Friday, May 31, 2013


Why do I CrossFit?  So I only have to make one trip carrying in the groceries.  You know?  This is SO true for me!  I will pack those bags together and carry them all in!  lol

I am SO glad it is Friday.  This has been one of the strangest weeks - as far as schedules go and I'm really glad it's done after today.  I am also very sore from yesterday's workout.  You wouldn't think what we did yesterday would make you this sore, but it certainly did that for me!!  Then again - it could be because I've only worked out twice this week - Tuesday and yesterday.  That's probably what it is.  I've got to get back to five days - GOT TO!!  This will be the first summer that I've worked out consistently.  I'm just going to have to make sure I do my workouts every day - no excuses.  :)

CaliFit Mamas:
   5 Rounds for time
      12 Dead-lifts w/40-60 lbs
      20 Push-ups
      12 Power snatches w/20 lbs
      20 Knees to elbows

Brand X:
   Rest day

Looks like I'm doing CaliFit today!  It doesn't look too bad and hopefully I'll remember to do FIVE rounds today.  I still can't believe I didn't see that yesterday.  I've seen other people post that they read the workout incorrectly and only do one or two rounds when it called for more and I kept thinking to myself "Really?  How could you not see that?"  lol - Now, I'm one of them!  I get it now...I really do!  :)
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28:43...BUT I added a run to each round.  I planned on running 100 meters every round, but once I hit the 100 meter mark on my treadmill, I noticed I was at like 53 or 54 seconds, so I decided to make it 1 minute run segments instead.  Then, at the end of the last round, I was only 1.5 blocks away from being an even 600 meters, so I just finished it out.

28:43 - total time, of which 5:15 was my treadmill time

Dead-lifts with 50 lbs - no problem with these.  I didn't have to break them up at all, but they were getting tougher on that last round!

20 Push-ups - I did the first two rounds without stopping.  I had to stop after 15 on round 3, 14 on round 4, and 15 on round 5.

Power snatches were with a 19 lb dumbbell - one arm at a time.  I screwed up again today - I thought I was supposed to do 20 power snatches, so I did 10 each arm, each round.  No problem with these, but discovered how much weaker my left arm is during the last round!

Knees to elbows were on a bar, and they were knees to boobs.  This was the other part of my screw up - I thought I only had to do 12 of these, so that's what I did.  Was very impressed with the strength of my abs bringing my knees to my boobs the first round.  Of course, it went down hill from there.  Those were extremely hard on the last round!!

1 minute run segments at 4.3 speed and 2.0 incline.  VERY proud of these - I did not hold on to the treadmill bars/handles AT ALL!!!  Woot-woot!!  It's the little things, isn't it?

GREAT workout!  I'm good and sweaty!!  :)  Y'all have a good weekend!!

Thursday, May 30, 2013


See if you can find the Crossfit bird.  I found it!!  lol - I thought this was cute because the birds are crows, and my last name is Crowe!  I need to put this one up in my exercise room!!

Well, let's hope I actually get in my exercise room today!  With school being out, I tend to just go and do things, not paying attention to time since I don't have to be back by a certain time to pick up Hayley and before I know it, it's late and I have to rush home to start supper!  I really couldn't believe I was gone for so long yesterday.  I went to the bank, two stores (one of which was a pharmacy) AND I left 2:45, thinking I'd be back with plenty of time to work out.  Well, it was 4:30 before I got back home.  It really shocked me that it was that late.  I had originally planned to cut grass today, but my son needs to borrow my lawn mower, so...yay, Kirk!  ;)  Although, it's kinda cloudy right now, so it might have been a great day to cut grass - it still is, just not for me!  

CaliFit Mamas:
   5 rounds for time
      20 butterfly sit-ups
      20 sumo dead-lift high pulls w/20 lbs

Brand X:
   Run 400 meters
   Right arm hang, 10 seconds
   Left arm Turkish get up w/0-10 lbs
   Left arm hang, 10 seconds
   Right arm Turkish get ups w/0-10 lbs
   L-sit hold, 15 seconds

I'm sure you noticed the term "butterfly sit-ups" with the CaliFit workout, well...they are the same as CrossFit sit-ups.  I'm pretty sure Jenni is just getting away from using the name CrossFit any where on her blog, and who could blame her?  Did I tell you I email CrossFit regarding Jenni's blog?  Well, I did and the response I received basically stated it was okay to share the CrossFit workouts - they really didn't have a problem with that.  However, they did have a problem with someone making money off of it, which they considered Jenni was doing by selling/promoting the tank tops and Vi-Shakes on her blog.  So, hopefully she gets all of that worked out. 

I know I said I would do last Monday's workout today, but I have to admit that today's Brand X workout looks like fun, so I'm really leaning towards doing that.  I know what left- and right-arm hangs are, but I had to look up what Turkish getups and L-sit holds were.  They, too, look like fun!

Turkish get-ups:  You start laying on your back on the floor, holding the weight with one hand, arm straight up to the ceiling.  Then, you work your body up into a standing position - all the while holding that arm straight up to the ceiling.  Then, you work you body back down into the starting position - all the while holding that arm straight up to the ceiling.  You can use you other arm for balance, but I think the goal is to try not to.  The video I watched also said it was okay to try out different moves each time.  Here's a link to the video I watched:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrfQDifC2YQ

L-sit holds are pretty much how they sound.  You sit with your legs straight out in front of you, place both hands on the floor and lift up your body.  The video that I watched showed the guy using some type of pole things to lift himself up, but I don't have those.  I did a search for "beginner" L-sit holds, and came across an explanation on the Brand X's site, which sounded easy to do as well - http://board.crossfit.com/showthread.php?t=10737

Like I said earlier, I'm really leaning towards doing this today.  Looks like fun!
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7:32 - but man!  What a sweaty, seven and a half minutes!!!  WOW!  I ran the entire 400 meters (yay, me!) with a treadmill time of 3:31, which leaves 4:01 for the hangs and Turkish get-ups.  Not sure if I've mentioned it or not, but I've been using a 2 incline on my treadmill whenever I run.  This girl I know was running on a treadmill, then she started running down her street and she said it just seemed so much harder to run outside than on the treadmill.  I read somewhere that someone always put their treadmill at an incline to try to compensate for the difference, so that's what I've been doing since my goal is to eventually be an outside runner - really, it is!  It IS!!  :)

I forgot to put the number of reps down for the Turkish get-ups - it was 5 for each hand.  And I must say, those are WAY harder than they looked or sounded!  I had the weights in my left hand first, and they didn't seem too bad (I'm right handed, by the way).  But when I switched hands - wow, I am very weak when it comes to depending on my left side for anything!  Right-handed get-ups were way harder than the left!  I could not believe how this kept my heart rate up.  What a great, quick, hard workout!

Overall, I really liked that workout!  Now, I'm off to go pick up a baby bed for my Addy's room!  :)

NOTE:  I just realized I completely read my workout wrong - I only did one round...I was supposed to do three!  Oh well, it's better than nothing!  :)

Wednesday, May 29, 2013


Running is a mental sport and we're all insane.  I think this should actually say "Running is insane!"  lol - I don't know about you guys, but burpees are KILLING my upper body.  My shoulders are SO sore!  I told Honey-Buns yesterday that I couldn't believe I was saying it, but I wished we had a few more burpees to do to give me a break from those weighted front squats!  I did like the burpees prescribed - I could actually do them as prescribed without stopping!  :)  My thighs and butt were killing me last night, but that soreness went away - thank goodness!

CaliFit Mamas:
   6 rounds, 5 minutes each:
      Sprint 200 meters (for time)
      Run 400 meters
   If you finish before your 5 minutes are up, use the remaining time for rest.

