tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26409458124102421102024-03-13T16:19:18.979-07:00Lory's Adventures"When words are both true and kind, they can change our world." -BuddhaLoryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-26563837535731954762011-02-07T19:08:00.000-08:002011-02-07T19:32:00.721-08:00Functional FitnessLately I've found that I am more able to move heavy (or what's heavy to me...) weights for more reps during workouts, yet my 1 rep max numbers aren't jumping as quickly as they've done in the past. I find this interesting for two reasons:<br />1. If you think of this in real life scenarios, I'd so much rather be able to carry/drag/lift something over a long period of time, instead of only being able to do it once. Because when the zombies come, and cars don't work anymore, we're going to have to be doing some inventive things!<br />2. Maxing sucks. <br /><br />On another note, the weekend warrior workouts this weekend were rough! I actually ripped my hand, which I hadn't done in almost six months. I guess 160+ pull ups will do that to me. <br /><br />Here's Saturday morning's Defiant wod:<br />Teams of 4 (we had three girls and one guy)<br />40 squat clean buy in (95/135#)<br />100 pull ups<br />25 clean and jerks (95/135#)<br />100 wall ball (14/20#)<br />25 C & J<br />100 box jumps<br />25 C & J<br />40 thrusters (75/95#)<br />It was a great workout, even though I felt like I had to vomit almost the whole time- sign of a good wod :) The hardest part about team workouts is the rep count, keeping track of who is doing what, and not stopping to figure it out. When we get lost, I'd rather just throw out a number and go with it instead of getting all jumbled. But that may be cheating...<br /><br />I wanted to stay for Defiant's free workout after that but Dane's Body Shop was hosting a Jack LaLanne celebratory workout:<br />1,000 pull ups<br />1,000 star jumps<br />So this dude did it all on his own in about an hour and a half, with crazy blisters and rips afterward. But we did it in a team of six, where each of us did around 160 reps of each. It was fun, and all of us had a great time with star jumps, and not so much with pull ups, finishing everywhere between 15-30 minutes. I really enjoyed hanging with the crew at Daily Juice afterward, where Aaron read us some Jack quotes like this one:<br />"Warming up is the biggest bunch of horseshit I've ever heard in my life. Fifteen minutes to warm up! Does a lion warm up when he's hungry? 'Uh-oh, here comes an antelope. Better warm up.' No! He just goes out and eats the sucker. You gotta get the blood circulating, but shit, does the lion cool down? No, he eats the sucker and goes to sleep. And that," he concluded, folding his arms into a variation of the pose, "is the truth."<br /><br />He sounds like quite the cool cat. Thanks for making me do 16o pull ups on Saturday, Jack!Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-5417450990984697372011-01-03T15:22:00.000-08:002011-01-03T15:30:03.996-08:002011!"If your goals are comfortable, they're not big enough. Strap on the cojones and go. Play like you're not afraid to lose."<br /><br />Tonight I did a wod in the backyard.<br /><br />Warm up:<br />4 rounds<br />5 burpees<br />10 swings 12 kg<br />5 shoulder dislocates<br /><br />Barbell Complex (from Atomic and Mountain Athlete):<br />6 reps each-DL, bent over row, hang power clean, FS, PP, BS, push ups<br />Then 20 sit ups<br />5 rounds 45/50/50/55/65<br />That was a little confusing without a whiteboard to stay on track. I forgot the bent over rows a couple of times. <br /><br />WOD:<br />3 rounds<br />5 thrusters (65#) <br />10 unbroken burpees<br />100m-ish sprint<br />:30 rest<br />Got this from Mel's blog which she got from CrossFit Austin. I was huffing and puffing on this one- darn burpees! <br /><br />Lots of work coming up! I'm doing Defiant's REV-olution challenge and I'll be at Atomic Athlete on Fridays. Pumped for 2011!Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-88215893741329721942010-12-20T17:56:00.000-08:002010-12-20T17:57:45.312-08:00Pretty Strong<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FaNO5XTfUf4?version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FaNO5XTfUf4?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></object><br /><br />I highly recommend checking out the <a href="http://prettystrongblog.blogspot.com/">Pretty Strong</a> blog!Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-36544404139370662732010-12-12T15:43:00.000-08:002010-12-12T20:34:37.496-08:00Recap of the All Cities OpenTop three life lessons from ACO:<br />1. Other than the nerves, plus building enough courage and confidence, the hardest part about competing is figuring out when and what to eat. True story, I was on the verge of vomiting the whole time. <br />2. I pee a lot. A lot. Maybe I had too much Spark, maybe it was the nerves, but I felt like at every opportunity I had to run off to find the loo.<br />3. CrossFit athletes GLOW. On the phone with Mom I said, "I look like such a creeper because I'm staring at everyone. But seriously, everyone glows. It's like Greek mythology out here." <br /><br />Here's the breakdown:<br /><br />Wod #1: 1 rep max back squat<br />I was thrown off guard when I was asked at check in what my 1rm back squat was. I meekly said, "Umm, 180?" Sounded good in my head even though I had only done 150#, or 153 (to be exact) the other day with Sally. I always feel decapitated when I do heavy back squats and it's one of my least favorite lifts. Turns out I uttered the right number though (even if it was a lie) because I got paired up with Karen and Katie Russel who I met at the OlyAthlete meet for the first event.<br />I managed to crank out 160# with some great pointers from Jon, who was my honorary coach for the day.<br /><br />Wod #2: 4 rounds- 20 sec max wattage row, 40 sec rest, 20 sec chest to bar pull ups, 40 sec rest<br />Umm, so who's done chest to bar pull ups?! Not me. I ran over to Jon, "Soo I've never done chest to bar before... What's the secret?" This was another event where, with great advice from Jon, I managed, but I am adding row with the damper at 10 and CTB on my list of things to work on. It was a cool wod with the rest programmed in there, of course the 40 sec went by quickly but it was enough to breathe a bit before the next set. <br /><br />Wod #3: 10 min- Every minute on the minute, squat clean 45% of your 1rm back squat. For the rest of the minute, do double unders. <br />Turns out that it was great that my back squat was so light because it was used for the clean weight! For this workout, the squat cleans weren't that bad (my weight was 75#) but it was such a leg burner. Going into the competition I would say that I had double unders but coming out, I definitely need to practice them when I'm fatigued. It's one thing to have doubles when you're fresh, but it's a completely different story when you're in round six of a wod. <br /><br />Wod #4: On about a mile course, run to an 80# sandbag, 15 ground to shoulders, run, 15 70# Russian kettlebell swings, run.