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Two Weeks In….

 

Whole-Life-Challenge-1

 

No beer. No ice cream. Did i say no beer??? Two weeks in for the latest round of Whole Life Challenge. It’s been very good so far. The Paleo flu has come and gone. Only six more weeks to go. Would I want to do it long term? Probably not, however it’s good to do it a few times a year for a tune up. I have set a few PR’s which is always good. Strength stuff which I’ll take any day of the week. Let’s not forget, why run when you can dead lift and CrossFit isn’t supposed to be track.

How do you know you are eating Paleo?

  • Dishwasher gets run twice a day, except on Sundays when it’s maybe three times
  • Two crockpots going at the same time is not strange
  • The lunchbox is significantly larger
  • paleOMG is your new favorite read
  • you’d kill for some sugar…..

One of the wonderful side effects of sober fridays and saturdays, is productive saturdays and sundays. Who else is up at five am on the weekends? This is probably my favorite time of year so it works out well because I am up and outside enjoying the fall while everyone else is in bed sleeping. It’s a beautiful world early in the morning.

What is Paleo? The chart below pretty much sums it up.

Paleo-Diet-Flowchart2-e1345400029955

 

 

This past Week’s WOD’s:

MON-FITNESS

  • Leader of the Pack WOD 1:
  • 10 Min AMRAP
  • Run 600m
  • 20 Hand Release Pushups
  • in time remaining get as far as you can in the following ladder:
  • 2 Power Cleans (115/75)
  • 20 Double Unders
  • 4 Power Cleans
  • 20 Double Unders or 60 singles
  • made it through eight cleans, i think i went up to 135 instead, or maybe 155.

TUES-FITNESS

  • Back Squat 10-10-10 ***last set should be 5-10 lbs heavier than Sept 8th
  • Worked up to 275 for 10 which was a 20 lb PR

WED-SPORT

  • 10 Rounds for time Partner WOD –
  • 3 Stone to Shoulder (145/95)
  • 6 Push Jerks (155/105)
  • 9 Pull ups
  • 12 Cals on Rower
  • Partner 1 goes through ENTIRE round, then tags off to partner 2. 10 Rounds total between the 2 people.
  • This was Kylie and I and we did well. Everything was Rx, except those stupid freakin’ pull ups

Thursday was running and wall balls, so it was a strategic rest day. I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life.

FRI-SPORT

  • 1RM Clean and Jerk ***take time to go over split jerk technique***
  • 15 lb PR, hit 205
  • Poor coach Rebs…to me a push jerk is a press, or a push press…..not ever a jerk

Saturday and Sunday are running days and running errands days. Work has been busy so this gives me two days to catch up on some stuff.

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Summer is Over…..

Goodbye Summer

 

Seems like the Summer flew by faster than usual. Actually, the past year has flown by faster than usual. Fall is here which means football, bonfires, pumpkins, and cooler weather. We just finished our summer vacation, which was a little later than normal, however it was a blast. There were several boxes close by, however we decided to take the whole week off and rest up. Definitely looking forward to getting back to the grind and getting back in a routine. For those who are interested, Charleston South Carolina is a great area to visit. The foodie scene blows Baltimore out of the water. Beach is 20 minutes away. Golf courses galore. And of course there is a plethora of historical stuff if you are into that as well. All of the Westbrook brews were excellent.

Charleston Food

Beer

 

August was a great month with four PR’s. Clean, Front Squat, Back Squat, and Dead Lift.  I’ll take those any day of the week. So what did I learn over the past few months? Still having issues doing the WOD’s Rx, and the reason is because of the inability to complete the BW exercises like Pull UPs, HSPU, DU’s, etc. Really thought my recent purchases of Nano 4.0’s, Junk headbands, and Progenex would have changed all that. I was wrong. Obviously, I’m joking. I don’t like those movements, I don’t practice those movements, and have gotten very good at scaling those movements. I can rip off 100 singles without missing a beat. Ring rows are no problem. I scaled and got great at scaling. Whoops. So how do we combat this issue? Easy, buy more gear. No, of course not.

Yep. Time for a detox. the past six to eight months have been filled with great food and craft brews. These do not match well with performing well however it is what it is and that’s that. We signed up for the Whole Life Challenge which is always a good way to recharge and get back on track. It’s also about personal accountability, planning, dedication, and not bargaining with yourself. So much easier to put in a blog than to actually practice. If it was easy there wouldn’t be a billion dollar quick fix weight loss industry. Write that down. Watching the Steelers now, and if they keep this up, sobriety will be a pipe dream.

Dead Lift

Practice makes perfect. Or in the world of CrossFit, bloody shins, whip marked legs, torn hands, and bruised egos. Remember, we pay good money for this stuff! You can’t dead lift your way out of a poor diet. Trust me, I’ve tried. Cardio is simply dead lifting faster so that is automatically ruled out. Just need to practice more, focus on the nutrition and mobility. Looking forward to a great September.

 

 

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The Day After….

The food Gods blessed us last night by having Kloby’s food truck at Jailbreak which was wonderful. Craft beer and BBQ, what else could you possibly need? It was our first time at Jailbreak and we will definitely be back. The Jalapeño IPA is excellent as was their stout, the black cherry porter, the orange flavored Heffe, the cider,…don’t judge.