Brand X:
   Back squats - 10, 10, 10

Obviously, today's CaliFit is yesterday's Brand X workout and I'm not doing it.  I'm going to do last Monday's CaliFit workout instead, since I missed it and never made it up.  Just a reminder of what that workout was:
   Run 1000 meters
   50 Thrusters w/24 lbs
   30 Push-ups

I'm going to do the 5K training run (like I planned to last week), which is 7 rounds of running 2 minutes, walking 1 minute.  I'll see how far that takes me and go from there.  Y'all wish me luck!
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My summer schedule is all out of whack!  Got busy shopping this afternoon and came home later than usual, so no time to work out.  Will definitely do this one tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Stats - 8 months, 4 days - 5/28/13

Okay - so I've posted my updated measurements.  Not sure if they're good or bad - some are good, some are not.  Again - this is not a science, I just take a tape measure and go from there.  I might not be measuring in the same spot every time, or whatever - but I am happy with my torso/weight measurements!  :)

Total weight lost @ 8  months, 4 days:  10.5 lbs.  :)

Total inches lost:  22.75
Original Measurement total inches lost:  18.5

Check 'em out, if you want.  :)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Ak5dw7gXHvW9dFc1blZYMG5IencxbHRsUmVhMzlfNHc#gid=0

Forgot to mention - I got into a pair of shorts that I KNOW I haven't been able to wear for 3 years!  LOVE that!!  :)



When you feel the weight of the world is on your shoulders, do squats.  I mean, c'mon!  What else are you gonna do with it?  lol

As you can tell - I was not around this weekend, and what a busy weekend it was!!!  I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day - I know I did.  Tiring, but great!  I have a brother who has been incarcerated for 14 years and he was release on parole earlier last week.  He's living at a halfway house in Atlanta, so I went and picked him up on Sunday morning and brought him here to spend the day with me and my family.  He was so excited to see my kids, and kept calling them "younguns'.  I had to remind him they weren't young anymore - Katy is 26 and Kirk is 23.  He couldn't believe it.  They were 12 and 10 the last time he saw them.  Even though I've sent him pictures and stuff, I guess he just couldn't believe it.  It was a really nice visit and I pray, pray, PRAY that he stays out of trouble.  He had to be back home by curfew (9:00 p.m.), so I drove him back that same night.  He's been gone so long, and the world has changed so much while he was away.  I mean...hardly anyone had computers in their homes then, and very few of those had internet.  Cell phones were just starting to catch on - my daughter said she remembers all of her friends had pagers/beepers back then.  It's just crazy to sit and think about all that has changed in just 14 years.  I had a netbook that I bought for Hayley to use, but she didn't like it, so I found it and gave it to my brother and gave him a crash course on computers.  Yes...I wrote down everything he needed to know, but still - he's called me so much with questions on it!  lol

Then - I had planned to chill and relax yesterday, but ended up going to Athens (Bulldog country!) to take Katy my old deck furniture that she wanted for her patio.  That turned in to a shopping trip for paint, then a shopping trip for baby stuff.  I had a blast shopping for baby stuff - cannot wait until little Addy gets here!  Anyway, I didn't get back home until almost 4:00 - then it was grocery store, supper, etc.  Busy, busy, busy!!  I do believe I'll enjoy being back on a normal schedule today!

CaliFit Mamas:
   50 Front squats w/40 lbs
   5 Burpees
   40 Front squats w/40 lbs
   4 Burpees
   30 Front squats w/40 lbs
   3 Burpees
   20 Front squats w/40 lbs
   2 Burpees
   10 Front squats w/40 lbs
   1 Burpee

Brand X:
   4 rounds - 6 minutes per round
      Sprint 200 meters (time these)
      Run 400 meters
   *If you complete this before 6 minutes is up, use the remainder of your time as rest time.

I plan to do CaliFit today.  I completely missed it yesterday, but am going to start with today's workout.  I may add yesterday's workout at the end of this.  It didn't seem like it was very long - I just wasn't at home!
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11:58 - WOW!  That was tougher than it sounded!  Oh well...I did NOT have the worst time today - yay, me!  lol

I started out using 44 lbs on the squats - did all 50 of the first round with 44 lbs, but dropped down to 38 lbs for the remaining rounds. My adjustable dumbbells are either 44 or 38, there is no 40!  Ha-ha!  It was bad enough with 38 lbs, though.  I was going to try to do yesterday's workout as well, but my legs are SO squiggly right now.  I'm surprised I can't see them quivering on the outside, because they sure as hell are squiggly on the inside!!  That was a great, sweaty, quick work out!  :)

Friday, May 24, 2013


Exercise free speech - strengthen the 1st amendment.  Use it or lose it!  Guess what?  I'm on a rant today.  So...I believe I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs about CrossFit making Jenni take CrossFit out of her blog name, CrossFit Mamas.  Well, she did.  However, they are now saying that wasn't enough - she needs to completely shut down her blog.  I don't understand how they can do that.  I get them wanting to protect the CrossFit name/brand, and wanting that removed.  I don't get how they can force her to stop blogging about something that you can find for free on the internet.  I mean really - google a named CrossFit workout.  I did it this morning.  I googled "CrossFit Helen".  The VERY FIRST thing that popped up was from Men's Fitness - not a CrossFit site.  Hmmm.....interesting, right?  I have been following the Workouts Of the Day (WODs) not only Jenni's workout blog, but through an affiliated CrossFit site - CrossFit Brand X.  I registered at Brand X for free - not to be able to see the WODs (you could do that for free without registering) but to be able to post my times (again, for free).  I don't understand why you can't blog about something for free, when it's everywhere on the internet for free!!  AARRGGHH!!  Makes me angry.  Does this mean CrossFit can come after me as well?  I mean, I'm posting their workouts on my blog....where does the ridiculousness end?

Okay...rant over.  Well, at least on that subject.  :)   I don't know about you guys, but my shoulders are BEYOND sore!!  I woke up around 2:00 this morning, and had to get up and take some aspirin.  I could hardly lift my arm to move it - I tend to sleep with one arm under my pillow, and it felt like I had my arm in molasses or whatever else super-sticky substance you can think of.  It was crazy!  I kept thinking - this just doesn't seem real, how slowly my arm moved.  It kinda freaked me out!  lol  But, the aspirin finally got to work and I went back to sleep, but not until after watching Ryan Gosling for a bit.  I don't know what station Honey-Buns had left the t.v. on (we sleep with it on, but with the sound muted), but man - Ryan Gosling is just super sexy.  I don't know why he does it for me...he just does.  A nice little plus in my world of aches!  lol

CaliFit Mamas:
   7 Rounds for time
      7 Front squats w/40 lbs
      7 Push-ups

Brand X:
   For time
      30 Burpee muscle-ups

Being that I'm a day behind on CaliFit, I knew what today's workout entailed.  My first thought when I woke up with super slow/sore arms, was "How am I going to do push-ups tomorrow?"  Ha!  Thank goodness for aspirin, huh?  I will probably take another aspirin this morning just to make sure the soreness is gone by the time I work out, so it doesn't affect my time.  ;)  Just from looking at Brand X's workout, I have to say....wow...Burpee Muscle-ups sound horrible!!!  I'm glad we don't do muscle-ups! One - I don't have the equipment (and I don't plan on getting the equipment if they want to combine it with burpees!) and Two - well, there is no two - they just sound awful, though.

