Update

Ok, here's what the past week and a half of training has looked like:

Tues 11/24- 30ish mile ride with Dad and crazy cycling group... we met up with about 8 people (whom were all freaks) in Evanston, and rode up Sheridan rode. Dad and I held on for maybe 5 miles at a blazing 28mph until we got dropped!!! It was FAST. We felt accomplished to even have a prayer at hanging with this group as long as we did. If I trained on my bike regularly, I think I would have been fine. Another goal eh?

Wed 11/25- OLYMPIAN ATHLETICS!!!! Justin and I got crazy and battled through a workout, appropriately named, "Tabata FML."

8 sets per exercise of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off:
16kg KB swings
Sit Ups
65# Thruster
Burpees
185# Deadlift

Yeah.... REtarded. It was silly stupid, but oh so fun. The deadlift at the end was hilarious.

Thurs 11/26- TURKEY!! Cruised around Glencoe, running at a decent clip... about 35 mins. SORE from Wednesdays grinder.

Fri 11/27- REST (Grandma's wedding)

Sat 11/28- Post Thanksgiving workout at Olympian Athletics

21, 15, 9
HSPU (modified using plates under my head, or did a pike off of a box)
Run 400
Pullups (weighted or strict...)

The workout was supposed to be "strength" focused and about hammering out strict reps (pullups especially). I was neck and neck with a guy during the first set of HSPU's and the run. When we got inside, he began doing pullups with a band as I struggled to do strict bodyweight PU's. So.... Instead of being satisfied with working harder and in result, going slower, I got pissed and started kipping. I've become competitive lately, almost to a fault. It is a good thing, however I need to be careful to not cheat form (pushups during Barbara, for example!).

Sun 11/29- REST (drive back to B-Town)

Mon 11/30- 30 minute bike followed by a quick 10 min, interval run on the treadmill
Novice lift with Josh (split squats are the devil, RDL, Neg pullup pyramid: 2,4,8,8,4,2 etc.) The team had a sluggish, crappy lift that went over-time. Asremediation, I led a PLATE PT outside on the FB field!!! hahahah! So funny doing that again. Made them sound off and everything. It was a fun blast from the past (not so fun for them)

Tues 12/1- Getting sick? Took another rest day to just lay low and hopefully fend off the cold that may be brewing...

Wed 12/2- Woke up feeling better. Going to have a similar day to Monday... Tomorrow I'm hoping to hit up CFB.

RUUUUNNNUNUNING!!!!

After a much needed day of rest/driving home to Chicago, I started the week with a 55 min run with my stepmom, Randi. We cruised through the Lagoon Trail and chatted it up. I was happy with going for a long recovery run because I'm still sore from last week...

This past Saturday consisted of 2x750 meters at race pace in the ol' alumni boat where we managed to make the top 4 fastest boats of the day and almost beat the juniors and seniors (heh heh). It was fun to race again!!!!

Tomorrow looks like a bike ride with my pops. He says he's been training like a maniac... I'm sure it will be tough!

End of a great week!

Today's workout was a 30 min run.... felt like I held a 8:20ish pace in the beginning, and finished at a solid 7:45 min/mile pace. I am SOOOOOO sore. Like muscles are angry and bleeding sore. Felt great to get out in the sunshine (in shorts and a t-shirt) in the freakin middle of November!!! My legs felt like anvils for most of it, but was surprised to be able to clip along at a quicker pace. It also helps to run with someone way faster... Josh, the novice coach came along and he's freaky fast. My "slow grandma, recovery runs" are turning into nicely paced 30 minute runs with him. Maybe I'll slowly turn into a freak of nature runner too!!! ha! Tomorrow is the annual alumni/class race out at the lake. Should be interesting. I have to say, that this week has been a totally solid week of training. I feel awesome, and I'm so excited to get in some hardcore cycling with my dad when I'm home next week. For now, my bed feels like a happy cloud-puff and I can't move.

NOWTHATSWHATIMTALKINABOUT!!!!!!!!!!

Tonights workout:

21, 15, 9

Deadlift (#185)

Push Press (#65)..... I totally forgot to write down my exact time but I want to say it was 3:40 something... (sub 4 mins) I fell victim to the classic mistake of going with the "girl" rx'd weight haha. I flew through the push presses like I was doin dance moves, and afterwards felt like a dope because I usually straight shoulder press 75 pounds for sets of 10..... yea woops. Regardless, the SECOND workout Karl and I busted out made up for it in a maaaaaajor way!

BARBARA!!!!!!!!

5 rounds of:

20 Pull ups

30 Pushups

40 Sit ups

50 Squats

Each round is timed individually with 3 minutes rest in between.

