Are YOU Ready for a Challenge??

UPDATE:  I have just updated ETC to include my:

"Want a Challenge?" Page

Some rights reserved by RezaG!

This page has an index of challenges and rules that will make you better!  Competitions get me excited and they make me better.  Choose from 6 Different Challenges today and start getting better!

My favorite (and a challenge I am starting today!):

POST HERE: what challenge are you going to pick???

Shoulder Pads in the Mail! (and the end of the Whole30)

The roster for the Militia has not been finalized yet, but I have made it through January cuts and position moving!  Consequently it looks pretty good :)  First game against @ D.C. Divas April 2nd.

In other news I completed the final day of my Whole30 experience this past Wednesday!!

The Whole30 was a great experience for me.  I cleaned up my diet more than I ever have in my life.  I took sugar, salt and processing out.  My body feels great!  I have consistent energy levels throughout the day, there is never a day where my stomach hurts, or I don't feel "quite right."  The best, and completely unforeseen result has been my sleep.  In the last week and a half of the Whole30 I started waking up 10 minutes before my alarm every morning.  At first I thought my body was just making a mistake but it has been consistent every day, and I am not going to sleep or waking up at the same time either.  I am not sure what the "science" is behind this.  That said, the past week and half, my mornings have been the calmest and most lovely part of my day.

Honestly, I would keep the Whole30 going just to have mornings like this, and I think that is exactly what I am going to do:

UPDATE: Football Tryouts

Last Thursday I went to my first tryout/player evaluation for the Boston Militia!  This tryout was the first step of many, to become a member of the Boston Militia and play semi-pro women’s football.

After filling out 9 different forms, releases, and waivers about everything from insurance to pictures to equipment requirements, I arrived at the Harvard “Bubble” for an 8-10PM workout. 

Approximately 36 other women came out to the Harvard Dome with what seemed like a 50-50 split of returning players and prospective athletes. 

Small Successes in Crossfit :: Trials in Football

I kipped for the first time today!

I just thought I would try it.  I try to kip a pull-up here and there, but I usually run into one of the following issues:

1. I get too excited about my swing and can't control it
2. My hands hurt from lifting something
3. My muscles are beat after a WOD

Today, there was some time for skill work between our SWOD and our CWOD at CFB, so I hoped up on the bar. Forward-back-up!  My chin went over the bar!  I was actually so surprised I thought it was an accident.  So I got down, shook it out and hoped back up.  Forward-back-up, forward-back-up!

2 in a row = not an accident

1.31.10 crossfit mainpage

Pull-Ups: a Public Display

Public displays of data are influential: they tell us where we started, they help us track our progress, they show us where we have succeeded, and where we could do more.  Starting tomorrow (only because I do not have the materials tonight), I am going to track one thing:

1. Pull-ups 
One morning (the day after I hobbled away from my 5k run), I went to Crossfit Boston again which in itself felt like a win.  Neal Thompson, the owner of CFB, was the coach at the box that morning.  The workouts for the day were:

SWOD: Back Squat

CWOD: AMRAP in 15 min. of

5-Pull-Ups

10-Chest to Deck Push-Ups

15-20'' Box Jumps

As I went to grab my usual blue band to assist me on my pull-ups Neal told me to put it back, he asked me if I could do one pull-up, I said yes.  Neal then added the following, "That's how you will do them then, 1-by-1.  You are never allowed to use a band again.  And if I see you using a band you owe me 1,000 burpees in a weighted-vest."

Motivation enough for me.

5k WOD on the first day of winter

by, Eric Gilliland

When I first joined Crossfit Boston I was warned early on, that "unless there is snow on the ground we run outside, so be prepared."  When there was no WOD posted on the website last night I should have suspected: running in the cold (or rowing).  Unaware as to the workout that was coming my way, I peeled myself out of bed and put on my winter jacket for the first time this winter.  26 degrees, 30 percent chance of flurries.

On the train, the words of came back to me, "unless there is snow on the ground we run outside..."  "Nah," I thought.  It's too cold.

Unsurprisingly, Crossfit Boston had the last laugh.  As I foam-rolled my muscles awake, Coach Jen only needed to write for a second to tell us what we would be doing today:

Skill: OHS

CWOD: 5k

Ouch.

It was one of those moments where you just have to laugh; being ill-equipped (and by that I mean ill-dressed for an outdoor run), and knowing that I cursed myself with my thoughts on the T, I laughed.  And honestly?  The workout was pretty great.  I overhead squatted (OHS) 110lbs, which I have never done before, I ran my miles at just under 8 minutes a mile--26:35 for 3.4 miles, maintaining my barefoot/POSE technique!  

I snotted all over myself, I had a hacking cough, and I didn't realize until I got home that I couldn't feel two of my toes.  It was great.  It was great because nothing else this week will feel that hard.  

TABATA THIS! How My 'Better' First Got Better

Currently, I am back in my hometown of Philadelphia for a week-long visit.  This means some things are difficult: sticking to my nutritional plan while traveling and being around my mom's brownies.  Other things are difficult in the good way: long Metcons at Crossfit Center City!  The Metcon this past Wednesday at Crossfit Center City was Tabata This!  A forty-round metcon that is all about pushing yourself to do as many repetitions as possible.  A Tabata workout means that you are doing 20 seconds on, and 10 seconds off, for 8 rounds of one exercise; Tabata This contains the following movements:


Tabata Row
Tabata Squat
Tabata Pull-Ups
Tabata Push-Ups
Tabata Sit-Ups/Planks

So to start you row for 20 seconds, rest for 10, row for 20 etc.  You can rest for 1 minute before switching to the next exercise.  I have seen it done both with the 1 minute rest, and without it; we did not get this minute break between exercises.  Tabata workouts are always a little bit daunting because even if you get through four rounds, your muscles are starting to shake and you still have four more.