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 thirteen

Today was the first day I worked out since last Friday, we can thank my left sacroiliac joint for that. I have this issue with that area where it likes to get all out of shape and flare up on me. So after doing a lot of KB movements and Deadlifts, and being an idiot and not stretching out afterwards I woke up Saturday morning in awful pain. I couldn't sit or lay comfortable and forget bending or squatting in any way, shape, or form. By Monday I started to feel better and got adjusted, by Tuesday I was functioning better but waited to get back to the gym until today. On the way to CrossFit Stumptown for my session with Joon I found out that the second WOD in the Summer Smash Competition I am participating in this Sunday will be establishing your one rep max in Overhead Squats. UGH! I hate OHS!! Needless to say, this is what we worked on today and guess what? I PR'd!

Warm-up: 2000m Row
Extended Warm-Up:
     3 x 5 Goblet Squat
     3 x 20/10 Isometric Hold Back Extension
     Max Effort Isometric Hold: 27 seconds

Skill + Strength:
     Rack OHS Press Up 7 x 5 (65, 65, 75, 85, 95, 105, 110#)
     OHS #45 7 x 5
     5 Attempts 1RM OHS (65, 75, 85, 95, 95#)
   
So I went from having a 1RM of 65# from March to a 1RM of 95# today. I owe Joon so much for all his support and help. Between him and Aaron constantly telling me I am stronger than I think I am, I still don't grasp that concept. I am still quite surprised every time I accomplish something so heavy.

I can't wait for Sunday's competition and see how I perform. I am definitely nervous, but super excited about it.

This photo was taken from the competitions Facebook page.

one on one: day twelve

Typically my one on one sessions with Joon are Tuesday and Thursday every week, but this week we moved our Thursday session to Friday (today). This was probably a blessing in disguise actually because I woke up Thursday morning with an awful pain in my right knee. The night before I did a WOD that had lunges and pistol squats in them. Naturally my pistol squats were modified as it was my very first attempt at them, ever. Anyway, I don't know if it was the WOD itself or just a combination of things leading up to Thursday morning that was causing the knee pain. As soon as I made it to work I had to change my shoes as I began to limp slightly. When my boss, a chiropractor, got there I had him take a look at my knee. Now if I have never said this before, I'll say it now, he's an amazing chiropractor and I am so forever grateful not to only work for him but to be his patient. Ok ok, back to my knee, he checked it out and adjusted it. Apparently I managed to get my tibia to rotate medially at the proximal end and the fibula to set back and rotate laterally at the proximal end. Essentially this was a bad thing and most probably the cause of all of my discomfort. Thankfully though the adjustment was enough to help and I was walking like new. I intentionally decided to avoid all lunges and squats for the rest of the day.

So then today arrived and my knee felt great this morning. I felt pretty good, slept well finally and was curious to see what Joon would have me doing. And so this is what I did:

Warm-up: 500m Row
Extended Warm-Up:
     Row 6 x 100m (Sprint)
     -30 Seconds Active Rest-

KB Complex (25# for 5 Sets):
     5 Single Arm Swing- Left
     5 Double Arm Swing
     5 Single Arm Swing- Right
     5 KB Snatch- Right
     5 KB Snatch- Left

Work Up to a Heavy Deadlift: PR'd at 235#
Then,
     5 x 2 @ 80% of 1RM

AMRAP in 5 Minutes:
     5 Jump Squats
     10 KB Push Press
     15 Calories Airdyne

Let me just say that getting a PR on my Deadlift was freaking awesome! My last 1RM was 225# that I got last January and when I attempted to lift that again a few weeks ago, I couldn't get passed 195#. The rowing is getting easier too, I think whatever Joon has me doing is actually working. Imagine that! I hate KB but I can do them, I just hate that I always end up with sores and bruises on my wrists and/or shoulders. The airdyne though? I detest and there is absolutely NOTHING Joon can do to change my mind on that. I know it will help with my training but it's an awful piece of machinery!

I end this post with some exciting news, which many of you will already know. Today I officially signed up for my very first official CrossFit competition. I will compete next to many of my CrossFit Stumptown gym mates on the 17th of this month. I am both nervous and excited and am eager to see how I do. Naturally I want to win, but I will be happy not coming in last! :) I will keep you posted on how I do at the competition!

Photo 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.

losing touch

Recently I got a phone call from my grandfathers wife telling me that basically my grandfather isn't very happy with me. I don't blame him actually. He's hurt that I rarely call and stay in touch with him, and when I do reach out I usually have something to complain about. Not going to lie, hearing the truth stung hard but I needed to hear it. This is what I love about her, she gives it to you straight. It's not that I don't love my grandfather or care about him, I do. I miss him immensely actually and think of him quite often. I have no good excuse to give. But this experience made me realize how much I rely on texting and social media to stay connected with family and friends. We always see that article floating around about this very subject, or it mentioned on 60 minutes. The truth is the vast majority of us have lost touch with our loved ones. We rely on status updates to know what's going on in someones life.

So I have been thinking about this all week and this weekend really hit it home for me. You see, I am blessed with having so many wonderful people in my life. But unfortunately, I don't get to see very many of these wonderful people very often. This makes me sad. I realize that for many of these people I truly do not know what is going on in their lives except for what they may post on Instagram, or Facebook, or etc etc. That is when I noticed while glancing at Facebook that many of the ones I care about were out and about doing things within the very same city I live in. They were sharing laughter and making memories and this really hit me hard. I miss them.

Family and friendships are so important. Don't let yourself get lost in cyber world and lose touch with the ones you love. Reach out to someone you haven't seen in a while, make time for them. I know I want to make time for many people in my life!