Long Week

Geez this week just went on and on. With work and the WOD's, my body was exhausted.
My whole family is sick and I could tell I was catching a lil cold. Oh no, I put a stop to it! I took airbourne and vitaC twice a day, ate lots of fruit, took night time medicine and what do you know, cleaned that sucker up!

Now that it's getting colder here in Cali, I have been bringing out my tea collection. This one here is from David's Tea and is Jumpy Monkey. It is loose tea so I put in a steeper and allow to steep for about mins. While that's working, I heat up some almond milk with stevia. I use a frother and once all frothed up, I pour the milk on top of my tea. Perfect to warm up my body.
I am a tea fiend, so I have many different flavors from David's and Teavana.

Heavy Squats: I have a love/hate relationship with these suckers. I love the strength I possess to lift that much yet I hate them cause...hmm I cant think of a real reason lol. When I do heavy squats, I gear up with my knee supports and weight belt.

Heavy squats to me are 1-2 reps. With the last rep being hard as heck getting out of the hole. I take my rest in between sets as well. I don't superset heavy squats cause I'm giving my full attention to them. I make sure I'm good and warmed up, do higher reps and then worked up to a semi-heavy load. When I'm coming back up from the hole, my focus is knees out, knees out, knees out! I swear forcing them out will get me up and out of that period where you're shaking and in that half squat. Knees out will force your biggest muscles of your body, your butt, to get you out.

 Heavy deadlifts! Same concept as squats: low reps, not supersetted, full attention. What goes on in my head while coming up is straight back, straight back, straight back! During heavy deads your back tends to curve forward which is really, really bad and you can totally hurt yourself. I use the bounce from hitting the ground to help get back up and then I drive through my heels like no other.
When I see heavy deadlifts on the agenda, I wear knee socks cause I want to keep that barbell close to my body through the whole entire lift so sometimes I scrap the bar against my shins; my legs are already scarred up so I'm trying to not ugly them up any more.

 Song is by Rob Bailey and The Hustle Standard, "Hungry." Seriously such a killer song to workout to! All they're songs pretty much are.

Handstands are my weakness and a skill that needs lots and lots of practice. I practice them every day and I see some progression but I'm just inpatient with them. Once I can hold a handstand for longer periods, Ill move on to handstand walks which are my ultimate goal. Have to take the steps to reach that goal. I have watched videos on the progression to handstand walks. I usually do them in front of a wall so if I have that support. I will then push off the wall to try to find my center again. I do occasionally step away from the wall cause I mean you really need to just let go of the support system of the wall so I get more used to kicking up and finding my center. If I feel I am going to fall backwards, I release one hand and push off the other so ill land on my feet. I also saw that some just tuck and roll out of the fall. I have seen handstand walks with legs up in the air and with the knees bent.



 

 So I took this picture to show off my SoxBox Navy socks. I love them and are my all time fav...wait I do love my Bad Ass ones too! haha The Navy has a special place in my heart. Why? Cause indeed I will be joining. That's another story so I wont get into that.

Also my booty shorts are from WODGearClothing and are the exercise shorts. I have these as well as the Tron, neon yellow and black pair. I love this brand and am actually a rep for them for 2013. They make ALL their clothes by hand, well sewing machines run by pple, here in CA. So made in the USA!

 

 

So this WOD is brutal, hands down. When you start, you begin with burpees, do as many as you can until the time is at 2min, You then jump up and do 8 toes to bar. Get right back at the burpees until time is 3mins.

I set a pace where I got in 10 or 11 burpees in between each TTB. So depending on how fast you get your burpees in determines how long your WOD will go. My time was 8:47:30.

This pretty much sums up how you feel after this WOD. I resumed the CrossFit post-WOD position on the ground.

I saw a ecard thing similar to this one but with a different saying. I made this one my own so I wouldn't be copying.





 

 

So I posted my box jump failure picture the day it happened. Well this below is what it looks like today:

yeah my leg looks pretty ugly right now. But my scabs are healing up really good since I am putting Emu Oil on them twice a day.

