No one ever told me that my boobs would disappear. When I started doing CrossFit, working out, eating better, no one ever said, “Hey, your boobs might mysteriously vanish.” I was not clued in.
And it’s not like it didn't happen over time, because it did. It happened over the course of almost two years. But for some reason, it feels like it happened over night. One day they were there and the next day they were gone. One day I had quite a handful... Now??? My sports bras barely have enough to hold on to! Darn! Where’d they go!!!
Did they vanish into the Bermuda Triangle for boobs? Is there such a place?? I figured that there must be, because I don’t know where they went. And it’s not like I had this receding boob line, that I could follow the disappearance of the boobies a week at a time, and mark where they were the week before. I swear, it happened over night.
So I wanted to understand it better, and I found this nifty article on decreasing your breast size through exercise. The motherload!!! So, how would one do that, without expecting it? The article says, “Not every woman that desires a smaller bust will want to go through breast-reduction surgery. Instead, you can perform sets of exercises that can reduce the fat that make up your breasts. Not only are you likely to decrease your bust size, but you might lose weight in other areas of your body.”
Hmmm. Exercises that reduce the fat that makes up your breasts... The article says to start with some cardio workouts and then increase the intensity of your cardio exercises. It goes on to recommend that push-ups are done every day, and weights should be used for chest presses.
Another article says, “Remember that breasts, for the most part, are made up of fatty tissue. Exercising can lead to fat loss, which in turn leads to smaller boobs. Exercise can also tone up the pectoral muscle, helping to lift and define the breasts.”
Lots of things surrounding push ups and chest presses, not to mention cardio -- exercise. WOW, CrossFit fits the bill there. CrossFit is the culprit! I never would have thought that!
I can only begin to fathom how many push-ups I have done in the past two years – how much cardio activity I have done. Have I been methodically making my boobs disappear without knowing it? Did I do this to myself? Is CrossFit the culprit?
Ladies??? Help me understand! Is this something you experienced? Are experiencing? Has CrossFit, or exercise in general, reduced your boobage???
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Workout Withdrawal
I am going through workout withdrawal. I am in California for work. I have been in back to back meetings, lunches and dinners, and have had zero down-time.
I arrived on a Sunday, and go home on Friday. When I arrived I went for a run, because I had time. Monday I did not workout. Tuesday I did a workout in my hotel room, but I wish it could have been more. It was not enough. Wednesday I did not work out. Today is Thursday, and so far, I have not worked out. I am hoping to workout this evening, unless another dinner outing is scheduled. I am not even secretly hoping that a dinner is not scheduled… I am practically telling everyone I work with that I don’t want to go out to dinner tonight.
I need my fix. I don’t want time off from working out. I need my fix. Yes, I do realize that rest days are important for recovery, but too many rest days leads to workout withdrawal. At least for this workout junkie. I am accustomed to 5 days on, one day off. And the one day off is not always completely off. Sometimes it is what I refer to as “active rest”. I might hike or teach an aerobics class. I try to take the one day off, but it doesn’t always work out as planned. I am a workout junkie, I need my fix.
Today is Thursday. There are no dinners planned. I will be getting my fix.
I arrived on a Sunday, and go home on Friday. When I arrived I went for a run, because I had time. Monday I did not workout. Tuesday I did a workout in my hotel room, but I wish it could have been more. It was not enough. Wednesday I did not work out. Today is Thursday, and so far, I have not worked out. I am hoping to workout this evening, unless another dinner outing is scheduled. I am not even secretly hoping that a dinner is not scheduled… I am practically telling everyone I work with that I don’t want to go out to dinner tonight.
I need my fix. I don’t want time off from working out. I need my fix. Yes, I do realize that rest days are important for recovery, but too many rest days leads to workout withdrawal. At least for this workout junkie. I am accustomed to 5 days on, one day off. And the one day off is not always completely off. Sometimes it is what I refer to as “active rest”. I might hike or teach an aerobics class. I try to take the one day off, but it doesn’t always work out as planned. I am a workout junkie, I need my fix.
Today is Thursday. There are no dinners planned. I will be getting my fix.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Nutrition in a Nutshell
I get a lot of questions about nutrition and diet. How does one eat to support the energy and strength levels needed for the demands of CrossFit workouts? Or any workout regiment for that matter? While I am not a nutrition expert, I can offer advice based on my own experiences and the resources I have used.
I currently subscribe to the Paleo way of thinking. Meaning, I follow the Paleo diet. I “went Paleo” in May, 2009, and am fairly strict on the foods I eat. The easy way of thinking of Paleo is, eat “meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.” Also, no legumes and no grain! That means no beans, peas, peanuts, soy, cereal, bread, pasta, rice, flour, etc.
For Paleo, it is so important to ensure that you are not only eating the right mix of food, but enough food. With every meal you need protein (think meats), carbs (think vegetables) and fat (think avocados and nuts), similar to the Zone diet (but you don't need to weigh it and eat in “blocks”). Women tend to not eat enough protein – it is difficult to think of having meat with every meal. It is also difficult to think that carbs must come from vegetables and fruit rather than grains, pasta and rice. For a listing of appropriate foods, click here.
I ensure that for every meal I eat some sort of meat, fresh veggies, and fat (avocado, nuts, etc.), even at breakfast. Snacks are just smaller portions of the same. To lean out, play with the fat portion, but don't cut it entirely, and don’t cut the proteins and carbs. It is a delicate balancing act between the three food sources – too little fat, protein or carbs is a recipe for poor performance during a workout.
Ensure you are eating after you work out as well. Depending on the workout, have some protein and carbs. Typically, you won't want fat just after a high-intensity workout. Have it later with another meal. It is just as important to refuel as it is to sustain.
Keeping a Food Journal
With any diet, it is important to track your food intake. Keep a daily log of your meals and estimated portions. A food journal will help you ensure you are getting enough of the right foods throughout the day. It will also allow you to log menu items that you like or dislike. But most importantly, a food journal will assist you should you need to make adjustments in your diet. You will have the ability to look back at what you have been eating to better understand why you may be experiencing poor performance, plateaued weight loss, or lack of energy.
Nutrition Resources
The Paleo Diet
Paleo Foods
Robb Wolf
What are your thoughts on Paleo? Comments? Questions? Additional resources? Post to comments.
I currently subscribe to the Paleo way of thinking. Meaning, I follow the Paleo diet. I “went Paleo” in May, 2009, and am fairly strict on the foods I eat. The easy way of thinking of Paleo is, eat “meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.” Also, no legumes and no grain! That means no beans, peas, peanuts, soy, cereal, bread, pasta, rice, flour, etc.
For Paleo, it is so important to ensure that you are not only eating the right mix of food, but enough food. With every meal you need protein (think meats), carbs (think vegetables) and fat (think avocados and nuts), similar to the Zone diet (but you don't need to weigh it and eat in “blocks”). Women tend to not eat enough protein – it is difficult to think of having meat with every meal. It is also difficult to think that carbs must come from vegetables and fruit rather than grains, pasta and rice. For a listing of appropriate foods, click here.
I ensure that for every meal I eat some sort of meat, fresh veggies, and fat (avocado, nuts, etc.), even at breakfast. Snacks are just smaller portions of the same. To lean out, play with the fat portion, but don't cut it entirely, and don’t cut the proteins and carbs. It is a delicate balancing act between the three food sources – too little fat, protein or carbs is a recipe for poor performance during a workout.
Ensure you are eating after you work out as well. Depending on the workout, have some protein and carbs. Typically, you won't want fat just after a high-intensity workout. Have it later with another meal. It is just as important to refuel as it is to sustain.
