As cheesy as that sounds, it’s ringing pretty true. Like a broken record, I keep saying my body and mind are adapting to the work, the meal prep and the want-to. And the bittersweet truth is that I will have to keep working harder. But that means I’m making gains. And even though the work will get harder, it’s not as taxing on the mind. I know I can do this. In such a relatively short time, I feel like I’ve come a long way. It probably helps that I’ve been here already, although it was years ago. It could be that I’m just so relieved to be seeing progress, that I’ll take anything as a win. Either way, I’m feeling good and don’t want to ruin the path I’m on. This train is not stopping.

The journey may not be as easy for you or hell it may be easier. Whatever the case, don’t give up. Keep on working. It’s always going to be a work in progress.

I still have a long way to go, I can assure you, but I am seeing and feeling the results. If anything, just feeling good gives me more self confidence. I’m not nitpicking myself in the mirror. I feel strong. I feel better at cardio… not a lot better but a lil better.

(edited to say: this is longer than normal, sorry not sorry)

The Workouts

Early in the week we worked on heavy singles for Clean and Jerk and Front Squats. I was able to hit my 1RM for Clean and Jerk. This was good, since just a couple of weeks ago I hit 125lbs for a squat clean PR when I was visiting Tomball. I almost gave up after a couple of fails, but Tory encouraged me and gave me a few tips and low and behold, I got 125lbs squat cleaned and jerked! Yay!

The next day, we went for heavy singles on front squat and drum roll please…. I hit a 30lb PR. 165lbs for a front squat boys and girls. Felt good. I did try for 175 but couldn’t get it up. No need for me to be greedy. Thirty pounds is a good jump.

Now I have new maxes to go off of and when we do percentage work, I now have to work a lil harder. And hopefully will see more gains and so forth and the cycle goes on!

I also bamboozled a friend into visiting CrossFit Boom. She said she would come in the morning since it’s cooler. Convenient enough, I had Tuesday off, so I could meet her in the morning. I know she wasn’t too sure what us CrossFit folks were all about but she made it, didn’t die and is till my friend!

As for the rest of this week. We’ve been out of town in good ol’ Lubbock, TX. And as I did in Tomball, I reached out to a box that was near the hotel, CrossFit Wild West. They happily welcomed me to drop-in. Seeing that I’m not the fittest human being, it’s still stressful to show up to a new box not knowing a soul. I have a lot of limitations. I still have so much to accomplish when it comes to CrossFit. I’m not a badass who can do all the movements and I don’t know if I’m showing up to a box of badasses or a box that has a little bit of everyone. I know I shouldn’t care and truly I guess I don’t care that much because I still showed up. But it’s intimidating for sure.

Due to our baseball schedule and me working from the hotel, 5:30 a.m. was my only real option. So I showed up in the darkness. Turns out I was the only one there for that morning. Woohooo and boooo all at the same time. Wooo, that I’m the only one there and booooo that it’s hard to have all the focus from the coach on you! No slacking. Not that I slack… who me… well maybe sometimes, but less and less as I get back in the groove.

Wednesday, July 26

1. Core conditioning – 3 rounds not for time of:
ME Weighted Plank Hold
15 V-ups (slow eccentric down)

 

Hmmmm weighted plank hold. I struggle with a regular plank hold in general. And now I’m wearing a 20lb vest. Oh man. I lasted 48 seconds! Ha! Then to V-ups but the twist is to come down slow. For real? Yes, for real. Coach Hiro told me to take my time and boy oh boy did I. My plank holds were never long. I tried to really hold on for at least a minute each time, but never made it that long. My abs are definitely feeling it.

As for the MetCon… wooooweeeee. Leg burner for sure. And instead of Muscle-ups, I did 10 banded ring dips and 10 jumping pull ups. I felt like I went through the first round in good time. Let’s be real, good time for me. Probably slow compared to everyone else. At some point Coach told me to get on it and finish under 15 minutes. I had no idea the time. I just kept chipping. But I completed his request. Time: 14:38

Thursday, July 27

So I go to bed Wednesday night with my alarm set to wake up and show up for the 5:30 am class again. I got this. I’m doing work. I’m not slacking. I remember hearing my alarm go off and the next thing I know it’s about 7 a.m. How’s that for being awesome? Not so much. What am I going to do? There aren’t any more morning classes and I can’t go to evening classes cause of the baseball schedule. But there is one NOON class. But we were switching hotels and check out was NOON. What’s a girl to do? The workout sounded terrible. I can just do something in the fitness center of the hotel, right? But will I push myself? Will I get good work in? Does the fitness center suck? All these things. Ernie (boyfriend) texts and says you should go to the NOON workout if that’s all you can get to today. I sigh, tell the boys to pack everything and load up the car, I’m going to work out.

Thankfully, I did. I needed to push. And stick with it.

1. Monostructural conditioning – 2k Bike for time

2. Metcon– For time:
50 Burpee Box Jump Overs, 24/20 inches
*At the top of every minute (except the first) 3 Wall Balls

So above is the terrible part. A 2K on the assault bike? Are you f’ing kidding me? I hate that thing. Thankfully, it was quicker than I had imagined. Time 3:43. But my legs were done! And there was still burpees, a box and a medicine ball waiting for me!

We started off the first minute with box over burpees. But after that, at the top of each minute we had to do 3 wall balls. Doesn’t sound incredibly bad, but the 50 burpees were not something I was looking forward to doing. But I knew I had to get as many as I could in that first minute or I might not ever finish. So box over burpees consist of doing a burpee coming up, jumping/stepping up and over a box and do another burpee and so forth. Then the minute hits and you do 3 wall balls and finish the minute with burpees! Sounds fun, right? No sir. Time: 7:35

Friday, July 28

I was able to wake up and not turn off my alarm like a zombie. But man, I wish I had. Cause this workout was a doozy! And I was flying solo again at the 5:30 a.m. class.

Metcon – 27-21-15-9 reps, for time of:
Power Clean, 95/65 lbs
Push Press, 95/65 lbs
Run 400m

So in CrossFit, the 21-15-9 rep scheme is a normal thing you see. You do 21 reps of one movement then 21 reps of another movement, then 15 reps of each then 9 of each. This workout had the added 27 reps and a 400m run after each set. Yay fun!

So we’re talking 72 cleans, 72 push press and a mile of running. In my case, mostly walking, but I did try to run longer, I did push until the 3rd run where I tripped and almost DIED! Ok that’s a little extreme. But my overactive imagination saw it happening one of three ways: DEATH or Faceplanting the sidewalk and killing my knees and palms or breaking something on a fire hydrant that was within my fall zone. Fortunately, I caught myself on the fire hydrant and nothing too terrible happened but a tight ankle and hamstring from the panic of falling. Time 29:01. I’m pretty sure that is slow compared to the folks for rest of the day. But I felt like I pushed through the reps. It’s just the 400m walk/jog/shuffle that drug me down.

Wrap-up

And that’s my week in a nutshell. I know it was a little long for a post and if you got this far today, then I salute you and thank you! I know I only talked about workouts but I’m also happy to report that I’m eating pretty decently especially out of town, in a hotel. But in all honesty I’m not eating enough. I know that can’t be all that great. It’s hot, we are on the go and I just haven’t been as hungry.

It’s getting better. I’m getting better. Still waiting for Biggest Loser weight loss but that’s not how it works. Boooohisssss. In the end it’s not about the number on the scale. I just want to feel better mentally, emotionally and physically. It’s still a roller coaster and I imagine it always will be. One step at a time, right?

Enjoy your weekend. Make good choices. It’s worth it. I promise!