Vball & CrossFit & Coaching... Oh My!

Monday, 5/13/13

2 hours of volleyball - We play vball at Dave's church and it's pretty competitive!  I never played organized volleyball growing up, but I was friends with some vball players and played a ton of backyard volleyball over the years.  Playing at church I've learned a lot more technique and strategy.  My objective is no longer just to get it over the net, but instead set up an awesome spike for someone or read where someone is going to hit it and position myself defensively.  I've been working on my overhand serve for a while, but things have seemed to click recently!

Tuesday, 5/14/13

CrossFit (before work!)
Skill: Double Unders
WOD: Annie (Benchmark)
50-40-30-20-10
- Double Unders
- Sit-ups

I completed the workout in 15:11!  If you couldn't get doubles then three singles counted for one double.  I typically do three singles between each double, so I counted each double attempt as two.  Double unders are not my friend, I did a few consecutively but they got worse and worse as I got tired.  I was the second to last person to finish the workout, but I was glad I kept attempting the dubs.  Last time we did double unders Dave just couldn't get the timing right, but he got his first one and many more!

Wednesday, 5/15/13

CrossFit
WOD: Lurong (Benchmark)
Complete 5 Rounds of:
- 20 Burpees
- 20 KB Swings (36, 53) - I did 26 lbs
For Time!

I finished in 15:18 and OMG, this was absurd.  When I looked it up on the website I thought, oh that's not too bad, burpees kind of suck but it's just my body weight and I kind of like kettlebell swings.  WRONG.  This workout was so hard.  I realized how hard it was going to be when I was winded after the first round.  Dave said he thought he was going to throw up afterwards.  Burpees suck!  There were quite a few times when I got down to my belly during the burpees, and I just laid there trying to catch my breath, contemplating never getting back up.  My partner really pushed me through this one, he kept repeating "just keep moving" and somehow I did.

Thursday, 5/16/13

Coached cheerleading - Practice has been pretty low impact for me these days because we're gearing up for some performances, so I'm doing a lot more shouting (counts, cues, and corrections) than anything else.  I still manage to work up quite a sweat, but I'm not sure how much of a workout I'm really getting.

Unfortunately, this weekend was majorly lacking in fitness.  My time was spent socializing with friends and family, attending church, and sitting around at the airport.  I really want to get to CrossFit three times a week (at least!) but I'm finding it difficult.  I'm definitely busy, but more often than not it's not my schedule that's holding me back, it's my super sore muscles!  I am so sore after every CrossFit workout.  I know that using my muscles would help to loosen things up, but at the same time I know that rest is important and I don't want to do too much too soon and end up injured.  Combine super sore muscles with the temptations of sleeping in, going to happy hour, walking on the trail with my dog, taking my sweet time getting dinner on the table, etc... and well, a lot of the time CrossFit just doesn't win that battle.  I probably should be more diligent about stretching and foam rolling but I'm also hoping as I get stronger and more used to the different exercises, I will be less sore and going three or four times a week will turn into a habit.

Do you workout when you're sore?  How do you combat sore muscles?

CrossFit Catch Up

Now that we've been doing CrossFit for a few weeks, I'm starting to feel more comfortable with a lot of the exercises!  However, I'm still crazy sore after every single workout.  CrossFit is no joke, but I'm loving it!

Thursday, 5/2/13

Skill: Double Unders

Workout of the Day:  7 Minute AMRAP (as many rounds as possible)

- 7 Kettlebell Swings (35,53)
- 7 Situps
- 14 Double Unders

I completed 3 rounds and I used a 26 lbs kettlebell.

Double unders are hard!  Class started with my coach asking me what kind of temper I have because apparently double unders piss people off!  It took me a few minutes of trying but I finally got my first one... and then ended up with the jump rope around my neck.  I don't even understand how that happened!  Let me tell you, jumping rope is a great workout.  Every time I do a WOD I just keep thinking, you really only need a few minutes to get in a good workout.  No one is too busy to jump rope for a few minutes!  My calves were killing me for days after this one.

