5 minutes work

Saturday was fantastic, tough, but fantastic.

Monday was a bust. I'm blaming my sore hips, tight back and the new addition of warmer spring weather. Give me a week and I'll be adjusted but I was sweating just doing my stretches. After the squat fail I joked I just needed to go home. Then I accidentally loaded 55 lbs on the bar for the press and did a few reps before realizing it was the wrong weight (though now I know I should have just stuck it out since I managed 3 reps...next week!) and said I needed to go home again. Then I did my first warm-up lift at 115 on the deadlift and felt it strongly in my lower back. Seriously, just throw in the towel and go home.

My other excuse was it was the first time with the new set-up on the squat racks. We have fancy new wooden platforms to do our lifts on so there were a few more people making the most of it than usual. I enjoy my secluded Monday night lifting, but I think those days are over. I'll adapt and am happy to have the new equipment!

Today is another day. I'm going into the gym expecting the heat, expecting it to be a bit more crowded because of all the new equipment and expecting to leave satisfied knowing I pushed myself as much as I can, even if that means not doing what was on my 'schedule.'

Cake or Death

4/4/2013 WOD:
Pull-ups: 2x5 [Negatives]

3 RFT:
10 KB SDHP [26 lb]
15 Front Squat [45 lb]
150 m Row
Time: 10:10

I've really done a number on my quads this week! They were still sore yesterday and I didn't think about the torture I had planned for them with that WOD. Yet surprisingly today they only have minor soreness today. Maybe not minor, but compared to the rest of the week, I'm feeling great!

Going into the weekend I'm super pumped! The weather is finally warming up again to spring temperatures. Plus it's the boyfriend's birthday on Sunday. Which means cake! I haven't baked a cake in a really really long time. Could have been over a year, who knows, but I'm excited! Plus I get to eat some of the cake. Yum! See ya later paleo!

Is it 5 yet?

Day Two

4/2/2013 WOD:
Pullups: 3x5 [banded]
Squat: 3x7 [100 lbs]

For time:
800 m run
40 Squats
30 Sit ups
20 Push ups [knee]
10 Pull ups [banded]
Time: 11:11

Tabata:
Kettlebell Swings: DNF

Can I tell any difference after two days of my programming? You bet your ass I can! I couldn't even finish the KB tabata because of some back soreness from all the extra work. And my quads are tighter than they've been in a long time. I'm just waiting for the shoulder soreness to really settle in. But you know what? It's exactly what I was hoping for!

I loved leaving last night feeling like I'd pushed myself and worked myself head to toe. And that WOD (via Dogtown Crossfit) was exactly what I needed. Left me winded and sweaty but was much quicker than I anticipated. I'm really enjoying searching out WOD's from different gyms and programs. And picking ones I know will be a challenge. My gym still does great programming and I'm stealing from them as well, I'm just not necessarily doing them on the days everyone else is.

I'm sore today and will enjoy this rest day, but I'm already excited to get back in there tomorrow night!

Work With A Purpose

4/1/2013 Lifting Day:
Clean: 3x3 [65 lbs]
Squat: 1x5 [115 lbs] 3x7 [100 DNF]
Bench Press: 3x5 [50 lbs]
Deadlift: 1x5 [130 lbs]

Overhead Squats: 3x5 [35 lbs]
Double Unders: 5 minutes

Day one was so close to perfect, but of course I ran into an issue. I didn't notice until I was finishing my first set of heavy squats that the bar was pretty painful on my neck. Guess who got slightly sunburned from spending most of Sunday outdoors? I tried to put the bar back on but it was really uncomfortable so I decided to do OH squats and to give it another go today.

Overall, I really enjoyed having the extra lifts and knowing exactly what I had on the menu instead of deciding at the last minute to do double unders aimlessly or to go row for fun.

Tonight should be a good time too! The boyfriend has decided to join me on my tabata's of choice on Tuesday nights. Having someone else doing it will me will push me to go all out for those 20 seconds.

I know it's only Tuesday and I have lots of good things to look forward to this week, but I'm ready for the weekend. Sunday is the boyfriend's birthday and I'm super pumped to celebrate with him! I really enjoy birthdays and making a big deal of them. It's fun to make someone feel a little extra special one day a year!

