Keeping it Clean

Tuesday, June 30;

You guessed it.. cleans today, but clean cleans. The emphasis was on improving form and not going as heavy as you can. Pretty happy with results.

WOD:
Hang Power Cleans
2 reps, start at 70% of max then work up 2.5% until form fails

110lb x 2, 115lb x 1

My max clean (pre-surgery) was 120lb. I feel like I'm getting close!

Fran Gone Wild

Monday, June 29;

What in the Hell?

WOD
21, 18, 15, 12, 9
Barbell Thrusters - 65lb
Pullups

Rest as needed in between sets. Total is amount of working time.

Total:
11:12

Seriously? I mean.. seriously?

A Team Effort

Friday, June 26:

Friday is pick your poison. The entire 6am class went for the metabolic monster this morning. Stupid was what I called it. The other option was front squats for 3 reps. Who wants that when you can feel the terrible burn of lactic acid and sweat in your eyes?

Here's what we did:

WOD
For time:
800 meter run
---------------
50, 40, 30
KB High Pulls (45lb)
Jumping Slam Balls (15lb)
Jumping Lunges
---------------
800 meter run

Total: 29:25

Blaine and I finished it up together. Thanks for the push!

A Serious Ass Whoopin'

Wednesday, June 24;



I worked on double unders for a little bit yesterday, but stopped when I started feeling the whip marks on my leg. I seriously regretted doing that this morning. It was the first time I integrated double unders into a workout, and I am feeling it now. It hurts to walk from the whip marks and I can barely sit down.

Warmup:
3 Rounds
10 PVC pipe overhead squats
5 knees to elbows


WOD:
400 meter run
30 double unders
20 KB swings (35lb)
Total: 29:15

Going Heavy

Tuesday, June 23;

Went heavy today. Well, we were suppossed to go heavy today. Deadlifts, which always seem to be a rough movement for me.

WOD:
Deadlift (no touch and go)
3,3,3,3,3

165 x 3, 175 x 1.5

I'm okay with that. I should have been able to hit the 175.

If you have an hour to spare...

Two worlds collided this weekend. Elise mentioned that her dad had done a talk about his book "The End of Overeating" and C-SPAN taped it. It actually aired this past weekend on BookTV. If you have an hour to listen/watch this program I highly recommend it. It's a really fascinating look at why we eat the way we do. It's not just another author talking about being fat.

Here's a short clip (sorry I can't embed it). The tease.. Elise's dad goes dumpster diving and learns a scary lesson about some of your favorite family restaurants.

Click here to read some information about the program.

Click here to watch the full program. It runs about an hour.

Monday Madness

Monday, June 22;

What a way to wakeup on a Monday morning.

"Fran"
21-15-9
Thrusters - 65lb
Pullup

Total: 7:45

First post surgery Fran. I actually haven't done this workout in over a year. I'm pretty happy with the time. Can't wait to get faster.

Saturday Madness

Saturday, June 20;

"Badger"

3 rounds for time:

30 hang power squat cleans

30 pullups

800 meter run

Total: 

55:24

Yikes

Dragging Ass

I think we've all had these moments. At least I'd like to think we've all had these moments. You notice your pants are a little tighter than usual. You just aren't looking that cute in your favorite shirt any more and you think it might have something to do with the little fat roles it is covering up. It's not that you're fat. You're far from it. You've allowed yourself to "just eat one more piece" a few too many times.

Then it hits you.. wham.. you get a glimpse of yourself in a picture or a passing glance in a full length mirror and you think to yourself, "What the f**k is that?"

I've been dragging (for me) for a few months now. I haven't quite worked off the post surgery weight, and I think I returned from China with a few extra pounds of rice on my ass. Usually, I need a huge shock in order to recognize these things. Like a big slap across the face. So, I stepped on the scale the other day. There it was.. my pre-Crossfit weight. Yikes!

We all know that's not acceptable, and no it's not muscle weight. Thanks for the possible excuses. I'm not a big excuses kind of a girl. Either you're fat and you like it or you're fat and you don't. If you don't like it, you either whine about it and drive everyone else around you crazy, or you pick your ass up, stop shoving food in your freaking mouth and start sweating your balls off until your back to your desired weight.

There it is. That's my pep talk to myself and to anyone else who might read this and think that you too have put on a few extra pounds. If anyone's interested I'm up for a post-WOD run.

Good to be Back

I returned from my trip late Sunday night. I miss the traveling, but I'm happy to be home. I've never been so excited to eat cottage cheese and strawberries for breakfast. I don't want to see dumplings or any other sort of rice product for a very long time. I tried updating my blog while overseas, but the blog site was blocked (especially around the 20th anniversary of Tianamen Square). I'm back and I'll post up some fun pictures and video of my trip over the next week or so.

I have a few fun things to share about exercising in China. I was actually able to find a group of Crossfitters to work out with. They had a different understanding of what made a "Crossfit workout," but it made me sweaty and sore. I never turn my back on that! Here's most of the group. The guys up front at the table were the people I worked out with. This is not so much a workout, but the sushi restaurant we went to post-workout. The guy on the right in the front was the leader of the whole thing. He put together about an hour long WOD. It was made up entirely of isometric holds. It started at a minute for the first round and then worked up to about 2 minutes by round 5.

We did:

pullup hold

side plank (right and left)

V-sit hold

pushup hold

Handstand hold

squat hold

I suggested adding an L-sit hold to the mix. They "loved" that.

After the workout I challenged them to a round of Tabata Box Jumps. Only one person took me up on the challenge. I got 11. He got 15. Jerk!

When I wasn't working out with those guys, I was usually running around Nanjing. By the way, running in Nanjing is far from pleasant. The combination of thick smog and thick traffic congestion makes it slow going and really trying on your lungs. Now I understand why the Chinese spit so much. When I got tired of running on the street, I hit this track which was on the Nanjing University campus. It was a solid setup. I loved that there were always people flying kites or doing thai chi in the grass in the middle of the track.

I definitely freaked some people out when I jumped up on the pullup bar. Usually, the bars are used for stretching. You don't see many muscle building exercisers in the country. The focus is generally on flexibility and agility. They thought it was a little bizarre seeing someone doing pullups (let alone a girl doing pullups). I didn't mind. We all know I'm an exhibitionist.

I usually did a "Cindy" like workout with pullups, pushups and squats. I would also add some running in here and there. I think the Chinese were impressed. I even caught a few people doing kipping pullups! What can I say? Passing along the good work of Crossfit. It's WORLDWIDE!!!