Holiday Treats: Frenemy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 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??

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 

or

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.