Furballs

3/29/2013 LP & WOD:
Squat: 1x5 [95 lbs], 1x2 [105, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135 lbs]

5 RFT
20 yd Bear Crawl
5 Deadlifts (115 lbs)
10 Burpees
Time: 10:47

Negative Pull-ups: 1x5
Overhead Squats: 3x3 [35 lbs]

In case you didn't pick up on those figures up there, I hit my second squat goal on Friday of 135!!!!!!!! I had zero intention of that happening, but I got to 120 decided to go until I didn't feel comfortable. Not only did I hit 135, I hit it twice! I quietly kept adding plates. I didn't tell the boyfriend when I got 125 and was attempting 130. I decided to keep this one to myself and see how far I could push myself on my own without any added support. Though he was VERY happy for me and proud that I did it. I can't wait to see where this new routine takes me over the next few months.

The WOD I did on my own was exhausting! After the first round I was pouring buckets of sweat and was struggling to squeeze out five burpees at a time. I guess I pick 'em well, huh?

Tonight starts my first full week of my own experiment program. I'm intrigued to see where this goes and if or when I'll notice any progress with the movements (pull-ups, cleans, etc) that I'm focusing more time on. I'll recap at the end of the month since I'm starting fresh on the 1st.

Just now getting over my fabulous long Easter weekend! I've decided my weekends need to be a little less fun because they make Monday's pretty brutal to deal with. Spent Friday morning in the gym then headed up to Raleigh with the boyfriend to visit with his family and to accompany him to his first tattoo appointment. It looks mega-cool! And he was a champ for enduring 3.5 hours of work on his ribs. Went on a nice long walk and watched some Turtles in the river before coming back Saturday afternoon. Spent part of Sunday with my family doing Easter brunch. Very yummy stuff.

Though one of my favorite parts of the weekend was when the boyfriend took my less social pup, Roma, to his house to play with his pup without me or my other furry kid. He's a dog whisperer! They did so well he brought his dog back over with Roma (smashed together in my MINI) to play with my other girl, Beane, on their own turf. Things went just as well there! Relieved and thrilled are the first words that come to mind. Plus Beane and I got to enjoy a nice walk in the neighborhood while they were on their puppy play date. Can't wait for the next one!

Get With the Program

3/26/2013 WOD:
12 min AMRAP
20 Double Unders (80 singles)
20 Sit-Ups
20 yd Walking Lungs
Reps: 268 

Extra Work: Pull ups, Double Unders, & Power Clean, 55 & 65 lbs 
Tabata: Row

I'm sore. That's all I'm going to say about last night's workout. I left feeling like I was all over the place but didn't feel like I had been overworked. I woke up feeling tight.

After a few discussions with the boyfriend about how to progress my squats and other things I want to work on while I'm in there (double unders, pull-ups, cleans, overhead squats, handstand holds), I've come up with my own little program for the next few weeks so I'm not wander around all willy-nilly doing whatever I feel like. I won't get anywhere just playing around.

Here's what I have so far:
Monday
Clean: 3 x 3 [starting 65 lbs]
Squat: 1 x 5 [heavy, 115-120 lbs], 3 x 7/8 [lighter, 100 lbs]
Press/Bench Press (Rotate weekly): 3 x 5[starting 50 lbs]
Deadlift: 1 x 5 [starting 130 lbs]
*maintain all weights for a few weeks then progress 5 lbs*
Double Unders: 5 minutes

Tuesday
WOD [solo or class, 10-15 min]
Pull-up:5 x 5 [banded]
Tabata [movement varies weekly]

Thursday
WOD [solo or class, 10-15 min]
Pull-up: 5 x 5 [negatives]
OH Squat:3 x 5 [starting 35 lbs]
*Possible second day squat if no Saturday workout*

Saturday
Squat: 1 x 5 [lighter, 95-100 lbs], 3 x 2 [heavy, 5 lb progression each set]
WOD [With Boyfriend, 10-15 minutes]
Handstand Hold: 3 attempts
Double Unders: 5 minutes

Seeing it in writing makes me VERY excited! Of course I'll adapt as needed and make changes were I see fit. Add in or remove things I'm working on as needed. Should be fun! For those that don't know me, I enjoy structure and routine so this is right up my alley.

