Recalculating route…

So, I’ve spent the last week trying to draft in my mind the post I was going to write about why I was NOT doing the Open this year. There were, and still are, a few BIG factors that led me to that decision, although even to myself they just felt like excuses. Trying to reduce the amount of stress in my life is a big one, which I know a lot of people can relate to. Here’s the new part – this is the first time I would compete without the symptoms I’ve carried around for years. Without the foggy brain. Without the nerve pain in my legs. Without numbness or coordination issues. Without incredible fatigue! From the outside that probably sounds AMAZING, but for me it felt like I was about to sign up for my first Open all over again and with less understanding of how my body was going to react. With everyone watching. Don’t get me wrong, I’m over the moon excited with the transformation I’ve experienced in my brain and body since I started drinking ketones nearly a year ago, but it’s still a process and always will be. The fears and challenges I had in other years (like 17.1 with all those burpee box jump overs when I had no feeling in my legs) are GONE, but I’m still working to learn how the new and improved version of myself works 🙂 I learned the hard way last weekend that dehydrated and mineral depleted was bad news for me going into a sweat fest of a workout. Noted, and I won’t make that mistake again 😉 Anyways, as I’m sure you could guess from the picture, yesterday I stepped out of my comfort zone and joined the party. 18.2 was challenging, but without the added stress of my old systems. I’m getting used to the feeling of being a better version of me. I feel almost “normal” 😁 (keep your comments to yourself on that one 🤪) and I look forward to continuing the process and helping others do the same. #bestself #bebetter #pruviteveryday #dontgiveuponyou #intheopen #ketones #ketoOS #doublevisionphotography82 #multiplesclerosis #autoimmune

Wahls Protocol

If there’s any interest… my Wahls Diary will be on this blog: https://battleworthfighting.wordpress.com/2017/04/26/my-wahls-diary-prequel/

We survived Festivus Games his past weekend 🙂 Amanda as a competitor and myself as photographer. Still digging myself out after more than 1,500 images were captured, but I’m excited to share these soon! Only a handful of the 130 competitors were from CFC and while it was kinda nice to shoot some different people, I’m always most concerned with capturing “family”. Especially when things are crazy intense like they were at this one with 14 lanes per heat!

The Open

Oh hi! May not even remember me but yes I’m still around. To be honest, not a whole lot has changed which is good and bad at the same time I suppose. It’s Open season and my 4th time through. What a totally different experience doing it with CFC!! First, it’s a way bigger beast than CFD was just in terms of Open competitors. I think we have close to 150 athletes competing and a few with potential to make it to regionals… but everyone is so supportive 🙂  We have an in house little comp happening as well with points for team spirit and costumes, some of which there’s no way I could work out it lol!  First Open for my girl too and she’s KILLING it 😀  Recap time!

Open WOD 17.1

AMRAP 20 minutes:
10 dumbbell snatches 35lb
15 burpee box jump-overs 20″
20 dumbbell snatches
15 burpee box jump-overs
30 dumbbell snatches
15 burpee box jump-overs
40 dumbbell snatches
15 burpee box jump-overs
50 dumbbell snatches
15 burpee box jump-overs

Score – 200 Reps Rx  Tie break time – 16:31

This WOD kicked my butt HARD!! Not a good way to start Open season at ALL.  After the 20 DB snatches I couldn’t feel my legs at all.  Our couldn’t feel the ground under my feet? Maybe that’s a better description… Anyways, every box jump was an exercise in extreme concentration to not EAT IT!  It was hell, but no battle scars 🙂 (a miracle occurred)

Open WOD 17.2

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 12 minutes of:
2 rounds of:
50-ft. weighted walking lunge
16 toes-to-bars
8 power cleans
Then, 2 rounds of:
50-ft. weighted walking lunge
16 bar muscle-ups
8 power cleans

Score – 78 Reps Rx  Tie break time – 7:09 

Greatest judge for this one!!  Neil tried so hard to coach me to my first bar muscle up and believe me I tried SO hard to get it!  No dice though… added to the list of things to work on 🙂

Open WOD 17.3

Prior to 8:00, complete:
3 rounds of:
  6 chest-to-bar pull-ups
  6 squat snatches, (95 / 65 lb.)
Then, 3 rounds of:
  7 chest-to-bar pull-ups
  5 squat snatches (135 / 95 lb.)
Prior to 12:00, 3 rounds of:
   8 chest-to-bar pull-ups
  4 squat snatches (185 / 135 lb.)
Prior to 16:00, 3 rounds of:
   9 chest-to-bar pull-ups
  3 squat snatches (225 / 155 lb.)
Prior to 20:00, 3 rounds of:
  10 chest-to-bar pull-ups
  2 squat snatches (245 / 175 lb.)
Prior to 24:00, 3 rounds of:
   11 chest-to-bar pull-ups
  1 squat snatch (265 / 185 lb.)

