I’ve been called intimidating too many times lately to not write about it.
Last week, I was told I was intimidating because I’m very self confident.
I think it’s a combination of my physique and my self-confidence.
What do you all think?
I wrote recently on the advantages of designing your own programming and working out alone. Earlier this week I was thinking how CrossFit is all about me.
I do CrossFit for me. I do it for how it makes me feel, how it makes me look, and the accomplishments I achieve over time. CrossFit is all about me. And I love it!
Since I now work full time, I’ve been working out a lot by myself. There are pros and cons to this.
Feel free to add your comments and/or thoughts about working out alone!
Usually by the end of the week I’m wiped out from CrossFit. On Fridays, I like an active recovery workout that tends to go long.
Enter CrossFit Hero Workout Jenny.
Named for U.S. Army Capt. Jennifer M. Moreno who died Oct. 6, 2013, in Zhari District, Afghanistan, when enemy forces attacked her unit with an improvised explosive device.
Jenny consists of: 20 min AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) of:
What I love about this CrossFit Hero WOD (workout of the day) is that it’s light weight and cardio-dominant. You’re at peak heart rate most of the time. This one was fun and definitely one I’ll do again!
Fall leaves rustle
Background music
Moonlight shines
Can’t choose and pick.
Sprint to the finish
Grind through the course
Squat and push
Reps are the force.
Snatch and catch
Push and pull
Euphoria?
Bliss in the lull.
Yesterday, I competed in a CrossFit competition called Battle at the Rock at CrossFit Castle Rock in Castle Rock, Colorado.
This CrossFit competition was all a test of mental fortitude because I had just done Project Uplift the day before. I was sore. I was tired. I was beat.
Let me just stress that I had not planned to do two CrossFit competitions two days in a row. Yesterday, I was a last minute fill in. Battle at the Rock I had planned for a month or so.
Workout number one was just plain fun. It was a 6 minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) of one clean and jerk and 4 lateral bar over burpees. I chose a lighter weight for 2 reasons:
I got one rep short of 15 rounds. It was fun.
I did the floater next which was 21 calories on the bike followed by dumbbell squats with 35 lbs in each hand. After the bike, I was wiped. This could have been faster.
After this workout, I felt terrible. I went to my truck and sat and rested.
Workout #2 was okay. It was a 24 calorie buy in followed by 30-20-10 of dumbbell snatches at 35 lbs and box jump overs ended by a 24 calories buyout. Normally, this is my cup of tea (except the row). It was all I had just to keep moving.
I had a 2 hour break in-between before the last workout. I took a nap. I ate. I felt much better.
The last workout was normally my cup of tea as well, but I was so tired it was all I could do to keep moving. It was 15 hang power cleans at 65 lbs, 30 step forward lunges with that bar, 15 toes to bar, 30 wall balls (10 foot target but only 10 lbs) and then 15 pull ups. 2 Rounds with a 12 min time cap.
I stricted all the toes to bar and the pull ups even though it’s slower because my hands were killing me, and I didn’t want to tweak anything from my overworked body. Also, I didn’t want to mess with my grips since I don’t use grips on barbell movements and on wall balls.
Well, I got to the 2nd round of wall balls and wanted to die. I honestly just wanted to skip the wall balls and go to the pull ups.
I made it through this CrossFit competition and finished in 2nd for the masters’ women. It was fun, but I am so glad it’s over. I honestly couldn’t have done any more work.
I’m unsure if I’ll do two CrossFit competitions in a row again. It’s physically exhausting. Draining. I feel completely wiped out. I have nothing left.
I’ve gained a whole new appreciation for the CrossFit Games athletes who workout for continuous days as well as other CrossFit competitors who do multiple days. It’s a whole different level I didn’t appreciate until now.
It was fun, but I need a break!
Yesterday, I competed in a CrossFit competition called Project Uplift 4.0 (the 4th year of this event). I got placed on a team last minute whose other teammate couldn’t compete. It was a team from CrossFit Miramont, which is where I started CrossFit about 2 1/2 years ago.
This year the teams for this CrossFit competition were 4 person–2 guys and 2 girls. I competed last year (my first CrossFit competition) and it was only teams of 2, same sex.
I didn’t know my teammates. They were nice, however. The competition was fierce. We had a strength challenge of 1 snatch, 2 hang snatches and 3 overhead squats. I did okay in this.
The next one was an AMRAP of 16 minutes that did not play to my strengths. Toes to bar, pull ups, dumbbell box step overs, and devil’s press. All the moves were brutal. Add in the 90 degree heat, and it was definitely challenging.
During Workout #2, one of my teammates had to quit the synchronized deadlifts with his partner because of his back, so we came in last in that event.
The Floater was a bike and a run–the only one I crushed.
Overall, fun day and a great CrossFit competition. They had a lot of vendors and a ton of stuff for the kids to do. My son played in the bounce house all day long. I hardly saw him. And he came home and passed out (as did I). My daughter was my official photographer (of which you see her work here). Fun.
Such a fun venue. It’s outdoors at Whole Foods Market, so amenities (and by amenities I mean coffee) is close by. Indoor bathrooms. Definitely do this one again next year. I was a bit sore this morning but not too bad.
Thanks, Miramont, for the last minute nod. It was a blast!
I had such a fun day with my teammates and my kids and all the other competitors. We raised money for Kids at Heart, an organization that supports foster and adoption families. When you combine CrossFit and a cause, amazing things happen. Awesome!
I told you all I did Manion on Sunday, a CrossFit Hero WOD consisting of back squats and 400 m runs. I liked it and didn’t think it was all that bad.
Until Monday. When it was hard to walk.
And then Tuesday. When it was even harder to walk.
And Wednesday. When I could walk but standing up was rough.
It’s Thursday. And I FINALLY feel back to normal. I can walk. I feel good. When I rolled out, my hamstrings were still a bit sore but nothing major.
I don’t think about these CrossFit Hero Workouts until they are said and done, which is probably a mistake on my part.
Doing the numbers, in one round, I moved 2,755 lbs. In all 7 rounds combined, I squatted 19, 285 lbs. Not the most intelligent thing to do. But CrossFit Hero Wods are meant to be hard, and I’d dare say, meant to destroy you.
Just cause CrossFit Hero Wods are hard doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ever do them. They are meant to honor the fallen who have given their lives so we can still workout and do all the things we love doing in this world. Here’s some quick survival tips for CrossFit Hero Wods:
CrossFit Hero Workouts are some of my very favorite. But each are tough in their own way. Some are tougher than others, but if you plan accordingly, these will become some of the best workouts, the funnest, and some of your favorite workouts in CrossFit.
Today I did Manion, named after First Lieutenant Travis Manion who was killed in Afghanistan in 2007 serving our great nation.
Manion consists of:
7 Rounds for Time:
Fun workout!
Today I ran a 10k with my daughter in Fort Collins. Called the Fortitude 10k in its second year, the course ran through Old Town Fort Collins, starting at Moby Arena on Colorado State University’s Moby Arena and ending at the new stadium on Colorado State’s campus.
The weather was perfect for running. Start of the race was right around 60 degrees. It was a flat, fast course. At about mile 4, my daughter passed me, but I passed her at the end to finish 3 seconds in front of her. We ran around the stadium inside and then up the stairs to the vendors.
This was only my 2nd 10k, after the Garden of the Gods 10k in June. I PR’ed (personal record) by almost 8 minutes because this course had no hills.
My favorite races are still 5k’s. I feel that’s the optimal distance for my body. This one was fun. It was a good day!
My Journey to the CrossFit Games 