Let's get it done!
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Not able to do this today - my upper arms/shoulders are ridiculously sore.  I'll do this one tomorrow, along with the running one that was really scheduled for today.  :)



Thursday, May 23, 2013


I love you more than CrossFit.  Well, not really...but I do love you more than burpees.  Burpees suck.  - Yes, they do!!  Big-time!!  :)  Hmmm...why am I posting a picture about burpees?  Yup - we're doing 'em.  And not just a few either - a bunch!  Yay....not!  ;)

I kind of like being a day behind in the CaliFit Mamas workouts.  Jenni has stayed pretty much a day behind the Brand X workouts, with some modifications on them.  I have noticed that she uses the CrossFit women's "Big Dawg" workouts, she just scales down the weights a lot.  Yesterday's Brand X workout was for weighted pull-ups, but today's actual CaliFit is different from that.  I've noticed when CrossFit does strictly a weighted workout, Jenni usually creates something different.  But it is nice knowing what I'm going to be doing tomorrow.  Don't ask me why...it's just nice knowing.  :)

CaliFit Mamas:
   Hero Workout, honoring US Army First Lieutenant Omar Vazquez
      "Omar"
         10 Thrusters, 20 lbs
         15 Bar-facing burpees
         20 Thrusters, 20 lbs
         25 Bar-facing burpees
         30 Thrusters, 20 lbs
         35 Bar-facing burpees

Brand X:
   Rest day

I've been looking forward to doing "Omar" since I saw the workout posted on Brand X on Tuesday.  It looks tough, yet fun.  I know....sounds crazy for me to say that, but it looks challenging and I love challenges!!  I averaged out the "pack" times on Brand X's site for the Hero WOD, and the average was 16:33 - so that is my goal time.  Sounds like it's going to be hard to do, but I'm gonna just close my eyes and do it!  Which reminds me...I've been meaning to talk about this, but I keep forgetting.  I have noticed that I tend to close my eyes when doing certain exercises - sit-ups, push-ups, burpees.  I mean, it's crazy, but I just seem to do them better with my eyes closed.  It's almost like I'm shutting out the world and just going through the motions, which is good (I guess) for pounding through them.  It's just a weird quirk and I was curious if anyone else does this.  I already know I'm NOT normal, so it's okay if I'm the only one - but still.  It's just weird - yes, it kinda freaks me out 'cause I don't do it intentionally, it just happens!  lol  Oh well....eyes wide shut for burpees today!  
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Wow, oh wow!  That was almost as bad as running!  lol

17:41 - I beat my goal time! AND, everyone's average time at Brand X!!  Woot-woot!!  SO happy with that!  It could have been better, though.  I was at 12:11 when I started my those last 35 burpees.  I really struggled through those - so, so, so, so HARD!!!  I wanted to stop so bad, but refused.  I finally had to do the count backwards just to convince myself it wasn't too bad.  That really helped.  Maybe I should start counting down instead of up!  Another little trick to try.

Thrusters weren't so bad - I used 24 lbs for those.  My left elbow is a little sore, so I'm going to watch what I do with it so it doesn't get worse.  I only felt it doing thrusters - not while doing burpees.  I must have been focused on something else while doing burpees.  You know...like trying not to die!!!  ha!!

Great workout - so glad it's over!

OH!  While doing burpees, I discovered that apparently I'm sunburned on my stomach!  Yup...major pain on my belly.  That's what I get for trying to tan, huh?  It's always something....

Wednesday, May 22, 2013


Strength doesn't come from what you can do, it comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn't.     :)  I LOVE this!   It is pretty awesome to do things that you couldn't before (like me and CrossFit sit-ups) or to just beat yourself on times.  Love, love, love it!!

Not a whole lot going on today - it's Wednesday and I'm SO sleepy, but I know that will go away shortly.  I will admit, I like having that extra 10 minutes of "snooze" time now that school is out, but I still did not want to get out of bed this morning.  I probably would have hit the snooze button one more time, but my bladder was yelling at me to get up - so I did!

I'm doing yesterday's prescribed CaliFit Mamas workout today.  This is actually working out pretty well for me this week - keeping the days in order instead of saving my missed day for the weekend.  So far this week, CaliFit is just one day behind Brand X - so I'm able to post my times/workouts at both sites.

CaliFit Mamas:
   3 Rounds for time
      - Run 400 meters
      - 21 Kettlebell swings w/20 lbs
      - 12 Pull-ups

Brand X:
   Weighted Pull-ups  3-2-2-2-1-1-1-1-1

My plan is to run the entire 400 meter segments, so it will be interesting to see my time.  Hopefully it won't be too bad - most of the Mamas have been anywhere from 12-20 minutes.  If I run all of the segments, that should be 10.5 minutes or so on the treadmill alone.  So...add in another minute for each of the other two exercises, multiply times three and you get 16.5 minutes total.  Then, factor in breathing time of another minute per round and I'm looking at 19.5 minutes.  Wow....looks like my goal is 20 minutes or less.  Yikes - really....wish me luck!  :)
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20:24 - I did not beat, nor meet, my goal time but I wasn't far off, so I guess I'm happy with that.  I ran the entire 400 meters for round 1.  I walked the first 100 meters on round 2, then ran the remaining 300 meters.  I ran 1 minute, walked 45 seconds repeatedly on round 3 until I finished.  My treadmill time was 11:26.

I used 22 lbs for kettlebell swings and was surprised they weren't too heavy - I figured I could drop it down if I needed to, but it was unnecessary - happy for that!

I did band-assisted pull-ups on the first round, but they took up so much time for me to get my foot in that I decided to just attempt pull-ups for rounds 2 and 3.  Round 2 was way better than round 3, but I was pretty exhausted by the time round 3 pull-ups rolled around.  I am getting up higher than before - the tops of my ears are almost even with my elbows.  At least, I think that's good.

I need to start adding run segments to my workouts, so I don't lose what I had gained.  Not sure if it is just me not being 100% this week, or if I'm regressing with my running.  It's probably a little of both.  Oh well...there's no where to go but up!  :)  Great workout, today!  I am sweaty, sweaty, sweaty!!

Tuesday, May 21, 2013


CrossFit is like a cult, but without the creepy leader.  SO true!  I'm hear of more and more people doing CrossFit - even a couple of girls I know at the racetrack started doing it last week.  I was talking with one of them and she was complaining over how expensive it was.  I told her about the CaliFit Mamas and Brand X blogs that I follow that post the WOD and that I do it at home and it doesn't cost me anything.  She said she didn't think she could do it at home because she would probably quit - she actually needed someone encouraging her to do it.  I thought, you know?  I guess that's what makes me different from a lot of folks - I don't want someone telling me I can do this...I know I can, it's just between me and me.  I've watched shows like The Biggest Loser and just can't watch for very long.  If someone got up in my face, yelling at me to do something I would just shut down and quit.  If you want me to do something, don't force it on me...it's got to be on my terms.  I guess that's why I like working out at home and I love whenever I have a "compare to" date that I've actually done before - it's just me against me.  No one else.  What I accomplish or don't accomplish lies solely in my hands.  It IS up to me - whatever I choose.  As Yoda says, "Do or do not..."  Yeah, that pretty much sums it up - do, or do not.

Well, I did not have a bladder infection, but a UTI - kinda the same thing, right?  I'm on medication (thank goodness!) and there is no more pain (thank MORE goodness!), so everything should be back on track today.  This is my first UTI ever and I do not wish that kind of pain on anyone.  I was very surprised at how quickly it just came on.  Let's hope it goes away just as quickly.

I'm so shocked at the devastation from the Oklahoma tornadoes yesterday.  Such a sad, sad place to be. I was sitting here in my very comfortable house last night when I saw a news update and the pictures of the homes that are just no longer there.  I looked over at Honey-Buns and said, you know - even if you were lucky and all of your family is okay and you've rounded them all up and your all back together...where do you go?  Homes are just flattened - completely!  You know the hotels, etc. are to capacity - where do you go?  So sad.  They are all in my prayers for a good while.

