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!

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?

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! 

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!

Annie Get Your Gun

3/7/2013 WOD:
Annie
50-40-30-20-10 reps
Double Unders (Singles x 4)
Sit-Ups
Time: 12:42 (PR)

40 second PR! While I want to say it was because of my fancy new jump rope from Rogue, I know that's not totally the case. Whatever the reasoning is I'm perfectly happy with it! I'm very glad I had already decided to do Annie on my own and not the WOD with the class because they were having to do Open 13.1. I didn't sign up for the open for a reason so I won't be doing the WODs. I might want to come up with an alternate plan for the next few Thursdays in case it becomes a pattern.

I hightailed it out of the gym so I could feed my pups, get cleaned up and get a walk in with the boyfriend before meeting two of my ladies for dinner! I had a blast and cannot wait for summer to get her so they're around more. We were the last people in the restaurant when we left. And yay me for completely ignoring the basket of bread on the table. I wanted to eat the entire thing. Grand times!

Squat Heavy Often

3/4/2013 LP:
Back Squat: 1 x 5, 115 lbs;  3 x 7, 95 lbs
Press: 3 x 5, 45 lbs
Deadlift: 1 x 5, 95 lbs; 1 x 5, 120 lbs

The squat is a tricky little beast! This is my third time hitting the 115 mark and each time has been different. The first time it was heavy but I managed and moved on. The second time it was easier and my depth was much lower. And this last time it felt incredibly heavy and I backed off. It is incredibly frustrating!

The boyfriend coach suggested I put 115 off until next week and do a higher rep set at a more comfortable weight. So that's what I did. If you include the set at 115 I did 11 reps more than I usually do on my lift days so I left feeling great about my work. I'm planning on doing the 3 x 7 again on Saturday at 95 lbs to hopefully get me ready for next Monday.

I must have just been off in general because I struggled to get 50 lbs on the press so I backed it up to 45 again. I'm very ready to progress more there but my little arms just aren't having it.

At least I can count on the ol' deadlift. After my warm-up set I knew 120 would still be a breeze and thankfully I was right. I think I'll do one more week at 120 then it's time to move up again. I just decided, right this second, that 150 is my goal. I have zero clue if that's realistic or not. I do know that 135 was my max back in August so I think 150 is a reasonable goal, right?!?

On day five of the paleo challenge and things are going great so far. No real sugar cravings which is very surprising, but I am feeling some withdrawal symptoms. I've only eaten two pineapple since Saturday. Real progress from last time when I consumed nine pineapples in the first seven days. Though overall fruit consumption is still up. Super excited to change things up today and meet my old friend from college for lunch. Hopefully catching up will help me overcome the rage I have toward any and everything at work right now!

30 Day Challenge

2/28/2013 WOD:
2 Person Team, 1 person working at a time
2 min Max Effort Lunges (yards)
2 min Max Effort Toes to Bar
2 min Max Effort Wall Balls (8 lb)
2 min Max Effort Double Unders
2 min Max Effort Handstand Push-ups (Stinkbugs)
2 min Max Effort Power Cleans (45 lb)
Reps: 294

I really enjoyed this workout! A bunch. And it went by sooooo fast. All of a sudden the trainer said, next movement is Power Cleans. How did that happen so fast? I teamed up with one of the 5:30 regulars who still scales things like I do so we made a good team. He pulled his weight when I was lacking (stinkbugs) and I pulled mine when he was tired (power cleans). I loved it and it got me excited to do classes again too!

The absolute best part of the night was that I decided I would go for double unders instead of converting singles. Every one I attempted I got!!! Even with insanely sore calves from practicing on Tuesday. Granted my calves are just as sore today. Must practice more!

The college kid is heading home today for Spring Break. I'm super excited to have her around for a week. Hopefully she'll come up to PDCF for a few workouts too! Even more exciting is that she wants to give Paleo a shot this summer when she's no longer relying on a meal plan. I love it!

