New Beginnings

sweetie pie

2011-04-07T21:00:00.000-05:00

screw flowers - this is the bouquet I want!

Whenever I'm told that I can't have something, it's like pushing that 1 thing to the forefront of my mind. It's all I can think about. I'll obsess over it. It's currently happening. All I can think about is some delicious, decadent dessert. Zach keeps informing me that it will be worth it come May 27, but I'm skeptical. I really like anything sweet. My mind is filled with ice cream (waffle cone wednesday with mint chip & cookies and cream or, mmmm a hot fudge sundae), scotcharoos (made by my future aunt), and a strawberry shortcake. O. MY. GOODNESS. Delish! I am sorry if anyone is trying to avoid sweets like the plague; I'm sure that this post didn't help. My deliciousness today was honey covered strawberries. It was good, but did not satisfy my sweet tooth. Looks like I'll be visiting Elana's Pantry tomorrow to make something yummy and sweet. Hopefully, Zach doesn't complain too much. ha.

She's a Brick....wall.

2011-04-05T20:03:00.000-05:00

Well hells bells. I ran head first into a huge, solid brick wall today. I don't know if it's the changing seasons or the fact that the wedding countdown is flirting with 50, but I hit it. Hard. I had a melt down of seemingly epic proportions. I have been working out fairly consistently since January. My diet has been relatively on point (minus a little chocolate here and there). My body hasn't changed in the least, in my eyes. Granted, I feel much better and have tons more energy - hard to believe, I know. HOWEVER, I am sleeping horribly and am currently gaining those precious #s that I thought I would be losing like crazy. I get that I'm lifting heavy sh!t so my body is gaining muscle. That's all well and good, except I have a number in my head that I wanted to weigh for the wedding. Turns out, working out the way I do, that ~~was~~ is unrealistic. I'm ok with this as long as I loose inches on my waist. BUT I'M NOT. I don't see any change in my body from the beginning of the year. This, as it turns out, is incredibly disappointing. It all came to a head while trying on dresses for a bachelorette party deal thing. I don't really like the way any of the dresses look on my body; either my boobs are too big, the dress makes me look preggers, or all I can see in the mirror is things I want to change. Fail.

So I freaked out a little today. Ok, fine. I'm not going to be this goal weight (probably ever). I could get there, but I'd have to eat nothing but grilled chicken, egg whites, and a crap ton of veggies and run a bajillion miles everyday: ie, hate my life. Everyone knows I despise running. Plus, I really enjoy trying new foods. Even more than new foods, I love eating classics like my momma's chicken parm or a delicious hot fudge sundae. So I decided something today. If I am not going to be at this unrealistic goal weight, I'm going to give myself a little more leeway in my diet. Don't get me wrong, most days of the week, I'll still have a home cooked meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. However, if I'm craving ice cream, I might just indulge - just not as frequently as I'd like.

All that being said, we just finished a delicious meal, if I do say so myself. I got the recipe (Salmon Kabayaki) from Elana's Pantry. If you have yet to visit her site, do it. It's gluten free and she's brilliant. I have made so many of her dishes. She has a lot of great desserts as well. Which, if you are like me, trying to find a "healthy" dessert is a nearly impossible, but necessary, task. These are all the ingredients I used (minus salt and pepper).

The original recipe calls for ume plum vinegar; since I didn't have that, I used plain white vinegar and added a little salt. My only piece of advice is to make sure you pat the salmon down really well before adding it to the pan. I had a little incident with the smoke detector and flying hot oil. For the cauliflower, I just cut it up, threw olive oil, salt, and pepper on it and threw it in the oven. (the drink was my dessert tonight: strawberry vodka, strawberry sparkling water, and a strawberry. delish!) Here's how it turned out:

I really enjoyed dinner tonight. It was relatively simple and the salmon only took a total of 4 minutes to cook. Can't get much better than that after getting a power snatch pr!

cheers!

Food, food, food

2011-03-29T15:18:00.000-05:00

This is one of the meals I've made recently. I found the recipe from Real Simple (one of my favorite magazines!). It is slow cooked pork roast, red peppers, snap peas, and noodles. It was amazing and really easy. We've also been making more of an effort to drink red wine with dinner, as you can see. I have been making more dishes from cook books so we don't get bored with the same meals every week. Although, ZachR could have the exact same thing for every meal, every day.

With 2 months to go till the wedding, we are really trying to be smart about what we eat. No fast food, no soda, no desserts. Should be simple enough; its always easier when there is an end in sight. The hardest times will be when we are vacationing in AZ and our bachelor/bachelorette party.

Other than that, things have been pretty boring. Since I started a new job, it's been harder to get into the gym. However, now it is more important than ever to work out.

cheers.

cfo.m.g.

2011-03-04T15:44:00.000-06:00

It's an odd feeling being back in the gym after so long. There are so many new faces! It is still a weird adjustment, but I'm back. I love how I feel after a strength day, even if I didn't hit the weight I wanted to. I love how I have to lay on the ground for 5 minutes after a met-con because it kicked my ass. I love comparing my times/weights to the other fitters to see how I'm doing. Most of all, I love what it does to my body. Even if my diet isn't on point, I am not gaining weight. I have a goal weight in mind for the wedding that I would love to achieve, however unlikely. Luckily, I have an extremely helpful ~~boyfriend~~ fiance who wants me to succeed.

The diet has been easier lately than usual. We don't keep any crap in the house. I feel like I am cheating when I eat a LaraBar. The worst thing I eat on a usual basis is cereal or oatmeal 3 days a week. I don't want to raise my cholesterol too much by eating eggs every morning. Grilling season is right around the corner so I'll have a few nights off of cooking each week. I splurge a little on the weekends, but nothing too crazy. I didn't have ice cream for over 1 month; for those of you who don't know, that is a HUGE feat for me.

All in all, things are going really well. I am consistently going to the gym at least 3 days a week, although shooting for 5. I love what I've been doing in the kitchen. Finding new recipes is the best! I'll try and remember to post more of what I'm cooking, which recently included bacon wrapped shrimp and paleo meatloaf.

Cheers.

I'm Baaaaack!

2011-01-08T15:17:00.000-06:00

Yet again, I am back to posting. I have been gone for so long because I haven't been working out at all and have been eating like absolute sh!t. It was pretty awesome. However, we are just a few months out from the wedding, so I am getting back to the grind so I don't fill out the dress as opposed to getting it brought in. ha.

So, we started the wedding diet on Monday. At first, I wanted to go strict paleo for a few months then just eat smart till the wedding. HOWEVER, for me to do well with any sort of diet, I can't do strict anything. I need to eat better quality food for most meals and indulge every once and a while. (For example, I had chinese food and ice cream on Thursday. It was delicious!) I have had a bunch of spinach salads. We need to get back into the swing of cooking most days of the week. Since I don't have a job, I am hoping that cooking dinner moves up on my priority list. It's gone pretty well. I am working really hard on not eating too much fruit, as I usually do.

I also started working out again. Started being the key word. My goal is to go at least 4 times each week. That doesn't sound that hard, but I have a real problem being motivated to get my ass there. I got there 3 times this week: Monday, Friday, and Saturday. I get so sore that it's hard for me to move much the day after a workout, hence the 3 day break. This will diminish as I continue to get into the gym, I know. I'm just kind of a weiner when it comes to sore muscles.

I keep looking at my wedding dress on a size 0 model as my inspiration. I don't want to crap out in March. I am going to work out consistently till the wedding, at least. I am going to eat better (smarter) for the last few months of planning. If nothing else, I have a goal in mind and a date which it needs to be met. Here's hopin!

mmm...

2010-07-06T17:13:00.000-05:00

I haven't posted in a while. We have had some pretty amazing meals these last few weeks. I made Paleo French Toast. Yup, you heard right. I made coconut bread and then made it into french toast. Delish (the bacon just added to the amazing yumminess!). The bread itself was a little dry, so I need to experiment with a few different strategies to make it taste better; Zach has yet to complain about me tweaking a recipe that he already likes. I found the recipe on tasty paleo - a site ZachR stumbled on. It's great. They have all kinds of good stuff on there. I will make all kinds of new fun stuff.

One of these recent nights past, we had a grilling bonanza! I stopped at HyVee because we forgot to thaw any meat that day (rare occurance). I know HyVee doesn't have the highest quality meat/ingredients, but we REALLY enjoyed this dinner. We grilled up 2 pork chops and 2 turkey breasts wrapped in bacon along with farm fresh zucchini. It was amazing!! I wish I would have bought more meat so I didn't have to stop eating. mmm.

Then, there was the 4th of July weekend. Talk about a crap-shoot! We ate everything in front of us. Paleo was the furthest thing from our minds. Delicious scotcharoos, brownies, cookies, booze, ice cream - you name it, we inhaled it! It was a nice break from Zach's typical strict Paleo mindset. We both had a good indulgence, and now he's back on track. I, however, am too stressed and have too odd of hours to be doing strict Paleo; also, I don't like it. My body doesn't do well without some milk. I can continue to cook Paleo foods for Zach to keep him happy, though. I'll just sneak in a tortilla or chocolate milk every now and again!

I'm Back, Bitches!

