CrossFit Beginner

Fast 5K

2011-02-05T22:03:00.000-08:00

Run like a bunny.

On January 15 a few of us from CrossFit Cedar City went and ran a 5k in St. George. I haven’t run a 5k for a long time. I haven’t really been running at all in fact. I did the Redrock Relay in September and that was three runs, about 5, 5, and 2.5 miles I think. So I was interested to see how I would do with mostly Crossfit training. I ran a 24:29, which I think is a personal best. What seemed the most amazing to me is that I ran under 8 minute miles. I averaged 7:54 minute miles. Knuckles to Crossfit!

It was also helpful to be running with fast friends. I kept up with a few of them for the first k and then at least tried to keep them in sight. I did get passed by a woman pushing a stroller of triplets!! She was sprinting. I think she came in the top three overall for women. A couple of women with at least a decade or two on me also whipped my hiney. I want to be like them when I grow up. I need to get the cool compression knee high socks. Maybe that would make me even faster.

Happy Insane New Year’s Resolution to Me

2011-01-04T13:12:00.000-08:00

Here's our team. I was just cheering at this event. Now I'm dumb enough to attempt to train with them.

So I decided to join my gym’s affiliate team, the Black Sheep. Aptly named since our gym is only a couple of years old, and we are outsiders from some tiny little town in Southern Utah who have a long way to go from “weak little black sheep.” Baaa, baaa. Crossfitters have their own celebrities--names that make other crossfitters go oooh, aaaah—and we are not among those elite. We are “up and comers,” a team “under construction.” We are having a “building year.” (A team of air quotes.) Some of the people on our team are pretty amazing though, and I think they could join the celebrity ranks. My trainer, Robin Lyons, may already be in those ranks. Have you ever heard her name at a cocktail party?

The affiliate team is made up of three men and three women who compete against other teams at Crossfit events. Don’t worry, I’m not delusional. I’m not planning on actually being one of the members of the six-person team. I am an emergency-only alternate at best, and really just someone who is willing to work out with the team and try to take it up a level. For me for now, that will mean two extra workouts a week and a sweatshirt with a sheep on it.

Holiday Treats: Frenemy

2010-12-08T13:10:00.000-08:00

From freerangetalk.com

Help, I am losing my battle against holiday treats. Yesterday, I ate nearly an entire loaf of pumpkin chocolate chip bread.

Problem #1: In my mind, there’s no point to life unless you can have treats sometimes.

Problem # 2: If you’re going to have some treats, as my son would say, “How much is some?” It’s easier if you’re saying no to all treats. Then you don’t have to decide which treats are worth it or which are okay or when you should stop.

Problem #3: People are hand delivering the treats to my door. Homemade, warm, yummy, calling my name.

Problem #4: I can’t deny my kids treats so I’ve got treats in the house.

Problem #5: My family tradition/culture says holidays are more fun with yummy treats.

Problem #6: I’m making treats. So I have to try them to make sure they are okay right?

I can find a million ways to rationalize, but the fact is, I don’t want an enormous butt come January. We’ll see how I do, but I promise I won’t post pictures.

PRs

2010-11-22T13:40:00.000-08:00

Rope climbing is super-dy, duper-dy fun except that you get blisters on your hands and rope burns on your inner thighs and side of your lower leg. I need to perfect my rope climbing outfit. These shorts did not prevent rope burn. I tried boot cut pants, but I would step on the bottoms and pull my pants down as I climbed. Not good. Long socks work well and maybe I need to wear soccer shorts? I'll find out at the next rope climbing fest...

Here are a few of my personal records. I’m not feeling braggy as I write this because I most certainly get my can kicked in a big way by most people, but this is pretty good for me. I’ve come a long way in the 10 months that I’ve been at crossfit. Just want to record where I am, and see if I continue improving.

500 m row 2:01 min.

2000 m row 9:35 min.

1 mile run 8:52 min (course with some hills)

max push ups in 2 min.: 47

max 15’ rope climbs in 2 min.: 3

1 rep max:

back squat 135 pounds

front squat 120 pounds

shoulder press 70 pounds

bench press 85 pounds

deadlift 175 pounds

overhead squat 75 pounds

Olympic lifts:

Clean 90 pounds

Snatch 65 pounds

Jerk 105 pounds

Clean and jerk 95 pounds

Stuff I really need to work on: double unders, wall ball

I should write down what the women’s records are for our gym. It blows my mind. I’ll have to get that info.

P.S. Today's workout was craaazy. By the end we had done 150 reps of kettlebells swings, burpees, and GHD sit ups. Ahhhhh:

Warm Up

3 minute Row
Kettlebell Complex
Dynamic Stretches

Strength

Back Squat 5-3-1

Met Con

"Hansen"

Complete 5 rounds for time of:

30 Kettlebell Swings, 2/1.5 pood
30 Burpees
30 GHD Sit Ups

How to Not Stink

2010-10-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

While chitchatting about this in the gym, I was thronged by interested people. So here’s the lowdown. If you stink, don’t feel badly. Workout clothes that are made of drifit and other wicking/polyester/groovy stuff tend to embrace B.O. and never let go. Even regular cotton clothes can smell after a while when in them, you are daily sweating like a horse/pig/ dog (Choose one as there is always a debate as to which one truly sweats the most.).

So you can wash your workout clothes in baking soda. Just throw some in the wash with the regular soap. Or you can try special laundry soap just for workout clothes, like Tide with Febreeze Sport or Win Sport detergent. My sister got hers at her local Trek store. And hang ‘em up to dry. A hot dryer just seals in the stench.

Now, what if you stink at clean and jerks? What if you don’t even know what a clean and jerk is, like I didn’t a few months ago? Well, I can’t help you with the former, but I can help you with the latter. We did clean and jerks yesterday and I kind of stunk.

Just throwin in a picture of our yoga class, which I love. I'll write about that later.

The clean and jerk is an Olympic lift. You start with the bar on the floor, sort of jump, and lift it to your clavicles while turning your forearms up so that the bar rests in your fingers and palms, which are now facing the ceiling. Then you push the bar overhead by pushing with your legs and jumping into a squat underneath the bar. If that’s not clear, check out YouTube. Anyway, we tried to do our max weight for one repetition. I did 95 pounds but that was only 5 pounds more than I had done before. I thought I really stunk. But I guess that happens to people all the time. You can only lift a bit more than before, or you can’t even lift the same as what you’ve done before.

I was making such great strides as I progressed from nothing to having some upper body strength. Now I’m on the “somewhat strong plateau”. I’m not going to be progressing by leaps and bounds unless I get insane and start working out seven times a week, training for an Ironman, and living off nothing but muscle milk. Not going to happen. So I’m happy with a 5 pound improvement. I guess I didn’t really stink that bad.

Pre-Holiday 24-Day Challenge

2010-10-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

Fresh eggs. Yummy.

Tomorrow I am starting another 24-day nutrition challenge. That means a 10-day cleanse followed by a 14-day diet of paleo/zone eating. I’m not sure if the pre-holiday timing is meant to get me on the right track so that I won’t go crazy over the holidays or to help me not feel guilty for chowing down on turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, and pumpkin pie. Cause I’m just saying right now, that I’m going to—chow down that is. Eating well is great, but so are traditional holiday meals. Food is a huge part of holidays (and any party in general) with my family, so I will be indulging in some good stuff. I mean food is part of the beauty and deliciousness of life for me, and sometimes the traditional holiday food is soooo yummy.

But here is some healthier stuff that is also yummy: fresh eggs. Raising chickens seems to be all the rage these days, and I was genuinely thinking about it. I even took my kids down to IFA to see the newborn chicks last spring. I was on the verge of buying some feathered friends with a coop and all, when my friend told me that she has chickens and sells their eggs. So I’m getting eggs from her. They taste amazing, and I don’t have chicken poop in my yard.

If you look closely, you can see the cream at the top of the fresh milk. That's fresh, baby.

I have also started getting fresh milk from her. (She lives outside town on a little land and has a few cows, chickens, cats, dogs, etc.) My kids have never had fresh milk, and they were surprised by the taste. It is a little bit different—kind of earthy. Or as my first-grader would say, “That milk tastes like the cow’s butt.” Trust kids to be tactful. I have started mixing the fresh milk with the store-bought milk. My two-year old loves it, and the others still think I am a terrible mom for not feeding them twinkies and dino-nuggets.

Here’s a paleo dinner if you want to try one. This is what we had last night and it was yummy:

Chili lime pork tenderloin

Spinach salad with roasted pecans, peppers, and balsamic vinaigrette (I had feta too, not strictly paleo)

Steamed broccoli

PS You can roast the peppers (10 min) and pecans (1 min) on the bbq while the pork cooks.

Greens for Breaky

2010-10-09T14:53:00.000-07:00

Photo from Crossfit Cedar City

Here’s a pic of the 6 am class doing pull ups. I am using one band because we had to do something insane like 100 pull ups, but (drum roll, please) I can do three pull ups with no bands. I think I could do more if I could just hold on. That’s half the problem. But I’ll talk about that another time.

