Start of week 3

Fist two weeks are in the books, and I've gotten some things right and some things wrong.  My first week, I nailed my eating.  Meal prepped every meal (though I didn't eat all my meals).  Workouts, not so much.  Missed the first workout due to some illness effects, got part of the second one done and then someone jacked my equipment (lesson learned there).  Workout 3 was missed due to what looked like one of those parenting nightmare scenarios where you kid has to go to another facility due to the need for a specialist, and all that.  And the fourth one I just quit on myself.  Not the best start.

Week 2 was better.  Ate mostly the right food (ie I didn't eat all my meals, again).  Got all my workouts in.  Things are good for the most part.

Then the day of debauchery hit.  Super Bowl Sunday.  I have to say, I went to the party with the best of intentions.  Brought my pre made food and everything.  Instead, I ate from the spread.  Let me tell you, it was freaking delicious.  My meal plan isn't bad in any way, but it's not what a culinary person (or a foodie) would call exciting.  So being around all that awesome stuff... 2 weeks of solid will power snapped like a tiny twig.  In all that glorious food was a problem tho.  I'm now 2 weeks 'sober' from "normal" food... I wasn't prepared for the multi-bathroom visits.  That food sat at the bottom of my stomach like a lump of lead.  That part wasn't so fun.  Getting back to good food today made all the difference.

Week 3 has started with a bang!  Good Monday workout, good on the food (did sneak some blueberries).  Tuesday is supposed to be snowmaggedon this year, might have to devise a way to get my workout in at home...

Thats it for now.  Good times are rolling.  Oh, and I'm down 15lbs.

Edit*   Forgot to mention some things before.  My knees were bugging me something firece week 2, and I figured it out pretty quick.  Bum equipment.  Exhibit A:

As you can see, I've walked on the outside of my feet with these shoes, and it's built up the inside of the heel significantly.  Trying to do squats in these shoes has been a painful experience.  thankfully, I've been bringing my flat sketchers (that are also worn out), and my knee problems have pretty much disappeared.  Let that be a lesson folks, wear the right shoes and in a more general sense, use the right tool for the job. 

Day 1, 2018

You're not going to hear the "new year new me" stuff here.  You will hear that today was my first day back in any gym, in quite some time.  Reminded me of the first time walking into CrossFit Diamond State.  Nervous.  Excited.  Maybe a little scared. 

Worked with my brand new trainer/coach Renee Desjardins (look her up) to make sure I knew how to do each of the movements (properly) that were going to make up this 3 week block of training.  I'm doing several movements in a more modified fashion than I'm used to, but that does't mean they don't hit as hard as the "old ways".  Renee had me all over the gym doing things from torso twists at the cable machine (think the biggest piece of equipment at the gym) to the time honored (and Dan modified) push ups.  It was a good all around wake up call/ shock to my body.  Tomorrow will be soreness and SOCCER, followed by more soreness.  It's going to be great. 

I know she reads this, so I have a confession to make.  I didn't get all the 30 minutes of elliptical in (and they have another set/style of machines).  My quads refused to work after about 5 cycles on the first machine.  It was like elliptical hell, only it felt like it was going uphill.  The second set of machines was better, more "flat" feeling, but the fatigue from what we did earlier paired with my abysmal amount of sleep (long story) zapped the life and drive out of my legs about 5 minutes in.  *shrug* we'll get there. 

Other things, my coach is designing what I hope will be a killer meal plan.  Grocery shopping for me is going to get uber specific and putting it frankly, that makes me very excited.  Now, hopefully it's got some flavor and variety, but I'll make it work. 

I've got time for about a 1.5 hour nap before I have to do more work (still at the same place)... going to go take advantage.  Ciao. 

Welcome once again, 2018 edition.