Today is Day 1 of the 30 day paleo challenge with my parents. The boyfriend picked up a copy of Primal Blueprint for my parents to read. And my mom is eating it up! So much so that she asked if she can put off starting until Sunday or Monday so she can have a better understanding before she jumps in. I am thrilled with her enthusiasm about this. She's even thinking about coming up to PDCF Saturday morning to see what my workouts are all about and will be joining us at the local market to do some shopping. Her excitement over this has carried over to me. Dealing with sugar withdrawals over the next week will be a breeze knowing they're excited about this new adventure. I hope they've enjoyed it as much as I have, even without my personalization, and stick it out long term.

Double Time

2/26/2013 LP:
Back Squat: 110 lbs
Press: 50 lbs
Deadlift: 120 lbs

Because of a little dog sitting, my lifting day got moved to Tuesday, which I was totally okay with! I can't totally figure it out but 110 lbs for the squat still feels very heavy. Heavier than it did the last time I was making my way to 120. All I can figure is my not so great diet over the weekend didn't help. I'm actually looking forward to starting strict paleo again on Friday to see how it helps with the lifting. Goodbye sugar, hello heavy stuff!

In addition to lifting, I worked on pull-ups before the squat and again after the press. I'm alternating now between negatives and strict banded pull-ups. I've decided I'm done with jumping pull-ups in WODs because they're not really going to help me in the long run.

And then....with some time to kill after the deadlift I decided to take a stab at double unders. Low and behold I got one. Then another. Granted they were never consistent, but I sure as hell got a handful! And I have red whip marks on my arms and legs to prove it. So now in addition to working on pull-ups and push-ups, we'll add double unders to the list. Something I probably should have started working on months ago!

Get nasty!

2/18/2013 LP:
Back Squat: 110 lb
Press: 45 lb
Deadlift: 120 lb

2/19/2013 WOD:
"Nasty Girls"
3 RFT
50 Air Squats
7 Muscle Ups (4 jumping pull-ups & 4 box dips per MU)
10 Hang Power Cleans (45 lb)
Time: 21:55

Whoa buddy am I sore! And it's getting worse as the day goes on. I anticipate limited movement tomorrow.

Monday's squatting didn't go as I wanted but it went as expected. Lifting light last week and no second day of squatting I knew it was going to be a difficult lift. And I was right. I'm already planning to get a second squat day in on Saturday and will go for 110 again next Monday before working my way back up. I am getting past 120 this time, dammit! Being sore from sledding of all things I decided to press light again. However, I did move up on the deadlift. Heavy, but not difficult. Glad something could be easy-ish for me!

I very much enjoyed doing the workout with the class last night. Just the right size, didn't run too late. And a fun benchmark! I knew the cleans would be the easiest and the muscle up scaling would take me the longest, but I didn't expect the squats the be the most difficult. By round three I was struggling to do them in sets of 10.

For quite a few reasons, I have suggested my parents give the primal/paleo "diet" a try. I don't like to call it a diet because today that is associated with just losing weight. And while many people initially do drop a few pounds, I think their overall health would benefit greatly from it. As I said last fall after giving it a try myself, I've set a few exceptions that suit me and my lifestyle. However, to encourage them for the 30-day challenge, I'm going to throw my rules out the window and go strict again with them. Goodbye yummy cheese, delicious chocolate milk and the occasional cupcake. I'm excited to go through this with them and help them along. And I would LOVE to see them stick with it and to live healthier lives. Only 8 more days of chocolate milk and cupcakes!

Stop and smell the sugar!

2/7/2013 WOD:
5 RFT
1 min Handstand Hold (1 round on wall, 4 rounds on tire)
1 min Front Squat max reps (1 round 55 lb, 4 rounds 45 lbs)
2 min rest
Reps: 61

I went into PDCF tonight knowing I had to do the class, not matter how long it was or how many heats we were going to have to run. I wanted to be part of the group again, at least for one night this week. Thankfully the class was on the smaller side and it was a workout I could get excited about too! Another fun surprise was that the boyfriend joined in on the class fun too. He's a lifter so he doesn't frequent the classes much these days. This was only the second time since I've joined that I've seen him in a class.

