Totally worth it

Okay, so Amy is dying to learn about this experience I had today, but if you aren't into reading about body hair removal, kindly skip ahead to the WOD. :)

Getting my first Brazilian wax (as a welcome home, as well as other reasons!) was seriously not bad at all! First off, it probably helped a ton to take a Motrin IB an hour before the procedure, and second, my technician was Laura the Brow Queen (http://www.laurathebrowqueen.com/Laura_the_brow_queen.html). She began by asking me what I wanted, a full Brazilian or a half, and had me take off my shorts, leaving my underwear on. That in itself was surprisingly calming! You never are completely showing any of yourself down there because you use your panties to serve as the boundary, if that makes sense. It's an interesting strategy, and it works! Nice and even and straight. She explained to me that I would be doing "Ready Freddy" for the waxing. If you're curious, let me just say, it helps to know when your hair's about to be ripped out. I was expecting pain and a lot of discomfort. I was completely wrong! I felt a few of the pulls but only for a split second, a little sting really, and that was it. Laura was quick, efficient, and very friendly. She knows what she's doing! She powders you before she starts and before a big pull so your skin is nice and dry for the wax. The hot wax was probably the worst part (no joke!) of the whole thing, especially in the more sensitive areas. But pain? None whatsoever. It was so amazing!! I fully endorse this procedure AND Laura the Brow Queen (she's located in the Eliza Salon Spa off Central Expy and Walnut Hill in a shopping center). Do it! You will not regret it. Oh, and she did my upper lip even though I didn't schedule it. I asked her if she had time to do it for me, and she said it was not a problem. That didn't hurt at all either, and the last time I had it done somewhere else, it didn't feel too great! This lady is absolutely wonderful!!!! I was smiling and hugging her afterward. She said most people leave laughing. I was definitely feeling relieved, though, for getting it over with since I wasn't entirely sure how painful it would be. I'm even working out two hours afterward! :D


WOD:

Every minute on the minute for 20 minutes:

3 Hang power cleans

3 Front squats

3 Push-press

This one looks fun, plus I need to work on my hang power cleans since I always psych myself out when the load gets to a certain weight.

Ugh. That one hurts already!!!! I used 53#, which felt like a ton by the 13th round. The push presses were the most mentally challenging for me. I wanted to rest so many times, but I kept telling myself, just keep going. It helped to hear Erica yelling at me a few times, too. :) This was a great workout! It was funny to see all the people at the 5:00 drenched in sweat and then be one of them after I did this WOD. What a boiler the box was today!!! I'll take dry heat anyday. CD was 20 GHD situps--should have done some handstands and planks, but I had to hurry to meet Erica's friend at Kozy. Yummy meal as always. That's twice this week already! I feel spoiled. :) I was a bit worried my wax job would bother me during the workout, but I was fine! Love it!!! Going to get to bed at a decent hour tonight so I can hit the 6 a.m. tomorrow. Then spend all day cleaning, organizing, and packing. Woohoo! It feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders now that I've finished all my projects. All I need now is to respond to two Power Point presentations my colleagues posted, but so far, it's just me and this other lady. LOL We're such over-achievers. :) Assignment is due on Thursday.

Crunch Time

Well, it is almost time to go to SC to see Kason graduate from ABT!!!!!!! It's hard to believe the end of July is almost here already, but looking back, there were times when I couldn't believe how slowly time seemed to creep by. And he called me twice today (I was CF'ing :( ) and told me he gets to come home a day early! Woohoo!!! Got my 50-page case study done this morning and have been trying to submit it, but it seems it's too big of a file. I e-mailed my professor to see how I should go about it.

Today's WOD was fun and challenging! Kat kept time for me, and I averaged 1:20-something. The damn straps on clapping push-ups and C2B pullups slowed me down. -_-

Pro Shuttle Interval

5 rounds, each for time:

30m pro shuttle

3 single-arm snatch (each arm), 45 pound dumbbell

5 clapping push-ups

5 chest-to-bar pull-ups

5 box jumps, 30 inch box



I used a 20# dumbell for the snatches, blue straps for the push-ups, and a red strap for the C2B pullups. I should have used the medium box for box jumps, but I allowed myself to wuss out and use the baby box, plus Kat was too nervous about using the medium box. It was fun working out with her since I haven't seen her in so long. Was a good workout.

Well, time for my final project, then serious cleaning time!

New PR?

I am excited to do back squats today and hope I can beat my old PR of 150#. I'm quite relieved that we are doing max lifting today, too, because I don't know if I'd be very effective if it were a met-con like the past three days. I am a bit concerned about the rather numerous numbers of attempts we have, though. I'm going to follow Corey's advice on the blog and try to get my max on the fifth attempt; otherwise I will be too tired, probably. Plus my legs are still really feeling the Tabata Mashup from Wednesday! I love the pain!! :)

WOD:

Back Squat

1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1

Woohoo that was fun! Started out with 80% of my PR weight: 120# and worked up from there. 120 - 125 - 130 - 140 - 150 - 155 - 160 - 165 - 170 - 175 (25# PR)

