Some big news & my weekly workout recap (am I there yet?!)

Happy Saturday!

Let me be the first to say that I am SO GLAD this week is over.

Not that I’m thrilled that Christmas is in 5 days and a wakeup (why do I still have more shopping to do?!?!) but holy cow, Monday through Friday was tough.

And I even had Thursday off!

Which was nice because I got some mother/daughter with Thing 2.

Who chose this week (the week before Christmas, of all weeks!) to move out. Into her own apartment.

Across the street. 🙂

So, yes, we’ve become empty nesters (unless you count the 5(!) four-legged babies I have) but she’s not far. I can see the building from my front door. I think I’d be breaking down a whole lot more if she was farther away.

I mean, I knew it was going to happen eventually – for some reason, you can’t stop a kid from growing up – but I guess you can’t ever really prepare yourself for that.

In other big news, I’m embarking on a new journey.

I’m headed back to school to become a Registered Dietician!

There isn’t a school local to me so I’m studying on-line. I’ve been accepted into Eastern Michigan University and start all my undergrad prerequisites in January. Unfortunately, I have to do all the biology and chemistry classes because I didn’t get any of those in my first go around. Such is the plight of a liberal arts major! But, that’s okay. And, I’m really excited!

Once I get all the prerequisites done, I still have to apply to the Dietetics program. If Once I’m accepted (positive thoughts, right?), then I’ll start the official 2 year program to my dietetics degree. I’ll have my application submitted by January 2016 and, if accepted, will start the program in the Fall of 2016.

It’s going to be a busy few years! But, totally worth it because I’m finally taking the steps to something I’m passionate about. 🙂

So, in even MORE news, I got the results of my bone density scan that I had last week.

I have lovely strong bones! There’s no sign of osteopenia or osteoporosis. HOORAY!

I was really pretty worried about it. I had myself all kinds of stressed out and all I could think about was how unfair it would be, how I would probably never run again, and how my CrossFit life would have to change – no more jumping or anything that might be a jarring movement.

Thank goodness I don’t have to worry about that!

I do, however, have very low estrogen levels.  Like post-menopausal low.

Oops, probably should have given you a TMI warning. 🙂

Unfortunately, early menopause CAN be a risk factor for osteoporosis so this is something I need to get figured out. My doctor has put in a referral for me to see an endocrinologist and I’m just waiting for all the hoops to be jumped through. Luckily, where menopause is concerned, modern medicine is pretty on-target for taking care of women. 🙂

Okay, and NOW it’s finally time for my workout recap. Gosh, took me long enough to get there, didn’t it?!

I’ll be honest – I’ll be happy when I’m out of that boot. I go back on January 5th for more x-rays and a status check.  I don’t imagine she’ll take me out of the boot on that day but I’ve got my fingers crossed! I’m just happy to know that I’ll be able to run again. 🙂

Monday

 We started off by working up to our 5 rep max strict press.

I got 65# successfully. Tried 70# but failed on the 5th rep.

Then, the WOD. Death by 10m is a running WOD. Run 10m in the first minute and rest the remainder of the minute, run 20m in the second minute and rest, run 30m in the third minute and rest, 40m fourth minute, 50m fifth minute, etc.

Of course, I’m not running so I rowed. One legged, of course. #beastmode

We got to the 18th minute and the last two runners didn’t finish and Coach called time.

Except, he forgot about ME on the other side of the room and I wasn’t done yet. I still had like 10 seconds left so I could have done the 19th minute. Maybe even the 20th! Oh well. It was pretty funny, actually. He felt like such a turd. Ha! And besides, I was pretty spent so it was probably a good time to stop anyway. I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get up after all that one-legged rowing so I just sat there for a few minutes. 🙂

 Tuesday

I was kinda excited about finding my 1RM power clean. Even in the boot!

Last week, I PR’d my 1RM squat clean so I knew I would PR the power clean – I just didn’t know by how much!

My previous 1RM was 95#. I know I’ve gained a lot of strength since then. The only thing is, because of the boot, I get a little nervous powering through my hips because I can’t control my left foot. The boot rocks a little. 🙂 BUT, even with all that, I PR’d with 110#! I almost had 115# but I got nervous and didn’t trust myself enough. Next time. 🙂

For the WOD, I obviously didn’t do the rope climbs. Coach had me do double ring rows and sit-ups as a modification. So, instead of 9-6-3, it was 18 ring rows, 18 sit ups, 12 rows, 12 sit ups, 6 rows, 6 sit ups.

For the power cleans, I set up the bar at 75#. In retrospect, I probably should have gone with 80-85# but it’s so hard to judge how difficult a workout might be, especially wearing this boot. I knew I had pushed myself during the 1RM and I didn’t want to overdo it and set myself back. It’s all good though. I finished in 7:44.

Wednesday

I was treated to a beautiful sunset on my way to CrossFit. 🙂

Coach had us do a partner warm-up.

