Monthly Archives: October 2014

Crush Cancer 2014

Saturday morning, I participated in an amazing fundraiser, and my first Crossfit competition-Crush Cancer! This event was held at Crossfits throughout the world to benefit Stand Up to Cancer, an my home box was hosting. (For more info, check out this post.)

So, Saturday morning I ate breakfast and drove up there.

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It was so great to see so many people out there to support a great cause!

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I was in the first heat, which I was really happy about. I was a little nervous, and I didn’t want to have to wait around to go!

Of course, it wouldn’t be an event if my mom didn’t take an awkward picture of me stretching…

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The workout was 3 five minute chunks, with a minute in between each. Each round consisted of:

1 minute power cleans (65#)

1 minute shoulder to overhead (65#)

1 minute double unders

1 minute kb swings (16kg)

1 minute burpees

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(The pictures of me warming up are less blurry.)

Here’s the breakdown for me-the power cleans were super light. The shoulder to over head would be a bit heavier especially after cleans. I had no idea how double unders would go because they are super hit or miss for me. KB swings would sort of be a rest because 16 has felt pretty light lately and they were just Russian swings (not overhead). Burpees would be….burpees. Blech.

Here’s how it went:

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I ended up muscle cleaning the power cleans because it was light, which means I didn’t really jump it up. The first round, I started WAYYY too fast-I think I got 20 reps in the first 30 seconds and then realized I needed to slow the heck down because it was starting to gas me. I did push press for shoulder to overhead, and it definitely wasn’t light after the cleans.

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Then it was on to jumprope, which I was grateful for because my shoulders were shot. To my surprise, the jump roping went really well. My double udders were cooperating and it turned out to be a non issue. Note-jump roping with rubber arms is a weird experience.

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The kettle bell swings were pretty uneventful.

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And the burpees were surprisingly good. Because the kettle bell swings were fairly light and I muscle cleaned in the first minute, my legs were actually pretty fresh so these actually felt good. Weird…

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Round 2 was definitely the hardest round for me. I slowed it back quite a bit in an effort to not die. Rounds 2 and 3 were when I started having the problem that my grip was failing on the barbell movements and kettle bell swings.

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And as I write this, I’m realizing how sore my forearms are now….lots and lots of cleans will do that! Plus kettle bell swings-those can be hard on grip too!

I think the last round felt better than the second, maybe because I was almost done! Grip was definitely worse though! It was awesome to have so many people cheering me on through the last round.

But man, I was happy to be done!

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^Pure relief.

That was HARD. Definitely the hardest workout I’ve done in a LONG time. Competition push and normal push in workouts are 2 different things! WHEW. I finished with 336 reps!

After watching another wave compete, I headed home for lunch, homework help, and kitties.

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Lunch was pretty basic-taco salad with ground turkey and cheese.

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Plus some fancy cheese and crackers on the side.

Then, I spent the entire afternoon working on CS homework. On the plus side, I’m really close I think!

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I also did a little experimental baking-recipe to come soon!

I stayed for dinner before heading back to school-we ordered takeout from a fancy burger place. I got a wild salmon burger with sweet potato fries.

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And I’ll leave you with some last cat pictures:

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^He makes sure all my clothes come back to school furry.

And here I am! I stayed out too late coding (until I realized I couldn’t think straight and it was time for bed). I was planning on running this morning but brunch is about to open so that can wait!

What did you do this weekend?

The Best Moment

WHEW! We made it to the weekend! Mine will be chock full of work, but that’s not important right now. What is important?

1. AHHHHHHHHHHHH WE’RE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES! OMG OMG OMG. I was watching the game prior to my Chem midterm last night, and the minute I got out, my mom texted me saying we won! Such an amazing finish too. AHHH. Best moment-chem midterm done and Giant’s win!

2. I am SORE. Especially my calves. Going down stairs is immensely painful. Why did I have class on the 3rd floor? Ow. I did the Filthy Fifty yesterday morning at Crossfit and those box jumps…man. The whole workout kicked my butt! The last time I did it was on my birthday!

3. The reason #2 is a problem is that I am doing a Crossfit competition tomorrow, and I really need to practice my double unders, but the thought of jump roping is making me cringe right now. Ah well.

4. I’ve been running again! I did 5 miles on Wednesday, which is the farthest I’ve done since healing up my feet. It’s interesting-it’s hard but not in a cardio way-my legs get tired!

5. Food. I think I’m finally getting into a more consistent eating routine, which just makes everything better. Breakfasts have been yogurt bowls with sun butter from the dining hall.

