The Inevitable Bruise

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit

Ode to a Bruise:

Bruise, I don’t like you.12742130_1049748051754645_2873222328592298988_n-1

Yet, I do.

It means I worked hard.

Maybe too hard.

Today you hit me good.

Swollen and black and blue.

Yet I PR’ed my Snatch.

What else could I do?

A bruise is a badge of honor.

I tell myself this when I accidentally bump you.

You deserve to exist.

Like I deserve to grow strong.

A bruise, a bruise, a bruise.

I love you.

Today I got a nasty bruise (also known as battle scars) in the pocket while power snatching.  It hurts.  But at least I know my form was good.  And it was worth it:  I PR’ed!

If you’re like me, you constantly have bruises from CrossFit.  Some causes are known.  The majority for me are unknown.  On my legs.  Thighs.  Shins.  Foot.  Arms.  Fingers.  Collarbone.  Knees.

Annoying.  Yes.  But it means I worked hard.  And long.  And progressed.  Visible signs that sometimes I need when progress in areas is so small that you don’t see it.

So, yes, bruises–constant bruises–are a part of CrossFit.  Almost as much as community and competition, camaraderie and strength.

So to you bruise:  Go ahead!  Come!  I accept your challenge.  Because in the end it makes me stronger.

Low Back Squats…

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit

51qninunshl-_sy346_I finished up my car book and am in-between books.  So I spotted a book my husband had bought entitled Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training by Mark Rippetoe and became fascinated by the Low Back Squat.  I immediately googled videos and spent 2 hours on YouTube watching and learning.  I am fascinated!

So Low Back Squats moves the bar further down your back and you squat more in a vertical line.  It totally makes sense to me.  I googled CrossFit and all the athletes are doing the “normal” high back squats.  But I want to try this and am interested in your feedback.  What’s your experience with the different squats?  Have you tried the Low Back Squats?

I’m wondering if a combination of doing both (high back squats and low back squats) would be the most effective in building muscle.  Would love your ideas!!

My Faith Has Been Renewed…

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit

For the last few days, I’ve been terribly bummed about CrossFit.  I got beat up last week with all the WODS (lots of heavy weight), and I’m stuck on my jerk weight which is incredibly frustrating.  Once it gets heavy I lose it–quick.

However, today was a different day.  I dominated.  I was able to do many more HSPU’s in a row than I usually am able to do.  I was able to power clean 105 lbs repeatedly in a WOD; whereas, before in my mind it would have been way too heavy.  I’ve been steadily increasing my weights in all the Olympic lifts since the Open and it’s beginning to show in the WOD’s.

My Toes-to-Bar is coming along as well.  I’ve always stricted them but finally right before the Open I learned to string them together by kipping.  However, this still needs work.

But it’s progress.  And that’s what I live for.

My butterfly pull-ups are coming along.  Still practicing bar muscle up moves.  Soon it will all come together.  One step at a time.

And that’s what we all need to keep in mind:  the end game.  Every day we work.  Every day we toil.  And as long as we’re moving towards our goals, it’s all worth it.

The discouragement days have their place as well.  It reminds us we are all human.  We have our good days and our bad.  And that’s life.  It’s what makes the highs worth living for.

So don’t despair.  It’s all working.  As long as you keep working…

Running a 5k…

by crossfitmomm, posted in Running

Yesterday, I ran my first 5k of the season.  I beat my time from last year by a whopping….wait for it….8 seconds!

I just can’t seem to beat my time.  And I know why:  cause I don’t train it.

I used to be a runner.  I ran a marathon in college, but then I hurt my knee shortly thereafter and gave it up.  Now, with running showing up in a ton of CrossFit WOD’s, I’ve taken it up again.timing-your-run-580

I want to improve my 5k time.  However, injuries plague me still.  I’ve had a calf muscle injury that waxes and wanes so I now do not run as often.  I’m trying to listen to my body and be smart about it.

My solution to improving my time:  run more 5k’s.