<br />Wheeee doggies was that bag a bia! When they demoed the movement it looked so easy to clean it to your shoulder but when I got to the bag it was almost impossible for me, until I heard two things- 1, Carey said "Bear hug it!" and 2- Jon said "Drop under it!" and then I figured it out! It still wasn't easy and it took me all of 10 minutes just to get through those ten reps but I did it and was able to finish through the rest of the course, though it wasn't in the allotted time cap. I was so impressed watching the later heats master the sand bag, especially Alex!<br /><br />It was a great event and I liked how the programming had everyone finish at the same time. Thank you Jon for all of your coaching! Thank you Chard for telling me to go and for being a great friend and mentor throughout the event! Thanks Karen for being a great wod partner and battling through the sandbags with me! Lastly, big thanks to Team LLcoolJ, my Jess and Linds, for their everlasting encouragement!Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-28812679005276472922010-12-03T15:30:00.000-08:002010-12-03T15:36:45.903-08:00Backyard BarbellMy parents got the Girls Gone Fit Haus a barbell plus metal plates while they were in town. Thank you Mom and Dad! The barbell + Myriam's 12kg kettlebell + Tribe sandbags + 50# kettlebell + random PVC pipe = Lory's Backyard Barbell. <br /><br />Tonight I broke all of that equipment in and did:<br /><br />3 rounds<br />10 burpees<br />50 double unders<br /><br />10-1 <br />Deadlift <br />push press<br />power clean<br />All using 65#, not setting the bar down until in between rounds. <br /><br />3 rounds<br />15 Russian swings (50#)<br />10/10 L/R KB snatch (12 kg)<br />1 dead hang pull up<br /><br />Whew! That felt great! Just in time for tomorrow's Mustache Throwdown with the guys at Atomic Athlete and Westlake Crossfit. Come join at Zilker park at 9 am! I think the girls are going to try to paint on dirty 'staches, it'll be a sight to see!Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-81457154803156948072010-11-15T19:27:00.000-08:002010-11-15T20:07:36.493-08:00And then it was Fall.It seems like one day I was complaining to <a href="http://anniebugger.blogspot.com/">Annie</a> about how hot it was and then the next day I was pulling out my heated blanket. Hello fifty degree weather! Fall (winter?) seems especially fun this year in my awesome <a href="http://snatchlife.spreadshirt.com/">snatchlife sweater</a> thanks to the beautiful <a href="http://erikajeanne.blogspot.com/">Erika</a>! I'm loving Saturday mornings at the Girls Gone Fit Haus as we run outside to see how cold it is (crops today or shorts?) and squeal back inside to grab more layers. <br /><br />Tonight at Defiant we did:<br />1 full snatch from the hip, 1 from the ground, as it got heavier, just from the ground.<br />55/65/75/85<br />Turns out I don't know where my pubic bone is. Keith told me my hand should be bit wider and the 85# snatch felt like it just flew up. I remember when 75# snatches were a struggle and it's great to see the progress with oly lifting.<br /><br />1 full clean from ground, 1 split jerk<br />75/85/95/105/115<br /><br />3 rep back squat with the Sall-meister aka my Dream Team member<br />95/115/125/135/145/155<br />I haven't back squatted in a long time. I've been working a lot on front squats to improve getting out of the hole of the clean. I'll have to do crossfit Totals again soon to see where my numbers are. <br /><br />What's coming up? I've got goals to hit 3 non-kipping HSPUs by January, 130# OHS, and I still want to learn how to do butterfly pull ups. Thankfully, I work out with the marvelous Jess K who has been giving me lessons. I can visual myself doing them but when I jump on the bar, my bod wants to kip normally. Circles, Lor, circles. <br /><br />Guess who is excited to see the new Harry Potter movie??<br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_EC2tmFVNNE?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_EC2tmFVNNE?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-31106672876741069692010-11-03T18:32:00.000-07:002010-11-03T19:43:58.691-07:00Bad DayI had a bad day today. I'm dealing with some stressful things at work, I had a tearful phone conversation with my Mom, I haven't seen my parents that I'm close with in seven months, I'm questioning my goals and I'm questioning the future which all piles on top of me. I don't have these days or even this attitude often but it's still there. <br /><br />I haven't been to class at Sicfit Austin in three weeks due to schedule conflicts and I debated not even going today. As I walked down Burnet Road to the gym I debated why I do this. Why can't I be like any other "normal" athlete and run Town Lake for my workout? Why can't I just live and not think about goals or the ever elusive muscle up (muscle up handstand push up?!) or paleo/zone or competing or affording Lululemon? I didn't have an answer.<br /><br />But then I got to class. And for that hour I felt alive. I PR'ed my power clean, did one armed thrusters, one armed floor presses and prowler pushes, all which I had never done before. I got to cheer on teammates as we went through a twelve minute wod, heaving snatch balances and power cleans. I got positive feedback from a great coach about what to work on in the future.<br /><br />And that future that I was stressing about all day long? It's still there, elusive as ever. But I got to leave the gym with a lighter heart, which is my answer to why I do this. I can throw all the numbers out the window because they don't matter. I'll be doing this for as long as it makes me feel better about myself. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/TNIdq5HxtPI/AAAAAAAAAFs/ny-hpl2nqgo/s1600/700220.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 250px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/TNIdq5HxtPI/AAAAAAAAAFs/ny-hpl2nqgo/s320/700220.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535519514716910834" /></a>Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-89393362042983912502010-11-02T18:23:00.000-07:002010-11-02T18:24:47.781-07:00Happiness is decided ahead of timeHere's an email chain from Mom:<br /><br /><br />A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o'clock, shaved perfectly and with his hair fashionably combed, even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.