one on one: day twenty-seven

Today was the day for PR's! I woke up this morning to learn that the CFST WOD for the day was the CrossFit Football Total. Because I knew I wasn't going to be able to go back tonight for a regular WOD after my session with Joon, I was hoping that was what he would have me do. And it was! The last time I did this was back in July in a session with Joon. My total was 580, and I PR'd in two movements that day, and totally failed miserably in my Deadlifts even though that is typically my strong movement. Today I am happy to say I did much better and even increased my total by 85 points. Here's what I did:

Old CrossFit Football Total:
Power Clean- 110#
Back Squat- 175#
Bench Press- 100#
Deadlift- 195#
Total= 580

Today's CrossFit Football Total:
Power Clean- 115#
Back Squat- 200# (25# PR)
Bench Press- 105# (5# PR)
Deadlift- 245# (10# PR)
Total= 665

So needless to say I am quite happy with my numbers. I have improved them since the last time and even surprised myself in a couple of my movements. The disappointing one is the Power Clean. I know I can lift heavier but I keep doubting myself. It's quite frustrating but Joon has given me great pep talks and is a great encourager, I will get passed this.

This photo was taken from Pinterest.

summer smash crossfit competition reflection

If you've been keeping up with this blog than you already know that I competed this past Sunday, if not, well now you know. Being my first CrossFit competition you can imagine I went through an array of thoughts and emotions during the process. Naturally I was quite nervous leading up to the day, in fact it didn't really hit me until the day before. The morning of was hard to eat breakfast without feeling nauseous. What I was so nervous about I'm not entirely sure but knowing myself, I was probably more afraid of falling or doing something wrong in front of all the people that would be there watching and cheering us on. Because if you know me, you know that it is quite possible that I would accomplish something like that. And no, nothing of the sort happened. My nerves completely diminished the minute Megan, the gracious lady who put this competition together, went over the standards of the first WOD. Suddenly it was like I was back at CrossFit Stumptown and we were just going over the WOD that we would be embarking on. Oh, and allow me to add that the entire competition took place outside. They had the road closed off for the day and set everything up outside where there would be more room and the people walking by for the Hawthorne Street Fair could stop and watch. I didn't prepare for it being outdoors and working out under the hot sun all day, but it was a new challenge that I was forced to deal with. I competed in the Women's Scaled Division with only five other women. Here is my breakdown of thoughts on each WOD that day.

WOD #1:
     AMRAP in 15 minutes of:
     1 Power Clean 65#
     2 Over the Bar Burpee
     200m Run (which actually turned out to be 2 back and forth sprints)
     2 Power Clean 65#
     4 Over the Bar Burpee
     200m Run
     4 Power Clean 65#
     8 Over the Bar Burpee
     200m Run
     ETC ETC.
This WOD was awful. It was awful before I had even started, awful even days prior to the competition. I already knew that this WOD would be the one that I would do the worse in. First of all, running is just not something that comes to me naturally. Sure I can run, but I am not efficient at it. I don't stride well and I don't breathe correctly. This is something Joon and Tony have been working with me on. I'm still a work in progress. Anyhow, adding running AND burpees in the same WOD is like a death sentence for my lungs. I prepared in advanced and made sure to use my inhaler beforehand, and planned on just pacing myself during the run. What I didn't factor in was the HOT weather. The power cleans were of no issue, the weight is light for me and so breezing through those were a piece of cake. The burpees got hard fast with the sun beating down on my and trying to breathe over the hot black mats. In the very first sprint I took off way too fast and burned myself out almost immediately! Rookie mistake #1! Needless to say, I came in last in this event.

WOD #2 & #3:
     Establish 1RM of Overhead Squat in 8 minutes, then rest 2 minutes and in 20 minutes complete:
     500m Row
     10 HRPU (hand release push-ups)
     20 Step-ups on 20" box
     30 KB Swings 25#
     40 Sit-ups
     100 Double Unders OR 300 Singles
     40 Sit-ups
     30 KB Swings 25#
     20 Step-ups
     10 HRPU
Ok let me begin with the overhead squat, my weakest of bar movements. I only established a new 1RM on this four days prior to the competition, from 65# to 95#. My goal was to get 90# on competition day, and maybe shoot for 95#. But as I was warned by Joon, the adrenaline will push you to go all out. And so after nailing 70#, 85#, and 90# I decided to get a little crazy and go for 100#. I failed the first two tries and even called good after that. But when 90 seconds was announced as all that was left, I decided to give it one more go and NAILED it! In a matter of one week I PR'd the OHS by 35#. How does this still surprise me? I have no clue. I placed 4th in WOD #2. The 500m row was a part of the 20 minute time cap but was scored separately. I came in 2nd place with the row at 2:06. For the rest of WOD #3 I came in 5th place and I believe a part of me died out there on the asphalt that day. As much as I dreaded WOD #1, this one pretty much killed me. Rookie mistake #2 is not knowing how to do double unders yet, so I ended up wasting time doing 300 singles. You know what that means? I means I am learning how to do double unders ASAP. The rest of the WOD was hard mostly out of being tired. I'm not accustomed to pushing myself to continuously move without stopping for water or breathing breaks. I came close to not finishing it under the time cap, but I did. Thank goodness!

