LAST DAY

Not sure what I'm thinking or what other people think for that matter. What happens at the end of one year and the beginning of a new year. The New Years Fairy comes with fairy dust and sprinkles us with a new life all in one night. Miracles happen all in one night. You leave all your worries and problems behind in the previous year and you get to start all over again.
Well that's what I'm hoping for tonight. When I wake up 2009 will all be over.
My first goal is to set my mind on ME being strong. (in all avenues of my life)

WOD
100 air squats
2:07
14 second PR!

3 rounds
10 64# one armed deadlifts
10 one armed counter top push ups
(next time maybe I'll do this for time)

I want to do sit-ups real bad but they're not good yet. I need to rest the right shoulder until Jan. 14th. Still no driving.....Still hard to get dressed and forget the hair. Still need help carry things, tying my work boots...etc
Dr. said no running either for sometime. No bouncing....

Dialing In:

2eggs
1apple
3 teaspoons almond butter

IF rest of the day

Today:
Went to Stacey's job. Went to Steve's job to drop off paper work. (that was emotional) Did the big grocery shopping. Really happy about that. I bought some new paleo ingredients. Coconut!
I'm going to make coconut ice cream tomorrow with fresh mint. That's just the dessert. I got haddock, and scallops for dinner. Breakfast I might try paleo pancakes. bananas, almond butter and eggs cooked with coconut oil. mmmmmmmmmmmmm
OK besides that I watched three movies today.....I KNOW. I can't physically do anything. I did read several short Christmas Stories, paid bills, read the ACF message board and blogs. Tomorrow more paper work and slowly organize Christmas stuff. (until it bothers my right hand)You try not to move it but it's apart of the rest of you.... I usually end up having to ice it. :(

Like a potted plant...

That's what I feel like this morning. I am at the mercy of other people today. Something I've never wanted. For those who know me that's what I've been striving for for years.... being independently strong. Today I am neither.
Woke up to the furnace pilot blown out from the winds last night. (The basement gets a really bad draft) I needed to go purchase a lighter, couldn't drive there, couldn't take a shower, couldn't ....
and now I'm at sitting in Stacey's classroom as she sets up for school starting next week. I'm here waiting so she can drive me to get my staples out and then to go to my second pt session. Neither of which I'm looking forward to. Last pt session my should went into three muscle spasms. The third one I screamed out "damn" and flew my legs up into a fetal position. We couldn't get the muscle to stop. That's what I guess the pros and cons are to having strong muscles. My understanding is that the mucsles not being used want to jump in and work creating the spasm. Pro is that having strong muscles the healing will be faster

I never knew...

I never knew............................

well A LOT.
A lot about people.
A lot about life.
A lot about food.

For example let's talk about food.
Did you know that one pork chop is two meals for most people?
I cooked 2 pork chops for lunch that were pretty fatty so I thought after cutting the fat, taking away the bone it would be about 3 oz. (my serving size) WELL!..... it wasn't. it was over 6 oz.
(sorry no picture - I forgot to take one)

WOD:
not much..... :(
5 - 64# one armed deadlift 9:00am
5 - 64# one armed deadlift 1:00pm


Dialing In:
5:00am 8 oz green tea
fish oil

8:15am 2 eggs
1 turkey saugage
1 apple
3 teaspoons peanut butter (no almond butter)
2 oz protein
20 oz water

Noon:
6 oz pork
1.5 cup broccoli
1 cup of fruit (blueberries, pineapples)
3 tablespoons peanut butter
.5 oz chocolate protein (sprinkled on top)
6 oz wine (I KNOW- way too early)

6:00pm
4oz turkey meatballs
1 apple
3 teaspoons almond butter

Still having fun!

WOD
100 air squats for time
2:33

40 one-armed counter top push ups
(30 consecutive) these are getting easier

15 - 54# one armed deadlifts
First time trying this. I think I'm going to like these!
15 more....7:13pm

10 days after surgery....I'm very happy I'm finding things I can do. I can't wait till I can run! I need to MOVE................



Dialing In:
7:00am 8 oz green tea
7:30am 1.5 cups broccoli, 2 eggs, 1 oz cheese, 2 oz protein, 20 oz water
4:30pm 8 oz green tea

Fast Day

Today:
Went to movies with Stacey to see "it's complicated". Stopped at Target. Sorted out childrens' books for Stacey to take some to school. Played with train set. Watched "Karate Kid II "
Looked for things to do with one arm. Sat around alot. Read. Read some more.

They say it's your birthday!

YES.... I will be humble.

I have to admit I am not aging humbly.
I finished another year and have turned 48.
Although everyone says age is a state of mind, this year more than any other year I feel my age.
I feel 48. (well maybe not 48 but close to it)

I dreamed of having a train set for many years, a matter of fact Christmas Eve I thought about how I was going to build a track around the living room ceiling....


Well dreams do come true... I got my set.

Christmas 2009

Traveled yesterday to Aunt Janet's house in LI. First time Stephen drove. He did great! The day has been going nice. Just had my bandage changed on my shoulder. All I can say is interesting. This is the result from my last post. Rotator Cuff Surgery. My goal is to be up and lifting by February. Blogs will have to be short and sweet until I have use of my right hand again.