What I really want to talk about is breakfast. I took a baby step to eating “eggs and greens” for breakfast. This week I threw onions, spinach, and sweet peppers into my eggs. I know that’s not “2 cups of broccoli” but like I said, baby steps. I congratulate myself for not eating jelly donuts at least. (Not that I ever did, but there was a lot of Life and Quaker Oat Squares cereal—basically simple carbs—going on.)

I did some prep on Saturday and that helped me eat healthier. I hit Costco and got fruit and veggies, including the small sweet peppers, the big tub of spinach, and onions. I love that Earthbound spinach. It’s cheap, fresh, organic, and already washed. I love the little peppers, too. I put them in everything: chili, tomato sauce, salads. They are a bit milder than green peppers, so my kids like them more. On Saturday night I made fajitas, and I fried up a lot of extra onions and peppers in just a bit of olive oil. I prefer them sautéed to raw. Then I put the spinach in individual servings in little baggies. It’s a lot of spinach so I froze some and put the rest in the fridge. Then on Sunday morning I just grabbed a baggy of spinach, and a scoop of onions and peppers and threw that in my eggs. Voila—a veggie scramble with greens in it. I’ll also use the spinach for shakes. If you throw a little in you can’t even tell it’s there. I just have to make sure my kids aren’t looking when I throw it in!

Gnarly One-Week Meal Plan

2010-10-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

Photo from Cedar City Crossfit Blog

Here is a weekly meal plan from .Ute CrossFit. It is pretty hard core and pretty boring, but I can see how much better it would be to eat this way--eggs and GREENS for breakfast. I'm not sure I could get used to broccoli for breakfast, but I do want to give it a try. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad. I can surely throw some spinach into my eggs. And here's the thing: I feel so energetic when I eat really well. It's kind of crazy how often I eat poorly, considering. But our whole world eats poorly, so that makes it very difficult. Don't you think? Okay, this is just something to peruse. I'll report in if I actually follow the whole meal plan.

THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF GREAT MEAL PLANS, THE BEST ONE YOU CAN

FOLLOW IS THE ONE YOU STICK WITH AND DON’T GIVE UP ON!!!!!

1 WEEK MEAL PLAN, BUILT AROUND WORKING OUT: m, t, w, f, sat. (th, sun off)

Serving sizes are for a muscular female. If you are female but need to lose weight then

start with this and monitor your weight, you might need to cut out 1 snack a day or use

slightly smaller serving sizes. Most males will need to use larger portion sizes. When

searching for the optimal diet it is important to monitor weight once a week, no more, no

less. Daily weighing can make you neurotic and doesn’t take into account normal

fluctuations throughout the day. Also journal your sleep and workout patterns, as these

can affect your body’s hormonal levels and energy levels.

MONDAY

Breakfast: 2 eggs w/ lots of greens. 2 cups broccoli, spinach, bell peppers etc.

Snack: 2/3 cup Greek yogurt w/ berries. (3/4 cup strawberries, blueberries etc.)

Lunch: Chicken Salad: 2 cups lettuce or spinach, 1 chicken breast, ½ cup black

beans and oil and vinegar for dressing.

Snack: After workout: 1 cup chocolate milk and 1 apple or banana. (or protein

shake with fruit)

Dinner: 1 serving meat (about 8 oz. steak, venison, chicken breast, turkey meat,

salmon) along with lots of greens (2 cups) and 1/3 avocado or 10 almonds or

cashews for fat.

TUESDAY

Breakfast: 2 eggs w/ greens.

Snack: 2/3 cup low fat cottage cheese w/ ¾ cup berries.

Lunch: 1 serving meat (ground turkey patty, chicken breast, turkey) and lots of

fresh veggies with hummus.

Snack: After workout: 1 cup chocolate milk and 1 apple or banana. (or protein

shake with fruit) or 10 oz. sweet potato fries.

Dinner: 1 serving meat (about 8 oz. steak, venison, chicken breast, turkey meat,

salmon) along with lots of greens (2 cups) and 1/3 avocado or 10 almonds or

cashews for fat.

WEDNESDAY

Breakfast: 2 eggs w/ greens.

Snack: 2/3 cup Greek yogurt w/ berries. (3/4 cup strawberries, blueberries etc.)

Lunch: Chicken Salad: 2 cups lettuce or spinach, 1 chicken breast, ½ cup black

beans and oil and vinegar for dressing.

Snack: After workout: 1 cup chocolate milk and 1 apple or banana. (or protein

shake with fruit)

Dinner: 1 serving meat (about 8 oz. steak, venison, chicken breast, turkey meat,

salmon) along with sweet potatoes (10 oz.) and some pistachios (10-15)

THURSDAY

Breakfast: 2 eggs w/ greens.

Snack: 2/3 cup Greek yogurt w/ berries. (3/4 cup strawberries, blueberries etc.)

Lunch: Chicken Salad: 2 cups lettuce or spinach, 1 chicken breast, ½ cup black

beans and oil and vinegar for dressing.

Snack: afternoon or later at night. 2/3 cup cottage cheese w/ fruit and a few nuts

Dinner: 1 serving meat (about 8 oz. steak, venison, chicken breast, turkey meat,

salmon) along with lots of greens (2 cups) and 1/3 avocado or 10 almonds or

cashews for fat.

FRIDAY

Breakfast: 2 eggs w/ greens.

Snack: 2/3 cup Greek yogurt w/ berries. (3/4 cup strawberries, blueberries etc.)

Lunch: Chicken Salad: 2 cups lettuce or spinach, 1 chicken breast, ½ cup black

beans and oil and vinegar for dressing.

Snack: After workout: 1 cup chocolate milk and 1 apple or banana. (or protein

shake with fruit)

Dinner: 1 serving meat (about 8 oz. steak, venison, chicken breast, turkey meat,

salmon) along with lots of greens (2 cups) and 1/3 avocado or 10 almonds or

cashews for fat.

SATURDAY

Breakfast: 1.5 cups fresh fruit with 4 pieces bacon or 2/3 cup cottage cheese.

Snack: 2/3 cup Greek yogurt w/ berries. (3/4 cup strawberries, blueberries etc.)

Lunch: Tuna Salad: 2 cups lettuce or spinach, 1 can tuna mix in some

mayonnaise and mustard, ½ cup black beans and oil and vinegar for dressing.

Snack: After workout: 1 cup chocolate milk and 1 apple or banana. (or protein

shake with fruit)

Dinner: Cheat meal. Eat whatever you want (try to avoid grains and starches) go

to town on sweets like ice cream or chocolate ☺ Whatever you need to eat to

keep your sanity…do it.

SUNDAY

Breakfast: 2 eggs w/ greens.

Snack: 2/3 cup Greek yogurt w/ berries. (3/4 cup strawberries, blueberries etc.)

Lunch: Chicken Salad: 2 cups lettuce or spinach, 1 chicken breast, ½ cup black

beans and oil and vinegar for dressing.

Snack: 5 oz. beef jerky, 1 apple and 12 nuts

Dinner: 1 serving meat (about 8 oz. steak, venison, chicken breast, turkey meat,

salmon) along with lots of greens (2 cups) or sweet potatoes and 1/3 avocado or

10 almonds or cashews for fat.

Supplements: Take fish oil (1000mg) 3-5 times per day. Best taken w/ meals.

Notes: Feel free to sub cottage cheese for Greek yogurt and vice versa. Use whatever

you prefer to eat.

Easiest to prepare lots of meat portions at once i.e. grill a bunch of chicken breasts then

store in fridge in Tupperware. Ground turkey burger patties work well, also store bought

rotisserie chickens will provide you with enough chicken for 3-5 meals. Great for

making chicken salads.

Any snack can be subbed for another snack you prefer. Any lunch can be subbed for

another lunch or dinner. These are ideas, do whatever is easiest for you personally and

you will have more success sticking with it.

Muscle milk is best protein shake I know of, get whey protein if you’re going to drink

shakes for post workout recovery.

For more ideas on meals, copy and paste this web address to your browser to view the

article in the CrossFit Journal: http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/cfjissue21_May04.pdf

This information is also available in your Ute CrossFit student handbooks in the nutrition

section. Note not all of the meals in the article use the best choice of foods. Those meals

are in zone proportions, but not necessarily made with all natural whole foods. For other

ideas Google search “paleo recipes” and you should be able to find a ton of recipes.

Red Rock Relay

2010-09-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

Destination 360
View of Cedar Breaks on Snow Van's First Leg

Last weekend I ran the Red Rock Relay. It’s a 186-mile, 12-person relay from Brian Head ski resort to Cedar City to St. George to Zion’s National Park. Each person runs three legs of the course, and your team keeps going throughout the night. We began on Friday morning and finished on Saturday afternoon. The 12 team members are divided into two vans, so one van can take some time to rest while the other van is supporting runners.

