knocking down limits

This week has been one of mini triumphs for me, both in and out of the gym. I am one more step closer to finding out if I will be attending Concordia this coming January, I should receive news in the first week of December. This is an enormous step for me, as it is the beginning of a future that can hold many opportunities for me and I am so excited about this!

As for my successes in the gym this week, I have goals that I am trying to meet and have begun working on them when I have time to spare. I have been stuck on the wall walks, only able to walk my legs up but not my hands back. One evening I decided to start working on trying to walk my hands back, at first it was just a shimmy. The next evening I tried I actually moved my hands back a step or two. The third night I gave it a go I got even closer, but that is as far as I got. Fear of falling backwards has been plaguing my mind. I also need to work on walking back out, I've been panicking and just falling to the side. This may not sound like a big deal but after almost two years of CrossFitting and only now making this sort of progress is a big deal to me.

The second thing that I accomplished was, somewhat, kipping. We had a WOD this week that had pull-ups, and instead of doing ring rows like I have the last several months, I did banded kipping pull-ups. In all honesty I had no idea if I was doing it right or not, I just moved however I felt my body would move to get my chin above the bar. I no rep'd myself a few times but still hustled through the WOD. Afterwards I asked Coach Joon how to kip and he told me that I was already doing it. Then it all made sense!

Lastly, I accomplished something that I never thought I'd do, like ever! I did my very first handstand!!! There are a lot of things I was able to do as a child and somewhere along the way I lost it all, as many of us do. After seeing my first WOD with HSPU, I thought to myself that I will always be modifying that movement. This is partly my not having any faith in myself but also thinking I am not strong enough to hold myself up. Well it took a few tries but with Coach Tony's help I did it and it was amazing and scary all at the same time. I wanted to practice them again tonight but after the FYF WOD, I felt far too beat up to even attempt it. I'll get back to it on Monday.

Tonight was also a triumphant night for me. I fought really hard, mentally, to keep moving through the suck. My quads were constantly on fire and my low back was flat out tired. And this wasn't even the hard part, the AirFit just about killed everyone. Naturally I am exaggerating here but when you do something that leaves you completely uncomfortable no matter what position you lay, sit, stand, or walk, you know it was a bad one! For this portion of the WOD we had to do 3 rounds for time, as fast as you can on the AirFit, 20 calories for the ladies and 30 calories for gents. I am impressed myself tonight by getting incredible times, times that blows all of my past times out of the water (23/32/39). All of my hard work with Joon is most certainly paying off. My biggest lesson this week and evening? That no matter what age or fitness level I am, I can knock down the limits I have set up for myself. I am able and I am willing.

This photo was taken from Pinterest.

joon, "f" you!

What?! I know what some of you may be thinking, but it's ok, Joon and I are in good terms. Today at Stumptown it is Fuck You Friday (FYF). It's a WOD that is on crack, and we push ourselves more than we normally would. After my session with Joon earlier today, he commented that if I came back in the evening to join my gym mates for the FYF WOD, I wouldn't be doing it. He had something different for me. Oh but what could that be?! So naturally, I went back and he introduced me to FYJ...

SkiErg, 100m Sprints, 10x (with 90 sec rest):
1) 23.3
2) 24.5
3) 23.4
4) 23.4
5) 23.7
6) 24.1
7) 24.7
8) 25.1
9) 24.9
10) 24.3

Not bad, I stayed fairly consistent but it absolutely sucked. By the end of the 10th round my arms were already feeling sore. At this Joon laughed and said, "wait until tomorrow." So again Joon, "F" you!

This photo was taken from Pinterest.

one on one: day twenty-two

So Coach Tony, owner of CrossFit Stumptown, went to work on his Gym Jones certification a few weeks ago in Utah (I think that's where). While there, he learned a few things and decided to begin implementing them at his gym. Now I can not remember if I ever mentioned what Gym Jones is, but here's my take on it... it's CrossFit on CRACK! Seriously guys, it's crazy shit! Anyway, Tony came back inspired and ordered a SkiErg to add to his arsenal of torture devices (but in all honesty it's really not that bad) and has turned our Friday WODs into F.Y.F. WODs (F You Friday). His goal was to get all his members to do the Triathlon, which consists of 500m on the SkiErg, 50 calories on the AirFit, and 500m on the Rower. Last Friday was the moment of truth and I didn't show up! Actually, I had been going straight for 2 weeks of working out and was planning on taking a scheduled rest day. Though I knew neither Tony or Joon would allow myself (and Aaron) to sneak by this one. So for today's session with Joon, can you guess what he had me do? Yea. I think he's a tad bit sadistic. So here's the details:

Warm-up: Casual 500m Row
Practice on SkiErg

Triathlon:
500m SkiErg 2:14
50 Calories AirFit 4:13
500m Row 2:10
Overall Time: 9:05

To have an idea of what it looks like, click here to see a Gym Jones demo of the Triathlon. You are timed in each individual machine but as well as a total time. Your final time is total time (which includes transitions). So how did I feel afterwards? Oh man, I don't know if there are actually words to describe it. I had been hearing for the last few days the different experiences from many of my gym mates. Some that barfed, some who couldn't get off of the floor for about 30 minutes, to asthma attacks, and even coughing that lasts a day. This is meant to test you, you are to go as hard as you can without stopping.

I am not going to lie, this was hard. During the AirFit I wanted to give up, and I would've if it weren't for Joon and the ladies there rooting me on. The SkiErg isn't all that bad actually, I think it's just getting the technique down and knowing how and when to slow down. I was controlling my breathing and trying to stay consistent with my speed. (I did use my inhaler prior to starting this.) Moving to the AirFit is when the dread set in, if you haven't already picked up on it I hate that thing. I never look forward to using it and don't think I will ever be accepting of it. You are suppose to go real hard on this but from the get-go I couldn't, my quads were already burning from the SkiErg. The key is to not look at the screen, look down and push yourself. My hair was making me feel suffocated and my quads were yelling at me. By this point I began to get pissed, not at anyone but at this machine and at whomever came up with the Triathlon. I know I began yelling at the machine and swearing at it. The girls around me began laughing, but I was genuinely upset at it. Getting off of it was a bit challenging my I could have easily just collapsed to the floor, but I hurriedly made my way to the Rower and they tied my feet in and got me going. I know I stopped rowing a few times because my legs and arms were burning, and breathing became such a chore for me. But alas, as always I completed it. I literally rolled out of the Rower onto the floor moving about like a fish out of water. I couldn't focus in on any one discomfort, everything was yelling at me. I didn't barf and I didn't cry. It didn't make me sick like others and I am not experiencing any awful coughs. But the thing that it most certainly did was tax my nervous system. My arms and hands took a while to stop shaking. My mind felt foggy and confused for a bit too. I giggled a lot, but not at anything, I think it was like a side effect- like I was drunk.

What did I learn from this? That I absolutely without a doubt hate the AirFit. That I am capable of pushing myself. That I could have done better. That I am getting better at this stuff. And that I never ever want to do this again, EVER!

This photo was taken from Pinterest.