2010-06-17T14:14:00.000-05:00

My Coconut Chicken Fingers

It's been a long while since I've posted on here. Between work (2 jobs), school, and not working out at CFO, there hasn't been much to update. However, I'm back. I am going to try and post on this more. I am still getting back into the swing of things when it comes to working out. However, ZachR and I started yet another Paleo Challenge. This one (for me) will be from June 4-July 24. I started after he did, well, restarted because I had a rough 1st week 1. I will finish before he does. My conference work with Special Olympics is over on July 24, and I will have a shit-show of a day. However, we are going to try to be 90/10 (at worst, 80/20) with Paleo until the wedding. This gives us three hundred forty something days to lean out to look as good as possible May 27 and June 5. (Two days because of the 2 parties: one in Vegas, one in Omaha.)

That being said, I am going to try to explore more recipes this time around. Part of the reason I didn't like Paleo so much on rd 1 was because I was eating the same meals over and over. I don't do as well with this as ZachR. He can eat the same thing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day, not I. I like a variety. I can have chicken every day for lunch, but I want it cooked differently. This means, I will have to find different ways to cook it.

I found some good websites with different recipes for all kinds of things. I found bison burgers at Wholner's grocery. Today, I made chicken fingers "breaded" with coconut and almond flour, cooked in coconut oil. It was delicious! It is one of my favorite things to eat - it's just time consuming to make. I am going to post a lot of different meals we have on here, for those of you who would like to try it. Enjoy!

If I tri...

2010-03-11T09:05:00.002-06:00

I'll need all the help I can get!

I have begun the downward spiral. I decided to start training for a triathalon. Well, a sprint tri. I am too terrified of running a marathon and, above all, riding a bike. I can do it for 13 miles, but any more than that and I just won't even start! I have had some bad experiences riding in the past which has made me completely scared sh!tless to do so now. However, I am starting on the bikes at UNO's gym to warm up to the fact that I will be on a bike. I will have to ride 13 miles. I will attempt a triathalon. I will, hopefully, be competing in the Nebraska State Games Tri.

I found a great website that has a 16 week training schedule. I was not exactly used to working out 6 days in a row, so it's been a hard adjustment. I am still trying to get some strength days in, but that might fall to the wayside once I start having to bike for 60 and run for 45 in a day. Hopefully, I won't fall short of the finish line.

When I first decided to start training for this, it was because I wanted to have a goal. I had just left Crossfit Omaha. I wanted to lite a fire under my own butt to keep on the right track, mainly for vanity reasons. The Hawaii trip is at the end of July and my wedding is in just over a year! Those two alone are motivation enough to have anyone lose an extra lb or five! However, now I want to do it to prove to myself that I can. I am known for making excuses for everything. I want to prove that I can set a goal and stick to it!

The diet started falling back into shape on 3.10. I started on the Zone, yet again. I was going to bet Zach on sticking to the Zone, but it's just not realistic that I will be able to measure out all my food every day...especially with Special Olympics people coming to town. They like to eat well! And he isn't on a "diet;" he's just eating better. I decided that I will eat healthy as long as I am working out, which is hopefully through June 20.

I am just a little nervous about the time between June 20, race day, and July 21st, Special Olympics National Education Conference closing day. I will have no life outside of SO. I hope that I will have time to get to the gym; I might have to become a morning person! 6am might be the only time I have to workout during July. As long as my diet stays on point, I think I will be alright.

On a side note, I received 325 signatures from UNO students, faculty, and alum pledging to stop the use of the r-word! I was hoping for way more, but I am happy with the first year's turn out. We already have started planning the attack for next year. It will involve more of the city than just 3 school campuses. Keep your eyes peeled for Spread the Word to End the Word 2011!

Spread the Word!

2010-03-02T13:37:00.002-06:00

Everyone you know needs to be pushed and prodded until they pledge tomorrow! It is the 2nd Annual (first for UNO) Spread the Word to End the Word Day! It is a new movement created by a youth group with the Special Olympics to change conversation and end the use of the word retard in everyday language. The main website for it, r-word.org, is looking to get 100,000 pledges!

I am hosting an event at UNO for it. It will be outside Milo Bail Student Center from 10am-3pm. The first 50 people get a free shirt. All you have to do is sign a piece of paper saying you will implement a new r-word: Respect!

If you want to find more information on this movement, please visit r-word.org. They have great resources for you.

Also, here's a great video of Dr. Cox from Scrubs pledging to stop the use of the word retard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PE_5_BbZlbI

Please be the voice for people with intellectual disabilities and speak out for them!

New Adventure

2010-02-01T10:58:00.002-06:00

My crew at Special Olympics in DC!

As some of you may have noticed, my CFO appearances have been few and far between. Although I adore some of the people in that gym, I have started to grow away from it. I will never forget my first workout there - partially because a certain few people won't let me live it down! I have decided, however, that I am going to spend a solid month away from the gym. I am all about excuses, and work is getting crazy. When I signed on for the job, it was 20 hours a week. Now, I occasionally feel as though I'm putting in 10 hours in 2 days. School isn't helping with the busy schedule either. Apparently, getting your master's is no easy feat. I have to put in a few hours a day on school work just so I can keep up. This last week, I missed all 3 of my classes, so I'm already behind and I will miss another one next week. It's frustrating, but don't get me wrong, I am very happy with how things have been happening in my world lately. I love my job at UNO working with the Special Olympics! I love the people in my classes who are all trying to work towards a degree in RT! And, to top it off, I get to plan my freaking wedding!!!

Back to the gym situation. I am not quitting Crossfit. I am simply going to start doing workouts not at the closest affiliate. I will be working out at UNO since it is much more convenient. (If any of you have tried to park on campus lately, you'll understand why I don't want to leave once I found a spot!!) I will attempt to follow CFO's blog as closely as possible here. I just don't have enough money to be wasting some on going to the gym 2x a week, if that! The brand new gym at UNO is free for me and it comes with a sauna. Hopefully, I'll start working out more, now that it is more convenient! Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Also, I've been thinking about starting another blog on my adventures with Special Olympics. Thoughts? I feel like more people need to hear about the amazing-ness that is S.O!

Finally, the dreaded diet. Since I have no connections this year to Sectionals, it's been shit. I have been eating whatever I want...and seeing what that does to my body. Let me tell you, it's not pretty. I need to get back on track somehow. Nothing seems to motivate me anymore. I could care less about being a couple #s heavier in Las Vegas. I'm hoping I can kick it into high gear before the conference and Hawaii in July! If nothing else, by May 27, 2011, I will be in the best shape of my life and be able to back squat 2.5x my body weight!!!

HAPPY FREAKING NEW YEAR!

2010-01-02T16:29:00.003-06:00

It's 2010! We have officially started a new decade. I was thinking about it earlier and although I'm only 23, this is the 4th decade my beautiful brown eyes has seen. Pretty sweet, huh? 09 had a few rough spots, but all in all was an amazing year. I am very happy it ended on such a high note. This year, though, promises to be SO much better! I have so many amazing things planned within the year of 2010. I am just hoping that everything plays out as it's planned in my head. I don't really believe in resolutions because people fail at sticking to their goal. Instead, I'm just setting a goal for myself - becoming more organized. It's easy to "measure" because there will be less crap laying on the floor of my house. Anywho, it's a goal that can be enjoyed by both Zach and I. I have a secondary goal, but it's the same one I have each year. I just want to be healthier. I know, I know; it's not specific, measurable, nor does it have a timeline. Blah blah blah.
So, the goal for the next 30 days (starting tomorrow) is to be Paleo quality, Zone quantity. It's a pain in the ass to measure everything out, but I feel better on the Zone than anything else. Paleo wasn't exactly my favorite because I either didn't eat enough or ate all day long. There was no continuity. My body never really adapted to it. Along with eating better, I am going to try to get myself stronger and leaner. I don't know if it's even possible to do both at the same time, but I'm going to try. When I am up at school for hours on end, I really like running for a few miles on the treadmill looking over Elmwood Park. It's a relaxing break. I know that if I go to Crossfit more than 1x/week, I'll get stronger. I just need to stop making excuses for not getting there. I'm hoping that those 3 efforts (diet, running, xfit) combined will get me where I want to be. I have a trip to Las Vegas where I want to make the b!tches jealous and a trip to Hawaii where I want to make men drool. ha. Really, though, I just want to be happy about how I look and feel. I want to have more energy and confidence.I'll try to post lots of recipes and pictures of the things I end up making for Zach and I. You know, the attempts and failures of primal cooking.
Happy 2010, people! I hope yours started as amazingly as mine.

