5 weeks since my last Workout

That's right - it's been 5 weeks since I've worked out.  It shows and I have been feeling like a slug.  I have been working late, then got sick and then went on vacation.  Not to mention - it's too cold in the barn.  Today, I made a commitment to myself to get at least 4 workouts in each week.

I can't use 'too cold' as an excuse not to workout anymore.  I am insulating the barn and I can always wear this fancy outfit... warm and practical.  It reminds me of the bunny suit from A Christmas Story!

Tonight's WOD was meant to be easy so that I wouldn't kill myself the first night back.  It was supposed to be a 20 minute AMRAP but turned into 5 rounds.  WHY?  On round 3, I cracked myself in the nose with the bar doing thrusters - OUCH, I'm sure that's going to leave a mark.  And, it's already starting to swell up.  Who does that??

Not only is today my first workout in 5 weeks, but it's also weigh-in Wednesday with Heather, Ash, and Erin.

I haven't been keeping track but I did weigh before going on vacation.  I lost 3.2 pounds in 5 days.  While in Vienna, Austria, I walked and walked and walked.  I averaged 9 miles a day or around 13000 steps.  It was nice to come home and see progress on the scale.  Now I just have to keep that momentum going.  I did good today... tracked all my food at Myfitnesspal.com.  My favorite meal (aside from the hot dogs in Vienna) is the Turkey Burger.  Tonight's creation had horseradish, white cheddar cheese, spinach and a little miracle whip!!

That's all for now.... hope everyone has a great week

2 weeks ago......

.... I was boasting about my double-unders.  And, I haven't worked out since.  I can't decide if I am sick because I haven't worked out or haven't worked out because I am sick.  I have bronchitis again.  For some reason, the year has been terrible for - I've had bronchitis two times, the first time almost turning into pneumonia, and I've had a sinus infection.  The tragic thing about my last bout with bronchitis is that I had to miss our annual beer run.

The Crossfit Invitational was on Saturday night.  I get so excited and inspired when I watch these athletes lifting, running, pushing, squatting, muscling up, and lifting.

Today is also Weigh In Wednesday with Heather (www.prettystrongmedicine.com), Ash and Erin!

I am holding steady at my number from 2 weeks ago - at least I haven't gained.  I really need to concentrate on my health and work outs.  UGH - how do you get motivated?  I visited a new crossfit gym on Monday.  But, I do not want to drive 15 minutes in the opposite direction to get there.  I have everything from Rogue Fitness that a girl needs.  It's time to start digging deep......

Hope everyone has a great week!  

Double Unders?

Yep - I finally did one.... and the next day I went out to the barn to practice.  I was able to get 4 double unders in my jump sequence.  Now, I didn't do them all in a row; but, the fact that I can now do a double under makes me pretty happy.

What is a Double Under?  Watch this quick video.

The key is getting a good rope and making sure it is sized correctly!

FINALLY - it's Weigh-In Wednesday!!!

I was MIA last week mainly because I had eaten everything in site.  But, I have strung together a few good days in a row and am down 2.0 lbs for a total of 7.2 since I started.  Yeah ME!

Thanks all I have for you today.  Check back next week.

Commitment

That's a scary word.... whether it's committing to an event or making a life-long promise.  What did I commit to?  I am running the Flying Pig Half Marathon in May 2015.  Running is not new to me.  I've completed 4 marathons (yep, that's 26.2 miles) and 6 or 7 half-marathons.  BUT, I was reminded last Thursday night about my failure.  Last year in October, I was supposed to run the Iron Horse Half Marathon in KY.  Did I train?  Not really... probably a good thing since I spent the night before the marathon drinking bourbon with my friend Ed.  I'm not sure if I would have drunk the night before had I actually trained for the run.  Regardless, I get reminded often about my performance - and again last Thursday night - when, ironically, I was drinking bourbon with Ed and Kathy.

Tonight, I'm watching the 2014 Reebok Crossfit Games.  It's always so motivating and I can appreciate all the hard work that goes into making the games.  I had my own crossfit games on Monday night.  My WOD was called Tire Flip Alley.

• 5 Tire Flips
• Run to end of Alley and back to Tire

The alley behind my house is 1/4 mile from my garage driveway to the end and back.  So, it's 1/8 mile to the end.  I flipped the tire 5 times and then ran to the end of the alley and back to the tire - repeat until the tire is at the other end of the alley!   15 rounds and 1 flip later, I was finished.

It took me 29 minutes to complete.  I had really dirty hands..... !  Surprisingly, the only part of me that is sore are my forearms. 

Finally, as you all know, today is Weigh In Wednesday with Heather, Ash, and Erin!!  

Another week of not gaining..... and now I have this handy little gadget to help me along!

Have a great week everyone....  !!

Where have you been....?

I'm sure that's what you have all been asking.  The answer is.... here!  I've been present in body but not in spirit and discipline. Since my last post, I've had 2 good workouts but really need to buckle down and commit.   I have every excuse in the world for why I didn't work out tonight....  1) I had to work late  2) I had to go home and check on my dad  3) I had to take a shower  4) I could not find my sports bra  5) I had to take out the trash 6) I had to clean up the kitchen..... I could go on but I think you get the drift!