Keeping a Food Journal
With any diet, it is important to track your food intake. Keep a daily log of your meals and estimated portions. A food journal will help you ensure you are getting enough of the right foods throughout the day. It will also allow you to log menu items that you like or dislike. But most importantly, a food journal will assist you should you need to make adjustments in your diet. You will have the ability to look back at what you have been eating to better understand why you may be experiencing poor performance, plateaued weight loss, or lack of energy.
Nutrition Resources
The Paleo Diet
Paleo Foods
Robb Wolf
What are your thoughts on Paleo? Comments? Questions? Additional resources? Post to comments.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Intentional Metamorphosis
Wikipedia defines metamorphosis as “…a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation.” Answers.com says metamorphosis is “a marked change in appearance, character, condition, or function.” Metamorphosis is change.
Change is inevitable – nothing ever stays the same. Whether acted upon by some outside force, or an intentional decision, change occurs. It is inevitable. But what if change was intentional? Could you intentionally drive the change? Force the course of the abrupt change in the animal’s body structure? Or your body structure? Or your capabilities? Could you control the direction of the change? Thereby controlling the outcome, results, endgame?
I am on a quest. A quest for change. Purposeful change. Intentional metamorphosis. I am changing the way I look, the way I feel, the way I perform. Day by day, step by step, workout by workout, meal by meal, rep by rep. Forcing change to occur. It is an intentional decision. I am purposefully changing. I am going through intentional metamorphosis.
How? Pushing harder. Eating better. Not giving in. Not sacrificing. Performing the one more minute, one more round, one more rep, until I can yell out “TIME!”, with the knowing that I have performed my best at that given moment.
Why? To be better. To feel better. To be stronger. To be able to perform under diverse conditions. To be healthy. To be fit. To be CrossFit.
Change is inevitable – nothing ever stays the same. Whether acted upon by some outside force, or an intentional decision, change occurs. It is inevitable. But what if change was intentional? Could you intentionally drive the change? Force the course of the abrupt change in the animal’s body structure? Or your body structure? Or your capabilities? Could you control the direction of the change? Thereby controlling the outcome, results, endgame?
I am on a quest. A quest for change. Purposeful change. Intentional metamorphosis. I am changing the way I look, the way I feel, the way I perform. Day by day, step by step, workout by workout, meal by meal, rep by rep. Forcing change to occur. It is an intentional decision. I am purposefully changing. I am going through intentional metamorphosis.
How? Pushing harder. Eating better. Not giving in. Not sacrificing. Performing the one more minute, one more round, one more rep, until I can yell out “TIME!”, with the knowing that I have performed my best at that given moment.
Why? To be better. To feel better. To be stronger. To be able to perform under diverse conditions. To be healthy. To be fit. To be CrossFit.
Friday, September 11, 2009
I Remember...
Today is always a difficult day for me. Not Friday, but the date – 9/11.
So many people were impacted by what happened 8 years ago on this date. For me, it could have been so much worse. Every time 9/11 comes around, I think of how much worse it could have been. And while I am thankful that is wasn’t, I am deeply saddened by the losses that others experienced.
My sister worked at the World Trade Center, on one of the floors above where the planes hit. She was supposed to start work at 9am. She was late on 9/11. Just late enough to be alive. She would take the subway to work, and exit the stop before WTC. She would walk the last block to work. On 9/11 she exited the subway, as usual, and was greeted by the chaos that was occurring. The first plane had already flown into the first tower. She
made the decision to jump back on the subway, not thinking that the next stop was WTC. The doors opened up and she was there at what is now ground zero. She did not exit, but continued on to the next stop, where she did exit – just as the second plane hit the second tower. She ran for her life.
She lost co-workers and friends, but did not lose her life. And for this, I am eternally grateful.
On this date, I am remembering all those who lost their lives. Those at WTC, those at the Pentagon, those in Pennsylvania, and those in the military. I am grateful to all of those who serve our country, from the fire and police personnel who risk their lives to help others, to the military, who fight for the freedoms we sometimes take for granted.
Why am I going on and on about this? What does it have to do with fitness?
Sometimes we all need a little inspiration – something to push us a little harder. Today my inspiration is one of remembrance and gratefulness. When I workout today, I will do so for those who died on this date 8 years ago, and those who continue to fight for our freedoms. I remember.
So many people were impacted by what happened 8 years ago on this date. For me, it could have been so much worse. Every time 9/11 comes around, I think of how much worse it could have been. And while I am thankful that is wasn’t, I am deeply saddened by the losses that others experienced.
My sister worked at the World Trade Center, on one of the floors above where the planes hit. She was supposed to start work at 9am. She was late on 9/11. Just late enough to be alive. She would take the subway to work, and exit the stop before WTC. She would walk the last block to work. On 9/11 she exited the subway, as usual, and was greeted by the chaos that was occurring. The first plane had already flown into the first tower. She
made the decision to jump back on the subway, not thinking that the next stop was WTC. The doors opened up and she was there at what is now ground zero. She did not exit, but continued on to the next stop, where she did exit – just as the second plane hit the second tower. She ran for her life.She lost co-workers and friends, but did not lose her life. And for this, I am eternally grateful.
On this date, I am remembering all those who lost their lives. Those at WTC, those at the Pentagon, those in Pennsylvania, and those in the military. I am grateful to all of those who serve our country, from the fire and police personnel who risk their lives to help others, to the military, who fight for the freedoms we sometimes take for granted.
Why am I going on and on about this? What does it have to do with fitness?
Sometimes we all need a little inspiration – something to push us a little harder. Today my inspiration is one of remembrance and gratefulness. When I workout today, I will do so for those who died on this date 8 years ago, and those who continue to fight for our freedoms. I remember.
Monday, August 31, 2009
File This Under “What are They Thinking”
KFC, formerly known as Kentucky Fried Chicken, is testing a new concept sandwich, the Double Down. This fat infested, scale tipping, caloric packed sandwich contains only meat, bacon, cheese and the Colonel’s special sauce. Yes, you read correctly, no bun. The premise of this monstrosity is, “Why bother with the bun?” The Double Down replaces the traditional bun with two Original Recipe chicken fillets.
"It's such a meaty chicken sandwich, there's no room for a bun," Rick Maynard, a
KFC spokesman told Slashfood.
Yikes! What are they thinking? They must have determined that there was a market for this sandwich. Perhaps all of us Paleo/Zone or types, or maybe the Atkins-friendly types, who avoid the bun at all costs?? Now that is funny! I’m sure we will all be rushing out to purchase this fried concoction thinking, “WOW, a sandwich just for us!!!” Or perhaps it is just the convenience factor.
But seriously, this sandwich certainly is not healthy, although it is trying to give the appearance of being so. Why would people choose to put two fried chicken fillets, bacon, cheese and “special sauce” in their mouth? Do they really think that there is some nutritional value in choosing this sandwich? Food critic estimates are bringing the calorie count in at about 1200 calories, with KFC estimating the final count to be more around 600. The jury is still out, as nutritional information is not yet available.
But KFC is not the first to go overboard on a “what are they thinking” sandwich. Burger King has the Triple Whopper with Cheese, coming in at 1210 calories and 84g of fat. Their BK Quad Stacker, which you would think could be worse, actually comes in at 1010 calories and 70g of fat. I bet if you add the cheese, the BK Quad Stacker will top the Triple Whopper with Cheese!
Carl’s Jr. has two burgers, the Guacamole Bacon Six Dollar Burger and the Western bacon Six Dollar Burger, both topping 1000 calories each with 70 and 50 grams of fat respectively. Add on an order of Chili Cheese fries and you’re now looking at a 2000 calorie meal with over 100g of fat! If you think outside the sandwich box, Jack in the Box has milk shakes topping the 1000 calorie mark. Add that to your Carl’s Jr. burger and fries and you are in calorie and fat overload.