WOD

100 air squats for time
2:21

18 seconds off my time from Wednesday 2:39
both days
30 one armed counter push-ups

Dialing In: (thank goodness I'm back to writing this down)
7:30 am
1 apple
2 tablespoons almond butter
1 .5oz deli turkey
1 cup fruit

12:00 noon
1.5 cup romaine lettuce
2 oz deli turkey
carrot soup
1 cup of fruit
1/2 butterscotch brownie

6:00
turkey
turnips
mashed potaotes (had to have them - down here it's in memory of my grandmother)
broccoli
pumpkin pie - real wiped cream (yeah - had to have that too!)

I read Christmas calories don't count! :)

Don't try this at home.

I have been so excited to bring this "cage" home. Beautiful day, warm, partially sunny... perfect day to set up the "cage".



And I went to go try it out.....



WARNING: Don't try and do a pull up after your hands have been cooking greasy food.

last time

The last time I posted was a day before my husband died.
A day that would change my life forever. The shock of his death is still the same as it was two and a half months ago. Although I am reminded of the reality every day.

This blog will continue....... and get better. WOD's and Dialing In will be back. Stay tuned for more to come!

Where you been?

Writing has consumed my nights. Maybe it's not so much writing has it thinking about what to write. Writing for our gym's morning class, Morning Mayhem. Takes time and thought. Leaving not much time to write on this blog.....

Be back soon!

Responsiblity

re·spon·si·bil·i·ty
The quality or state of being responsible: as a : moral, legal, or mental accountability.

This morning I woke up after having.... well yeah I had three of those.
They were good, but almost on the border line of not being responsible.

At any rate, I thought about staying in bed, I have no plans for the day, expect to train tonight at 6:30 so I had freedom to do what I wished.

But the guilt, the "responsibility" thing kicked in about Morning Mayhem and not being apart of our morning class, not taking pictures, not cheering people on, not being responsible creeped into me... so up I got, grabbed some tea and made a late appearance at the gym...

WOD

REST

Dialing In:
5:00am 8 oz tea

Wednesday...

Wednesday's are deadline days here at our newspaper. So, things are busy...which makes the time go fast. Todays WOD was great!
Went in feeling under the weather after getting in late, no dinner, up late and woke up to a slight sore back from sleeping on the coach. But life goes on and so did the WOD. With or without me it was going to take place. I had a choice to participate or whine. I choice the first. So glad I did.

somewhere...

.....................................
....................................
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Trains

There's not much I need or want as far as materialistic things go. I have been fortunate to get or pay off for the things I have wanted. I need to have nice clothes for work so I like that excuse to buy new shirts and pants when I see something I like. I always wanted a laptop computer and I finally saved the money for that. The Harley has been bundled in with the mortgage "I" pay for. And my most recent expense as been my new camera which I wouldn't change for the world. I love it. I love taking pictures... of what I'm doing, where I'm going, to who I'm with. I love it.
With all that said I found myself sitting at a railroad crossing yesterday and it made me realize that I really do love trains. I have always wanted a Lionel Train set like I had when I was a kid. Over the years I have looked for a set and they are so so expense. I would need to take out a small loan to get the set I want. I want the train to go around the WHOLE inside of my house.....

I will get it someday!

Friends

Yesterday I stopped in a birthday party for a friend's son turning 9. It was great to see her. She has moved to OK and was only in town for a couple of days to see family. Family is what I'd call her. I have known Michele since I was in high school and when ever we get back together it's like we never left. At the same point you realize how much you missed them!

Hump Day?

what happened to it? What happened to hump day? It was gone before I knew it.

SO, let's just skip what happened yesterday and move on to today.

WOD
REST

I had best intentions of lifting tonight..but I was worn out and I want to do well on tomorrow's WOD. I don't talk much about going to "Dykes" because I feel like I'm cheating on ACF (Albany CrossFit) my real home. To add to the complexity is being apart of two different (in some ways) theories on exercise. One is based around Olympic Powerlifting and the other on the CrossFit philosophy. So I kinda keep them separate (for now). I do think some things I could bring back ACF and be a benefit to us. Like the box squat.

Dialing In:
Fasting 24 hours. I'm reading more and more on the benefits of Intermittent Fasting. One benefit is that while fasting your body produces human growth hormones. Basically defying age. Another benefit to fasting is that it has help me stop this complusive thing of wanting to eat "all" the time. You actually stop thinking about it. ...until you smell something so good or you see something you can almost taste. Then you're in trouble.

Ouch!!

Anyone in CrossFit has experienced the "sting" of a ripped hand. Doing sets of pullups creates for some interesting things to happen to your hands. The calluses like mole hills and the rips!

WOD
"Helen"
15:06

Will you use the darn band in your pull ups! Work on your chest to bar. Get it right. Make it a metcon workout and would you stop standing there under the bar looking at it!

