Push, Pull, or DRAG it in...

When I lived in PA, I always used to hear this ad on the radio for a car dealership who had a push, pull, or drag it in sale. If you could get your car there they would give you some sort of credit for it. I decided that that should be the title of my blog for yesterday because that's exactly how it felt. There was a little bit of pushing, a little bit of pulling, and a lot of me dragging myself through this workout. After Monday's front squats the old hip flexers were pretty sore so it was no wonder that during this workout they straight up started to burn. Check out this nastiness that Jerry came up with.

For time
50 Wall ball (14)
40 KB swings (35)
30 Jumping lunges
20 Jumping slamballs (10)
10 Pull-ups
800 M Run
10 Pull-ups
20 Jumping slamballs
30 Jumping lunges
40 KB swings
50 Wall ball

Ok, so does anyone else think that this sounds incredibly painfull? Our metcon super master ninjas wailed through this in 15/16 minutes. It took me 23:08. Ow. Just ow. I would just like to state for the record again, that I am NOT, I repeat NOT a metcon super master ninja. Period. Ze end!

Don't be frontin', yo....

Ah, yes. Front squats! It's been a hot minute since we've done any front squats and it felt good to work these again. For awhile there we were hitting front squats by three pretty consistently, and did them I think like three times in 3 weeks. Since then though, we haven't hit them very often. So, since today officially started my spring break.... I slept in (WWWWOOOOOTTTTTT!!!) and then hit the 9am class hard for some front squats. Today's WOD looked like 'dis...

Front squats 5-5-5-5-5

85 X 5
105 X 5
115 x 5
125 X 5
135 X 5
145 X 5
150 X 5

I haven't done 5's in a really long time so this was def a PR. It felt good to hit this today. I enjoyed the 0900 class! :) Woot!

A metstrength thrasher...

I love Saturdays! We always have time to play around on Saturdays and really enjoy being at CFOT. We started Saturday with about 30 minutes of pvc work before we got into our circuits. Thanks to the cert we did with Coach B. a few weeks back, we've gotten a bunch of great drills and things to help us work on our lifting. It was great to work on the lifts for awhile, although Jerry served up a choice of workouts afterwards that was pretty brutal.

Choice A
5 intervals
400 m run
21 KB swings
12 Pull-ups
Rest as needed between rounds

Choice B
5 rounds for time
10 OHS (65lbs)
10 Burpees
400 M run

I decided that since I like overhead work, I would do some more OHS even though I did them on Friday. Eh, what the hey. :) I forget what my time was exactly but it was 22 something I think. This was a beast of a workout. I felt so sluggish on the runs. Ugh. But it was good to get some metcon and some strength work in. Yeah for throwing heavy weights over my head! :)

Cold Turkey Or Giving the Bird "The Bird"

As I get older, I'm learning a few things about myself. I hate change. Traffic makes me insanely cranky. I need more than 4 hours a sleep to function properly. I can no longer drink as much as I used to. I actually kind of like the color pink (who knew?). You know, important things. I have also learned that food and I will probably forever be locked in a winless battle. See, I love food, and it loves me, probably a bit too much. Sugar in particular.

The success that I had last year with the Zone was the first actual success I have had in losing any sort of weight. It felt great and I was so glad that it worked. But, as Melissa (Byers Gets Diesel) said in one of her food posts, creating a cycle of punishable behaviors is not going to yield the results (ie eating behaviors) that you want. She is right. It I go cold turkey today, and start Zoning and dropping out things that I've been eating it's going to drive me insane. I'm more likely to cheat out of my frustration that I can't have things, and create this cycle of eating and them ultimately punishing myself for it. This is not healthy. So today, I'm giving the bird, "the bird" so to speak.