What are they all thinking? Obviously there is a market for convenience. But is the convenience of fast food worth the calories and fat, and the potential health risks? Are the fast food restaurants going overboard with unhealthy choices? How can consumers, or we as fitness fiends, make better choices while maintaining convenience? Is it possible?
What do you do when faced with the need for convenient food? Do you order directly off a fast food menu or do you modify your order? Do you avoid fast food at all costs or have you found good choices that provide healthy alternatives to the traditional fast food fare?
Post your thoughts to comments.
"It's such a meaty chicken sandwich, there's no room for a bun," Rick Maynard, a
KFC spokesman told Slashfood.
Yikes! What are they thinking? They must have determined that there was a market for this sandwich. Perhaps all of us Paleo/Zone or types, or maybe the Atkins-friendly types, who avoid the bun at all costs?? Now that is funny! I’m sure we will all be rushing out to purchase this fried concoction thinking, “WOW, a sandwich just for us!!!” Or perhaps it is just the convenience factor.
But seriously, this sandwich certainly is not healthy, although it is trying to give the appearance of being so. Why would people choose to put two fried chicken fillets, bacon, cheese and “special sauce” in their mouth? Do they really think that there is some nutritional value in choosing this sandwich? Food critic estimates are bringing the calorie count in at about 1200 calories, with KFC estimating the final count to be more around 600. The jury is still out, as nutritional information is not yet available.
But KFC is not the first to go overboard on a “what are they thinking” sandwich. Burger King has the Triple Whopper with Cheese, coming in at 1210 calories and 84g of fat. Their BK Quad Stacker, which you would think could be worse, actually comes in at 1010 calories and 70g of fat. I bet if you add the cheese, the BK Quad Stacker will top the Triple Whopper with Cheese!
Carl’s Jr. has two burgers, the Guacamole Bacon Six Dollar Burger and the Western bacon Six Dollar Burger, both topping 1000 calories each with 70 and 50 grams of fat respectively. Add on an order of Chili Cheese fries and you’re now looking at a 2000 calorie meal with over 100g of fat! If you think outside the sandwich box, Jack in the Box has milk shakes topping the 1000 calorie mark. Add that to your Carl’s Jr. burger and fries and you are in calorie and fat overload.
What are they all thinking? Obviously there is a market for convenience. But is the convenience of fast food worth the calories and fat, and the potential health risks? Are the fast food restaurants going overboard with unhealthy choices? How can consumers, or we as fitness fiends, make better choices while maintaining convenience? Is it possible?
What do you do when faced with the need for convenient food? Do you order directly off a fast food menu or do you modify your order? Do you avoid fast food at all costs or have you found good choices that provide healthy alternatives to the traditional fast food fare?
Post your thoughts to comments.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
My Kid Won’t Hug Me. She Says, “Your Stomach is Too Hard…”
WTF! “Your stomach is too hard…” Is that a compliment or an insult?
My kid said it, and then pulled away abruptly… as if injured. “Your stomach is too hard…” It hurt me… It is uncomfortable… It’s not soft, like… It’s not where I want to snuggle when I feel… It bruised me… Sure, I am exaggerating a bit, for drama… That’s what I got from the kid, drama.
But, is my stomach supposed to be soft? Should it feel like a pillow?? A warm snuggly stuffed animal?? Or maybe it should be squishy and rubbery, like Jell-O? WTF! Is it supposed to be soft?!?
I train hard. I don’t want my stomach to be soft. It should not hang over the top of my jeans – I don’t want a muffin top!!! WTF! Is this what we are supposed to be like? A bunch of squishy-stomached, muffin-topped women and men providing soft places for our kids to bury themselves??? WTF!
I work out hard. I don’t want my stomach to be soft. It needs to be hard, strong, and support the work required of it. And if it is uncomfortable, then I must be doing a good job. If it is uncomfortable, I am not sorry. And, if it is uncomfortable, I will take that as a compliment. Thank you very much!
What would you think??? Post to comments.
My kid said it, and then pulled away abruptly… as if injured. “Your stomach is too hard…” It hurt me… It is uncomfortable… It’s not soft, like… It’s not where I want to snuggle when I feel… It bruised me… Sure, I am exaggerating a bit, for drama… That’s what I got from the kid, drama.
But, is my stomach supposed to be soft? Should it feel like a pillow?? A warm snuggly stuffed animal?? Or maybe it should be squishy and rubbery, like Jell-O? WTF! Is it supposed to be soft?!?
I train hard. I don’t want my stomach to be soft. It should not hang over the top of my jeans – I don’t want a muffin top!!! WTF! Is this what we are supposed to be like? A bunch of squishy-stomached, muffin-topped women and men providing soft places for our kids to bury themselves??? WTF!
I work out hard. I don’t want my stomach to be soft. It needs to be hard, strong, and support the work required of it. And if it is uncomfortable, then I must be doing a good job. If it is uncomfortable, I am not sorry. And, if it is uncomfortable, I will take that as a compliment. Thank you very much!
What would you think??? Post to comments.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Going After the Big Dog
I enter each workout with a certain expectation. The expectation that I should be able to do as much, or a little more, than I previously did. A little more weight, a slightly faster time, better form, etc. I compete with myself, trying to outdo myself.
I have never thought of tying to do better than those I workout with. I’ve never thought of my workout as a competition between me and those I workout with. I have always competed against myself. And because I am highly motivated, I have been a good competitor for myself. But could I have been a better competitor?
What if, instead of competing against myself, I competed against the big dog during the workout. The one person who is pushing max reps, or big weight, or has spectacular form. What if that big dog was right next to me, and instead of thinking that I could never do what they are doing -- that all I need to do is better than I did previously… What if I thought that I needed to do better than the big dog? That I needed to do more weight, I needed a faster time, I needed better form, because the big dog next to me was going to kick some CrossFit ass, and I needed to beat them to it. Would that light my competitive fire and push my abilities through the “better-than-my-previous-time” ceiling? My guess is that my competitive fire would become a firestorm, and I could do more than I ever would have expected, and blow my PRs out of the water.
So the big dogs better watch out. Because I am not going after my previous weights or times – I’m going after them. And I am going to fight for every pound, every rep and every second.
Patrick Cummings talks about this in After the Gun, a post on Again Faster. Read it and get some fire.
I have never thought of tying to do better than those I workout with. I’ve never thought of my workout as a competition between me and those I workout with. I have always competed against myself. And because I am highly motivated, I have been a good competitor for myself. But could I have been a better competitor?
What if, instead of competing against myself, I competed against the big dog during the workout. The one person who is pushing max reps, or big weight, or has spectacular form. What if that big dog was right next to me, and instead of thinking that I could never do what they are doing -- that all I need to do is better than I did previously… What if I thought that I needed to do better than the big dog? That I needed to do more weight, I needed a faster time, I needed better form, because the big dog next to me was going to kick some CrossFit ass, and I needed to beat them to it. Would that light my competitive fire and push my abilities through the “better-than-my-previous-time” ceiling? My guess is that my competitive fire would become a firestorm, and I could do more than I ever would have expected, and blow my PRs out of the water.
So the big dogs better watch out. Because I am not going after my previous weights or times – I’m going after them. And I am going to fight for every pound, every rep and every second.
Patrick Cummings talks about this in After the Gun, a post on Again Faster. Read it and get some fire.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Broken, But Not Broken Down
How do you handle a workout, or a situation for that matter, that is more than you expected? More difficult? More mentally challenging? More painful? Do you get angry? Frustrated? Overwhelmed? More importantly, how do you handle yourself afterwards? Do you walk away, never to return? Do you feel shameful? Do you quit?
We are all challenged with workouts that push us to our limits – to our breaking points – to the point where we feel… broken. We go through the gamut of emotions – anger, frustration, embarrassment, shame, maybe even loss and sorrow. But how do you handle your emotions? Or maybe the better question is, do you handle your emotions or do your emotions handle you?