<br /><br />As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.<br /><br />'I love it,' he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.<br /><br />'Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room; just wait.'<br /><br />'That doesn't have anything to do with it,' he replied...<br /><br />'Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. 'It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can; spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do.<br /><br />Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away. Just for this time in my life.<br /><br />Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in.<br /><br />So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories!<br /><br />Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank.<br /><br />I am still depositing.'<br /><br />Remember the five simple rules to be happy:<br /><br />1. Free your heart from hatred.<br />2. Free your mind from worries.<br />3. Live simply<br />4. Give more.<br />5. Expect less.Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-48037447767930072982010-10-03T09:42:00.000-07:002010-10-03T10:11:49.331-07:00The BankLately, I've been loving the metaphor that life is bank. Just like a monetary bank with it's deposits and withdrawls, life's bank has experiences that cash in on savings. I can apply this to anything- relationships, family, career, nutrition, workouts, all of them become banks. For example, when I go out to events by myself, I bank on the credit of my independence. Or, when I <a href="http://aaronsagoge.blogspot.com/2010/06/sweat-tastic-friday.html">cupcake</a> (Aaron's term from <a href="http://www.aaronsagoge.blogspot.com">Aaron's Agoge</a>) on workouts, I'm making a cash withdrawal from my account. <br /><br />Having that bank helps me put life into perspective. I'm not going to have 365 days in a year of perfect workouts. No one is. Yet all of us have an account to stock pile good days and bad, or credits and debits. <br /><br />Sunday Tribe did:<br />"Josh"<br />21 OHS (65#)<br />42 pull ups<br />15 OHS<br />30 pull ups<br />9 OHS<br />18 pull ups<br />My time: 12:47<br /><br />I'm going to feel that one in my lats tomorrow.<br /><br />We also pulled the workouts we're going to do for our endurance October workout. It's "6 in 6"- 6 benchmark workouts in 6 hours! In teams of 2 we'll do:<br />Nancy<br />DT<br />Helen<br />Josh<br />Grace<br />Cindy<br /><br />I'm excited!Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-77185397839159802352010-09-29T19:59:00.000-07:002010-09-29T20:38:54.394-07:00I just want to play!Fight Gone Bad was an awesome event! It was so cool to feel a part of a movement bigger than just one box- but the whole crossfit community! To know that crossfitters worldwide were all doing the same workout on the same day for great causes was an awesome feeling. The day after FGB, a bunch of Defiant athletes and I used our muscles to help two elderly ladies move out of their home. Coach Delanie described Sunday perfectly as, "In a few months you'll probably forget your FGB score from yesterday but Donna will remember this day forever!" It was a great weekend!<br /><br />Going forward from FGB, I've just been playing and it's fun! The Tribe got together and made sandbags out of inner tubes with sand and pea gravel. I've been learning how to swing mine and it's in a great oval shape to rest around my neck. Now it just needs some flair, I'm thinking of breaking out some spray paint and glitter! :) All of us have really gotten strong this summer battling through the Texas heat so adding 30 lb sandbags to our workouts isn't hard at all. But I'm definitely happy to not be in the heat any longer. <br /><br />On Monday at Defiant we did overhead squats, push presses and clean and jerks. We worked up to a 3 rep max of OHS and push press. The week before, I had PR'ed doing a 1 rep max 100# OHS and Monday I was able to do 3 reps of that! I was definitely feeding off the energy of our awesome class, plus I love overhead squats. After class, we played around on the rings and pull up bars. I got great advice from Jonathan about muscle ups and Jess K was helping me with butterfly pull ups. Then all of us started talking about rope climbs and found that no one had done one before so Heather pulled down the rope and taught us! Super cool, and again, just fun to play around on things I don't normally do. <br /><br />Tonight the sledge hammer was a part of our workout at Sicfit and I had never used one of those either! Zach reviewed the movement and Alexis and I had trouble being really aggressive with it. Maybe if I was dressed in boots and a flannel shirt I could have done it better. I was trying to visualize being in the woods and cutting down trees butttt I was on Burnet Road with cars zooming by probably wondering why in the world I was hitting a hammer against a tire. Then we worked up to a 1 rep max snatch. Felt good, I've been doing the mobility wods because my hips have felt super tight from sitting all day at work and I think I've worked out some of the kinks in them. Great stuff!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/TKQGM5PWoAI/AAAAAAAAAFk/NHNoarZMM-I/s1600/quote.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 250px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/TKQGM5PWoAI/AAAAAAAAAFk/NHNoarZMM-I/s320/quote.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5522545861656485890" /></a>Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-90431324306067870912010-09-23T14:39:00.000-07:002010-09-23T14:41:01.909-07:00OlyAthlete Open Video<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/14956189" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/14956189">2010 OlyAthlete Open</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/olyathlete">OlyAthlete</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-13191066939184967242010-09-08T19:48:00.000-07:002010-09-08T20:16:31.906-07:00Prepping for FGBThe Tribe has been preparing for FGB by doing "Thrash" (a variation of movements in FGB structure), doing FGB but subbing rowing for burpees last Sunday, and this Saturday heading up to Defiant Crossfit's free workout which is... you guessed it, FGB! All this prep will pay off, especially since <a href="http://bonitafit.blogspot.com/">Bonita</a> and I got crossfit drunk on Sunday and used a 65# bar for everything when women's RX is 55#. Whoopsie. <br /><br />Tonight I jumped back into <a href="http://zutfit.blogspot.com/">Zach</a>'s Oly Lifting class at <a href="http://sicfitaustin.wordpress.com/">Sicfit Austin</a> and we did:<br /><br />KB warm up<br /><br />Met con:<br />3 rounds:<br />10/10 KB OHS<br />20 Games standard push ups<br />30 box jumps<br />Zach said sub 15 min, I finished in 13 something, Taylor finished just under 10. This smoked me! I had trouble with all three movements- getting the right depth/flexibility on the overhead squat, holding a strong plank for the push ups, and bouncing lightly on the box! Gah, hard stuff. <br /><br />Lifting:<br />3-3-2-2-1-1 Overhead squat<br />65-70-75-85-95(PR)-100(PR)<br />Woot! I'm in the triple digits for OHS! Next up, body weight! ha ha<br />3x3 Split Jerk<br />Stayed with 65#, worked technique- need to get my back leg further back and keep weight disbursed evenly, too much weight in front.