With that said, it is Weigh-In Wednesday with Heather, Ash and Erin!  I skipped it this week so let's just say I stayed the same and move on. Right, why dwell on the past.

On a good note, I was given a box for box jumps.  Along with thrusters, box jumps are one of my favorite exercises.  Last night, I took advantage of it and completed the following WOD's:

Warm Up - 300 M Row

WOD I - 5 Rounds for time

• 10 Push Press (bar weight)
• 10 Back Squats (bar weight)
• 10 Push-Ups
• 5 Box Jumps

WOD II - EMOM / Alternate 21 Minutes

• 10 Wallballs 
• 7 GHD Sit-Ups
• 30 Jump Rope (unbroken)

I'm feeling the sit-ups today.... mission accomplished!!

My goal for the next 7 days is to write out my workouts and food AND try to follow it! 

Have a great week everyone!!

Weigh-In Wednesday

Weigh-In Wednesday always brings anxiety AND excitement.  This week was no different.  I didn't lose a thing.... but I didn't gain either.  So, I will consider that a win.

Since Sunday, I got in 2 good workouts.  I really wish I could/would push myself as hard at home as I did when I went to FireFitt.  FireFitt closed and I can't rationalize paying for a gym when I have everything a girl could want in my barn.

You want to do GHD Sit-Ups?  We have an 'app' for that....

Wallballs?

Leave an exercise int eh comments and I will add it to my WOD on Friday.

My goal next week is 2 pounds.  I joined a Diet Bet for the month of October.  Wish me luck!

Dilemma: Roadhouse or Dirty Dancing

Which would you choose?

Work has been a bear this past week.  Staying until 7:30 / 8:00 every night stinks - but staying until 9:15 pm Thursday night really made for a long Friday.  Needless to say, I didn't get a workout in Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday.  Saturday - I treated myself to a pedicure and a massage.

FINALLY - quick WOD today (along with a lot of 'house' work).

Burpees and Thrusters 

1-1

2-2

3-3

all the way to 10-10

Although that doesn't look too hard on paper, I was out of breath by 5's.  It took me 9:38 to complete and almost the same amount of time to cool down.

Tomorrow's workout is going to be a chipper for time - wish me luck!

Peanut Butter Bacon Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

Have a Great Week!  By the way - I chose Dirty Dancing.....

16,368 Feet, 5k, 3.1 Miles.....

... in the books.  It's the first time I've run in exactly 6 months.  Thank goodness for RunKeeper!

Yesterday, I had a long, tough day at work and the last thing I wanted to do was come home and run.  I had just received a text from a friend who was making BLT's - that's all I could think about.  Who wants to run when you can eat - right?

Today is Weight In Wednesday with Heather, Ash, and Erin.  I'm down this week 1.8 pounds!

If I write any more, I am going to be late for work!  Leave a comment and tell me what to include in my WOD tonight.

On the topic of cupcakes.... these are the cupcakes I made for my niece's bridal shower!

I'm Alive... I'm Alive!

Last week started off on the right foot.... and quickly went down hill.  I ended up with a sinus infection (sinusitis if you want the technical term).  By Thursday, I was not sleeping and barely able to breath.  Breathing is necessary!  And, so are antibiotics and nasal spray.  I took it easy over the weekend and got plenty of rest.  Today...

I'm B A C K!  I have been itching to workout since Saturday.  Today's workout was pretty light but a workout nonetheless.  I'm not going to lie - I walked the first two 'run 400 M' in the second WOD.  WHY?  It was dark outside and the alley is uneven.  And, I am hesitant to push it too hard the first day back and not being fully recovered.  I still have 5 days of medicine to take.

As I mentioned previously, planning is the key to my success.  I have my meals and workout ready for tomorrow.  I've also planned my meals a few days ahead so I can have one of my favorite lunches - a turkey burger from Bones Burger Food truck.  Bones will be at my friend's office so I am going to eat lunch with him - more for the burger but the company is okay, too.

www.bones-burgers.com

Tomorrow's workout is a 5k.  I'm up for suggestions for Wednesday - leave a comment and I will add it to my WOD.

Last but not least - I am going to start actively participating in Weigh in Wednesday hosted by www.prettystrongmedicine.com.  I will post my weekly fluctuation.... one day, once I get comfortable with full disclosure, I will post THE number.

What Morning Workout?

Who am I kidding?  I have no desire to get up at 5:00 AM and workout.  I get anxious the night before thinking that I won't fall asleep soon enough to get a good night's sleep.  Then I wonder if I will get up when the alarm goes off.  I had that same anxiety last night - tried to ignore it by talking to someone but that didn't work.  It really only made me want to stay up later and talk more .......  Alas, I changed my alarm from 5:00 AM to 6:00 AM.  When I realize that I want 'it' bad enough, I will get my a$$ out of bed.

