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. 

Dead weight

2/4/2013 LP:
Back Squat: 120 lb
Press: 50 lb
Deadlift: 115 lb
Sprint: 8 x 40 yd

I must admit, after last week's failed attempt at squatting in general I was slightly anxious going into tonight's squat. I decided to add a short set of light weight squats (75 lb) to my warm-up and to go in thinking the bar would be light. It must have worked because while it wasn't exactly light, it felt much lighter than last week and lighter than when I hit 120 the first time around Christmas. I was able to get all 15 reps and I feel like my depth was better this time around too.

The press was still just as heavy. However, the second and third sets got easier with each rep instead of harder. Strange indeed!

After reading this article last week, I decided I was going to try the low bar position mostly to get my hamstrings a little work. I quickly realized low bar was not for me! That said I still wanted to give my hammys something to do. I can't be all quads or I'll fall forward, right? So I decided to add the deadlift into my Monday night lifting routine. Though I won't be doing a typical progression. I'll only do one set of five and I'll stick with that weight for a few weeks before going up about 5 lbs. My max a few months back was 135 so I'll slowly work my way back up to that and hopefully pass it by.

I can see a HUGE carryover from the squat and press to CrossFit so I imagine I'll see some improvement from adding the deadlift too. Or least I hope to!

Last night my new hiking boots finally arrived for the big trip to Whistler next fall! I accidentally stumbled upon them last week when looking at the new colour choices for the F-lite 195's. I adore my invo-8's and Zappos had them on sale so I figured I'd give them a shot. Worst case, I returned them and kept looking. And lucky for me my sister and her fiance gave me a gift card for my birthday specifically for trip purchases! The shoes fit perfectly, are incredibly light and comfortable. I'm taking them out for a walk tonight and cannot wait to get my first hike in!

Skip to my Lulu

1/10/2013 WOD:
21-15-9
Kettlebell Swings (26 lb)
Burpees
Buy out: 1 mile run
Time: 18:23

Everyone was complaining about the burpees when they saw the WOD on the board today, but I already knew the mile run would be the death of me. Especially after having just finished 45 KB swings and burpees. That first 1/4 mile was pure torture. My legs didn't want to move. I couldn't control my breathing. My arms felt like they weight 800 lbs. It was just bad. Shortly after making the turn on the second 1/4 I started to get a good rhythm going with my pace and my breathing. I just wanted it to be over as quickly as possible.

I am more than ready for free week to be over with and to start using weights in the workouts again. It can get pretty brutal!

Heading back to Raleigh for the weekend with the boyfriend! I'm looking forward to it since the initial nerves will have passed and I know what I'm getting into when it comes to washing the trucks. Plus the weather is supposed to be amazing so I can't complain a bit about spending the morning outdoors in January. AND I get go to Lululemon and hopefully purchase a new pair of pants I have been eyeing for CrossFit and the trip to Whistler. Fingers crossed they're everything I've imagined!

Overload

Just a few hours ago my vacation sadly came to an end. So much happened in the last five days that I don't know where to begin, but I'll give it a shot. And I'll try to be as brief as possible, but forgive me if I ramble!



Day One: 9/27/2012
Departed Florence around 6:30 am for Orlando! After getting settled into the All-Star Music Resort we made our way over to Epcot for the rest of the day and night. But before I stepped foot on the bus to the park I stopped in the gift shop at the hotel and picked up my mouse ears and I wore them proudly the rest of the trip. Who cares that I'll be 29 in a few months, it's Disney! Before heading to the World Showcase we decided to ride Soarin. It was the first time all three of us had ridden and it was a blast! Flying through California smelling the evergreens and orange orchards was pretty damn cool. As soon as we stepped off the ride we picked up fast passes to come back and ride it again a few hours later!

Starting in Canada we made our way around the World Showcase. We made a pit-stop in England to visit Christopher Robin's bedroom where I met up with Winnie-the-Pooh and Tigger. Next stop France for an incredible early dinner at Les Chefs de France where I had gratin de macaroni (baked macaroni with bechamel  and gruyere...omg it was yummy!). I also sampled the duck and patty pans that my dad ordered. Having never tried either before I was a little apprehensive but they were both delicious! Officially a fan of both.  We continued our way around the world and capped off our night with a ride on Mission Space. Another new ride for all three of us!