Score – 43 Reps Rx   Tie break time – 5:02

Yes, I had almost a full 3 minutes to get 1 95lb snatch!  I tried over and over but couldn’t force the confidence to drop under the bar even though i got it to my eyebrows with every attempt.  Kinda frustrating, but…. the next day I GOT it in practice 🙂  I’ll take it.  Plus… I did get through 25 chest to bar pull-ups which was a HUGE improvement over the last time I faced them in the Open.  Double win.

Open WOD 17.4

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 13 minutes of:
55 deadlifts 155lbs
55 wall-ball shots 14lbs
55-calorie row
55 handstand push-ups

Score – 172 Reps Rx  Tie break time – 10:28

This WOD was my fave by FAR this year 😀  I mean, deadlifts are pretty much my thing and they weren’t that heavy.  To be honest, I kinda wished they were heavier cause it would have tripped people up even more.  Thankfully it was a WOD I was totally excited about cause Amanda and I got hit with the flu early in the week and I had just started eating again on Thursday and didn’t work out all week.  I actually re-did this WOD after my judge on Friday measured my HSPU line too high and no-repped all of my push-ups.  So frustrating!  I will say I loved it less the second time through cause my body just wasn’t recovered enough to go through that again, but it was totally worth it to get credit for the HSPU!!  (and I added 2 reps 😉 )

Open WOD 17.5

10 rounds for time of:
9- Thrusters 65lbs
35- Double-unders

Time – 28:10 Rx

Yucky.  Pretty much sums it up!  But WHAT?!  This kid actually pulled off 350 double unders! Yes, you read that correctly.  No idea where they came from… Also added to the list!  The funny part of this one, I pushed to get as far as I could and when the clock hit 20:00 I stopped thinking “well, I made it to round 8.  Cool”  My judge looked at me and said “are you ok?” I completely thought I was done!!  “You still have 20 minutes!!” she said and for at least a few seconds my heart totally sank!  Worst news EVER, but I picked up my rope and finished the beast.  Looking back it was probably that mistake which allowed me to finish in the time I did.  There’s always that extra push when you’re near the end of a WOD (or think you are) and I guess I kinda had a double on this time :p

focus forward

Haven’t been able to figure out where I wanted to go with this. 2016 is more than 2 weeks behind me now and I’m going to be totally one of those people and say “thank GOD it’s over!!”  Don’t get me wrong, it had some pretty awesome highlights, but one of the biggest shit storms my 34+ years has seen. I’m thankful though… I have an amazing girl who has been incredibly supportive ❤  Once Henry’s is officially in the rear view mirror I’ll have a chance to figure out what the next chapter is.

Another great form of therapy… CFC 🙂  Way too much has happened to get caught up completely, but last Friday’s WOD is worth recording.  I was a little sad when we we told Hero Fridays was taking a break till spring, but Open WOD Fridays are pretty awesome too!  Especially when the WODs are ones I’ve seen before.  Well, awesome in an “oh joy!!  I get to relive that horror!!” kind of way, but still!  I get to kick my old score in the butt too.  When I first say 14.3 I was 7 months in to Crossfit and managed to complete 95 reps.  I went in to round 2 excited to see how far I’ve come since then.  Didn’t disappoint myself at all.

Friday Jan. 13

Open WOD 14.3
AMRAP 8 Minutes:
10 Deadlifts #95
15 Box Jumps
15 Deadlifts #135
15 Box Jumps
20 Deadlifts #155
15 Box Jumps
25 Deadlifts #185
15 Box Jumps
30 Deadlifts #205
15 Box Jumps
35 Deadlifts #235
15 Box Jumps

right for right now

So I’m pretty excited 🙂 When this week’s Open WOD was posted yesterday morning I knew I had a great chance of improving on my score from the last time. I think almost all Crossfit boxes are great in their own way, but each person needs to find one that best suits them. When I joined CFD, I needed the community above everything else and it gave me that. Also gave me a really solid foundation, but CFC has given me a push to be better and the timing is perfect.