Everyone has a choice. You have a choice, I have a choice, and we all have choices. And we determine or choose how we handle our emotions during that workout that is more than we expected -- during that moment in time. We also choose how we handle our emotions after that workout. So the workout can break you, or me, or us, but did the workout break us down??? That is our choice. Our decision.
Last Friday’s workout broke me. It was a reality check of the most “in your face” type. “Stand up Linda” broke me. But she did not break me down.
Reality… I was not able to do prescribed weights. My hands were torn. I DID NOT FINISH. I have never not finished a workout. I was frustrated. I was upset. I was embarrassed. I was shamed. I was broken. But I could not walk away, and I could not quit. Because amidst all those emotions, I made a choice to not be broken down. “Stand up Linda” broke me. But she did not break me down.
Reality… It was one workout, one day, one moment in time. And one day I will meet “Stand up Linda” again, and I will be able to do more weight, I will not tear my hands, and I WILL FINISH. I will one day get LINDA off my back! And I will be stronger for it. I am not broken down.
Thanks to CrossFit Phoenix for pushing me to my limit so that I could see what could be possible. Looking forward to the next time that chick “Linda” comes knocking.
"Stand up Linda"
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
1.5x bodyweight deadlift
3/4 bodyweight push press
3/4 bodyweight squat clean
We are all challenged with workouts that push us to our limits – to our breaking points – to the point where we feel… broken. We go through the gamut of emotions – anger, frustration, embarrassment, shame, maybe even loss and sorrow. But how do you handle your emotions? Or maybe the better question is, do you handle your emotions or do your emotions handle you?
Everyone has a choice. You have a choice, I have a choice, and we all have choices. And we determine or choose how we handle our emotions during that workout that is more than we expected -- during that moment in time. We also choose how we handle our emotions after that workout. So the workout can break you, or me, or us, but did the workout break us down??? That is our choice. Our decision.
Last Friday’s workout broke me. It was a reality check of the most “in your face” type. “Stand up Linda” broke me. But she did not break me down.
Reality… I was not able to do prescribed weights. My hands were torn. I DID NOT FINISH. I have never not finished a workout. I was frustrated. I was upset. I was embarrassed. I was shamed. I was broken. But I could not walk away, and I could not quit. Because amidst all those emotions, I made a choice to not be broken down. “Stand up Linda” broke me. But she did not break me down.
Reality… It was one workout, one day, one moment in time. And one day I will meet “Stand up Linda” again, and I will be able to do more weight, I will not tear my hands, and I WILL FINISH. I will one day get LINDA off my back! And I will be stronger for it. I am not broken down.
Thanks to CrossFit Phoenix for pushing me to my limit so that I could see what could be possible. Looking forward to the next time that chick “Linda” comes knocking.
"Stand up Linda"
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of:
1.5x bodyweight deadlift
3/4 bodyweight push press
3/4 bodyweight squat clean
Friday, August 7, 2009
Good Enough
I once had someone ask me if they thought that what they just finished doing was "good enough". Not "is it good", but, "is it good enough". At first I thought, "I guess so". Who am I to say whether or not something that someone else does is good enough. But the more I thought about it, the more it bothered me.
What exactly is "good enough"? Is it really not good, but most people wouldn't notice? Do you justify "good enough" by coming up with excuses as to why it wasn't good? Maybe it was the last set, or the last rep, and you're really tired. Or maybe your trying to keep up with others, so you're cutting corners. Or maybe no one is looking, so you can get away with it. Are you selling yourself short by achieving "good enough"? Is "good enough" an achievement????
Here are a few more perspectives. If a mechanic is working on a car, and struggling to get a lug nut tightened on the wheel. He gives in to what he thinks is "good enough". The owner of the car picks it up and drives off. Later that day the car is involved in an accident because the tire came loose. Was it "good enough"? If an electrician cuts corners to save time and money and thinks the job was "good enough", but a week later an electrical fire burns down the house. Was it "good enough"? Will "good enough" keep you safe?
In the gym, if the guy lifting weights is going for a new PR on a back squat, and he is not squatting as low as he should. He gets his PR, but would have not been able to get it if he had done the squat properly. Was it "good enough"? Or the gymnast who is attempting the vault in the Olympic games. He does a tremendous vault, but doesn't quite stick the landing. Was it "good enough"? Will it be "good enough" to win?
All or Nothing
Reality... "Good enough" is nothing, "all" is your best. If you are giving something your best, you are giving your "all" -- 110%. It is impossible to give something your "all" and be "good enough". Your "all" is way more than "good enough".
Reality... Is your "best" your "all"? Or is your "best" only "good enough"??? If you have to ask the question, "Was that good enough?", then it probably wasn't.
So here are some equations -- to make it simple:
"Good enough" = nothing
"Good enough" = you could have done more/better/been safer
"All" = best
"best" = no regrets
On Perfection
Do you need to strive for perfection? Does giving your "all" mean you must be perfect?? No -- perfection may not be "good enough". But you do need to give your "all". And only when you give your "all", will you know, absolutely, positively, without doubt, that you have done your best. And you will never question whether or not it was "good enough".
What exactly is "good enough"? Is it really not good, but most people wouldn't notice? Do you justify "good enough" by coming up with excuses as to why it wasn't good? Maybe it was the last set, or the last rep, and you're really tired. Or maybe your trying to keep up with others, so you're cutting corners. Or maybe no one is looking, so you can get away with it. Are you selling yourself short by achieving "good enough"? Is "good enough" an achievement????
Here are a few more perspectives. If a mechanic is working on a car, and struggling to get a lug nut tightened on the wheel. He gives in to what he thinks is "good enough". The owner of the car picks it up and drives off. Later that day the car is involved in an accident because the tire came loose. Was it "good enough"? If an electrician cuts corners to save time and money and thinks the job was "good enough", but a week later an electrical fire burns down the house. Was it "good enough"? Will "good enough" keep you safe?
In the gym, if the guy lifting weights is going for a new PR on a back squat, and he is not squatting as low as he should. He gets his PR, but would have not been able to get it if he had done the squat properly. Was it "good enough"? Or the gymnast who is attempting the vault in the Olympic games. He does a tremendous vault, but doesn't quite stick the landing. Was it "good enough"? Will it be "good enough" to win?
All or Nothing
Reality... "Good enough" is nothing, "all" is your best. If you are giving something your best, you are giving your "all" -- 110%. It is impossible to give something your "all" and be "good enough". Your "all" is way more than "good enough".
Reality... Is your "best" your "all"? Or is your "best" only "good enough"??? If you have to ask the question, "Was that good enough?", then it probably wasn't.
So here are some equations -- to make it simple:
"Good enough" = nothing
"Good enough" = you could have done more/better/been safer
"All" = best
"best" = no regrets
On Perfection
Do you need to strive for perfection? Does giving your "all" mean you must be perfect?? No -- perfection may not be "good enough". But you do need to give your "all". And only when you give your "all", will you know, absolutely, positively, without doubt, that you have done your best. And you will never question whether or not it was "good enough".
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Running the Ragnar Relay del Sol
Some time ago, my friend Jill asked me to join her running team for the Ragnar Relay. Knowing nothing about the race, I looked it up and found out the following:
Our team, We’ve Got the Runs, was team #93. We started at 8am. Team start times were staged based on runners’ ability level. We were considered a novice team (12 people, not very experienced). Ultra teams were formed with only six and had the pleasure of running double the distance per person than the novices. The ultras had my admiration. I really don’t know how anyone could run double legs in the race.