All I have to say, is that I gave this thing everything that I had. AAAAAND I was able to do straight sets of 20 pull ups for the first two rounds!!!!! woohooo!!! This made me totally excited because I think I can crush Fran (using chick weight... and eventually #95). Karl and I talked earlier in the day and decided that the goal of tonight was to leave totally smoked and feeling like we pushed to new limits. I blazed through the first round in just over 3 minutes and slowly DIED there after. Regardless of hitting crazy failure on every exercise, I pushed out as many reps as I could and ended up finishing the later rounds in something like 6 minutes haha. Barbara is a freakin masterpiece of a workout. And we totally rocked it. I haven't felt this exhausted in a while!!!!!! I left my journal in the car and will post actual times tomorrow. Time to pass OUT!

Ok. I'm back! Last week was full of some good trail running, heavy lifting, and discovered the stadium prisoner walk (walking up the high side with a 50 lb chain around your neck). It's been nice training in the stadium and forcing myself to get out and run.

Monday Josh the novice coach and I ran a little over three miles through the Griffy Lake trails and went straight into the novice lift. Split squats and manual hip ab and adduction tore me UP! Yesterday Lanie, Josh and I erged in the morning, 3x10 mins. Its hilarious applying smart pacing to my workouts because I realize now that I used to train on a projected 2k line to go almost sub 7 minutes... HAHA! It's been a learning experience teaching myself that it's possible to not hate the erg. Pacing is smart. You just want to be able to pace faster than everyone else, duh.

Today was a LEG day. I did the novice lift with a couple of athletes.

500lb leg press superset with box jumps was tough. I'm not usually a big leg press fan, but sometimes it's fun to totally max out like a maniac on there. Tomorrow will be another AM erg session plus an afternoon WOD (hopefully 5:30 class at CFB!)

Rest Day

So Wednesday was a run day. I felt pretty fantastic running about 4 miles around campus. If I were to guess, I would say that I'm currently cruising that distance at maybe an 8 minute mile or so... or hitting the Bloomington hills at what maybe "feels" like an 8 minute mile. Angry music always helps too!

Speaking of angry music, I survived Filthy Fifty yesterday... barely. I could easily blame the lack of focus and letting soreness/tweaky muscles keep me from pushing hard. I didn't PR. Not even close actually. I went higher than the rx for box jumps (not sure of the actual height) and rx weight for everything else. The wallball, burpee, double under hell at the end about killed me. The workout reinforced that I desperately need a training partner, and totally wished I was able to train with Karl the night before! I'm anxious to face this one again, and attack the darn thing from start to finish. 

Today was a rest day. Tomorrow's plan is to hit it hard, then bike taxi Saturday during the football game. 

Monster Monday!

It's amazing that I can hammer the idea of "GO HARD" and "BE A MACHINE AND JUST GOOO" and "ROW YOURSELF F-ING BLIND" all day long, and yet I find myself forgetting or refusing to take myself to that level. Tonight at CFB, Karl and I decided to do the main site WOD, and the CFB WOD, back to back! 

5 Rounds for time:

3 snatches (women's RX, #65)

15 OHS

400 m run

time:  16:14??? I was angry with myself and spaced out my finish time... 

followed by:

4 Rounds for time:

400 m run

25 squats

25 KB swings (20kg)

time: 13:12

I feel completely torched, and satisfied with the work I put in tonight. However, I'm totally unsatisfied with how I rolled over mentally during the first round of the first WOD. I'm pumped because the more opportunities that I'm faced with having to face my demons, the more prepared I will be. I want to turn around next summer, and confidently say, "I gave everything that I could leading up to this point." Regardless of outcomes, I know that I will be pleased. I've had too many experiences as an athlete where I've walked away with regret and to this day, dream of how things should have/could have been different. The opportunity that I've found in CrossFit is so freaking awesome. I'm going to throw everything I've got into being competitive, and tonight was an eye opener that I have to start pushing harder. It's a great place to start and build from.

After feeling like a sack of potatoes running 400's tonight, I'm going to make Tuesday and Thursday running days. Tomorrow will be moderate 3-4 miles. When I'm running consistently, I see my overall performance improve big time. I already feel that I've lost some of the "gas tank" that I built all last summer, and want to get it back!! Whew. Time for bed! 

After a Great Weekend of Racing!

I'm chomping at the bit to kick my training up a notch this week. Because of my past tendencies to push too hard, I've been taking more frequent days off, and doing a much better job at listening to my body. After racing in South Bend this weekend, I found that being a coach on race day is more emotionally exhausting than actually doing the work on the water! I definitely don't feel like I just took two days off! Regardless, I need to start raising a standard for myself in order to be competitive next summer.