Going to keep this one short and sweet.  Through a contact and close personal friend I've been introduced to a world class personal trainer/coach and I can't begin to tell you how excited I am for this next year.  I have a lot more to add and talk about, after all, it's been a year...  but thats the update for now.  The fact that it's the beginning of 2018 is a humorous coincidence, this isn't going to be that tired "new year, new me" that is common at the New Year.  More to come, stay tuned, I'm back and this is going to be better than ever!

Update 02/12/17

Welp, between the super bowl, stupid hours at work (again), and staying up late (not getting enough sleep)...

Short version, fell back off the wagon.  Most of it my fault, some of it not.

But hey, next week is a new day.  My boy Mark Morrison has been killing it at his local gym.  Makes me proud and motivated to see someone else sticking with it through whatever issues he has to deal with.  Also stokes that competitive fire.  I want to beat him now.  LOL.

So, we're staring off fresh.... again.

Going to be using that little key Fob thing, going to be eating with the Body4Life plan.  Going to be great again.  haha!

Weekly update 01/29/17

This week sucked from a fitness perspective.  Not even going to line out what I did, which wasn't much, at all...

Tuesday I got into the gym and got with one of the program coordinators, got this swanky key thing to use to track the machine part of the workouts, and got setup with that.  Then I got ill-ish, and didn't get back to the office till Friday.

Tracked food for about half the week, the stopped.

Might stop all together.  I do like the app though, it's a nice change from myfitnesspal, but it doesn't have near the library of scanned items (yet).  The reason I might stop, starting the following week (not next week), I'm going to go back to the Body4Life eating style.  Simple explanation, it's 6 meals, preferably 3 being protein shakes (MyoPlex specifically) and the other 3 being a serving of a protein, a carb, and get at least 2 veggies in over those 3 meals.  This worked wonders back in.... geez, 2001.  LOL.  Time to dust it off and get back in it for real.  I might end up ditching these workouts too, but not yet, I'll give them and the food some time to make a mark.

Sleep is still an issue.  Will be trying to get back under the cpap mask.  I can tell the quality isn't there, because, for the most part, the quantity is.

Weekly update 1/23/17

Busy week.  Got to the gym 3 times.  Bro'd out with a lot of bench.

MON-- was a wash, didn't get to the gym, didn't get to work.  Ate moderately well, downloaded app
TUE--started using APP, says I should be losing weight.  haha.
WED-- took it easy today, biked for 2 miles, rowed 1k.  Got form to sign up for a tracker thing that the gym has, thinking about spending extra time doing cardio.
Thur-nothing, tracked food.
Friday, signed up for the tracker stuff, benched, curled.  Weight is up, but I've got stomach issues, think I'm retaining water, need to drink more.


Looking back on my updates.  I didn't appear to gain weight this week, but I'm 90% sure it was all retention of water.  Had an upset stomach for a day and a half, and I hadn't be drinking near enough (think about 40oz a day), so my body was holding on.

This coming Tuesday, I go in for my 60 minute eval.  Get a key fob which works for every machine (cardio or weights) and tracks all the activity.  Real way to stay accountable.  I plan on doing more cardio.  Saw some good results on the soccer field tonight, so this is a positive step in the right direction.

Other thoughts, I want to learn how to box.  Might take that up in 100 lbs.  :)

Another thought.  Hit middle age officially.  35.  Put up a FB video.  Did a shoutout to some of my fitness family in DE.  Only one person I mentioned, out of 15 or 20, said happy birthday.  Kinda sad about that.  They still mean the world to me, but I'm out of sight, out of mind I guess.  :|

YO! Been a minute, how you doin?

Holy crap it's been too long.  Waaaaaaaaaay too long.  Good news thought, I'm back in a gym!

Here's the bad news though, I've gained most of my pre CrossFit weight back.  Sitting un-pretty at 472 as on Monday last week.  