I was in van #1 (snow van), and I was runner #6. My legs were 5.5, 5.5, and 2.1 miles long (my running distances, not my leg-legs). I think that was pretty easy compared with some other people’s legs. I think the longest single leg was 8.2 miles. None of my runs were at particularly hot times of the day either. My first leg was at about 11 am, but we were still up in the mountains at about 8,000 feet, so it was cool and windy. The headwind was actually a pain, but at least it kept me cool. That leg was kind of tough because it was all uphill, and the thin air made me breathe a lot harder. I think I ate too much before that run because my stomach felt kind of gurgly. I ate a couple of shot bloks and had some water as I ran because I didn’t want to bonk. It’s hard for me to find the balance with my eating. If I don’t eat enough, I don’t have enough energy, but if I eat too much, my stomach rebels.

My second leg was at about 11pm in the middle of the desert between Newcastle and Veyo (the middle of nowhere). The stars were incredible. I kept covering my headlamp and looking up so I could get a good look at the sky. That leg had a lot of downhill, so I kept a good pace. I think I did 5.5 miles in 47 minutes. It was not too hot and not too cold. I wore shorts and a long-sleeved shirt, which I peeled off (to short sleeves underneath!) after a couple of miles. I didn’t eat much before and had just a few chugs of water during that run. Tummy was better.

My third leg was pretty much cake, except for a steep hill, some ups and downs, and the rising sun blinding me. I thought I would have done it faster than my 19-minute time. I was really not good at pacing myself in any of my runs. I usually start out slow and do a negative split, but the race adrenaline always has me going out too fast and then not increasing my pace too much because I’m already tired.

So the important questions are: Was it fun? and Would I do it again? Yep, it was fun. That had a lot to do with the people in my van. You do not want to do this race with party-poopers, boring lugs, or crabby patties. The worst part was probably getting up at 3 am to go out and run again. Also, you really don’t run with anyone else. There are not a lot of people in this race. It’s just you and your deep thoughts. One leg is even called “Desert Solitude.” Would I do it again? Yes, I’d probably do it once a year. That’s enough getting up in the middle of the night to run for me. If I do it again next year, I won’t eat as much. (Running and riding races definitely have different food requirements. My running stomach is much more sensitive and should probably have less food in it.) And maybe I’ll actually train a little bit more. My crossfit legs weren’t tired, but my lungs were. Wow, that was a lot of detail, but if you’re ever van #1, runner #6 in the Red Rock Relay, it might help.

Born to Run

2010-08-26T13:05:00.000-07:00

From Google Products Check it out

I just finished reading this fun and funky book by author Christopher McDougall. Highly recommended. Now I finally understand why a guy ran past me in a loin cloth, no shoes, and blond dreads in the St. George marathon a few years back!

The book tells about the Tarahumara, a tribe in the Copper Canyons of Mexico, who can run ultradistances in sandals over insane terrain with nothing but some tortillas, chia, and pinole in their bellies. Some eccentric Americans went to learn their secrets and race against them. The author tells their story and shares some amazing research about running and the way we think about our health. For instance, the more expensive your running shoes, the more likely you are to injure yourself running. Or how about this, people can maintain peak running speeds into their fifties. Lots of stuff that will blow your mind. After reading it I went out and ran in my barefeet and bought some chia seed. Now for some Vibram five fingers?

Practically Barefoot

Vacation's Over

2010-08-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

I’ve been away from crossfit for a few weeks now. I thought I was keeping up somewhat by doing some running, riding, swimming, kayaking, canoeing, and some push-ups and sit ups the odd time. Baby, I was wrong. I went back yesterday and did a pretty basic workout of thrusters and jump rope and it nearly killed me! I was wondering why I was paying someone to torture me. Please take me back to the beach and let me kayak…

I could really only manage 45 pounds for the thrusters because we did 5 rounds of 21 reps. I did singles with a few double unders thrown in for my skipping, and I was sucking wind. So much for my little jogs through the forest. I should have been doing some intervals I guess! High intensity has escaped me. And I was so worked, I wasn’t having fun. It’s the same feeling as when you start a new fitness program and you’re hating it. But for me, when I start seeing progress, I get motivated. So I think it’s going to take me a couple of weeks to get back on the wagon, and then I hope I’m growling with fury as I heave barbells around the gym…or something like that.

Workout of the Day

2010-08-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

Vacation blogging is tough and the WODs have been too.

Today:

Warm up

Kayak 1000m with an eight-year old in front of you

Skill

200m walk on beach logs and rocks in bare feet

Met-con

10 mile hilly mountain bike for time
Bonus points
+10 for not falling off ladders or bridges
+5 for eagle spotting
+5 for not bear spotting (just some scat)

Cool Off

Canoe 4 children 2000m
Bonus points
+10 for not spilling the baby
+10 for retrieving dropped paddles (2x)

Crossfit vs. Sport-Specific Training

2010-07-19T10:48:00.000-07:00

Photo: Kay Hutchings

Crossfit, I love you. I truly do. I’m addicted. I love having the strength in my upper body that I’ve never had. My back is stronger than it has ever been since having kiddies. I rarely feel a strain in my lower back. Even my twin skin (which is more like a twin FOLD) seems smaller. But if I really wanted to get serious about competing in mountain biking, I’d have to hit the pedals and cut back the crossfit.

Last week I did another mountain bike race. I’ve only been able to ride about once a week. I’ve been crossfitting about 4 times a week. On the other hand, my sister has been riding about 6 times a week. I was strong enough to complete a tough race with two laps of a pretty steep climb, but my sister left me in the dust. Her time was 20 minutes faster than mine!! So I think that shows me that crossfit keeps me in good all round shape, but not sport-specific shape.

I came 4^th in the beginner category. It was decent, but I know I could do better with some more riding. Maybe I can do some more night riding? I don’t know. I’ll have to be creative if I want to fit it in. I’m really happy to spend the time at crossfit though, it is just making feel better, sleep better, and it’s kind of fun—in a strange way.

I also rode with my girlfriends from Salt Lake. That was even more fun than the race. We did a really fun trail in Corner Canyon. I did have quite a crazy wipeout on my downhill though. Maybe I should get some armor!

Overhead Squats

2010-07-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

At our gym doing an overhead squat. How about that form?! This shot makes my butt look big--or maybe it just is big. Is that all a girl can think about? Okay, I'll try to be less self-conscious about my body.

This is a difficult lift!! It might not look too tough, but if you've ever tried it, you know what I'm talking about. If you've never tried it, give it a shot. It's kind of crazy. On a lighter attempt than the one pictured here, I actually dropped the bar in front of my feet and fell on my bum.

In this picture, I am lifting 75 pounds, which was my max for the morning, and a PR (of course, since I've never tried this before!) For an overhead squat, you take the bar at shoulder height and lift it overhead. Then keeping the bar overhead, you squat down so your knee angle is beyond 90 degrees and stand back up. It is reeeeeaaaaaally hard to keep the weight steady. I had to concentrate, take a breath, hold my breath, keep my core tight, keep my arms straight, keep my weight on my heels, keep the bar over the mid-mass of my body, and keep my shoulders "active", which means kind of hunched up. So much to think about. It's worse than learning to swing a golf club.

It's great to be stronger every week. Even though the weight I can lift is much less than what others can do, I get better every week. That gives me a lovely, little feeling of accomplishment and keeps me going. I'm also getting stronger with my one-band pull-ups. After our workout last week, I had done a total of 100.

Feeling Guilty for Exercising??

2010-07-01T13:57:00.000-07:00

At least get out there with them.
From Freesurf Magazine

“I would feel guilty getting a babysitter for my kids just because I was exercising.”

These words were actually spoken to my friend by her neighbor. So I’m just going to go on about that for a minute. Would this same woman say, “I would feel guilty getting a babysitter for my kids just because I was going to a museum (or going on a date with my hubby, or spending some time with friends, or taking a class, etc?)” Would this woman say, "I would feel guilty taking my daughter for a bike ride because she should really be doing something better with her time?" I don’t know. But maybe she is not familiar with all the benefits of exercise. Here are a few:

1. Exercise improves your mood.

2. Exercise combats chronic diseases.

3. Exercise helps you manage your weight.

4. Exercise boosts your energy level.

5. Exercise promotes better sleep.

6. Exercise can put the spark back into your sex life.

7. Exercise can be — gasp — fun!

8. Exercise can increase mental focus.

9. Exercise can improve digestion.

That’s just a little info. For more details check out

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise/HQ01676

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/diet-fitness/fitness/articles/2010/06/30/0630healthexercise.html

I’m not saying she has to exercise, but to make someone else feel badly because they are taking the time to exercise--that is a little weird and twisted to me. I think exercise helps me be a better mom by reducing stress, helping me have more energy for my kiddies, etc. I just want to take this woman by the hand and take her for a nice walk around a lake and see if she lets a little sigh of relief escape. Or maybe give her $20 to pay for a babysitter? Or maybe just tell her mothers don't have to be martyrs...

One Band and Rope Climbs

2010-06-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

Global Times
This is Ronaldo cheering for me as I did my rope climbs....umm. I'm sure everyone wanted to see a picture of me doing the rope climb, but since I didn't take one, I just threw in a pic of Ronaldo as my salute to the world cup. P.S. If you want to see the foot technique for the rope climb, just do a rope climb search. You will also notice that CrossFit people and military people are the only ones crazy enough to carry on the rope climbing tradition from 1950s gym classes.