Simply for lack of trying at this point, I'm not able to kick myself on the the wall for a handstand so I have walk my feet up it. I managed to hold myself up the entire first round which surprised me, though I may have been muttering some profanities under my breath. After practically falling on my face to get off the wall once the first minute was up I decided I needed to move to the tire for safety purposes.

I knew putting 55 lbs on the bar was risky. Not for the squat but because I'd have to clean it first and I knew my arms and shoulders would be mush. I was right! In my first attempt to clean the bar I practically dropped it. Second attempt got it up but it wasn't sitting were it should have been so I could only squeeze out 6 reps. I quickly dropped 10 lbs to a conformable 45 lbs for the remaining rounds. Cleaning was a breeze and I somehow managed to increase reps with each round, not decrease: 12, 13, 15, and 15. Craziness!

Sadly I only was able to get in one day of lifting and one day of CrossFit in this week, but tomorrow morning I'll be waiting at the bell tower at NC State for the start of the Krispy Kreme Challenge. It's a 2.5 mile run to a Krispy Kreme where each runner has a dozen doughnuts waiting on them and then a 2.5 mile run back to the bell tower. To be a challenger and win the race you must eat all 12 before starting the trek back and finish in under an hour. Or you can be like me where my goal is to eat 2 doughnuts. I did the race 2 years ago and it's a blast! My favorite part is smelling the sugar in the air before you can even see Krispy Kreme. It's a glorious smell!

For the boyfriend's family, Krispy Kreme Challenge weekend also coincides with another annual event for them, Turducken! Last time I only ate the chicken and turkey, but this time I'm going crazy. I'm going to have some of the duck too! I'm trying to win over his family even more by bringing buckeye brownies. They're all Ohio State fans so it should be an easy win for me!

Cavemen ate doughnuts and brownies right?

Puppy Fever

1/26/2013 WOD:
12 Min AMRAP (1 min work, 1 min rest)
3 Power Cleans (45 lb)
3 Push Press (45 lb)
3 Front Squat (45 lb)
Rounds: 10

One month later and I managed to squeeze out one more full round! I love progress!!!! I did this workout last month with the boyfriend one Saturday morning and we decided we'd repeat it for 3 months as a benchmark. Success! Can't wait to see if I improve again next month or if I up the weight.

Had yet another fantastic weekend! Went into it with no major plans with is always a great way to spend the weekend. Got in another successful puppy play date with my girls and the boyfriend's doggy. They're making a lot of progress and my anxiety level has dropped drastically because of it.

Made the stuffed zucchini on Friday night for dinner and while it wasn't bad it wasn't anything I'm dying to make again. The filling was delicious but the zucchini's were just too soft. I think next time I'll try baking them first then stuffing. The filling would also be delicious stuffed in a pepper. Here's the mix I came up with if you're curious to replicate:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 lb hot breakfast sausage
• 1 egg
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• S & P
• Top with pepper jack cheese

This weekend also marked the start of scratching items off my bucket list! First up is a monthly list item. I'd like to do one act of kindness each month. Getting hooked on the puppy bowl locker room feed  prompted the thought of doing something with my favorite local organization the Florence Area Humane Society. It was decided that I would go out there, choose a slightly order dog that has been there for a little longer and pay his or her adoption fees. So out I went! I haven't been to the new facility since the big move last year. I wandered around and choose Minnie a black and grey medium sized mix who had been there since October. My only regret is that I didn't leave contact information because I'd love to know when she gets adopted! Guess it's time to start thinking about what to do next month. 

Game plan

1/24/2013 WOD:
10 min AMRAP
5 Back Squat (95 lb)
50 Single Unders
5 Strict Push-ups
Rounds: 5

Over the last few months the 5:30 class at my gym has been growing. And growing. It's great having new folks join in on the fun and getting hooked like the rest of us. Because of the growth, the amount of space we have and the limited number of bars/plates/ab mats/etc we sometimes have to do two or three heats for the WOD  Normally its by who was there earliest unless someone really needs to leave quick. Fortunately it hasn't caused any major issues that I've seen. In addition to the growth in class, when we had free week a few weeks back the trainers tried to get everyone to warm up together at 5:30 instead of individually as you came in. It's smart because it insures everyone warms up and starts everyone working together.