Final WOD:
     AMRAP in 3 minutes of:
     Shoulder to Overhead 65#
I chose to do push presses as I felt those were more efficient for me at such a light weight. Before beginning this WOD I felt that my shoulders felt pretty good, especially since everyone seemed to be complaining that their shoulders felt tired. But after about a minute of doing push presses I began feeling my shoulders burn like crazy. I pumped out as many push presses as quickly as I could go. I ended up getting 37 reps in 3 minutes. I placed 5th in this event.

Individually I did alright in most events, especially for it being my first time. I went into this competition wanting not to place last but after WOD #1 I came to terms that I would more than likely place last overall. And you know, I was surprisingly ok with this. I mean at least I signed up and knew I was giving my (almost) all. The end result was I placed 5th overall. This was a pleasant ending to my first competition. Now the bigger question is, what did I learn from this experience?

Well, I absolutely learned that I really need to learn to be a more efficient runner. So much so that I will begin taking Tony's running clinic Saturday mornings in September. I learned that I need to learn to do double unders. And the biggest lesson learned is to give myself enough credit. I am strong. I am capable.

This photo was taken from Pinterest.

one on one: day fourteen (bonus day)

This week of one on one training with Joon is slightly off. Instead of the normal Tuesday/Thursday sessions, we are doing Wednesday/Friday to accommodate my time off to allow my back to get better from my sacroiliac joint issue. But since work was a tad bit slow today, I got off early and had an impromptu session with Joon to help prepare me for my competition this coming Sunday. I'm so blessed to be surrounded by people who want to see me succeed. I don't think I would feel confident enough to even consider competing if I didn't have the support that I at home and CrossFit Stumptown. So this is what we did:

Warm-up: 3 min Row
5 Sets (2 min rest in between each set) of:
     2 Power Cleans (75#)
     4 Athletic Burpees
     10 Cal Airdyne

Sculpting:
     3 x 5-7 Dumbbell Presses
     3 x 5-7 Tricep Extension
     5 x 5 Five Sec Elevated Plank Hold, 1 Push-up

It was a short and sweet session but it sure has me feeling my arms more than I have in a long time. Feels good actually. I surprised myself with the Airdyne today and pushed myself harder towards the end, even when my quads were burning like crazy and I felt tired as hell. I worked really hard on focusing on breathing properly to limit my panic breathing. Give me something heavy to lift and I will probably do it, but ask me to breathe normally and I just can't quite get it done right. Baby steps.

This photo was taken from Pinterest.

one on one: day eleven

I woke up this morning feeling very unmotivated and a very full bladder. Needing to pee was really the only thing that helped me crawl out of bed. I may have gone to bed a tad bit too late last night, but compared to other times it wasn't that bad. I feel like I am battling myself to get decent sleep. Maybe I really should focus getting to bed earlier but honestly that is flat out impossible if I still want to go to CrossFit. So I must muscle through this as my schedule will not remain this way forever... thankfully. After last weeks sessions I was curious to see what Joon would throw at me today, and of course we had some skipping, rowing, and the always hated burpees. Here is what I did:

Warm-up: 500m Row
Extended Warm-up:
     x2
     50m High Knees
     50m High Skips
     50m Carioca (both ways)
     50m Side Shuffle (both ways, holding 15# bumper plate)

3 x 5:
     Squat Therapy (hands up, hands down, hands up)

5 x 2:
     Spiderman Twist

3 x 10:
     Reverse Hyperextension
     Hyperextension

5 x 3:
     Back Squat @ 135# (no pause or rest within each set)

5 x 2:
     Power Clean Pull
     Hold 5 Seconds in Hang Clean Position
     Hang Clean
(sets 1 & 2 @ 65#, set 3 @ 75#, set 4 @ 85#, and set 5 @ 90#)

10 x 2:
     Power Cleans @ 90#

5 Rounds For Time:
     100m Row
      5 Jump Over Burpees
     (completed in 8 minutes)

I always feel so accomplished after my sessions with Joon. It's not like I never push myself during a regular WOD but somehow he just knows what to get me to do to go further without even realizing it. I play such mental games with myself and it often keeps me from being able to lift a heavier weight that we know I can do. Little by little though I've been pushing through it and doing it, what a great feeling. I am really proud of myself.

There is a competition happening this month at CrossFit Hawthorne and Joon thinks Aaron and I should do it. I don't think Aaron has any interest though I think he should do it! I, on the other hand, am really interested in giving it a go but think a lack of funds will keep me from participating. What a bummer but I am sure there will be others down the road. I'll just keep working on myself so that I will be ready for one when the time comes!