I am down to one-band pull-ups, but it’s not pretty. I did six in a row today and then had to rest. We had to do 30 in all and my last—say 20—were pretty pathetic. I’m not sure my eyes even made it over the bar. But they did get done. I am learning that I have to push myself to make real strides. Some others who started Foundations with me are already down to no bands, which is really impressive. We’ve only been doing this for 6 months. They were in better shape than me when they started and are more consistent about going. But I’m still happy with the progress I’ve made. It’s good for me. I’ve probably never been this strong in my upper body.

I also surprised myself by conquering the rope climb. I was able to climb to the 12-foot mark. Our trainers showed us how to wrap one foot around the rope and then step on the rope with the opposite foot. That way you can anchor your feet and use your legs to push you up. It reminded me of rock climbing. Sometimes when I rock climb I tire out my arms because I’m not using my legs enough. Then I remind myself to stand up on my legs instead of pulling myself up with my arms and I have a lot more power. So once I used my legs more in climbing the rope, I was able to get up 12 feet. In our workout we had to do 3, then 2, then 1 rope climb between other exercises, and I was able to do it. It wasn’t until I finished the entire workout that I noticed I had scraped half the skin off my right outside calf, bruised my thigh, and filled my fingers with little rope slivers, which I picked out of my skin all day. Why can’t they have a polyester rope like they use in rock climbing? Would that be too expensive or something? Seriously. Next time I’ll remember to bring long socks, gloves, and two pairs of shorts.

Eat More Fat

2010-06-15T21:39:00.001-07:00

It's working for me--really. I'm eating an avocado a day, taking fish oil, having olive oil on my salads, eating olives, and I only eat butter, no margarine or hydrogenated fats.

I saw this video on the Dialed-In Nutrition site. Pretty interesting.

Organic Co-op Food

2010-06-06T21:20:00.000-07:00

My food co-op is now delivering organic food to our pick up location, so I gave it a try. It cost $10 more ($36), and the organic baskets had less food and different food from the regular baskets. But it is still a good deal for fresh fruit and veggies—especially all organic.

We got peas, mangos, cantaloupe, mini peppers and beets, which I love, and the others didn’t. But they got strawberries and blackberries and some other stuff that we didn’t. All the food was good and yummy. The avocados were definitely smaller. We also got apriums, which are apricot/plums—sort of like the Labradoodles of the fruit world I guess. They were okay. My daughter the adventurous eater liked them. Sometimes I wonder if buying organic is worth it. Can I really afford it? And aren’t these pollutants all around us anyway? In the water, air, plastics, etc? But then, if it’s only ten dollars more, why not? A little less pesticide has got to be good for you, right?

Calluses

2010-05-19T12:48:00.000-07:00

These are not my hands.

Image credit: CrossFit

But at our gym, a few people's hands look like this. Holding the weightlifting bars, the pull-up bar, and the rings will give you calluses after just a few days. I didn't want mine to rip, so I looked up some info about it. Wow. There was lots of info and advice about calluses--one person even uses a Dremel to file hers off! Another guy had this whole spiel about soaking your hands and scraping them with a butter knife. Gross and time consuming. I thought I'd just take a page from my running days. (That made it sound like they are over--I've got to do some more running!)

Lots of running will give you calluses on your feet. If you don't file them off, they get too thick and can rip or cause deep blisters. Same thing with calluses on your hands. I used to file down the calluses on my feet with a pumice stone in the shower and put lotion on afterwards. I've done the same thing with my hands, and it has worked well. Orange and Ginger Bath and Body lotion to be precise. It smells so naiice.

Anyway, you don't want to file your calluses right off or they will be too tender to grip the bar. You have to keep a little callus-ness. If you are a hand model, I don't know what to tell you. You might have to try some fancy gloves or something.

Riding Is My Ritalin...and My Prozac

2010-05-12T14:02:00.000-07:00

Riding Is My Ritalin is a great article from bicyclingmagazine.com. It makes a lot of sense to me because I’ve found that exercise is sooooo critical for me. It helps me sleep, digest, feel more happy and energetic. Last year just before Christmas, I was not exercising at all. I didn’t like my gym, and I couldn’t find anyone to run with me in the dark, cold mornings. (What? That doesn’t sound like fun?) I was a piece of work, crying over dumb little things, stressing, and feeling CRANKY. That works really well for my family…

In January I started exercising again at crossfit and that, along with some other stuff, helped me do a 180 turn around. I just felt like the troubles of life could roll off me like water on a duck’s back. My very, very favorite thing is exercising outside in a beautiful place. Nature kind of rejuvenates me somehow. My next favorite is at least getting outside anywhere and exercising. And then if all I can do is exercise inside, that’s still pretty good. I know not everyone is so rejuvenated by exercising, but I wonder if it does have at least some of these positive side effects for everyone. And I wonder how I can get my kids to like aerobic exercise as much as computer games. Wouldn’t that be nice? If they were constantly asking me if they could go outside and ride their bikes and fighting over who got to go first? They do at least like riding. And they love the trampoline. So that’s a start. Maybe I’ll tell them the doctor insists that they exercise for at least a half hour a day before they play computer games or watch tv. Would that be naughty?

Mountain Bike Race at Five Mile Pass

2010-05-08T15:25:00.000-07:00

This is how the terrain looks at Five Mile Pass. The race went up and down all the foothills in the mid-ground.

Race number two: I almost beat my sister! She started out faster and took off into the hills. I figured I wouldn’t see her dust until I crossed the finish line. But then, not too far into the trail, as I approached a steep climb, I saw her ahead, walking. “Are you okay?” I asked her as I rode by. “Just went out too fast,” she said. I was ahead of her for most of the race, but then in the last half mile (or maybe even less) she passed me and beat me by just a few seconds. She came in second, and I came in third. I think I was stronger on the MANY steep climbs, but she is stronger in endurance. She rides more often, and I, of course, crossfit more often. We missed the snow in the morning, but after our race it started to hail. Buh-bye trail. See my sister's version of the story at http://girlcycles.wordpress.com/2010/05/03/lehi-5-mile-pass-too-crabby-for-photos/

I missed crossfit for five days and wondered if I would lose strength that quickly. Nope. I actually did better than I ever have on my front squats today (squats while holding the bar up by your neck and kind of resting it on your clavicles). My best one rep max was 90 pounds, and today I did 5 reps of 80 pounds—so I think I could definitely do more on a one rep max. Also, I am down to two bands on the pull-ups. I did that a while ago but forgot to mention it.

More Bountiful Baskets and Feats of Strength

2010-04-28T12:16:00.000-07:00

Look at all that yummy food for $30!

This week we tried the bread and Mexican pack through our veggie co-op. The bread is really yummy and a great price--$10 for five loaves of 9-grain bread. The loaves are a little smallish but still a great deal. We won’t eat all five loaves quickly so I stuck three loaves in the freezer. We’ll see if they taste okay defrosted.

The Mexican pack was delish, too. We got a bunch of tomatillos, really fresh cilantro, green onions, jalapenos, limes, avocados, and garlic. I have never bought tomatillos before so that was a fun little adventure learning to cook with them. I found a couple of really yummy recipes for salsa verde and chicken tomatillo stew.

As for feats of strength, once again, I’m surprising myself and my body is doing things that my brain does not think I can do. Today our “cash-out,” or the final part of our workout, was 20 handstand push-ups. Ho, ho, ho, ya right. My arms felt too tired to even do a plain, old handstand. But then a girl who does about the same amount of weight/resistance/times as me kicked up her heals and started doing handstand push ups. I looked on amazed. “You can do it,” she told my stunned looking face. “Really.”

So I got three ab pads, which made a little stack about 8 inches high, and put them against the wall. That’s how most of the women scaled back the push-ups so that they were not having to let their heads all the way down to the floor. I thought they would protect my head when I crumbled in a heap. I took a running start and flung my feet over my head. My heels hit the wall and for a second, I was surprised just to be doing a handstand. Then I flexed my arms a little and let myself down. My head hit the pad, and I pushed myself back up. I did about seven of those, but I started laughing because I had stacked up so many pads that I was barely able to move down the wall, ee, ee, ee, ee, (that’s a tiny squeeking sound). So I got back on my feet and took off one of the ab pads. I got back into a handstand and did few more reps, rested, and did a few more. Before I knew it and to my astonishment, I had done 20 handstand push-ups.

Filthy Fifty Workout

2010-04-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

exhaustion

When I looked at the workout board on Friday morning, I thought, “That is not humanly possible, but I’ll give it my best shot. I might be here all day.” To my surprise, I did it in 18 min. 22 sec.

If you’re bored and looking for a way to make your whole body scream for the next couple of days, please give it a try. This is called the Filthy Fifty and it is a benchmark crossfit workout. Do it now and record your times and weights, then try it again in a few weeks (months, years), and see how you do.

The Filthy Fifty

For time: 

50 Box jumps, 24 inch box (I did 12 inch)

50 Jumping pull-ups

50 Kettlebell swings, 1 pood (I can’t remember how much a pood is—it’s Russian)

Walking Lunge, 50 steps 

50 Knees to elbows (I can’t quite touch my elbows)

50 Push press, 45 pounds (I did 35)

50 Back extensions 

50 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball (I did 8 pound ball to 9 feet)

50 Burpees 

50 Double unders (I did singles)

Box Jump

Begin in a flat-footed standing position. Jump with legs together onto the top of a box (24" tall). Return to the starting position. This is one rep.