I got to work at my own rack because there are now six, and the other two girls didn't know what their max back squat was. The nooner wasn't as big as it has been in the past, so it was a nice, laid-back group dynamic. Then I was getting ready to do situps with Jared, but Wayne was putting on a weighted vest and I asked him what he was going to do. He said go run so that a normal 800m run would feel really easy, so I figured, why not? It might help me get a faster time on the sprints when I do that one again. So I put on the lightest vest (the wonky gray one that's way too long for my short torso), and I ran it with him. It was challenging! I would like to do it as a CD regularly, time-permitting, though. Spencer is building a new platform for rolling out/stretching, so I had plenty of time today. Then I did 50 GHD situps and did a minute plank hold with Wayne. He's a cool guy. I'm going to enjoy my rest day tomorrow! Looking forward to some skill work and maybe sprints on Sunday with Amy and Sandy if they're both there. Gotta get cranking on this case study and PP presentation for class.

Argh, more push-ups!

Well, I am going to do more of what I hate: push-ups. Today's WOD requires me to do 105 of the suckers.

7 rounds for time:
10 KB swings
15 push-ups

Bleh! Just got back and I HATED THOSE PUSH-UPS even though I did knee ones. -_-

8:20
26# KB
knee push-ups

Amanda was an awesome partner--she really encouraged me and made me keep moving on those awful push-ups. She did her first three sets of push-ups unbroken!!!! Inspiring as hell! I'm looking forward to getting to know her better and working out with her more often. She plays on a national level ultimate frisbee team! Anyway, I'm happy that today's WOD is over with and am treating myself to some pool time with Erin and then ginormous Jenga at Barcadia tonight. Sweet! Oh yeah, for CD she and I did 50 GHD situps. For some reason, I can't really get past 50. :/ Last time I did 100 was with SamZ three weeks ago. I'm slacking!!

Aww, pool time got cancelled--it started raining. But that's a good thing, too, because I need to get two more assignments done today since I'm going to Barcadia tonight.

Sandy, it was so nice to see you! I hope you had a good workout and wish I could have counted and cheered for you like old times. Hope you made it back in time for your conference call! Are you free this weekend for some Kozy with Amy and me?

Tabata goodness

Today's WOD was nice and different--Tabata mashup. Almost every muscle in my body feels yesterday's workout, oh how delightful! It sure is a wonderful feeling being painfully reminded of the different muscles in my back, my shoulders, my quads, hamstrings, calves, and ribs (all around)!!

Alternating Triple Tabata Mash Up

8 rounds, 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest, alternating between the following:

Wall-ball shots, 20 pound ball

Knees-to-elbows

Medicine ball clean, 20 pound ball

Partnered with Amanda and I'm so glad we had a partner to count for us and keep us moving! Got 12 wall-ball shots the first round, then 11, and then I leveled out at 10. KTE is something I could stand to work on, although I stayed pretty consistent--7 and 8 until I dropped to 6 near the end of the whole thing. Med ball cleans were pretty consistent, too--7 and 8 throughout. I could have and should have done more, though. Always room for improvement! That was a great met-con, and I love the variety. I felt that we did a lot of lifting the week before I had surgery, but this week has been nice and varied. I really wish I could have done the sprints on Monday, though. :( I will probably make those up on Sunday if anyone is interested in doing them with me. :) I also plan to do skill work that day beforehand. Did 50 GHD situps for CD and missed my situp buddies.

Time for a shower and nerding it up.

Great to be back!

First day back to CFDC and I'm feeling great!!! Although, during the WOD I wasn't feeling too hot...but I MISSED that feeling! I missed pushing myself to that brink of am I going to get sick? Am I going to be able to keep going? I really hated the push presses, although I should have not been such a wuss and tried doing at least one set of the handstand pushups as prescribed.

WOD:

15-12-9-6-3 reps for total time of:

185 pound Deadlift

Handstand push-ups

Vertical leap, 1 foot above reach

5:48
95# Deadlifts
20# push press
Female wall ball target for VL

20 burpees for dessert

I know I could have used more weight on the deadlifts, but I didn't want to push it too much since I've had a week off. That sounds wussy, but I definitely hated taking seven days off and didn't want to have to take even more time off due to a silly injury that was preventable. I was really amazed watching Linda do her handstand pushups like it was nothing. Erica really kicked ass on them, as well. She would not give up, and I truly admire that about her.

It was painfully satisfying to wash my hands with hot water and feel it burning my reopened blisters! Haha! I also noticed a few burns on my arms from doing negative ring dips, and of course since we did burpees, I got a bruise on each knee. It was cool: after our WOD, Sam gave us a mini-lecture about the 10 metabolic pathways and how he and the coaches measure our fitness level. It really opened my eyes to the fact that I seriously need to swallow my pride and work my ass on improving the moves I suck at: handstand pushups, overhead squats, ring dips, muscleups (looooooong way off for those but still need to work on it), running more efficiently, and doing more kipping pullups unbroken. We did two rounds of 20-second L-sits, 10 pullups, 10 broad jumps, 10 ring dips, 10 GHD situps, and 10 GHD back extensions. I could do three pullups unbroken but just couldn't get my chin up after that, on both rounds. So I had to use the red band for the remaining pullups, grrrr. I did negative ring dips, but it did feel less difficult this time compared to the last skill practice we did. The other stuff was easy but really got my blood moving and my heart rate up. Loved it!