Cabin Fever

2009-12-11T08:58:00.003-06:00

Downtown Omaha during the 4 day snow day

This snow is driving me a little crazy. I have not been to the gym in way too many days. I have only been to the grocery store once this week - as opposed to the usual 3 times by now. I baked cookies, bad idea. I have shoveled four times in as many days. I have eaten my body weight in crappy food, putting the ka-bosh on my weight loss goal. My core temperature hasn't been back to normal since Monday night. I am not a cold weather person. I want a beach. I want warm sunlight. This sucks. However, the snow is beautiful. It's rather calming when I'm not out there trying to clear a path for the mailman. The snow means only one thing: winter. Winter brings Christmas time! I really don't care about the holiday itself, but I am freaking excited for all the together family time. My oldest sis comes home in just about 1 week. Last year, I was in a bad place and couldn't get into the Christmas spirit. I think that is why I am so excited for this year. I can't wait to have my entire family around a fire in mom's house with a drink in hand. I am excited to see how happy people get when presents are opened. I can't wait for my only plan to be just be. Luckily, I have the best job ever and after next Thursday, I have absolutely nothing to do until school is back in session. Woot!
With all the off time, there is a huge project on the docket. Zach and I are slowly getting the house ready to put on the market. First on my to do list is the basement. I want to at least get some paint on those walls. Ideally, we would have new carpet installed. That may be wishful thinking, along with new counters in the kitchen. In a realistic world, I'll re-do the floors in the kitchen, deep clean the house, and paint lots of rooms. I cannot wait. If we don't get the house sold, at least it will be a little nicer for us. The slight problem in my plan, though, is Zach's youngest brother moves in with us next week. He will only be there for the duration of Christmas Break before heading back to Lincoln. It will be weird having someone else in the house again. We'll see. Hopefully, I didn't bite off more than I can chew with the home renovation!
Last topic of conversation: workouts. They have been few and far between since my last post. Partially because of the snow. Partially because I like finding as many excuses as possible to not have to workout. Either way, what I have been able to do, I've enjoyed. I feel like I am getting stronger every day even without being at CFO. Shoveling is a great workout. Screw the pansies with the snow blower, however I am asking for one for my Christmas/New Year's/Valentine's Day present. I did front squat 3x3 up at UNO and got plenty of weird looks - almost asking if I needed help finding an elliptical. They felt really good. I might have been able to go heavier, but without someone watching form I wasn't comfortable doing so. I got up to 142. I was pretty excited. Hopefully, this means my 1rm clean will be that much better. I participated in the Lumberjack WOD. It kicked my ass. It was 17 degrees, I think, when we started. I did not finish and was 100% OK with that. I am trying to get into a groove of running a few miles a week. In March I start training for my sprint triathlon. I am also working on core strength, not doing thousands of sit ups but lots of planks. Today's WOD of double unders on the minute looks like a lot of fun! I can't wait to try it.

7 to go...

2009-11-30T09:54:00.004-06:00

Hook em Horns! UT plays UNL this weekend in the Big 12 Championship. Huck the Fuskers!

I have a new goal. Although my confidence is higher now than it has been in a long while, I still feel like my body can look better than it does. My new goal is to lose 7# by Jan 1 - maybe Dec 31 so I can enjoy my new body on NYE. There are many obvious problems in that dream weight of mine...but I am going to get there the healthiest way possible. My mindset, though, has always been to just eat less, and I'll lose more weight. I need to get over that - eating more good food will actually help me lose weight. 7# in a month is a lot. I have full confidence that I can do it. A lot of people doubted me when I said I would do Paleo for 30 days and I did that. I can lose 7#. I can.

My workouts have fallen to the wayside this last week because of my love. ZachR had surgery on Tuesday the 24 on his shoulder. Yes, this is the 2nd surgery in 1 year. It's great timing. The recovery is rough on both of us. While he was content on the couch for the first few days, I was going crazy with cabin fever. Now that I am worn out from being at his beck and call, he is getting antsy. We are figuring it out, but it's not easy. He's doing really well, though - even though they found more than expected when they were scopin him out. He's in great spirits, loves his painkillers, and our dear friends that invite us over for dinner. I think I am more worried than he is about him moving around. Thanks to those who have expressed concern for him.

I did get into the gym today, and turns out I might as well just have stayed home. I did "Baseline 3" which was AMRAP 20 min: 9 hang squat cleans, 15 24" box jumps, 21 situps. It was ugly. I fell twice. I didn't even get 5 rounds. UGLY. However, since my last post, I did get a PR on push jerk, push press, and full cleans at 120, 114, and 132 respectively. Getting a PR really helps boost the confidence and helps make me want to get back in the gym...as opposed to today.

Let the countdown begin

2009-11-17T08:44:00.000-06:00

Team Loco: Dustin T, Josh K, Mark P, ZachR, Neil W, Jill C, Courtney S, me, Jeff S, Crystal F

The holiday season is on it's way. Thanksgiving is in 9 days. Christmas Day is in 38. New Year's Eve is in 43. It's madness. I can't believe there is almost no time left! Right now, I am thankful I have started to get my diet in check. On Sunday, I cooked 3 meals and portioned them out to Zone dimensions. I felt like a nerd, but it helped. I don't have the excuse that it takes too long to prepare a meal. There is still the office snacking temptation. I have tried to put the kabosh on that by keeping nuts and dried fruit on hand. I do, though, feel weird not having protein with it - that's the Zone in me. Regardless, it's better than going to the vending machine outside my office door or dipping into the candy jar at the front desk. I also have tea in my desk all the time so I don't go get a soda. I am trying to hold strong.
Luckily, over the holiday season, my work will be near non-existent. Everyone I am working with, both at UNO and in Special Olympics, wants time off to enjoy the season and their families. This works out very well for me. My biggest sis comes home for Christmas and I will have nothing in the way of hanging out with her for the 8 days she is in town. I can babysit for my favorite 1 or almost 6 year old. I get to take care of my fiance who is going under the knife in 7 days. Hopefully, this also means I get to get back to regularly being at CFO. My time there has been so sparatic for a lot of different reasons. blah blah blah. I haven't been going as often as I should. I am hoping the fear of gaining a little extra cushion over the holidays will get my lazy ass to the gym. I know, I've said it all before. Here's hoping this time I pull through.
One more thing I'd like to point out. Team Loco was victorious in our attempt of owning the ultimate med ball tournament. We dominated! It was great! I love that team. It was a freaking blast. Thanks again, ZachR, for getting it all set up.

Reconciliation

2009-11-04T14:24:00.000-06:00

Us at Abby's Halloween party

So, apparently, I don't entirely hate dead lifts. I pulled more weight off the floor today than I have in the last year. They felt great. The toes pointed out really helped. I could have gone without the jokes made about my pink gloves or confidence evoking shirt. I still haven't gotten back to my 230 DL that I did late November of last year. However, I am much closer. My DL isn't getting lower anymore!!! I jumped from 226 to 240. I probably could have gotten 231, but wanted to go for broke. I am still not in the freaking 250 club, but I'll get there...at least by May of 2011. I might have gotten a new PR today had I been able to come more in the last month.

Anywho, the diet hasn't been anywhere near where it should be! I can't convince myself to stay strict with my diet. Luckily, I have ZachR who is with me for most meals of the day and can give me a stink eye when I grab any grains. My unsteady hours at work and busy schedule with school make it hard to plan out meals. I can do it, I just need to put my mind to it. I just need to get things in check before Thanksgiving and Christmas. On a much happier note, ZachR and I have a trip planned in February to head to Las Vegas! If that isn't motivation over the upcoming holiday season, I don't know what is. I cannot wait.

OVERLOAD!

2009-10-22T17:13:00.001-05:00

Nim getting ready for Halloween!

I have always claimed to be busy. Usually, I am. Turns out, I was no where near stressed. Now, however, I am. I am being stretched to the max in just about every direction. School is picking up and I have 3 projects due within this week - 1 for each class. It is overwhelming, to say the least. If that was it, I would be content. The project that I am working on for my GA position is picking up as well. We have 7 people coming in from D.C. this upcoming week for 3 days to plan more extensively our conference. My family is crazy as ever. My grandmas are always in need of assistance. Abby has a Halloween party coming up. Halloween is a little over a week away. I feel like I have so many things to do in the next few weeks. I am stressed.
I know if working out will help, but I can't always get in at the class times I want. Next week, I might actually have to be up at 6 to workout because I'll be busy the entire rest of the day. Working out is a great stress reliever. I know that. Also, my diet hasn't been any where near on point. I have kinda let myself go...which has made me more tired. Here's hoping I can turn it around. I have no idea where this next week will leave me.

OCTOBER!

2009-10-02T08:09:00.001-05:00

Fight Gone Bad 4

Hey all. This is my absolute favorite month. I LOVE Halloween. It's my favorite time of year. (I just wish it could come without the allergies.) I am very excited for the things that come along with this month. I love apple cider. I love going to the pumpkin patch for the prettiest pumpkin. I love wearing sweats every day. I really love our anniversary. The end of this month marks 5 years for ZachR and myself. I know I have said it before, but I wouldn't be where I am without him. Crossfit wouldn't even be in my personal dictionary had I not fallen in love with him. Thanks for it all, love.