Here's the good news.  I'm back in the gym.  I hit it three days last week, in a traditional gym, not a box.  Worked a bit of everything.  My thought process is that I'm waking my body up and saying hey, change (pain) is coming.  I've already got my process down, shaker cups and protein at the office, and things are rolling.  Up before 7 (doesn't matter when), dressed, at the office in 25 minutes, get about 25-40 minutes of office work in, then off to the gym.  40-70 minutes (depending on workout), shower, back up to the desk and on with the day.

Gets the metabolism going early.  Gets the workout out of the way.  Starts every day off with success and accomplishment.  Should be a great thing.

Other notes/plans:

Workout 4 days a week, if not 5.

Weigh myself every day, not every week.  I want to watch it all the way down.  I'm no longer a believer in waiting a week at a time for myself.  Might work for you, might work for others, but I want to do it every day so I can see my actions working or not working and tweak it.

I'm going to get back into tracking food.  Switching apps from myfitnesspal to MyNetDiary.

Need to figure out how I'm going to eat overall.  Might go back to Paleo, might go Keto.  Not sure.  I plan on adding these things in slowly rather than implementing all at once.  Going to build these habits one at a time until they're all ingrained.

Lastly, I'm changing up the habits on the CrossFit Nomad blog.  I plan on posting only once a week, and making it the same day every week (or at least in the same time frame of "the weekend").  The thought is that I'm going to write down quick things about each day, and then post it in a one week summary.

There is more on my mind, but I'm pooped at the moment.  Write more soon.

11/18/16 Update

Still moving forward folks, just giving a quick update. 

Ankle is in pieces.  I've been playing A LOT of soccer (had a tourney last weekend), and tennis 1-2 times a week.  Still not back on the weights.  Probably the first week of December as I'm back in the office then.

Rumors of a group fitness challenge coming up at or before New Years, looking forward to winning that. 

Be back soon. 

Saying goodbye to the old and hello to new beginnings.

This is a bit of an internal discussion, so it's going to be all over the place. 

I could give you a bunch of heady words, platitudes, hard luck stories... I could write up a lot of excuses as to why I am where I am, but I won't.  Truth is, I've been in a rut and have been unable to motivate myself to do anything.  3 months of dues to On Track, and I'd been a total of 3 times.  Now, sure, I was injured for a spell.  Had training for a spell.  Then there were 3 weeks where I made zero MF effort to go to the box. 

ZERO.

I showed up 3 times, and worked out by myself in the second gym.  But it wasn't the same.  I'm unmotivated.  My sense of community is gone.  I'm gone. 

So I quit.  I've left On Track.

What now? 

Well, I've spent that past 2 weeks working too much.  Most of it for "the man", but part of it on my own creation.  I want to spread those entrepreneurial wings.... will likely make a second blog just for that.  As for the fitness part, I'm giving CrossFit a break. I need the break from it, or at least thats how I'm rationalizing it. 

Ok.... so what does that mean for the blog?  Great question.  Short answer, I don't know.  I mean I'm not going to be Crossfitting, per se.  I'm starting a classing Wendler lifting regime tomorrow, and I'll keep posting things in here about my fitness journey.  My goals are still the same, and with this, I'm going to focus more on my strength and hitting my strength and weight loss goals from previous goal sheets. 

I want to get back to CrossFit.  I WILL get back to CrossFit, but it's going to be a few months of near solitary strength training with cardio tossed in for good measure.  On Track is, to use big business jargon, making the pivot.  They've had a bit of turnover in coaches and elite athletes, and they're making a more "gen pop/community" style box, which is probably a FANTASTIC move.  It's come too late to save me, as I liked the community there, but never fell in love like I did in not 1, but 2 Delaware boxes.  Still miss those folks something fierce, I have to say.

I'm hoping the time away gives me a chance to really miss my KS folks.  There are some awesome people in there, and I miss a few of them already, but I need to get back on my path, and this is the way I'm choosing to do it.

If I didn't say it before, the company gym is where I'm making my home.  Looking at 10am-ish workout sessions on most days.  Beat the lunch crowd.  Also, this is going to allow me the luxury of being able to make sure I have all my supplements nearby and easily accessible.  Not that they couldn't have been brought with me, but I've never successfully lived out of a gym bag.  Having the protein at my desk is going to make it simpler for me, and hopefully simple = success. 