As tempted as I am to do 5 on 2 off this week, I talked to Sam, and he told me that doing 3 on 1 off is the best way to go and to do bodyweight moves and sprints while I'm traveling. I can easily do invisible Fran in my hotel room while I'm in SC! No excuses!! I was also considering going to my friend's bootcamp this Saturday to see how I do, but I can't--got a hair and nails appointment. I love being girly sometimes, and I want to be all prettified for when I see Kason at his graduation. I can't believe how quickly the months passed! CrossFit and the awesome girls I have met at CFDC, plus grad school, have made the time fly by. I am so happy that I met y'all and have gotten to know you--you are all beautiful, inside and out, and I am so grateful for our friendships!

Okay, time to get back to the books! Do any of you find it difficult to make yourself eat after a WOD? I seriously have to make myself eat; otherwise, I can go for two or three hours afterward without eating, which I know is not good, right? Ugh!

Update: Just had a freaking BEST Japanese cuisine in my entire life!!!! Went to Sushi Sake in Richardson with my friend, and OMG what an experience. We ate at the sushi bar, and the subtle details of everything, from the little porcelain chopstick rest bar to the warm, damp towel (oshibori) to wash off our hands, made the two hours we spent there amazing and just so special! Our sushi chef was both attentive and friendly, explaining unfamiliar ingredients and names to us so cheerfully. Next time we go, we're going to let the sushi chef make all of our choices (I can't think of the term right now). I'd like to go there once a month, but we'll see how my budget looks. So incredibly fantastic! Oh, we started out with the aji sashimi, which was exquisite--it melted in your mouth and definitely did not taste how you would think raw fish would taste. The gingery sauce that accompanied it was wonderful, too. Then the waitress took the rest of the mackerel and had it fried for us. That was amazing! It was light, crispy, and slightly sweet. I ate a bit of the fish head (I was feeling brave LOL), and it was quite yummy. After the aji, we had a beef and asparagus roll, which was exactly what it says: asparagus spears wrapped in beef cut into bite-size pieces. Then we had steamed clams in sake and shumai (with shrimp). Wow, every dish was more delicious than the previous one! One of my favorites was the Louisiana roll, which was fried crawfish wrapped in sushi rice and nori. What a treat! Finally, we had a beef and tofu soup (niku tofu), which was probably my favorite out of all we ate. We shared these dishes, by the way, so while it seems like a ton of food, it was just right for the both of us. For dessert (couldn't leave without seeing what they offered!), I had the red bean ice cream, and my friend had mochi ice cream with mango. I am hooked!! Oh yeah, and I had a boxful of their featured sake--that's right, a boxful. They served it in an interesting wooden box cup, called a masu; it's the traditional way to serve sake and a symbol of prosperity. :)

Withdrawal

It has been a tough seven days of not being able to go to the gym!! I know it is all in my head, but I feel like I have lost my tone, especially around the middle, which I've spent these past three months working so hard for! :( I also don't feel as healthy as I do after a great, ass-kicking WOD. I haven't slept as well, either. Last night, for example, I kept waking up every thirty minutes. Well, my A/C has been thawing (weird, I know), so it's been making strange clicking and scraping noises. I called maintenance about it earlier today, but I guess since it's still working, my case isn't a priority (that's fine). I just wanted to be sure it wasn't an electrical issue causing those sounds, but then I saw the bathroom ceiling--where the unit is installed--was leaking and knew that it was thawing. It is so weird how it does that, but it's not uncommon. I can count at least four or five times since I've lived here. August 15th will be our second year living in this apartment. It is nice to be able to say that! I'm so sick of moving. Anyway, I can tell a big difference in my mood, eating habits (in terms of being motivated to stay strict, not that I have totally indulged in tons of cheats this week, although I did get a double dip of Blue Bell cookies n' cream at the movie!!), and overall mental health. School work has been wearing me down, and I really miss having the mental and physical break that CF provides. I can't wait to get back into the gym tomorrow!!!! I considered going to the rooster, but I need to catch up on my sleep, although I have been waking up at 7 a.m. on my own lately...it's not going to be too hot (it's amazing how cool 90 feels after 100+ degree days!), so I'm going to wait until the 5 and give Dee the books and movie for her daughter. I really lucked out on that situation, and I am so grateful that Dee allowed me to work with her daughter for my class. I have to write up the case study later this week, and I think it will be interesting to see the finished product, as well as share it with Dee and her husband.

Well, enough rambling...I'm looking forward to a week of sore muscles and achy body parts!!!! :D I'll probably do 5 on and 2 off since next week I'll be gone for three days. Woohoo!

The old fear

Well, I finally faced one of my oldest fears: the dentist! Dun-dun-dun! I put off making an appointment for the longest time, but after Kason went a few months ago, I knew I couldn't keep making excuses for not going myself...so I made an appointment and had my first visit to the dentist in over five years.

