Spartan 300 Challenge - Goal Update

Back on May 5, I set 7-week goals for the Spartan 300 Challenge at CrossFit Central. Here's how I'm doing with less than 2 weeks to go:

 

Nutrition: I've managed to stay on track with Paleo, adding in more protein and reducing carbs and fats in general. I'd say probably more 85% than 90%, but it's still great. I have only had a handful of cheat meals and even those were still Zone-friendly. I think I've turned the corner on Paleo - it's no longer a diet, rather it's a lifestyle. I've never felt better! I have enjoyed more than 4 servings of alcohol per week on most weeks, but have kept track of it to keep it under control. Only 2 wilds party nights so far and I paid for them the next day! Overall, I'm sure I've lost body fat judging from the way my clothes are fitting. I have lost at least 2 pant sizes (from a size 10 to a size 6 in jeans!!) and am discovering muscle tone where I typically store fat - hips and legs. I'm exciting for my final body comp in a few days. Should be good news!!

 

Fitness: I've been running a lot more - at least once per week for a minimum of 3 miles on the Town Lake trail. No treadmill for this girl. If it's raining, or dark out, I've been hitting the rower. I'd say this goal has been met. On to the body-weight strength goals: I've FINALLY figured out how to string kipping pullups together without nearly ripping my arms out of socket. It's all about the hip pop and pushing away from the bar (side note to my coaches: I know you told me that a million times... ) And, I'm getting some more power too - last week I did 18 chest-to-bar pullups (3-4 in a row at a time) and didn't rip my hands. I'd say that's a HUGE accomplishment. Regarding pushups, I'm able to do 7-8 perfect pushups in a row before I max out. Not great, but much better than when I started this challenge. I'm going to really focus during the next 10 days on getting in as many pushups as possible in preparation for the finale workout. Don't want to have to go to my knees or take 10 minutes to do 50! I will finish the finale WOD in 20 minutes. I WILL!!!

Regarding my weekly workouts, I've seen huge improvements in strength with PRs in the past few weeks (Back Squat: 175, Deadlift 215, Squat Clean 125, Thruster 95) and I've managed to Rx many of the WODs. I've also gotten better at doubleunders and kettlebell work.

All and all, good things poppin' up in here. Once the challenge is over, I don't anticipate backing off the 85/15 Paleo nutrition, fitness routine, or supplements. In fact, I expect to be HARDER, BETTER, FASTER, STRONGER!



Feelin' too good to stop now.

Takin' to the Top!

On Saturday, I joined my team of fellow CrossFit women and our friends to take on the American Lung Association's Fight For Air Climb at the Frost Bank Building in downtown Austin. This race was a climb up 30 stories, 60 flights, or 672 steps if you're counting. :) The event raised money for research and treatment of lung disease - something that hits really close to home for me.

My goal was to come in under 7 minutes. I set this goal with having climbed that many stairs only once. I challenged my teammates to do the same, and come race-day, a few of us agreed to shoot for sub-6 minutes. (CrossFitters always make it interesting with a little friendly competition!)

Coach Megan Parsons led our team up the stairs, following the team of firefighters from the Round Rock Fire Dept. I went next, and Whitney Frakes started behind me. Once we began the climb, I was happy to have these ladies there to push me to keep my pace. It was a SHOWOUT sandwich!! :) We all made it to the top in with awesome times - Megan got sub 5 minutes, I came in at 5:20, and Whit finished just behind me. It got pretty tough after floor 20, but I just kept going - taking it 2 steps at a time (thank you long legs!!) until I got it done.

Later on that day we recieved word of the final results. Serveral of my teammates had done really well and I ended up placing 1st in my division (I even got a medal! :))! I'm so proud of us for crushing our goals!!

At the top of the climb, we were greeted by some familiar faces - Lauren, Diego, and Stacy from CrossFit Central. It was great to see them representing the double C's at the event and spreading the word about CrossFit. Megan and I were approached by some of the firefighters who had started the climb ahead of us (some of whom finished behind us!). They asked how we prepared for the event and we replied, "we CrossFit"! I saw quite a few people visiting with the folks from CFC at their table - I hope we were able to recruit some climbers to join CrossFit.

All in all, this was a great experience. Thanks to my teammates for motivating me to push myself and to all of my friends and family who supported this cause with donations - the event raised nearly $100,000!

Time to DO WORK

Saturday's Spartan 300 Challenge benchmark workout was a lot tougher than I expected. In 20 minutes, I was able to get through:

25 pull ups (most of my time was spent here, and I ripped my hands)
50 deadlifts (95#)
50 push ups (from knees - BOO!)
50 box jumps (20")
10 Floor Wipers (95#)

I still had all of this remaining when "time" was called:

40 Floor wipers
50 KB clean and press (14kg)
25 pull ups

CRAP!