<br /><br />Felt good overall. Check out these links:<br /><a href="http://www.shorelinecrossfit.com/2009/09/meats-vegetables-nuts-seeds-fruit-mmmm/">Lauren Plumey's "Before" picture</a><br /><a href="http://pullupsandpaleo.wordpress.com/2010/09/04/1000-words-2/">Pull ups and Paleo - cool pictures</a><br /><a href="http://deadliftsndresses.wordpress.com/">Deadlifts and Dresses </a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/TIhRYQS_cDI/AAAAAAAAAFM/7cjGr_-2R4Q/s1600/overhead.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/TIhRYQS_cDI/AAAAAAAAAFM/7cjGr_-2R4Q/s320/overhead.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5514747220848504882" /></a>Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-43972509281810700812010-08-28T18:16:00.000-07:002010-08-28T18:23:05.249-07:00Weightlifting and a WOD<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/THm2WisOcGI/AAAAAAAAAE8/ofNcjl25wIk/s1600/100_1347.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/THm2WisOcGI/AAAAAAAAAE8/ofNcjl25wIk/s320/100_1347.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510636117450190946" /></a><br /><br />These are some excerps from the blog I just posted on the Tribe site so if you're following both you can skip this! But I know my Mom reads "Lory's Adventures" so this is more for her. :)<br /><br />Never in a million years did I think that when I was 24 years old I would compete in a weightlifting competition. <br /><br />Nevertheless, when I saw the announcement come up on Crossfit Austin's home page that OlyAthlete was hosting a competition in Austin, the idea of entering bounced around in my head for awhile. I've been working on the snatch and clean and jerk for about three months now and have seen huge gains. During the I AM CROSSFIT challenge, everyone winced when I did 65# hang cleans because the weight would come crashing down on my collarbone and I had no idea what the technique was behind a clean. Now, hang cleans are one of my favorite movements to do!<br /><br />But I didn't have the confidence to sign up until I jumped into a class at Defiant Crossfit with Heather Hodges and Keith Minikus. Heather has this infectious personality that makes you smile just being around her. I've never had a coach believe in me the way that she did right off the bat. After class she immediately said to me, "You're competing in Sectionals next year, right?" I was like, Yes... I love you? Then Keith's knowledge just resonates as he walks among the lifting platforms, correcting forms as he goes. I found out today that he is among the top 20 in the country and will be competing in Nationals to go on to the Olympic Trials and hopefully the Olympics. When I heard that the coaches of Defiant were entering as a team and Heather continued to urge me to sign up the next morning, I figured, why not? I've spent this whole summer with the Tribe trying out new things so I might as well try this event out. <br /><br />Big thanks to Annie, Jess K and Linds who listened to me over email all day on Friday freaking out- random questions such as, why in the world did I just do this to myself, and does anyone know how to convert pounds to kilos?? and what do I even wear?? were among the chain flying back and forth. Then I got a great pep up talk from Bonita and the Tribe at Happy Hour which definitely helped put my mind to rest. <br /><br />When I arrived at CrossFit Austin today, I recognized Dutch Lowy among a group of guys and was like, I have to lift in front of Dutch?! Jon had told me that he and Bonita were on their way over and I hurriedly sent them a frenzied text, "I am the only girl here and I am FREAKING OUT." ha, It's great to have the friends that I do because they put up with all of my crazy rants and outbursts. After sitting around not knowing anyone, they proceeded to do the weigh in and we were told we would be starting in 20 minutes. Some people left to eat (how did they not throw up??) while I proceeded to warm up doing the standard 10 air squats, 10 push ups, 10 rotations along with a run and some lifts. Someone came up to me half way through and was like, "You're Lory, right? You're first to lift." Holy moly... Thank goodness that was when Bonita and Jon arrived and they talked me through my nerves. Bonita is pretty much the most awesome person I know. I'm calling dibs on being her protegy because she was able to just look at me and be like, "Lory, you can do this. It's all for experience, you're just going to do what you know how to and learn as much as you can. Keep breathing and everything will be fine." Words of wisdom, right there. <br /><br />Then it began. They lined us up in order of what weight we were about to lift and introduced us. I still had no idea what was going on and turned to the guy next to me and said, "So when they call my name do I have to do a bio?" I fully expected having to say where I was from, age, favorite food, best PR, favorite color, ha ha you know, the usual. But you just give a little wave, for all those out there who are interested in competing next time- don't do a bow. It's not necessary. :)<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/THm2PJK1teI/AAAAAAAAAE0/DSHqIimqvNM/s1600/100_1351.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/THm2PJK1teI/AAAAAAAAAE0/DSHqIimqvNM/s320/100_1351.