Jumping Pull-up

Begin with feet on the ground or other solid platform, with hands gripping a bar in pull-up position. Perform a pull-up, assisting with the legs in an initial jump to start the motion.

Kettlebell Swings

Begin by holding a kettlebell with both hands in a starting dead lift position. Thrust the kettlebell forward and upward starting by using the hips and then moving into using arms and shoulders.

Lunges - Dumbbell

Hold a dumbbell in each hand and pull your shoulders back. Lift your chest up and look straight ahead. Position your right leg forward in a long stride. Your right knee should kiss the floor. Left leg next.

Knees to Elbows

While hanging from a pull-up bar, bring your knees up to touch your elbows. Then, return to a dead hang position.

Push Press

Begin with a barbell in clean position (at neckline). Bend the knees slightly and explode upward to perform a shoulder press.

Back Extensions

Lie face down on a hyperextension bench, tucking your ankles securely under the footpads. Adjust the upper pad if possible so your upper thighs lie flat across the wide pad. Bend forward 90 degrees. Then return to starting position.

Wall Ball

Start in a squat position in close proximity to a wall and holding a medicine ball with both hands. Explode upward. At the top of the squat, throw the medicine ball upward, bouncing it off the wall. Catch the ball. Return to squat position.

Burpee

Start in a squat position with both hands on the ground in front of you. Keeping your hands on the ground, jump your feet backwards so your body is in a push-up position. Perform a push-up (or just collapse onto the ground!) pull your legs back into a squat position while still keeping your hands on the ground. Jump from the squatting position and clap your hands above your head. Return to the start position. This motion is one rep.

Double Unders

Jump rope. Pass the rope under your feet twice before touching the ground. If unable to do double unders, perform tuck jumps instead.

Fit for Skiing

2010-04-20T07:48:00.000-07:00

Crossfit is keeping me fit for skiing too. Granted we were shredding the bunny slopes today, but holding that “pizza” wedge for an entire day is like doing a five-hour squat. As Ali said, “It gets your butt cheek tired.”

We all had a great day, even Sophie who loved the wind in her hair from her backpack perch. It was fun to be together, be outside, and be active. The only un-crossfit thing was the food at the lodge. Should have packed a lunch.

Fit for Mountain Bike Racing

2010-04-05T12:34:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I went in my first mountain bike race ever. I have been mountain biking since I was in high school, but I have never had the guts to enter a race. I think my sister’s going in the race with me gave me the extra push I needed to give it a try. Plus, we were in the women’s 35+ category, and I didn’t think the expectations were going to be too high for a bunch of old ladies. We went in the Cholla Challenge in Hurricane, southern Utah.

My sister is tough. She came in second. I came in seventh. Ten people in our category. I had a small wipe out. Someone stopped on a hill in front of me and I couldn’t get my feet out of my pedals fast enough and fell over. No big crash, but someone passed me, and it slowed me down a little. Also, I have had a cold all week, and my lungs were definitely not 100%. If not for that, I could have been in the women’s sport category…or not.

As far as Crossfit goes, it’s keeping me in pretty good shape, especially for anaerobic stuff like hammering up a hill. But I could tell that sport specific training would help me with my mountain biking. If I want to improve my riding, I’m going to have to figure out a way to fit some riding time in along with my four Crossfit workouts every week (and being a mom). I might have to get the bike trainer out and ride at night. That was working well when we could watch movies and spin downstairs but now the downstairs tv is broken. There’s always something.

In the food department, we tried the chicken soup, lime chili pork tenderloin, and the quiche from the dialed-in nutrition site and we liked them all.

What to Eat

2010-03-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

I’ve been making recipes from a paleo blog called Dialed-In Nutrition at

http://www.marianutrition.blogspot.com/

Some of it has been really yummy and some of it has been okay. I was really excited to try the paleo ice cream from March 1, which the blogger said even her kids liked, but then it wasn’t too tasty. It used coconut milk, berries, banana, vanilla, and nuts. Here are two disclaimers though. 1) The quality of coconut milk could have made a difference. We used Sun Luck. 2) Doug made it while I was out and you just never know what could happen there. For instance, did the baby throw in some salt while he wasn’t looking? Did he use balsamic vinegar instead of vanilla? I’m sure he didn’t put nuts in because he’s not always a nut fan. Also, if you let it freeze the whole way it just becomes a big rock that you can’t eat unless you have a pick ax or let it melt for a while.

Doug liked the chili from February 18. I liked it but didn’t love it, too many sweet spices for me: cocoa, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon. Shepherd’s Pie from February 25 was good. I liked it, and Ali liked it. The boys didn’t like it a ton. Doug doesn’t like cauliflower, and it did have a bit of cauliflower taste. I think it might not be as strong a taste if you steam the cauliflower before baking the whole thing.

I am going to try the lime chili pork tenderloin from March 11, the chicken soup from March 7, and the quiche from January 29.

First Mountain Bike Ride of the Season

2010-03-14T21:32:00.000-07:00

First mountain bike ride of the season on Saturday. We rode the Rockville Bench Trail and it was incredible—beautiful and fun. The trails down here are amazing and the scenery is world class. We rode the big loop, taking a couple of hours, but I felt pretty good overall (well except my bum). There are some pretty technical parts on the trail and even with my new lovely, lovely, fun, fun bike, I bumped my bum a bit.

I did feel like I have improved my leg strength. When I had to pound up something steep, I was surprised at what I could do. Just another plug for the high-intensity, strength workouts.

I’ve been trying some new recipes that are pretty good. I’ll put those up next.

Cake is good.

2010-03-08T12:13:00.000-08:00

I went a little crazy with the treats this weekend. We had family in town celebrating birthdays, and I bought one of those huge, yummy Costco birthday cakes (I am keeping that place in business.). So I ate cake and ice cream, had some guacamole with chips, a few Cadbury chocolate eggs, and popcorn. But did I die? No. Did I ruin everything? No. Did I gain 10 pounds? No. But if I keep that up I will! So that was just my indulgence weekend, and I shall be a good girl for a while now. You can indulge every once in a while. It’s not going to undo all the good. But I am facing the truth of what Coach Robin says, “You can’t outtrain a bad diet.” That was how I approached life before. “It doesn’t matter if I eat this entire pizza and wash it down with a little Sprite followed by some ice cream and chocolate sauce. Tomorrow I’m going to run 10 miles.” The hard, cold truth is that I never got as strong doing that as I am already, after a couple of months of Crossfit and good eating.

Food in our society is really baffling. I’ve been thinking about it a lot lately. Even though most of us have seen or read things like, Fast Food Nation, Supersize Me, and The Omnivore’s Dilemma, our eating habits don’t drastically change. Our culture is set up to make terrible eating habits easier than good ones. Ninety percent of the food in a grocery store is junk. Half of the things that we think of as healthy are not really healthy at all. Bread, cheese, pasta, rice. It’s processed beyond recognition. And I don’t even know how to prepare the most nutrient dense foods like kale or swiss chard. I eat what is convenient or sweet rather than what is good for my body.

Apparently, most people’s diets consist of about 20 main foods. The funny thing is that those 20 main foods are usually not the 20 BEST foods. For me, I was definitely eating more cold cereal and bread than spinach and carrots. And I thought that was pretty good. At least it wasn’t French fries and Coke. But now changing my own diet for 24 days has really made the whole food awareness thing personal for me. I felt better, less bloated, and less stuffy in my sinuses. I had more energy, slept better, and got stronger. I’ve had a little food epiphany. Eat food that makes my body feel good! Make eating a response to physical stimuli rather than psychological stimuli. We are a culture of psychological eating. Does not compute.

With that said. I still admit that cake is good. I’m going to keep eating it. Maybe just once in a while instead of after every meal!

Time to Part-ay

2010-03-03T20:09:00.000-08:00

Last night we had our little celebration for the end of our 24-day challenge. The gym catered a dinner that was really yummy. We had bbq pork, chicken, beef, grilled veggies, and a couple of salads. That was some of the best food I’ve eaten in Cedar City. Kind of cool that the gym put on an event like that. I love that I am learning about eating better along with a new workout strategy. It’s a more holistic approach to health than the average gym.

We also had our measurements re-taken. So we did tape measurements of arms, legs, hips, etc. We weighed in, and then we did another magic measurement (I can’t remember what the machine is called) that measures body mass index. So it provided numbers for lean body mass, fat body mass, percentage of body fat, and stuff like that. I lost 7 pounds and Doug lost 14. I think the most anyone lost was one guy who lost 20 pounds! His wife also lost 15 pounds. She said that after her last baby it took her months to lose that much weight. Not that this is a weird super-low calorie way to eat. It is a normal way to eat, and you can eat like this all the time. But I think the combo of healthy eating and high-intensity workouts gets you pretty fit fast.