Anywho, on to the workouts. My workouts have felt really good lately. I have had more energy than I have in a long time, more than I did on Paleo. The workouts have been fun. (I never thought I would see the day I called this sh!t fun.)
I have done:
back squat 5x5: 149# (85% highest wt)
1RM push jerk: 109
FGB 4: 237 (damn)
AMRAP 8 min, 12 front squats&12 burpees: 4 rds (77#)
3x500 m row: slowest time 2:05
Push press 5x5: 92# (highest wt)
7 rds, 10 cleans&20 rotational ball slams: 13:37 (68# clean, 16# slams)

New Leaf

2009-09-20T15:58:00.000-05:00

During the 9/14 Chipper

Alright, I have said this a time or two before, but now it's going to be true. I am doing a 30 day Crossfit Challenge. No matter how badly I don't want to go, I will be at Crossfit every day for 30days (sans rest days). If I can do a 30 day Paleo challenge, I can easily do CFO for 30. There are so many aspects of my training that I can't even begin to describe how frustrated they make me. I want to have a bigger DL and back squat. I want to be able to do more consecutive pushups and pullups. I want to take less breaks during metcons. Apparently, the only way to do this is to workout more. Even if I would rather get better by eating horribly and sitting on the couch. :)

Along with the CF challenge, I am doing the Zone for 30 days. I did not feel as good on Paleo as I did when I did the Zone for 2 weeks. So I figure why not just do a month. The biggest problem with Zone and Paleo, though, are how expensive it is. It is frustrating. I just want to be able to eat really well without having to pay an arm and a leg. However, to make up for our absurd grocery store bills, we are going to do a "Cheap October." The only exception to the cheapness will be our anniversary which is at the tail end of the month.

I would like to point out that I was there 6 days this week and since I worked out on the last rest day, I'll just work straight through to the next on Wednesday. I haven't worked out that much in a long time. If only my diet was up to par, I'd be feeling great. Instead, I feel really worn down and tired. I am hoping that getting back to the 3 days on, 1 off will help along with a better diet.

The End of it All

2009-09-08T14:46:00.000-05:00

So, Paleo finally came to an end. I am not the happiest with it. I didn't get to see all the results that I wanted to see, that ZachR did see. That was the most frustrating part. He saw amazing results; his workouts improved; he felt way better. I didn't. My body didn't change nearly at all, except getting sick when I eat dairy. I lost only 1% body fat and 4#. Not nearly worth the pain of Paleo. My workouts have been stagnant for 8 months, but a little more energy when I am sucking at them. I am not patient enough to wait another 30 days to see if it works more then. I already had ice cream and tequila. I made the decision today, though, that I prefer the Zone. I felt much better on the Zone. I could drink, I wasn't as restricted. I saw more results in my workouts and my body. I am going to start that up again. With Zach still doing Paleo, it shouldn't be too hard. Here's hoping.

As for the workouts, they have been awful. I haven't been able to pull more than 225 off the ground since Nov. That's absurd. I am stuck in a horrible rut. My shoulder has been feeling better in workouts, though. I am just so weak with anything overhead that it's not even funny. That's why I do CF, though. I did do Filthy Fifty (per my choice) in Minnesota with the very new, small gym of CFMinneapolis. That workout felt really good. I felt strong the entire 30:19.

Also, I made the executive decision today that I am going to participate in a Sprint Triathalon. I suck at running and am terrified of riding a bike, so this should be interesting. I have always wanted to do it. What better time than now? I found one for next July to give me plenty of time for training.

Home Stretch

2009-08-31T13:57:00.001-05:00

My Paleo lunch. Delicious.

YAY! Wednesday is day 30. I can see the light. I am so close to being done. However, I don't think my diet will change all that much. I am excited to have a cocktail at dinner. I have a sushi date for Thursday night. I am just worried about throwing all kinds of stuff back into my diet then feeling like shit for days. I really want to eat ice cream for breakfast on Thursday. I am just terrified of gettin a food hang over. I don't have time to be out of commission for a day. I think I will try to integrate no more than one "bad" food each day so I know which foods make me feel awful and which ones are ok to start eating again.
I am proud to report, though, that I made it through an entire roadtrip vacation strictly Paleo. We only packed Paleo foods and lots of water. I ate probably more than I should have, but it was all clean so it's ok. The in-laws got some desserts, but they were surprisingly easy to say no to. I was happy that I finally am able to say no to ice cream...no thanks to the Shannons.
My workouts have been going pretty well. I have more and more energy throughout the workouts. We did Filthy Fifty in Minnesota and I felt better afterwards than I thought I would. I finished better than expected, too. We'll see. I did 1rm snatch yesterday and it felt alright. I haven't done heavy snatch since before Denver, so I was a little nervous. Today is deadlift. I NEED to get a new pr otherwise I throw in the towel.

Problem Weekend

2009-08-26T15:45:00.000-05:00

The CFO crew at the Games

Welp, I have officially made it through 22 days. I am really enjoying Paleo. The things I miss the most are ice cream (which is no surprise to people who are close to me), gum, and flavored coffee. I mainly have cheese with my eggs, but since we have started making our eggs in coconut oil, I don't miss it at all. The oil gives the egg just a hint of a flavor other than egg, which I can't stand to eat every single day. We have been trying all kinds of different meals. I made sweet potato fries and chicken fingers the other day. They were delicious. I "breaded" the chicken strips in ground almonds. I think that has been ZachR's favortie thing I have made thus far. I am surprisingly not tired of eating chicken breasts, eggs, and burgers like I thought I would be.

All has been going well. However, there is a trip this weekend. ZachR and I are going with his parents to Minnesota. We are going to a Twins game. I am a little nervous about getting snacks or a beer at the game because that's what you do at a baseball game. I mean, how else is one supposed to tolerate an exceptionally long game? Food and beer, only way to do it. His parents are very generous and I would put money on it that they will pack the stuff needed for my favorite drink: red bull vodka. They will be more than happy to buy us fast food at the pit stops we make. I just can't do it, not when I am this close to being done...

On that note, I am not exactly the happiest with the physical aspects of Paleo. I lost a bunch of weight in the first week, pounds and fat %. I haven't seen any numbers go down since then. I get that I am doing CFO much more regularly, which could cause me to gain # due to muscle. I understand that in Paleo you aren't supposed to lose weight. I am just not getting any leaner. I don't want to lose weight. I want to tone up. It just sucks. I am seeing plenty of benefits doing Paleo, though. I have more energy throughout the day and through workouts (even if my times don't show it). My skin is clearer, which I have been told is because of no dairy. I used to be sleeping better, until school started. We'll see. I have about 1 week left. I'll do final weigh ins and all that fun jazz.

Livin on a Prayer!

2009-08-17T15:56:00.000-05:00

My applesauce/almond butter pancakes. mmm

Whoa! I'm half way there! Oooooh! Livin on a prayer. That song has been in my head all day. You know, since today is DAY 15!! There has only been one slip up, which I am counting as a pseudo cheat and not starting back at day 1. I went to the Farmer's Market on Saturday morning, thinking I'd be a good fiancee and pick up ZachR some of his favorite things. While I was walking around, I was offered 1, yes 1, German Roasted Almond. I popped it in my mouth, bought 2 bags (since ZachR and I indulged during Summer Arts Festival and thought he'd be happy) and went on my way. When walking back to my car, I realized what I did. I was DEVESTATED. I can't believe I didn't even think about it. It was just 1 sample. 1 measly little almond. Ugh. I am not starting over at day 1 because of 1 almond, but I am not happy with myself.

Other than that it's been pretty good. I had a little meltdown the other day, though, because I am sick of cooking. I make breakfast every day and dinner most nights. By day 12, I didn't even want to heat anything up. I am getting over it, however. I would be cooking either way. Zach has been great; he even took me out to dinner last Friday. :) I kept reading people saying they were seeing all these results and full of energy and I was throwing the bullshit flag. That is until day 11. I don't know what it was about that day, but I was bursting at the seams. Work was great. The workout sucked, but I was cheery. It was a great turning point that I had been waiting on. O, I made ice cream last night too! It wasn't exactly the Ben & Jerry's fix I was needing, but it works. ZachR made us a roast last night...amazing.

That's all I really have. I have only been going 3x each week. I know that needs to get stepped up, but I just don't really want to wake up at 6 or workout on a Saturday when I am on my feet for most of the day at work. Excuses, I know...

Ocho

2009-08-10T20:00:00.000-05:00

Getting warmed up for a nasty WOD

Today is day 8. I offically made it a week through Paleo. I would not be able to make it a week without ZachR. He has has been my strength. I was doing good for the first few days. Then, I would crave a sugary coffee or ice cream when I was at work or at the store. He is the first person I call to make sure I don't give in to my cravings. They have been fewer than I expected, though. I have been enjoying the meals, for the most part. A few things aren't as good as I had hoped, but that happens. It has been fun figuring out new ways to cook things that we usually make. I have eaten a lot more veggies than I thought I would. I mainly have been eating the same things, but am trying to mix it up. The workouts have been going really well. I haven't had as much energy as I would like, but I have been pretty consistent in my WOD's. I went 4 times last week. I should have gone more, but just couldn't get myself into the gym. But this is a new week. Hopefully, I will be able to get into the gym more. I went today; I hate Barbara. We'll see how it goes. Without Byers blog, we would be lost for new ways of thinking about food. I recommend going to her site if you want to start Paleo. O, and I have for sure seen the benefits physically and emotionally of doing Paleo, even for a week!