I've always taken great care of my teeth, and I started using a Sonicare Elite last summer. The good oral hygiene paid off, because my dentist told me that I didn't even need a cleaning, my teeth were that well maintained and clean! He looked at the common trouble spots most people miss when they brush, and he said I was taking care of mine just fine--no tartar build-up or any of that nastiness. He's under the impression that I'm a teeth-grinder, though...I can't say I agree with him, but I will start paying closer attention to my mouth when I'm doing school work or working out. My jaws and teeth don't feel sensitive or tight in the morning, so I don't think I clench my jaws when I sleep. He does want me to keep track, though, and report back to him when I return to have an old filling replaced. I'm relieved!!!! I thought I'd have to get major work done or a root canal (yikes!!) since I hadn't visited a dentist in so long, but I am getting off pretty well with just having to get that 10+ year old filling redone. It won't be a big deal, and I will be glad to get another 10-20 years out of the new one. He talked about putting a crown on one of my other teeth that had a pretty big cavity filled a looooong time ago, but the lightest shade available was really dingy compared to my natural teeth color! Hooray! The sonicare and Jason's SeaFresh natural toothpaste are doing their job! :) I don't NEED the crown, so I don't plan on getting it for as long as I can get away with it. Such a relief that my dentist says I've been taking great care of my teeth, and I didn't have to undergo the scraping and polishing that I usually hated when I'd go regularly when I was growing up. Get this: my dentist said only 16% of people benefit from flossing and that you actually shouldn't do it because the floss damages healthy gum tissue. I'm going to keep up my routine, but I thought that was interesting to say the least...

Okay, time to crank out this assignment before meeting some friends for Nonna's and Tuna Does Vegas.

The big day!

After a rather anxious morning, I finally had my LASIK surgery a bit behind schedule. It seems Dr. Beebe was a very busy doctor today! He had several patients before me and even a few after me. I didn't mind waiting, though. Erica kept me entertained, plus the Valium made me a bit tipsy. :)

Actual procedure was very trippy. I think the worse part for me was when Dr. B put the conical thingy in my eye to hold my eyeball still. That didn't feel too good, and I could feel the edges of it digging into my eye. The technician was so awesome, though, and kept reassuring me throughout the first part (corneal flap) that the noises and sights were normal and told me how much time I had left. She told me 18 seconds, not 20 like she told Sandy! Anyway, the actual corneal flap procedure wasn't too bad--I did find it trippy to see little psychedelic swirlies and things like that while it was being done. I never saw pitch black during the whole process, which was nice. Then the tape he used to tape my eyelids open kinda stung when he took it off, but it wasn't anything unmanageable. The second part was trippy, too! But Dr. B was good about telling me how much longer he was going to shoot the laser and he kept saying I was the perfect patient. :) It was weird--the Valium made me feel loopy, but once I was in that room and in the chair, I didn't feel that way anymore. It was nerve-wracking, and I almost reached up to hold the technician's hand a few times during the corneal flap part. Haha! I held my breath during the second part so I wouldn't smell it, but I did get a few whiffs afterward. Not too bad...it reminded me a bit of how it smells when the dentist drills a cavity.

The worst part of the whole experience was being home and trying to sleep. My eyes really burned, and I thought a few times of getting up to take an Aleve, but I didn't want to open my eyes, so I lay there for at least an hour and a half with my eyes closed, trying to go to sleep. I finally did, and SOMEONE called me!!! I should have put my phone on vibrate, but yeah, my nap was interrupted by someone calling me. Grrrrrr. Anyway, I went back to sleep and slept until almost 7. I got home from the office at 3:20, probably fell asleep close to 5, but my eyes were closed the majority of that time, so I got in a good two to three and a half hours of shut-eye. Both of those drops taste AWFUL! Ick!! I hate that bitter taste, but it's only for several days, so I can manage. I suppose I should think about eating something, although I'm not hungry. Last time I ate was at 12:30--half an apple with almond butter. I have to finish and submit this assignment before I go back to bed, so I'm off to do that. Hopefully the doctor gives me a good report tomorrow when I go in for post-op. Hooray for LASIK!

Last WOD before LASIK

Well, the day is almost here! I am both looking forward to and dreading this WOD today. First of all, it's supposed to be 104 degrees, plus there is a heat advisory. So...it should be interesting to say the least. I'm hoping the nooner is big enough that there are partners for everyone.

With a partner, complete 3 rounds for time of:

400m Run
Max attempt at burpees
20 Thrusters 95/65

As a team, run the 400m together. When the team comes in, Partner A does as many burpees as possible while Partner B completes 20 thrusters. When partner B is finished with thrusters, the athletes switch exercises. The teams MUST remain together during every run.

I partnered with Jamie, who really pushed me through that last run. Wow, this was a brutal WOD, plus the heat about made me croak. When you run by those parked cars in the street, the heat emanating off of them really makes itself known. Jamie said the mail carrier told us to "be careful" when we ran by her. I was too much in a daze of pain and exhaustion that I didn't hear her. I was huffing and puffing the whole way--must have sounded like an old lady, all the noises I made trying to keep pace with Jamie. We used 40# on the thrusters and got in 85 burpees total. I did 45, and she did 40. I think we were matched very well. We made all three rounds with 30 seconds to spare of the 15-minute cut-off time. I cheated on the squat part on five reps of the last set of 20 until Sam yelled at me, and Spencer did, too. Hehe. Spencer came over and yelled motivating things--it really, really helped me get those last 10 thrusters. I don't know why, but those about killed me! I didn't feel too bad doing the burpees, although I do know I could/should have done more. My legs are already starting to feel tight, and I know they'll feel this WOD for several days. Sweet!! It will be a long week not being able to go to CFDC, but I'm eager to see what a week off does for my body. I'll be antsy as hell, but I'll have plenty of mental work to do with school. Anyway, time to shower and get an assignment done before I have to leave.

