Keeping my head up

It has been awhile since I posted but I had to watch the Phillies and do homework. haha. I will start with Sunday's workout because it was first and I would rather not talk about todays. :)

I went to my first open gym and learned kipping pull-ups using the blue band. Steve was nice enough to teach me and once I got the hang of it I realized how much easier it is to do than a straight pull-up. If you don't know what it is because I didn't google it. :) I then did what I call:

"Cindy's Little Sister"
As Many Rounds As Possible (AMRAP) in 15 minutes:

5 pullups (I did ring rows)
10 pushups (scaled)
15 squats (woo no scaling haha)

I lost count. It was 7 or 8. haha but I def. felt it in my arms and back the next two days.

Steve then helped me with my kball technique and after learning it, the 35lbs ball felt like the 25lbs. So YAY I can tell I am improving! haha

Todays workout was not my friend.

WOD

10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1

Power Clean
Pull Ups
(15:00 time cap.)

I had 65lbs on my bar and I became really frustrated when I could not consistantly get the bar up. I know what I need to do for technique but it was hard to do it anyway. I don't like when I become frustrated with myself because I think I can be a borderline beoch and its something I have to work on. I'm not mad at anyone but myself but I think it may not come across like that sometimes. I first scratched the workout after the first set and practiced my technique on my power cleans. My mind was no longer in it to do the workout.

After I worked on my technique with Steve, I did 8-7-6-5-4 with 65lbs. I flew through the kipping pull-ups and only failed a few times with the power cleans. I wouldn't say I was proud of myself because of how I acted today but I did improve my technique, do most of the workout, and after the workout I tried the pull-ups on the green band and I think I can move on to that one. :)

So of course with life their are ups and downs, achievements and setbacks, and I can see this in both of my workouts. This will continue in life I know and I was born a fighter so bring it!

Side Note: I lost an inch of my waist!!! Woooo! After 2 weeks and some cheating. haha

Oh Elizabeth

I met Elizabeth today and lets say I don't think I am ready to hang out with her yet. She is too hardcore for me. I am still learning my power cleans and then you want me to WHAT?! oh of course SQUAT! Squaty Squat squat boo.

WOD

"Elizabeth"

21 - 15 - 9

Squat Clean (55lbs for me)

Ring Dips (with the assistance of Mr. Blue Band)

Sweet lordy-lou. If there ever is a time I feel super out of shape besides the first day, it is NOW. Since I cant really squat clean YET, I had to power clean it and then squat down to the ball. (Thanks Steve) I wish I was just a natural squat cleaner haha because I have a feeling this was more energy and I know time consuming than doing it all in one motion. Anyway, not complaining just saying.

Ring Dips! The only kinda dips I knew before this was chips and dip and skinny dip. (both of which I am a fan) Not so much this ring dip YET but I still give it all I got. I also finally met E2 in person. Holla!

I love/hate the part when my body wants to tap out like hardcore and it shakes but I have my goal in mind and I want to get there. I rarely accept anything less I want to curse out my arms and legs for letting me down but I push through it. Driving home after the workout I wished I drove an automatic because even pressing the clutch was hard. Cannot wait for tomorrow.

So I finished the whole workout. Time....I should leave that out because it is terrible but we are all friends here. 30:16 mins. Yea I know I could have watched two episodes with no commericals of Always Sunny but next time I will try to get it down to one episode. Okay!

Last night birthday dinner was AMAZING. I absolutely love my friends and family. They are the best! Erdinger is awesome <3 Kasespatzle was just how I remembered it in Germany. Pictured below is my new hot workout top Kto got me for my birthday. She also got me a hot sports bra but I am not ready to show off the goods. haha Also a picture outside of my new favorite German spot and my Kasespatzle carby carbs!

HAPPY 25th KELLS!