Lazy Sunday

3/25/2013 LP:
Back Squat: 1x2, 115lb, 1x5, 110lb, 3x8, 95lb
Press: 3x6, 45lb
Deadlift, 1x5, 125lb
Double Under Work

Not having a second squat day in the week (usually Saturday) I wasn't feeling as good for last night's squats. I attempted 115 but almost couldn't get up on my second rep so I dropped back to 110. Though I have a fun new game plan to help me get my weights progressing again the next time I get in for a second day. This was also my first day squatting in the new Rogue racks. They're much smaller than the old power racks we had. I also was giving it another shot in my vibrams and I think I need to go back to the chucks. I catch myself pulling forward and my knees coming in slightly in the vibrams. Not what I need to be doing!

All the 2.5 lb plates were taken so I had to stick with the bar for my press but tacked on an extra rep for fun.  It was my last week at the 125 mark for deadlift. It wasn't my best performance, but not bad. I just kind of started it without much thinking. I am looking forward to moving up to 130 again next week.

Brief recap of the weekend:

• Volunteered for the O-Run on Saturday. It rained almost the entire time and was cold. However, watching teams try to get a 65 and 90 lb dummy over a high bar was plenty entertaining! 
• Finally got warm and stayed in to watch Zero Dark Thirty. Very intense! 
• Sunday brunch!!!  (Great substitute, syrup was heavenly)
• Lazy Sunday.  I had on pajamas until almost 2pm. That never happens!
• Hosted family dinner with my folks

Week is fantastic so far and getting better by the day. Woke up to my phone finally getting the 4.2.2 update. Only a four day work week. Trip to NC on Friday so the boyfriend can get his first tattoo. Fun times with his family. Easter lunch with my fam. And the return of spring weather! 

New Toys

3/21/2013 WOD:
8 RFT
2 Overhead Squats (35 lb)
3 Box Jumps (20")
Time: 4:00

Another Thursday, another solo workout. Only three more weeks of Open workout remaining, then I might join back in with the class again. Ready for it!

I stole this workout from CrossFit Football. I like their workouts a lot. Good rationale behind their programming. I've considered following it as my sole programming but I don't think I'm ready to commit just yet. Though it's still in the back of my mind.

This was the shortest workout I've done in a long time, but boy did my quads feel like jello after. I was really surprised given how few reps I was doing. Sure it was eight rounds, but that's only 16 squats total! I haven't done overhead squats in months. It's something I need to work into my programming more. I felt much more comfortable with them than I did the last time, but I'd like to get the weight up some more. Its really interesting how all the different kinds of weighted squats feel different. Overhead is totally the most difficult to me!

The best part of the night at the gym was that the first shipment from Rogue had arrived. New plates, squat racks, another pull-up rig, and all kinds of other goodies. I cannot wait to see how the place looks when everything is installed and what the new layout is. It's going to be fantastic!

Nerd alert!

3/19/2013 WOD:
5 RFT
5 Power Cleans (55 lbs)
20 Double Unders (80 singles)
Time: 8 minutes

I did another solo workout instead of playing with the class. I'm starting to feel guilty for rarely doing class work, but they're still moving s slow! I opted for doing one that included two things I needed to work on. However, attempting double unders in the first round I realized I was going to be there all night. It took me forever just to get five so I moved on to singles instead. From being on my toes to pull in the clean and then again for the singles, the balls of my feet were pretty achy when I was finished.

In addition to getting back into the four day a week routine, I'm also going to start a three day a week program to help me get to my pull-ups (hopefully)! I'll work in into what I'm already doing so it shouldn't require any crazy amount of extra time.

I'm on super high nerd alert at the moment! Verizon is FINALLY releasing the second Jelly Bean update (4.2) for the Galaxy Nexus this week. I found out on Tuesday and have been staring at my phone waiting for the little notification to pop up. I know, I know...a watched pot never boils!

Hippy Report

3/16/2013 WOD:
10 min AMRAP
1-3-5/round
Push Press (45 lb)
Pull-Up (banded)
Rounds: 4

3/18/2013 LP:
Back Squat: 1x5, 110 lbs, 3x8, 95 lbs
Bench Press: 3x5, 50 lbs
Deadlift: 1x5, 125 lbs

I learned a very very valuable lesson over the past few days. Do not ever try double-unders wearing vibram five fingers. Or any shoe that allows the top of your foot to be exposed. I hurts like a bitch when you don't quite jump high enough and the rope smacks the top of your foot. Stupid me, it took me three different attempts to really learn my lesson.