I'm going to keep posting here as my journey to fitness continues.  I've been finding little bits of motivation here and there the past 2 weeks.  Met a bunch of cool dudes at Polo's wedding last weekend as a plus size, I want to destroy the image I left them with so the next time they come up to KC, I'll be a trimmer dude.  One guy, Mr. Striplin, even asked me how CrossFit was going.  Be honest, not the question I was expecting from someone I'd never met face to face before.  Obviously it wasn't going as well as I'd hoped (remember the 60 in 60 pledge?), so next time, I need progress to show him.  Also had a photo show up today from 5 years ago when I was larger than I am today.  Its the size I still feel I am right now... nothing like that to be like HEY, BUDDY, YOU AIN'T THERE YET!!  This isn't the sort of thing that I can fake it till I make it in. 

Anyway, I'm really starting to go all over the place mentally with the things I want to write.  It's 5:30 and I need to go home, it's been a long day at work.  Get some good rest and start fresh tomorrow.  Thanks for following, stay with me, we're going to get there, even if it takes a little bit longer. 

Apologies for spelling/grammar errors, it really had been a loooooong day.  Cheers. 

Hypoglycemia?

Squatted myself out of the gym last night.  This morning, knee is bugging me (outside, not the inside like it used to), and for some very strange reason, my shoulders/neck are sore.  I did front squats and burpees man, so I don't get the shoulder and neck.  Must have slept funny. 

Taking today off, back at it Thursday.  Slow slow slow comeback, but it's happening, and soon we're going to see the real progress. 

Health notes.  Had what was probably a hypoglycemic issue yesterday.  I felt "shaky" but I don't thing I exhibited any of the signs of it outwardly.  What I mean is no one was like "are you ok"?  Ate some lunch and some mixed nuts, and things seemed to iron themselves out.  Makes me really want to get back off caffeine and glucose, and back on Ketones.  More news as it develops.... 

So... about that...

Yeah, here were are, 52 days later, and I spent my first day in the gym... yesterday.  So 51 days.  WTF?!

Now, I've got some good reasons, and some reasonable excuses, but in the end, I didn't make it enough of a priority.  That is the main point to take away.

As for the excuses, I sprained my ankle the weekend after posting this (I think), was out that week, and then had some surprise training from work (notice on Friday at like 2pm that the following Monday I was committed... for the next 5 weeks...).  That wouldn't have been so bad, except I had to get up early, and be there early (compared to the norm of my job), and it killed mornings at On Track, and I was forced to stay till 5, and rush hour traffic made getting to evening class a losing proposition after a day full of drinking from the fire hose of knowledge. 

Like I said, priorities. 

All that said, ankle is pretty well back to 1 piece (I now wear a fancy brace during games). 

I'm well rested.  Thats a plus right? 

Sore today though.  I didn't even do that much yesterday.  2k row, 6-10 reps in various schemes of push press, strict press, power clean, front squat, back squat, and deadlifts.  All at 95lbs.  Felt good to have the bar in the hands again.  Capacity is shot.  Ate/dranke like shit the entire time (read lots of sugary energy drinks to stay awake).  It's time to refocus, cleanse (paleo perhaps?), and move forward.  Again...

Lots of other pokers in the fire.  Sad I can't Instagram a long video... might have to look at FB live or snap chat or something... want to start chronicling verbally as well as writing.  Takes less time.  Maybe I can even get fancy and edit?  Figure something out, ready for the weekend.  Beyond ready.  Job is starting to crush my soul.... and it's not that I don't like it, or the people, or the work... it's just not my calling in life, and thus it's soul crushing.  More on that later, or perhaps on a new blog to keep this more about fitness.... decisions this weekend for sure. 