Day Two: 9/28/2012

Being the CrossFit addict that I am, I started my Friday morning with a little burpee, sit-up, squat Tabata. However, my mom was still mastering her new iPhone and accidentally turned the timer off 6 minutes it so it got cut a little short. After breakfast it was finally time to make my pilgrimage to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal's Islands of Adventure.

The entire park is great but honestly all I cared about was seeing Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. To say I geeked out is an understatement! I don't think I have ever looked or sounded as nerdy as I did walking through the shops, but I couldn't have cared less. After walking through Zonko's and Honeydukes I snagged a Butterbeer and we made our way over to the Dragon Challenge. Followed it up with a little more shopping in Dervish and Banges then hopped onto the Flight of the Hippogriff and capped off our time in Hogsmeade with a trip into Hogwarts for Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. 

Not only was the ride completely amazing, even for a non-harry potter fanatic, but the walk through Hogwarts on the way to the ride was unbelievable . The Mirror of Erised, Dumbledore in his office, Harry, Ron and Hermione in the Defense Against Dark Arts classroom, portrait of the Fat Lady, talking Sorting Hat, talking portraits, floating candles in the Great Hall...see I am a mega-nerd!!! And I wish I could begin to explain the ride, but it wouldn't do it any justice. Do yourself a favor and just go see it all for yourself. 

Once we exhausted Universal we made a pit-stop by ESPN's Wide World of Sports so I could pick up my race packet at the expo. I should have known just from how smoothly the expo went that Disney was going to put on a great race! We finished off our Thursday at Downtown Disney with some shopping and dinner at Portobello. We all sampled silician eggplant fries and mozzarella stuffed risotta balls. I didn't think it could get any better after that but my gnocchi with shredded pork ragu was scrumptious! All new foods for me and all outstanding! 

Day Three: 9/29/2012

We spent the first half of Saturday at Animal Kingdom. And while this park is probably my least favorite of the four, I really only wanted to go to ride Everest! It's such a fun coaster and I knew my parents would love it. 

We had late lunch reservations at one of my mom's favorite Disney restaurants, Sci-Fi Dine-In Theatre at Hollywood Studio's. Just as before it was a lot of fun and the milkshake was perfect! We walked around a rode a few other rides and then I headed back to the room early to catch a nap and get ready for the big race that night. 

At 7:30 I boarded the bus from our hotel back to Hollywood Studios for the inaugural Tower of Terror Ten-Miler. I just knew I was going to be bored out of my mind having to be there more than two hours before the start of the race but boy was I wrong! Photo ops, food trucks and Hollywood Tower Hotel Doorman as the acting DJ made for plenty of entertainment! Not knowing a soul there I made a complete ass of myself dancing! I did the cupid shuffle, electric slide, learned to wobble, walked like an egyptian, danced to thriller and went foot loose. Best pre-race warm-up EVER! 

At 9:00 they asked us all to move into our corrals before walking up to the start line. On my walk over I looked to my right and noticed Jeff Galloway was walking right next to me. Out of the 10,000 people walking over to their corrals, how do I end up next to an Olympian and creator of the running method I would be using to get through those 10 miles. I tapped him on the shoulder, spoke to him very briefly and shook his hand and went on my way. Pretty badass! 

I was in corral B so we got started at about 10:05 with our own firework send off. Throughout the course there were DJs, eerie Twilight Zone tunes, and photo ops with different Disney Villians. We ran around the track and Atlanta Brave training camp field at Wide World of Sports and finished with a run through most of the park at Hollywood Studio's finishing up behind the Tower of Terror. Not only were the pre-race and race fantastic, but the post-race was pretty great too! Very organized, no waiting around for anything plus we could play in the park until four am! Thanks to Disney's handy runner tracking system my parents were there to greet me as I came out the chute and even got to spot me running past Mickey's sorcerers hat.

You would think after being on my feet for three days, running 10 miles and it being a little past midnight I would be exhausted but I was ready to hop on the Tower of Terror and have some more fun! Finally at three am my head hit my pillow.

