99% of Every Goal is Mental…

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit, Life Lessons and Advice

Yesterday I did Holleyman.

This entailed a heavy power clean.

The RX weight is 155 pounds.

I had it in my mind that that was my max.

So I thought I’d do 125 pounds.

But during warm ups, that weight was light, so I tried 135 pounds and had no problem.

I’ll just do 135 pounds and then drop the weight if I can’t do it.CrossFit DNR 7

I ended up doing all 30 reps at 135 pounds.

When I finished, I go to log my workout in my app that tracks all of my workouts.  It turns out my MAX power clean ever is 135 pounds!

So is it mental?

YES!

I know I have a mental problem with my deadlift weight.  Every time it gets heavy, I tell myself I don’t want to do this, and I don’t.  It’s frustrating.

This is why I never want to know cumulative reps or how long a workout might take.  It hinders me in my mind.

This is life as well.  We tell ourselves we can’t do something, and we don’t.  We all need to have more faith in our abilities and believe we can!

Just imagine what the world would look like if we did…

 

Another Workout I Desperately Needed…

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit

Today was Holleyman.  US Army Staff Sergeant Aaron Holleyman of Montana was killed in 2004 in Iraq by an IED.

30 rounds of:  5 wall balls, 3 handstand push ups (HSPU), and 1 power clean (heavy weight).

I did this one a year and a half ago.  I had to scale the HSPU and only had 85 pounds on the bar.

Today I had 135 pounds on the bar and finished in under a minute a round.

Again, my cup of tea.  The hardest part was the power cleans, but I took my time and set up each one with good form.

I remember this workout when I did it because it’s the first workout I figured out how to do kipping handstand push ups on.  It took forever, but I did it.

I crushed it.

I needed that.  I can’t believe I can do 30 power cleans at 50 pounds more than 1 1/2 years ago.  The handstand push ups were easy.  I shaved 12 minutes off my time.

What you can accomplish with time (small efforts compounded over time) continues to amaze me.  This is something I never would have imagined a year and a half ago.  It’s encouraging.  It’s exciting.  It’s what I needed–the mental boost that holds me back…

“Winning Isn’t Everything. But Wanting to Win is.”

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit

This quote by Vince Lombardi sums up CrossFit.

Rarely do you beat everyone.  Even the CrossFit Games athletes don’t win every workout.  The “Fittest Man or Woman on Earth” only has to has the best overall score during the Games to win.

But they all have the desire to win and put 100% effort into it every time.Image result for winning crossfit

This quote sums up my CrossFit workouts.  I want to win and beat everyone.  Every time.  Every day.  Every workout.  Period.

I try my best.

And when it’s just me working out it’s me trying to beat me.

Without that desire to win, you’d have to ask yourself, “Why are you doing this?”

 

CrossFit Hero WODs: Slowly Working My Way Through the Heroes

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit

Performing Hero WOD’s are a small way to honor those who died so we can still do whatever we want to do when we want to do it–including workouts.  They are always challenging.  Usually fun.  Usually long and hard.  Just what I like in CrossFit.

Today was Zembiec, named after US Marine Corp General Douglas A. Zembiec who was killed in Baghdad in 2007. This hero Wod consists of 11 back squats, 7 strict burpee pull ups, & 400 m run.

This one was good.  Perfect for my strengths.  The run was easy after Yesterday’s run with a medicine ball.  The back squats were lightweight (125 lbs for women).  The burpee pull ups were low reps.  Great burner and a mental lift.  Just what I needed!

Thank you to General Zembiec who died for me.  Thank you to all who serve!  I know words are never enough, but it’s something we can do for you who do so much for us.

Wednesday Woes…

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit

It’s been a while since I’ve run with a medicine ball and  done burpee pull ups.

I did Gallant today (another Hero CrossFit workout), named after US Navy Petty Officer Taylor Gallant who died in 2012 while conducting diving operations off the North Carolina Coast.  The workout is:  1 mile run with ball, 60 burpee pull ups, 800 m run with ball, 30 burpee pull ups, 400 m run with ball, and 15 burpee pull ups.

I completely underestimated this workout.

Run?  No problem.  I like running.  I’m good at running.  This’ll be fun.