One of yesterday's WOD was 100 power cleans for time. This sucked so bad. My chest took a beating for sure which resulted in these bruises. My chest is so tender and really hurts if I touch it.

 

 

Week Recapage

This week was a doozy with my WODs and work and classes.

Since I recieved my Caffeine and Kilos snapback I wanted to pair it up with my IamProjectX Pirates of the Caribbean tank. Every time I wear it everyone thinks I'm an OG!

 

Clovis WOD:
150 Burpee Pullups
10 mile run
This sucker sucked! I did 15 burpee pullups and then followed with a mile run. By round three i was like "ahhhh" No really this WOD is totally mental; your mind will tell you to stop before your body will. The burpee pullups are seriously your rest periods cause the mile is long and continues forever it seems. Your mind wander during that mile; my thoughts ranged from "i think i need to walk" to "man i gots this!"
This took me two hours; after wards, my feet had blisters, my hands torn up, and my legs like jelly.

When I'm gone majority of the day, I have everything with me. Gym bag, lunch bag, purse, locker room bag etc. 

After my day I went to restock my fuelage so I had lots to carry in. So of course I carried it ALL! No second trips for me; I am far from lazy but I chose to grab it all. I always manage to still unlock my front door and lock my car! Tip: get a retractable keychain for your house key. I wear my lanyard around my neck and pull my key to the lock. 

For my post WOD eats, I make protein pancakes before I leave and store them in my tortilla warmer. This sucker keeps these babies so moist! I choose to make multiple little ones instead of two large or whatev, way easier to eat when you're on the go in your car.

My protein PB marshmellow pancakes:

1 scoop Cellucor PB Marshmellow protein ( use my discount code: PeaceloveFit to get you some cellucor.com)

1/2c oat flour

1mashed banana

1 egg white

Cinnamon

Water to mix

Dash of baking powder

.mix. If too thick I add more water.

 

 Push Press Max 20 reps
I learned from Kendrick Faris that your wrists should face up/vertical not horizontal like most think and do. I got some tips as well to move my hands out a little more than what I have in this video, keep elbows out, rest bar in the crook of your shoulders. 

This dealio ends TODAY(Oct 20)!!! but m5 and get a FREE vortex mixer! But you have to use my code:PeaceLoveFit at checkout on Cellucor.

Progress picture of my traps-no flex. I'm not lookin t my bi's but my trapezius! This was taken before my WOD so I pump! I am so proud and happy with how my body is responding to my CrossFit program. My body has seen more changes in these past few months than the last yr before of just doing BB.

I had 13.4 as part if one if my sessions.

13.4 7AMRAP

3 shoulder to OH (95)

3 TTB

6 shoulder to OH

6 TTB

Cont. increasing by 3 to each until time is up.

I did better than I did surfing the Open earlier this year so that's a plus but I felt like uhh I could have done way better! I wasn't to happy with myself with it.

10min AMRAP

5 HSPU

10 box jumps 30/24

15 cal row

This went by fast but it was brutal on the legs since I did this after stregnth. So my HSPU are different because im trying to do them without the wall support. I come down, balance, and kip up into a free standing handstand. Its a work in progress for sure. I make sure my box jumps are more efficient-i jump back up as soon as i land on the ground. Most usually come back down, roll back on their heels then their toes and jump up. An efficient box jump is when you come down on your toes, barely land and jump back up. Getting the groove down is tricky but you'll find they are faster.

So I was conversing with my buddy while doing 30in box jumps and I ate it! While ok really the box ate me! I didn't fall completely, I caught myself so my face wasn't planted down. I totally yelled "Shit!" really loud and then strayed laughing! It was my bad and I was like aw man I don't want to have to deal with this! Chunks of skin off leave for a long healing. I use Emu Oil on all my scraps, scabs, etc and it works beautifully.

I made my Chocolate PB Swirl Banana Bread during the week. I ate it in the mornings sandwiched between my chickloaf with some of my Cinnamon Nut Butter. So yummy!