Anyway, happy to be back, can't wait to share more success's and less failures.  We're going to make it!

60lbs in 60 days

Thats the goal.  I've got a wedding coming up where I'm going to meet a gang of people I've "known" for years from online gaming, and frankly, I want to look good, or at least better for that.  Add in the fact that it will also help me in life, crossfit, and soccer... it's a no brainer.  I know there are hundreds of articles that tell you that dieting is bad, it's not sustainable, etc etc.  You know what, they're 100% right in my opinion.  I'm not using the diet for a long term fix tho.  I've only lost my gains when I've been MIA from Crossfit (go figure).

Plan is to focus on a more paleo/keto diet 6 of 7 days a week, and not going overboard on day 7.  Also going to try to hit at least 5 days of activity a week, with at least 2 of them being double days, or double sessions.

Simple plan:  Eat right.  Exercise.

#60in60

Started this post on Monday, pre-workout.  It's not Tuesday and I've done two workouts.  :)  Been busy.  Tweaked my knee shortly after I matched a PR on the clean and jerk.  I mean technically, I think it was a PR as the last plates were 5KG and not 10lbs, but back to the knee.  I'd gotten done with that, and was putting down an iron 5lb plate, and I felt this little... thing.  So that first workout, I didn't get into the squats at all.  Why this is important?  Well, after the squats, there was a 18-15-12-9-6-3 of power snatches and 200m row/run on the dashes.  I did maybe 5 power snatches, kept feeling the twitches... I did 58 power snatches as muscle snatches.  Good grief.  Rowing didn't help matters.  Tired as bawls when that WOD was over. 






The  morning workout wasn't much better.  Biggest pain point was the 5 rounds of thrusters.  Now, these aren't your normal thrusters.  These are Fran training thrusters.  15 reps, every 2 minutes on the minute.  YOU. CAN. NOT. PUT. THE. BAR. DOWN.  for some of the better athletes, this isn't as big an issues.  For us gen-pop folks, this is a lactic acid bloodbath.  4 rounds was all I got.  Cramps.  LOL.  Need more bananas or salt in my life. 

Eating yesterday was solid... actually, it wasn't, I didn't eat enough...

Other updates.  Finally got around to creating some new accounts.  Feel free to add them to your circle of social media if you're up for it.  Comment, encourage, critique, I'm down for whatever.  

thecrossfitnomad             gmail
the_crossfit_nomad         Instagram
thecrossfitnomad             My Fitness Pal
https://www.facebook.com/thecrossfitnomad2/     Going to start posting more here as well. 

Soccer is going well.  2-1 so far this season.  Playing better every game, so hopefully this 60lbs in 60 days will make all that even better.

Sweet sweet barbell love

I've been around the box, I promise.  This lack of updates is more about me trying to get other things done.  When I started, I had some time at night in the hotel to write a "here's how it went".  At home now, more demands on my time, it's more of a struggle.  I do apologize. 

Today's main exercise was 30 minutes of sweet barbell loving.  3-10 minute EMOMs consisting of 5 reps of power snatch (first 10), push jerks, then power cleans.  The goal was to go up in weight as you're able, while maintaing form. 

What I love-  lots of barbell time.  Weights we're manageable...ish.  Opportunity to work on form with a watchful eye. 

What I loath-  Power Snatches... can't hit that hip crease, physics still says no.  Loathe barbells as cardio.  Loathe adding weights (I don't breath well when moving plates on or off the bar). 

So that was 30 minutes of awesome today.  Did some other stuff... typically CrossFit warmup, and post WOD was a 10 minute +2 rep ladder of situps and pushups.  Actually had to stop halfway though, had cramps in the calves, and then in the abs.  Clearly potassium deficient at the moment.

More updates-

Workouts going well, food not so much.   Going to start using myfitnesspal again this week, need to make a new email/login with something attached to The CrossFit Nomad, or maybe even re-brand since I'm no longer nomadic... at the moment.  Who knows. 