This photo was taken from Pinterest.

one on one: day seven

If you read my previous posting than you know the heartache I am going through. I know that I am someone who can easily fall into a dark place and close everyone off. As hard as it is to simply get up and move I forced myself to do so. So today I went and had my one on one session with Joon to help work out some anger and frustration. It most certainly helped to let some pent up emotion out in a way that will benefit me in the long run and makes me feel better. Today we did the following:

Warm-Up: 500m Row
Extended Warm-Up:
     4 x 50m Skip
     4 x 50m Athletic Burpee Sprint
     4 x 10 DB Clean (speed)

Rest 5 minutes

CrossFit Football Total - 1RM
Power Clean
Back Squat
Bench Press
Deadlift
My total = 580

So my old Power Clean 1 rep max was 105# that I achieved back in March, today I got 110#. I did try for 115# but mentally I was being challenged. My old Back Squat 1 rep max was 140# that I achieved last September, today I got 175#. I went for 185# but once I got to the bottom of the squat I wasn't coming back up. It's still a 30# PR! My old Bench Press was 85# that I achieved in February, today I got 100#. And the funny story on this one was my kicking out my leg from the floor to help me push that 100# up. Joon doesn't know how I did that with a flailing leg but I did. And lastly, my old Deadlift 1 rep max is 225# that I achieved last January. Today I was only able to muster 195#. It wasn't without trying but by then I was taxed out.

I am happy with my achievements today and look forward to doing this one again to see where I end up!

Photo taken from Pinterest.

one on one: day two

Let me begin this posting with an update on my health scare. This past Monday I posted about my Sunday evening trip to the ER with stomach pain. They had figured it wasn't my gallbladder or kidneys causing the pain and figured it was either an ulcer or acid reflux. Little did I know that later that evening I would end up back in the ER with even worse pain than the previous night. This time the doctor ordered an ultrasound to check my gallbladder and surrounding organs. They gave me another GI cocktail which didn't give me the immediate relief as the previous night. It did help reduce my pain to about a 5 but I was still dealing with the waves of pain, as well as nausea and back pain. So my gallbladder, kidney, pancreas, and liver was check out and all of them checked out fine. Still no definite answer but this time I left the ER with an RX for some pain meds. It's now been 4 days since my first ER visit and I can say I have had 3 full days of no pain. I am still taking the meds as I was told to and am trying to get in to see my PCP to get checked further, but I am thankful that I am no longer experiencing that god awful pain anymore.

Because I was still recovering this past Tuesday from Monday nights trip to the ER, I did not make my appointment with Joon for my official "day two" session. So technically this would be my day three, but well I won't really count it! Joon thoroughly kicked my arse today, and it probably wasn't fully intentional but he definitely proved to me how quickly I experience muscle fatigue. We worked on some plyometric movements and strength. Today's session most certainly was hard but felt really good. So here is what we did.

Warm-up: 500m row
Extended Warm-up:
     10 Shoulder Shrugs
     10 Cleans
     10 Strict Presses
     10 GHD Back Extensions (this was intimidating and hard for me- did not do full ROM)

3x: Athletic Burpees x3
      Jumping Lunges x6
      Plyo Side Lunges 20sec

4x4: Front Squat 65#
2x4: Power Clean 65#
3x3x3: Push Jerk 65#

5x for time: 
     100m row (26/23/22/22/21 sec)
     30 sec rest
     Medicine Ball Slams x10
     1 min rest
= 11:08

The GHD back extensions were challenging for me. First I had to get comfortable with the idea of lowering my upper body down and trusting that I wasn't going to fall. Once I got over that, well better at it, I found I couldn't even lower myself down very low before my hamstrings began to yell at me with such force. Those sucked! But the hardest thing I did today was the burpees, lunges, and side lunges routine. I had to keep moving without stopping and this is where I experienced my muscle fatigue. Primarily during the side lunges as I kept going my legs would give out on me and I was struggling lifting them up onto the platform. A couple of times I came close to tripping over myself. It's frustrating to want to push through but your body won't cooperate. I can not wait for the day that I get beyond this quick fatigue and can go for longer. The lifts were comfortable, didn't go super heavy, focused on technique. Front squats have been a challenge for a long time and I am just now getting better at them and increasing weight! And the last part of our time was fun and I worked hard on just pushing through the suck. With every round I improved my time on the 100m row, which I have to admit was unexpected. The medicine ball slams were also a challenge, but I did them and that is all I have to say about that.

I am officially tired and sore. Tomorrow is a holiday and I do not have to work- yay! There is only one WOD tomorrow at CFST but I think I will pass on the WOD and enjoy sleeping in. I'm sure I will be plenty sore tomorrow. :)

This photo was taken from Pinterest.

personal record: push press

Tonight we had to work on our 1 rep max of shoulder to overhead, which can be a push press, or military (strict) press, or push jerk. I decided to work on my push press as my last PR was 80# and I knew I could do heavier. I used the rack tonight as I know my max clean is 95# and I wanted to work on a heavier push press. I ended up doing a 105# with more to spare. Ran out of time and didn't want to tire myself out before the WOD. I think I could've done 10# heavier. Next time!

The video captures me doing a 100# push press. 

personal record: power clean

It's not a big PR but nonetheless it's a new personal best. I went from a 90# clean to a 95# this evening. I did attempt to move up to 100# but I just wasn't feeling it this evening. I know I have it in me but after Monday and Tuesday's WOD's my back is feeling pretty sore. Safety first. :)