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I also had a latte this morning. It was super milky though, so not the best in my opinion!

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Lunch yesterday was roasted carrots (!) from the dining hall, salmon from the dining hall, and my own sage mashed sweet potatoes.

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Today, I had more leftover sweet potatoes, plus a turkey and brie sandwich. I ended up running back to my room a bit later for some more veggies.

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Roasted carrots are currently my savior. First of all, I love them. Second of all, when I get out of class at 4 and am hungry, they’re a good pre-Crossfit snack because they digest pretty quickly.

Dinner last night was gobbled down during the Giant’s game. For some reason, I was STARVING when I got out of lab. I was definitely that person waiting outside the dining hall until it opened at 5. Favorite on this plate were the black bean chili and chicken masala, which had a really great warm flavor. Plus, I was starving.

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Some other snacks lately have been fancy cheese (all my friends are cheese obsessed-I can’t really complain) as well as chia pudding. For the chia pudding, it’s simply chia seeds, milk, and preferably dates (which I am now out of).

And now I’m off to one more meeting before my weekend of schoolwork!

What are your plans for the weekend?

Midterms+Food

Hey guys! Sorry for the lack of posting, but things have been pretty crazy around here with midterms, Giant’s playoffs, and all kinds of other commitments! This weekend I’m going home to participate in my Crossfit’s Crush Cancer charity competition, benefitting Stand Up to Cancer.  So I hope to make up at least somewhat for the quietness around here with some pictures of life as of late!

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What have you been up to lately?

CS

Happy Friday! Who’s ready for the weekend? My night will be spent on schoolwork. Meh. On the plus side, I was reading some of my posts from this time last year and they were so much more sad-my last fall was so much harder!

Anyways, I’ve been working on CS since my last class. Until my next class in a little bit which is CS section. Which is directed followed by CS lecture. After which I’m going to lock myself in a coffeeshop off campus and work on my CS problems.

YAY.

On the fitness front, I went to Crossfit this morning so I wouldn’t waste time this afternoon waiting for it to start and I can get to work sooner. I had plans on running this evening before locking myself in said coffeeshop, but I can. not. walk.

Yesterday I did squats. And while I know it’s a bit early for Halloween, I’m definitely rocking the Frankenstein walk. Yesterday morning’s workout incorporated a new piece of equipment for me-the stair climber. I wanted some low intensity cardio I could zone out for, so I spend 45 minutes on that thing. The good news is that I didn’t fall off…I followed that with 8 minutes of 2 squats every 30 seconds, for a total of 32 squats. I didn’t even go that heavy-last time I used 20 pounds more (and then I REALLY couldn’t walk the next day). But man. Ow.

Foodwise, breakfast has been yogurt bowls.

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And lunches have been packed or bought quickly. The first is a Trader Joe’s salad that I really enjoyed!
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Yesterday before lab I was starving so I ran to a cafe for a quick turkey, cranberry, and brie on whole wheat.

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Lunch today was an old classic from the summer-green bean salad with balsamic vinaigrette, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds. Plus a little turkey stolen from the dining hall the night before.

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In addition, last night I learned the true meaning of the “death” in the death by chocolate cake at the dining hall. Yeahhh I felt like death! I seriously could not focus on anything, so I went outside and practiced my jump roping. Note to self-next time: LONG SLEEVES! I have some nice little welts on my arms now. Cute.

Ok, now I really need to get back to CS….

 

Reasons to Back Out of a Race

Hey guys!

Today’s post is going to be a bit different. Since I missed my race last weekend and am 100% happy with the decision, I thought I’d post on some of the reasons why it might make sense to back out of a race.

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1. You are injured. This was the reason I backed out. While I MAY have been able to tough it out, it simply wasn’t worth it, and running has felt 100% better.

2. You risk serious injury. This can apply to a lot of things. I was worried that with my limpy gait, I was going to get a secondary injury, or even a stress fracture. This could even apply to poor running conditions. If your race is on a muddy trail during a rainstorm and you are prone to slipping, it might make sense to back out.

3. Extreme weather, especially if you aren’t trained in it. If you trained in 60 degree weather all season and then show up to 100 degree temps on race day, it might make sense to rethink whether or not the race would be safe.

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4. You are sick. While sometimes you can push through an illness, a lot of times it isn’t worth it to tough out a miserable race, leaving you more ill than before.

5. Life gets in the way. Maybe it’s a family thing, maybe it’s a huge opportunity. While training for a race may be a big part of life, it isn’t all of life. Sometimes it needs to take a backseat.

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Have you ever skipped a race? Why?