So...I did not work out yesterday because of the pain I was in.  Well, I'm going to keep this week's workout in order, so I don't get confused on what to do when - meaning, I'm going to do yesterday's workout today, today's workout tomorrow, etc.  Friday's workout will be done on Saturday or Sunday.  If there is a day that has a quick, short workout I will try to do that with the previous days' workout and catch up that way - but I don't know what the workouts will be before they happen, so I'll just have to wait and see.  All of that being said - here is what I'm doing today:

CaliFit Mamas:
   Run 1000 meters (.621/mile)
   50 Thrusters, 20 lbs
   30 Push-ups
*compare to 2/15/13 - 14:46 - run 8/walk 8, run 6/walk 6, run 4/walk 4, run 2/walk 2 - 24 lb thrusters

Let's do this!
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13:48!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY!!  I was two seconds away from knocking off a whole minute!!  Whoo-hooooooo!!  So proud!  I did the week #2 of the 5k training chart I came across - which is run 2 minutes, walk 1 minute, but you're supposed to do that for 7 rounds.  Well, I had planned on just stopping my timer once I hit the .621/mile mark and finishing up the 7 rounds, but my legs told my head to stop - unfortunately, I listened to my head who listened to my legs.  I did complete 3 full rounds, and was 39 seconds into my 4th run segment when I hit 1000 meters.  I actually hit .621/mile before my "block" was complete, but I continued to run until the next "block" lit up.  The last time I did this workout doing the run 8/walk 8, 6/6, 4/4, 2/2 I ran at 5.0 speed and walked at 3.5 speed and my treadmill time was 9:09.  This time, I ran at 4.3 speed and walked at 3.0 speed and my treadmill time was 9:39, however, I actually ran WAY more than I walked - I'm just doing it slower.  I also had my treadmill on a 2 incline today, as well.  I was nowhere near as out of breath as I have been in the past, and my face wasn't as red when I finished either - so improvement there!  I used 24 lbs for the thrusters and am so proud of how low I can go now.  I've obviously improved tremendously with my thrusters and push-ups.  I made it to 13 push-ups before having to "break", then 23, then every 3 push-ups until I reached 30.  I think my upper body is still tired from all of those Sumo Deadlift High Pulls I did last Friday!  Regardless, I'm happy!  :)

Monday, May 20, 2013


You don't have to go fast...you just have to go!  My motto!  ;)

I hope everyone had a great weekend, I know I did!  It's been SO rainy here, but luckily the rain held off on Saturday and Honey-Buns was able to race.  Happy to report that he won again - that's four in a row!!  So proud of him.  Working out is my stress relief, his is racing!  Yeah - it costs WAY more than mine does, but that's okay.  I love getting my "redneck" on once a week!!  And trust me...it IS redneck!  SO much drama at the race track - I just love sitting back and watching it all unfold.  lol   Thunderstorms rolled in overnight Saturday into Sunday.  Our dog, Molly, is deathly terrified of thunderstorms - so we had to put her in bed with us (in between us) and it was the most uncomfortable sleep I've had in awhile.  Molly slept great once she calmed down - you should have heard her snoring!  The things we do for our animals.  :)

CaliFit Mamas:
   3 Rounds for time
      - Run 1000 meters (.621/mile)
      - 50 Thrusters w/20 lbs
      - 30 Push-ups

Brand X:
   "Helen" for puppies
      3 Rounds for time
         - Run 400 meters
         - 15 Kettlebell swings, 15-25 lbs
         - 9 Pull-ups

Today's CaliFit (yes, I almost typed CrossFit) is a "compare to" and you know how I love those, so that's what I'm going to do - even though it's a version of what I did on Friday.  I hope I do as good as I did on February 15th, but not sure I will because of how I've changed my running speed/style.  I'm even changing it up more today.  Do you remember me talking about the Color Run or 5K training run chart?  Well, I've done it off and on before for week 1training, however, I was doing it incorrectly (my memory sucks!).  Anyway, on Week 1 you were supposed to do 8 rounds of running 1 minute, walking 90 seconds at least three times a week.  I was running 1 minute, walking 1 minute.  Anyway, I'm going to move on to Week 2 training, which is 7 rounds of running 2 minutes, walking 1 minute.  I'm going to start doing this today.  I don't know how far this will take me, so I'll do it all the way up until I hit 1000 meters.  If I hit 1000 meters before I'm finished with 7 rounds, I'll stop my timer and complete the run, then start it back up and complete today's workout.  I think doing the Week 1 training really helped with my running farther, so it would be interesting to see how this goes.  I know it will be harder, but I'm going to do it no matter what!  You know?  That should be my motto since I say it all the time...No Matter What!  lol

I looked back to my blog on February 15th and this is what I did in my 14:46 workout time:

- Run 1000 meters - I did my little run 8 blocks/walk 8 blocks, 6/6, 4/4, 2/2 running, with my treadmill time being 9:07 - running at 5.0 speed and walking at 3.5 speed
- 50 Thrusters w/24 lbs
- 30 Push-ups

Interesting....let's give it a go!
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Unfortunately, I'm not able to do this today.  I believe I am getting a bladder infection, and cannot stay out of the bathroom today and I hurt!!  Saving this one for tomorrow.  :/

Friday, May 17, 2013


The CrossFit Woman's Creed...I am a CrossFit woman.  I am invincible, and you could be too.   I came across this yesterday on the web and thought it was pretty cool, so I thought I'd share.

I don't know about you, but I am SO glad it's Friday!!  Even though it doesn't "feel" like a Friday - it's been a crazy week for me.  My schedule has been all wack-a-do - that's really thrown me off track.  Hopefully next week will be back to normal.  :)

It took awhile, but I finally found the new and improved CaliFit Mamas workout.  Normally, the blog shows up on my page for "blogs that I follow", but earlier I had the message "your blog is has been moved and is no longer available", so I went to the Brand X website and got their workout written down.  Then I came back to my page and CaliFit was showing up there, but when I clicked on it to go the their page, it wouldn't show up.  Luckily, I could see today's workout - it was just all jumbled up with everything else.  I at least have the workout and figure the page will be up and going shortly.  I get the whole "don't use CrossFit in your name" deal, but really - what was she hurting?  It would be different if CrossFit didn't make it so easy to find their workouts online FOR FREE!!  Anyway....back to business.

CaliFit Mamas:
   7 Rounds for time
      7 Deadlifts w/40 lbs
      7 Knees to Elbows

Brand X:
   "Jackie"
      Row 1000 meters*
      20 Thrusters w/15-20 lbs
      20 Pull-ups

I'm going to do Brand X's workout today, since it's a "named" workout.  One of my plans for my exercise room is to take all of the "named" CrossFit workouts, print them out and frame them.  Then, I hope to write down my times on the frame glass and push for improvements every time they're prescribed - just to have a visual of my progress, and something to put on the walls of my workout room.  I found on Pinterest (don't you just love Pinterest?) a project that we actually use in our basement office - where we just frame colored/printed paper and we use dry-erase markers on the glass - it makes a great, cute (and cheap) dry-erase board.  I was surprised by how well it works - just something I would have never thought of myself.  So, I want to do this for the workouts and keep my best time written on the glass, until I "beat" it!

I looked up appropriate substitutions on Brand X's website and discovered the recommended substitution for rowing is Sumo Dead-lift High Pulls and get this...you do 1 SDHP for every 10 meters prescribed, which means 100 SDHP.  It also recommended using 35-45 lbs for those as well.  My plan is to scale down the weight - since the recommended weight was for "Big Dawgs", so I'll use 24 lbs which is what I also plan to use for the thrusters.

It felt so good to get back in my workout room yesterday, and I'm really looking forward to today as well.  I really would like to do both workouts, but don't see that happening after 100 Sumo Dead-lift High Pulls - maybe I'll do Mamas over the weekend?  We'll see.  :)
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WOW!  6:27 - I have to say...I'm impressed!  I did both the Sumo Dead-lift High Pulls and Thrusters with 24 lbs.  Maybe next time I'll go up on the weight just a little bit, but very glad I didn't do that today.  Talk about "feeling the burn"!!  I definitely felt it doing the SDHPs!!  Wow, it hurt!  Something funky is going on with my left elbow.  Everytime I would come up into the "high pull" position, it would ache.  Not sure if it's just tired/sore or what - it felt fine going into the straight position and bending doesn't hurt it - it was just going up higher.  It felt normal during thrusters and pull-ups.  Oh!  Pull-ups were assisted with a band and I'm very happy to say, I got at least 8 inches off of the ground!  Slow up and slow down - so much better than before!  I love "barefoot" workouts and today was a barefoot day!  I thought about putting on some shoes and getting on the treadmill, but decided not to today.  I plan on doing today's CaliFit workout tomorrow, so maybe I'll run on Sunday.  Who knows?  Y'all have a good weekend!!