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510635990340187618" /></a><br /><br />65 pounds is 30 kilos and that's what I started with for the snatch but I scratched on my first attempt. Nerves. Seriously, they had like four rows of chairs and all these people just staring at you and who knows what they're thinking? I looked at the floor, or at my little cheer section. Jess's cheer of "Go Lory!" helped SO much before my second lift because it helped ease the tension a little bit. I made the second lift at 65# and tried for 75# on my third attempt but even though I got it up, it didn't count because I pressed it out. Keith was last to go on snatch and I got goosebumps watching his lift because it was SO cool and looked so effortless. Light weight, baby! (It was probably 200+ pounds)<br /><br />There were more supporters that showed before my clean and jerk round- seriously guys, thank you SO much for being there! Myriam, Sally, Cindy, and Linda all showed up and we discussed how different this event was compared to any crossfit competition that we've seen. I knew more what to expect with the second round, and I had Keith in front of me as a judge and just felt more comfortable overall. I had to fight to get my first attempt of 95# up but made it and hit 105# as well. But I scratched on the third attempt of 115# which had to do with getting under the bar faster and faster elbows as well. Here's a tidbit for the newbies- you don't have to do a full squat for snatch or clean and jerk! I had no idea! If you get it up, it's up, no full squat necessary. I also learned some breathing techniques from the athletes that were competing, as in holding your breath during a lift to tighten your whole body. It's just amazing to watch how fast some of these people drop, definitely something I aspire to do. <br /><br />After the clean and jerk round was a 10 min amrap of 5 95# thrusters, 10 burpees, and 20 double unders. I knew that 95# thrusters was going to be pretty heavy for me- I'm more used to 65#. I could only laugh at that point, knowing that this whole thing has just been for fun and to learn more, so when I was struggling to get the bar up, it wasn't that big of a deal. I was looking forward to the burpees!<br /><br />All in all, a HUGE thank you to all that came out and helped me! I would have been lost without you :) Overall, I'm super happy I tried it out and if you ask me how it went I'll probably just laugh and say I have a lot to work on.<br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/THm2aFdMVsI/AAAAAAAAAFE/hy43G643Ou0/s1600/100_1356.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/THm2aFdMVsI/AAAAAAAAAFE/hy43G643Ou0/s320/100_1356.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5510636178321987266" /></a>Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-59352288000397209462010-08-04T18:37:00.001-07:002010-08-04T18:53:34.273-07:00ScalingAbout a month ago a bunch of articles came out in the CrossFit blog-o-sphere about scaling and the correct way to do it. CrossFit Austin wrote a great post that Mel highlighted in her blog (and because she did I'm sure all of you already read it). I've always been in the mindset to always go heavier in a workout, regardless of what you think you can do. But Coach Crystal has called me out on this a number of times, trying to make me understand that range of motion is more important that what weight you're using. But I'm stubborn and think that as long as I'm not hurting myself, or anywhere near injuring myself, it's always better to reach for those heavy dumbbells or weighted bar. <br /><br />If I were a trainer, Jon over at Barbells and Bacon would probably describe me as a horrible coach. He recently posted an example of how to coach people:<br />“Today we are doing Helen. 3 Rounds of run 400 21 KB swings 12 pull ups. Goal time is between 8 and 12 minutes. If this workout takes you more than 15 minutes, you did not scale correctly. The weight of the KB and the type of pullup should be based on you doing the first round almost unbroken. We do not want to see sets of 1 and 2 in the first round”.<br /><br />I remember the days of yelling (okay, not yelling...) at Jess K for grabbing a rubber band when she could crank out one kipping pull up. Even though she didn't know yet how to string them together, I thought she should be off the band for good. But Jon says no. I understand the different energy cycles a great programmed wod should hit depending on how long effort is exerted but sometimes I wonder, to really get stronger, shouldn't I go heavy all the time? Regardless of how long it takes? It's definitely a conflict that is largely discussed on the crossfit message boards as well. <br /><br />I have no qualms with scaling either. If I can't do the weight or if I'm feeling tired and not able to bust out 100% effort, then by all means, I'm going to scale. Scaling is good - it builds strength in the beginner athlete and especially builds confidence at the early stages of crossfit. I loved looking forward to the next step of doing "Angie" as prescribed, first going up to all 100 reps, then push ups on toes, then kipping pull ups.<br /><br />Plus, once you get to a certain level of craziness, it's always fun to scale up!Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-7091671514169174452010-07-29T19:18:00.000-07:002010-07-29T19:38:06.247-07:00Shoes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/TFI6wPZHSZI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/2XuNt8_0yBA/s1600/chucks.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 213px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/TFI6wPZHSZI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/2XuNt8_0yBA/s320/chucks.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5499522695412795794" /></a><br /><br />For the longest time I crossfitted in running sneakers. You know the kind, with the big foamy heel that's supposed to protect me from shin splits. They were comfortable and I never had any problems with them. I think my uncle recommended the Brooks brand so that's what I bought and I never really thought about it. I mean, I gushed over Crystal M and Annie's awesome kicks but I thought that represented more their Sic Style rather than something to work out in.