On a good note, I had already planned today's beating so as soon as I got home, I changed my clothes and went straight to the barn.  This was an easier workout.  I should have added weight to the bar for thrusters and use a heavier Kettle bell for the SDHP's.  I subbed a 400M row for the run - it was pouring down rain.

I didn't eat like a pig today - let's face it, it's 90% nutrition......  I had oatmeal for breakfast, turkey chili and spinach for lunch, almonds for dinner and pretzels as a snack.  I wasn't hungry after I worked out so I had a few more almonds and called it a day.

I have tomorrow's workout already on the white board in the barn.  I need to incorporate running (like 1 or 2 days a week) again.  But, that will come in time.

More about me.....  I like thrusters and kettle bell swings!  I want to get my Crossfit 1 certification in 2015. 

Want to know more - just ask!!

I've been MIA for the last few days and not in a good way.  I wish I could say that I spent both Friday and Saturday working my butt off; but, it's quite the opposite.

Friday was supposed to be a 'workout in the monring' kind of day.  If you remember correctly, one of my goals is to workout in the morning 2 days a week.  I set my alarm for 5:00 AM, my alarm went off, I changed the time to 6:00 AM and went back to sleep.  Not the way I wanted to start my day.  All should not have been lost.... but I have another excuse for not working out. My dad had to go the VA Hospital because he has been having sever pain in his leg.  They ruled out all the serious things like DVT and a fracture.  He was sent back home that evening.  (Pray for him - he never complains so he has to be in pain.)

Saturday - chalking that up to just plain lazy! Heck, I even took a nap.  Later in the evening, I went to the street festival in downtown Milford.  I didn't eat much but I made up for it in beer.  UGH - feeling pretty rough by the time I got home.  

Sunday proved to be a much better day for a few reasons.....  1) I didn't gain any weight the last two days - #Winning!  AND 2) I planned for next week.  Planning seems to be the key to whether I have a good week or crappy week.

Finally - I went out of my comfort zone today and worked out in clothes that didn't match.  99.99% of the time I will wear black tights and a black shirt.  It gets kind of depressing so today I changed it up and I DID NOT SUCK!!!  It seems a little foolish but some things are mental!

Todays workout:

I've only been doing GHD sit-ups for about two weeks and I can feel it today.  (I have a GHD machine - if ROGUE Fitness sells it, I probably have it!)

More about me.....  I've had my personal training certification since October 30, 2010.  I was offered a job at Fit Works, Beechmont Ave., in December 2012 (when I was unemployed) but I just didn't feel like it was the right place for me.

  

  

"The Desire to change must exceed 

the fear and the pain."  

Change is scary - sometimes you know how the change will impact your life and sometimes you don't.  I decided to make a small change this morning.  I actually got up at 5:20 AM and completed a WOD before I went to work.  Normally, I would think about working out in the morning; but, when the alarm would go off, I would re-set it for 6:15 AM and go back to sleep.  My goal is to workout in the morning (before I go to work) at least 2 days a week - baby steps, right??  If only I had someone to call me at 5:00 AM to make sure I am awake.... a girl can dream!

September 11 - WOD 
 - 300 squats
 - 200 push-ups (girl push-ups)
 - 100 sit-ups

On paper, it really doesn't look like much, but I worked up a sweat and felt really good all day.

I also had a small victory this morning - #Winning!!  I forgot to do laundry last night and didn't have any clean pants to wear to work today.  I went into my closet and found a pair that I was hesitant to try on - but was pretty happy when they fit.  Did I tell you that they were a size smaller?

With the changes I am trying to incorporate, I was not excited to go to happy hour tonight.  It's the kind of work happy hour where you need to show your face.  We refer to these as either 'forced fun' or a 'hostage happy hour'.  I had 3 drinks and then came home.  Normally, I am THE MOST FUN and stay until the end.  It's not that I am no longer fun, I just know that I need to make better choices.

Soooo - I promised to tell you about myself.  I can't spill the beans all at once so I will share two little known facts.
1)  I've completed 4 marathons.  The Marine Corp Marathon in Washington DC (2004) was my favorite.
2)  I love colorful running shoes.

Soooo, I've had this domain for a few months and finally going to start using it.  Why Crossfit and Cupcakes?  Because, those are two of my favorite things.  I guess you could say that the cupcakes are what got me to crossfit....

There are two primary reasons for my blog - one, to document my journey and struggles with becoming a better version of myself; and two, to hold myself accountable.  I love working out.  But, my box is closing at the end of the month and when I found out, I lost all interest.  I mean, why continue going to a place that will not be there in 20 days.  I tried another box closer to home and really like it.  But.... why should I spend money to go to a box when I have everything I need in my barn?  And, when I say everything, I mean everything!  I think the only things that I don't have are rings and climbing ropes.  Even if I had them, I don't have the upper body strength right now to do a muscle-up or a climb.

My solution - blog my way through my journey - stop spending money on a gym when you have one, and, hopefully, educate some people along the way.

Stay tuned for the next post when you can find out more about ME!