Thursday, May 16, 2013


My exercise routine consists of doing diddly squats.  Ha!  That's what it seems like this week, anyway! lol  

I WILL exercise today.  I WILL work out today.  Nothing will get in my way today!  Repeat, repeat, repeat!  I swear, this has been the craziest week for me.  Did I mention that school is out for Hayley?  Yeah...Monday was her last day, but it was supposed to have been yesterday.  Our high school do things strangely here - Tuesday would have been her last "normal" school day.  They reserved yesterday and today for finals, with students only attending for half a day both days.  Well, she was only having to take a final in one class (she exempted the others), and apparently her teacher in that class went ahead and gave her the final test on Monday.  They said Tuesday was a weird schedule, so she didn't have to attend - so Monday ended up being her last day.  That's why I've been a little later posting my blog - I hit my snooze an extra time!  :)  I don't know about you, but I am NOT a morning person.  In my perfect world, school/work would be from like 12:00-6:00.  That's actually when I'm the most productive!  :)  That's why I don't work out in the mornings - I'm just not awake enough or "with it" enough to function at my best.  I've tried to exercise in the mornings, I just can't - not motivated - it's too early!!  

CrossFit Mamas is having to change their name due to legal reasons - which I understand, but come on...were they really hurting anyone?  Jeez!  Anyway, their new name (as of midnight tonight) will be CaliFit Mamas - so I'm going to try to start using that.  Just to let you know, I'll probably slip up every now and then and use the other name.  Hey...it'll happen!  I know me!!  :)

CaliFit Mamas:
   3 Rounds for time
      15 Thrusters w/20 lbs
      30 CrossFit sit-ups

Brand X:
   Weighted dips
      3-2-2-2-1-1-1-1-1

I am doing CaliFit today, plus running.  I feel really bad that I didn't do anything yesterday...or Tuesday...and even though I cut grass and did yard work on Monday, I feel like I didn't work out then either.  How crazy is that?  I will work out today.  I WILL!!
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I did, I did...I did saw the exercise room today!!  :)

6:25 was my time for CaliFit - not bad, not great - I set a personal time of 6 minutes, thinking 2 minutes per round should be sufficient and was under 2 minutes my first round - 2 minutes 5 seconds for my second round - but I struggled that last round of sit-ups once I hit #20.  I pushed through, but man - it was slow going!

I did jump on the treadmill and had run for 300 meters when Honey-Buns interrupted - one of our employees hit his head and I had to deal with the insurance aspect for a bit.  I'm not going back on the treadmill today - still dealing with the insurance peeps.

Good to be back at it!!  :)

Wednesday, May 15, 2013


Never quit.  If you stumble, get back up.  What happened yesterday no longer matters.  Today's another day, so get back on track and move closer to your dreams and goals.  You can do it.

In the words of Bob the Builder, "Yes, I can!"  lol  I really do feel so guilty when I don't work out, regardless of the reason - it just feels like I'm doing something I'm not supposed to.  And how strange is that?  I know whenever I work out, I go hard at it and it makes me feel good (normally)...tired, but good.  There are days I don't want to work out, and sometimes Honey-Buns will say "Just skip a day, you've worked hard".  But, I usually force myself to go upstairs and work out anyway - those are the days that I really feel the best afterwards.  Knowing I did something I did not want to do, and occasionally beating my personal goal on those days is the best feeling ever!  But this feeling guilty whenever I don't work out?  Just where did that come from?  I have no idea, but apparently that is what keeps me going on some days - so I guess I'll take it!  lol

CrossFit Mamas:
   Do as many rounds as you can in 12 minutes of:
      Run 400 meters
      5 Deadlifts w/40 lbs

Brand X:
   No workout posted for today, yet.     :/

Obviously, I am doing CrossFit Mamas today since Brand X hasn't posted anything.  I will keep up with how many rounds I can do in 12 minutes, however, I'm going to do at least 4 rounds no matter what.  I'll note the number of rounds done within that 12 minutes, but honestly?  I don't think it will be a lot!  lol - I'm going to finish 4 rounds, so I get a mile run in today since I have missed every day this week!  Wow!  I can't believe that!  Although, on Monday I did do yard work, so I know I got in a lot of cardio with that!  It just sounds really bad that I haven't worked out AT ALL this week!  Really...sounds horrible!  I am DEFINITELY working out today!!
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No time today - I bathed and groomed my dog, Molly.  This was her first bath and grooming since she went completely blind due to Glaucoma and she freaked out on me!  I had to stop a LOT and calm her down, then start back up - I couldn't leave her partially cut!  She looks (and smells) SO much better now, but man - I didn't think we were going to make it!!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013


Push yourself because no one else is going to do it for you.  True!  ;)

I decided to go ahead and do yard work yesterday before the temperatures got up too high here in Georgia.  It was a beautiful, cloudless, sunny with a light breeze 70-degree day!  Normally, I cut the grass one day, and then do the edging, weed-eating, etc. the next day - but decided to go ahead and do it all.  My yard looks great, but man - my back was killing me last night!  I think from the edger, weed-eater, and blower!  OH!  The hedge-trimmers, too - I trimmed the bushes in front of our porch.  I was going to try to do the Brand X workout from Sunday, which was 7 or 8 reps of increasing weight clean & jerks - but with my back the way it was - I knew there was no way I could do it!  I actually started on my yard just a tad after 12:00 yesterday and came inside at 3:15 - I think that was a good bit of cardio, don't you?  It took me 45 minutes to cut the grass, so yeah...not bad!  

CrossFit Mamas:
   Okay - this sounds complicated, but it's really not - let's just hope I can explain it correctly.  Keep your clock going.  During minute "1", you do 1 sit-up and 1 push-up.  Minute "2":  2 sit-ups, 2 push-ups.  Minute "3":  3 sit-ups, 3 push-ups.  Minute "4":  4 sit-ups, 4 push-ups, etc.  Keep doing this until you cannot go any farther.  Add your number of reps and post as your score, along with the time.  If you are on minute "8" (just for an example) and are doing your push-ups, but do not finish them by the time you get to minute "9", just start on your 9 sit-ups and push-ups.  I think I explained that correctly!

Brand X:
   Hero Workout in honor of US Army Sergeant, Dale Brehm.
      15 foot rope climb - 3 ascents or 6 beginner climbs
      15 Back squats w/25-45 lbs
      15 Push-ups
      Row 20 calories

As much as I'd love to do either of these workouts, I believe I am going to do yesterday's "Kelly" workout from Brand X.  Just a reminder - it was:
   3 rounds for time - Run 400 meters
                               - 15 Box jumps
                               - 15 Wall ball shots

Y'all wish me luck!!
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Crazy afternoon!  My sister-in-law called and was unable to carry my mother-in-law to the doctor to get an epidural for her back pain.  I was the only one available, so that job was mine!  Just got back in time to swing by the store and grab something to make for supper.   I'll save this for the weekend.

Monday, May 13, 2013


Exercising is so difficult when you "have to" and so easy when you "want to".  This is SO true!  But regardless, I ALWAYS feel better after I work out.  Sweating, huffing, and puffing....but I feel good!  :)

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day weekend - I know I did.  We attempted to race on Saturday night, and actually made it out to the track, but thunderstorms came and rained us out before any cars got onto the track.  That makes two weekends in a row of not racing, so I'm definitely ready for some!  lol  All of my babies were here yesterday, and as always that was super nice.  My pregnant daughter who normally tries to get me cards that make me cry, totally forgot to buy a card, however, my son who normally tries to get me cards that make me laugh, actually got me a card that made me cry!  Of course, everyone thought that was hilarious, not me - I was too busy crying!  lol -  It was a great day.  Honey-Buns picked up BBQ (my fave) and coordinated with everyone on the gifts - I got my favorite perfume (which I had recently ran out of) and a nice lounge chair for my deck, so I can start working on my tan!  AND, Survivor finale was on last night and Cochran won - YAY!!  Perfect ending to a perfect day!  :)

Starting off the week with a bang today - all workouts have running in them, so it looks like I'm running! 