30 Days

2009-08-03T13:12:00.000-05:00

So it begins. ZachR and myself started the Paleo challenge this morning. I am over 13 hours in, and feel great. Ha. If only it stayed this easy. We for the last month, indulged in every sense of the word. We ate WAY too much ice cream and candy. We also went to Scribner, NE for a birthday party. There was sheet cake, homemade ice cream, and all the peanut M&M's one could ever want. It was lovely. I never thought I would look forward to eating a spinach salad. The hardest part for me is going to be not eating gum. I chew gum all the time. I ALWAYS have some in my purse. I pop gum when I am annoyed or bored. It is going to be difficult. I am really looking forward to the challenge, though. It will be fun. Zach and I have decided to try all kinds of different veggies and learn all sorts of new ways to cook the food we always eat.

It all started with a blog. We have both been addicted to Byers' blog. Last month, she posted the challenge. 30 days strict Paleo. Seemed easy enough, but there was planning that needed to go into it. We decided to wait before just jumping in. We learned all about what foods and things to just have on hand. We threw away all peanut butter and cheese. Then, we went to Whole Foods. We got all different kinds of veggies, dressings, and meat. I am excited to plan out meals for the week. Since I am in the process of leaving one of my jobs, I have a whole lot more time on my hands. There will be plenty of time for making beautiful, ornate dinners.

Keep your fingers crossed. I have no doubt that I can make it through; I am incredibly stubborn. However, I am nervous I am just going to slip, eat something without even thinking about it. We'll see. 29 1/2 days left.

CONGRATS!

2009-07-28T18:48:00.001-05:00

I want to send out my most heartfelt congrats to the Johnson clan! Zack, Nikki, Chloe, and Owen were (finally) graced by the presence of Baby Gus! Congrats to the crew; he is amazing. I cannot wait to hold him. Once I do, you might not get him back.

Also, congrats to my amazing big sister on getting her first ever muscle up! That is a huge feat and I am incredibly proud of her. Once again, she beat me. Bitch...

I want to say "Happy early Birthday" to one of my favorite boys ever, Brady! He is the cutest boy on 35th St. I can't believe he is already 1 year old!

As for the training...it's been nonexistant lately. I can give excuse after excuse, but really, I've just been lazy. However, ZachR and I are doing Paleo starting Aug 3 for 30 days and during that time we will be in the gym. I will get back to 6am CFO. I have no other choice. I have wedding dresses to try on and a very pushy boss who will make me be at work early anyway. I am actually really looking forward to my new job, new schedule, and consistent CF workouts. Here's hoping I don't fall off...

California Love

2009-07-07T14:48:00.000-05:00

Kyle tearing it up in Dever, about to do the same in Cali!

I will be in Cali in 2 days watching the WORLD's greatest athletes competing in 3. I cannot wait. This is going to the one of the coolest experiences of my life! The team that is representing CFO is awesome and well rounded; the 4 athletes that are on their own are superb. Every day, at least once, I check the games site. Every time I hit refresh on the computer, I get more and more excited. I cannot wait for CFO to be on the CF radar for good. Ricky, Joe, and Libby started us off right last year, but let's bring home a title this year.

I just want to say good luck to that amazing group of people: ZachR, Greg Mo, JonDay, Addi, Reba, Ricky, Kyle, Stacey, and Libby. Ya'll will do an amazing job and I can't wait to watch you tear it up!

Hold your breath

2009-06-29T08:01:00.001-05:00

Some of my favorite 'fitters. Jesus, you are missed.

I just worked out 3 days in a row. You heard correctly, I was actually at the gym and was productive (kind of) 3 days in a row. It was hard, but I am glad that I did it. That makes today my first official rest day since after Denver...which is pathetic. I am starting to turn a new leaf. I am going to get my ass in the gym. Anyone reading this needs to hold me to that, please.

The met-cons killed my respriatory system. I am no where near in good enough shape to be working out next to the people going to compete in the games. However, I did OHS and my right shoulder felt fine! That has never happened. I usually have to call it quits early on 1RM for that, but I was actually able to go until failure. I did, though, hurt my left shoulder. Thankfully, I work at a clinic where the therapists will stretch me and hook me up to any machine I want.

Friday:

21-15-9 ball slams, pushup-less burpees, 5 yd sprints

5:55

Saturday:

Overhead Squats

102# tried at 107 and could have gotten it if I tried again, but too many lighter attempts

Sunday:

with Reba (sorry for slowing you down), 21 20# burpee squat cleans, front run scaling 2 walls, 21 pit jumps, back run scaling 1 cement wall, 1 rock wall, and 2 wooden plank walls, 21 parkour jumps. rest. 15. rest. 9. time.

the timer was in the sun so no idea the time, but it was a great wod.

Work

2009-06-22T09:15:00.000-05:00

during WOD 3 in Denver

I am beginning to realize I need to commit to CFO like it's my job. Granted, at this current venture in my life, I already have 3...so what's one more? It is becoming more and more difficult for me to be able to wake up to get to a 6am class. Noon doesn't work because I generally work at 1, which also eliminates the afternoon classes. My day to day schedule is never the same. However, I have a very loving (sometimes pushy) fiance that helps get my @$$ to the gym every now and again. I am trying to do it more. On that same note, actually trying to give it my all when I am there: less rest, less complaining, etc.

The CFO crew did a whole bunch of strength 2 weeks ago. I have done 3 of the 5ish lifts and just need to make up the rest. Since I never consistently work out, I am considering these #s baseline and just a weight to improve upon. The back squats felt ok; I still need to concentrate on shooting my knees out. The deadlifts were shit. The snatches hurt my shoulder after 3 warmup muscle snatches...so I knew it would be a good day...Today, I am hoping to do a metcon then straight into 1rm clean and jerk. My last pr was (I think) 120# so we'll see.

Back Squat: 165# (10# pr)
DL: 225 (5#off pr)
Full Catch Snatch: 77#
with a few metcons thrown in there too.

Stupid June

2009-06-05T15:25:00.000-05:00

The CFO crew

So, occasionally, I say things and then immediately regret them. This has been happening less and less since I am learning to "think before I speak," thanks to my loving family. However, it happened recently. As soon as the words came out of my mouth I regreted it. I tried to take them back, but the damage was done. Luckily, not much is riding on my words, but I still wish I could take back those few minutes at Gandalfo's.

Here's how it went down. After a lovely morning of CFO, a few of us went out to breakfast. ZachR and I were the first to sit down. As soon as his cheeks hit chair, I went into the wedding conversation I had planned. Apparently, at 7 in the morning after a CFFB WOD, he didn't want to hear it. Then, I uttered those words; the words that will change my entire summer. I said, "If I go to Crossfit 20 times this month, can we talk about the wedding the whole way to the Ozarks?"

Shit. This now means, I can't talk about the wedding nearly at all until July AND I have to workout 20 times in June. Well, 2 down...wish me luck. The first 2 WoD's were relatively easy and I am still looking forward to working out at 6am (best class) 3 days a week.

3 rds: 25 K2E, 50 situps, 75 jumping jacks - 17:xx

10, 9, 8...1: 1.5 pood swings, 35# lunges - 9:2x

Excited

2009-04-18T13:42:00.000-05:00

Paul and ZachR dueling

It's been a REALLY long time since I have truly been able to say I was excited to get into the gym...but I was today. I woke up ready to go. The workout sucked, but I was glad to get in the gym. For those of you keeping track, that makes 3 times I was in the gym this week. Be impressed, it's ok.

I still get as sore as the first month. That is part of why I love Crossfit. No matter how often I go, I still get DOMs. I have actually been going for a year now, and am continually surprised by how varied the workouts are. Thanks to Joe and Ricky for always keeping me on my toes.

As for the WODs, they went pretty well. I want to be lifting more weight than I am, but I understand entirely why I can't. I might go get a shot in my shoulder. Hopefully, that will help.

I liked doing DT, Cindy, and today's workout. They were a lot of fun. It was a great few days and it felt amazing to get into the gym that often in a week. I need to start making more time for gym visits.

DT: 88# 11:2
Cindy: 10 rds + 9 pushups
Deadlifts: 155# x 23, 16, 19 with 5 box jumps in between at 24in box jumps + 2 reds (and a green for the last rd)

Distractions

2009-04-11T09:16:00.000-05:00

The Lefler women

My world just keeps piling shit on. Luckily, I have the greatest support system there is. My mom and sisters are my best friends. They are entirely my strength. My mommy is the strongest person I know; she has been through some crazy shit, and still smiles everyday. Angela has been confronted with lots of obstacles and still comes out on top. E is just amazing. Although she will probably need a complete knee replacement in 2 years, she is still going to do her triathlon and is getting her PhD. We have Abby for our comic relief. She is my favorite person on the planet. All I need to do to cheer up is talk to her on the phone about something I allegedly left at the gym. Then there is Zach. I wouldn't be where I am today, if I didn't have him in my corner for the last 4.5 years. It hasn't always been easy, but I have loved all of it. And guess what! He decided to compete in the Regional Qualifier! I am thrilled for him. Then, there are my amazing friends. There are just some people in my world that make the day a whole lot easier. I am lucky to call them friends.