Day Four: 9/30/2012

On Sunday we finally made it to the Magic Kingdom. My favorite park of all! There's nothing like walking through the gate and seeing Cinderella's Castle. You just feel like a kid all over again! The park was decorated for fall and Halloween which made it even more fun! With mouse ears in tow we wandered through Main Street USA and headed for Tomorrowland to ride Space Mountain. For such a dated ride, it's still so much fun! Next stop The Haunted Mansion. I think this will always be my favorite ride at Disney. Seeing the ghosts dancing just makes me so happy! We made our way through the rest of the park and finished our time there with ride on the Walt Disney World Railroad around the park. 

We hopped on the monorail and made our way back to Epcot hoping to get another ride on Soarin and Mission space, but with over an hour wait we opted for making our way back through the World Showcase and grabbing a bite to eat. The Wine and Dine festival was getting underway and it was the eve of Epcot's 30th Birthday so the park was slowly getting crowded as the afternoon went on. 

And just to make sure we were as exhausted as we could possibly be we went back to Hollywood Studios for our last bit of Disney fun. Finished with two more trips on the Tower of Terror and a little shopping. On our way out I finally spotted Mickey and Minnie at a dance party. Great way to end the trip!

Day Five: 10/1/2012

We hit the road to head home pretty early and made great time! While I was sad our time at Disney was over, I was ready to be back home with my pups. I had a productive first half of the ride working on my scarf until I realized I was picking up extra stitches and decided to put it off until I could get home and focus more on what I was actually doing. At a few minutes after three we finally pulled into town and my girls excitedly greeted me! 

Because I just didn't get in enough walking, running and pure exhaustion in while away, I made my way up to PDCF to get back to squat training. I now understand the craving of wanting to feel some weight on your back and boy did it feel good to get back in there! Plus it was nice to see everyone after being away for a few days.

With just a few hours left of vacation I decided to stay in for the night with my two girls. I had a blast going away but I'm happy to be back home and sleeping in my own bed again. Sometimes coming back home is just as nice as going away! 

PR, what!

9/26/2012 WOD:
'Cindy'
20 min AMRAP
5 pull-ups (jumping)
10 push-ups (knee)
15 air-squats
Rounds: 14 + 5 pull-ups

Holy shit this week has been amazing! High reps on Monday. First Rx on Tuesday. And my first real PR today. What is in my water? Or maybe it was the entire half-gallon of chocolate milk I have drank in the past three days. Who knows, but I'm beyond thrilled!

Cindy is the first WOD that I have now done twice and can say I earned a legit PR. And this time I didn't use a band on my pull-ups either. Though I think the highlight of my night and even my week was that tonight our trainer called me out on my squats. He told everyone in the middle of the WOD, if they want to know how they should be doing their squats to look at me. How does little ol' me have perfect form? HUGE thanks to our trainer for that, made my day!

I stumbled upon this and it cracked me up. And technically the squat should be lower.

And now I am officially on vacation! I'm sad to leave my pups for a few days, but I know they'll be in great hands. Plus I'm sure they'll be glad to get a little vacation from their mom.

Mickey here I come! 

Houston, we have a problem!

9/18/2012 WOD:
50-40-30-20-10 reps
Burpees
Medicine Ball Sit-Ups (8 lb)
Time: 23:12

The workout looked so short and simple on the board. It was very misleading! Before the WOD got started I was purposefully trying not to do the math to see what the total number of reps was, but just a few minutes before the torture began a friend of mine blurted out that it was 150 reps. Ugh! I cried a little on the inside for half a second then told myself I have done 205 burpees at once before and that I would survive this one too!

Last night I was exhausted! After showering up, which was a workout in itself,  I planted my happy ass on the couch and got cozy for the remainder of the night. Surprisingly today the only thing mildly sore is my back between my shoulder blades. I blame the medicine ball. That bastard!

Next week is a free week at PDCF for anyone interested in seeing what CrossFit is all about. I sent out a few texts last night and might have some friends joining in on the fun! Though it is with much excitement and sadness that I will have to alter my usual routine next week and may miss out on some of the fun with the my friends.

Early next Thursday morning I'll be Disney bound for 5 days! And while I am THRILLED to be going to Disney and to be on vacation for a few days, I'm already working on some WODs I can do on my own at the hotel. I know I've joked that I may have a problem and could be addicted, but when it first crossed my mind to research workouts to do on my own I realized I really might have a problem. I suppose it's not a bad addiction and it could be much worse, but it's still a problem. I should be able to go to the happiest place on earth and totally forget about CrossFit. But I can't. I'm even already planning on getting back in there the Monday we drive back so continue with my squat progression just because I don't want to get behind! (read: HELP ME!)