Saturday's workout wasn't my favorite but wasn't the worst in the world either. I mostly didn't like having to get into the band for just one pull-up. However it was quick and relatively painless so no real complaints!

The boyfriend coach and I had to fight over the last remaining squat rack last night. I'm way ready for the new rigs and equipment to come in. Even more excited to see how the overall layout changes. Back to the progression...we really didn't have to fight, just alternated between sets. I did feel guilty that he kept having to unload and reload all his weight, but he was adamant that we swap. Gotta do what coach says, right? Coach also told me to add an extra rep to my lighter load on the squat. Success! I think he might know what he's talking about. I also think he might be doing a bit of experimentation on me since women can do things slightly differently than men when it comes to weight lifting. Thus the higher reps. I don't mind playing guinea pig every now and then.

I'm two days late but this weekend was absolutely fantastic! Spent almost all of it outdoors. Walking, shopping at the market, eating, building a raised garden, getting some sun by the pool. All kinds of good stuff! Sadly next weekend is looking colder and rainy. Finger's crossed it's the last bit of winter!

Now for my full report on my hippy experiment. At least until full S.C. summer hits, I'm sticking with my new coconut oil and baking soda deodorant. I went all day Friday and into Saturday afternoon without reapplication (don't judge my lack of shower, I went for a morning workout and worked in the yard, why shower for that?!?) and I didn't stink! I noticed a slight bit more sweat on Sunday on a walk, but still no odor. So I'd say it works great as a deodorant and only okay as an anti-perspirant on excessively warm days. I didn't notice excess sweat while working out at all the past few days. I'm only a few days in and it's already seamlessly in my morning routine. I'll report back again once the heat starts coming in.

Gone Hippy

3/14/2013 WOD:
4 RFT
5 Pull-ups (Banded)
20 OH Walking Lunge (10 lb)
5 Push-ups (1 set strict, 4 set knee)
20 Sit-ups
Time: 12:41

I went into the gym in a pretty foul mood. The following didn't help:

•  As predicted, the class was doing the 13.2 from the Open. It was a quick and relatively painless workout but as I said last week, if I wanted to do workout from the Open I would have signed up for it. Give us a break! 
• I had planned to do a power clean/double under mix but the gym is low on 10 lb bumper plates with the new shipment on order so I couldn't load a bar up to the weight I wanted. Don't toss out the old torn up bumpers until the new ones come in! How are we supposed to work with only a few sets of plates? Come on!
• Double unders were not happening pre-workout no matter what I tried. I had red whip marks to prove it. Legs, jump higher dammit! 
• People were lingering around for an hour waiting to for official scoring to start for the Open. Why stand around for an hour? Show up at 6:15, get warmed up and wait your turn when scoring starts at 6:30. Don't you people have kids to feed or dogs to walk? UGH! 

See, if I try hard enough I can accurately reenact the foulness so you truly get the mood I'm going for. Did it work?

Anywho, I opted for a repeat performance of a self-programmed WOD I've done twice before. Sadly, my time was a good minute slower than last time. I blame the mood and not being in a hurry to walk from the pull-up right alllllllllll the way over to my tiny space on the floor for lunges, push-ups and sit-ups. I did tweak a small piece. Instead of doing negative pull-ups, I opted for banded. April is nearing and I'll be damned if I don't get a pull-up by 4.30.2013.

Soooooo I went a little hippy this morning. First some back story  Lately I've been trying to rely on cleaning products loaded with chemicals less and less. Lots of vinegar, baking soda, borax and coconut oil goodness going on in my house. This led to me thinking about what was in some of the beauty products I use. For a girl, I think my beauty regimen is pretty slim. However, there are a few things I just can't live without, but I figured I'd try. First up was using coconut oil as a face-wash/moisturizer. It worked beautifully and had zero complaints, especially in saving a few steps since it was an all-in-one, but the hairs around my face became oily and it drove in crazy. Unfortunately coconut oil face-wash was out and Neurtrogena Naturals system was back in. Other fun uses for coconut oil in the shower I played with were shaving cream (sadly it clogs up the razor head quickly) and in-shower moisturizer, perfect on cold dry days (This one is sticking around!).