3 rounds of:

row while partner does 7 wall balls and 7 ring rows, then switch.

Let me tell you something – this boot makes wall balls an interesting event. Haha

The WOD was Cindy – a benchmark workout.

I was pretty excited about Cindy because, while I would probably modify the pushups (I can’t actually put the boot down in pushup position – I usually set it on the back of my right leg so, essentially, one-legged pushups), I didn’t have to sub anything!

I kipped all the pull-ups – no bands!, did knee pushups (I started off with strict pushups but knew that wasn’t going to last and I modified to knees after about 15), and, of course, air squats.

I finished 10 complete rounds.

Looking forward to doing that again once I’m out of the boot. 🙂

Thursday

rest day!

I needed it. Holy upper body soreness!

Friday

We warmed up with some GHD hip and back extensions, GHD situps, GHD back extensions, and ring rows.

My stupid boot won’t fit in the GHD so I did 15 super mans, 15 hollow rocks, 15 sit-ups, and 15 ring rows.

Then, we set up for the WOD.

The Rx weight for ladies was 210# but, that’s probably my 1RM (haven’t tried in a while) so I knew that wasn’t going to happen for the WOD. I set my bar up with 145#.

I don’t have bar muscle ups yet (2015 goal!!!) so I modified with pull-ups and ring dips, 1 for each bar muscle up.

Our box has a shortage of red bands so I had to use a purple band for the ring dips. I actually need the red band because the purple makes them too easy for me no matter how loose I try to make the tension. Another goal for 2015? Strict ring dips so I don’t have to worry about the stupid red band!

I finished in 9:44.

Saturday

Shopping, moving furniture, and cleaning. #functionalfitness 🙂

The YMCA that we belong to has spin classes at 5:30am so I may start adding in a spin class or 2 each week. I’m also considering switching up my schedule to CrossFit on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday rather than Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday.  I also need to start adding something in on Saturday – maybe an easy go on the elliptical? Gosh, I can’t wait until I can run again.

Talk to me: What did your week of workouts look like? Did you set any PR’s? Do anything new? What are your fitness goals for 2015?

– jennifer

50k training – week 6 recap

Hello!

So, week 6 of my training is in the books!

It was definitely a tough week and I’m looking forward to scaling back a little next week. I’ve actually got a middle of the week rest day next week!

Anyway, here’s how it all went down.

MONDAY

Monday morning sunrise at the track!

Speed work at the track. I had 2 x 1200m (3/4 mile) in 5:27 and 4 x 800m (1/2 mile) in 3:34 to do. Apparently, the geese had a party at the track this past weekend because there was goose poop EVERYWHERE!! Gross!

I warmed up with a slow mile and got to work. My 1200m times were 5:21 and 5:27. Not too bad. Especially since I was dodging goose poop. Seriously, there were spots on the track that were just covered so I was kinda weaving around them. Ugh. But, at least I wasn’t dodging the actual geese like I was last Monday!

My 800m times were 3:26, 3:31, 3:34, 3:40. I finished 2 and was tired but kept on pushing. The last 2 were definitely tough. It was a little muggy – we’re supposed to get thunderstorms today – and I felt a little like I was running through water. Blech. Also, I’m not sure what it was but I felt a little something in my left hip. You know, the one that was injured before? I didn’t feel a strain or a pull or anything like that – I was just kind of aware of it, if that makes any sense. That’s why my 4^th 800m was off the mark. It took almost a full lap before I stopped feeling it. I’m not really sure what’s going on but I’m definitely going to be paying attention to it. I don’t want an injury. Not one little bit.

TUESDAY

6pm CrossFit, no running.

I was really looking forward to tonight’s workout. Coach sends out a newsletter each Sunday with the WODs for the week so we can (plan to skip on days that suck) prepare for the week. Tonight was 3×5 deadlifts and then Tabata row. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect for the Tabata workout – I know what Tabata is but there weren’t specified rounds or time listed.

For the deadlifts, I did a staggered warm-up with 65#, 105#, and 125#. Then, I got down to business. My weights were 155#, 165#, and 175#. Whoop! Since they were 5 reps each round, those are all PRs for me. I might have been able to go a little higher (maybe 185#) but I really wanted good, solid form and I definitely got that. I was pleased with that! Of course, one of the other girls in my group is wicked strong and her top was 225#! She made it look so easy that she darn near had me convinced that I could do it!

The Tabata row turned out to be a 4 minute activity, rowing for calories. Tabata is 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest. That ended up being 8 rounds. Because we were doing such short bursts, we pushed the resistance level up past where we would normally sit for a longer row. I ended up knocking out 47 calories! Some of the guys were up in the 70s – that’s crazy!

WEDNESDAY

Tempo run! I had 5 miles at 8:12 pace on my schedule. Which, honestly, I thought was a little weird. No prescribed warm up and cool down? Guess that was up to me? So, I did some warm up in my driveway (high knees, leg swings, squats, quad stretches, Samson stretch, etc.) and headed down the road.