I'm glad I did Rx weight, so I will be able to complete this workout as Rx'd on 6/26. And, in the process of getting my ass kicked, it became very clear to me where I need to focus my training over the course of the next 7 weeks:

1. Build strength in my chest, back and core to help with pull ups and push ups
2. Work on kipping pull up technique each week and perfom perfect push ups each day
3. Work on stamina and endurance

So, I've updated my goals accordingly. I'm meeting with Coach Crystal on Thursday to work on the kipping movement. It's high time I get these pull ups right. No more meaty hands!

I am ready to DO WORK and see results. Time for bad-assery.

Spartan 300 Challenge Goals

Alright, it's time! I met with my team last night and set my fitness goals for the next 8 weeks during the Spartan Challenge.


By June 26, I will:
1. Achieve 18% Body Fat (-5% from where I am today)
2. Follow Paleo/Zone nutirition at least 90% of the time (follow my food journal here)
3. Limit alcohol consumption to 4 servings per week
4. Run or Row 3 miles twice per week
5. 10 consecutive kipping pull ups
6. 10 consecutive "perfect" push ups


They don't call it a CHALLENGE for nothin'! If you know me well, you know that I love my daily glass of vino and my whiskey on the weekends. So for the next 8 weeks, I'm going to have to find healthier ways to relax and kill time.


Here's the benchmark workout that I will take on this Saturday May 8, and again on Saturday, June 26.


"Spartan 300" WOD:
25 Pullups
50 Deadlift (95#)
50 Pushups
50 Box jumps
50 Floor wipers (95#)
50 KB Clean and Press (25#)
25 Pullups


 = 300 reps!


My goal for Saturday is to be able to complete this WOD as Rx in the time alloted - that means kipping pullups, pushups from toes, and all Rx weight in 20 minutes or less. By the end of the challenge, my goal will be to CRUSH my benchmark time. And, hopefully look ripped doing so.


I'll post this weekend on my benchmark WOD time and maybe even a "before" photo. Wish me luck...

Goals for April

In exactly 30 days, I will begin the Spartan challenge and complete the benchmark workout. I will have new goals to set for the 8 weeks of the challenge, so for now, I'd like to set interim goals that I know I can accomplish (two of which will help me with the Spartan workout).

30-Day Goals:

1. 20 pushups from toes consecutive (I have 10 on a good day now)
2. 10 kipping pullups consecutive (I have 2 in a row right now)
3. 25 doubleunders consecutive (I have to rotate w/singles now)

Pushups: I'm doing them everyday on my own and trying to complete them from my toes in class. This month, I have decided to not go to my knees at all. I may not finish the WOD, but at least I'm getting stronger. See this blog post from CrossFit Watertown, entitled "Get Off Your Knees". TRUTH!

Pullups: I need to practice these more on my own, outside of class. I can get in at least 3 days/week of pullup practice after class and maybe one more day at AHS track. I need to work on the push away from the bar and relaxing my shoulders in the catch at the bottom. Don't want a shoulder injury...I think I know how to do it, I just need to continue to practice.

Doubleunders: After getting my first one a few weeks back during a WOD, I haven't practiced stringing them together and making the movement more fluid. I do this donkey kick and jump way too high right now, using up too much energy. I got some tips from the Again Faster crew on how to correctly perform doubleunders. This video was really helpful. I will keep these tips in mind when performing DUs.


Double Unders from Patrick Cummings on Vimeo.

Lucky me! DUs are in tonight's WOD. Practice time!

Revisiting my 3-month goals

In early January, I set some goals that I wanted to accomplish by April 1. They were:

1. Perform kipping pullups (3 consecutive) without band assistance
2. Perform push-ups from toes (10 consecutive)
3. Complete 5 CrossFit WOD's per week (4 in class, 1 on my own)
4. Lose another 5% body fat
5. Have completed 100 sit ups per day since 1/4/10
6. Have competed in, or registered for one organized race event

Here's how its going:

1. I'm almost there w/the kipping pullups. I WILL GET THEM!
2. I can do 5 pushups from toes now...I WILL GET THEM!
3. I have completed at least 5 CF workouts every week since Jan - on target!
4. I've lost 3% body fat to date - on target!
5. Seriously forgot about this one. Ooops!
6. I'm all set to compete in the Warrior Dash on May 1 and am looking to add a 5K to my spring schedule.

Fortunately, I've managed to make progress towards reaching my goals, but I'll be honest, it hasn't been something I've really focused in on everyday  (I can only imagine where I would be if I were more mindful of my goals).
In addition to the aforementioned goals, I've decided to add in 2 more. These goals are focused on building my endurance and speed. 

7. sub-3 minute 800m
8. sub-20 minute 5k row

I have posted these goals on my fridge and in my cubile for the next 30 days and will cross them off as I accomplish them. Also, I'm meeting with a group of like-minded gals tomorrow and once a week for the next month to make sure we're staying on track. No excuses now!

Time to get serious. Let's crush it!

New 3 Month Goals and Warrior Dash!