Even after almost a year and a half I still can't get a good string of pull ups. I was doing strict and getting 5-6. Switched to kipping (finally) and started getting 5-6 of them. But after the first round I start going down to 3...to 2 to one at a time.
Sad but true. I will start over again for what I think is the second or third time to the band and get that chest to bar.

Good Day Sunshine...

Started back up on a busy work out routine. After 4 days off and a fast day... I was ready to hit the WOD today. HARD. It wasn't until the "warm up"seemed hard that made me question if 4 days off is a good or bad thing. I was winded! I slept good, ate good had more than enough REST (thank you trainer Brett) I was ready to "I thought hit Cindy hard"

WOD "Cindy"
13 rounds + 2 pullups

For those not in CrossFit that's not good. The elite "Connor Martin"got 40 rounds. But he was 13 years old too. I'm far from being elite but my goal was to hit 15 today.
Average is probably (from what I say on the message board) is 16-20.

Dialing in:
4:00am 8 oz tea
7:30am 8 oz juice 14 oz water
8:00am 1 apple, 1 oz cheese, 3 teaspoons almond butter
12:00 Maki lunch

Trying out glasses. Just for reading. Never needed them... but I guess they could be stylish.

Bye......

August 1st.

I don't feel old 'till my daughter reminds me how old she is... Today she turned 23. yup it's sad but true...I wish I could say I had her when I was very very young...but I wasn't.
Enough about age.
Today is also another big day for my daughter. Years ago she asked her great aunt Janet to go to Paris when she graduated from college. Well the time has come and the two of them are on their way to Paris today. I'm very exciting for both of them. They are going to have a blast. I was asked to go but neither do I have the money or the desire to go to Paris. "If" I did have the money to go to Paris - I wouldn't be spending it on a trip to Paris. My daughter knew right off the bat what I'd spend the money on...that would be another CrossFit Cert. I want to go to Aromas, CA and take a CrossFit for Kids cert....(someday)

The "Real McCoy"

I think that expression is so ironic! The Real McCoy is when so many things are so similar that it is are to determine which is the "real" one. Or distinquishing between the fake and the real.
But in looking up the origin, there are "several" version of the origin.....so you wonder which origin in the "Real McCoy"
In life you think about that in people. It's not that easy determining if people mean what they say and do. You wonder if their intentions are what they really mean. You wonder if their kindness on the outside is really from the inside. You wonder are they the "Real McCoy"

Dialing In:
6:00am 16 oz tea
7:30am 2 cups brocolli, 2 eggs, 1 oz cheese, 1 oz protein, 22 oz water
8:30am 16 oz tea
12:00noon 8 oz water, bread (yup bread AND butter)
It was too good to be true this garlic, buttery brown on the sides bread! Had to have it!
6 raw oysters!
6 oz (guessing) Blackened salmon with vegetables
2:00pm 1 cup berries, 1 oz protein, 3 (ok maybe 4 ) teaspoons of almond butter. It probably was 4 (or 5)

Rain, Rain, go away

There is a time and place for everything. Some days you look forward to rain just so you have a good excuse to stay home and do nothing. Rainy days can be fun. Well................those "fun" days have long been gone and I think we all need some summer. Big plans for the weekend were to travel. (still up in the air) Anything could happen and sway the decision to travel with a motorcycle. Plan was to travel to NH to "Soul Fest" and see Casting Crowns. But besides just doing that was that fact it would be a beautiful ride on my Harley Sportster, my vehicle of choice.
Besides my bike my other vehicle of choice is my pickup truck (which I wouldn't change in the world), I like trucks (always have) my dream has always been to drive a land mover! Yup a land mover! Since a child I loved trucks, I mean I loved them. (not because I had three older brothers) it was something about being able to move great things.. carry big heavy things, sitting tall in a truck. I remember having Tonka trucks that were big enough I could sit on....(well, at 5 or 6 that wasn't hard) and it's not like I didn't have dolls or stuffed animals, I had them too. As a matter of fact at the age of 8 I was the best school teacher around...


YUP! That's what I want to drive! I really do. I would take a job like that in a heart beat.

WOD
REST DAY (actually for the next couple of days)

Dialing "Out":
I am hungry all the time these days!!
PREGNANT? I don't think so!
Bored?
Comfort?
I can probably blame it on not being accountable, not writing it down. Well, today's going to be a fast day and I hope tomorrow I'm back "Dialing In"

"Missed Opportunities"

"Missed Opportunities" as I call them are times when you should have, could have, but didn't and now there is no going back. Whether it be calling someone when you have that urge to say "I Love You", "Happy Birthday", "miss ya" or the times when you should have gone somewhere but something held you back. You can't get those times back, you can't replace those spur of the moment feelings, or get back the invitation that is no longer there. It's like being given a gift and not accepting it.
What makes me feel even worse is when giving someone else the opportunity, the gift, or the time and it's not taken. They've "missed the opportunity". The opportunity that may never be given again. That love that may not be shared again...

WOD
"Nate"

Complete as many rounds in twenty minutes as you can of:
2 Muscle-ups scaled to 3 pullups, 3 dips to one muscle up
4 Handstand Push-ups scaled to blue and red band
8 2-Pood Kettlebell swings 55# (and that was heavy!)