Okay, is it just me or is everybody a little sad that the sunrise is starting to get later and later? I’m not ready yet! Don’t get me wrong, I love fall temperatures but I was kind of enjoying watching the sunrise on my morning tempo runs. Now, the sun is still technically “in bed” by the time I’m done. Sigh.

So, I didn’t make my pace for the first mile – ran it in 8:42 – but I guess I needed a little more warm up than I thought. The next 4 miles were 8:10, 7:51, 7:57, and 8:12. I finished it off with about a quarter mile cool down just to get back to my house. Phew, those sub-8:00 miles were quick! And unnecessary! I try not to look at my watch all the time because I don’t want to focus on the “how much I have left” part of a run but clearly, I need to pay more attention to my pace. The final mile at 8:12 felt much harder than it really needed to because I had ran too fast on the 2 miles before it. Bah!

Me and my stubby little pigtails. lol

6pm CrossFit – Barbara – holy Hell.

And that’s supposed to be a benchmark workout?!?! Yikes!

Coach said we should only take about 45 minutes to complete the workout and if we thought we were going to need 50 minutes or more, that we should scale down to 4 rounds or wherever we were at that time.

For the pull ups, I kipped the first two rounds. The bar was so sticky! I’m used to sweating so much that I slide right off but not tonight. I grabbed chalk to help prevent me from ripping because I was stuck to the bar but chalk can also dry up excess moisture and make you stick to the bar. Double edged sword! Anyway, in round 3 I went to the purple band for my pull ups because my right hand was threatening to rip and I didn’t want that.

I scaled each and every push up down to my knees. I was really working on form – keeping my elbows in rather than out – and I knew doing 120-150 push ups was going to hurt. The girl next to me used a band to help keep her elbows in. I may have to start doing that!

I had no problems with the sit ups or the air squats. There were just so many of them!

I finished 4 rounds in 42:08 and stopped there. We had mandatory 3 minute rest between rounds which would put me at 45:00 and I knew I wasn’t going to finish the 5^th round in 5 minutes to keep it under 50:00 total. Oof.

THURSDAY

6pm CrossFit, no running

Let me tell you something. Yesterday’s workout – Barbara? Yeah, she hurts. My pecs and my abs got progressively sore as the day went on. Oh my goodness. By the time I got to CrossFit, changing out of my work clothes was a little bit of a challenge. Haha!

So, we started off with finding our 1RM snatch. There were only 3 (!) of us in class tonight – guess I wasn’t the only one hurting but hey, I didn’t stay home! – and we had 30 minutes so I definitely had plenty of time to work on my form. I started with just the 35# bar and eventually added 10# for 45#. I’m definitely getting better with it but I still need work. I am not fluid going down into the squat with the weight over my head. I have a little bit of a pause but it’s far better than it used to be. Then, I took the weight up to 55# to see if I could do it and I couldn’t really. My OHS form was faltering a fair amount. Coach suggested I go back down in weight and work on my form. So, I did. I did plenty at 45#. 🙂

Then, the WOD was 15 minutes (for quality, not time) of 2 snatch, 5 strict toes to bar, 5 pistols (each leg).

You know what? Strict toes to bar are HARD and throw in the fact that my abs are sore from Barbara and they get even HARDER. Plus, my grip was shot from all the pull ups. Thank goodness it was only 5!!

I wasn’t counting rounds so I don’t know how many I ended up with. I talked with Coach afterward about my form on the snatch and he said I was doing pretty well – hitting below parallel each time and my form with holding the weight overhead was really good. I just need to work on my fluidity and flexibility. These are all good things!

FRIDAY

Rest Day. Thank God.

My pecs and abs are still really sore and I’m tired. And it’s raining. And, it’s supposed to rain/thunderstorm all weekend. Especially tomorrow morning. When I have a 20-miler on the schedule. I’ll run in the rain all day long but I don’t play with thunderstorms. At present, I’m honestly considering just bagging the run altogether and resting my body/hip/groin area. I have guilt, though.

SATURDAY

Well, I rested.

I debated all day and even into the night.

Even in the middle of the night at a 2am potty break (oh. sorry. TMI?), I was still arguing with myself about whether or not I should run.

Of course, it was POURING outside at that time so that helped me reiterate to myself that my decision was a good one.

It’s still early in my training and missing a training run, albeit a long one, isn’t going to kill me.  Running long and not allowing a potential injury to rest and recover might, though. Well, at least it would kill my running – not me literally. 🙂

So, that’s how it all ended up. And honestly, I slept until 7:30 this morning and I NEVER do that. Clearly, I needed the rest.

Now, it’s time to look forward to week 7!

Talk to me: How difficult is it for you to miss a scheduled training run? Do you argue with yourself or is that just me?

– jennifer