On that note, my training is still taking a backseat. Between school, 2 jobs, and now having 2 grandmas with broken hips, I don't always have time to get into the gym. I have been trying to put in little workouts when I have a few minutes. They are no where near as brutal as the horrible WOD's Ricky puts together, but it's something. I'm never happy with my times or weight lifted, but don't get to complain because I am not doing it regularly enough to warrant complaining. I'll jot down what workouts I can remember. However, the Zone is going really well. I am doing anywhere between 10-13 blocks a day and feeling great. I am trying out (not intermittent) fasting. I have done some research on it and really like it. I don't eat typically between the hours of 4pm-7am. Also, I am not drinking at all. I am on day 11 for that. It's getting easier to say no to temptations. Finally, this will be day 4 of no sodas, coffee, or Red Bull. Working out gives me more energy than I can get from a can. I just need to do it more...

21-15-9 squats, burpees, sit ups 7:08
4x800's 3:30, 3:29, 3:26, 3:24
(that's all I can remember. Horrible, right?!)

Holy Sh!t it's April!

2009-04-02T21:51:00.000-05:00

Little Momma Nicky expecting her 3rd and still kicking ass at the gym!

I cannot believe it's already April. These damn qualifiers are coming up FAST!! Holy balls. So, turns out...you can't be prepared for them unless you start training. Weird. So I got my ass into the gym today. Also, weird. The workout was rough and in Ricky's words "puts hair on your face." Those Ricky-isms are the very thing that make me doubt doing CFO...ok, those are also some of the reasons I come back. I really enjoy workouts like todays that make my lungs burn and like I can't walk. The pullups and burpees really screwed up my shoulder, but what can ya do? I need to learn how to push through the pain, it's not like it will go away.

WOD:
3 Rounds
3 110# cleans
7 burpee pullups
Time 11:3x
I was a little too delirious to hear the time Ricky said.

Warm Welcome

2009-03-23T17:25:00.000-05:00

I want to start off by saying how proud I am of ZachR. He conquered a huge feat yesterday completing 15 reps of body weight in OHS. It has been really fun for me to watch his progression...not even since he started CFO, but even before that. Really. Ya'll should have seen him about 20 months ago. You wouldn't even believe it! He's come a long way and he continues to make me strive for my optimum fitness. Thanks, love!

So it's been a while since I got in the gym. It felt really good to get in there yesterday and throw some weight around. I did clean and jerks, very very apprehensively. My shoulder has been worse lately than it has in months. The cleans felt really good. I got through 120# and cleaned 125 but couldn't get it up. O well. I can't complain because I haven't been in the gym in just about 2 weeks.

I am excited to be back in the gym and back on a more regular schedule. It's going to suck because the only time I have to get in is at 6am. Stupid 2nd job! I'll just have to figure out how to motivate myself at home to do workouts on the road.

Thanks to the Sunday nooners who made my welcome back to the gym so enjoyable. Asses.

Ages

2009-03-18T08:42:00.000-05:00

the cutest girl around

It's been so long since I have posted. I haven't done very much to post about. My shoulder has been awful and my school and double job schedule are really making it difficult to get my ass to the gym. I'll have to figure something out though, at least until May. After that, I am way less worried about working out. I have been toying with the idea of finding another route to be physically active. The class times at CFO make it really difficult for me to get in and work out. I might be joining a box gym soon. Weird, right?
Either way, I had a great vacation with my mom and oldest sister. It was a well needed break from everything here in Omaha.
Hopefully, this is the last week that's all thrown off. Yay for Spring Break. After this week, I'll be all sorts of refreshed and ready to get back into the swing of things.

Sigh...

2009-02-26T15:46:00.000-06:00

6am guys getting in extra work

Frick. I feel like I have regressed. Don't get me wrong, I am getting in the gym more, finally. I just feel so out of it. There are so many things that I just want out of my life. It's frustrating knowing that I am so out of it. However, when I have been in the gym, I feel great again. I am realizing that it's a competition with myself more than it is with other people. I am fighting against my own thoughts, ya know, the ones that say I can't do it. It really helps having a great support system in and out of the gym. On that note...

Yesterday felt really good. I couldn't do rx'd because of my damn shoulder. It was a great workout. I didn't get up at 6, so I had to get in at 12. It was fun working out with the nooners. I would much rather workout at noon every day, I just don't have the time.

Today, we did Cindy on steroids. It sucked. My hands hurt. My shoulder hurt right after because of all the pushups, but my goal was 3 rounds so I was happy.

WOD's:

5 rounds - 5 clean & jerks & 200 m - 10:03 (88#)

AMRAP in 20 min - 15 pullups, 30 pushups, 45 squats - 3 rds + 12 pullups

Woot Woot

2009-02-23T09:03:00.000-06:00

Amanda B doin work

I really enjoy Monday morning workouts. It used to be because I would have nothing to do afterwards, but that story has changed. It's just a really good way to start off the week. Sadly, I no longer have a day off on Mondays. Today is the first real day for me for my new job. I'm pretty excited. It should be fun. I'm just glad I picked a place where everyone likes the food...and drinks. :)

It's been a really long time since my last post. I'll do my best to relay the workouts that I actually did...which were few and far between. I am working on getting my ass into the gym on a more regular basis. However, it's getting easier to go in and I feel better when I am there. Today, I should find out what the real results are from my MRI that I got a week ago. Keep those fingers crossed.

WODs:

5x500 m row - 1:50.7, 2:05, 2:04, 2:02, 2:01-ish

Power Cleans 1RM - 125# (hung over and no improvement from the last time)

Back Squats 3 rep - 142# (knees buckled and I decided to not try more wt)

Hang Power Snatch 1RM - 80#

Dead Lift 3 rep - 185# (my back started hurting early on, so I just called it quits)

2/16/09

2009-02-16T20:24:00.000-06:00

My snatch. Ha.

I've been so lazy...It's disappointing. I hate how much I loathe going into the gym. I know it will turn around. I will keep going, regardless of how I feel. There was a time when I didn't even take rest days; I want to get back to that. I want to get back to waking up in the morning excited to get to the gym. I get the MRI results tomorrow...

Anyway...the workouts have gone pretty well. Friday's afternoon classes got snowed out, which means I wasn't the only person that missed out on a day. Saturday, we did push press x2 and dead lift x5. The dead lifts felt better than they have in a while. After that we did amap double unders in 2 minutes then 50 knees to elbows. That killed my shoulder more than the push press. Damn. Sunday was snatches and some weird, fun box jump combination. We broad jumped over 4 reds then vertical jumped onto a 24in box with plates on top of it. It was a fun change from what we usually do. Today was supposed to be a rest day. Since I didn't work out Friday and neither did Megan, at noon we did cleans x2 and front squats x5. The squats felt really good, but I couldn't get my body to do a clean.

WODs:

Push Press - 88 (stopped for shoulder...)

Dead Lift - 184

Snatches - 80

Cleans - 95ish

Front Squats - 110

2/12/09

2009-02-12T13:56:00.000-06:00

Here's my new tattoo.

Well, hells bells. I was a lazy pile yesterday so I decided to kick my own ass today. My first class of the day got cancelled, so I decided to do a workout then after my 2nd class, I went in to the gym for CFO's workout. I am so exhausted...But, I am heading to see my surgeon today! Yay. I finally get to figure out whether it is just me being a pansy ass or that there is something actually wrong with me.

Either way, I did the running squats workout during class. It killed my legs. I was going to plan on doing Cindy at noon, but after taht, I couldn't. Then I did the CFO workout at noon. It was a great workout and tore up my arms. Good day...but now am SO tired. I'm going to try and get in at 6am tomorrow depending on the workout.

WODs:

4 rounds - 400 m run & 50 squats - 13:10

6 rounds - 20 lunges & 20 jumping pullups - 9:10

2/10/09

2009-02-10T11:45:00.000-06:00

A whole lotta work being done...

So, I have been SUPER lazy lately. I have had absolutely no desire to work out, ever. There are some things going on that make it really hard for me to go into the gym. I hate that things in my head deter me from getting in and rocking it out. With that being said, my head hasn't completely been there when I am in the gym.
Yesterday, we did a tabata mash up. It was KB swings and pullups. I felt better about pullups in this WOD than I have for a really long time. Which is funny because they tear up my shoulder. The swings went really well, though.
Today's WOD sucked. I HATE rope climbs. Hate. Plus, thrusters make it feel like someone is digging a screwdriver into my shoulder. So much fun...Either way, the box jumps were supposed to be 36 inches, but on the first jump of the workout, I bit it and now my shin looks like shit. So I took off one red bumper and only did about 32ish inches. And only did 88# on thrusters. Awesome. Not the best of days for me...

WODs:

Tabata Mash Up - 105ish...

AMRAP in 20: 2 rope climbs, 4 thrusters, 8 box jumps - 5 rds.

2/5/09

2009-02-05T20:58:00.000-06:00

I love Crossfit Omaha. It is an amazing group of people and I really enjoy spending so much time with all you crazy, stinky bastards!

These last few workouts have been great. Although, I have not been as consistent as I should be in the gym, I have worked really hard at making sure I am fully there when I am in the gym. On Monday I got in and did too many pullups and dips. Tuesday, my hands were too torn and other excuses...Wednesday, I did 5 rep back squats.
Today, though, we switched it up a little. Ricky is taking us off the main site and concentrating more on gaining power and working on our weaknesses...which for me are many. Basically, you can name a lift/movement and chances are, its a weakness of mine. I will slowly but surely knock them off my weakness lift, though. Today's WOD was 3 rep power cleans and 9 rep OH squats. I finished up with an ab workout. Was pretty happy, although the shoulder crapped out on me for OHS. I really enjoy doing cleans.
I am getting more and more excited for the Qualifiers! With there not even being 100 women entered, CFO has a HUGE chance of sending multiple women to represent. Keep your fingers crossed!