So tonight was Kells Bday Celebration at Bruahaus Schmidtz on 7th & South. What an awesome German place for my favorite German Gal! I stuck with my "I'm only going to drink good brews and  1 or 2...no more than 3. I started with this Weisenhosen Beir Nicht Zer Gut beer the waitress told me was a great German pilsner. I ordered her recommendations and received light clear looking beer.. Apparently I ordered the Natty Ice of Germany cause one sip and I was transported back to a dark basement in New Brunswick... wishing for some Jimmy's Pizza. EPIC GERMAN BEER FAIL. I drank it because like all those nights spent in dirty New Brunz basements at Rutgers.... I had to. It was a beer and beers are meant to be drunk...or get you drunk, either way.  I finished up with the Smuttynose Pumpkin Ale which saved the day not to mention the weiner shcnizel spatezle du hast mich ich bin gut  meat thing i ate. Check the phohhtohhhs; to come tomorrow when my computer stops drinkin the krista haterade

Today is my Birthday! holla!

First strict press ever! 50lbs. Aww baby weights. It is a lot harder then it looks. (Photo inspired by E1 because I think they look cool with the part b&w.) :)

Before I talk about yesterday's WOD, I did kickbox and Zumba over the weekend. The instructor asked where I learned to kick because I have a beastie round house and I said my days on the streets which was a joke. I recieved a black belt in karate at the age of 13. Okay the cats outta the bag. He was cute and knew who I was but not that cute to pay for a membership to the gym. haha. Zumba was interesting but I realized I practically Zumba every time I go out dancing. :) I did these classes with my aunt, cousin, and mother. So we had a good time.

WOD - 10.13.09

Strength: Press 3 x 5

First ever! Did 3 x 5 using 45lbs and then 1 x 3 50lbs. E2 was busting out like 75lbs. Supermom!

Metcon:

15-10-5

Wall Balls(10lbs)/Box Jumps(24")/KBall Swings(25lbs)

Time: 5:16

I am getting better at this and it doesn't hurt to squat!! Best feeling EVER! Diet is going well. Cheated alittle when my mother came up to visit. I had to show her chickie and pete fries at the game. :) Will cheat tonight for my birthday. Just putting it out there now. haha

Crossfit in the morning so only 1-2 beers for me.

Oh Ginger SNAP!

 Oh October:

By far my favorite fall brew.

When you smell it, you smell fall:

 cool weather, orange leaves, carving pumpkins, ginger snaps, sweaters

another Phillies World Series Ring!

Live United!

Mama Dukes is a Beastie!

4th session today and Mom came with me because she flew up from Florida for my birthday and told me that she wanted to workout while she was up there. I said "Oh I will show you a workout." :P I was confident that my 51 year old, I mean 29 year old mother could do Crossfit because she has been a fitness person longer than I have been alive but I don't think she has done a workout like this before.

WOD

9-6-3

HSPUs

Knees to elbows
24" Box Jumps

We both somehow did a handstand but yea then doing a push up while in a handstand you better have like $500 dollars on the ground if you think I have any chance at touching the floor with my head. We did box presses instead; my upper body is super weak and that has always been frustrating to me. When I felt like I couldn't touch my head anymore, I just did 2 more presses as far as I could go down on top of the prescribed. This will be something I definitely need to work on.

Knees to elbows. Yea right again. haha Mom and I just did leg lifts straight out. I hurt my hip flexor somehow last session because when I went to do this it was painful. I should probably keep an eye on it so nothing worse happens to it.

24" box jumps. I really enjoyed these once I got the possiblity of falling out of my head.

8 mins

Mom 7:58mins (I let her win. jk)

I have no feelings about the time because I know I need to work A LOT on my technique for the scaled HSPUs and the knees to elbows. I was trying to do the best I could but I know it really isn't up to par.

Then we learned double unders which I guess I am a natural at it...well for a beginner :)

We ended the day with weighted planks tabata. My body was shaking the whole time but I never gave up. Mom is a plank machine. She really enjoyed the workout. :)

Lessons Learned

After not drinking for 25 or 20+ days I felt amazing. I realized Saturdays could start before 1pm, club soda & lime was a great fake drink, and most of all, my nights didn't have to end with a slice of pizza or two. I was feeling faster, stronger and my times were improving. I truly believed I learned my lesson. Then E2 completed her 30 days alchy free, so we celebrated...with 4 too many Troegs@ Swift Half and 5 too many Cadillac Margaritas  @Dos Segundos( actual consumption levels may vary). Again I woke up with a killer headache and my hand in a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos. Son of a Bitch. I was hurting, I was pissed, but most of all I was disappointed. I knew there was no way I could Crossfit that day. 