I feel like I had a few pounds to lose and could stand to lose a few more. So I think the weight came off pretty easy. I’m not going to try to look supermodel thin—not really my thing—but hope I can get into some clothes that are too tight right now. But once I lose those pounds, I’ll just try to maintain. I just feel better when I eat right and exercise. I end up sleeping better and having more energy and just feeling a little perkier. So that’s what it’s really about for me.

4 Rules for Omitting Useless Calories from My Diet

2010-03-02T12:42:00.000-08:00

1. Do not eat food from the kids’ plates when cleaning up after a meal.
2. Do not eat food just because you are walking by it.
3. Do not eat food just because you’ve gotten all the kids in bed and finally have a minute to sit down.
4. Do not eat food because it’s easier than putting it back in the fridge.

Thinking I’m tough with the dead lift. I was talking to my sister last night, and I asked her how much she can dead lift—285 pounds is her best! Okay, I can work up from my measly 105. Not that I’ll ever have significant shoulders. My dad used to call me “chicken wings.” My sister is so strong!! She used to piggyback my dad around. And she’d probably smoke half the male population in an arm wrestle. She is a great athlete.

Two of our trainers qualified in the Utah/Nevada Crossfit regionals. Here’s a link to a video of my trainer Robin Lyons coming first in one of the WOD competitions. I have a soft spot in my heart for her since she is half Canadian, was my Foundations trainer, and was a Canadian track and field champ and a bobsledder.

http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/Games2010_UTsect_wod2female.mov

I’m a Three-Band Girl

2010-02-23T20:40:00.000-08:00

I’m talking about pull-ups, of course, not being a rock band groupie. I have moved up (down?) to three bands on the pull-up bar. So at this rate, I’ll be able to do a pull-up without bands in four and a half months. That sounds kind of long, actually, but doable. I’m still very motivated because I feel like I’m getting stronger all the time. When I can see progress, that keeps me going. Just a few weeks ago I started out doing 65 pounds for my deadlift (lifting the weight bar from the floor to my hips). Now I am up to 105.

Now my enlightenment on herbs. The bountiful baskets web site has a section on storing produce, and I learned an amazing way to keep herbs fresh. My oregano, flat leaf parsley, and rosemary are all fresh as a daisy after more than a week. You can see how it works in the picture. You put the herbs in water the way you would put fresh flowers in water. Then you put the entire container with the herbs in a plastic bag and seal it. The water condenses inside the bag and seems to keep the herbs really fresh.

I also saw some really cool herb containers in Real Simple magazine.

http://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/organizing/kitchen/before-and-after-refrigerator-makeover-00000000024942/page4.html

From their web site:

Pour water in the base and the humidity-controlled pod will keep parsley, sage, and their friends fresh for three weeks. To buy: Herb Savor Pod, $20 each or $40 for three, prepara.com for stores.

Zip lock bags are cheaper though.

How Crossfit Translates to Cycling

2010-02-19T11:44:00.000-08:00

Of course this isn't me and my riding gang in St. George. (But maybe one day.)

A moment of truth. Last Saturday I went for my first road ride of the year. I was really curious to see how I would do. Were my short but intense Crossfit workouts really going to help me with cardio/endurance sports? Robin (trainer) kept assuring me that Crossfit would increase my VO2 max, and that I would do better on my runs and rides. And I am surprised to report that she is right.

On Saturday I rode with the lovely Heidi, her uncle, and his friend. They ride almost every day, and Heidi hasn’t been riding, but she is running between 20 and 30 miles a week. I have been running maybe 3 miles a week! We rode 27 miles, moderate pace, and I felt great and kept up with everyone, no problem. I was amazed. Like I said, it was no killer sprint kind of ride, but it was a substantial distance and I felt great. Crossfit magic.

A short report on my bountiful baskets food. Almost all the food has been yummy except the pineapple we cut into today. Gross, flavorless. The herbs are dee-lish and lasting a long time. I love having fresh parsley to mix into tuna or fresh oregano for a Greek salad. Tonight I am making salmon with pesto. I made the pesto with the fresh basil from the basket, and I added pinenuts and olive oil but no parmesan. I guess that makes it a little less fatty and still tastes good.

2010-02-16T13:28:00.000-08:00

On Saturaday we picked up our first bountiful baskets order. Here is what we got:

3 grapefruits (which we discovered were pomelos when we cut into them, not my favorite but we made a yummy spinach salad with them)
5 fuji apples
4 cucumbers
5 small yams
2 tomatoes
strawberries
spinach
honeydew melon
bananas
pineapple
butternut squash
mushrooms
baby bella mushrooms
elephant garlic
oregano
rosemary
basil
flat-leaf parsley
6 corn
2 big onions

For $27. The herbs were $7.50. So I could have gotten the other fruit and veggies for about $20. A steal! And so far everything has been fresh and yummy.

The food is not really as "local" as I thought. Most of it is from Arizona and some from Northern Mexico, but I guess that is closer than Chile. So I hope it is somewhat more ripe when it's picked and the shipping times are shorter.

The site also has guidelines on storing the food, which is really helpful. For instance, you can put the fresh herbs in a glass of water the same way you would cut flowers. Then put the entire thing (jar and herbs) in a plastic bag and seal the top. My herbs are still fresh after a few days. I made some pesto with the basil and added pinenuts and olive oil but no cheese. It's still dee-lish.

http://www.bountifulbaskets.org/FoodStorageInformation.aspx

2010-02-12T11:26:00.000-08:00

Tonight I’m having a little get together in honor of the Opening Ceremony of the Vancouver Olympics. It is so fun to see my HOME TOWN and old stomping grounds on television. And I always love watching the Olympics.
I’m serving maple-glazed salmon (very northwesty), edamame (since there’s tons of yummy Asian food in Vancouver), fruit tray, veggie tray, hummus, and I thought about buying blackberries (which grow wild in Vancouver), but I put them back because as Ali says, “The ones from the store don’t even taste like blackberries.” I hope my friends enjoy the “cleanse” party food! Well, I did buy a few treats for the kiddies.

Today the work out was 400 m run, 15 box jumps, and 15 wall balls (throwing the medicine ball 9 ft. in the air against the wall, catching it, squatting, and throwing again). We did three rounds of that for time. I am proud to say I was the fastest in our group…umm, but the truth is, I did my jumps on the lowest box and only had an 8 pound medicine ball. I’m ever so scared they are going to move me up to the 18 inch box. It’s practically up to my waist! Then instead of being the first one finished, I will be the first one to wipe out and scrape my face on the edge of the box.

2010-02-11T07:58:00.000-08:00

I am really digging this whole cleanse thing. Losing 5.5 pounds in a week probably has a lot to do with it. But what I really like is the food I get to eat. I don’t feel like I’m starving. I do miss ice cream and peanut butter toast, but I know they are not forbidden forever. Essentially they will be controlled substances after the cleanse. And I will be the one having to control them.

Here’s a sample day’s menu:

Before workout--some carrots, 9 almonds

Breakfast--2 eggs, 2 pieces Canadian bacon, half grapefruit

Lunch--salad with chicken, romaine, cucumber, tomato, avocado, little olive oil and balsamic vinegar

Snack—apple, almonds

Dinner—2.5 oz. of steak, green beans, Greek salad with tomatoes, sweet onions, green pepper, red pepper, cucumber, olive oil and rice vinegar

Snack—celery, hummus

Water—try to drink a gallon throughout the day

You can basically eat as many fruits and veggies as you want. So if you feel hungry, you can have some fruits and veggies.

I think one of the secrets to enjoying this is getting really yummy, fresh fruit and veggies. A crisp gala apple tastes great to me, but a soft or woody apple is sick. A nice, red, ripe tomato is dee-lish, but a hard, half green one is yucko. Costco is doing it for me, but it is 40 minutes away.

So my latest adventure is joining a fruit and veggie co-op. You “contribute” to the co-op and get a box of local fresh fruit and veggies. I also selected the “Italian” extras. They are hoping for basil, rosemary, and other fresh herbs. And I admit, I selected the Valentine’s cookies made with real butter, no trans fat, and whole foods. I will be finished with the cleanse by then. You pay around $30 for what would cost you about $50 at a regular grocery store, but of course, you don’t really know what you’re going to get. You just know it’s going to be fresh and local. Here’s the web address:

www.bountifulbaskets.org

I pick up my basket full of surprises on Saturday.

2010-02-10T13:13:00.000-08:00

I'm going to post all these entries at once. I wasn't going to blog this stuff, but friends and family have been asking about my new regime, so I thought I'd put it all in here. I don't know if there's any way to "postdate" these entries--I'm not a fancy blogger type. I don't have any pics yet either. I don't have the guts to post my "before" picture! But I'll have to make this a little more colorful soon.

January 10, 2010

Tomorrow I’m starting at a new gym. I’m excited, I’m curious, and I’m a little nervous. It’s a CrossFit gym, which from what I know is pretty hardcore weight training. We are talking about girls who do pull-ups. That about sums it up for me. I have never in my life been able to do a pull-up, and I am in awe of women who can. If I could do a pull-up, I would be my hero--or heroine I guess, but that word just makes me think of drug addicts. A guy in our neighborhood started this gym in his garage, and it is getting so popular that he has a new, much bigger building with lots of specialized equipment. There are 20-foot ropes, gymnastics rings, and kettle bells. Not that I have any idea what to do with any of those things…

I’ve never done a ton of weight training, and I’ve never had nice sculpted biceps. So I’m worried that I’ll be bored by weights and that I won’t be able to pick up the 5 pound medicine ball. But I would really like to be less flabby. So I guess the hope of sculpted biceps and unflabby thighs (maybe, possibly, perchance, if there is such thing as miracles) has won out over the fear.