Add these things together and you have a 5:30 class that isn't getting warmed up until 5:35 because of the last minute folks and usually isn't getting started until 5:45, 5:50 or later. And if you're in the second heat you might not start until after 6. While I don't mind being up at PDCF and go almost as much for the people as I do for the hard work, if I'd like to get make the most of my time, be efficient and get home at a decent time after a long day at work.

All this said I've been less excited to go in and do the WOD with the group. I've been doing a few on my own, lifting extra in place of the WOD or all together making up an excuse for not going in. I've decided until they implement a 4:30 class (which is rumored) or go back to individual warm-ups so class can start closer to 5:30 like it used to, that of my three WOD day's I'll only be doing one with the class and will be doing two on my own. I realize I probably wont be pushed quite as hard this way, but I'll still be moving and getting stronger. Plus I can tailor it to things I know I need to work on if I want to make up something on my own.

I fully came to this realization last night and decided to do a workout on my own instead of with the group. Overall I enjoyed it. I still cheered on my fellow 5:30-ers in their WOD and was nearly finished with my workout as they were just getting started. Because I wasn't 'running behind' was able to work on a few other things like negative pull-ups. I'll test it out for a few weeks and see how it feels. If I really miss my class time I'll just suck it up and deal with the late nights.

Side note: This week's new addition to the menu is stuffed zucchini's. I've combined a few recipes to come up with my own concoction. I'll find out in a few short hours if it's a hit or miss. Fingers crossed!

Rinse and repeat

1/19/2013 WOD:
4 RFT
5 Pull-ups (Negatives)
20 yd OH Walking Lunges (10 lb)
5 Push-ups (2 rounds on knees)
20 sit-ups
Time: 11:39

Holy PR batman! I did this workout on my own just a few weeks ago and my time was just over 17 minutes. Granted I didn't really have my 'stations' set-up, but still, I cut a huge amount of time off! It's going to be a benchmark WOD for me for the next two months or so. I'm looking forward to seeing how the negatives help my pull-ups and how my time improves.

This weekend was fantastic! I got one of my pups, the more protective one, together with the boyfriends pup  on Saturday and Sunday for a walk and play-date. I was shocked and thrilled to see her walk right next to him with zero anxiety or aggression just a few steps into the walk. I can't wait for them to be besties! Next weekend we'll bring in my other pup and see how it goes with the three of them. Hopefully my overly protective girl will co-mingle well again.

Not much new on the agenda this weekend. The apple, bacon and onion stuffed pork chops turned out well. Though I think they would be just as good by getting thinner cut chops and spooning the apple mix on top instead of stuffing. Can't see that it would make any difference.

Recovering

1/17/2013 WOD:
5 RFT
250 m row
5 push-ups
15 sit-ups
Time: 13:57

After Monday and my continuing foot issues on top of my lingering/possible second cold, I decided to take Tuesday off. However, come Thursday I still hadn't made a 100% recovery but couldn't sit on my ass anymore so I went in and did my own thing that would keep my off my feet and hopefully keep my head clear too. Success!

I forced myself to do all 25 push-ups off my toes with my arms as close to my body as possible. If I'm going to progress, doing them off my knees with my elbows out isn't going to help me any. I also tried to keep my body in a straight line as much as possible. Given that my core isn't the strongest, my belly/lower back dipped a little but by no means was I doing 'the worm.'

I'm still not sure what this sinus mess is I have going on but I am ready to be rid of it. I can't tell if it's the last bit of my cold I scored on New Years Day or if it's a second cold coming in. Either way it's causing way too much sinus pain and needs to exit my head, stat.

