22 February 2013

Rest



So my week off has been a success. I have not worked out all week and I feel awesome. I really believe I was working out too much. Actually, the main problem was that recently I did not have a strict schedule for working out and I would miss days and then workout too many in a row. It was weird. So I'm feeling really good. I have also managed to get my eating under control. I was hitting the sweets pretty hard, but for the past 2 days I've been able to keep it under control and I can feel myself getting a handle on things again. Money - still a problem, but at least I'm not freaking out about it.

So what's the plan going forward? Well I really want to incorporate running into my program but I want to continue doing Crossfit and losing weight. So I think I will go back to my Mon-Tues-Wed-Fri-Sat Crossfit schedule. On Thursday and Sunday I will run. I want to start practicing ChiRunning and I think I'll start slow - 2 days a week.

The paleo challenge is over next week and I need to figure out what I'm going to do. I think I'll go back to the way I was after the first challenge. Basically sticking to paleo but easing up, allowing a little honey once in a while and eating squash and potatoes. I think a small part of the problem I'm having is the paleo, being too strict this time.

Anyway, I'm glad I took this time off and didn't rush back into it. I feel rested and refreshed and I'm ready to hit it hard on Monday.

21 February 2013

A little introspection, otherwise known as



Just 2 weeks ago I was on top of the world. Now I'm not. I just want to take a little time and try to understand what's going on with me. I know that motivation comes and goes, but this is not that. At least I don't think it is.

So let's begin. First let's look at my workouts. For awhile Crossfit was going great. I was making great strides with weights and abilities. Then things started to go not so good. I started to struggle and for a week or so felt like I was phoning in the workouts. Then I got a little blast of feeling good again but that petered out. On Monday I did the Great Aloha Run and due to lack of training, walked it. I also went from zero to 8 miles in one day and, looking back, I think that was a ridiculous idea. I got a blister on the ball of my foot. My hips hurt. My back hurt. Who the hell do I think I am??? The farthest I've gone in months is 800 meters and suddenly I can go 8 miles?!?!?!?!?! What an idiot. Luckily sanity seemed to return and I decided to take the entire week off from Crossfit to recover from my 8 miles. Really?? 8 miles??? My plan was to return to Crossfit on Saturday only to realize that I have to be at school by 8 and Crossfit is at 9. Hmmm....what to do..... So I've had this rolling around my head for a day or so and just know realized that it's causing me stress. So that's it. I can't work it out so I'm not returning to Crossfit until Monday. There, that's done.

Next, and probably one of my biggest stressors, is money. We were doing great, great enough that I felt confident buying a car. Not a week after I bought my car we get hit with something that we thought was long dead. Awesome. Fighting it is going to be costly and probably near impossible. It is putting a great hardship on us but we really have no option. I've been trying not to let it get to me, but it is. So we have this, a car payment starting up, plus today my car is in the shop and it's already looking like almost $300. I'm hoping that's where it stops. I'm praying that's where it stops. So money is a huge, huge stressor for me. That is probably the biggest one. That is probably the cause of all my angst. The thing is, I know it will work out, it always does. I also know that by freaking out and stressing, I attract negative energy and actually make the problem worse. I need to just let it go and know that things will be okay. Face it with a positive attitude and positive things will happen. It's just sometimes it's hard to be positive and upbeat when life keeps kicking you in the teeth.

Well, as I was sure it would, writing this out has helped immensely. I now see the underlying cause of my inertia - money. I need to stop worrying and start planning to handle it. That's the way to stop this stress, take control. I do feel better, not that I've resolved the problem but at least I understand the underlying problem. So what to do??? I'm not sure about that yet, but at least I know what I need to work on.

17 February 2013

Burpees and running



Yesterday at Crossfit we did 7 rounds for time of:

  • 7 push jerks (75#)
  • 7 ring rows
  • 7 burpees
For the last couple of weeks I've felt like I have not been giving my workouts as much as I could. I keep saying, I feel like I'm phoning it in. So after taking  Thursday and Friday night off, I decided to go hard yesterday.  AV for the push jerks were 75# and that's what I did. They were hard, really hard, but I did all 7 rounds.  The last 2 rounds I had to drop the bar in the middle, but I didn't care, I was determined to muscle through and I did.  For the ring rows, I went as low as I possibly could each time. For the burpees, I did full push-up burpees for all rounds except 1.  I completed all 7 rounds in 16:45. Not too shabby. Immediately after, my right shoulder felt like it was tightening up. It was really bothering me and I was a little afraid I might have done something to it by pushing the weight.  I moved it around a bit, then used the corner of a wall to do some pressure point work and that seemed to fix it up. By the time I got home and showered I was fine. 

After that it was off to pick up a friend and head to the Great Aloha Run Expo. The GAR is Monday, so the Expo is packet pick-up and stuff.  It's sad when you go someplace and have every intention of spending some money then fail to find anything to buy :(

I will be walking the GAR this year and that kind of bums me out. I want to run. I love to run. As much as I enjoy Crossfit, running is what I really want to be able to do.  I had hoped that between Crossfit and losing weight I would be able to start running again, but every time I try it's hard. Harder then I remember it being.  When I was in my running phase, I remember running being easy.  I vividly remember one weekend where I ran back-to-back 10ks.  Saturday I did it in like 1:15 and Sunday I did it in 1:10, and Sunday's run felt easier than Saturdays. And both were a whole lot of fun.  That's how I want it to be.  Easy and fun.  Over the past couple of months, I keep trying to get back into running only to find myself struggling and hurting so I stop.  Which brings us to yesterday. 
I get a Facebook message from a friend who is like 68 years old. She still does triathlons and last year did her first 100 mile run. She messaged me yesterday because she is reading a book that makes her think of me.



Now, if you've been around running or read anything about running you have heard of Chi running. I've heard about it for years just never really gave it a whole lot of thought. But she is reading it and says it makes her think of me and how I struggle with running, so she suggested I read it. Well, missing running as much as I do, I stopped yesterday and picked it up. I started reading it right away and am on Chapter 3. I love it. This guy is making me think I can get back to running again. I am going to read the book all the way through, then go back and re-read parts and set up a running schedule for myself. I am going to go slow and master each step of the process. I know myself well enough to know that if I'm not careful, I'll jump ahead and end up hurting myself and not running. So here I'm playing the tortoise, slow and steady wins the race.

So I'm excited at the possibility of running again. It really is my favorite thing to do and I do miss it a whole lot.

Conversation with Hubby

 So yesterday morning I presented my idea of working out at home to the Hubby. Once I presented it to him, he said he was in. I told him I h...