The gym is kind of expensive compared to what I’m used to. I have really debated spending the money, but Doug has talked me into at least giving it a try. My last gym was $35 a month with babysitting. This is a few times more. Still my sister thinks it’s hilarious that I’m worried about the money. She goes to a personal trainer, shared by three women, and hers costs substantially more than mine. We do have a trainer for every session, and the amount of people can vary. Tomorrow night I start the Foundations class, which is training in what CrossFit is and the basics of lifting and other exercises. We will have seven women in the class. More news tomorrow.

January 11, 2010

That was insane. If anything is going to get me in shape, this is. My pecs are on fire, my triceps are screaming, and my quads can hardly keep my body upright. But I liked it! Even though the most notable event of the evening was the rest of my class cheering me on to finish my 75th push-up (on my knees) with arms that jiggled like jello, and when I was finally done I was so tired that I lay flat on my face on a disgusting, rubberized gym floor. I was the last one to finish our workout, but I still liked it. Maybe it’s because I’m telling myself that they all started out in better shape than me. Maybe it’s because we cheered for each other. Maybe it’s because if you told me three days ago that I could do 75 push-ups (even on my knees and not all at once) I wouldn’t have believed it. So I know that this is going to push me to do things that I didn’t think I could do. Definitely more motivation than a woman in leg warmers telling me to rhumba over a fitness step.

I haven’t worked out like that since I played high school volleyball, back in the day. Well, I may have been as sore after a long run or ride, but I have never started out from scratch and dived into such a serious workout. In high school, at the end of the school year our coach would say something like, “Okay, I want everyone running 10 miles a week, doing push-ups and sit-ups, and staying in shape over the summer.” We would all nod and then go to the beach and eat ice cream and French fries for two months. The first day of school would be our first day of practice and our coach would send us up and down the bleachers on one leg, then the other, then on two. Then we’d run suicides and jump over hurdles and do net-top touches. Then we’d dive, roll, and scramble. Then we’d have a game. The next day I could hardly walk the school halls, let alone get down a flight of stairs. That’s how I feel today. But I like it.

January 14, 2010

Back for more last night. I wasn’t the slouch of the group, probably because we did more exercises that used leg strength. I think running, cycling, and soccer have kept my legs pretty strong. So that helped with the final WOD, which was squats, box jumps, and pull-ups. (I can’t remember the reps for each, maybe 20-15-10?) We did as many sets as we could in twelve minutes. I tried to be intense, ignore the pain, and sweat a lot. You know be really tough. Doug says I don’t really have that killer instinct. I have to agree. Most of my fitness moments are made up of women chatting while running or riding. I might be looking for birds while hiking along a pretty trail, or stopping a mountain bike ride to sniff a flower.

When I started playing women’s soccer, I upped my intensity and tried to do more interval/speed workouts. I couldn’t keep up with all the women who are ten years younger than me! But this is all-round, all-body intensity. At least they let me do my pull-ups with four giant elastic bands. The bands are hanging from the pull-up bar. You put your foot in the bands, and it gives you a little bounce/lift to get your chin up to the bar. I was able to do a few reps. I wouldn’t have been able to do any without my lovely stretchy bands.

My arms are pathetic, and then there’s my core—or lack of it. I’m not sure that it will ever be the same after being pregnant with twins. Carrying 16 pounds of baby on a 5’4” frame did a major number on me. The “twin skin” is stretched out and flabby, but I think maybe the muscles underneath were damaged too. Or maybe that’s just my excuse for having no core strength and still looking like I’m five months pregnant.

And what’s a WOD? That means workout of the day. Everyone does the same workout, just scaled to your own ability. There’s a lot of CrossFit jargon. I think I’ll catch on, eventually.

January 18, 2010

My Foundations group is cool. Seven women and an amazing trainer. Everyone is probably more fit than me, since I haven’t really been doing anything regularly for the last three or four months. Rachel, a yoga instructor, is probably the most fit. She is already doing squats with 60 pounds on her back and throwing the medicine ball 10 feet in the air with impunity. Everyone else is kind of at various levels of fitness with various strengths. Some are good at sit-ups, some at push-ups, some at kettlebells. None of us can do a pull-up without bands except the hallowed trainer Robin Lyons, who can jump up to the bar and demo five pull-ups while chit-chatting about points on proper form and explaining what a kipping pull-up is and looking like she might just have a little cup of tea while she is at it.

January 21, 2010

The good things so far. I’m trying to eat better and eat more protein. I’m making a hot breakfast of eggs or oatmeal for the fam. Even Doug is eating breakfast, which he never does, because I came home and gave him a lecture about how he has to eat regularly to keep his metabolism going. Robin (trainer) was adamant about that. You have to eat breakfast and you have to eat enough protein and fat to keep your body from feeling starved and trying to store fat. The protein helps you burn fat and have energy.

I love having breakfast together. It is really fun. I don’t know how I made the time. I guess it really only takes me a few more minutes to make eggs than to pour cereal. And the kids now think I’m supermom. Doesn’t take much!

Why do I resist things that are good for me? I know why I resist, cause it’s hard—but I feel so much better eating right and working out. As it says on our Crossfit web site, "The pain of discipline or the pain of regret...YOU choose." For me, the discipline is so worth it. I feel better. I get stuff done. I do more for my family. And all that even though I’m taking up time to work out. I magically have more time even though I’m taking time for myself. I think I’ll call this “Sunny’s Magic Theory of Relativity.”

January 25, 2010

Today was my first regular CrossFit workout after finishing my Foundations classes. I got up at 5:40 am to make it to the 6 am class. That was early but I could be living in Manhattan and have to get up and take the subway for half an hour. Or I could live in Panguitch where they don’t even have a CrossFit. The location is so close. I love it.

I can’t get over the shortness of the workouts. A big workout for me is riding for 5 hours in preparation for a 100-mile bike ride. During our hour at the gym, we warm up for about 15 minutes. The warm up is a workout in itself though.

Shoulder exercises with a 5 pound weight

Solomon stretches (lunge, stretch hip flexor, and stretch arms overhead)

500 m row

Then

10 push-ups

10 sit-ups

10 overhead squats

10 pull-ups

10 back somethings (elevated on pad, feet hooked in, bend forward toward ground and back up)

There might be more. I can’t remember it all. You do up to 3 reps of all those.

Then we usually do a group exercise, like high knees or vertical leaps kind of stuff. Then we prepare for the WOD, which lasts about 15 minutes, but of course is high intensity. On go, you work as hard as you can until the WOD is done and you’re exhausted. Then you write is down in your log book so that you can feel better next time when you’re faster or stronger!

January 29, 2010

I’ve been up Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and today Friday to workout. It sounds like torture—the waking up and the working out, but I am really liking it. I’m not gonna say love, that would be a little nuts. As in yes, please beat me with a stick. But I do love how I feel. I already feel better, physically. It’s almost like that feeling after you have a baby. Pregnant, you are so tired, you can hardly walk up a flight of stairs and you can’t reach down to do up your shoe laces. Then you have the baby and a few days recovering, you feel so light and mobile. You want to jump on a trampoline or ride a bike. You walk up the stairs without holding the railing!

Jared, one of the other trainers who is also a great guy, told me I need to eat before I workout—even if that means before 6 am. That is weird. I’m not used to eating that early. He gets up and has whole milk and a banana and an apple. I really wish I liked bananas. He also said that you need to refuel, or whatever the word was—essentially replenish your energy, right after working out. It seems like a lot of people at the gym drink protein shakes. That is another thing I have never done. It seems so processed and un-whole-foody. Can it really be good for you? The whole eating thing is getting complicated, but I’ll just take it one day at a time. So far, I am really enjoying the high-protein egg breakfast.

February 3, 2010

Let me start by saying that a cleanse seems a little bit weird and over-the-top to me. I mean I’m not up for coffee colonics or having my medians recircuited, and a cleanse is almost in that category for me. And yet here I am. I’ve been convinced to give it a try. You can do anything for ten days, right? Today is the big day for me and (thank heavens I have someone to do this with) my husband. We’ve started our cleanse. Not the lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper kind of cleanse as in Kelly-from-The Office cleanse. This is a paleo-zone cleanse, as in Paleolithic, caveman diet. You gotta eat like a caveman for 10 days.