Doing some more reading on natural beauty products and coconut oil uses I stumbled upon a mix of baking soda and coconut oil as deodorant. I was a little hesitant because it took me ages to find a deodorant that would work for me (Thanks, Dove!) but I figured it couldn't hurt. Worse case, I don't smell so hot for one day. Well I'm almost a full work day into the experiment in which I've had my office heater on and wore a black hoodie in the sun at lunch and no sweat! And I smelly coconutty fresh! I'm going to really test it tomorrow with a workout before I make my verdict. If all goes to plan, hello homemade deodorant mix, goodbye aluminum laden pit stick! Stay tuned for results! 

P.S. While I enjoy eliminating unpronounceable chemicals from my life, there are some things that are just damn convenient that won't ever be replaced. Sorry personal welfare, I'm a bit lazy sometimes. 

Drop It Like A Squat

3/11/2013 LP:
Back Squat: 1 x 5, 115 lbs, 3 x 7, 95 lbs
Press: 3 x 5, 50 lbs
Deadlift: 1 x 5, 125 lbs

3/12/2013 WOD:
3 RFT
400 m run
21 Kettlebell Swings (26 lb)
12 Push-Ups (knee)
Time: 12:09

Progression on Monday went great after some minor adjustments. The owner of our gym is getting lots of new equipment so some of the old stuff is already out, including two of the four squat racks. Luckily we were able to make it work. I'm really enjoying doing the one heavy set of squats and then the higher rep set at a comfortably heavy weight. I also went up again on the deadlift this week. Only 25 lbs to go!

In the middle of my set of squats I noticed a girl wearing this shirt that I MUST have in my wardrobe. I need it. Badly! I found it online but then spent the better part of my morning designing my own on a few different sites, that I like even better. However, I'm doing a self-experiment of not buying myself anything other than the necessities (food, gas, etc) until May in the hopes that I gain more appreciation for what I already have. I know it's a terrible idea and I should just buy the damn shirt, but I can't bring myself to do it before May 1st. That said, someone can buy it for me before then. Any takers?

I went in last night with every intention of doing the class WOD but I did solo work instead. It was a good WOD, but with warm-ups still happening at 5:30 instead of before plus 5 minutes of double under work and a hang power snatch max effort all before the class ever started, it would have been a late night. With the weather being gorgeous I wanted to incorporate a run so an semi-Helen WOD was suggested. I swapped the pull-ups for push-ups and did the entire workout outside. And it was fantastic! Now if only I hadn't bruised my knee further doing the push-ups. Oh well!

I'm about halfway through the month of going strict paleo and so far things are going pretty well. I'd still steal a cupcake from Sweet from a small child if given the chance, but other than that my cravings are pretty much under control. I've been very diligent with planning every meal ahead (thanks Google docs) and trying to change things up so I'm not getting bored. I'm also using my crockpot more so I don't get tired of having to stand over the stove for every meal. Tonight I'm serving Mirepoix Chicken and it looks super yummy! I've never cooked a whole chicken in the crockpot before so I'm curious to see how it turns out. Fingers crossed it's tasty!

Good day sunshine!

3/9/2013 LP/WOD:
Back Squat: 3x7, 95 lbs

4 RFT
10 Power Cleans (45 lb)
10 Pull-ups (banded)
10 Double Unders
Time: 12:13

The college kid joined me for a fun little workout I made up. Not so much fun as it was tough. Those cleans and pull-ups did a number on my arms. So much for washing my car today! My favorite part was doing double unders. And I finally got two double unders stung together while I was warming up. Wahoo!

While in the gym yesterday a few people were coming in to get scored for the Open WOD. Watching them was torture. It just looks so brutal! I'm curious to see what's on the menu next week for them. And I'm mega glad I have no intentions of ever participating in the open.

Yesterday at the market I discovered that they carry cream cheese. I haven't been so happy about a find at the market ever! Not exactly sure what I want to do with it yet, the boyfriend suggested added some to our mashed sweet potatoes last night. It was AMAZING! So much so that I cooked another sweet potato this morning and had it as a mid-morning snack. Thank you Happy Cow Creamery! It is mega yummy!

Spending as much time outside today as possible! Warmer weather + extra sunlight = one happy girl!