Friday, January 15, 2016

How far I've come - A Crossfit update

And man didn't time just fly.
Of course I had a few months off which caused
some set backs
but all-in-all I it didn't take long to
get back into the swing of things.

I treat my crossfit workouts like an appointment
that can't be missed. I try to keep absences to a minimum
because one thing I learned is that I need to be consistent in
order to keep things in working order
and to improve.
You may remember that I signed up for crossfit
because I was not able to do everyday
movements - like walking, bending, stooping, even sitting and
getting back up - which is important.
These are everyday movements that I took for granted
and these movements slowly eroded
 over time until one day - 
I couldn't do them anymore.
I couldn't squat down and get back up, I couldn't bend my
knees to sit normally so I just flopped down and
rocked to arise from sitting.
And then one day - I was walking, sitting and bending
like a 90 year old woman. And decided 
enough is enough.

I am two years into Crossfit and heading into year three.
So let me tell you what I've gotten out of my two years.

 It didn't take long to get back into shape after my 2 month vacation.
I did run into knee issues by overdoing things right away.
And didn't I learn my lesson.
I did some extra runs after workouts 
that caused my knees to
be seriously unhappy and that's when I learned to row.
I found I like rowing. 
When my knees returned to normal
I started to run again - my numbers are down
presently but they will be getting better.
800M - 6:10
1 mile - 12:57

And THEN since
my knees snapped back to attention
I discovered that I CAN LUNGE.
Lunging is important.
Now when I lunge - MY KNEES TOUCH the ground
and I can arise and lunge again.
I have never been able to do that before - NOT EVEN CLOSE.
This helps with the whole bending down thing.
Weighted lunges are in the future - I have an equilibrium
thing that needs to be worked on I tend to roll around like a weeble.

And I'm not done yet.
I CAN JUMP OVER THE BAR - when its laying flat.
I know I know 
it totally doesn't sound like a big deal but trust me
IT IS.
For some reason - after my brain fired off the command to jump
it rode on down to the hips and then to the feet
where both appendages totally ignored said command.
No matter how hard I tried my little fat feet were glued to that floor.
Well not anymore.
I can jump.
Since all the commands are now being obeyed by the body
and because my hips are now in working order I can sort
of do burpees semi-normal.
Now its just a matter of trusting my arms to get me down
and back up in one swift move.
BUT MY HIPS 
OMG. 
I can throw my legs back
and bring them forward simultaneously- no more 
looking like a crab getting out of the bottom of a boat.
It also allows me to jump rope.
Working on double unders - it appears that
I lack rhythm. Shocking.
Box jumps are in the future now as well.

SQUATTING - 
I have been working on this move for-like-ever.
This is another big deal because its key to 
almost everything. Especially the olympic lifts.
In my head I remembered being able to squat down in heels
and arising like a graceful giselle.
Well the graceful giselle turned into a clumsy camel.
Just bending those knees were a pain. Literally.
WELL.
NOW I CAN SQUAT TO ALMOST PARALLEL AND THEN 
ON A REALLY GOOD DAY or after I've warmed up
I CAN
GET BELOW PARALLEL.
I'm working on consistency now.
So my lift numbers have lowered because I'm
working on being confident to squat down and get back up
and know my knees and legs will do the job.

Back & front squats 55-65#
Overhead squats  & Snatch - PVC, training bar and maybe 25# on a
good day - there's something about these moves
that confuses the back and hips. One day....
Power cleans 70#
Hang cleans 55#
Squat cleans - still tricky but oh so getting better
Deadlift 170#
Push Jerk 60#
Split Jerk - 45# (maybe) I have daffy duck
feet that doesn't bode well for stability

I have to tell you that I'm shocked each and everyday
after a workout - about all the things I can do.
Its not getting easier -  I've gotten better.
It also helps thatn the coaches and
the people are the best -
and no box is complete without them.

With all this improvement -  year three is gonna be so awesome.

On a scrappy note - new Studio Calico kit papers 
that were perfect for Crossfit and 
I added the pink accents to match my sneakers
being girly and all.
I loved those alphas and ended up frankensteining
just a few vowels. 
Looks like greek to me LOL.







10 comments:

Connie Mercer said...

excellent!! So proud of you!!!

Tracy F said...

Congrats!! Lovin the layout too! BL

Holli said...

i am so proud of you! you have done amazing.. keep up the good work!

Holli said...

i am so proud of you! you have done amazing.. keep up the good work!

Camille Short said...

Such a gorgeous layout - and the Frankensteined words are fun! Bloggie Love

Beeceecreativity said...

amazing striped background.. great page BL

Colleen said...

WTG and I love that you are keeping track through photos and journaling. BL

Lynne Goebeler said...

Lynn, you are the BOSS of Crossfit! Congratulations!!!

Lynne Goebeler said...

Lynn, you are the BOSS of Crossfit! Congratulations!!!

Debbi Tehrani said...

You are amazing, and so is your layout! Wow! I wish I had your strength and motivation!