Here are the rules:

1. No fried foods, refined sugar, corn or white starches, or bread

2. No wheat products (i.e. bread or crackers)

3. No dairy (i.e. cheese, yogurt, milk)

4. No alcohol

5. No coffee or soda

6. Eat veggies: salads during the day and steamed at night will scrub your system (choose spices over dairy/sugar based condiments)

7. Eat fruit: fibrous and low glycemic choices (i.e. apples, grapefruit, berries)

8. Eat healthy fats (i.e. avocado, nuts, seeds, olives, olive oil)

9. Eat clean proteins: feed muscle and reduce appetite (tuna and salmon will aid in cleansing; eggs/chicken would be secondary options; stay away from processed lunch meats)

10. Eat clean carbs if needed (quinoa, hummus, oatmeal)

11. Drink water: try for 1 gallon a day

I just ate 5 raspberries as I was typing this, and yes, I counted them. I think it’s completely insane to count five raspberries. It’s like Tyra Banks saying, “Ooh, I just ate half a celery stick and one macadamia nut. I’m so gorged.” Or my friend Lisa who I always tease about her lack of appetite, “Oh, no thank you, I couldn’t eat a half a pickle.”

Last night we went to Costco and spent $400 on “cleansing” food. I really hope the food lasts at least the 10 days of our cleanse, maybe even two weeks. And I hope we eat it all before it goes bad. If it does last, it really won’t be that expensive compared to our normal food budget. If you’re willing to spend $5 on some good ice cream then you should be willing to spend $5 on strawberries right? Cut out the ice cream and there’s your five bucks. (I know I can’t cut out the ice cream forever, but at least for 10 days.)

The most expensive things we bought were frozen wild salmon (don’t eat farmed), which was $29.99 for about 12 servings; canned tuna, which was $11.99 for eight regular sized cans; top sirloin, which was $17.36 for about 16 servings; beef stew meat, which was $16.74 for about 12 servings; frozen shrimp, which was $11.99 for a 2 pound bag (about 70 shrimp), Canadian bacon, which was $8.39 for two bags, each about 4 inches long; grapefruit, which was $10.99 for a huge bag of at least 20 grapefruits; and for the amount, the raspberries, which were $6.49 for 12 ounces (about a 10” x 5” container).

Wow, that seems like a lot of meat that is going to rot in my gut—not clean me out. We don’t eat a lot of meat, especially red meat. I rarely buy it, but I might get a hamburger when I go out. So we shall see if I overdose on protein or balance my hormones and metabolism and appetite and all the other miracles that this cleanse might bring about.

February 4, 2010

A day of desperation—wanting something just because I can’t have it. The ice cream in the freezer is calling my name, and I don’t even like the flavor that much: peanut butter cup. If I were “allowed” to have it, I would probably open the freezer, look at it, think “I don’t really love that flavor,” and shut the door. Today, I am looking longingly at my one-year old’s bread crusts and honey nut Cheerios and feeling like if I just ate them up, it would fill any longing in my soul.

It’s not that the food I’ve eaten today hasn’t been yummy. I had eggs, grapefruit, and strawberries for breakfast. By the way, the Costco grapefruit is really tasty. And the strawberries were pretty good, too, considering it is February. The produce is definitely better quality at Costco. I wish it were down the street instead of 40 minutes away in the “big city” of St. George. Anyhow, for lunch I had a salad of romaine, romas, English cucumbers, pepperoncini (which I think might be illegal because they are pickled, I have to find out), avocado, pine nuts, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. All the ingredients were yummy, but the combination was a little strange. I don’t know if it was the balsamic and avocados or the pine nuts and pepperoncini or what, but I probably won’t do that combo again.

Back to Costco for a moment. Last night we had frozen green beans from Costco. They were so good! I just steamed them in the microwave, and they were delish. My one-year-old grabbed the bowl and started eating them by the fistful. The brand is Lisa’s Organics, which I hope the store keeps. They always seem to be switching brands just when I find something I really like. The frozen salmon was also pretty good, and that’s coming from a salmon snob who grew up in the northwest eating barbequed salmon that my uncle caught fresh. I was strong and resisted eating it with lime and brown sugar, the way my mom often makes it. I just brushed it with a little olive oil, and it was pretty good. Today I realized that I could make it with honey and lime. Cavemen ate honey, yippee! So I’ll try that next time.

As for tonight, it’s Greek salad (without the feta), steamed carrots, and chicken. I had some fresh cilantro so I made a marinade with lime and cilantro. We’ll see how that goes. Probably won’t be like a night at Café Rio.

been so kind as to say that she will have hummus and veggies and even lettuce wraps!

February 5, 2010

Okay, now I know why they call it a cleanse… What does it say in the cleanse rules, veggies will “scrub your system”? Yup, uh huh.

I should have bought the Omega-3 eggs at Costco because they are $5.99 for 48 eggs. But I bought two 24-packs of the extra large eggs.

Can I eat Canadian bacon even though it is processed meat? Am I a medium or small sized woman? These are the questions I ask myself and must find answers to.

Raspberries gone in one day, strawberries two days, cucumbers three days. I spent another $40 on fruit and veggies, including for a superbowl party. I brought a fruit platter and my friend was kind enough to make veggies and hummus.

February 7, 2010

Paleo kids. I’m trying to make the kids eat better, too. For the most part, they are happy to eat fruit and many veggies. Frozen blueberries straight from the bag. Love ‘em, including the baby. Clementines, strawberries, raspberries, cantelope, celery, carrots—all devoured. Kale with turkey bacon, weren’t so thrilled, but dad’s little game worked wonders: Eat some kale and then punch Dad in the arm, Dad says “Ow, but I think you can hit a little harder. Eat some more.” So with each bite, the kids get to punch dad. Dad’s owing louder and the kids are laughing the heads off and running back to their plates to eat kale and come back for a free punch to Dad’s shoulder.

February 8, 2010

I have lost 5.4 pounds in 5 days on my cleanse. That will keep me motivated. Instead of saying to myself, “Ooh, yummy cake, I’m going to scarf down a huge piece o’ that tasty refined sugar.” I’ll be saying, “I’m going to enjoy a delicate slice, I don’t want to spoil this slender form.”

Now let’s discuss yummy, yummy fiber drinks, which I started today. Here are the some of the ingredients:

psyllium husk

oat fiber

sodium carboxmethyl cellulose

guar gum

citrus pectin

butternut bark powder

acesulfame potassium

papaya fruit powder

prune powder

rhubarb root extract

black walnut hull extract

licorice root extract (mmm, licorice)

Sounds pretty voodoo. Tastes pretty voodoo too. You mix up your dee-lish powder with a cup of water and drink away, without gagging if possible. I washed it down with some extra water. I felt a little bit like my father-in-law drinking his Metamucil. Gotta keep regular you know.

2010-02-08T20:27:00.000-08:00

Now let’s discuss yummy, yummy fiber drinks, which I started today. Here are the some of the ingredients:

psyllium husk

oat fiber

sodium carboxmethyl cellulose

guar gum

citrus pectin

butternut bark powder

acesulfame potassium

papaya fruit powder

prune powder

rhubarb root extract

black walnut hull extract

licorice root extract (mmm, licorice)

2010-02-07T20:25:00.000-08:00

2010-02-05T20:24:00.000-08:00

Okay, now I know why they call it a cleanse… What does it say in the cleanse rules, veggies will “scrub your system”? Yup, uh huh.

I should have bought the Omega-3 eggs at Costco because they are $5.99 for 48 eggs. But I bought two 24-packs of the extra large eggs.

Can I eat Canadian bacon even though it is processed meat? Am I a medium or small sized woman? These are the questions I ask myself and must find answers to.

2010-02-04T20:23:00.000-08:00

been so kind as to say that she will have hummus and veggies and even lettuce wraps!

2010-02-03T20:22:00.000-08:00

Here are the rules:

1. No fried foods, refined sugar, corn or white starches, or bread

2. No wheat products (i.e. bread or crackers)

3. No dairy (i.e. cheese, yogurt, milk)

4. No alcohol

5. No coffee or soda

6. Eat veggies: salads during the day and steamed at night will scrub your system (choose spices over dairy/sugar based condiments)

7. Eat fruit: fibrous and low glycemic choices (i.e. apples, grapefruit, berries)

8. Eat healthy fats (i.e. avocado, nuts, seeds, olives, olive oil)

9. Eat clean proteins: feed muscle and reduce appetite (tuna and salmon will aid in cleansing; eggs/chicken would be secondary options; stay away from processed lunch meats)

10. Eat clean carbs if needed (quinoa, hummus, oatmeal)

11. Drink water: try for 1 gallon a day

2010-01-29T20:20:00.000-08:00

2010-01-25T20:19:00.000-08:00

Shoulder exercises with a 5 pound weight

Solomon stretches (lunge, stretch hip flexor, and stretch arms overhead)

500 m row

Then

10 push-ups

10 sit-ups

10 overhead squats

10 pull-ups

10 back extensions (elevated on pad, feet hooked in, bend forward toward ground and back up)

There might be more. I can’t remember it all. You do up to 3 reps of all those.

2010-01-21T20:17:00.000-08:00

2010-01-18T20:15:00.000-08:00

2010-01-14T20:14:00.000-08:00

And what’s a WOD? That means workout of the day. Everyone does the same workout, just scaled to your own ability. There’s a lot of CrossFit jargon. I think I’ll catch on, eventually.

2010-01-11T20:12:00.000-08:00

2010-01-10T20:09:00.000-08:00