Tonight I'm going with a friend to see another friend in a play, Twelfth Night. The setting is New Orleans, and there is a Creole flavor to this version. It should be interesting! I'm going to get back rather late, though, so I'm going to go straight to bed when I get home and sleep as late as I can before I eat breakfast, put in more eyedrops, and get ready to go. I feel excited and just a tad bit anxious. I feel more relaxed from talking to Sandy about it than I would have if I didn't know someone who had just gotten it done. I am so grateful that she told me about her doctor and that I did not go to Dr. Boothe. It was funny--one of my friends asked me last week about who's doing my surgery, and I told him and told him about Sandy's unpleasant experiences with Dr. Boothe's office. He replied that he had talked to someone over there and that he definitely would not go to them to get it done LOL! My respect for this friend shot up after that!! I hope he calls the number I gave him and schedules the consultation. That was pretty much the final push to get the surgery scheduled for me. Hearing Shelly talk about all of the ins and outs and observing how truly knowledgeable and professional everyone was at this office gave me the confidence to take the plunge! I'm so excited to get my eyes fixed!!

Sunday changes

Well, I was supposed to work with Dee's daughter this afternoon, but they can't make it, so I will take advantage of this "free" time to get my next week's assignments cranked out. I was going to go in to the gym to do skill work, but I seriously need the 2nd rest day--the aftereffects of Chelsea are making themselves known today! I will go to the morning WOD tomorrow and then just chill since I'll be getting home late from seeing a friend's play tomorrow evening. I should sleep in on Tuesday before my surgery. I had originally thought about going to the morning WOD on Tuesday, but it'll be better to rest up and be relaxed when I go in for LASIK. I can't believe the day is already almost here! It seems like just yesterday I was scheduling my consultation! It's going to be such a memorable day.

Well, back to the books and getting myself further ahead in my class. It's going to be a productive day.

Close call

Wow. Chelsea is on my black list! Today was the first time I have ever felt Pukie poking me and threatening to visit. Ugh! I think the heat contributed to that feeling, as well. Gotta drink way more water before going to the nooners.

Just got back from my session with Dee's daughter--was cut short by the fact that the library closes at 6 on Fridays, boo. I'm still feeling unsettled, probably just need to take it easy and drink lots of water. I plan to watch "Fat Head" tonight--Jer says it's a must-see for Paleo/Zone eaters. Haha, it basically parodies "Supersize Me" and shows you exactly what caused the dude to gain all that weight and become super unhealthy. I plan to take at least that long of a break from the books tonight. I'm debating whether I'll sleep in tomorrow. Probably won't because I always feel anxious about getting up and starting my day on my school work. Bleh!

Oh, yeah, the WOD: 30 minutes of Cindy rounds on the minute
I used a red band on the pullups, but in retrospect, I'm somewhat wishing I'd used a blue one. I started out with regular pushups but had to drop to knees for the rest. Squats were no problem, but I always got caught up by the pushups. Grrrrrr. Sandy, I really want to start working out with you again and doing that pushup progression thing with you. That's my weak spot when it comes to Cindy and Chelsea. I think I got out 19 rounds, maybe 18. I kept count of how many rounds I sat out/missed, but the heat and exhaustion may have addled my brain on the counting. I am definitely looking forward to a full rest day tomorrow. The only thing I'm going to work is my brain! Then Sunday I'm going to see Transformer 2 at the IMAX and then going to the gym to do skill work--dips, handstand holds, maybe pushups, situps (I have neglected these since doing those 100 GHDs with SamZ on Monday; did 50 on Tuesday), and whatever else I come up with. It's going to be a sauna in there, so I'm sure my "easy" day will feel like a workout.

Okay, time to go relax for a while. I might do 5 on 2 off again to see how my body likes it. Didn't really mind it this week, but I'm not sure if I could handle it on a regular basis. It was nice to do all the WODs this week, though.

Clean

Decided to sleep in today and went to the nooner. It was a very small group, no Jamie or Dave. Finally met Tolbert, though. He's a tall guy!