Dailing In:

4:30am 8 oz tea
7:30am 22 oz water, 2 oz protein
8:00am 1 apple, 1 oz cheese,
3 teaspoons peanut butter (see that "peanut") no almond butter left :(
10:30am 1/2 grapes, 1 oz cheese, 2 teaspoons peanut butter
1:00pm chicken casear salad, french onion soup. NO I didn't eat all that bread. I ate a couple small croutons and the croutons in the soup.

This is Dasha Madchen Bergquella

"Madchen"
Our dog of 14 years. (and previous running partner of 7-8 years) I had to take her to the vet today for a check up. I was thinking they were going to say it's coming time to maybe put her down. She is almost 15 and she drags her back two legs, sometimes she can't even get up, she needs a "lift".
But to my surprise she is in great shape and has alot of life still in her. Her and her hair will be around my feet for sometime to come in "our" kitchen quarters.

Tuesday?

When you're on vacation you forget what day it is. You have no obligations, no schedule, no where to be....time is truly on your side when you are on vacation.

The first part of the vacation will be doing things around the houses. Where I want, what I what, and when I want to do it. That's because I have the time.

Yesterday the bathroom door finally got hung. 1 1/2 off the bottom at an angle in one direction. 1 inch of the top with an angle going in the other direction and than ripping it down the side 1/4 was the easy part. The hardest part (for me) was lining up the door latch to the ???? that thing on the other side. :)
I almost gave up when my last attempt was successful. It looks beautiful. (sorry no pictures)
I think today was productive has well. Gave the dog a bath... getting her ready to go to the vets tomorrow. (that I should have had a picture for) Cleaned the bathroom and mowed the law. All and all a good day.





REST DAY
Trained at ACF

Dialing In:

Don’t be a “Cl0ck wh0re”!

Don't be a what?
That's what I was called today as I was waiting out the 2 seconds left on the clock moving between exercises.
"Use the whole interval! Don’t be a “Cl0ck wh0re”!
I'd prefer to call it strategizing.... :). I got the number I was looking for so I choose to add the 2 seconds on to my 10 seconds rest.
"That won’t improve your training, just your score."
OK, OK, I get the point.

WOD
Tabata Revolver
394

Strength
OHS
PR @ 90# 1rm

Dialing in:
4:30am 8oz cheese
8:00am 2 cup fresh brocolli, 2 eggs, 1 oz cheese
22 oz water, 1 oz protein
10:00am 1 apple, 1 oz cheese, 2 t almond butter
1:00pm 2 cups brocolli, 2 oz chicken, 12 peanuts
3:30pm 1 cup fruit, 1 oz protein, 2 t almond butter
5:30pm 1 oz cheese, 2 t almond butter, 1/2 pineapple
7:30pm 1.5 sliced steak, 1/2 cup melon, 2 t almond butter.

I KNOW - I really need to cut that almond butter out. I'm working on that. I have to find what the source of gaining weight and inches are coming from. I know I've been eating more blocks then I should. Definately more fat (well, almond butter) Goal is to get back to writing in a journal and reweighing and measuring my food, to make sure I'm correct in my portions.

quiet....

I suppose that's why I love the mornings. It's quiet. No one is up yet...and when the kids were younger it was a gift to have these waken hours of peace. (well it still is) I find it peaceful, rejuvenating, it's "joy's" time. (always has been).
Before CrossFit it would be my time to jog. For 20 years. It was awesome...I would be on the road 5:00am...out sometimes under the stars, "almost" all alone, free from all the worries of yesterday, free from any chore that might be at hand, free from all distractions. It's was just ME, my ipod and God....



When I miss those hours...I get mad at myself for sleeping in too late. I feel as though I wasted the best part of the day.
I live by a bridge and I actually get upset when I hear cars....not because of the noise I've become accustom to...it's because I know there are all these people up, doing things, starting their day...and I'm not. So if it's not the kids, the dogs...it will be the cars that get me up on those days when I might just want to stay in bed.

Today is technically a:

REST DAY

I had other ideas... :)
but I will keep to the game plan of resting two days a week. It has proven to be very successful letting my muscles rest and recover. Yesterday I spent hours at ACF working and video taping snatches and did a small amount of deadlift work. I was happy the weight I could put up in my snatch. 75# was PR for me but I really need to go back down and work on my early pull, yanking it off the floor and I see no depth in my squat. I watch videos of Olympic lifters and I'm envious of how they sit so low and swing heavy weight overhead like it's nothing. In my eyes, that is truly beautiful a movement. I once referred it to the waltz, graceful yet powerful!




Dialing in:
5:45am 8 oz tea
6:30am 1/2 apple, 3 teaspoons almond butter, 1 oz cheese
7:30am 8 oz tea
9:30am 1 cup fresh broccoli & red pepper, egg, 1 oz cheese, 1 cup fresh cantalope(hmmmm,ripe), 8 oz hot water

Row Rover

Yes, not "Red" Rover, "Row" Rover was our WOD for the day. Friday's have become Fun Friday's.
Today was teams of three doing 10cal rowing, 10 box jumps and 10 ring dips.
I think it should be called "Ralph" Rover because after 10 minutes, that's what I felt like doing...ralphing.