Not carrying a 14 pound medicine ball awkwardly and constantly readjusting it every 100 m or so.

Burpee pull ups?  No problem.  I like burpees.  I like pull ups.  But together?  Not so much. These things just take time due to the nature of the movement.  You have to do them one at a time and 60 strung together is brutal!

This workout totally kicked my butt mentally.  It was everything I had to finish it and my time was 44 minutes.  I thought it’d be around 30 minutes.

That is one of the most challenging (and what I love the most) about CrossFit.  You throw in one variable or nuance (like a ball or number of rounds, etc), and the whole workout is changed and becomes instantly challenging.

I finished with a renewed sense of gratitude to our servicemen (they face extreme challenges that constantly changes every day) and much humbled by the whiteboard!  Definitely easier on paper!

 

The Secret to Lifting is…

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit, Fitness

Image result for coffee shop in a crossfit box

Coffee!

I drink coffee before I lift.

I drink coffee when I lift (sometimes).

I reward myself with coffee after I lift.

Find your motivating “thing” and do it!  Whatever will get your butt off the couch.  It’s worth every penny!

 

CrossFit: Practicing Handstands in the Sand

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit

CrossFit: Practicing Handstands in the Sand

This weekend we went camping at North Sand Hills Recreation Area near Walden, CO.

We rode ATV’s on trails and played in the sand (of course)!

We also practiced handstands in the sand. It’s a great way to increase your walking skills as you have to work harder to lift your hands off the ground. It’s also great for balance practice as your hands sink into the sand and shift your weight a bit differently.

Camping, campfire, riding, smores, and handstands! What a perfect weekend!

CrossFit: The Murph Challenge…

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit

9135.jpeg

CrossFit: The Murph Challenge

The results are not final but as of this posting I am sitting in 4th place worldwide for Women’s RX times for the Murph WOD on Memorial Day weekend.

I’m happy with where I placed (I was 9th last year), but since it wasn’t my best time ever on Murph, I’m a bit disappointed.

Next year, it will be a whole different story…

Beating Everyone in my Box…

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit

I’m pretty hard on myself.

Very hard.

If I can’t do a movement, it’s frustrating.

Extremely so.

Currently, it’s ring muscle ups. I’m practicing my butt off and still feel far away from getting them, and I’m at the point of giving up.

Then a WOD (or workout) shows up that I beat everyone in.

It was Hotshots 19, a Hero Workout similar to Murph, named after the 19 firefighters who lost their lives from the Granite Mountain Hotshots team. The workout is:

6 Rounds for Time:

30 air squats

19 power cleans (135/95)

7 strict pull ups

400 m run

My time was 30:47. And it was the best in the box of those who did it. This workout played to all of my strengths: over 30 minutes, body weight movements, a run, and light power cleans for me.

It is encouraging because often I think I’m not all that good, and there’s so much more I need to be better at. Which is true: there is a ton I need to improve on. But in 2 1/2 years of CrossFit I’ve come a long way and it’s shown in my physique and my mentality.  And beating everyone goes a long way on those days you feel like giving up.

Don’t.  Give.  Up.

Now, if only I could get those damn ring muscle ups…

CrossFit: All I EVER Want to Do is CrossFit…

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit

“Something wrong?” my friend asks as I stare off into space.

“No,” I say with a sigh.  “I’m just thinking about tomorrow’s workout is all.”

She rolls her eyes.  “You.  Have.  Problems.”

“Yeah,” I say.  “I know.”

And so it goes.  Another typical conversation I have with others.

All I ever really want to do is CrossFit.  Either work on skills.  Workout.  Do competitions.  Attend Olympic Lifting class.  Run 5ks.  Charity days.  Coach.  And talk about it. Or Write about it.  It fuels my soul like nothing else.  You throw in a cup of coffee AND CrossFit talk and I’m in heaven!

Image result for starbucks cup crossfit box
Kettlebell Coffee Mugs!

I like to wake up and CrossFit.  I like to work on skills throughout the day.  And I have to get enough sleep to do this each and every day.  It drives my eating.  It drives my life.

Sometimes I image what my life would be like if I were 20 years younger and CrossFitting.  It wasn’t meant to be, but it’s always fun to dream!