Little beat up this morning but not too bad. No running this morning. Too much running back to back isn’t good for you. I read that somewhere. Heading to yoga this morning to get the kinks worked out and then a relaxing Sunday poolside because i didn’t get enough sunburn at the beach. Might as well add another layer.

What’s in store this week? Not entirely sure. 12Labours has been kind enough to post the WOD’s in advance which helps to plan the week and strategic rest days. Looking forward to seeing the line up!

 

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The Day Of….

Great googley moogley. That was fun! 12Labours WOD is as follows:

  • 400 meter med ball run 20/14
  • 9 stone to shoulder 145/115
  • 400 meter sand bag run
  • 24 power cleans 135/95
  • 400 meter run
  • 5 rope climbs (15 ring rows)
  • 30 yard prowler push 255/155
  • 12 stone squats 115/95
  • 500 meter row
  • three sets 3 muscle ups, 3 hspu or three sets 3 ring rows/pull ups, 3 hand release push ups, 3 dips
  • 40 cal assault bike
  • 3 tire flips 450/350

All for joyous time. It was announced it shouldn’t really take more than thirty minutes. I beat that by thirty seconds, scaled. Subbed out KB squats for stone squats. Bad timing. Lots of running and everyone who reads this blog knows how much I LOVE running, and by love i mean hate however it is a necessary evil. Surprisingly the cleans were tougher than I thought they would be. Wound up doing four sets of six. Probably should have gone heavier on the Stone to shoulder. Did 115 for some reason. First rep was a ball slam. Basically caught it about two inches off the ground after the bounce and hauled it up.

Definitely a challenging WOD and a well run event. The cherry on top was it raised about two k, cha ching, for the coaches. Nice work everyone. Thank you Rusty for putting it together and for 12Labours BWI to host the event. It was awesome to see everyone giving 110 percent and having a good time.

Off to Jailbreak who I hear brews beer, and serves beer…which is handy, because I like to drink beer, in particular after that wonderful morning WOD.

 

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The Day Before….

So, tomorrow morning we have a fundraiser for our awesome coaches who are headed to the big show in Carson City. They’ve been called up from the minors and will be locking horns with the best athletes who have ever put on nanos. Congrats again to 12 Labours, Luke, Brad, Jimmy, Rebecca, Kristen, and Christa. How else do we raise? By doing a WOD of course. Since the three boxes recently rebranded as 12 Labours, it is the 12 Labours WOD, which nobody knows anything about. All we known is we will have to do tire flips, running, stone squats or stone to shoulders, and a bunch of other stuff.

How much time have I wasted today trying to figure out what it is? Pretty much all of it. 12 reps of 12 different exercises…for 12 rounds. Maybe it will follow the 12 days of Christmas format….1 rope climb, 2 muscle ups, 3 stone to shudders, 400 meter run, 500 meter row, 6 box jumps, etc. Hey maybe it will follow fiflthy fifty where you just crush through a bunch stuff, puke,…do some more stuff…think about puking again. Chances of it being something like a drink a 12 pack with a few of your friends? Probably not. That will happen afterwards.

Lets to try to break it down logically.

What do we know?

  • Lots of people on the playground
  • Heats broken apart by fifteen minutes
  • Good weather
  • Both Rx and Scaled divisions
  • The person putting is a beast and military…no soul
  • Lots of toys
  • Three boxes

What have we Heard?

  • Rope climbs
  • Tire flips
  • Stones
  • Muscle Ups/Pull Ups and Dips
  • Running

My best guess:

  • Three rounds
  • 12 stone to shoulder
  • 11 overhead press
  • 10 cals on AD
  • 9 box jumps
  • 8 KB swings
  • 7 push ups
  • 6 tire flips
  • 500 meter row
  • 400 meter run
  • 3 burpees
  • 2 muscle ups
  • 1 rope climb

Looking forward to finding out!

 

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Want to Get Better and Have More Fun?

cropped-crossfit-gear.jpg

Below are fifty rules/guidelines/recommendations I have collected during the past three years as a CrossFit addict. Trust me, it doesn’t mean I do all of them. Do as I say, not as I do. Isn’t that the way it is supposed to work?

 