Saturday was uber busy for me. I had my ACLS (advances cardiac life support) class, I went to the gym, rushed home and left for the Stockton Thunder Hockey game. Four fights and a 5-0 win! Yes I enjoy life outside the gym! It's not Crossfit alllll day (but really majority haha crossfit for life!) I do make time for my family and friends. Some get wrapped up in this fitness lifestyle and dont make time for anything else. Especially the food and clean eating can absorb a person. Live a little and don't seclude yourself; go out with family and friends to restaurants and don't bring Tupperware. Guess what?! If you're not in the fitness industry or on comp prep or your job is to stay fit (model), you don't need to be 100% all the time because that's not a life to live. You want to be afraid to eat? Or afraid to miss the gym? This is a LIFESTYLE! Meaning you're in it for the long haul, so missing a gym session EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE or having a different meal besides tilapia and asparagus EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE is OK! Having that one day off or that one meal won't drastically change your body. Think of all the time you have ahead of you living that lifestyle. A long time right?! Yes. But also life is short so why not enjoy it!

Ok my rant is done.

Today's METCON WOD

I completed this METCON after my strength training...after heavy squats, C&Js, snatches...my legs were already dead at that point but hey I'm building a better athlete!

So this METCON is done with 115lbs for men and 80lbs for women. The height for box jumps is games standards: 24 for men, 20 for women. Scale if you need to; drop by 10lb increments. 105/70, 95/60...

Complete these one after the other. 

The point of a METCON (metabolic conditioning) is to complete the WOD in a timely and strategized manner; pace yourself and if you drop the bar, give yourself a set rest time, then pick it back up and keep going. If you give a rest time you force yourself to pick it up when you see that the 5 or 10seconds are up. Yes it should only be that long; you don't rest for no minutes! 

Push yourself, scream out if you have to cause I certainly made some grunts and sighs and ahhhs throughout it. 

Just because you have 30 reps doesn't mean go all out and forget your technique. Sometimes going too fast and being tired, you forget form: DONT! Still get ass to grass on thrusters, lock out your arms on jerks, stand up on top of box jumps etc. 

Week Recap

Another week of my new Crossfit program down and guess what??? My clothes don't really fit...easily.

These were the first pair of jeans I've tried on since last year. It was a struggle and a few wiggles to get in those babies! I had to walk a little waddle-y and couldn't bend over in fear of ripping them right down the middle of my bum! My dad even said to me "Carah are those a little tight for your new muscles?" Haha I loved it! 

Heavy cleans action! Need to focus on catching my cleans low and then drive up. I was told I used to catch high and then ride it down. If I catch high stay high. I've also learned that your clean should look like your snatch; you are coming up in a deadlift and powering through your hips. 

Recovery was a 'Tasty' KillCliff icy cold straight from my ice box (which I keep in my car and cart around everywhere!)

I have been researching and decidin which brand of Oly lifters to get. Obviously I would have gone with the infamous Adidas but due to be around $200+ I could not afford them. Then down to Reebok's, Nike's, and Adidas Powerlifters. Again cost came to mind, so I went with Adidas Powerlifters 2.0. They have great reviews and I knew since they were going to be my first pair of Oly lifters, I wouldn't be able to compare them to any other ones. They are good to start with and eventually I may down the road get the pricier ones. I was uber excited to get these which I got on Tues an then Wed was a recovery day so I couldn't touch a weight. I was bummed cause I wanted to test them out right away. So Thurs came and those babies were awesome! It's amazing how much better my feet are planted and better stability I have in my lifts. I've had them for a week and no complaints.

These were my post-WOD protein pancakes. I wanted to capture how tall the stack was but they started to fall as I was taking the picture! I pack these up in a container and have them ready for after my WOD.

Gym bag essentials: Oly lifters, PR wraps, cellucor BCAAs, KillCliff, weight belt, chalk, rogue knee wraps, knee sleeves, WOD journal, tape...hmm I think that's it but it keeps growing.