At this point with next week being free and the possibility of friends being around, I am planning on going Monday-Wednesday and will have a back-up WOD on hand in case I'm feeling froggy down in Orlando for Friday morning before we hit the parks. Oh yeah, there is a silly little run I'm registered for Saturday night too. Just a little ten-miler that I am in no way prepared for!

What is wrong with me!?!?!

While I'm sure this fabulous trip will provide me with a few firsts and new experiences I cannot anticipate, I am planning on taking on two little experiments during this vacation.

First, a couple months back I bought some yarn and needles with the intention of taking up the hobby of knitting. It never happened. I never even got started. With 14+ hours in the car looming over me, I'm going to attempt to knit a scarf on the way down and back. It might not be a wearable scarf, but dammit it will be a scarf!

Second, through a very sarcastic and smart-ass remark said to me by a friend, I decided that I was going to purchase and wear mouse-ears the entire time I'm in the parks. On every trip to Disney that I can recall, I have left with a souvenir pair of ears, but always on the way out. I don't think I've ever actually worn them for more than an hour after purchasing them, let alone in the parks. I always feel the 'Disney magic' when I'm there, even as an adult, but I'm curious if this experiment will make it more magical or if I'll just feel like a moron wearing a silly hat!

Expect a full report upon my return. And maybe some embarrassing photos!

It hurts to type

I'll start this off by getting my WOD over with, which is exactly how I feel when I'm doing it.

7/17/2012 WOD:

Sled push, 165 lbs: 14 yards

Metcon: For time

100 sit-ups

40 goblet squats (18 lb)

50 burpees

40 goblet squats (18 lb)

100 sit-ups

Time: 19:06

To say that today's WOD sucked is an understatement. I was really anxious about the sled push because we didn't have a choice on the weight, all women did 165 lbs. I was pretty sure I wouldn't move it, but decided if I could that 10 yards was my goal. As far as the metcon, I'm still not totally sure how I finished it, especially in under 20 minutes. All I know is that everything between my neck and shoulders is completely fatigued. And yet a little part of me is looking forward to what Thursday's class holds. 

The best part of tonight was when I finished an my trainer friend came over and said to me, "You said you couldn't do it. Bullshit" He was right. I didn't think I could move the sled. I didn't think I could survive 200 sit-ups, but I did. 

I'm going to back track again to my handy dandy list of things I did for the first time before I started this little thing. Today's topic: going out on the town in Charleston. 

Having grown up in South Carolina, I've been to Charleston plenty of times. I even went a few weeks ago on a whim to see a band play and drove right back so I could be at work bright and early the next morning. So visiting that fabulous city is not new to me whatsoever. However, going down for the night with the sole purpose of getting dressed up and going to bars and clubs, that's brand spanking new! 

Anyone who knows me knows I'm pretty quiet, not one who dances in public, and not one eager to go bar hopping since I don't drink. So getting all dressed up, putting on my most comfortable heels (they don't exist) and going bar hopping looking for the best music to move to was totally new to me. It's not that it was something I never wanted to do, we just don't have the best locations in my city and going to Charleston for the night didn't really cross my mind. 

Verdict: It was a blast and next time I'll choose better footwear. The group got split up after dinner at Hōm and we ended up at a tiny bar/club called Torch. The atmosphere was good, the music was a little more techy than I think most of us wanted, and the mix of people were a bit odd, but overall I was pretty disappointed when it was time to leave. I wasn't taking over the dance floor, but I danced a tiny bit with my group of friends and loved every second of it. One of the girls who went with us is a student at College of Charleston so we're already making plans to go back in the fall to visit and go out again. And I'm ready to count the days! I'm working on my confidence for next time to dance a little more. 

Third Annual Camping Trip

After three fabulous fun-filled days in the woods, I'm back indoors with my pups. I'm not the most outdoorsy girl in the world, but I do love our annual camping trip and I'm beyond thrilled that with the circumstances this year it still took place.