CrossFit Mamas:
   "Michael"
      3 Rounds for time
         - Run 800 meters
         - 50 Back extensions
         - 50 CrossFit sit-ups

Brand X:
   "Kelly"
      3 Rounds for time (puppies)
         -Run 400 meters
         -15 Box jumps
         -15 Wall ball shots
      3 Rounds for time (pack)
         -Run 400 meters
         -30 Box jumps
         -30 Wall ball shots

Since I just did the Brand X "puppy" version of "Michael" last Thursday, I will do Brand X's "Kelly" today.  I haven't decided if I want to do "pack" or "puppies".  I may just split it and be "packish", and do 20 box jumps and wall ball shots.  As usual, I'll decide once I get upstairs and start working out!
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Yard work today from 12:00-3:15 - cut grass w/pushmower - edged along driveway and sidewalk - weed-eater used around flower beds/shrubs - trimmed shrubs - used blower on driveway and sidewalk.  I thought about doing the clean & jerk from Brand X that they had up for yesterday, but my back is killing me right now, so I think I'll pass on that as well.  Beautiful day in Georgia - so glad I got out and enjoyed it, even though I was sweating the entire time!  lol

Friday, May 10, 2013


Some quit because of slow progress, never grasping the fact that slow progress IS progress.  I have to admit, I haven't seen much progress in my body stats lately, but I actually have not considered quitting CrossFit.  It's just something I do every day.  I feel SO guilty whenever I miss a day and really try to make it up over the weekend, and feel even worse when that doesn't happen.  How crazy is that?  I have been exercising 5 days a week since starting CrossFit Mamas on September 24, 2012 and I still love it!   Well, except for the running - but I'm getting better at that and as Martha likes to say, "That's a good thing!"  I never would have thought I'd exercise every day and actually look forward to it - I'm so fickle and wishy-washy and inconsistent and...oh, you get the picture.  It's crazy to realize that my exercise room is the cleanest room in my house and it is used a LOT!!  lol  

I'm torn on which work out I want to do today.  Both look and sound fun, yet challenging.  I think I'll do Mamas today and try to do Brand X tomorrow.  Regardless, I do plan on adding in some type of run to my workout today. 

CrossFit Mamas:
   8 Rounds for time
      - 5 Front squats, w/40 lbs
      - 10 Push-ups
      - 20 CrossFit sit-ups

Brand X:
   5 Rounds for time * increase your weights each round *
      - 5 Deadlifts
      - 5 Hang cleans
      - 5 Push press
      - 5 Squats

See?  Don't they both sound like fun?  I'm definitely doing Mamas today since I did not do it yesterday.
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16:52 - I set a goal time of 16:00, thinking I'd average 2 minutes per round, so I obviously missed my goal, but I wasn't too far off so I'm proud of that!   I used 44 lbs with my front squats and cannot believe how low I squatted!  VERY happy with that!!  I did not have to stop AT ALL on push-ups, but was quivery on my last round.  Sit-ups got me...I knew they would.  I always start out strong, then slow down.  I started slowing down on the 4th round, and on rounds 5, 6, and 7 I stopped for a couple of seconds after doing 13.  I refused to stop on the 8th round since I knew that was it, but trust  me...it was hard!  I was surprised at how sweaty I got during this workout - it was a fun one!

I did not run because I was barefoot - I love, love, love barefoot workouts!  I did jump on my recumbent bike though.  My plan was to finish out 30 minutes on my bike and I set my timer for 12:08, but actually rode 15 full minutes.  I biked 3.75 miles, but used a lot of resistance.  I changed the resistance every 1/4 mile as follows:  1, 3, 5, 7, 2, 4, 6, 8 (the highest it will go), 6, 7, 5, 6, 4, 3, 2.

Very sweaty.  Very happy.  Great ending to the week.  I hope all you Mamas have a wonderful Mother's Day.  I know I will - all my babies will be here!  :)

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Running slowly isn't a character flaw.  Quitting is.  I will repeat this to myself today because....it's a run day!  I know - I was planning on running NO MATTER WHAT, but apparently both CrossFit Mamas and Brand X are making sure I don't change my mind because they are running today as well!  It's definitely a sign that I need to run.  So....I'm a-running!!  :)

CrossFit Mamas:
   3 rounds for time 
      Run 500 meters
      30 Thrusters w/20 lbs
      15 Push-ups

Brand X:
   3 rounds for time
      Run 400 meters
      10 Back extensions
      20 Sit-ups

I'm leaning towards doing the Brand X workout, but I hate back extensions!  The down side with doing Mamas are the thrusters - I really don't like doing ANY type of leg exercise when I have to do a run.  I have an adjustable weight bench and I've seen some videos where you can do back extensions on the bench, so I'm going to pull out my owner's manual and look through it to see how they say to do extensions using my bench and try that.  Anything has to be better than doing them on the floor.  I really do feel like a beached whale!  I think I might add a 300 meter run at the end of Brand X (without adding it to my time), so I get the full prescribed running in from Mamas - I need to run!!  You know me...I'll figure it out when I get up there.
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I am extremely happy to say I DIDN'T QUIT!!!  :)

19:16 - Brand X workout time - Not bad...not great, but not bad.  I thought I could do back extensions on my weight bench, but it was highly uncomfortable - even more so than being a beached whale!  lol  So, I just did them on the floor.  I didn't seem to mind them as much today.  Of course, it could be because I just finished running 400 meters and it actually felt nice to lay in the floor face down and chill!  Ha!  No problems with sit-ups today - YAY!  I ran the entire 400 meters EVERY round - SO, SO happy with that!  I didn't want to, but would not stop.  I refused to give in  and start walking just because I didn't want to run.  I will admit, it was nowhere as bad running today like it was on Monday. I mentioned earlier that I might add a 300 meter run after working out, so I would be doing the prescribed run from Mamas...well, I not only ran 300 more meters, but 400 meters!  I was going to stop after 300, but thought "it's just 4 more blocks, just do it!" so I did!  A full mile today!  :)

My treadmill time for the 3 rounds was 10:28.  I did the entire mile in 13:57, which is okay for me.  I'm still running at 4.3 speed - not quite ready to bump it up yet, but soon.

Great workout!

Wednesday, May 8, 2013


No matter how many mistakes you make or how slow you progress, you are still way ahead of everyone who isn't trying.  I tell myself this...a LOT!  I get so discouraged sometimes when  I see what my time was, or like yesterday - if I can't complete a run.  I just keep going and try not to quit altogether.  I figure it's good to keep walking instead of just stopping, but man - I was so disappointed yesterday.  The only good thing was the sweating - yes, I said sweating.  I'm not sure why, but whenever I get a good sweat going, I feel like I accomplished something!  Even though I didn't run all of my 400 meters yesterday, I was sweating like a mad man and that made me feel okay.  Good news (I think) is that I can try to do better today because...yup, the Mamas are doing "Nancy"!  Wait...that just sounds wrong, doesn't it?  lol   :)

CrossFit Mamas:
   "Nancy"
      5 Rounds for Time - 
         - Run 400 meters
         - 15 Front squats w/40 lbs

Brand X:
   Puppy Dawgs -
      15-12-9
         Hand release push-ups
         Pull-ups (assisted as needed)

I had to look up a video for hand-release push-ups.  I have to say, they're not what I thought they were, so I'm glad I looked it up.  I thought they were where you did a push-up and then while "up" you picked up your hands, but no...you do a push-up, then when you go all the way down to the floor (like a burpee) and pick your hands up while laying on the floor, then put your hands back onto the floor and go back into a push-up.  These are also called CrossFit push-ups - who knew?  I did not see any variations for "girl" push-ups, however, but I'm going to try these anyway.  Who knows?  Maybe I can do them and just didn't know because I don't ever try 'em!!  

I plan on doing "Nancy" Mamas-style today, and according to how I feel afterwards, I may or may not do Brand X as well.  Wish me luck - I'm gonna need it!!!  ;)
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Got started spring cleaning in my living room and had to get everything done and back in order.  Saving this for tomorrow - NO MATTER WHAT!!!