What I'm learning about myself as I get older, is that unlike many people, I can't do things, "cold turkey". There needs to be a period of gradual reduction to get used to the changes that are occurring before the complete change over takes place. I HATE change. For whatever reason it makes me uncomfortable. Other people thrive on uprooting their lives and doing new things, but I thrive on routine. Even in something as simple as food, and changing the routine or the bad habits I have gotten into lately is not going to be easy. Changing habits, bad or good, takes time, and that's something that I think everyone going into any kind of eating change needs to remember. It's going to be a fight to change these things because you've been doing them, in most cases, for a long time. I tried to go cold turkey back into the Zone this week, and had only limited success. I did NOT drink ANY coffee over the last four days, which is a major feat in and of itself. I have seriously upped my water intake, and I've only slipped and had one soda (at lunch with teammmates yesterday and it was DIET) which is another serious feat, ESPECIALLY considering that I work in a restaurant where I get to drink all the soda I want..... I did not touch a drop on Thursday. To me, this is a serious step in the right direction. I bet some people are thinking that this is no big deal. Well, again, remembering that everyone is an individual is a big help here, because what you need to understand about me, is that I was drinking a Venti White Mocha (800 cals+) each morning to get me going, AND at least 2-3 cans/bottles of soda a day (another 800-1000 cals+). This is an INSANE amount of extra calories. Eliminating these two things will go a VERY long way towards helping me maintain a healthy weight. A simple solution some would say would be to go to the light coffee drinks and Diet soda. My rebuttal? Light coffee tastes like ca ca, and diet sodas still produce insulin responses in your body because your body thinks it's getting sugar. Even though it's not really sugar, your body has been duped and you're left holding the extra insulin that your body prepared to deal with the "sugar" it thought was coming. This is why people who diet and drink a ton of diet colas don't very often see dramatic results they were looking for. So truthfully, it's no better than drinking regular.

Although I was good about the coffee and soda, I did slip and eat a cookie that one of the kids brought in for Easter (Thursday), and on Wednesday I had a (very small) brownie. Now, the old me would have pummeled myself unmercifully for eating something not Zoned. But, I have to give myself credit. My meals for the most part over the last few days were completely Zoned, and even the meals that weren't because I ate out, were, although not perfect, more Zone friendly than the choices I've been making recently. No more processed pasta (which had again become a go to because it's so quick and easy to make) no more tons of bread or fried foods. I really have been making an effort. And no, it's not perfect. It's not 100% Zoned. But IMHO, Zoning 85% is better than not Zoning at all. I have to give myself credit for taking the initiative, taking the steps, and making some progress. Maybe not the best progress, but progress nonetheless. If I don't cheat for 3 meals, but slip for 2, that's better than cheating all 5 right? It's progress. And after all, in CF isn't that what we're looking for? Measurable gains? This is definitely something that is a measureable gain. It might be a baby step, but it's a baby step in the RIGHT direction. Maybe next week I aim for 4 out of 5. It's progress we're looking for.

As the weeks go by, I think I'll dial down even more, and the sugary stuff won't pose such a problem for me, but right now I need to be careful. My body is still going through sugar detox and it wants what it wants based on my past poor choices. As I step down into the Zone, I think I will start to see results, and I will not be as angry with myself as I would have been if I had gone "cold turkey". I just need to remember to keep making good choices, and try as hard as I can. Now, I know others may disagree with me and say no, no, no. For the first two weeks you need to be completely in the Zone and you can't cheat and blah blah blah. But here's the thing. We need to remember that each person is an individual and therefore, so is their diet. Some people may do well with the 2 week crash course into the Zone. I don't. I become very anxious about what I'm eating, if it's not 100% perfect, if I have a slip. It's too much negative reinforcement to something that is supposed to be helpful. Over the next three weeks I hope to step completely in the Zone, but for now, the first big step, is getting over the coffee and soda addiction and going from there. Here's to hoping I can do it.

I'm just "Josh"in ya'!

Every first Friday of the month is choose your own hero or girl workout. Sort of like "choose your own death" like I was talking about last week. ;) It also means that we get to have a social after class. I'm really coming to enjoy the socials because we have so many new people, and so many old people who I just don't get to see very much of since I'm in at 0515, that it's great to be able to stand around and chat with them. It does make me laugh though to see everyone in real clothes because sometimes I don't recognize them. LOL.