WOD:
Ralph Rover

Dialing In:
4:30am 8 oz tea - (should have been a gallon the way I felt today)
7:30am 2 cups broccoli, 1.5 cheese, 2 eggs, 1 cup berries, .5 oz protein, 4 teaspoons almond butter.
10:30am 1oz cheese, 1/2 pineapple, 3 teaspoons almond butter
3:30pm 2 oz chicken, 2 cups green beans/broccoli, 12 peanuts

Void

That's how I feel sometimes when things are left open ended. Your waiting for something but nothing comes back.

Check back tomorrow when I intend to actually write something more constructive.

"Which way do I go.."

Have you ever seen a squirrel in the middle of road....he starts running one way...stops...runs the other way...stops... starts running again and then runs the other way again... in total uncertainty. He doesn't know which is the right way, which way to go. He's caught in the middle.
Has life ever felt like that?
"Go this way...." "NO, go this way"

You are what you eat.

Yup... I ate all of that last night. I told myself last weekend, I wasn't going to do that to myself again...... we'll I did. But again, it was a blast.
A night out with Albany CrossFit girls for Karaoke Night. We had a great time. Check out Morning Mayhem's 7-20-09 post for a recap.

I thought today would be another REST DAY... 11:00am came around I needed to get out. Snatch work/kipping practice (on the band) was sounding fun. Into to the gym I went.
I'm glad I did. I "think" I did pretty good. I got 21 consecutive pullups. I'm happy with that. Next time I'm going for 30.
Snatch work was pretty good. I thought I was getting the form. Worked my way up to working with 65#. Big improvement from a week ago when I was using a 35# bar.



55#



60#



65#



Dialing In:
6:30am 8 oz green tea
8:00am 1 apple, 3 teaspoons almond butter
10:30am 1 cup fresh blueberries, 2 teaspoons almond butter, 1 oz cheese
1:30 2 oz chicken, 2 cups broccoli, 18 peanuts
8 oz pomergranate, 2 oz protein, 12 oz water, 1/2 blueberries, strawberries
5:00pm 1 oz cheese, 4 teaspoons almond butter, 1 cup fresh berries
7:30pm 1 oz cheese, 4 teaspoons almond butter, 1 cup fresh berries

REST well needed

Yesterday, unfortunately became a rest day, not from the WOD but from the work I intended to get done. The bathroom door never got hung.... instead a nice, obviously well needed two hour nap occurred instead. I felt "alittle" bad but not really. It felt good! You know it's good when you come back the next day feeling more energized, and I did. 9:00am I have some weeding done(I HATE wedding), several loads of laundry, breakfast and plenty of reading both in theology and CrossFit. Right there is hard to balance. I fear I will not spend enough time in either category. NEVER have enough time read what I want.

REST DAY

Dialing In:
6:00am 8 oz green tea
8:00am two eggs, 2 c brocolli, 1 oz gorgonzola cheese, 2 oz protein 16 oz water (not very Zone balanced) BUT that's what I had an urge for.
9:00am 8oz green tea

So far so good

Today started with wanting to stay in bed....(it's a vacation day for me).
But I got up anyway and went to the 5:45am class. I'm glad I did but it wiped me up. Totally.
I was fortunate to go hope have a quick shake and take a 1/2 cat nap before I was rudely awoken by none other than my dear son. Did some running around with him and got back to sneak in another 2 hour nap. Not my idea of a vacation day. But I must have needed it. It felt good.

Second Guess

"Randy"
Today's WOD was Randy. 75 snatches @ 75#
I used 35#. Which 5 days ago seemed heavy. Today it seemed easy. Maybe it's a mind game. I felt good, felt pumped, wanting to go at it. But when I finished in 3:37 I though did I count that right? I know I did, but I thought, how could you do that in 3:37 did I skip numbers? I know I didn't. I know because I am soooo bad at counting and keeping track that's all I think about doing a long numbered WOD like this is to concentrate on the numbers. When asked how many you have I said 60!! confidently. I knew I had it.

Birthdays

Birthdays seem to be the topic these days. July 13th was my Dad's birthday and although someone is no longer with us you still seem to remember those special days. I have loving memories of my Dad and have always taken 7-13 to be "my" numbers.
That and 8-31 for my mom's birthday. For some reason that month of August has always been a special month for me, especially those last days of the month when my mom would want to do something special during that week. It was usually going to the Saratoga Track. That was a treat for her. I have good memories of her week and now I always find that last week of August to be special.
Call it superstitious, but it feels like there is something special about those numbers. Birthday numbers are easy to remember and are used in probably everyone's passwords. The day, month or the year are something you know and can be used and never forget.
When numbers like that start appearing in odd places you think "oh" today is my lucking day. "I should play that number...." etc. Well in today's WOD I finished in 12:26. My birthday! Maybe that means today will be my "lucky day"

Dialing In:
4:00am 8 oz green tea
8:00 1 apple, 3 teaspoons almond butter, 2 oz protein 24 water
10:30 1 oz cheese, 2 teaspoons almond butter
12:30 4 oz salmon (delicious) 2.5 cup broccoli 12 peanuts
1:00 1 cup berries, 2 teaspoons almond butter, 1 oz protein
Fast 18 hours

"Collecting My Thoughts"

I'm not quite sure why we use that terminology. It should be more like "Clean out my thoughts". In order to think about the "thoughts" I have, I have to clean all the other "stuff" out of the way. There is so many things racing through my mind that it's hard to concentrate on the task at hand. It's almost like a dirty desk. In order to work on a project you need to "clean" up your area to see the items you need and then "collect" all the pieces together in one group.

Today I needed to "Clean" and then "Collect" my thoughts so I decided to jog 2 miles before work. I didn't get far when I needed to walk. Not that I needed the physical break I needed the time, more time, more time to slow down and think. I walked and jogged the first mile and "thought" I best jog out the last mile and get back to putting my thoughts into what pays the bills.

When all was said and done. I never was able to finish what I wanted to accomplish in my mind. I never finished contemplating. There never seems to be enough time to clean and collect before more thoughts invade your mind....

WOD
2 mile walk/jog

Dailing In:
4:30am 8 oz tea
8:00am 1 apple, 3 teaspoons almond butter, 2 teaspoons protein, 24 oz water
10:30am 1 oz cheese, 2 teaspoons almond butter
1:30pm 2 cups brocolli, green beans, 3 oz salmon, 12 peanuts
1 cup berries, .5 oz protein, 3 teaspoons almond butter
6:00pm 2.5 cups green beans, brocolli, 3 oz chicken, 16 peanuts, 1 cup berries, 1 oz protein, 4 teaspoons almond butter

My brother said today he had a eating disorder. I had to tell him I had a worse case of it. I can not stop eating almond butter. It's BAD. (well not really) but it's bad in a way it's draining my pocketbook.

Somewhere in The Middle

by Casting Crowns
Somewhere between the hot and the cold
Somewhere between the new and the old
Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be
Somewhere in the middle, You’ll find me

Somewhere between the wrong and the right
Somewhere between the darkness and the light
Somewhere between who I was and who You’re making me
Somewhere in the middle, You’ll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense. Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is. But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle. Are we caught in the middle

Somewhere between my heart and my hands
Somewhere between my faith and my plans
Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves

Somewhere between a whisper and a roar
Somewhere between the altar and the door
Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more
Somewhere in the middle You’ll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Lord, I feel You in this place and I know You’re by my side
Loving me even on these nights when I’m caught in the middle

That's ME these days. "Somewhere in The Middle"... you'll find me.


WOD:
Candy (NO Not Candy ass)
not at least for this wod

5 Rounds for time:

20 Pullups
40 Pushups
60 Squats

Time 26:33

Dailing in:
4:15am 8 oz green tea
7:30am 1 apple, 3 teaspoons almond butter, 2 oz protein, 20 oz water
10:45 am 1 oz cheese, 1/2 c grapes, 1 teaspoon almond butter
12:30 2 cups green beans, brocolli, 2 oz chicken, 12 peanuts, .5 oz protein, 1 cup berries, 3 teaspoons almond butter
6:00pm 2 cups green beans, brocolli, 3 oz salmon 12 peanuts, 1 oz protein, 16 oz water
(so typical-but I love it)

No harm done

Having fun when it involves junk food, or just lots of food, cakes and sugar and most of all when it involves social drinking. Over the years I have almost completely stopped consuming any alcohol. Not because of a problem but because I just don't care for getting fat and sick off it.
Therefore when I do drink, two is probably where I should stop. Well.....that's not always the case. You kinda get wrapped up in all the "fun" and before you know it you're having another or maybe even started in on the shots.
Yesterday I attended a small barbeque wedding where there was FOOD and lots of it. Hamburgers, hot dogs, rib eye steaks, salmon cooked to perfection, salads, and this cake... OMGosh, that had this cream cheese frosting. Spoiled as I may be at times I was the first in line to ask for the corner piece! I didn't regret it yesterday and I still don't regret it today.
A matter of fact that is my point this morning. Yesterday was FUN and I have no regrets filling myself with "good spirits". (no harm done)


Dialing (back) In:
5:30am 8 oz black tea (unfortunately all my green tea is gone)
7:00am 1/2 apple, 3 teaspoons almond butter 1 oz protein 12 oz water
10:00am 8oz black tea
12:00 noon 2 cups of green beens and brocolli, eggplant and cheese, 1.5 cup berries, 1 oz protein, 4 teaspoons almond butter
2:00pm 8 oz green tea
3:30 1 oz cheese, 1/2 cup grapes, 2 teaspoons almond butter, 12 oz water
7:30 2.5 oz chicken, 2.5 cups green beans, brocolli, 12 peanuts, 12 oz water
8:00 1 cup berries, 1 oz protein, 4 teaspoons almond butter

When you don't succeed...

try try again. I never quite mastered either the snatch or the kipping pull ups so I started from square one today. Blue band kipping and a 35# bar with a baseball cap. Yup that's where I am going to stay until I get full extension, good movement and chest to bar on my pull ups. And the 35# bar will be my friend until I can get that bar closer to my body, shrug, bend the elbows up and out, dropping under the bar with locked arms overhead. WOW, that is some tall order

Today we'll skip the "Dialing In:" as I know now it's going to be a Cheat Day. A long time co-worker is getting married today. It will be a outdoor, barbeque wedding. My understanding is that it will be short and sweet. We all have our reasons for getting married, whether it be love at first site, long time friends, cant' live with you/can't live without you, all the way to needing medical insurance, life insurance and even just a dependable life partner. Whatever the case may be when you make that tie, make that commitment you hope and pray you never have to break that trust of making that first commitment. You would hope at the least, both partners would try everything possible to stand by their words of "to death do us part"
(I suppose that is why we have gun control..... :) JUST KIDDING.)

Enough about weddings...we were talking about the "love" of lifting. Here's videos of how I did from square one today.

(First is a little dancing warm up)

There is always room for more

Beyond our mistakes there is room for improvement. Improvement in our communications, attitude, and outlook of life. Today was no different realizing that improvements need to be made.

Dailing in:
4:00am 8 oz tea
7:00am 16 oz water
2 oz protein
9:30am 1 apple
4 teaspoons almond butter

there was more to the day - just forgot to add it..........

There is always a new beginning.

I have made alot of mistakes in my life. More than I can count. Well this past week I have made several more.

These mistakes or bad choices were made in my workout routine. We are on a new programming at Albany CrossFit, one at which we are striving for "power". The theory is to produce more power by performing a consistant (non stopping) work out. In order to do that you either scale your weight, use a band on pull ups or decrease the number of reps performed.

Check out this cool Power Output Calculator.

Programming:
• Scaling is NOT a bad thing
• We ALL need to scale, which may mean scaling up not down
• No longer will we use the Rx weights to program.
• We will now cycle weightlifting before each WOD and during each one of these sessions we will find out what our 1RM or 5RM maximums are for that particular weightlifting movement.
• The Repetition Maximums (1RM, 3RM, or 5RM) will be determined for ALL of the primary lifts we use in our WODS: Press, Push Press, Push Jerk, Deadlift, Back Squat, Front Squat, Bench Press, Pull Ups, Squat Clean, Power Clean, Overhead Squat, Power Snatch, Snatch
• EVERYONE will have a different weight on every workout! Unless you lift the identical weight as someone else in the 1RM, you WILL have a different weight during the WOD.
• We will tell you which Percentage you will use and of what exercise you will base that percentage on……
55% 1RM of your Push Press and use this weight for your thruster weight during FRAN.
• The weightlifting aspect will not be everyday but on a cycle and repeated through the same cycle every 6 weeks. In between cycles we will have a week off from the weightlifting, during which we will test your 1RMs and see that they have increased. IF NOT we will look at your diet and the possibility of overtraining.
• We all WILL help you and there will be a CHART which shows you what the %’s of your 1RM mean in regards to number of repetitions.
Percent of 1RM Optimal REP totals Total REP Range for Entire WOD
30-35% NA >60
40-50% 45 40-50
55-65% 25 20-30
70-75% 15 10-20
80-85% 10 5-15
>90% 5 1-10

Example: Fran has 45 Total REPS for each exercise
Sample WOD on the White Board/Webpage would look like this:
Skill - Back Squat - Work up to a 3RM
Strength - Push Press - 70% 3x3 (3 sets of 3 reps with 70% of your 1RM)
WOD: 10 Minutes/Max Rounds:
5 Pull-Ups
5 Ring Dips

(Modify with a band 3 stages down from your 1RM if necessary for both dips and pull ups)

REST DAY

Dialing In:

4:30am 8 oz tea
6:30am 8 oz tea
8:00am 1 apple
3 teaspoons almond butter
2 oz protein
28 oz water

the day nor food consumption ended there... just didn't finish

REST DAY

Dialing in:
4:15am 8oz tea
8:00am ALOT I ate alot.
2 cups brocolli, 2 hard boiled eggs, 12 peanuts, 1.25 oz cheese, 1/2 fresh blueberries, 1 apple, 3 teaspoons of almond butter! And to think that is only a 3 block breakfast! sweet.

Trainee vs. Trainer

It's an interesting experience to be a trainer. People look at you! They expect you to be knowledgable and with authority standing up in front (like you know what you're doing)
It can be scary. I taught back squats (or at least gave "some" teaching points) I noticed right at the beginning I had skipped a couple of lines I wanted to say. But I think I ended up getting a couple of points across. I'm sure with more practice, I would remember what I want to say without stumbling.

I got stripped!

I was all excited today to do deadlifts. Deadlifts is one of my favorite lifts, besides thrusters. I came in looking forward to "maybe" hitting a PR. I felt good, rested and took my time working my way up in weight.

