CrossFit, Daily, FitFluential, Fitness, Health, Photos

CrossFit isn’t for everyone…but it IS for me.

3 Comments

People love to hate on CrossFit since it’s such a “hardcore workout” and people are “prone to injury”. I love to argue the fact that it’s whatever you make it.

Feeling like poop? Don’t go. Or, if you do want to go workout, you don’t have to go full tilt on every damn workout. I sure as heck don’t. You don’t have to get better each time you do a deadlift, or a pushpress. There are plenty of times where I’m feeling sluggish when I head into CrossFit and I’m just not feeling it, so I don’t lift as heavy, I don’t go as hard, or as fast.

It drives me nuts when people comment (not here) saying that so many people get injured because of it.

Well let me tell you something. CrossFit isn’t for everyone.

Neither is hockey.

Neither is running.

Neither is cooking in the kitchen, for fear of chopping a finger off!

Do you get what I’m saying? There’s a reason CrossFit classes are small. There’s only one coach who is with you the entire class, walking around looking at people’s form. Making sure everyone is doing the correct movements, and if they’re not — you’ll get fixed and shown how to do the workout properly without getting injured.

I took TWELVE days off CrossFit, because I tweaked my shoulder. Due to me doing improper pushups. On November 1st, I went back to CrossFit and told my coach what was going on. He took me aside while everyone was doing the warm up before the WOD and showed me how to keep my shoulders pinched, my abs in, and do them off my knees instead. Now, 35 days later my shoulder feels fine and I’m still going strong on the 50 day pushup challenge.

There’s passion here, can’t you tell?  ;)

So yeah. CrossFit may not be for everyone. My former running buddy-turned friend (who just had a baby by the way!)  was the one who introduced me to CrossFit in February 2011, she actually decided to stop going to CrossFit altogether. It’s just not her thing any more.

 

Please. Don’t bash it til you try it. Then, hate on it all you want and go do the sports you love.

 

Continue Reading

50 day pushup challenge, CrossFit, Fitness, Health, Photos, Workout Schedule

My CrossFit Journal (1 Year, Week 37)

2 Comments

I am on Day 26 of the 50 day pushup challenge. Finally hit the halfway mark yesterday. I still do the pushups in the morning when I first remember because I don’t want it leaning over my all day to do them, and get lazy after work/working out and push them aside. Ha ha. Get it…

Anyway, they’re pretty tough now, I won’t lie. Some days are better than others where I can pump out 13 in a row and then rest for a few seconds and do the rest. But yesterday for instance I was only doing three at a time and needed a break! Funny how that works.

What I did this week, the short version:

M – CrossFit (+ 19 pushups) T – Rest Day (+ 20 pushups) W – Soccer (+ 21 pushups) Th – CrossFit (+ 22 pushups) F – Rest Day (+ 23 pushups) S – Rest Day (+ 24 pushups) S – 6.6km run (+25 pushups)

lol Looks like a lot of rest days. I swear it felt as though I worked out more than that…maybe I won’t continue the short version of my workouts ;)

______________________________________________

year 1, week 37, day 1.

AMRAP 20

1 Clean & Jerk; 155/115lbs 5 Pull Ups 10 Push Ups 5 Back Squats; 155/115lbsics

I used 65lbs for this WOD. I completed 4 full rounds and I did 5 pushups for the 5th round. Either that or it was 5 rounds, and I was on my 6th. I should really write this down again…

______________________________________________

year 1, week 37, day 2  Soccer Game!

 Yay soccer! Can’t really say much about this. We won? 1-0.

______________________________________________

year 1, week 37, day 3

6 Rounds of Ring Dips

30 seconds of Ring Dips 30 seconds of rest

REST 3 minutes

AMRAP 7 Burpees (6″ jump)

I completed 52 ring dips (like I was sitting in a chair. The easiest way to do them. I really suck at tricep strength). Then it was time for the burpees. I did much better than I was expecting. I didn’t rest too much, and completed 56 burpees. I’m not entirely sure the coach believed me, because he said “Oh cool” when he asked my number. :(

______________________________________________

year 1, week 37, day 4

Running yesterday morning in -1°c. Snowy, windy and chilly! But it was great!