 I love beer I truly do. I just reached that point I don't  love it enough to feel like shit for days. Not saying I won't do it again, it will just be few and far between. I enjoy my time at the tribe it keeps me sane. I can't let  the deliciousness of Troegs hold me back.  That being said here are some pictures before the carnage...

  

  

 Yea. We are some hot messes.

 On a higher note: This past Sunday a bunch of us Crossfit Tribers ran the Goodlooking Foundation 5k in support of Autism and my boy Jack Patrick. It was great to do my first 5K in support of the coolest little man I know. Awesome feeling to have all of us Living United.

                            

10/6/2009

WOD: 5rds

5 Deadlifts (125lbs)

10 Burpees

7:04

I'm Coming for you Kto :p

Today was day 3 at Crossfit and I felt good about it. No Nicholas Cage boots this time. I think last week I threw a huge swimming pool sized bucket of water and told my body to wake up. I think I had my body's attention this week.

WOD
5 Rds

5 deadlifts - (125lbs) I almost looked as badass as KTo
10 Burpees- Last week you bruised my knee and this week you skinned them. We be fightin'!!

Killed it this week. Well for me. This was either easier than the workouts last week and/or I am getting better at it. If this one had a name and if it is the easiest one out of the girls I would have to call it Krista. OoOoo BURN! jk Krista all love babycakes.

I forget my time exactly but it was 8:15ish I think but we can round down to 8 mins. haha I will correct it on Friday. Krista finished it a minute before me. WATCH OUT! By Thanksgiving I am gonna start talking shit Kto.

Side Note: Tim killed it and then went rowing. If anyone is an animal it is him and not me.

One week for the diet so far and I did really well. Just ate what was prescribed and drank water. Okay okay okay I had a small Chai Tea but I asked for nonfat milk and c'mon they put mostly ice in those things. I had a gift certificate burning up in my purse so it was technically free so I decided it does not count. haha

I went to a baby shower on Sunday and said no to cake, RICE CRISPY TREATS, and most of the awesome food there and also to having a baby. Well til like in my 30s. Hopefully I have one before the well dries up is all I have to say and I say too much.

Friday Mama Dukes is coming to try out the class. If anyone is badass it is her. She will probably smoke me and is twice as old as me. Get it!

Call me butter because I am on a roll

Ouchy, woke up today and this time it was my lower back. Legs are dandy but after breakfast man I was all juiced up(figuratively). I felt so motivated today and had all this energy to burn. I packed away most of my summer clothes and brought out the sweaters and SWEATER BOOTS! If you dont know about sweater boots, you should know. I cleaned my room, wrapped baby shower gifts, and have the birthday gift ready to be shipped to Germany. I then found the vacuum. I am currently living at my aunts house. I was vacuuming my room then I was like "LETS DO THIS!" and I did a vacuuming WOD.

Metcon:

Joanne!

Do as many rooms until your Aunt tells you stop or until you vacuum the whole house

GO! From my room, I went to the hallway, to my cousins room, down the steps, into the foyer, into the bathroom, another hallway, into office, then tackled the family room. That is when she rang the bell and said, "Kelly you did enough, thank you." Those carpets never saw me coming.

I did this all before 1pm. Yes, I know I am awesome.

It felt really good to help my aunt out and to get so much accomplished in the morning. I know she has a lot on her plate and I guess you could say, "yea kelly not that big of a deal its just running a vacuum." but until you know what I have felt like lately you would be proud of me too.

I think the word pity is an ugly word and I would never want anyone to ever pity me. I share this because I believe it could be inspiring, therapeutic, and that if you are in the same boat as me you are not alone. I am just trying to paint a picture of my life lately and as to why I am so glad that I joined Crossfit and that I have been really modivated lately. 2009 has not been my friend at all. I guess you could say I have felt for most of the year like the 'recessions punching bag'. The past nine months have probably been some of the hardest months for myself and my family. My stepdad's boat shop was repeatedly robbed of tens of thousands of dollars in boats and parts and the one time he tried to stop the robbers he was hospitalized and lucky to make it out alive. They live in Florida so it was hard for me to just sit in New Jersey and listen to all of this and not be able to help. Then my family in Jersey lost our house and we are now currently staying at relatives homes. I am at my aunts. I then broke up with someone I loved and in a nutshell I felt like he didn't care enough or want me around anymore. Then in the summer I was laid off from my job. In time this will probably be a blessing. So I guess by August I hit my rock bottom. I never resorted to alcohol or drugs, just reeses cups but I just felt like I have been kicked so much when I was down that maybe I should just stay down for alittle bit. Then I met Crossfit and I really have to thank Krista. I don't think she will ever grasp how much this has changed my life in what a week but I really think it turned me around. I realized I have to start with me and from there things will change for the better. So that was me just pouring my heart out on a blog but I am not ashamed to talk about it openly to whomever. I am still here, I still have my family, my friends, and my health. I have what is IMPORTANT.