9 rep OHS: 70

3 rep Power Cleans: 115

5 rep Back Squat: 137

Abs: 3 rds - 30 sec weighted planks (yellow plate) & 30 situps

2/1/09

2009-02-01T13:27:00.000-06:00

2 of my favorite kids ever!

Welp...it's official. I am registered for the 09 Crossfit Games Qualifiers. I am a whole lot more excited about it than I thought I was going to be. It's going to be a long ass road; I'm going to get beat down. I am, though, really excited to see where I am in 3 months. It's going to take a whole lot of mental toughness, but I think I can make it through. Here's hopin!

As for workouts, I decided to take today off and get back to my regular routine of Mon-Thurs and Saturday. I will make up the missed workouts on rest days. Yesterday, I made my own version of a past .com workout that I had missed. I found out that I suck at pushups again. Another thing to get added to my weakness list that seems to be neverending right now...

5 Rounds:

30 sit ups, 20 back extensions, 10 pushups

11:04

O yeah, and I got my lovely tattoo on 1/30. It's beautiful and I love it! My big sis got one with me. Pretty stinkin cute.

1/29/09

2009-01-29T17:43:00.000-06:00

Alison F. pressing in the Total

I would like to start off by saying how much I dislike Dustin Tovar. :) OK, totally kidding. He and I decided last night to do both the .com and CFO workouts. It was exhausting and fun. I didn't workout today. Lazy excuses start flying...whatev.
During the thruster workout, my shoulders never started hurting. I was so excited. I felt like I could have maybe gotten 120 is I tried again, but since I was doing another workout, I just called it after failing once. I was happy, anyway, with the amount that I put up. For the CFO workout, it didn't look as bad as it truly was. I went through the first round of box jumps and wall balls still thinking that...then came the SDHP. Those kill my shoulder. I tried to do 5-4 which worked till the last round, which was more of 3 sets of 3. I could have shaved a whole lot of time off if I didn't take so many breaks during the high pulls. Meh, o well. There's minimal pain in my shoulder today, so I'm happy. Plus, I am calling my surgeon this week to set up a time to go see him. This is just too much...
I have had a really rough time with things right now. There are lots of things that have frustrated me to an extreme. It's been a weird adjustment with everything.

Anyway, WOD:

1 rep thruster - 115#

3 Rounds: 21 box jumps, 15 wall balls, 9 sumodeadlift high pulls

time: 8:01

Happy Birthday Teagan Frausto!

2009-01-26T20:48:00.000-06:00

Joe teaching Stacey about Press

Holy Moly! What a happy day! Baby Frausto graced us with her presence today. I'm so excited for Ricky and Crystal. They are going to have their hands full, though. She's large and in charge. :) Congrats to the Ricky, Crystal, and Damian.

So, my workout schedule has been all out of whack. Working 7-7 on Fridays really kills the 3 on-1off schedule that .com follows. I am going to try my hardest to go either Monday through Thursday and Saturdays or Saturday through Wednesday and take Thurs. & Fri. off. Any advice for which is better? I need to get in 5 days a week and can't go Fridays ever.

Either way, Saturday I did the CF total. I didn't participate in this last spring because I was so new to Crossfit and was nervous about how little I would be able to do. Now, though, I was really excited to see what my total was. I wasn't happy with the back squats or the press because I was nervous about hurting my shoulder. The angle in which my shoulder has to be at for back squats irritates the hell out of it. Then, going straight into the press just plain hurt. I stopped short of my max so that I didn't make it worse.

Sunday, I was unable to workout at the class time because ZachR and I went to Lincoln with his family to celebrate a birthday.

Today, I did AMRAP in 15 min of swings and double unders. I was really disappointed with my DU performance. I failed way too many times. It's really frustrating not doing something I know I can do. I apparently have something else on my weakness list. Crap.

Total:

Back Squat - 154

Press - 75

Dead Lift - 208

AMRAP in 15 of 12 - 1.5 Swings & 21 - DU

7 rounds + 12 swings

1/22/09

2009-01-22T21:25:00.000-06:00

The Professor during the Midwest Challenge

Crap. I accidently took just about an entire week off of working out. I have lots of excuses for each day, but mainly: sick, work, no alarm. Whatever. Can't dwell on the past; gotta keep the eyes looking straight ahead. I am happy that I did get back in the gym today. It's a great feeling to have your ass kicked by yourself. Sometimes at the gym, I feel like Tyler Durden. I actively choose to go in each day (some days...) and get my ass beat.

So todays .com workout was rough. I, apparently, chose a good week to take off though. Everyone around the gym is complaining about how they haven't been this sore since they first started Crossfit. The workout today was great. I got through the first rd of burpees without breaking any up, the next 4 rounds weren't as pretty, though. The lunges weren't bad. The weight overhead after burpees kinda hurt my shoulder, but whatever. I gotta push through it. Unless I am going to get surgery, I just gotta man up.

I am excited about these next few months. I have started to reconsider participating in the qualifiers. I just don't know if it's entirely worth it. I am going to continue training and will for sure cheer on the amazing athletes that we will be sending up to Denver! We'll see what I think in a few days.

5 Rounds:

50 ft OH Lunges (33#)

21 Burpees

12:36

1/16/09

2009-01-16T10:47:00.000-06:00

Joe W. bustin out muscle ups. Love my trainers...

So the last few days have been pretty good. I took Tuesday off so that I didn't work out Saturday through Thursday. I thought that would be a bad idea. With my work schedule on Fridays, there isn't a time I can get in, so I always end up taking an extra rest day. It's frustrating and I am working on seeing if I can come in an hour later on Fridays so I can workout @6am and keep the 3 days on-1 off schedule. Here's hoping.
Wednesday, I did 3 rep overhead squats. I was really apprehensive about putting any weight overhead because my shoulder has just started to feel better. ZachR and I had decided we would both go in and do this WOD but stop before we got stupid. I only got up to 98# but felt like I could have gone heavier if it weren't for the stabbing pain in my shoulder. O well. One day at a time, right? It didn't hurt by the time I got to work, so I was happy with my decision to stop.
Thursday, I did Tuesday's main site workout. I for some reason, thought I did way more weight on the cleans than I did and was disappointed when I realized it. SHit happens. I didn't think the workout was that bad...thanks to the bands that lifted my ass on the dips. I felt good about the cleans, though.
Today, I am planning on doing Annie since I forgot Wed. and Thurs. to do it. It's an easy workout that I will probably do late tonight. I am excited for a good weekend of workouts!
I have felt better going in to the gym on a more regular basis, just all around. Plus, the diet is going good. It's time consuming but well worth the effort! I have given up on not drinking, though. I decided that if I "budget" them into my blocks each day, I can have a drink or 2. I will get more serious about this (if I get registered) starting in April. I have plenty of time to drink till then!
My world is calming down a little. Still on a lack of sleep, but whatelse is new. I feel like things are falling back into place. Its great having the support system that I have. I am back to cooking again, which I hadn't done in about 6 weeks. I have a schedule again; it's different and will take some getting used to, but a schedule none the less.

Wed: 3 rep OH Squats
98#
Thurs: 15 cleans-30 dips-12-24-9-18-6-12-3-6
18:18 with 80# cleans and started with tan band and switched to tan and purple for the last 3 sets. Nearly bit it a couple times...

1/12/09

2009-01-12T20:32:00.000-06:00

Thank Goodness for my CFO girls! I would be lost without them.

I am going to start out by saying things in my life are extremely chaotic right now. I said it earlier in the blog for workout reasons, but now in another aspect of my life, I feel like I am stuck between a rock and no where. I don't know what to do. The only thing that makes sense to me now is continuing to workout and eat healthy. School started again today, which will throw off my routine of napping every day entirely. My sleep schedule is shot to shit. I just don't know about a lot of things right now. I feel like someone took my little world and turned it upside down and shook it all up like a snow globe. Now, I'm just the little snowman inside who has no idea what's going on. (Weird analogy, I know. But it's all I got.)

Today was the first day we did a main site WOD. I was nervous until I saw the actual workout. It didn't seem that bad. First off, I had NO idea what virtual shoveling was. Turns out, you put weight on 1/2 of a bar and lift it over a 24 inch box and back. That's 1. We had to do way more than just one. The rx'd workout was 30-25-20...5 of shovels and pullups. I wanted to make sure that I could finish the workout, so I scaled to 20 down to 5. I finished first...but it doesn't count because I can't put rx'd behind my time. Pull ups really hurt my shoulder. I didn't ever string together more than 4. That's really frustrating and needs to get better if I think I am even going to have a shot at competing with some of the women that will be at FrontRange. Either way, I finished before the cutoff and then kept going. I got 20 more shovels and 1 pullup. I had a full minute to get as many pullups as I could, but my shoulder hurt and I didn't want to push further than it was ready for. I can still move my arm with minimal pain, so I am glad I stopped.