Trying to get back to the two a days when I can.  Double dipping on the benefits.  One, it's more work and should help get some of this stubborn weight off.  Two, I'm getting better at soccer.  

******Soccer Stuff******

Having a blast.  It's becoming my "why" for working out.  It's a clear, measurable goal, and I love it.  Started the new season Sunday, played my best game yet, thanks in part to the good coaching and training I've been getting in.  Seeing those early gainz as it were. 

Do have a story.  You see, it was my best game in goal, but we lost.  Picture if you will, a tied score, 20 seconds (ish) left in the match.  Guy kicks the ball from mid-field.  Thats PLENTY of time to see it in, and get in a good position to catch the ball.  Then the moment of impact.  The ball didn't stop in my hands like it was supposed to.  You see, I had them just a little too wide, in a good basketball catching space.  So the ball hit my pointer fingers and thumbs, then it hit my face.  To add insult to injury, it then went into the goal, scoring the winner with no time left to do anything.  I'm not sure what was redder, the side that got hit, or the side that showed my embarrassment. 

It's funny now, but it's another important lesson learned the hard way.  Back to our winning ways Sunday. 

My Wrist!!

Missed a few updates.  Had another two a day on Thursday last week.  Did some extra goalie later movement work, rowed another mile, and sweat out a pound and a half, or more... so it seems.

Had a much better game between the sticks this weekend.  STILL let in my avg of 5 goals (still got the W), but I can get that down to 3 with a little more work.  Missed a near post I should have had, had one slide off my gloves and back into play, and then there was a miscommunication for a third.  We'll get there.

Did hurt my hand though.  One of the ones that was 50/50 coulda/shoulda saved, was in a bad spot, and had a shot blasted high.  Caught it, or rather it bent my thumb backward while flying into the goal.  I mention that because 2 days later, it's impacting my WOD. 

Weights today, lots of barbell work.  Didn't want to get up, super sleepy, but decided to drag my butt out of bed anyway.  Did some lunges, power cleans, and push press in a 12-9-6 format for 5 rounds.  Struggled mightily, thumb and subsequent wrist just weren't' having it.  Did some additional squat work, and some heavyish push presses at 135.  Glad I stopped when I did, my wrist just wasn't having it.  Might do an afternoon session again, though I don't actually have the gear for it with me, but we'll make it work. 

Need the thumb/wrist to get better quick tho.  Light work till then. 

Great day

Boy it's warm.  Yesterday was a great day.  Good morning workout, minus this one part, but overall it was good.  Sweat all over the office again (maybe I need a fan?).  Germany won their game, that was great.  USA lost badly to Argentina... that part sucked.  So maybe it wasn't a great day, but it was good, better than normal. 

Workout was good.  Did some squatting, rolled up to the mid foot, used way too much quad.  Worked on lower weights to stay back.  Been talking about this for 2 years now, need to get the weight off, and fix this counter balance that I've got.  Had some other things as well, like a 20 minute AMRAP team bump event.  Had two girls on my team, and the workout was a 100ft "heavy" sled push.  I say "heavy" because it was 180 and that's light to me.  While that person is going, person 2 is doing ring pushups, and person 3 is doing a calorie row.  What made workout suck a bit, our newest, weakest member was on the sled push while I was on the rower.  As a team, we did 168 calories over that time.  I had over 100 of them.  Let that marinate. 

Still, a good workout. 

Work was work, then I went home... except I didn't go home.  I went back to the box.  I think this impressed Brian a fair bit, coming back to work on things.  Did a lot of extra work on little things.  Did some more squatting sitting back more and more.  Did some lateral movement with bands, working on my side to side strength and speed.  Rowed another mile.  Got some new stuff to work on from Brian for my goalie isms. 

So maybe it was a great day? 

Morning fitness

I've tried to write this post for about a week now.  Short version, I'm switching to mornings, but it's been a process.  This is going to be short, I've got 9+ hours of work to try to get done in about 6.5, wish me luck.