As I just mentioned this was my third year in a row heading up to Lazy J's campground in Rosman, NC, where we usually do the same activities of playing in the river that runs along our camp site, hiking to Rainbow Falls and Turtle back, and eating way too much junk food. So how might I have done something for the first time on this trip I've taken three years in a row? Let me elaborate.

Camping Solo
I've never gone camping 'on my own.' I've either gone with my parents when I was younger or with my husband. This year, I was responsible only for myself and didn't have anyone else there to partner up with for activities. Sure, there were ten of us total and anyone would have happily helped me with anything I needed, but I didn't have that one person that was my go-to. And not once did I feel singled out for being 'single.' Verdict: I'd camp solo any day.  Sure it sounds selfish and I enjoy camping as a team, but I really relished in doing what I wanted and only having to think about me for a change.

The Tent
For some setting up a tent can be a difficult task. I'm not that person. Read the directions, make sure all the necessary parts are there and it's a breeze. However, I've never had to set up my extravagant 4-person tent on my own before. I usually get cast as the direction-reader and part-giver-outer. Not this time, I got to do it all! And little ol' me did it all on my own. In addition to setting it up on my own, I got to enjoy the spaciousness all alone too. A tiny bit of me was a little anxious it would feel totally empty and the scary noises in the woods and granddaddy long-leg silhouettes would keep me up at night. Verdict: No matter the size, tent assembly (and disassembly) is pretty easy without assistance and there's no one to bicker with. Torrential downpours, weird noises, and bugs aside, sleeping alone was a breeze! I've actually never slept better on a camping trip than I did this year. 

Wade in the Water
The French Broad River runs right along Lazy J's campground which is the main reason I don't even consider going anywhere else to camp. No matter what anyone else is doing, it's always perfectly acceptable to walk about 5 feet from the campfire and wade in the water. It's even more acceptable to pick up the river rocks and throw them near others who are wading thus splashing water in their face. I find it very difficult to accurately describe how amazingly perfect the river water is at Lazy J's, but here's a pretty good visual. It's crystal clear and the perfect temperature.

So back to the theme, what could possibly be new related to this river that I've camped next to for three years running?

First, they've been getting lots of rain so the water is at least a foot higher than normal. Because of that we were able to rent tubes and float down through the grounds without having to stand up and walk over the rocks this year.

Second, a short walk north of our camp site is a pretty great swimming hole and rope swing.  A bit of water I've never been in before. Guess who was in it this year? Guess who jumped off the rock pictured below and swam across to the swing? Guess who climbed up the set of super sketchy shaky rocks and lept off the rope swing? If you guessed me, you win a prize! It took some convincing for me to swing of the rocks, but all I could think was it's not something I would normally do, I have three people here all cheering me on who have my best interest at heart and why not?

Third, every year on our trip we make the drive to Gorges State Park and hike to Rainbow Falls then on to Turtleback. Other than the amazing scenery and views, we mostly make the hike for everyone to slide off Turtleback. It looks something like this:

I've never slid down Turtleback. I have the irrational fear that I'll freak out right before I go over and throw my head back thus causing me to black out, float past the huge boulders and plumet to my death over Rainbow falls below. I know, I'm crazy! This year I was coerced into a binding pinky-promise that I would go over. However, because fo the aforementioned heavy rainy season and rising waters, Turtleback was deemed suicidal. 

Verdicts: Tubing was a blast and I was thrilled the water a bit higher this year at the campground so we could enjoy it. Happy doesn't begin to describe the feeling I felt after swinging out over the water on the rope from the shaky rocks. I was so proud of myself for climbing up there (with assistance of course) and doing it even though I was scared and shaking! And while I didn't get the chance this year to go down Turtleback for the first time, seeing how much of a difference a few days rain makes was absolutely astounding. Seeing the power of the water and knowing if anyone went in we'd never speak to them again definitely gave you something to think about. 

I'm sure there is plenty of other things I'm leaving out about this weekend as well, but my brain is still a bit fuzzy from the windy mountain roads. All in all, it was wonderfully relaxing weekend with great friends and I hope we're still able to do it again next year. 

**I didn't play photographer this weekend and don't have copies of this years adventures just yet. All the pictures above are from last year's trip. As soon as I get my mitts on a picture of Turtleback and Rainbow from this year I'll add one from comparison purposes. **