I dressed in layers, and borrowed a wind breaker, mittens and wind-breaker mittens. I really need to go shopping for some winter apparel for running. I do have this great pair of wind-breaker pants I bought from Lululemon a few years ago, and they kept me warm throughout the run.

I didn’t have anything to eat before I went, and I could definitely tell I wasn’t in as great of shape as I was last week. So, note to self — must eat something before each run.

One thing I do have to say about running is that I’m on a completely different level than my Ironman Triathlete of a boyfriend. I mentioned that we ran 6.6km and told him that at one point we were running 5:45 minute/kilometers but the rest were 7 minutes. Sure, it’s slower than what I’m used to — but I used to exert myself much more. This time, I’m in control of my breathing and I’m running a further distance because of it. The boyfriend mentioned that it was slow, which was like taking a dig at me, But of course he didn’t mean it that way. I dwelled on it a bit, then told him to never tell me that I’m slow again — it bothered me. Because I know I can run fast. It just takes time. I really haven’t been running since 2010. Sure, I did 2 or so runs a week this summer, but I wasn’t being trained on HOW to run. I just went for long (5-6km), flat runs.

Running with Jenn and Steve is different. I take two puffs of my asthma inhaler, and off I go. It’s difficult at times, but Steve tells me to slow down and the breathing returns to normal again. It’s an anxious thing I have with running, but I’m figuring out how to get it back to a normal rate … with practice.

Look at the state of my bright pink shoes!  They are starting to wear out I think :( I’ve been on the eBay hunt for them now for a few weeks, since they’re a year and a hald olf.

As Steve said, There are only two kinds of runs. Good runs, and great runs. Yesterdays was just … good ;)

______________________________________________
Continue Reading

Climbing, CrossFit, Daily, FitFluential, Fitness, Health, Photos

Will I ever give up?

2 Comments

Will I ever give up, or quit my fitness regime? (Which consists of climbing, CrossFit, Soccer, and now running again!)

I’m not sure to be honest. If I don’t enjoy something any more, sure I’ll consider quitting. Just like I did at soccer for the summer of 2011 because I just had enough after getting injured frequently. (Man, when I injured my ankle I honestly though I had broken it. There were tears in my eyes which never happens (I think I have a high pain toldeance) but I was like OMFG bring me one of those orange boards to lie on … like they have at the spine treatment centers of america!

Then again I re-joined the CrossFit indoor soccer group this year.

I’ve quit going to the gym a number of times. In fact, it was a game “How long could I last?”. It always lasted no longer than half a year. Going to a regular gym doesn’t excite me, and I never really realized that until I started CrossFit.

I always attended group classes at a local gym, got bored of the routines, and started to plateau. CrossFit excites me, because you can go months without doing the same workout. The coaches there are helping you perform properly, and do the movements without injury. The classes are smaller so it feels like you have a personal trainer all the time next to you, pushing you. I felt like just a number at the big gyms. I didn’t know the instructors.

I quit soccer for a year and a half. I had been playing for 15+ years and lost all passion for it in my last summer season, which was summer 2011. I had an ankle injury in 2009 which happened AT soccer and it wasn’t healing. I was getting more afraid of the ball, being less aggressive and I felt I wasn’t bringing anything to the team. I made the difficult decision of leaving the team last year and not playing indoor last winter, nor outdoor this summer.

I think I really needed the break and I wasn’t planning on getting back into soccer again until I was invited by my CrossFit coaches who are putting together an indoor league this winter. I accepted the invite to join their league and we started playing back in September!

Despite not climbing for the past few months, I don’t think I’ll ever give up on climbing. It’s taken a back seat right now since I’m more focused and excited about going to CrossFit.  But I think come this Fall/Winter I’ll pick it up again. I really want to go to the next boulder competition in December, but if I even consider that I should really get my butt in gear and head in.

Here’s a photo of me from last years boulder comp. Neat huh?

I don’t think one should ever stop being active. It’s what keeps you healthy, and what keeps me awake during the days to be honest, ha ha!

Continue Reading