Kelly meets the B*tch known as..Helen.

Dead-lift's are my favorite lift because I feel like a badass lifting heavy weights off the ground. Then again I always feel like a badass at Crossfit...

And then Kells met Helen

"Helen"

3RDs for Time

400m Run

21 KB Swings

12 Pull-ups

The result?

After that she had a date with the foam roller

Good Shit.

Side Note: My time was 15:24....not happy- next time I'm gonna get that bitch in under 14...

"Spartans (and Kells) Never Surrender!!"

Today I met this nice woman named Helen at Crossfit. I think pretty soon we could be best friends but today not so much because my legs felt like 200lbs. I felt like Nicholas Cage in the movie "Face Off" when he is in the jail and has those huge magnetic steel boots on 24/7. Oh yea and I had to run in them.

Strength:

DEADLIFTS! First deadlift ever if you dont count picking KTo up off the ground from drinking too much.

5 reps 60lbs
5 reps 80lbs
3 reps 125lbs
3 reps 145lbs

Felt really good to do these even though I had to semi squat.

Metacon:

HELEN! And she brings in her big bag of fun 3 rounds of:

400 m run (in invisible Nicholas Cage boots)
21 Kbell Swings - 25lbs
12 Pullups - with bands

My second round of pullups using blue band it began to get super tough and this is when Steve took my picture. I bet it will be super hott. This came easier to me than last workout but the last set of pullups I went to a gray band and that was easier to pull myself up.

24:35 min.

Okay not the best time but I finished it so I am happy with myself

I may not have the best reps or times but I have to say I do have the cutest notebook to track my progress at Crossfit.

I LOVE KELLS

I was going to talk about the crazy WOD we did at 7am today. Then I read Kells post below and realized it was fff'n gold so heres some pics from today. Oh yeah and C & Doc killed it for Nordstrom visitors then we ate popshop

5 thrusters, 7 hang power cleans, 10 sumodeads AMRAP 20 mins

KTo:10 + 1 squat ( worst squat of the day)

E2 10 + 5 squats +4 hang power cleans

C & Doc KILLIN IT

2 hot UW MODELS<3

Side Note: Rogue Chocolate Stout =<3 more to come...

Reality Check!

I think someone broke into my house last night and beat my legs with a metal bat...oh wait no now I remember they hurt so bad because of the squatathon I did yesterday at Crossfit.

I realized there are several things I am grateful for now...the ease of walking up and down steps when my legs are not on fire and I have a heightened sense of awareness as to how low the commode really sits.

Diet is going well. Mainly consists of egg whites, grilled chicken, veggies, nuts, some blueberries, and water so far. Recipes soon. :) I said no to a chocolate chip cookie and reeses cups even though they insist on showing up everywhere I go.

So the dreaded reality check that I am not as small as I would like to think I am...

Height: 5'6" - Goal: Stay the same because face it I am not gonna grow and I like taller men
Weight: 158lbs yes I am thick - Goal: Get er down but I will gain muscle. 145 lbs
Chest: 40" - Goal: BIGGER! haha if anywhere is allowed to grow it is here
Waist: 36" I hate you - Goal: I want this area to have the most significant change. 32" maybe
Hips: 39" - Goal: I dont think they can get smaller cuz I feel my bone haha
Thighs: 19" of pure ass kicking lead - Goal: More lean and defined
Arms: 11-1/2" - Goal: Same as legs; I dont want to be jacked though

So these are my before stats and I will do them again in 3 months to see the difference. :)