Tuesday, 5/7/13

Workout of the Day: You will take at least two attempts to set maxes of the following:

- 400 M

- Pull-ups (scaling option use a band that you will at least get 10 options)

- Push ups

- Toes to Bar (if you can't do toes to bar, please do sit-ups)

- Double Unders

- Box Jump in 60 Seconds (18,24)

Here are my numbers:

The run kind of sucked.  If I'm running long distances, I will take my time, if I'm running a quick sprint I will go all out... 400 M is a long way to sprint.  I really didn't want to do the second one.

I did my pull ups with a big green resistance band.  They felt super easy in the beginning, but my arms were burning quickly.  I got 22 on my first try, but I got to 24 on my second try!  This was the only thing that I did better on the second time.  I realized I wasn't doing the kipping motion (pumping your legs for momentum) that everyone else was doing and that helped a lot.  I still need a lot of work on pull ups.  One day, I will do a pull up with no resistance band.

I was already dreading the push ups since I've been struggling with them since I corrected my form (arms close to body, chest to ground) and my arms felt like jello after the pull ups.  Only doing 12 seemed pretty sad, I know I have a lot of room for improvement here.

I hadn't worked on toes to bar before, but I thought I'd try it to see what I could do.  I got my toes up easily the first time, but my lack of technique left me swinging awkwardly at the bottom.  I got my toes up a second time but decided to do sit ups instead since I don't really know how to do toes to bar correctly yet.  I killed it with 75 sit ups!

Next was double unders.  I did 10 in a row my first try!  I was super pumped.

And finally box jumps... jumping 18" doesn't seem that hard, but doing it repeatedly for 60 seconds is another thing!  Nothing like almost missing to put a little pep in your step jump!

Thursday, 5/9/13

Workout of the Day: Father of the Bride Workout (since one of the member's daughter is getting married this week)

Partner Workout (Cause what Marriage isn't a Partnership)

1. Getting to the Wedding - Row 800, 100 Double Unders (or 200 Singles)
2. Walking Down the Aisle - 2 100 Meter Farmers Carry (25 pound plates each hand)
3. Exchanging of The Rings -100 Ring Rows
4. Listen to the Bells Ring - 100 Kettlebell Swings - I did 12 lbs
5. Cleaning out after the Wedding - 100 Hang Cleans 65,95 - I did 35 lbs
6. Getting the Heck out of There - 800 M Run

The coaches gave us our partners, so Dave and I were split up and paired with some more experienced people.  Each portion of the workout could be split however you wanted.  My partner and I ended up splitting everything in half (we both did 50 of each exercise) except I did a few more cleans since I was feeling strong and my partner had a lot more weight on his bar (he did the prescribed weight of 95 lbs).  I probably could've cleaned more weigh (definitely not the 65 lbs prescribed for women, but more than 35), but I wasn't really sure and 50 reps is quite a bit!  The ring rows (grab rings, lean back with feet on the floor, pull yourself up) were surprisingly hard!  We finished in 24:21!  And my arms hurt so bad!  I thought about going to the WOD after work today, but I decided it was probably a good idea to let my arms rest instead.

After the workout we all went to a ice cream place called Zwahlen's that specializes in rich homemade ice cream, specialty chocolates, and gourmet candy apples.  I felt like I had definitely earned the brownie sundae (with Twix ice cream!) that I crushed.  I wish I took some food porn pictures because it was glorious!  It was a cheat, but I'm glad I cheated with something delicious and special.

Mine was similar to the one on the left!  (Source)

After ice cream we headed over to Chickie's & Pete's, a sports bar that has a few locations around the Philly area.  I ordered a burger with bacon, fried onions, bbq sauce, lettuce, and tomato (no bun).  Despite our trip to Zwahlen's, a lot of the people from our gym also follow some version of Paleo.  The guy who sat next to me just started a strict self imposed diet.  He went home during the ice cream portion of the evening to eat a healthy home cooked dinner and then expressed his jealousy during dinner as he sipped water, the only thing he consumed at the bar.  I felt bad for him but could totally understand where he's coming from!  It's nice to gain some new friends with similar views on food and fitness!
Do your friends share your views on fitness and healthy eating?