  1. Make Under Armour a liar every WOD. Shirt can’t wic away awesome! It means you should give every WOD your all and leave nothing in the tank.
  2. Finish the round. Doesn’t matter what the clock says. It matters that you finish.
  3. Failing on a rep is good. If you aren’t failing, you aren’t pushing.
  4. Squat, Dead lift, Press, Bench, and sadly running too, should be done every week.
  5. Keep your gym bag stocked and in your car.
  6. PVC Pipe, lacrosse ball, field hockey ball, giant bands, should be in your living room for all to see.
  7. Mobility is a WOD, one you can do seven days a week
  8. Coffee, unsalted butter and coconut oil = breakfast
  9. Tequila, a juiced lime, and a salted rim = happy hour!
  10. Don’t take it too seriously…see rule above
  11. Food doesn’t have ingredients listed on a label
  12. Join a farm Co-op. Best vegetables you will get, hands down.
  13. Buy a cow, then eat the cow
  14. Visit other boxes often
  15. Do the whole warm up like it’s your favorite WOD.
  16. Show up ten minutes earlier than you normally would
  17. Stay fifteen minutes later than you normally would
  18. Athletic tape, wrist wraps, knee sleeves, oly shoes, jump rope, nanos/innov8’s. Buy the toys because they are the tools of the trade.
  19. Don’t be the no rep person….
  20. Introduce yourself to all drop ins and newbies. You were one too
  21. Chalk makes you stronger
  22. Once in a while, forget what you know, and do it EXACTLY like the coach tells you
  23. Kill Cliff, Progenex, coconut water, whole food, whatever your post WOD plan is, just make sure you have one. Need to rehydrate and feed the machine
  24. Your Box has a sticker, I am sure,…put one on your car and help advertise
  25. Sweat angels are beautiful
  26. Coming close to throwing up is ok
  27. Double unders suck. Get over it. Practice them
  28. There are no quick fixes
  29. Supplements do not replace real food
  30. Clean up your stuff. Bars go on a rack. Clips go in a bucket. Plates either go on a tree or on a stack. KB’s and DB’s have a shelf.
  31. Always smile, even when the coach puts up 800m Med Ball Indian run for the warm up. Coaches are people too….they make mistakes.
  32. The coach doesn’t want to hear you bitch.
  33. It’s Saturday at 800am, a few people are hungover. Don’t call them out. It’s not cool. They know they drank last night…..and so does everyone else.
  34. A “nice job” or a high five go a very long way with new members and drop ins
  35. F&*K cliques. The Box is a team. Support everyone.
  36. Take different classes so you get different coaches
  37. WOD/running/swimming early in the morning ensures a good night’s sleep
  38. Be truthful with scores, don’t cheat yourself
  39. Pick a goal every month and then work on it every time you are in the box. Even when you are beat and want to go home.
  40. Coffee is the lifeblood that drives success!!!!
  41. Tequila seems to always take things up a notch…..
  42. Bacon makes everything better….just try not to eat it at every meal
  43. Progenex, aka, awesome-sauce is the best tasting protein ever. It’s also expensive, however it’s worth it if it helps you recover faster
  44. Fish oil fixes just about everything. Creaky joints, good for the heart, etc. Take lots of it. You’ll know when you have had too much.
  45. Don’t let the muscle between you ears be the strongest one. It’s the only part of you that knows how much the bar/kb/db weighs.
  46. Listen to the coach when they tell you it’s too much weight. Putting yourself in danger to do it Rx is silly.
  47. Leave the music alone. Owner and coaches get to change it. Nobody else.
  48. Take three to five minutes to get your head right before you get out of the car. Work stays in the car. Life stays in the car. This is all about you.
  49. Don’t worry about 100% pale…do what works for you. Your are the expert on how you feel.
  50. Sign up for local competitions. Good way to meet people and you will do way more when you are in front of a crowd than when you are doing a regular WOD. Waaaaaaaayyy more.

Who has some more recommendations?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Filthy Fifty; The Day After

filthy_fifty

 

All I can say is wow…. I had never done the WOD before. Only heard the rumors. Hands down, toughest WOD ever. Even tougher than 14.5 which I am sure all of you remember. Squat cleans and burpees for days….Yes, that’s the one.

What is it, dare you ask?

CrossFit_Filthy_50

Everything was fine until i got to wall balls and burpees. That is where the train left the tracks and i wondered why i pay money to do this stuff. I subbed step ups for box jumps and did ab-mat sit-ups instead, singles instead of DU’s, 150 of them.  All in all i was happy with the time of 40 minutes. I did much better at the lunges than I have in the past. Wall Balls and Burpees sucked the life from me and there wasn’t enough Kill Cliff to bring it back. No joke, those two probably took me fifteen minutes to complete.

If you haven’t done it, do it. If you have done it, do it again.  Definitely the toughest WOD, however very rewarding to complete as well!

Damn, hurt me so bad it affected my memory.  I thought I posted this already! Whoops. In any event, this has been my favorite WOD. It destroyed the 5k run that somebody posted for the previous week. Still not over that one….I will get over it soon I am sure.

 

 

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Email from a Friend After you Join CrossFit

My most popular entry. Might as well put it out there again!

CrossFitRook

Hey, it’s been a while. Seriously I don’t even know if you’ll have time to read this email since you practically live at the CrossFit gym now. Oh, sorry it’s a box. What gives? We haven’t seen you in forever. Every time we talk to you it’s CrossFit this and CrossFit that. Either it’s some workout at midnight, which is weird, or some weekend competition. Next thing it’s a cookout or a happy hour.

We don’t even understand half the stuff posted on your Facebook page. What the hell do you mean you PR’d and did something Rx? And now your up at five am posting stuff to boot! You used to be a night owl. Are you ok? Taking pictures of your food or posting pictures of empty plates with the caption “time”? Huh? Time for what? Chipotle three times a week. Thanks for checking in every time. Trust…

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