 Cracking open my ice cold KillCliff right after my WOD! Ahhhh

Straight flexing on the way to the gym 

"Holleyman" WOD:

30 rounds-

5 wall balls

3 HSPU

1 power clean

I had to scale the clean because NCCFLab's weight for this WOD was 155 for women and I can't clean that...yet! I used a 15lb ball though and completed all the HSPU even if I did kip them.

This WOD seemed like it went on forever; it took me close to an hour to complete it so I got lots of conditioning in. 

Week Recap

My first week on my new Crossfit program and man I tell you what, I love it! I am sore every single day in different places and feelings stronger! My coach is setting me up to increase my strength so I can compete.

My third day was motility day so I went to the gym and stretched out, massaged myself, practiced handstands/walks, and rolled out. It was hard to actually just do this but man I needed it cause my bod was hurtin! My coach strictly told me and wrote it in BOLD that I could NOT touch a weight lol I was grunting about it but then I know the saying "Trust your Coach" is so accurate. I want to commit myself 100% because Crossfit is what I love.

Heavy squats with lower reps. My coach saying lower reps are going to be best for me. So again Im listening. And what do you know, next day I wake up walking funny. Gotta love it! As you can see from my face I was holdin my breath for sure. IF the picture captured me right before descending, Id look like a fish with my mouth wide open sucking in a breath.

Doubleunder massacre! When you're in the middle of a WOD, you're gased out, and you have to do DUs, they can get a little sloppy. This is why I am always practicing because I want to bust out DUs even when Im tired. I talked to a fellow crossfitter who told me to focus more on the rope swing from my wrists and not my elbows. Makes total sense; the next day I tried them again and used my wrists instead. Practicing these just about everyday and I can totally notice a difference in just a few days of how my fluidity is with them.

I bruise like a peach thats why my whips look so bad from day 1 to day 2.

Wall balls are seriously so awesome...when performed correctly. You have to break parallel coming down and have to throw the ball above the target. Every single rep has to be this way or it's a no rep. I am my own judge and cutting myself slack doesnt help me now and it wont help me when I'm competing. The crossfit standards for women are 14lb balls and a 9ft target. These are very exausting and taxing on the whole body so during a WOD these are not considered your 'rest time.' A fellow crossfitter told me to make sure and keep my chest up, know my body position to the wall because too far can make you lean forward and too close can make you lean back, and to push my knees out.

Rowing...well I have grown to love this ol' thing. Even before my program started, I incorporated more ever since the 2013 Crossfit Games revealed the half marathon on the rower. I practiced my 500, 1000, and 2000m speeds...I need to keep practicing. Im trying to figure out the speed aspect without looking like a tweek on it and you know what I mean. Most of us have seen people on these and are not using it correctly.

I researched videos and learned to aim for your belly button and not your upper chest: I watched the athletes at the games hitting their chest up high to increase their s/m. Keep you back straight always and dont round when going back to the starting position. Push through legs and then pull, not visa versa.

Ahhh...when you finish your WOD...that feeling. Well I consider the end of a WOD to be a series of phases.

Heck ya, freakin rocked that!

Yes, Im done.

What's tomorrow WOD?

AHHH, I'm so sore!

Pretty much how it goes cause immediately after you feel so awesome and like "oh yeah what now barbell, I crushed you!" Then you calm are like "glad thats over." Then you get so pumped to feel that rush again you wonder what tomorrow has in store. After a while, when you're rolling out, you'll be hurtin.

Sunday is my active rest day and yes I needed it again. My activeness was simply washing my car inside and out. My coach told me to keep it low key on Sunday's so Ill stick to bicycling, walking, hiking, jogging, rowing etc.

As for my diet, Im still 90/10 Paleo eater. I have noticed Im even more hungry more often. I have always eaten frequent meals because that works for me and my stomach has adjusted so it's smaller. My metabolism is increasing so I am literally hungry every 2-3hrs. I am trying to increase my post-WOD meals because I know that is the most important time. Carbs are key after. I have been increasing my meats and really thats what I have been craving: chicken galore, tilapia, hard boiled egg whites, tri tip, bacon...Im turning into a real cavewomen.  My family has even noticed my protein intake cause they are always referring to me always waiting for the meat or what meat are you eating now haha. At work I seriously make myself grilled tilapia with a side of hard boiled eggs or chicken.