Time to set new 3 month fitness goals. Part of goal setting is making your goals public, so you are held accountable. Hear that friends? Help me stay on track! By April 1, 2010 I will: 1. Perform kipping pullups (at least 3 consecutive) without band assistance 2. Perform push-ups from toes (at least 10 consecutive) 3. Complete 5 CrossFit WOD's per week (4 in class, 1 on my own) 4. Lose another 5% body fat 5. Have completed 100 sit ups per day since 1/4/10 6. Have competed in, or registered for one organized race event

Whew! Hope I can accomplish it all!

As of this morning, I can cross Goal #6 off my list. I'm registered to compete in the Warrior Dash held on Saturday, May 1. Many of my friends and fellow CrossFitters will be joining me for the 3.51 mile run with 14 obstacles along the way, including crawling in the mud and jumping over fire. We're nuts, but it will be fun!

UPDATE ON ANGIE: My time was 19:52, and I used the band to assist with the pullups. Only did the last 25 as jumping pullups, which is a huge improvement over last time I took on Angie on Sept 28. Lucky for me, I get to do it again in tonight's co-ed class. My chest, back, and arms will be on fire tomorrow!

Rekindling the competitive fire

I've been serious about CrossFit for a few months now, and while I've seen gains in strength and speed, I have yet to finish at the top of the pack on most WODs - especially those with heavy lifting. My times/PRs are good and probably better than most, but I can't help but wonder if I'm pushing myself enough. I know I'm stronger and faster and capable of much more - I think I just need to get there mentally. Ya know, rekindle that "competitive spirit". I have always been a total perfectionist with a nagging fear of failure, so I'm used to feelings of disappointment and holding myself back. But, as I've learned in so many other aspects of my life, being "comfortable" is not always a good thing. As I build confidence in my athletic abilities, its becoming easier for me to start pushing myself more mentally. Not just to improve my performance in CrossFit, but also to improve my life in general. I want to remember what its like to be the best at something! Ok, so I know I'm a little "in my head" today, but whatever, I'm deeeeeep sometimes. I stumbled upon this artcile at AgainFaster.com that insipired me and sums up what I'm going through nicely. Its written by a fellow Crossfitter in search of his competitive spirit. Read the entire article here. My fave quote: "I lost my competitive fire not because I’ve stopped wanting to be the best, but because I stopped wanting to be disappointed when I was proved anything less. " So true. So true. Enjoy this clip from one of the best competitors around - the Karate Kid!

Week 4...Persistence is paying off!

Its the beginning of week 4 of my 5x training and Paleo nutrition challenge and I'm really starting to see some great results. I've regulated my diet a bit, so that I'm eating more veggies, which will help with calorie-counting (in fact I'm enjoying some celery right now)! Also, adding in more protein after my workouts and taking some amino acid supplements to help with muscle repair/development. I've maintained my 10lb weight loss that I reported last week, but have noticed that my clothes are fitting a little looser than they were last week. This hopefully means I'm changing my body composition more than weight, which is exactly where I want to be. I'm also noticing a lot more strength in my workouts - in fact I've been able to do to Rx weight on most WOD's for the past 2 weeks. This is a great feeling for me! Today's CrossFit WOD is named after my coach, Crystal: It will be bad-ass, just like her!! 4 Rounds for time: 25 pull ups 25 push ups 25 sit ups 25 squats I'll post my time and thoughts later this week!! Last night's workout was fun. I finished in good time using the prescribed weight. Must be a result of consistent training. ;) I'm looking forward to participating in the CrossFit Women's 15-Day Challenge that starts Monday, Nov 30, and runs through my birthday, Dec 18. We'll be holding each other accountable for food logs, attending extra workouts (Saturday workouts!!), and tracking our progress using a benchmark workout. This is like the cram session before the final exam (in this case, the exam is my 31st bday!!) Then, all I need to do is get through Christmas and the first few weeks of January until my 3 month challenge end date. It's put up or shut up time!! After that, there will be a new goal and new plan for success. This time, I'm adding in some financial goals to the mix - I need to get rid of the debt before I can truly be free!

Where the Wild Things Are

So glad Monday is over...that means we're only 3 days away from the weekend. Yay! I've been on this cycle lately where Mondays are the most depressing days, then it gets progressively better as the week goes on. Hmmm...I wonder what that says about my current situation? Yes, I know - many people hate Mondays. But, I don't want that for myself. Perhaps its time for some goal planning of the other kind - QUALITY of life stuff? Yes, I have some serious work to do. Thankfully, I'll get a little distraction today. Its a rest day, so no CrossFit workouts, just R&R. So, I'm going to see the movie, "Where the Wild Things Are" with my girls tonight. Can't wait! Looks so cute, and the soundtrack is amazing. A note on "Isabel" WOD 10/19/09 - Unfortunately, 95 lbs was NOT happening. I completed 30 reps with 45lbs in 7:32, but I think I could have gone heavier - maybe 65 lbs? I was mainly focused on mastering the form, which is so important with this exercise. You could really hurt yourself with all that weight if your form is not spot-on. Next time we do this workout, I'll be upping the weight. I'm not going to get stronger if I stay in my comfort zone! Ain't scurred!