And in other news, I'm glad the weekend is 5 short hours away. After a month, I am FINALLY going to see The Hobbit with my dad. Sickness, holidays, and life in general have gotten in the way, but not any more. We are doing this! Of course when it's finally time to go see it Silver Linings Playbook finally comes to town. Damn you award season! Luckily it will be on DVD by next month. I've already waited since mid-November to see it, what's another month, right?

And in doing things for the first time news, I've made a decision to try to cook one new dish each week. Everything so far has been very successful and I would highly recommend all of them. And reading Timothy Ferris' 4-Hour Chef is only making me want to cook more.  Here are the link if you'd like to give them a try yourself.

• Julia Child inspire Coq Au Vin (Made a second time with petit sirloin and it was just as delicious)
• Pan seared chicken in a balsamic cream sauce (My sauce didn't look quite the same but it was mega tasty. We ate it with purple sweet potatoes and it made for great presentation and a yummy side)
• Ultimate Paleo Chili (I didn't cook this but it sure was great and spicy too)
• Spinach Stuffed Chicken (We doctored this one and cooked the bacon first and stuffed in with rest of the mix and also left out the sour cream. We've done it three times now and the last time was the best. Swap the spinach for caramelized onions, you'll be glad you did)
• Homemade sweet potato fries using melted Kerry Gold to coat instead of coconut oil. (A little less oily and the fries crisped a bit more)

On the menu for tonight and the near future. Expect a full report on both very soon. 

• Bacon and Apple Stuffed Pork Chops (Will be served tonight with a side of sauteed zucchini, onions and peppers)
• Braised French Onion Chicken with Gruyere (On the menu very very soon!)

Footies

1/12/2013 WOD:
8 min AMRAP
Do each movement to fatigue
Walking Lunges
Push-ups (knee)
Reps: 201

1/14/2013 LP:
Back Squat: 110 lbs
Press: 50 lbs
Sprints: 5 x 40 yd

Boy oh boy am I one tired girl! Lunges left my legs and butt sore. Push-ups killed my shoulders and triceps. Thankfully I think tonight's squats and press gave all the sore muscles a good stretch. I also did a few extra hip and hamstring stretches with my warm-up that made a major difference. No hip pain whatsoever during the squats which was fantastic!

I did somehow manage to hurt my foot over the weekend. I'm not exactly sure what caused it but while running errands Saturday afternoon I noticed the outside middle of my left foot was a little sore. As the afternoon and night went on I could hardly put any pressure on it without major pain. I thought it was feeling better yesterday morning but after doing some walking and washing a few trucks I quickly realized it was in my best interest to get off of it. I felt pretty guilty just sitting around while everyone else was hard at work but I really didn't want to do any more damage. I spent last evening barefoot which seemed to help a great deal. Today I just had minor discomfort and decided lifting and sprinting should be okay, however now I'm thinking it was a bad idea. Currently I thinking I'll skip the WOD tomorrow and go vibrams or barefoot the rest of the week to see it if helps speed up the healing process. Fingers crossed it's a minor bruise and will be cured by Thursday.

Other than the foot injury and residual soreness from the workout, my weekend was fantastic. Wonderful weather for January, great weekend with the boyfriends family, amazing night in cooking dinner together Saturday night and catching a movie plus we got to come home to a hopefully soon-to-be-regular weekly family dinner with my family. Oh and I finally got to get the Lululemon pants I had been eyeing for the big Whistler trip. Unfortunately they weren't on sale in the store but I was able to try them on and order them. Thanks mom and dad for the gift card for my birthday!!!

Looking forward, short of the hurt foot, it should be a really great week! Taking on some new-ish responsibilities at work, starting planning for the Mt. Mitchell bucket list hike, hopefully finally getting to see The Hobbit with my dad and of course a good workout here and there.

Great programming

1/1/2013 LP:
Back Squat: 100 lb
Press: 45 lb

1/1/2013 WOD:
4 RFT
5 Negative Pull-ups
20 yd OH Walking Lunges (10 lb)
5 push-ups (2 rounds on knees)
20 sit-ups
Time: 17:30

It's nice knowing someone with a key to the gym! I started out 2013 by moving a little weight around and working on a few things I'd like to master sooner than later.

After doing the lighter squat on Saturday I decided to start my progression back a few lbs and spend a few weeks progressing again to my goal weights. I think this will help me ultimately reach my next goal  of 135 and doing it much more comfortably. Next week I'll also be going back up to 50 lbs on the press for a few weeks. I'm enjoying the slower progress on the press and I can really tell I'm benefiting from it.

Knowing I wanted to get in three CF workouts this week and wanted some good rest days, I decided to come up with one on my own to do after I lifted. Already at the gym with the place mostly to yourself, why not take advantage of it, right? I decided to do lower number reps for pull-ups and push-ups and try to focus on getting better at them. I did negative pull-ups, which means I jumped up above the bar and lowered myself slowly. Doing negatives helps strengthen the muscles needed to do proper pull-ups so I'm going to be sneaking them in when possible as my goal for my first pull-up is April. As far as the push-ups I wanted to try to do as many as I could in proper form instead of from my knees. I made it through the first two rounds but couldn't get myself off the ground after that. It's going to take some work to get more proficient at push-ups!

Want to hear a funny story? I came up with my little WOD laying in bed yesterday morning knowing it was things I wanted to focus on. Got that, completely on my own I came up with it having never done anything similar. So at about 10 am a few people showed up at the gym meeting one of our trainers who came in for them even though we were closed. I had finished lifting and was about to go start my WOD just before they got started. It crossed my mind to see what they had on the board to see if I wanted to jump in instead of what I had planned.

Their WOD was the following:
4 RFT
200 m plate run
8 pull-ups
14 yd OH Walking Lunges
20 Push-ups
24 Sit-ups

The numbers might not be quite right, but pretty close. Other than the run and reps it's exactly what I had planned. Same order too! Guess I might be decent at programming, but I won't go sign up to get CrossFit certified just yet.

Just like New Years day, New Years Eve was splendid! Nice quiet night in with a fantastic dinner of brined pork chops, cooked apples, and sauteed veggies. And was even able to see the ball drop even though I've been cable free for well over a year. The magic of the internet is wonderful!

Looking forward to a fantastic 2013 and scratching items off my turning 30 bucket list!

Julie and Julia

12/29/2012 WOD:
12 Min AMRAP (1 min work, 1 min rest)
3 Power Cleans (45 lb)
3 Push Press (45 lb)
3 Front Squat (45 lb)
Rounds: 9


Started this morning with a lighter squat as a warm-up. Backed it down to 95 lbs and it's crazy how much lighter it felt. Got a little more negative pull-up work in too. My goal is April for my first pull-up.

Instead of doing the WOD on the board, my (boy)friend the trainer created a little workout for us. With it only being 6 minutes of work it meant you had to go as hard as you could and make the most of your rests. My ultimate goal was 12 rounds, 2 per minute of work, but was just as pleased with 9. We've decided to go for it again at the end of January to see if we both improve. Shooting for 10 rounds next time.

I made a brand new dish Friday night that was delicious! Already looking forward to making it again. It was Julia Child inspired Coq au Vin. And if you've ever been to The Melting Pot, you'll probably start craving it as soon as you pour in the wine because it smells exactly like one of their broths. I would highly recommend you try it. Next time I'm going to swap the chicken for small steaks.

I also roasted my first chicken this weekend too. I had some assistance in the kitchen so I can't take all the credit, but it sure was yummy. A little tip. Next time you roast a chicken, move it to a plate to rest and saute some onions, zucchini  and peppers in the cast iron with the chicken drippings and a little garlic. I promise you won't regret it a bit!

Another first this weekend is that I'm going on my first urban hike. Some people might call it just walking around your city, but no one tells you you're just walking up a mountain, do they? Mapped it out and it should be right at 8 miles total, with a pit stop at Starbucks in the middle to warm up. Caramel Apple Spice, I'm coming for you!

Great weekend of firsts with a few more on schedule!