Today was awesomely awful.  Highlights was a 10 minute EMOM of 5 power snatches.  Never did like doing weights for cardio like that (I know thats now how it's designed, but thats how it feels).  We also had a nice 15 min AMRAP of 50 singles, 200m row, 5 clean and jerks.   There was some other post WOD stuff that I skipped in order to shower and get to work sooner, but it was a pretty solid workout, and I'm happy enough with my efforts, considering I'm running on 4.something hours of sleep. 

But wait, didn't you say sleep was important.   Yes.  Yes I did.  Had a late soccer game last night, got home close to midnight.  Showered then I stay up a little because I hate going to bed damp.  So bed at 0130, and I woke up at 0600.  No alarm.  Was like well, I can sleep to the time I was going to, or I can get up.  Put it to you this way, I didn't want to get up, but I've got goals that can't be met by staying in bed. 

The one downside to this am workout stuff is my body is hot afterwards.  I don't mean the physically hot, that goes without saying.  I'm talking about that raised core temp, raised metabolism, etc etc.  I take showers at the box, and today I got it cold before I got out.  Stemmed the sweating a bit, but still not enough.  I get to work (no AC in the car), and I'm usually back to sweating bullets by the time I get to the door.  Either need to get the AC fixed, or try something else on the way to work.  I mean this is what I looked like (below).  No collard shirt, got a swetband on.... trying to make this mornings thing work.  Life is hard.  LOL!! 

Soccer, if I haven't mentioned it till now, has been going well.  Got humbled last night by the 0-5 team in the league, let in 10 goals.  5 we're on me.  Can't let that happen again.  Pride won't let me.  Keep you apprised.

Thats all I've got, have a great Monday everyone!  

Time for a fresh beginning.

I've been dragging ass ever since I got stopped traveling for work... that's over now.  I just played my first indoor soccer game last week, and had a great time.  Nervous... like as nervous as I was walking into CFDS 2 years go, but after a few shots, I was mainly just thirsty.  LOL.  This isn't going to be much of a post, just putting it out there that after that game, I have A LOT of work to do to get better, but thats the great part about starting at 0. 

A week later, I'm finishing this post.  Hit a couple of WODs last week.  Rowed for two miles in one sitting as well.  Working on that conditioning.  This goalie stuff has breathed a bit of new life into my drive, which frankly, it needed.   Played a doubleheader this weekend, have some jammed fingers and toe that might be broken, or also jammed.

Tomorrow morning starts a fresh beginning.  Back to mornings, back on paleo as of today, and back in the drivers seat of this fitness journey.  I'll get more into the mindset and new goals in another post soon.  

Matched a PR today

Which, having not done much clean work, I'm ok with.  I almost pr'd by 5lbs, but I didn't get the elbows around fast enough. 

Tonight was a clean ladder.  I haven't done one of those, ever, and I still haven't, in the way I expected... I was wanting to do the one where each bar is on the floor with the weight already.  Instead it was kinda on your own, bring your own weights.  LOL.  It's all good tho.  185 isn't a bad weight to make it up to. 

The rest of the night was a 12 minute AMRAP of 15 situps, 15 ring rows, 15 KB swings.  It was alright, but my hip had already turned from Saturday, so it was somewhat painful.  Got through it though. 

Wanted to give a quick shout out to #teamExplode at the Atlantic Regional.  They did well, got 8th in the region.  Not what they wanted, but they gave it their all, and I'm proud of them.  Gia and Jamie specifically, as they're my homies from the CFDS days.  Miss you guys! 

Not much else going on.  Didn't eat much dinner because I didn't think it would be all that great for me... it's basically the sweet potato/chicken paleo meal, but with regular potato's.  Think I'm finally ready to get this train going. 

Alright, thats all for now.  Cheers. 

"A slightly fatigured Isabel"

Yo... man, that was a burner.