WOD: Hang Clean
2-2-2-2-2

Felt pretty good when I was up to 63#, but then for some reason, I started psyching myself out when I got to 73#. After a few feeble attempts, I regrouped and got in the 2 reps. Then it was time for 83#. I should have just added 2.5 to each side to make it more gradual, but I was feeling like I could do it...until I tried a few times and failed. At this point, I was getting frustrated and annoyed. Sam was like, are you wearing contacts? And I told him I can't because I have LASIK next week. He thought I said I got it yesterday, haha. I guess being unable to see well affects my self-confidence, too. But Sam coached me and had me go back down to 73 since I'd already done it successfully. When I could only get out one rep with that, he had me go down to 63#. That helped me refocus and concentrate on the jump. I find on these lifts, when I get past a certain weight, I start overthinking the moves and end up failing. Quite annoying! Anyway, I worked back up to 73 and decided to jump to 80. Did that fine and did 83#, with a little wobble on the 2nd rep. I wanted to see if I could do 85, so I put on the 1# chains and tried it. By this time, everyone else was doing the cooldown, so I rushed myself. Didn't make it. Oh well, next time. CD was long jump, 5 attempts. My best jump was 74". Overall, I can't be disappointed in myself because I had no baseline for this lift yet. Just room for improvement, as always, and that's what keeps me going back for more.

Back to lesson plans and reading--got another session with Dee's daughter tomorrow evening. Should be fun!

And wow, am I PMSing or what, but I just got a really strong craving for toasted marshmallows!! I want a s'more or something.

Making the time

Hehe, seems like Sandy and Amy have missed my posts these past few days. Sorry!!

Let's see, Friday I ate pretty badly since I was with my boyfriend's dad and stepmom--they grilled T-bone steaks, jalapeno poppers, corn (bad bad! but I ate a lil mini cob), onions, squash, and yuuuummy bacon-wrapped shrimps. We also had salad and baked taters (bad I know). I passed on dessert, though--strawberry quesadillas (sound yummy, no?!), chocolate eclair, and something else. I was too stuffed to even think about dessert anyway. Well, the night before, they took me to this pub, and I ordered fried (I removed the breading) pork chops. Man, those things were GINORMOUS!! They were easily five of my hands, and I have big ol' hands. The manager came out when my food was being delivered, and he was shaking his head in disbelief that someone would be able to actually eat the whole thing, and when he saw me, he was like, "There's no way, no way!" haha! He was right: I managed to eat 1/4 of one of the chops, mainly because I was following the Zone rule about protein portions. The fried okra was quite tasty but a bit too salty. And I also cheated with the yummy potato/carrot/turnip latkes. There was a short shorts contest, too, and I actually won a prize. I was sporting my new CFDC shirt, too! Wooo! Except the announcer called me "Glasses" when introducing me as a contestant LOL! He didn't know anyone's name, so he just went with it. It was some good East Texas fun. Oh, and Kason's stepmom kept calling me her daughter-in-law when introducing me to people. EEK!

Sunday, I stayed in and was a big nerd the whole day--finished four assignments. Monday I went at 6 p.m. hoping to workout with Sandy (it's okay, I'm not hating!), and I felt like I wasn't myself since neither Sandy nor Erica was there to push me. I got 16 full rounds and 11 swings in with a 35# KB. I tried to get Jacquelyn to use 35#, but she did a few practice swings and decided to stick with 26#. I think if I had 1) chalked my hands after each round, and 2) had Erica and/or Sandy yelling in my face, I would have done a whole lot better, like at least 20 rounds. But by the 11th swing on the 17th round, I just let the KB slip out of my sweaty, cramping hands. Bleh. My forearms, shoulders, and upper back are still feeling it, and today's Wednesday!! As I would tell Kason, I have John McCain arms!!! I know that's awful to say, but I feel like how he must when he tries to raise his arms. I don't remember what workout did this in the past, but there were a few days where I couldn't take my shirt off by myself--I'd have to ask Kason to help me! LOL

Yesterday I went at 6 a.m. and suffered through Fran. But it helps to look back at the first time I ever did this WOD. I used 35# and a green band for pullups. I don't remember my time, though. This time, I used 40# and a red band and finished in 7:28. My last pullup wasn't good (my chin didn't go above the bar), so I redid it and accepted 7:33 as my time. Haha! I went in the last heat with Linda, Ryan, and Chase, so of course those three blazed past me. So there I was, doing my last 9 pullups, and Spencer was like, "OKAY EVERYBODY CHEER FOR CARRIE!!!" I didn't really like that. LOL No no no don't pay any attention to me while I do my weaksauce pullups!!! Hahahaha Well, I did appreciate how Spencer told the people who'd already gone to get off their asses and cheer the final heat on, and he told them all our names. He's awesome about that. I think I like the morning better because he's so different and more intense, I think. Not too bad on the eyes either. ;) Anyway, I felt like I could have done better, at least time-wise, but there's always room for improvement!

This morning, I went at 7 because I stayed up later last night doing work, but I've decided that I don't like working out at 7. Not sure what it is, but I had no energy. I don't usually eat when I workout at 6, so I didn't really think I needed to eat before going at 7. Wrong!! So I'll stick to 6 a.m., or I'll go in at noon if I don't feel like getting up that early. It is nice to be able to choose! :)

WOD:

Jerk

Find a heavy single.

Rest

Then take 85% of that weight and perform 2 jerks every minute for 8 minutes.

I was total weaksauce this morning--I could only do 63# for my heavy single and used 58# for the 8 minutes. Then for the CD I used the 20# sandbag for Turkish getups, 10 reps each side. I'm not going to beat myself up about it, though. I will most likely go to the nooner tomorrow and see how I do. It will be my fourth day, but I want to get in as many workouts as possible before my surgery next Tuesday. Woohoo!!

My diet since I've gotten back has been spot-on--I finally cooked the grass-fed chuck roast last night, and it was pretty good. I burned the edges a bit--left it in there too long, but the flavor was superb. I'll definitely be interested if/when Casey does another order. Also have been enjoying this chickpea salad I picked up at Central Market. It's Paleo except for the soybeans, but there aren't too many in there. I like mixing it with some avocado. Yum! I'm too lazy to log my diet everyday. I am being conscientious and aware of what I'm eating, though. I'm holding steady at 133#, and I don't want to gain any of the weight back. Ideally, I would lose a few more pounds and get to 130#, but I'm not too worried about it. I do feel stronger (exception being this morning haha) and more capable of doing more of the lifts. I think the six pounds I lost is what helped me finally get kipping pullups, that and I'm a lot stronger than I was three months ago. I LOVE CROSSFIT!

Okay, back to the books! Sorry to keep y'all waiting. :)

Challenges

Today's WOD looks frightening and fun at the same time!!

"The San Francisco Crippler"

For time:

30 Bodyweight Back Squats

1000m row

So I have to do 30 back squats using 133#; then row 1000m. Sweet!!! I definitely want to do pullups afterward to see how many I can do before I crap out. And Sandy, I definitely want to do situps. Tabata?! :D I'm giddy because I'm done with the last assignment that's due tomorrow. Then I will get up at about 7:30, work on the assignment that's due on Saturday, go workout at noon, eat at Cafe Brazil with Sandy (NJAnotherEggSammich here I COME!!!), then clean, change the kitty pans, give them tons of food to last them until I get back from Tyler on Saturday evening. I'm supposed to avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight while taking these meds, but I want some LAKE TIME! And seeing fireworks while sitting on a boat on a lake is just too good to pass up. Whee!!

Wow. I was being totally unrealistic when I thought I'd be able to do THIRTY back squats at bodyweight! Jamie and I decided that 30 of anything, be it air squats or pullups, is tough. I used 95#, although I should have put on 5# plates on each side to make it 105, but I wasn't thinking straight. The first 20 weren't too bad, but once I got to 25, I was hurting. Erica really pushed me through those last five, and then my legs were totally like jello when I tried to situate myself on the rower. Ugh. I hate rowing. That's definitely something I need to work on and need coaching on. Erica pushed me through that, too! It's awesome working out with her! I heard Jamie encouraging me during the squats, too--thank you, Jamie!!! Way to rock it and shave TWO MINUTES off your old time!! :D This workout was definitely mental. Did it in 6:46 or something. Will increase weight and try for a better time next time. I wanted to get all my reps perfect, though. For CD I did 50 GHD situps, a few pullups (could only manage four in a row today), and 30 sec. handstand hold. Awesome post-WOD meal at Kozy with Erica: 1/3 of Kozy Kobb with goat cheese instead of bleu, 1/2 grass-fed buffalo burger on the rarer side of med. rare, with plenty of goat cheese on top, and 1/2 serving of Kozy hash. YUM! Oh, and of course a nice tall glass of shaken Agave iced tea. Love that stuff!! I could eat at Kozy after workouts every time, if only I could afford it. :)

Well, time to shower, clean the kitty pans, finish the last thing for my assignment, and head to Tyler! Have a safe, fun July 4th, everybody!

We are only human.

Well, it seems that enough of my peers complained about the heavy workload, because my prof just e-mailed us tonight with a new due date calendar! Everything is more spread out now, and while I am relieved and will be able to go enjoy July 4 on the lake, I am a bit...disappointed? that my classmates would have such trouble managing the load when they know perfectly well that this is an accelerated course--a whole semester's worth of material is crammed into five weeks of class. I admit, I felt defeated and overwhelmed when I first began the class, but now that I have a sort of routine and groove going, I felt that it was manageable. Then again, I don't have to work during the summer (neither do most of my peers since they're teachers, too) and I don't have children (well, I take that back--I have two baby cats who constantly want my attention). I suppose the professor wanted to give the mothers a chance. :) It was very generous and compassionate of her to do that!

Skipped out on the WOD today because I was a dummy and followed the directions on the antibiotic bottle saying to take the med on an empty stomach. Did that, cooked something to eat less than an hour afterward, tried to eat said meal, but I couldn't eat more than an third of it. I felt quite icky and nauseated, so I went back to bed for about an hour. Then I just felt crappy and unmotivated. Ugh. Update: I just read up on Doxycycline. Wouldn't ya know, you're not supposed to lie down for an hour after you take it because it can cause esophageal damage!!!!! I really wish my pharmacist gave a damn about her clients! There was nothing on the insert about this. And you aren't supposed to take it on an empty stomach (why the hell does the label say to then?!!) either. AND, it's known to cause yeast infections. Such a lovely drug, eh? I got some Acidophilus probiotics to help prevent that unpleasantness. I seriously hope that once my eyes have been fixed, I don't have to mess with any of this crap again! I bought some eye scrub pads (and the rewetting drops for when I have my surgery!) and plan to use those on a regular basis to prevent any more clogged eyelid pores.