Tuesday, May 7, 2013


Fit is not a destination...it is a way of life.  Indeed it is!  :)  I'm still on a high from seeing my progress yesterday!  I thought my time would be about the same since I wasn't modifying as much as I did before, but was pleasantly surprised to see I knocked off over seven minutes of my time.  I was really, really shocked to see that.  I mean, I did knees-to-elbows standing, step-ups instead of box jumps, no weights on squats - it was crazy to see what I can do.  Now I feel like nothing can stop me!  :)

CrossFit Mamas
   "Elizabeth"
      21-15-9 reps of:
         Clean w/20-30 lbs
         Bench Dips

Brand X
   Rest Day

Since today's workout looks like a short one, I think I may also do yesterday's Brand X workout, which was titled "Nancy":
   3 rounds of -
      400 meter run
      15 overhead squats w/PVC pipe up to 35 lbs

I need to get started on my cardio for the week!  Although - yesterday got my heart going pretty good.  I don't think it's a good idea to do leg lifts last during a workout.  I mean, c'mon!  You have me laying on the floor, which really feels good after you've worked your butt off and you expect me to do more?  lol I did them, but boy - they definitely got my heart rate going.  It was just during my "rest" periods, that I did not want to do anything else but lay there!  Regardless - I'm very happy with my workouts and very proud of my progress!  :)
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4:44 - SO proud of my time!  I set a goal of 5 minutes, and I kicked it in the ASS!  lol  Ahhh...it's the little things, isn't it?

I used 38 lbs with the cleans.  I had considered doing 50, but am so glad I changed my mind on that!  Those were hard with 38 lbs!!!  My bench dips are WAY better than they used to be!  I actually made it to 13 on the first round without having to stop and shake it out!  I made it all the way through on rounds 2 and 3 without stopping, but I WAS quivering!!  :)

Okay - so...that was the good news.  I followed the CrossFit Mamas workout with yesterday's Brand X workout, which was titled Nancy.  The Puppy Dawg version was 3 rounds for time of running 400 meters, and 15 overhead squats with a PVC or up to 35 lbs.  Well, my running was a HUGE disappointment today.  I'm hoping it's because I am fighting off a chest cold from being out in the chilly rain last Friday, but I kinda think it's because I haven't done much running lately.  I missed a couple of workouts last week, one of which was a running workout, and it really showed today.  I could not complete 400 meters running without having to walk some.  I made it the first round running 10 blocks, then walked 2, then ran the rest of the way.  The second and third rounds were horrible - I ran 4 to 5 blocks at a time, then walked 2 or 3, then ran some, then walked.  It was very depressing, but I did it.  It took forever it seemed, but I did it.  I just was not feeling the running today and I was actually looking forward to it.  Maybe I should reverse-psychology on myself and dread it, then everything I do will be good!  lol  Oh well...it is what it is.  I used a broom handle (no PVC pipe or bar) for the overhead squats, so no weight was added at all.  I did this because I tried to do overhead squats with dumbbells the other day and that was just super hard to do.  I figured the broom handle would be better for form, and it was.  Just very hard.  My Brand X workout time was 16:07, of which 11:33 was on the treadmill.  It did not take me that long to do the overhead squats, I was catching my breath and drinking water some of that extra time in there.

I will definitely start running again.  I NEED the practice, and I WANT to be better!  :)  There's always tomorrow....

Monday, May 6, 2013


Failure - It can destroy you or it can make you so freakin' mad that you work even harder to become the winner you know you are.

Well, it's Monday and it looks like the sun is going to be shining here!  Finally!!  We had rain most of last week and all weekend long.  Last Friday was the Special Olympics and it drizzled all morning, but they still had the competition up until it turned into a steady rain, then they called it.  The kids/athletes normally have two events each.  Hayley's events are always Softball Throw and the Wheelchair Race.  Needless to say, racing her wheelchair is her favorite - she's had an ongoing battle with her best friend whom she's known since they were in therapy together at aged three, and another friend forEVER it seems.  Well, she got to do the Softball Throw and placed 4th, which she received a ribbon for and was excited because she beat her BFF!  But, the rain came before the wheelchair race, so they were all sad about that.  It was a fun day, even in the rain.  The kids had a blast and I have to say I did not hear the first athlete complain about the rain - the teachers were another story.  I was very disappointed to see that almost all of the para-pros (teacher's aides) that worked with the special needs children at Hayley's high school, all stood under the overhang at the concession stand the ENTIRE time.  Every time I walked by the concession stand, there they were.  It was just disheartening to see a lack of enthusiasm for the kids - sad.  :(

I definitely see the sun out of my living room window this morning, and that always makes my mood better!  I did absolutely NOTHING this weekend - stayed inside out of the rain, no exercise, no laundry...nothing.  So, it's back to the grindstone for me today.

Today's CrossFit Mamas workout is a "compare to" workout, but with a few changes.  I'm going to do a real "compare to" and actually do the workout I did previously, not today's "changed" workout.  I'm not posting the "slightly different" workout, only the one from October 10, 2012.

CrossFit Mamas:
   100 ft Walking Lunges (50 each leg)
   50 CrossFit Sit-ups ** feet under treadmill on 10/10/12
   50 Jump Rope ** 50 jumping jacks on 10/10/12
   25 Knees-to-Elbows ** standing knees-to-elbows on 10/10/12
   50 Box Jumps, 18" ** step-ups on 10/10/12
   25 Front Squats, 40 lbs  ** no weight added on 10/10/12
   25 Push-ups
   50 Leg Lifts

Brand X:
   "Nancy"
      Puppies/Buttercups -
         3 Rounds for Time:
            - Run 400 meters
            - 15 Overhead Squats w/PVC or up to 35 lbs

I cannot believe how many modifications I had made to this workout, but then again this was only a couple of weeks in for me doing CrossFit.  I looked back at my blog for that day, and I attempted to do real CrossFit sit-ups, but could only do one!  It's nice to know that I can now do the exercises as prescribed except for the box jump height.  Ahhh, progress!  My time on 10/10/12 was 29:02.  As much as I would love to beat it, I'll be happy knowing that I can do it without modifications (again - except for the box jump height), so it will be fun to see what my time is no matter what!
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21:48!!!  I CANNOT believe I beat my time from before since I didn't modify hardly at all!  One very happy girl right now!!

100 ft walking lunges - RX'd!
50 CF sit-ups - RX'd!
50 Jump rope - RX'd!
25 Knees to Elbows - to my boobs, but on bar!
50 Box jumps - 11"
25 Front squats, 40 lbs - used 38 lbs, counting as RX'd!
25 Push-ups - RX'd!
50 Leg lifts - RX'd!

SO happy with this - sweating like I don't know what, but happy!  :)

Friday, May 3, 2013


Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me brave in the attempt.  That is the Special Olympics motto.  Why am I posting this?  Today is Special Olympics for our county.  That's Hayley in the picture above racing against her buddies.  She came in second last year, but just look at the focus and determination on her face!  Sorry I'm posting late this morning.  I had to go downstairs and finish up invoicing so I can go to Special Olympics today.  I think this is one of my favorite days of the year!  The kids are amazing.  If you have never been around special needs children, this is a great place to start.  Lots of smiles, lots of hugs, lots of laughter - they are truly special!  I used to be a kindergarten para-pro (teacher's aide) and loved every minute of it - oh the hugs you would get, the pure innocence of children - it's amazing.  Special needs people are a lot like that.  Hayley is ALWAYS happy.  Always!  If she's ever not, then something is going on - usually she's sick.  I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen Hayley cry since she came to live with me in 2006.  It's truly a joy - you cannot stay in a bad mood around her or her friends.  It just can't happen - they are pure joy to be around and I'm really looking forward to today - even though it's overcast, it's not supposed to be cold.

CrossFit Mamas:
   5 rounds for time 
      12 Wall ball shots w/10 lb ball
      12 Knees to Elbows

Brand X:
   Rest day

I don't know about you guys, but my butt has taken a pounding this week!  Squats!  Lunges!  Wall Ball!  It's okay - I've noticed a lift that wasn't there before so I'll suffer through it!  It looks like racing is a no-go this weekend.  We have a 70% chance of rain tomorrow, so that will be a good day to make up the running workout I missed on Tuesday.  I'm actually looking forward to it.  I know...don't fall out.  I've just finally made up my mind that I can now run 1/4 mile segments and I will do it from now on no matter what.  I'm hoping it won't be long before I can run even farther, then start working on increasing my speed.

Well, I have to head out.  I'll post some pics over the weekend of Hayley and her friends. 
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Thursday, May 2, 2013


Beast Mode:  ON!  Believe me when I say, it definitely needs to be turned "on" today!!  Today's CrossFit Mamas workout looks "beastly", or should I say "filthy"?  lol  I'll just go ahead and post it, then talk.

CrossFit Mamas:
   Filthy Fifty - 50 reps each:
      Box Jumps, 18"
      Jumping Jacks
      Kettlebell Swings, 15 lbs
      Walking Lunges
      Knees to Elbows
      Push Press, 20 lbs
      Back Extensions
      Wall Ball Shots, 10 lbs
      CrossFit Sit-ups
      Jump Rope

See what I'm talking about?  This is a "compare to" workout, comparing to January 29, 2013 and I'm happy to say I did this before!  My time was 31:35 and I used 15.5 lbs for the kettlebell swings, 24 lbs for the push press, 4 lbs for wall ball, and I did knees-to-elbows on the floor.  But...looking at the workout from January, it's just a little bit different.  Not sure how that will affect my time, but seeing that we did burpees then but not today, it shouldn't be any worse!  lol 

Here's what we did on the January 29th:
   50 Jump rope
   50 Burpees
   50 Wall ball shots w/10 lbs
   50 Push press w/20 lbs
   50 Knees to elbows
   50 Walking lunges
   50 Kettle bell swings w/15 lbs
   50 CrossFit sit-ups
   50 Box jumps

I'm not complaining - I'd MUCH rather do jumping jacks over burpees any day!  lol  That alone should improve my time!  I will do the knees-to-elbows on the bar instead of on the floor like I did before, so that will slow me down - but still happy with NO BURPEES!!  - especially after yesterday!!  :)

Brand X:
   Mix L-Pullups and Pullups, 35-50 reps
     -assisted and progressions are okay

I had to Google L-Pullups and they are just like they sound.  You pick up and hold your legs out in front of you, so your body is making the "L" shape, then pull up.  I will not be doing Brand X today, but posted it if anyone would like to.

Looking forward to today's workout!  I love the ones that are all mixed up like this, they are my faves!!
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24:26!!!!!  WOW!  I knocked off 7:09 from my time (31:35) on January 29th!!  SO happy with that!!  I know that came from not doing burpees - they slow me down SO bad!!

Box Jumps - 11"
Jumping Jacks - as rx'd!
Kettlebell Swing - 15.5 lbs, as rx'd+!!
Walking Lunges - as rx'd! - these KILLED me!  By far, the hardest exercise today.
Knees to Elbows - on bar, mostly knees to boobs or just above waist level *done on floor in January
Push Press - 24 lbs, as rx'd+!!!
Back Extensions - as rx'd! - still feel like a beached whale!!
Wall Ball - 4 lbs
CrossFit Sit-ups - as rx'd! - struggled from 30 on
Jump Rope - as rx'd!

Another great workout for the week!  Sweating up a storm!!  :)

Wednesday, May 1, 2013


NOOO!!!  Not burpees!  I found this picture at burpeessuck.com and it made me laugh, so I thought I'd share because....we're doing burpees today!  :)

There's not a lot going on this morning, so today's blog will be short and sweet.  I still can't believe the doctor's appointments took so long yesterday.  We left our house at 12:45 and did not get back home until just a tad after 4:30.  It always takes awhile for Hayley's appointment, but that was even a little crazy.  Hayley has Cerebral Palsy and is confined to a wheelchair.  She has a Baclofen pump installed in her abdomen that automatically dispenses a muscle relaxer (Baclofen) to her spinal column.  This allows her legs to be able to bend into a sitting position, otherwise they would be straight out like a board.  Anyway, the appointment was to refill the pump.  We go every 6 months with this newer pump (it used to be every 3 months with her old one).  In order to refill it, they have to use a needle that is about 4-5 inches long that has a catheter-type tubing attached.  They insert the needle into a specific spot through her abdomen into the pump - this spot is not bigger than my smallest fingernail.  Then they draw out the "old" Baclofen medicine into an empty syringe, and refill with "new" medicine from two syringes.  Yesterday was the first time I can recall that they were able to insert the needle into the exact location on the first try!  Normally, they insert it and kind of feel around for the "spot" and if they can't find it, they'll poke her again and again until they do find it, usually going through several needles because they bend in their "search".  Whenever that happened, Hayley would have to go on antibiotics to prevent an infection from occuring.  So, I was very happy to see it only took one poke!  Then, we had to take my mother-in-law to her doctor's appointment to see what's going on with her back.  Well, we found out she has Scoliosis (as does Hayley) and several other things going on with her back.  Her only options are steroid shots/pain pill, surgery, or just living with the pain.  She has to go and get CT scans done next week for further evaluation.  Jeez!  Doctors, doctors, doctors!

I had pretty much made up my mind I was going to do yesterday's Mamas workout, but I think I'm going to do today's workout because it looks like fun, yet hard.  I still plan on doing yesterday's workout this week because I need to do a run of some sort since I haven't done one yet.  So, I'll do it either tomorrow or Friday.

CrossFit Mamas:
   4 rounds
      27 Box jumps, 18" box
      20 Burpees
      11 Squat cleans w/20-40 lbs

Brand X:
   Deadlift 3-3-3-3-3

Brand X's workout is deadlifts, 5 rounds of 3 reps.  It said on their site that you can increase your weight as you go if you're more advanced, but suggested for beginners to use close to their max-out weight (or whatever you are comfortable with) to work on your form.  This is not a timed workout, so it's a good chance to do just that.  I may throw this one in after I finish Mamas today!
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OH...MY...GOODNESS....must...catch...breath....  Wow!  That was WAY harder than it sounded.  Have I mentioned that I hate burpees?  No?  Well, let me make it official.  I HATE BURPEES!!!!  There.  I feel so much better!  ;)

39:41 - What?  I know - very sucky, but I did not stop after two rounds (which I almost convinced myself to do), nor did I stop after three rounds (which I was really begging myself to do!).  I completed ALL four rounds - which is a miracle because I really did not think I could continue to get up off of the floor during those last five burpees.  How it happened...I have no idea.  Unbelievably hard!  I do believe I was sweating more than when I run!  The only dry spot on my sports bra is the spot on top of my boobs - apparently I don't sweat there.  Other than that?  My bra was soaked!!  That was a good workout, but heaven help me - that was hard!

I used 32 lbs for the squat cleans and was very impressed that I could complete all 11 each round without having to stop at all.  Box jumps and burpees were another story.  Below is the breakdown of those per round:

Box Jumps:  1- 14, 10, 3
                    2- 17, 10
                    3- 19, 8
                    4- 11, 3, 13

Burpees:  1- 5, 6, 6, 3
                2- 3, 8, 4, 5
                3- 6, 5, 6, 3
                4- 6, 4, 4, 6

Squat Cleans w/32 lbs:  11, 11, 11, 11

My form on the squat cleans is so much better than it was.  I go into a pretty deep squat as well, so I'm very pleased with those.  I considered bumping up the weight, but was glad I did not during the 3rd round and actually thought about reducing the weight the last round - but still glad I didn't!

Brand X Deadlifts:
   32 lbs x 3 reps
   44 lbs x 3 reps
   50 lbs x 3 reps
   50 lbs x 3 reps
   50 lbs x 3 reps

Just to clarify - Brand X is not included in that time of 39:41.  I wish it was included to make it sound better, but it doesn't do anyone any good to lie about it.  Great workout!!