I thought this leg would be a piece of cake, “it’s only 2.2 miles – that’s easy”. About a mile into the run the heat was beating me down. At 2 miles I was looking for the next exchange, wondering where it was. I kept wondering why I was now running further than 2.2 miles. I finally came around a corner and saw the exchange at 3 miles. The leg I thought would be the easiest was the most difficult. The shortest run became the most difficult to complete. I was challenged both physically and mentally as I kept pushing on to the next exchange. I was ecstatic when I finally handed off to Jill.
Jill’s leg was the most difficult. She ran on Beeline Highway and we had a very hard time supporting her throughout the run. It was hot, the cars were racing by, and the bugs were thick. There was plenty of road kill, and not enough sun screen. Jill handed off to Jodi and it was at this point that we discovered that we could take a towel and put it in our cooler of ice and give the wet, ice cold towel to our runner. Jodi, Alisa and Michael all were fortunate enough to have an ice cold soaked towel during parts of their run.
At the finish line, Michael was going to bring us in. We parked and Van 1 joined us. Then together we all walked up to the finish line to wait for Michael. Our plan was to all run to the finish as a team, and cross at the same time. Michael came running in and we followed behind him. We ran the last 100 yards together, cheering the entire way. Our team of 12 crossed the finish line, received our medals, and gave each other high-fives. This was truly an accomplishment, something that we all experienced and completed together.
People ask me what it was like, how would I describe the experience. My response has been that it felt like a three day road trip that lasted only 33 hours. You run a little, then rest a little, all of it taking about 11 hours each round, or “day”. You spend the entire time with people that you may or may not know, however, over the course of the run, you really get to know each other well, maybe too well in some cases. You share in each other’s triumphs and struggles, and you learn not to sweat the small things, and find joy in the littlest of successes.
In my 12 person team I only knew one person at the beginning of the race. Over the course of 33 hours I was fortunate enough to know the five others I shared the drive with very well.
Count me in for the next Ragnar Relay – February 26-27, 2010!
You and 11 of your closest friends running day and night, relay-style, through some of the most scenic terrain North America could muster. Add in live bands, inside jokes and a mild case of sleep deprivation. The result? Some call it a slumber party without sleep, pillows or deodorant. We call it a Ragnar Relay…
I quickly, and easily, said “No thanks Jill, it’s not my cup of tea.”
I’m not a committed runner. I started running in January of 2008. My goal was to participate in Emma’s Run, a 5K race taking place in Anthem. I had no intention to continue running after Emma’s Run, but I found out I enjoyed the metabolism boost running provided, especially after performing high-intensity workouts. So I kept running as part of my fitness routine. Short runs… That still did not make me a committed runner.
A couple of months later, Jill asked me again to join her Ragnar Relay team. Someone had dropped out and they needed another runner. Again my answer was “no, I am not a runner”. A few weeks later the question came again, with the same answer, and a few weeks later and one more time I said no.
Maybe Jill caught me on a good day when I finally said “Yes”. Maybe I was tired of getting asked. Maybe I didn’t think it would ever really happen. I don’t really remember. All I know is that one day, in the Fall of 2008, I committed to being on Jill’s team.
The Ragnar Relay Del Sol
Now that I was committed, I needed more information. What was it about? How did it work? What should I expect??? The Ragnar website gave me more information:
“It's really quite simple. Get a bunch of friends together (or we can help you find team members who'll quickly become your friends) and start running. Okay, there's a little more to it. Your relay team will consist of 12 members. During the relay, each team member runs three legs, each leg ranging between 3 - 8 miles and varying in difficulty. So, from the elite runner down to the novice jogger, it's the perfect relay race for anyone.
Each team is responsible for providing two support vehicles, with six runners in each
vehicle. The first vehicle will drop off the first runner, drive ahead a few miles, cheer the runner on, and provide them with water, snacks, and plenty of love. That vehicle will then drive ahead to the first exchange point to drop off the second runner, and pick up the first runner when that leg is complete. They will repeat this pattern for six legs until they hand off to their second vehicle. This leapfrogging pattern will continue all the way to the finish line.”
Our twelve person team split into two groups of six; one group in each vehicle. Many of the teams decorated their vehicles and all had some sort of writing or slogan on the
m. During the race there were five people in the van while one person ran. It was the team’s responsibility to support the runner. The people in the vehicle had to provide water, snacks, and lots of good cheer for each runner.
Our team, We’ve Got the Runs, was team #93. We started at 8am. Team start times were staged based on runners’ ability level. We were considered a novice team (12 people, not very experienced). Ultra teams were formed with only six and had the pleasure of running double the distance per person than the novices. The ultras had my admiration. I really don’t know how anyone could run double legs in the race.
The Ragnar Relay del Sol’s 202.1 mile course began at Prescott, AZ and finished in Mesa, AZ. It wound down 2-lane highways, secondary roads, dirt roads, and across freeways. There were times when there was no cell phone service, and times when there were so many cars in the way that runners had to use crosswalks and signals in order to cross. There were times when the only thing you saw was a cow in a field, and other times that cars sped by so quickly you wondered if you’d end up road kill. And there were also times that were serene, but surreal – where the only things you could see were illuminated 10 feet in front of you by a headlamp, or the distant city lights and stars miles away.
The Race
Van 1 started the race in Prescott, AZ on February 27 at 8am. It was 40 degrees and 5000 feet in elevation. Runners 1-6 took their first runs and ended in Kirkland, at 3500 feet. My vehicle, Van 2, picked up the charge around 12:30pm in Kirkland. Our initial leg was 39 miles, I was responsible for 5.5 miles.
Van 2’s running legs were broken down as follows:
The degree of difficulty was determined by the length and elevation change of the route. The longer the route and the more hills increased the level of difficulty.
My first leg had several hills, and was a moderate length. The team was fresh, our legs were strong, and our energy level was high, with adrenaline flowing from the excitement. We each seemed to run our legs quickly. We supported each other with water, spray bottles and lots of cheering. As Michael took over on the last leg of this set of runs, night started to set in. Michael was our first runner to break out after dark running with a headlamp, reflective vest, and back light, which were required in order to run at night, or we would face disqualification. We handed off to Van 1 around 7:30 pm, after being on the road for 7 hours and 39 miles.
Van 1 ran for the next 34 miles. While they were running, we rested at a little elementary school in Morristown, just east of Wickenburg. The school fed us spaghetti, and we rolled out sleeping bags on the multipurpose room floor and tried to get a few hours of rest. At 12am we received the call that Van 1’s last runner had just hit the pavement and they would be at the school around 12:30. We got up, packed our gear and prepared for the night run.
Van 1 handed off to us in Morristown around 12:30am on February 28. We were scheduled to run the rest of the night and hand back off to Van 1 around 8:30am. Our second leg was 42 miles, of which I was responsible for 8.8 miles. The Van 2 runners and legs were broken down as follows:
The second leg was the one that worried me the most. It was dark out, the route was very long and was mostly up a slight hill on Carefree Highway, just west of Lake Pleasant. I started this leg exhausted, but finished feeling terrific. The run in the middle of the night brought me a certain amount of focus that I have never achieved. The road in front of me was only illuminated by my headlamp. All I saw was what was right in front of me or the city lights and stars off in the distance. The van leapfrogged me, so I was never alone, and I occasionally saw other runners. It was cool, but not unbearably cold. The leg that I feared the most turned out to be my favorite, the experience that I now compare all runs to.
The van support continued through the night. We were exhausted from not sleeping, and also cold. There was a time in the middle of the night when we were all bundled u
p in the back of the vehicle trying to stay warm, trying to rest, and trying not to come unglued. Every time we came up to our runner Tara would roll down the window and yell “Woohoo!!!” This became our mantra. No matter how tired we were, we could at least get out a slap-happy, semi-conscious, “Woohoo!” Ironically, the runners didn’t hear most of the “Woohoos!!” because we all wore headphones as we ran. We handed off to Van 1 around 8:30 am on February 28 after 8 hours, 42 miles and dozens of “Woohoos!!”.