<br /><br />Then I went to a free CrossFit endurance workout and Eric had me run barefoot. And it was crazy, different, painful, awesome, scary, super cool! I was really sore the next day after that endurance wod and started reading articles about barefoot running. I found out that the Brooks sneakers that I thought were so comfortable and useful were actually hindering my leg muscles from getting stronger. I'm never (I shouldn't say never) going to go out and buy Vibrams because I think they look funny but I definitely have switched up my shoewear ever since that track workout. The only time I have pulled out the Brooks since then was when we did the "Filthy Fifteen" because I thought I would be running 15 miles... only to do 4, ha ha :)<br /><br />I started wearing my Pumas that I used to wear in high school. I'm not sure what style they are but they're flat and let my foot take it's natural shape without any padding. In the beginning I worried about running in them. Yet slowly my leg muscles adapted to the different shoe and running has been fine. I even wore them to lift in when I was taking classes at Sicfit. <br /><br />I saw Crystal Nelson's post about many of her clients wearing Converses to class. Web talks about his love for all-black Chucks too and I've seen a ton of people wearing them at the gym. Before I left for my England trip, I bought a pair on sale at the Nordstrom Rack. I know most people go through their stages with Chucks in high school or just throughout their life but I had never owned a pair! I did my first workout in my (hot pink) Chucks last night and I thought they worked pretty well. Bonita had posted a wod that was "Grace" plus 45 burpees after you finish 30 reps so I figured those were two movements that would test out the shoewear. I wanted a wod with lifts so I could test out the sturdiness of having a flat base, which was what the Pumas were lacking. The Pumas are flat but they're more like a sock, super flexible, rather than a solid sole to keep my foot flat. <br /><br />Zach will tell me that I still need a pair of Oly Lifting shoes but I thought the Chucks worked well! I don't know if they'd be comfortable for overall crossfitting because running in them might be a little hard but I definitely liked them for the clean and jerks last night. I might just need to break mine in a little more before I can run in them!Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-59547278362893180732010-07-24T13:28:00.000-07:002010-07-24T13:48:29.879-07:00Slowly getting back into the swing of things...Great workout this morning with the Tribe! I started from the bottom of the wod and worked my way up to make it this:<br />100 double unders<br />400 m run<br />25 pull ups<br />800 m run<br />15 SDLHP (65#)<br />25 burpees<br />800 m run<br />Time: 24:27ish<br /><br />The pull ups, SDLHPs, and burpees felt good (as good as burpees can feel...), but the runs did not. I'm ready for a cool breeze during those runs and the Texas heat is not working with me. That's okay. <br /><br />I read a great article about nutrition and sent it off to my Mom (<a href="http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/nutrition/the-mountain-dog-diet-%E2%80%93-a-healthier-way-to-get-leanadd-muscle-or-both/">The Mountain Dog Diet</a>). I'm always looking for good posts detailing the foods I (try to) eat because it's hard for me to explain why I follow this particular lifestyle. In my head the nutrition things I've learned makes sense but when I talk about it to others that haven't heard of paleo, I stumble for the answers for "Why no dairy?" or "But aren't whole grains good?". <br /><br />Mom wrote back with a neat email from her friend that follows a similar diet but with less protein intake (eggs only a couple times a week, meat maybe three times a week but still no grains, no dairy). It sounded like she learned about the benefits of high quality protein sources, yet the primary foods she eats are fruits and vegetables. However, I loved that she knew that dietary fat sources don't make you fat! I think this is something that has been lacking in every day knowledge. She said, "Cholesterol is brain food and if we don't get enough in our diets, our body manufactures it. It's the unhealthy fats that cause the cholesterol to become "chunky" and problematic, not the cholesterol itself." The rest of the email talked about the relationship of foods and an acid/base diet which I haven't researched too much on. I always thought I needed to get dialed into a comfortable paleo/zone diet first before I started playing around with the acid/base relationship but it could be something for me to research now. We'll see!Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-53059592160988460952010-07-18T14:55:00.000-07:002010-07-18T15:12:04.479-07:00Endurance wodI consider myself extremely lucky to have the opportunity to work out with someone like Bonita. She consistently has great advice for me, always unpacks her truck full of equipment for the Tribe and is just an overall hero! And it was a "hero" that I kept calling her today.<br /><br />Months ago Bonita told me that she had found several endurance workouts online. There is a guy named Shane in New York that is training to be a Navy Seal and apparently he keeps a workout log of everything that he is doing. Bonita found his blog and has put into her programming some of the workouts that he does. <a href="http://sstrains.blogspot.com/">You can view his blog here</a>. I told B that I would love to try out one of these endurance workouts whenever we wanted to add one in. <br /><br /><a href="http://bonitafit.blogspot.com/">Bonita</a>, Melissa, Karen, Jess E and I attempted the "Filthy Fifteen" this morning:<br />60 rounds<br />400m run<br />10 burpees<br />3 pull ups<br />3 dips<br /><br />I went into this workout without an idea of how many rounds I would want to shoot for. I just thought I would want to continue until it wasn't fun anymore, or until I felt something hurt. I even wasn't planning on doing the pull ups or the dips until all the girls did them so I figured, why not? In the end, I ended up starting at 8am and going until about 9:15, completing 16 rounds. At 10 am, I did two more rounds to keep Bonita company. This workout looks awful but I actually had a lot of fun! It was great to be outside with awesome people to keep me company and I can officially say that I don't dislike burpees anymore! They got to be kind of fun, in the crazy kind of fun us crossfitters enjoy. The only thing about today was the heat. It was so uncomfortably hot without any inch of shade on the track. I'd love to try this workout again on a 60 degree fall/winter day- it would make all the difference!<br /><br />Other than this workout and having my sister in town, I've tried to catch as much as I could of the live feed of The Games! I'm so proud of all the Central athletes, everyone kicked butt and did awesome! Can't wait to see more of the videos and pictures that come out of this event!Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-28121247111836243552010-07-16T18:40:00.000-07:002010-07-16T18:49:46.289-07:00I'm back!I had a fabulous two week vacation in England but am happy to be back in Austin!<br /><br />One of the ways to jumpstart my motivation to get back in the gym is to participate in Bonita's crossfit endurance workout this weekend. On Sunday, starting at 7 am at Austin High School, The Tribe and I will be taking on:<br /><br />60 rounds<br />400m run<br />10 burpees<br /><br />This endurance workout won't be about time, and it won't even be about finishing. For me, it's about trying. All are welcome to participate with us!