First thing, the warmup was something different.  I mean, when you give me a choice, I'm going to choose less work, most of the time.  3x thru the barbell complex, or build to a heavy 2 rep snatch.  Easy choice.  Plus I prefer straight lifting to the compounded movements of a complex.  Not by a lot, but enough that it's not a difficult choice. 

My snatching is still atrocious.  With the belly to contend with still, I get out in front of the body.  I also don't get as "upright" as I'd like before I pull, another belly issue I'm sure.  That said, I matched my previous PR of 125.  I could have done more, but 125 looked and felt ugly, and I wasn't really trying, or wanting to PR for a double... not that I knew then what the PR was at the time. 

That ate up 25 minutes.  Now for the WOD.  20 minute AMRAP again, multi part.  2 minutes strict pullups.  I think I need to put the band higher, as I'm only able to get my forehead to the bar...  6 minutes to do 3 rounds of 10 shoulder to overhead, and then 10 bar over burpees.  I tried hard to keep up with folks, but I can't burpee with any real speed to save my life.  2 more minutes of strict pullups.  6 minutes for 5 rounds of 10 pushups and 10 situps.  Doing princess pushups, I tend to tighten everythign, including my calves... the cramp I got in the damaged one was severe.  I didn't do many pushups after that, electing to do a lot of situps.  bleh!  Last 2 minutes gave us more pullups. 

But wait, that's only 18 minutes. 

Right you are.  From minute 18 to minute 28 (as in you have 10 minutes), you get to do Isabel in "a slightly fatigued state".  Yeah.  Using the same shoulder to overhead weight of 95lbs, I proceeded to do this thing.  It was rough, my arms were smoked, but I didn't take weight off the bar, even when I really really wanted to... 6 minutes and 28 seconds later, I was done. 

And I mean done.  I've never sat around that much after a workout.  I mean I sat, got up (before everyone else mind you), cleaned up my bar, sat some more, cleaned up a box and some abmats, sat some more... twas amazing really.  After I was finally done sitting, I thought gee, lets try to row that mile now.  HAHAHAHA.  I got about 200m in, and my hammys and quads were like no sir, you're done for the day. 

50/50 on going Wednesday.  I want to go, more to prove it to myself... but the WOD part is just a nasty (to me) 80 wb 40 t2b, 40wb, 20 t2b, 20wb, 10 t2b... 80 wall balls... mental battle of the week if I go.  Woof. 

Holy squatbox batman

'nother quicky type update.

This is the second time I've done this programed workout.  It shows up every 5 days. 20 minutes, 12ish back squats, 300ish meter run.  Won't go into the specifics, but I'm using more weight AND doing more good reps.  In a word, progress.  Didn't run this time, did the row... might have been a mistake, not sure.  Had a pain under my right ribs, not sure what it was, but it ached while rowing.  Maybe my lungs are trying to grow? 

Next bit was a 10 minute AMRAP of 15 walking lunges with a plate, and16 Ruski KB swings.  There was only so much room, so I just did lunges in place.  What killed me was the KB swings.  My quads exploded from that effort.  Not my back, not my hammys, no, it was the quads.  The lunges were enough to beat them up, and then the KB swings finished them off. 

Last 10 minute AMRAP was 15 sit ups, 10 airsquats, 5 box jump burpees.  I tried to rush to get one more lunge in over the last AMRAP, and half fell half not, but it tightened up my back something fierce.  I got through one round of sit ups and squats, then proceeded to stretch and roll out.  Sucks, I actually wanted to do these burpees today.  Trying to work on getting my feet closer to my hands, and closer together as well.   There will be another day, so it's not a big loss, plus as beatup as the quads were today, this would have been the coup de grace. 

Sadly this means I missed a good post WOD of 500m row with 50 double unders, also for 10 minutes.   

This workout leaves me with two goals.  One, get some traps to rest the back on for squats.  Second, I want to start rowing a mile a day.  1600m.  Work up to that 5k I keep talking about.