Van 1 had the run for the next 33 miles. As they ran, we rested, this time at someone’s house. We had spaghetti for breakfast, and it really hit the spot We took showers, some of us slept, some tried to sleep, and some soaked feet and just relaxed. At 11:30am we got ready to head out for our last leg of the relay. We drove about an hour, leaving most of our belongings at the rest house knowing that we would be back to pick them up and head home. The vehicle had more room, yet it seemed more crowded as we sprawled into each other’s “space”.
We arrived in Fountain Hills early and used the time to stock up on sun screen and coffee at the local market. The temperature was considerably warmer, about 85 degrees and there was not much of a breeze. This was not going to be an easy set of legs. For most of our runners, the third leg was a shorter leg. For one, it was the longest. We were tired, hot and felt the need for a miracle.
Van 1 handed off to us in Fountain Hills around 1:00pm on February 28. It was our job to finish the race. The final leg was 24 miles. I was responsible for a short 2.9 miles, however, I thought I was only running 2.2 miles. My distance changed and I didn’t know. Van 2’s individual legs were broken down as follows:
I thought this leg would be a piece of cake, “it’s only 2.2 miles – that’s easy”. About a mile into the run the heat was beating me down. At 2 miles I was looking for the next exchange, wondering where it was. I kept wondering why I was now running further than 2.2 miles. I finally came around a corner and saw the exchange at 3 miles. The leg I thought would be the easiest was the most difficult. The shortest run became the most difficult to complete. I was challenged both physically and mentally as I kept pushing on to the next exchange. I was ecstatic when I finally handed off to Jill.Jill’s leg was the most difficult. She ran on Beeline Highway and we had a very hard time supporting her throughout the run. It was hot, the cars were racing by, and the bugs were thick. There was plenty of road kill, and not enough sun screen. Jill handed off to Jodi and it was at this point that we discovered that we could take a towel and put it in our cooler of ice and give the wet, ice cold towel to our runner. Jodi, Alisa and Michael all were fortunate enough to have an ice cold soaked towel during parts of their run.
At the finish line, Michael was going to bring us in. We parked and Van 1 joined us. Then together we all walked up to the finish line to wait for Michael. Our plan was to all run to the finish as a team, and cross at the same time. Michael came running in and we followed behind him. We ran the last 100 yards together, cheering the entire way. Our team of 12 crossed the finish line, received our medals, and gave each other high-fives. This was truly an accomplishment, something that we all experienced and completed together.
People ask me what it was like, how would I describe the experience. My response has been that it felt like a three day road trip that lasted only 33 hours. You run a little, then rest a little, all of it taking about 11 hours each round, or “day”. You spend the entire time with people that you may or may not know, however, over the course of the run, you really get to know each other well, maybe too well in some cases. You share in each other’s triumphs and struggles, and you learn not to sweat the small things, and find joy in the littlest of successes.
In my 12 person team I only knew one person at the beginning of the race. Over the course of 33 hours I was fortunate enough to know the five others I shared the drive with very well.
Count me in for the next Ragnar Relay – February 26-27, 2010!
Lauriel Luther is a certified group fitness instructor at Anthem Golf & Country Club and Level 1 CrossFit instructor.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
The Lion's Ovation
As a society, are we beginning to look at fitness differently? Or is only those who train CrossFit? Does O-lifting have to be in a gym, with proper form and attire? Or does it really only matter that the weight is successfully taken from the ground to an overhead position? Is it tradition? Safety? Or is it true power?
Read below and let me know your thoughts. Special thanks to AgainFaster and Jon Gilson for always posting something inspirational. The Lion's Ovation is from them.
The Lion's Ovation
There is no wooden platform. Only rolled rubber, stretched over a concrete pad and coated with the thin, obnoxious dust of the Aromas desert.
Luminaries with red and white lights are replaced by blue-clad Judges, some qualified, some not, all with hands held high.
The contenders eschew the singlet fashion of the sport; their wooden-soled shoes the only vestige of traditional Olympic weightlifting garb.
Dead silence is a joke, drowned out by a fierce, screaming crowd and the hate music rocketing from the speakers.
The California sun slow cooks the barbells, each resting against a log marked with a number that has no bearing on the task at hand.
Ten minutes. A stack of plates. Power snatch or squat snatch, split or not. Rip it up smoothly, press it out ugly, it doesn’t matter. Just get it over your head. Max load wins.
“Go!” slams out of the P.A., and the barbells flash. There are beautiful lifts, and ugly lifts, competitors digging, catching loads that should succumb to gravity, standing to the lion’s ovation, the roar of myriad spectators who know the feeling but not the arena.
They sense revolution. There is no polite clapping. This is gladiatorial fervor, surging crowd thumbs down, kill it now.
There is no need to visit the scorers’ table. The athletes witness the competition in real time, those who would have them slashed from the Games with superior lifts pooling sweat at their feet and crying triumph with each successful lift.
This is not a USA Weightlifting event. It is the future. Hundreds of eyes fixed on a stadium littered with lifters, not one paying attention to protocol or differentially waiting their turn to lift, none worried if they’ll follow themselves on the next lift—it’s guaranteed that they will.
There are no games to play, no strategy, no energy saved for lifts two and three. They lift until they fail, and then they lift again.
The traditional throng, baited breath in a fluorescent-washed gymnasium, is replaced with the vanguard of training, hundreds of valkyries sucking dirt and spitting fire, CrossFitters who recognize that work done is work done. They know that fitness is not measured in an instant but a series of instants, an endless thread of pain and resolve, held together with the glue of pride and the threat of failure.
It isn’t just spectator friendly. It’s an orgy of entertainment, created by a single rule: Stand It Up. Dumped barbells carom back toward the lifters, thrown unto the duplicitous curbs at their feet, giving a feeling of impending catastrophe and snap-focusing the risk of athletic pursuit.
There are those who would witness such a spectacle and bellow foul. This, they would say, is not weightlifting. This is an abomination.
They would be right, and for every wrong reason. We are no longer playing the same game, and just as you cannot call out baseball for cricket or black for white, you cannot call this a mangled weightlifting meet.
Instead, it is an evolution, a different creature, borne of the need to adapt. Until now, weightlifting was dying, its punctured lungs aspirating and collapsing. With a single hour on a sunburned farm, it now it stands ready, the province of Red Bull sponsorships and worshipful ten-year olds, where the best aren’t strong once an hour, but a dozen times in ten minutes, their fitness defined not in one sphere but in many.
There will be a fight, but it will not last long. First, the purists will laugh at the rules and the form, declaring that we couldn’t possibly succeed with such a preposterous format. As the loads increase, they’ll start with the ‘dangerous’, and as the crowds swell to fill the Rose Bowl, they’ll seek sanction and injunction.
In the end, the resistance won’t matter, because superiority survives on its own merit, because this is the future, wood and spandex be damned.
Welcome to a new epoch of weightlifting. Watch the bounce.
Read below and let me know your thoughts. Special thanks to AgainFaster and Jon Gilson for always posting something inspirational. The Lion's Ovation is from them.
The Lion's Ovation
There is no wooden platform. Only rolled rubber, stretched over a concrete pad and coated with the thin, obnoxious dust of the Aromas desert.
Luminaries with red and white lights are replaced by blue-clad Judges, some qualified, some not, all with hands held high.
The contenders eschew the singlet fashion of the sport; their wooden-soled shoes the only vestige of traditional Olympic weightlifting garb.
Dead silence is a joke, drowned out by a fierce, screaming crowd and the hate music rocketing from the speakers.
The California sun slow cooks the barbells, each resting against a log marked with a number that has no bearing on the task at hand.
Ten minutes. A stack of plates. Power snatch or squat snatch, split or not. Rip it up smoothly, press it out ugly, it doesn’t matter. Just get it over your head. Max load wins.
“Go!” slams out of the P.A., and the barbells flash. There are beautiful lifts, and ugly lifts, competitors digging, catching loads that should succumb to gravity, standing to the lion’s ovation, the roar of myriad spectators who know the feeling but not the arena.
They sense revolution. There is no polite clapping. This is gladiatorial fervor, surging crowd thumbs down, kill it now.
There is no need to visit the scorers’ table. The athletes witness the competition in real time, those who would have them slashed from the Games with superior lifts pooling sweat at their feet and crying triumph with each successful lift.
This is not a USA Weightlifting event. It is the future. Hundreds of eyes fixed on a stadium littered with lifters, not one paying attention to protocol or differentially waiting their turn to lift, none worried if they’ll follow themselves on the next lift—it’s guaranteed that they will.
There are no games to play, no strategy, no energy saved for lifts two and three. They lift until they fail, and then they lift again.
The traditional throng, baited breath in a fluorescent-washed gymnasium, is replaced with the vanguard of training, hundreds of valkyries sucking dirt and spitting fire, CrossFitters who recognize that work done is work done. They know that fitness is not measured in an instant but a series of instants, an endless thread of pain and resolve, held together with the glue of pride and the threat of failure.
It isn’t just spectator friendly. It’s an orgy of entertainment, created by a single rule: Stand It Up. Dumped barbells carom back toward the lifters, thrown unto the duplicitous curbs at their feet, giving a feeling of impending catastrophe and snap-focusing the risk of athletic pursuit.
There are those who would witness such a spectacle and bellow foul. This, they would say, is not weightlifting. This is an abomination.
They would be right, and for every wrong reason. We are no longer playing the same game, and just as you cannot call out baseball for cricket or black for white, you cannot call this a mangled weightlifting meet.
Instead, it is an evolution, a different creature, borne of the need to adapt. Until now, weightlifting was dying, its punctured lungs aspirating and collapsing. With a single hour on a sunburned farm, it now it stands ready, the province of Red Bull sponsorships and worshipful ten-year olds, where the best aren’t strong once an hour, but a dozen times in ten minutes, their fitness defined not in one sphere but in many.
There will be a fight, but it will not last long. First, the purists will laugh at the rules and the form, declaring that we couldn’t possibly succeed with such a preposterous format. As the loads increase, they’ll start with the ‘dangerous’, and as the crowds swell to fill the Rose Bowl, they’ll seek sanction and injunction.
In the end, the resistance won’t matter, because superiority survives on its own merit, because this is the future, wood and spandex be damned.
Welcome to a new epoch of weightlifting. Watch the bounce.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Workout Motivation?
What motivates you to try harder during a workout? To push yourself when you don't think you can go any further? To do that one more minute, one more round, one more rep?
Is it mind over matter when physical exhaustion sets in? Does the workout go from a physical one to a mental one? Sometimes that is all it takes -- the mind to take over and push for that last minute, that last rep. If the mind can make the body continue, how much longer could you continue? Could you continue until the muscles fail when the mind tells them to work? When they fail, could they rest for a brief moment, and could the mind tell them to work again, and would they respond? The mind is a powerful thing -- can you condition your mind to help you achieve better results? THINK about it.
Is it peer pressure? When you are working out with others, do you feel the need to continue, even when your body tells you otherwise? Seeing others continue, in the face of similar obstacles, can motivate you to continue, to do what they may do effortlessly. When they get that one more round, it motivates you to get it too, to keep up. We always want to keep up, compare our efforts to others, whether it is weights, reps, time, etc. Working out with others makes that comparison easier. The results are real-time, instantaneous.
What motivates you?
Is in an internal desire to be the best? Do you want to win? Be successful? Do you find inner satisfaction knowing that you did your best? That feeling of, "I did it, excellently". It's that internal flame of achievement that tells you to do the best, be the best, be or do better than last time. It is more than the sense of accomplishment, although accomplishment is achieved. It is the sense of satisfaction or success when you know you have done what you set out to do. You set a goal for yourself, and surpassed that goal. You continually raise the bar on your goals so that you can be better. In your mind, you must continually reach that ever-raising bar, and in doing so, you are satisfied.
Is it a survival instinct? The natural instinct to persevere against all obstacles, animalistic, primal. You may not even know that it is happening -- it just happens. Something is keeping your body going when everything says to stop. Something intrinsic only in nature. People have been able to survive when facing unbelievable obstacles -- deathly experiences. They survive. How?? Has a workout ever been so difficult, that it became survival? Or did it really just feel that way??
What motivates you???
Is it mind over matter when physical exhaustion sets in? Does the workout go from a physical one to a mental one? Sometimes that is all it takes -- the mind to take over and push for that last minute, that last rep. If the mind can make the body continue, how much longer could you continue? Could you continue until the muscles fail when the mind tells them to work? When they fail, could they rest for a brief moment, and could the mind tell them to work again, and would they respond? The mind is a powerful thing -- can you condition your mind to help you achieve better results? THINK about it.
Is it peer pressure? When you are working out with others, do you feel the need to continue, even when your body tells you otherwise? Seeing others continue, in the face of similar obstacles, can motivate you to continue, to do what they may do effortlessly. When they get that one more round, it motivates you to get it too, to keep up. We always want to keep up, compare our efforts to others, whether it is weights, reps, time, etc. Working out with others makes that comparison easier. The results are real-time, instantaneous.
What motivates you?
Is in an internal desire to be the best? Do you want to win? Be successful? Do you find inner satisfaction knowing that you did your best? That feeling of, "I did it, excellently". It's that internal flame of achievement that tells you to do the best, be the best, be or do better than last time. It is more than the sense of accomplishment, although accomplishment is achieved. It is the sense of satisfaction or success when you know you have done what you set out to do. You set a goal for yourself, and surpassed that goal. You continually raise the bar on your goals so that you can be better. In your mind, you must continually reach that ever-raising bar, and in doing so, you are satisfied.
Is it a survival instinct? The natural instinct to persevere against all obstacles, animalistic, primal. You may not even know that it is happening -- it just happens. Something is keeping your body going when everything says to stop. Something intrinsic only in nature. People have been able to survive when facing unbelievable obstacles -- deathly experiences. They survive. How?? Has a workout ever been so difficult, that it became survival? Or did it really just feel that way??
What motivates you???
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Paleo - Week 6 and Counting
So, it's been about 6 weeks since I started the Paleo diet. Also known as the caveman diet. Eating like the cavemen did. Lean meats, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fruit. All broken down to essential proteins, carbs and fat. No starch, no sugar, no legumes, no grains. That means no pasta, no bread, no deserts, no beans, no peanuts, no cereal, no sodas. If it is processed, the cavemen didn't eat it. If it needs to be processed to be eaten, the cavemen didn't eat it.
There have been several noticeable changes:
There have been several noticeable changes:
- Energy level - Prior to starting to eat Paleo I was going to sleep around 9pm, sometimes earlier, if you can believe it. but my day starts just before 5am, and some days even earlier. So 9pm was reasonable. Paleo has given me more energy to stay awake longer. I now find that I am up until 10 to 11pm, sometimes making myself go to sleep because the next day will be starting soon.
- Energy level part 2 - I have noticed an increase in my energy levels during my workouts. My ability to continue when previously I may have slowed down to a little rest. My ability to recover more quickly after the workout.
- Weight loss - while I wasn't looking for weight loss, I have lost quite a bit of weight. The other day I was told I was "lean". That word has never been used to describe me. Lean. My body is using my fat stores to produce energy to make more muscle. The muscle is more visible due to the elimination of the layer(s) of fat. Nice.