<br /><br />BIG "Good Luck" to all CrossFit Central athletes competing in the 2010 Games! I wish I could be out there cheering everyone on!Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-647087410604937332010-06-17T11:50:00.001-07:002010-06-18T06:31:07.400-07:00"Filthy Fifty""Filthy Fifty"<br />For Time:<br />50 box jumps - (jumps on a single tire)<br />50 jumping pull ups - (25 kips, 25 jumping)<br />50 KB swings - (16kg)<br />50 walking lunges<br />50 knees to elbows <br />50 push press 45lbs - (mix of 35# and 45#)<br />50 back extensions - (sit ups)<br />50 wall ball - (12#)<br />50 burpees - (DEATH)<br />50 double unders<br />My Time: 33:49<br /><br />This workout was a lesson. I took Bonita's advice and started slow to pace myself and everything was going well until I hit a wall with the burpees. I actually enjoyed doing the pull ups and push presses. In the time it took me to do 50 burpees (one damn burpee at a time...) Bonita talked me through with reminders about character building, perseverance, and mental strength. The double unders felt like heaven after finishing those awful burpees. It's been a week full of mental challenges and I am very happy for a rest day today!<br /><br /><a href="http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/columns/someday-i-will/">Someday I will</a><br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/--JcoHxf1vg&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/--JcoHxf1vg&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-17208785066593325032010-06-17T08:44:00.000-07:002010-06-17T11:49:01.297-07:00Learning to focus"Being your best is not so much about overcoming the barriers other people place in front of you as it is about overcoming the barriers we place in front of ourselves. It has nothing to do with how many times you win or lose. It has no relation to where you finish in a race or whether you break world records. But it does have everything to do with having the vision to dream, the courage to recover from adversity and the determination never to be shifted from your goals." -Kieren Perkins<br /><br />Last night sucked. <br /><br />Shoulder press 5x5 55/65/70/70/75 (scratch on 5th rep, re-racked, then did the last rep)<br />Push jerk 1RM 75/85/95/115 (scratch)<br /><br />I was distracted. I didn't leave the outside world where it should be- outside. I brought it with me to the gym and rather than use it to fire me up, it distracted me. And it showed. <br /><br />I don't expect to PR every day. But I do expect to have a mental fortitude to keep me focused. It's easy to stay focused during a met con when you're counting reps and flying through movements. It's not as easy when it's you and the barbell, in a quiet gym with only one rep to do. That's when you have the choice of letting your mind go blank, or following the stream of consciousness of: "Did I turn my computer off at work? Damn, ________ really annoyed me today. What should I wear tomorrow? Butt down, chest up. My feet hurt. I have to finish that project this week. Deep breath. Hold it. Go!"<br /><br />I have excuses as to why I couldn't make the 115# lift yesterday. But they don't matter. They sound lame anyway. <br /><br />Of course, CrossFit Watertown posted a very timely piece that I needed to read today. <a href="http://www.crossfitwatertown.com/2010/06/17/kill-that-voice/">Kill That Voice.</a>Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-73247539027285556092010-06-16T10:53:00.001-07:002010-06-16T11:08:12.391-07:00John BerardiToday I've been reading articles by John Berardi. My favorite so far is: <a href="http://www.johnberardi.com/articles/philosophy/wisdom.htm">Words of Wisdom</a><br /><br />"This game is not only about looking good naked and straining under a big plate-loaded bar. It's about experimentation, longevity, peace of mind, confidence, and enjoyment."<br /><br />Another great article is by Dan John. <a href="htthttp://danjohn.net/2009/11/learn-the-olympic-lifts/p://">Learn the Olympic Lifts</a><br /><br />"Olympic Lifting demands discipline in choosing weights within your abilities. But, the payoff is worth it. The feeling of hoisting bodyweight from floor to overhead for the first time remains a treasured memory years later."<br /><br />I am no where near to lifting my body weight from the floor to overhead but my body tingles at the thought of being able to accomplish that!<br /><br />Last night the Tribe got together for a crazy rep scheme of box jumps and kettlebell swings. Bonita and I stacked two tires on top of each other for one "box" and we figured it was about 32" high. Wheeeee you should have seen B fly on top of that one! I jumped through 3 rounds on that monster but then switched down to one tire. We got some stares from the track runners which I thought was funny because we did look a little silly jumping on this mountain of tires. On Thursday we're doing "Filthy Fifty" which I've heard about but never done and am looking forward to it!Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-90641640981876461232010-06-15T10:42:00.000-07:002010-06-15T10:57:44.549-07:00Front squats and cleansThere's a video of <a href="http://crystaljnelson.blogspot.com/">Crystal Nelson</a> PR'ing with a 150# clean out there somewhere but I can't find it right now. Crystal is awesome and I love her calm demeanor. She's someone I look up to as an athlete because of everything that she's accomplished! One day I'll be able to do cleans like her and last night was a baby step in that direction! A 110# clean!<br /><br />I also can't find a video of Zach doing a clean. I'm a video #fail today. But here's <a href="http://zutfit.blogspot.com/">Zach</a>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/TBe8clR4fMI/AAAAAAAAAEA/lvHqDnr_250/s1600/IMG_1412.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/TBe8clR4fMI/AAAAAAAAAEA/lvHqDnr_250/s200/IMG_1412.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483058270576344258" /></a><br /><br />Zach had Alexis and I work on front squats and cleans last night at <a href="http://sicfitaustin.wordpress.com/">Sicfit Austin</a>. I said that my 1RM of FS was 135# but looking through my book it was actually 130# which helps explain why I kept failing on my third rep. We did 5 x 3 at 105/115/125/125/125 and I continually scratched on the 3rd rep of 125#, might be a mental thing but my darn elbows need to pull me up out of the bottom!