Open WOD 16.2
On a 4 minute clock complete as many reps as possible:
25 Knee raises
50 Single unders
15 Squat cleans #55
If completed before 4 min, add 4 min and proceed to:
25 Knee raises
50 Single unders
13 Squat cleans #75
If completed before 4 min, add 4 min and proceed to:
25 Knee raises
50 Single unders
11 Squat cleans #95
If completed before 4 min, add 4 min and proceed to:
25 Knee raises
50 Single unders
9 Squat cleans #115
If completed before 4 min, add 4 min and proceed to:
25 Knee raises
50 Single unders
7 Squat cleans #135

Score – 423 reps

Last time, I got to the #115 squat cleans with TONS of time and couldn’t manage 1 rep. Same thing kinda happened again, only I made it through the 115 without any troubles and got stuck at the 7 at 135. I give myself a little credit here… 135 would have been a PR, and I’d already done 48 reps at that point. I started at the bar for a minute after several failed attempts and said “eff it!”  Stripped back down to 115 and completed the last 7 lifts. 🙂

I stood for a moment in the change room last night and caught a look at my reflection in the mirror. Something needs to change. I need to find a solution before I go crazy again. I work hard at my job now, to the point I’m pretty tired when I get home. Then most nights I change quick and head to the box to work really hard. I lift heavy, we do LOTS of metcons, I eat really clean… but I still have so much fat on top of all my could-be-hot muscle. Jen suggested months ago that I’m drastically under eating… I think I’m at the point where I’m actually going to take that in to consideration and add more to my routine. I AM tired a lot since starting at sport Chek again, but I figured my body just needed to get used to the labor-intensity. I also get home most days soooo hungry. So I’m going to give it a try…

carry on :)

Commit already!  Post the damn thing :p

I’ll start off by saying Saturday was totally awesome, cause it WAS!!  I love the competitive camaraderie that electrifies the air at CFD during one of these events.  Love doing things I’ve never done before, and love watching and cheering while other do the same.  Only down side to Saturday’s festivities – my wrists hurt so badly when I got home that I spent my evening wrapped in ice and flat-out on my couch.  My left one was the worst, but led to another lesson learned – It was the right one that was bothering me part way through yesterday, so I pulled out a wrist wrap for the rest of the comp.  Noted.  If you’re wrapping one wrist, wrap both!  Saturday night was the kind of agony that makes ya nauseous, but thankfully today is not so bad!  No Sunday ball hockey for this kid though 😦  It’s still a struggle to work the pepper mill LOL!  Sunday morning breakfast went pepper-free :p

Sat. June 27:

CFD Showdown Throwdown

WOD 1 – 15 minute AMRAP
1 Rope Climb
7 Kettlebell Swings
7 Burpees w/jump on #45 plate
*each team member completes full round, then tags next person

WOD 2 – 15 minutes, in 30 sec rounds
Determine 4 rep max: Power Clean
*1 bar per team
**once weight is added to the bar, it cannot be removed
***ALL 4 reps must be touch and go

#105 (got 3 reps at #115, but failed the 4th)

WOD 3 – For time:
Row 30 calories
30 Thrusters #115
Row 30 calories
30 Thrusters #65
Row 30 calories
30 Thrusters #45

WOD 4
5 min AMRAP – Wallballs #10
4 min AMRAP – Power Snatch #65
3 min AMRAP – Muscle Ups

WOD 1 went well.  The rope climbs and KBS were uneventful, the burpees were actually the biggest challenge I found cause of the plate jump bit.  The first round I was all over the show, but once I found the rhythm it was all good.  WOD 2 – 4 rep max?  who does that?  haha!  We do 3 rep max, and 5 rep max… but 4?  Anyways, we decided to start with #85 – no problemo.  Then #95 – also success.  Then up to #105 and my first attempt I stuck 3 reps, but failed the 4th.  Second attempt – round completed.  Then up to #115 – same deal, succeeded with 3 and failed the 4th.  There was a team communication stutter-step after where more weight was loaded before I could try again.  It’s all good 🙂  I was happy with 4 reps @ #105 considering that was my 1 rep max like 2 months ago.  Plus my failed rep was pretty hard on my wrists.  Ok, everyone has a funny lifting face pic, right?  Well, I have a new one :p  Not that I’m complaining!  I’m just happy people are staring to feel comfortable picking up my camera when I’m the one working out too 🙂

Not something I haven’t run into before, but I still have the bad habit of going into a rowing sprint way too hard.  Kept my calorie split on pace with the guy on our team at 1400-1450 calories per hour, then when I got off the rower to head for the 30 thrusters I realized my mistake.  #65 isn’t super-heavy, but I was dying!  Got through the first 10… then 5… then 3… yeah.  By the end I was struggling to string together 2 in a row, and fighting hard to lock the bar out so the rep would count.  Not pretty.

**Of note from the last 2 images… I’m totally left leg dominant it seems.  Maybe cause my right is the problem one?

Then the next WOD was wallballs.  Oh joy!  LOL!!  Like a lighter thruster and a whole 5 minutes of ’em.  With a couple of no reps in the mix, I ended with 100.  At one point someone came over and mentioned that the girl I was going head-to-head with was a rep or 2 ahead.  I think I muttered “you sush!” and carried on…