I know myself.  I won’t push myself unless there are others to beat.  It’s why I do CrossFit.  It’s the beating everyone in my box (which does occasionally happen when it plays to my strengths) that I live for.  Otherwise, why run hard?

I’m planning to run a 7k next in 6 weeks.  I’ve never run more than 3.65 miles before so this should be interesting.  I’m excited about it!  However, I’m gonna practice in the meantime and see how it goes.  And I’m sure CrossFit will help.  And Murph.

As long as you’re moving, you’re improving!

Skill Work HAS to be at the Forefront…

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit

Ugh!

I have all these lofty goals after the Open and I feel like I’m slacking.

I’ve pretty much got my butterfly pull-ups dialed in.  I’m working on kipping chest-to-bar and am frustrated because my kip sucks so I can’t quite reach the bar.  I really just want to butterfly them so am undecided on how to concentrate my energy.

Bar muscle-ups.  My nemesis.  I’ve quit for about a month now but now it’s time to up my game on them.  I’m so close.  So very, very close!  I can’t give up.  I can’t get frustrated.  Because I have them.  I just have to string together all the elements.

Practicing my double understanding about 3 times a week so that’s good.

I matched my PR on my squat snatch today 3 times.  I have to get over that mental block.

Jerks are still inhibiting me.  Once it gets over 85 pounds I struggle with multiple reps.  My new plan:  is add a little weight at a time.  Add 2 pounds.  Then 4.  Then 7, etc.  Going from 85 to 95 is killing me and frustrating me.  It’s so bad!

Throw in that I’m unsure what to do with the rest of my life as well and well, I can be pretty depressed to be around as well.  Writing.  Finance.  Who knows?  But right now I’m focusing on getting better at CrossFit.  Cause when CrossFit is going good, then I’m going good.

I’m Stronger Than I Think…

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit

Today I maxed my power clean 10 pounds from 2 weeks ago.  I probably could have done more but didn’t have the time.

Yesterday we did 5 x 5 back squats at 80%.  I was dreading this, thinking it would be tough and unsure I would be able to do the whole set.  I ended up ADDING weight because I felt it too light!

I maxed my power snatch earlier this week as well.

Every time we do percentages on the olympic lifts, I always go higher because I rarely max and so am unsure what my true max weight is.

I know this is a mental game for me.  I always think “it’s too heavy.”  Or “I can’t do this.”  And overcoming that is a challenge for me.

I have to tell myself to “trust the process” and “I can do this” every time I approach my max weight in a WOD.

Still, knowing all of this doesn’t make any of it any easier.  So little by little, I increase my maxes so when something does show up I think, “I can do this because I’ve done it once before.”

I’m stronger than I think.  That’s my mantra.

Murph: Vest or No Vest?

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit

michael-murphyMemorial Day is right around the corner and with Memorial Day for most CrossFitters comes Murph.  Murph is a hero workout named after Michael Murphy who was a Navy SEAL who died in Afghanistan protecting our freedom.

It is:  1 mile run, 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, 300 air squats, 1 mile run.

RX includes a 20 lb vest for the men and a 14 pound vest for the ladies.  It was performed in the CrossFit Games 2015.

I’ve done a full Murph 3 times now and a half Murph 3 times.  Last time I did a full Murph, I felt it was too easy for me.  And I had run a 5k directly before it.  This morning I did a half Murph (but kept the 2 mile run) and it was REALLY easy.  Hence, I’m thinking of doing Murph on Memorial Day with the vest.

What do you all think?  Have you done Murph with a vest?

Never One to Follow the Crowd…

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit

Today was a heavy cardio day.  One of our “WOD”s was three rounds for time of a 400 m row and 20 burpees followed by 3 minutes of rest in-between rounds.  Well, if you know me, I hate rests.  So I didn’t do the rests and instead I did 5 rounds with no rest.  Needless to say, I was the only one doing my own thing.