Men can feed me lots of meat and I'd be a happy beast!

Essentials in my Gym Bag

I always have these in my bag or with me:

-pr wraps (A MUST!!!)

-weight belt

-speed rope

-tape

-chalk

-my new journalmenu WOD book

-beverage (water or cellucor BCAAs)

-gloves

-towel

What I need to get or my bag:

-a bigger bag!

-Oly lifting shoes

-shin sleeves

-hand grips 

-more knee socks 

My number one thing I'm researching right now are Oly lifter shoes. So many options by many awesome brands...Adidas are on my mind right now though. Adipowers ($200) and Adidas powerlifter ($90). 

But really I need money first! 

Saturday's WOD with a little inspiration

These med ball over the shoulder lifts were part of my first WOD.

20 AMRAP:
-4 20lb turnkish get ups
-6 heavy touch n go rows
-10 each side med ball over the shoulder (50)
-6 heavy deadlifts
-10 med ball lying ab roll up into wall ball (14)

1,000m Row

30AMRAP:
- 10 BB curls
-4 heavy C & Js
-20 overhead walking lunges (50)
-6 heavy deadlift into row
-20 DU
-4 heavy front squats

500m Row

I follow all of my WODs with rolling out my legs, bum, back, arms....whole body because lets face it, in CrossFit, you use your whole entire body. And if you are going hard enough, you need to roll out your body.
My Friday's session was so brutal (due to having a really really bad day so lots of frustration was needed to be released), that my heavy weights on this WOD was a normal light weight for me. Thats why I failed to put my weights. Also, I believe one should pick a weight based on what they believe is right for them. Sure you may want to Rx it but lets face it, we want lots of things. You want to go for safety first.

A recent new friend of mine told me something that hit home for me and I want to share it because hopefully it helps someone else out wen they are in a rough spot.
"When you first started CrossFit everything was tough and you pushed really hard to where you are today, this situation is just like that, but just like CrossFit, it will get easier."

Scaling your WOD

I love this article! Many people are intimidated by crossfitters for this reason or maybe are scared or believe crossfit is dangerous. Doing what you can, with your bod, and your bod's capability is what needs to realized. Everyone is different and at different levels.
You grow and develop in time and with hard work.
Scaling Your WOD

The Eights CrossFit WOD

I loved and hated this WOD. It seriously tested myself of my endurance and will power. 

My weights: 14lb ball, 25lb KB, 95lb barbell.

These are simi-heavy for how many rounds are involved. So by round 6, that wt felt waaayy heavier than it actually was. On many of the last reps, I had to seriously had to give it all I had just to get out of my whole of the front squat or catch the bar low in the jerk. Chalk became my friend since I was a sweaty mess and then I became a chalky mess.

My face was dripping so bad with swat it was constantly running into my eyes and mouth. Lets just say I left my essence all over the floor, bars, balls, and bells! 

Zumba? Bitch Please. I Do CrossFit

So I had one of my IG followers send me this and I LOVE it! How awesome!
I have seen the other e-cards or whatever they're called but now my face is on it!
So I need your help with spreading it-pin it on pintrest, post on IG, share on your blog, post on your Facebook...get it spread so I can one day come across this!
Please please please help me out!

13.2 WOD

Lets just say I never ever push myself harder than at Crossfit.
13.2 WOD is in the wraps and I could not be happier with myself. I completed it once on Wednesday night and again last where I beat my score by 50 reps!
At The last 15seconds on the timer, I'm pretty sure I could have passed out and fallen over. My whole body was dead but yet I had 15 seconds to get that 75lb bar above my head.
Goodness I love CrossFit. It's officially the love of my life! ❤

Crossfit 13.1 WOD

Wednesday was the first day of te Crossfit Open-13.1!
I was so excited and nervous! Yee I had so much fun!
Here are some pics captured from that night