WOD
Backlifts 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1
I think I was at my 8th set @ 195# and I got stripped (literally) of my weights and told to get my form right first. I stood there mouth open, until I fell to the ground like a big baby who's toy was taken from her. Yup, I laid there on the floor sulking until I was told to get up. I preceded to work several sets of 5 @ 135#..... :( I was not a very happy camper.

Dialing in:
4:20am(a little later the normal - I hit the snooze button 3 times today) 8oz tea
8:00am 2 oz protein, 28 oz water, 1 apple, 3 teaspoons almond butter

Not too bad....for a Monday.

Woke up still tired. Not sure what that was all about. I thought I had enough sleep. Maybe it was waking up several times from the thunder and lightening storm. It was fierce! Then the dogs got going. The "adopted" one can get up the stairs to my bedroom. (unlike the older one) and he came wanting in.... and wanting out....wanting in...wanting out! Finally I closed the door shut tight! But then your body thinks your up and it triggers you to have to use the bathroom. Up I got and down the stairs. While I'm down there I usually get a drink of water....then back to bed.

Today's workout was less then fulfilling. I don't do well with pull ups... and we did "Nicole" today. When I heard the numbers other people got made me feel "alittle" discouraged. I get upset with my progress... and not getting better over this past 6 months.

WOD
"Nicole"
Total: 36

Dialing in:
4:00am 8 oz tea
7:00am 2 oz protein 28 oz water
8:00am 1 apple, 3 teaspoons almond butter
10:30am 1 oz cheese, 1/2 cup grapes, 3 teaspoons almond butter
12:30pm 2 cups broccoli, green beans, 6 oz salmon(of my gosh was that good), 16 peanuts
1:30pm 1 cup berries, 1 oz protein, 4 teaspoons almond butter
3:30pm 1 oz cheese, 1/2 cup grapes, 3 teaspoons almond butter
6:00pm 4 oz combo salmon, chicken, & cheese, 2 cups green beans, 16-18 peanuts
8:00pm 1 cup warmed berries, 1 oz protein, (I don't want to tell you...) I think it was 6-7 teaspoons of almond butter. :) I don't feel very well right now......LOL
It's like finishing off the couple of spoonfuls of ice cream. Your reasoning is that "there isn't enough to save"?!

Hiding?

Today is one of those days I'm laying low. Trying to hide from (mainly from the kids) so that know one asks me to do anything. For the last couple of weeks I have been working on a new adventure at CrossFit. A CrossFit program for kids. In talking with the owner of our affiliate he loved the idea. Now to implement it...plan it, define it, market it, initiate it....
First step: To create a business proposal, goal and mission statement, describe the 10 General Physical Skills and 9 Fundamental Movements, and detail out the exercises being performed.

Starting Over

Today, I'm starting all over!
Starting a new blog.
Making this one better and more consistant.
Although my blog may be new and fresh,
my diet and exercise routine is far from.
Today began with......well let's first start with yesterday...

Friday's WOD
Friday's have become "Teamwork" days. So has a team we completed two Races:













But the fun didn't stop there. I had the day off from work so I decided to work on my snatches and squat cleans. My snatches seemed better than last weeks. I took video and watched and rested in between sets. Didn't realize I spent 3 hours at the gym!! But it was fun.
I got to a 70# snatch (a pr) and 105# cleans (not a pr).



Dialing in:
4:00am 8 oz tea
7:30am 2 oz chocolate protein, 28 oz water
9:30am 1 apple, 4 teaspoons almond butter
12:00am LUNCH at the Garlic Lovers
2 oz salmon, salad with basil garlic sauce
48 oz water throughtout the day
1:30pm 1 cup warm berries, 1 oz protein, 3 teaspoons almond butter
18 Hour Intermittent Fast

Saturday:
REST Day

5:00am 8 oz tea
8:00am 2 cups fresh broccoli, 3 eggs, 1 oz cheese, 2 cups fresh berries, 1 oz chocolate protein and 12 oz water
I love doubling up on my foods! Although today I couldn't finish my egg mixture. :(
12:00 noon 1 oz cheese, 4 teaspoons almond butter, 1/2 cup grapes
I was saving up for the night I was going to have tonight. I was going to long time friends' wedding in Binghamton, NY.
Good thing I did. I ate, and ate and ate! I started eating at 2:00 with cheese and veggies.
Then a family style dinner. (not good...) I was then able to eat more and more on top of the three beers I managed to consume.
4-5 servings of salad waiting for dinner

Dinner:
2.5 stuffed cabbage
1 beef roll
mashed potatoes, more mashed potatoes (I know, then I even had more!)
I was so full...........I don't know how I ate the ice cream. Maybe it was the sprinkles I couldn't resist. It just looked so good. I figured I was really doing it I might as well do it in.
















Those have been two close friends. Neil for 12 years and Matt for 7 years. Matt was my co-worker and long time jogging partner. It's great to see him so so happy. Neil gets married next month to his long time partner Monica, next month. Congratulations to both of you.

Matt! What is that on your head?!