This happens quite frequently actually.  I’ll substitute a move or add something or do more rounds or come in and do something completely different.  I am L1 certified so I know what I’m doing programming wise.  But it’s more than that:  I have my own goals.  I have my own limits.  And I don’t compromise.

trex_hates_burpees_tshirt

Like kettle bells for instance.  I HATE kettle bells.  I’m always afraid I’m going to screw up my back.  So today I subbed them out and did pull ups instead (in our WOD #2).

I also know what are my weaknesses that I need to fix for the CrossFit Open 2018 (and yes, I’m already preparing for it).  One is pull-ups.  I’m trying to learn butterfly pull-ups so I do them every chance I get.  I’m also focusing on my double unders, handstand push-ups, and bar muscle-ups (which I don’t have yet).  These moves are in the forefront of my mind every time I walk in my box.

Just because something is programmed doesn’t mean you have to do it.  I also hate kettle bell snatches for the same reason:  I’m deathly afraid I’m going to screw up my wrists with that move because I know my form sucks.  So I don’t do them.  According to CrossFit, that’s bad.  I shouldn’t “cherry-pick” workouts.  But this isn’t cherry-picking.  It’s being smart about my limits, knowing them, and protecting my body, so I can continue doing CrossFit ten years down the road.

I just got over a calf injury from running.  I know how much it sucks to be injured and you can’t do things.  So I’m trying to prevent this as much as possible.  Yes, I still do moves I don’t like doing (that’s the whole point of functional fitness and being constantly varied).  But I’m smart about it.  You can love me or hate me for that.

Destroyed by DT…

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit

DT was programmed for Friday’s WOD.  I was SUPER excited.  We had done DT last August and I had only managed 80 pounds and then dropped to 70 pounds.  I thought, “I got this, no problem.  I can RX this at 105.”

dt
SSgt Timothy P. Davis

In honor of USAF SSgt Timothy P. Davis, 28, who was killed on Feburary, 20 2009 supporting operations in OEF when his vehicle was struck by an IED. Timothy is survived by his wife Megan and son T.J.

 

DT is a Hero WOD in CrossFit, consisting of 12 deadlifts, 9 hang power cleans, and 6 push jerks for 5 rounds.  RX weight is 155 men and 105 women.

So I arrive at my box all psyched and ready to go.  But first we have snatch work and clean and jerks.  After 20 minutes of this, I’m a bit wiped.  So I try to Push Jerk 105 lbs.  Can’t do it.  Ok.  I can do 95.  So I set my bar up.  And get ready to rumble.

I had read online the key to this workout is pacing.  So I pace.  And by the end of round 2, I had to drop to 90.  By the end of round 3, I had to drop to 85 for the last 2 rounds.  It was still hard.  And I was super pissed off.  I was the last one done (which I NEVER am) and angry.

After 7 months, I thought I should be stronger than this.  Admittedly, the olympic weights are not my strong suit.  I am an expert at anything long and body weight.  But still, I’ve been busting my ass, attending Oly classes, and working hard.  I should have been able to RX it.  95 lbs shouldn’t have been so brutal as it was.  I should have been able to go faster.

So very frustrating.  The thing about CrossFit is there’s always something to improve upon and even at your best moments you know you could do better.  So I gotta get stronger.  I gotta push myself more.  I gotta just do it…

The Power of Massage…

by crossfitmomm, posted in CrossFit

df093baa3a7633ba8bcd608704307718All week I’ve been tight.  My glutes.  My shoulders.  My neck.  I schedule a massage which I usually do about once a month.  And now I can move again.

The difference is so noticeable it’s difficult to describe.  All of my muscles have released their tension.  My range of motion has returned to normal.  I can turn my head again.  The knots in my shoulders are lessened.  And my squat is back.

I’m no massage therapist, but I can attest to the power of increased blood flow to your muscles and how stretching them the right way releases an incredible amount of tension.

If you’re a CrossFitter and you’re not getting massages regularly, I would suggest you give it a try.  I’m talking deep tissue massage here, not fluff.  You will be amazed at how much better you feel, how your range of motion is increased, and how you’re back to your A game.  It’s so much more effective I believe than rolling out (not that you shouldn’t do that) but if you want better results, book a massage today!