- Health - I have not even come close to getting sick, catching a cold, having a runny nose, etc. But that doesn't necessarily mean that the Paleo diet has made this happen, it could just be a coincidence. But I have never felt healthier.
- Strength - A combination of diet and exercise has made me stronger. I can't say that it is only the diet, because I have also been training. But I have been eating appropriately for the level of training I am doing. I am using the proteins, carbs and fat that I am eating, when I need it, and as I need it.
- Attitude - Because I feel great, my attitude has been great. I have been very even tempered, not fluctuating in mood as much as previously. This has been a great side benefit for my family.
- Because I am eating better, my family is eating better. I don't know if they notice changes as I do. They are only eating the foods I feed them, when we eat as a family. They still eat grains and sugars, and other non-Paleo foods. But maybe one day i can get the to come around. Right...
Paleo resources:
- Loren Cordain - The Paleo Diet
- Robb Wolf
- Basic shopping list
A friend and her daughter just started a couple of weeks ago. they are starting to see changes already.
How about it? Interested in learning more? Perhaps starting?? Go for it, it's easier than you think.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Rough Hands
My hands are rough. There was a time they were soft and smooth, but not any longer. At one time in my life, people told me that I could be a hand model. But not any longer... At one time, my hands were almost graceful, beautiful. But not any longer...
My hands are rough. I use them daily, in ways most people don't. I train, I lift weights, I hold heavy objects. The knurling of the Olympic bars has caused calluses to form, tear, and reform. The work I do on the pull up bar has caused calluses to form, tear, and reform. I sand the calluses down, but they still tear and reform. And they hurt sometimes. And they bleed sometimes. But I continue... Because I need the calluses to be strong -- I need my hands to be strong.
My hands are rough. I train hard and my hands pay the price. My hands are strong, they do what I ask them to do -- what most people can't do. My hands are constantly remodeling, losing calluses and forming new ones -- their own artistic performance, one blister, one tear, one callus at a time. My hands are beautiful.
My hands are rough. I use them daily, in ways most people don't. I train, I lift weights, I hold heavy objects. The knurling of the Olympic bars has caused calluses to form, tear, and reform. The work I do on the pull up bar has caused calluses to form, tear, and reform. I sand the calluses down, but they still tear and reform. And they hurt sometimes. And they bleed sometimes. But I continue... Because I need the calluses to be strong -- I need my hands to be strong.
My hands are rough. I train hard and my hands pay the price. My hands are strong, they do what I ask them to do -- what most people can't do. My hands are constantly remodeling, losing calluses and forming new ones -- their own artistic performance, one blister, one tear, one callus at a time. My hands are beautiful.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Crossover Benefits of CrossFit
I haven't run in 2 weeks. I take that back, I haven't done a long run in 2 weeks. I've done a couple short, 1/4 mile runs, as part of CrossFit workouts. But not a long run. The past 2 weeks have been spent CrossFitting and strength training.
Today I ran 5k in 27:38. My best 5k time is 26:48 -- during a race. I nearly hit my race time PR. Considering that I haven't really ran in 2 weeks, I was quite surprised by the time. I expected to be slow, miserably slow. I expected to hate every minute of it, really hate it. But I wasn't slow, and I didn't hate it. In fact, it really felt good, and I found myself pushing for that time.
The past 2 weeks have been spent CrossFitting -- training my mental toughness -- my ability to mentally push myself when I don't think I can push any more. Training my metcon -- my lungs ability to do more in less time. Training my strength -- my muscles ability to better utilize their fibers.
And in 2 weeks of CrossFitting, and no running, I have seen better performance in my run, although I have not trained my run. I attribute this to the crossover benefits of CrossFit. Training my mind and my different energy systems through CrossFit has benefited other activities.
Today I ran 5k in 27:38. My best 5k time is 26:48 -- during a race. I nearly hit my race time PR. Considering that I haven't really ran in 2 weeks, I was quite surprised by the time. I expected to be slow, miserably slow. I expected to hate every minute of it, really hate it. But I wasn't slow, and I didn't hate it. In fact, it really felt good, and I found myself pushing for that time.
The past 2 weeks have been spent CrossFitting -- training my mental toughness -- my ability to mentally push myself when I don't think I can push any more. Training my metcon -- my lungs ability to do more in less time. Training my strength -- my muscles ability to better utilize their fibers.
And in 2 weeks of CrossFitting, and no running, I have seen better performance in my run, although I have not trained my run. I attribute this to the crossover benefits of CrossFit. Training my mind and my different energy systems through CrossFit has benefited other activities.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Motivation
There are many things that motivate me. My desire to constantly do better, be better -- in many ways (performance, with my family, my job, etc.) -- to develop that mental toughness that surmounts obstacles, achieves results and succeeds in the given situation.
This, along with an understanding of no matter how horrible, difficult, miserable (pick your negative adjective) things can be, they can always be worse, and they are worse for many people.
And as horrible as things can sometimes be for me, there is almost always a silver lining, or an end in sight. One more minute, one more round, one more rep... TIME!
There is also nothing like a good, inspirational article from AgainFaster:
http://www.againfaster.com/articles/from-the-archives-dedication.html
http://www.againfaster.com/articles/you-are-beautiful.html
http://www.againfaster.com/articles/youll-be-fine.html
http://www.againfaster.com/articles/fortitude.html
The list could go on, but I think you get it...
This, along with an understanding of no matter how horrible, difficult, miserable (pick your negative adjective) things can be, they can always be worse, and they are worse for many people.
And as horrible as things can sometimes be for me, there is almost always a silver lining, or an end in sight. One more minute, one more round, one more rep... TIME!
There is also nothing like a good, inspirational article from AgainFaster:
http://www.againfaster.com/articles/from-the-archives-dedication.html
http://www.againfaster.com/articles/you-are-beautiful.html
http://www.againfaster.com/articles/youll-be-fine.html
http://www.againfaster.com/articles/fortitude.html
The list could go on, but I think you get it...
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Vacation!
My vacation just started, officially, today. yesterday we were in the car nearly all day, so today is the actual first day of vacation. Of course, since I was in the car all day yesterday, I had to do some sort of workout today.
Today's work-out was a 6 mile run on the beach. Thank goodness for the Garmin, to let me know how far I had gone. After the run I had a banana, then a little later, a really great breakfast of 3 scrambled eggs with spinach, red bell pepper, turkey breast and feta cheese.
Life is good!!!
Today's work-out was a 6 mile run on the beach. Thank goodness for the Garmin, to let me know how far I had gone. After the run I had a banana, then a little later, a really great breakfast of 3 scrambled eggs with spinach, red bell pepper, turkey breast and feta cheese.
Life is good!!!
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Paleo - Week 1
I am almost through week 1 of engaging the Paleo diet. Something new to add to my fitness regiment. Yesterday I realized that I was hungry. I am not eating enough proteins and fat. Darn!!! So today I had more meat, and some almonds. we'll see how it goes.
Midway through the day my 11 year old daughter came running into the house and shoved a chocolate covered chocolate donut in my face. Paleo says no sugar. That means no donut. Darn her for tempting me!!!! But I didn't cave in...
I think it was a test.
Midway through the day my 11 year old daughter came running into the house and shoved a chocolate covered chocolate donut in my face. Paleo says no sugar. That means no donut. Darn her for tempting me!!!! But I didn't cave in...
I think it was a test.
Revive
It is time that I revived this. I initially thought of doing quite a bit with it, but the problem is that i felt that all my bloggings needed to be perfect, planned, and noteworthy. But the truth is that they really are thoughts, at a given point in time, reflective of that exact mood or situation.
Hence the revival of my blog, with less thought to each post...
Enjoy.
Hence the revival of my blog, with less thought to each post...
Enjoy.
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