So last night's social was great fun, except for the fact that I was EXHAUSTED. Thank God spring break is finally here. Yesterday was a pretty miserable day for about half of it, and when I got to CFOT it was raining. I didn't want to run in the rain because I didn't even want to RISK getting sick while I'm off on spring break, so I decided to hit Josh. I did Josh last month on choose your own day and I landed him in 11:18. I thought that was a fairly decent time and was pretty pleased with that. But of course Jerry said that if I was doing it again, I should try to beat my time. Well crap. :P

But nonetheless I jumped on the clock and went for it. Josh looks like this if you aren't familiar.

21 OHS
42 Pull-ups
15 OHS
30 Pull-ups
9 OHS
18 Pull-ups

It's a doozy of a workout, similar to a Fran feeling because your forearms just get fried from holding the barbell up and from doing the pull-ups. I had a hard time doing more than 3 or 4 pull-ups at a time, otherwise I would have made up some more time there. But regardless, I nailed this in 9:32 and was pretty please about knocking almost 2 minutes off my time. I was pretty stoked. Jerry told me that next time I need to try the 95lb men's rx'd since OHS are so easy for me. Crap. :P Damn me and my swimmer shoulders.....

The Good, The Bad, and THE ZONE....

If you are a regular around here, you may have noticed a few things change recently. I've been changing up my blog a little bit and doing some things differently, including adding a few more friends to my blog list. Sean has come onboard the Katie train, and I've found a new blog that I like to follow called Byers Get Diesel. I have to say, I love Melissa's style of writing and she posts a lot of really great stuff. She had an article in the journal this month about Zoning, and had some related posts that really got me to start thinking about the Zone.

Last year, I posted my CrossFit story. It wound up on the affiliate page and was read over 2,000 times. I had tons of great emails and comments, and was glad that despite how scary it was to put my life out there, it resonated with people and they could associate with it. My story was a success! I had lost weight, improved my times, my weights, and my overall lifestyle. Last August, as CF and I celebrated our one year anniversary, I posted a link to a video I made showing just how far I'd come in one year. People were AMAZED that one year with a program could do so much for a person. I was Zoning, my weight was good, my weights were good, and I felt pretty invincible.

But flash forward to now. Real life has sunk in. I'm working three jobs, trying to find a new one, and feeling like there is a lot going on in my life. The Zone has all but fallen away, and I'm left here holding the broken pieces of that woman who existed in months past. I jumped on the scale the other day, and that was all it took. Nevermind the fact that I can deadlift over 200lbs, that I can do chest to bar pull-ups, that I can OHS 140lbs, that I can jerk 140. None of that mattered. I saw that number and nothing else mattered. I felt awful, and my immediate response to get to back in the Zone.

I started Zoning, pretty strictly, last March. There were lots of really good things about the Zone. By April I was seeing changes and noticing gains at CF, and those gains encouraged me to keep going. The motivation to lose weight and feel better about myself kept me eating well. The Zone was great for giving me parameters and for helping me see the light about eating well. I had more energy, felt good about myself, and really wanted to continue to do it.

But, as time went, it took me in a very negative direction. There were times when I was so obsessed with what I was putting in my mouth, that the Zone actually became another added stressor. It wasn't helpful, it wasn't beneficial, and it was actually more harmful for me. I developed a sense of guilt for eating outside of the Zone. I remember being on a WONDERFUL trip to Chicago, and Georgia telling me that I NEEDED to have cheat days and allow myself to try things while I was there. Pretty scary to live your life that much in fear of a few extra calories/carbs.

The Zone became a bit of a monster for me. Shortly after my race last October I hit some pretty big speed bumps in my personal life, and fell off the Zone completely because I was, to be honest, only eating once a day. There were days where I went without eating an actual meal AT ALL. Talk about a very dangerous mix for a CrossFitter and someone who has long had weight issues. Since then, life has just gotten crazy. Three jobs have kicked in, and blah blah blah. And now, I find myself not Zoning for a few different reasons. Some of them being the reasons I loved the Zone before.

I loved the Zone before because it gave me parameters and really gave me some structure for eating. Now, I find it constrictive. I don't want to go out with friends and need to be difficult about everything that I order so that I can stay in the Zone. I don't want to have to avoid things that I love because they don't belong in the Zone. I am disgusted with myself as I look in the mirror and see pockets of fat where two months ago there were none, but I get frustrated with the idea of going back to the Zone because I don't want it to not allow me to have my own life. I can't spend time blocking, and planning, and counting. Melissa makes a great point on her blog and talks about finding a balance. I agree with that wholeheartedly, but here is where I run into my big "BAD" point on the Zone.