Had a massage session with Erin (my first one!) this evening. Boy did it hurt!!!! I think the worst part was my legs, particularly my calves. She knew where to massage, eek! My back and shoulders felt better, though. Wish we'd had time for her to work my shoulders, though. I do plan to return sometime for another dose of pain! Ha! I just made myself imagine tiny little mean guys, or toxins, being pushed and kneeded out of my muscles. That didn't stop me from cursing, though. Ack! I did laugh, too! Eric was right--Erin makes you laugh and cry at the same time! The masseuses I've gone to in the past didn't know what they were doing!!

I'm debating whether I will do my friend's bootcamp tomorrow morning AND the WOD at the nooner class. I would really like to do both since the gym is closed this weekend, but I don't want to kill myself, either. I certainly want to be able to give 100% of my effort and energy to the WOD, so maybe I will do the first half of bootcamp and skip the power training part (5 rounds of 6 100m sprints followed by 5 different exercises, such as burpees and situps). I think I will look at the WOD in the morning and decide then. Koy said that it's going to be hard, not that that's not the norm for everyday! but when KOY says a WOD is going to be hard, I get nervous! We'll see...I'd much rather crossfit than do bootcamp. :) I also want to see how many pullups I can do to failure. I've never tried before, and that's something I want to find out.

Oh, and Amy, is your offer to kittysit still on the table? I don't want to put them in the kennel when I go away for a few days at the end of July. One of them couldn't handle the stress of being away from home and being kept in a cage separated from his brother (they didn't tell me that they had to separate them!! I'd requested that they be kept in the same cage so the kennel wouldn't be so scary for them. The vet told me today that they do that for the animals' safety, that they tend to attack each other when in stressful situations.), and he got a lil cold. I took him and got some decongestant that I have to put in his food. He sneezes and blows little drops of clear kitty nose dribble on my books and papers while I'm trying to read/write. :( Supposedly he'll be okay--just reacting to the stress from being in the kennel. The other kitty was hoarse when I brought them back home--I asked why, and it turns out he cried a lot while they were in there. :( So I don't want my kitties to suffer through that again. I think the Village also offers pet-sitters if you can't do it. I'm hoping to keep them as secure and comfortable as possible. No more sicky kitties!

Back to the books!

Thrusters and Skype and Styes, oh my!

As you can see from the title, it has been an interesting few days. Tuesday's WOD was Max Thrusters at Fran weight. Considering that the last time I did Fran was at least two months ago and I used 35# then, I think it's progress that I did 30 thrusters with 43#. Those first 15 were TOUGH!!! I don't really know how the heck I got out the remaining 15, but somehow, I did. My wrists were totally useless afterward, but my legs and shoulders could have kept going. Bleh. Next time I will do them with the prescribed weight and see how far I get! Oh, but I did manage to do 5 kipping pullups unbroken that day! We did one round of Cindy as part of our warmup, and I just jumped up there and cranked them out. I think I could have done more, but I was so surprised at being able to do five in a row that I stopped after that--broke up my rhythm. On to ten and beyond!

Diet has been pretty good, except this morning I cheated and got a Chick-Fil-A chicken biscuit. For some reason, I really, really wanted one!! I think I was trying to console myself about the fact that I have a sty trying to make a lil home in my right lower eyelid. :( I went to the doc, and he prescribed some weaker antibiotic to take for two weeks, plus a refill if I need it (hopefully I don't!!!). I was really worried that taking an antibiotic would push my LASIK back, but I called and Candy reassured me (they're all so awesome over there!) that it'd be fine and even gave me tips on how to keep my eyelids cleaner to prevent further breakouts. Stupid stupid eyes! I have never, ever had problems like this before! Oh well, I will wash my eyelids everyday from now on, especially after a workout. I'm still convinced that the dust and dirt flying everywhere has something to do with it! But that won't stop me from going, I mean, it was two months before I started getting styes, so maybe it's not the dust, although that crap doesn't help the situation. I'm hoping once I get my surgery done, I won't have so much trouble. We will see!

Skyping with my nephew last night went well. He's so adorable and knows his alphabet (out of order, too) perfectly. He'll be entering Kindergarten this fall, so I think he's pretty well prepared. He knows how to hold a book and which direction to read. It was fun to talk and interact with him! Skype is pretty neat, too. I hope I can find more people on it and talk to them that way. I finally got to "meet" my brother's new girlfriend on it--she's really friendly and cute. She's a 2nd grade teacher, so she's been really good with Parker. Hopefully I'll be able to meet her in person sometime in the near future.

Well, not much more time to write since I have to drive to Coppell soon to meet with Dee's daughter. I'm looking forward to working with her! Just hope the traffic isn't too bad.

Update: Dee's daughter is absolutely adorable and SO bright!! She continued to amaze me through the entire session. Her sister was just as cute as a button! Dee has done a wonderful job raising both her daughters! If only all of my students were as enthusiastic, polite, and altogether a joy to teach and interact with!

BTW, anyone want my almond butter? I tried it tonight, and I hate it! The texture, taste, and consistency just aren't right to me, plus I am so hooked on Sunbutter that there's no going back, haha!