<br /><br />Then we went on to cleans and I did 1 rep at 85/95/105 all which felt good. I really wanted that 115# rep but after 3 failed attempts I unracked to 110#. And got it! This is a step forward towards my goal of doing "Elizabeth" as prescribed by September 1. Big thanks to Zach for his superb coaching! He's great at letting me explore what weights to use- whether I want to grab a heavier kettlebell or rack on more weight. Sometimes it fails, like when I suckered <a href="http://badassintraining.blogspot.com/">Karen</a> and Alexis into doing 65# the other day when Zach advised us to only use the bar but sometimes it works!<br /><br />Now going forward with this PR I want to put the clean and jerk together at 110#. Last time I was able to do it at 95# so we'll see!<br /><br />Look at all the beautiful Oly lifters from Saturday's workshop!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/TBe-_8v3KcI/AAAAAAAAAEI/huxodnvOglU/s1600/IMG_0417.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/TBe-_8v3KcI/AAAAAAAAAEI/huxodnvOglU/s320/IMG_0417.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5483061077194779074" /></a>Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-72766472123104316632010-06-09T13:10:00.000-07:002010-06-10T07:52:15.514-07:00Bunch of random thoughts<a href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/04/100419151114.htm">"Perhaps the best way to resist the donuts at work is to donate your change in the morning to a worthy cause"</a><br />The above is a link to a really cool article about how moral acts may increase physical endurance. Wow! I want to research more about studies done on this topic. We could even test this out by doing "Fran" one day then another day volunteering at a nursing home and doing "Fran" after and comparing times! I'm calling it "CrossFit Volunteers- Getting stronger through community service". Could be on to something there... <br /><br />Love this image from <a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/48728958/8x10-bologna-flavor">Kantan Design's Etsy Store</a>. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/TA_2HLFeBiI/AAAAAAAAADw/EYmDyVIMouM/s1600/il_430xN.149057251.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 248px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/TA_2HLFeBiI/AAAAAAAAADw/EYmDyVIMouM/s320/il_430xN.149057251.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480869874628429346" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mymoneyblog.com/archives/2007/01/what-does-200-calories-cost-the-economics-of-obesity.html">Are we eating junk food because it’s cheap? Or is it cheap because we demand it so much that there is more competition and economies of scale?</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/TA_3D3Z_wxI/AAAAAAAAAD4/4-9PHImnMfE/s1600/img29m.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 160px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/TA_3D3Z_wxI/AAAAAAAAAD4/4-9PHImnMfE/s200/img29m.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480870917317837586" /></a><br />I want to make Outer Space Paleo <a href="http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/outer-space-pancake-molds/?pkey=ccookie-cutters-pancake-molds">Pancakes</a>. So cool!Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-19657292003963793512010-06-09T11:34:00.000-07:002010-06-09T11:36:31.566-07:00Oldtime Strongman<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/TA_exUjzaQI/AAAAAAAAADo/3FlTdLVQLdE/s1600/burns_quote2.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 43px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_2GByRUwMRng/TA_exUjzaQI/AAAAAAAAADo/3FlTdLVQLdE/s320/burns_quote2.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480844210447018242" /></a><br /><br />The <a href="http://oldtimestrongman.blogspot.com/">Oldtime Strongman</a> blog entertained me today! I enjoyed looking through the old pictures of weightlifters. <a href="http://oldtimestrongman.blogspot.com/2010/05/strength-and-health-magazine-march-1937.html">Check it out!</a>Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2640945812410242110.post-46956909426826484042010-06-09T10:04:00.000-07:002010-06-09T10:37:30.541-07:00Day 9, DUs, and TotalsIt's Day 9 of the Whole30 and I feel great! I have boundless energy, my pants are looser and I'm having less sugar cravings. Although, I reeeeally wanted chocolate on Sunday, I was able to muscle through the craving with a large cup of water and distracted myself by doing something else. Sometimes you just have to trick that feisty brain. I've been doing food windows, I heard about it through Crystal Nelson's talk, where I eat between 9-11 am then post workout around 8 pm. It's not hard and I don't do it every day and it seems like it works for me. I'm a little concerned I'm eating too much fat. Next week I might try zoning things a little bit to see how many blocks I'm consuming. I have an idea but am not precise with it. Big congrats to <a href="http://keleaustinchronicles.blogspot.com/">Kellie</a> for dropping 5 lbs in a week, even though she's already super lean!<br /><br />I've been working on double unders consistently in June. Last night, I did them in a wod:<br />5 rounds<br />40 double unders<br />30 box jumps/jumping squats<br />20 kb swings<br /><br />I got to AHS early and was able to work on them, stringing 22 together before the workout started. But during the workout I could only get 10. On the 5th round I couldn't even do 3. I got frustrated, which of course didn't make them any easier! It's only June 9th though, hopefully by the end of June I'll be able to do them back to back easily. <br /><br />Congrats to everyone with their Totals PRs! I'm a little jealous of everyone that got to do Totals this month. I'm sure I could go to Gold's and find out my numbers but it's not as much fun doing it on my own rather than in C-Rock's 7:00 class. It's all good, I get to throw around heavy weight twice a week anyway! Join me on Saturday at <a href="http://sicfitaustin.wordpress.com/">Sicfit's Weightlifting Seminar</a>! <br /><br />This summer, all of us are going to work hard to stay hydrated. Pickle juice may be the answer? <a href="http://bonitafit.blogspot.com/">Bonita</a> swears by this stuff. The NY Times just wrote <a href="http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/phys-ed-can-pickle-juice-stop-muscle-cramps/">an article</a> about it's benefits. Yuck? It can't be any worse than the <a href="http://crossfitcentralwomen.blogspot.com/2010/05/acv-miracle-tonic.html">Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar</a> shots I've been taking.Loryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04808926345212775523noreply@blogger.com1