To say I'm very busy right now is pretty accurate. A lot of days I don't get home until 8 or 9, sometimes even later when I'm working the other job, which means that I only have about an hour to finish any work I need, cook dinner, pack bags for the next day, and pack all my meals and snacks. And I'll be honest, there have been a lot of nights lately where, I just don't have the energy to do it all. The Zone has gone out the window because my solution is to simply stop and get something to eat on the way to school the next day or call out for dinner. I simply cannot strict Zone sometimes. So basically, since I've had so many days like that lately, I've said F U to the Zone and have just been going on a feeding frenzy.

I know the motivation to Zone must be internal, but here's where I struggle. For the people like me who sometimes just CAN'T get all the blocking and planning and measuring down, what can we do? Why isn't there a sort of "Eat This, Not That" for Zoners like me? People who care, people who want to, but people who are so wrapped up in so many things that it seems like adding one more thing will make the house of cards collapse. I'm not saying I should be able to get results without doing work. I'm not looking for a cheat, but I'm looking for the best alternatives when I can't do it in my own kitchen. The book, "Eat This, Not That", shows you how to save calories if you're going to eat something. If you must have ice cream, eat Bryers. It has the most all natural ingredients, and is therefore, the most Zone friendly ice cream if such a thing exists. These sorts of things save you calories in the long run.

I'd love a Zone book like this, because sometimes the choices I think aren't bad, really are. I didn't think that Yogurt was that bad for you, but now I understand that it has a lot of sugar. It's deceptive. So, what are the best alternatives for Zoners when they can't stand in their kitchen and do the weighing and measuring themselves?

I am a girl who will forever have weight issues. The Zone has helped me to lose some long needed weight, but at the same time, I need to be careful not to let it run my life. There are good things about the Zone, and there are bad things about the Zone. If it's going to work for me a second time, I need to find a balance.

It's how dirty girls get CLEAN...

You know, blame advertising for this one. I can't talk about cleans, or clean and jerks, or squat cleans, or what have you without thinking of those STUPID Axe bodywash/hair gel/body spray commercials. It's how dirty boys get clean... yuck! Dirty boys really just need a hose and a freakin' pine smell car freshener! Ah, well... anyway... so guess what WE worked on today? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Aha! You're right! It was push-ups! Fooooooooolllleedddd you... we really actually worked on cleans today. Ah yes, working on cleans is how dirty girls get clean. ;) LOL.

Today was a max clean day. I missed the last max clean day because I think I had done something stupid the day before... oh that's right. I fell into a plyo box and it ATE my shin. I'm not bitter or anything, but again... off topic. (Are you really surprised... come on now... this IS me we're talking about here.) Anyhoo, today, max cleans... yes... right. I did some rope climbs and a little bit o' jump rope to get the 'ol heart rate jumpin', and then we had a quick review of the cleans before we jumped in and started throwing weight on the bar. I was trying to be conservative and feel good before I moved up to fast, and this is what my numbers looked like.

55 X 5
85 X 3
95 X 1
105 X 1
115 X 1
125 X 1
130 X 1
135 X 1
140 X 1
145 X 1 (F)
145 X 1 (F)
145 X 1 (F)
145 X 1 (F)
145 X 1 (F)
145 X 1 (F)
145 X 1 (F)

I'm not kidding you. I really attempted 145 that many times today. It may have actually been more, but I lost count because I was so freakin' frustrated. I could get the bar to my shoulders and couldn't ride it up. I was so mad. Jerry noticed that when I got to 145 I was jumping VERY far forward of the tape line where I started. I'm not sure why I started to do that. It may have been fatigue, because in all honesty, I was a little tired by the end of things, but regardless, it was making me sooooo mad. 140 is a PR tie, but not a new PR. I haven't worked cleans in a while, and really I should be happy with this, but I got so frustrated with that stupid 145 that it's hard to be happy. I know I have a 145 pull in me, maybe a 150, but I just can't land it. FRUSTRATING!!!!! GGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRR...