Good run at CF Downpour

Well, it was a good run at CFDP. I worked out 2-4 times a week from November 2014 to October 2015. I hit a bunch of new maxes while at CFDP... probably because I weighed the heaviest ever around 140-145#. Highlights: C&J 130# 2/27/15 Front squat 160# 3/9/15 Jerk (from rack) 140# 3/16/15 Snatch 100# 4/17/15 (especially proud of this one!) Press 85# 4/20/15 Power clean 120# 6/12/15 Back squat 185# 7/6/15 Deadlift 275# 7/20/15 Sad I never got to test my OHS max. Anyways, I ended up getting sidelined by nagging elbow pain and a knee injury that is still recovering. The ortho didn't think I tore anything and since my treatment would have been the same either way, advised against the MRI. PT thinks the lack of movement in the joint is causing fluid to build up in my knee. This would result in discomfort, or even pain. Getting a stand up desk at work had helped since my knee doesn't stiffen up as badly anymore. Lesson: Getting strong without a focus on mobility only leads to injuries. CFDP closed its doors at the end of March. I haven't started up anywhere new yet so I'm back on the rower. Tabata row today: low of 78, high of 82 but 4 rounds at 80. I wanted to puke.

I'm back (again)!

My on-again-off-again affair with Crossfit is now back on! It's been a year and a half since I was last at a Crossfit gym and it was time to go back. Of course, a few things had to align. 1) I was getting too fat for my own liking. The fact that I was nearing 150# really made me sad. I never lost the baby weight and I continued to eat relatively poorly: chips, ice cream, midnight snacks, quite unhealthy. It was always harder for me to stick with clean eating without working out so I really had to do something about that. 2) A new Crossfit gym opened up about 5 min drive from my work. FIVE MINUTES! I had no excuse anymore. 3) This new gym was running a promotion: $75/month. Seriously?! I had to check it out. 4) Reign City Fitness is a huge facility that had a lot of space, daycare, and showers. The coaches are great too. 5) With daycare, this meant JJ could go work out too. Daycare also meant that Liam could interact with more people and potentially, other kids, in a new but familiar environment. This will be good for our whole family. We had a lot of good reasons and for me, the only catch is that I have to go in the morning so I can still go home right after work to my family. I did not want to sacrifice any time from them and the morning would be the only window. RCF (now affiliated as Crossfit Downpour) had class times that worked out for us. I would go to the 7am and then go straight to work. I've never been a morning person, let alone a morning workout person, so this was a huge change for me. I still don't like getting out of bed but this small sacrifice is totally worthwhile. I'm on my way to getting back on a healthy track AND I am taking away very little time away from my family. It's been about a month of 1-3 WODs per week and things have been working out well. I am surprising myself in the strength department. However, my cardio needs a lot of work. JJ and I are eating better and working out. Liam mostly enjoys getting out and interacting with new people. He doesn't like being away from us but this is good for him too. Here are some note worthy stats from the past month: - Power clean 1RM: 100# (15# off PR) - Back squat 5RM: 135# (5# off PR) - Split jerk 3RM: 105# x 2. Would have tied PR had I been more properly positioned in rack position on the 3rd rep. - Front squat 2RM: 120#. My old 3RM was 125#. This is all very encouraging!

Starting over

I stopped Crossfitting around when I was 30 weeks pregnant. Liam is now 8 months old, which means I haven't really worked out in 10 months. Time sure flies. I'm in pretty rough shape in terms of strength and conditioning. I did Baseline today at our home gym setup. Knee pushups and subbed ring rows for pull ups. An abysmal 8:10 and wanted to throw up at the end. 500m row came in at 2:12. Gotta start somewhere.

Framrap

Strength: DL worked up to 155# but I can't remember
Framrap (11 min AMRAP): 6 thrusters (65#) / 10 pull ups
6 rounds + 1 thruster

If this was a straight Fran, I wouldn't have picked 65# to throw around but since it was only 6 reps, I could do it. 65# has been feeling light for me lately but that will probably soon end. Everything about the WOD felt ok and I really had to manage my rests as thrusters is one movement that winds me.
DLs are another movement I have had some strain in the lower abdomen (before pregnancy) so I am careful with weight here now that I am pregnant. That being said 155# is still about 60% of my max so I thought it was fine. I didn't go any heavier.

Lower KBS

Strength: Press at 65#
5 rounds: 12 KBS (12kg) / 10 TTB / 12 PP (55#)
11:37

Not feeling the best today and a 1 pood KBS didn't feel very good so I stepped it down. I could have done 65# for the PP but I didn't need to.

Back squats in pregnancy

Strength: Worked up to 115#
21-15-9: hang cleans (65#) / front squats (65#)
6:20

Cleans and squats are some of my favourite movements but at 12 weeks pregnant, I've been reading that I should stop squatting below parallel. No more movements that make me grunt. Up until now, I've done an okay job of managing my cardio (although I'll admit, I could be better) and to keep my pace at "conversational". I build in mandatory breaks and I won't start again until my heart rate is a lower. I've been watching my sweating, making sure I don't overheat. Scaling has been difficult but I've been practising.
With that said, 65# is light for me in this WOD so I went rx'ed. I tried to go as steady as possible and broke up all my sets at least once. For back squats, I tried not to squat below parallel but my goal with these will be to maintain as much control and as good form as possible.

Oh Karen!

Karen (power WB at 10#)
10:41

I'm back posting but the cat's out of the bag... I am crossfitting while pregnant!
I've never done Karen before and I was bummed to be missing a benchmark WOD that I could have done rx'ed but I've got other priorities now! I've been reading a lot about how pregnant women shouldn't squat below parallel and after testing a few air squats out today, I did not feel comfortable with that movement so I stuck with power wall balls.

Light jerks

Strength: jerk... worked up to 95# (I think, no heavier)
4 rounds of 8 DB single arm snatch (35#) / 16 slam balls (20#) / 16 slam ball sit ups (10#)
13:36

Situps with the heavier slam ball caused some discomfort with the stretching in the belly so grabbed a lighter weight.

Jan 11 WOD

Strength: power cleans up to 95#
4 rounds of 42 DU / 21 KBS (1 pood) / 12 ring dips (skinny red band)
13:04

Crazy post-WOD

Sometimes, this kind of thing happens at Sasquatch...

5 rounds of 15 WB (rx, 14#) / 20 DU / 10 TTB
12:54

Post-WOD "easy" Helen: 14:55

Double WOD??

A. 4 rounds of 10 OHS (rx, 65#) / 30 DU / 10 box jump (rx, 20")
9:30

B. 10 min "easy" row: 2119m

Happy New Year!

5 rounds of 7 hang clean (75#) / 14 TTB / 21 WB (10#)
20:22

Skipped the post

10 DL (155#)
20 over box jumps (16")
30 hand release push ups
40 WB (10#)
30 hand release push ups
20 over box jumps (16")
10 DL (155#)
13:39

Skipped the one mile post WOD, recovering from some dizziness :(

The Seven

The Seven
7 rounds of
7 HSPU (pike on 20" box)
7 thrusters (55#)
7 KTEs
7 DL (135#)
7 burpees
7 KBS (1 pood)
7 pullups
38:33

First time ever with this WOD and I approached cautiously knowing this will take me forever. HSPUs made me dizzy :(

Mike N programming continues

In 12 minutes:
A. Row 2K for time
B. Shoulder to Overhead (rx, 95#) for reps

Rest 2 minutes

In 6 minutes:
A. Run 800m for time
B. Pullups for reps

2K row: 9:17
SH to OH: 10
800m run: 4:24
Pullups: 22

Paced the cardio a bit. Jerked all the SH to OHs.

Mike N programming week

WOD: 100 power cleans (rx, 75#) with 3 burpees EMOM
15:49

Chained a few in the beginning but it caught up quick. Tried to make sure I get at least 6 cleans per minute. Tough stuff.

FS PR

FS PR: 145#



FS 1RM: 45(10)-75(6)-95(3)-115-135-145
Metcon: 6 rounds of 42 DU / 12 PP / 9 OHS at 55#
16:??

I didn't intend to go for a PR today but as I was lifting, the weight felt good. 135# actually felt easier than I expected. I had done 130# twice back in June and I also cleaned 130# back in October. 145# was a bit sticky and slow but was good that it wasn't too much of a fight that I saw stars after.
I might have gone a little too fast on the metcon as I was a bit light headed towards the end.

Snatch skillz

Snatch: skill work up to 80#. From hang and the ground. Power and squat.
Metcon: 5 rounds of 10 ring rows / 25 squats / 10 SDHP (16kg)
8:55

It is nice that to know that 80# used to be my 1RM snatch and now I use it for skill work. Good technique work at this weight without being too heavy. Depending on the day, could have gone with 75# for skill work too.
Ring rows were as minimal of an angle as I could handle (i.e. arms/shoulders almost beneath the rings). Did have to bend legs on a few sets. Squats and SDHPs were at a steady pace.

Going easy

Jerk: worked up to about 105#
Metcon: 50 pull ups / 75 KBS (12kg, mod) / 150 DU / 75 sit ups / 50 push ups
22:50

I'd say everything went rather well but with lots of breaks (that I'm okay with). I didn't have to resort to singles with the pull ups or push ups until the last 5.

First time snowshoeing!

Learning new activities. Took our new snowshoes out for a spin at Alpental (Summit at Snoqualmie ski resort). It was opening weekend for Summit West but Alpental is still closed. Lots of pow!