WOD:

20-15-10-5 Shovels and Pullups

15:02

1/11/09

2009-01-11T16:29:00.000-06:00

ZachR box jumpin in Milwuakee

Today, we had a meeting with the people, 20 roughly, who are going to make the trek to the qualifiers. It was fun to get (most of) us in a room and just chat about planning and where we are all headed. The group is pretty solid. I enjoy the people we are going. It should be a whole lot of fun and I am getting more and more excited with each day. The more I think about it, the bus ride there and back will probably be the most fun road trip ever. At least it has the potential to be.

The workouts leading up to it, however, will not be as much fun. We will be doing main site WOD's starting tomorrow. It's scary and exciting. I will have to do plenty of scaling at the beginning but am looking forward to a few months from now. It will definitely put my ego (what little I have) in check. With my shoulder slightly out of commission for a while, I will be doing what I can but not pushing too far. I want to make sure it's in peak condition in May in the off chance I'll actually be going.

Today was a rest day again for the qualifiers crew, but I needed to make up a few workouts from this week. I ended up doing hang power cleans and a quick metcon. The metcon didn't look that bad and got the surname "Whooping Cough" because of what it did to your lungs. I thought people were crazy. It didn't look that bad. I was wrong. It took everything out of me, and I didn't even do full burpees. This should be an interesting few months. I was pretty pleased with my cleans though. For a bum-ish shoulder, I thought it was going to be way worse. Each day, my body will be a little different. I need to start accepting that and figuring it into my times and weights. I could have gone harder. I hate that feeling.

As for the Zone, I apparently took the weekend off. Whoops. Monday starts a new day and I'll be ready to go for a month. I might change my no drinking...I know. After only 5 days, I caved. I can't say no to Patron margaritas. So delicious. Either way, I will only drink 1 day a week. Still, that's better than it has been lately. No worries. All will be well. :)

Hang Power Clean:

5-4-3-2-2-1-1-1

I finished @ 120#.

21-15-9 of Box Jumps, No PushUp Burpees, and 16# Ball Slams

5:20 with a break to tie my pants so they would stop falling down.

1/10/09

2009-01-10T11:10:00.000-06:00

YAY! I got back into the gym today. I felt like such a pile each day not coming in. Wednesday, I had woken up to get in at 6am, but couldn't put a sports bra on so decided not to go in. Thursday, I was just lazy. Friday I worked 7-7 so all workout times were out. Regardless, I got in today. Granted, it was a rest day for the people who are training, but since I missed 3 strength days, I don't get another day off for a while. yay.

Today was fun. I just like being in the gym. It's become a safe haven for me. It is a place where I don't have to think about anything. It's marvelous. Since I am not 100% confident in my shoulder again yet, I decided to just do 3 rep dead lifts. I tried to stay in a corner of the gym to not attract attention to myself. It's stupid, but I don't like people watching me when I am lifting. Obviously, it's something I will have to get over. It's a mental block. I have a lot of those. Either way, I did dead lifts and felt pretty good about them until I finished. I feel like I should be able to do so much more weight in DL, but I just can't. I don't get it. My 1RM is only 220, so I have no where but up to go. I attempted 203; it tweaked my back on 1 rep and I don't want to have another reason to not work out, so I just called it.

As for the Zone, I took a day off yesterday but am back on the bandwagon for now. We are going out to dinner tonight and to a hockey game, so I don't know how long it will last. It's easier to take a cheat day this time around, knowing how easy it is to get back to it. I think it's necessary to allow yourself little indulgences every once and a while. If not, it's no fun.

3 RM Dead Lift:

3x 198# (bullshit)

1/8/09

2009-01-08T09:02:00.000-06:00

So lovely. After the jerks and pullups the other day, my right shoulder hurt incredibly bad. So I have been on a pretty regular routine of ice and pain killers. It was getting worse while I was at work, so I had my boss look at it. (Perks of working at a physical therapy clinic) He told me that there is a good chance I have a torn labrum, which is the cartilage in the shoulder. The plan of attack now is to go at my tolerance level, which we all know is pretty low, for about 2 more weeks. If it's still bothering me in 2 weeks, I need to go get an MRI. But until then, I am supposed to add a whole lot more band work into my daily routine to strengthen my rotator cuff muscles. Woot.

So shit. I was really excited about training, and zoning, and not drinking. If I can't train anymore, though, I feel like it's all shot to shit. I took yesterday and will probably take off till Friday. Saturday should be fun. I am just keeping my fingers crossed at this point, that it's not anything that serious and I can just get back in the gym like nothing happened. Here's hoping.

As for the Zone, I am officially through 3 days and into my 4th. It's so much easier this time around. However, yesterday I wanted Cheesecake Factory cheesecake so damn badly. Luckily, I was too lazy to get off my butt and go get it. The not drinking is a little harder because so many people want to take ZachR and I out for celebratory drinks. Which is lovely, but hard to resist drinking when they are free...as long as I have something to shoot for, I'll be fine.

1/6/09

2009-01-06T20:28:00.001-06:00

Holy Moly. Today KILLED me. It started out poorly which usually means I am going to hate the rest of my day. I couldn't get my ass outta bed for the 6am class (which I love) which usually puts me in a bad mood the rest of the day. Then, I woke up late for my physical therapy appointment for my shoulder and didn't get to go to that. Luckily, I work in the clinic, so I can go in basically any time. :) The thought of breakfast this morning, just sounded awful. I couldn't wrap my head around the thought of food. Finally, after 2 hours of being awake, I made my Zone approved breakfast. Rough morning.
The Zone has been going well though. It has only been 2 days, and I already have eaten out once. Crap. It was ok though. I got chicken and asparagus with minimal rice and have most of it left for lunch tomorrow minus the rice. I haven't had a cocktail either, which is harder than usual when I go out to dinner with my daddy.
So I decided to go in at noon for the WOD. The CFO site was a rest day, but since we are training, I did split jerks 2 rep max then pullups. During the workout, it felt good. I was excited about the weight I was throwing around. Addi helped me get over my fear of throwing up yellows. I beat my sister, which I always love to do although it doesn't happen often. After the jerks I did pullups. I was supposed to do weighted but I am a weinie. I did a few rounds of 3 reps with a little band and then was told if I can do them strict, that's what I should be doing with just more breaks. Great advice. I ended up doing 4 sets of single pullups then finally got up to 5#. Not much, but for me it was a big deal. I was pretty excited. However, on the way home, my R shoulder started KILLING. It hurt so bad. It hasn't stopped hurting. I don't know what to do. It makes me really nervous about regionals. Hells Bells. I am scared that this is going to hold me back... So here's the break down:

WOD:
2 RM Split Jerks
Completed 122x2 and 127x1 (HUGE PR!)
Pull ups 1rep plus 5#.

Woot Woot.

1/5/09

2009-01-05T07:52:00.001-06:00

So 2009 is the beginning of the new me. I am terrified and scared and excited all at the same time. I am going to attempt some things that I never thought possible.
For one thing, I decided quit drinking booze all together for 2 months. Its going to be hard and its going to suck but I am pretty excited about doing it. My liver, apparently, needs a break. I am trying to improve my quality of life and have made some bad decisions as of late after drinking so I am cutting it out. I am going to do the Zone strict for as long as I can. I, oddly enough, am excited to get back to it. I have felt so unhealthy the last few weeks because of the horrible food I have been eating. I have never felt as good as a whole as I did while I was doing the Zone. It's time consuming and hard, but totally worth it. Today at the gym, we started training for the CF games which will be held in CO in May the weekend after my birthday. It's going to be lots of work and grueling as hell, but I am really looking forward to seeing how far I can be pushed and still succeed. O ya, and I am engaged. ENGAGED. That scares the hell out of me but at the same time, makes me extremely excited and hopeful. There is no wedding in the near (3 years) future, but it's something to think about...

WOD:
3 rep Back Squats
133x3
I was pissed I only got up to 142 x4 and couldnt get reds (got 2 reps). Pissed. It makes me nervous that I am biting off more than I can chew. I felt really out of place this morning when I saw the huge weights being pushed around by the other people that are training. I feel al little inadequate. I hate being put into a position where I feel as though I have no where to go, between a rock and no where.

*New Beginnings*

sweetie pie

She's a Brick....wall.

Food, food, food

cfo.m.g.

I'm Baaaaack!

mmm...

I'm Back, Bitches!

If I tri...

Spread the Word!

New Adventure

HAPPY FREAKING NEW YEAR!

Cabin Fever

7 to go...

Let the countdown begin

Reconciliation

OVERLOAD!

OCTOBER!

New Leaf

The End of it All

Home Stretch

Problem Weekend

Livin on a Prayer!

Ocho

30 Days

CONGRATS!

California Love

Hold your breath

Work

Stupid June

Excited

Distractions

Holy Sh!t it's April!

Warm Welcome

Ages

Sigh...

Woot Woot

2/16/09

2/12/09

2/10/09

2/5/09

2/1/09

1/29/09

Happy Birthday Teagan Frausto!

1/22/09

1/16/09

1/12/09

1/11/09

1/10/09

1/8/09

1/6/09

1/5/09

New Beginnings