Friday, October 9, 2009

Eggs for Lunch

WHAT?! It's been over a month since my last post! Well, I should be sitting down to write a really long post soon (because it's been a week of PR's for me and lots of people at CFBN, actually), but I really don't have time time or energy right now. But I did want to write something down about food before I forgot.

Today, after finishing "Helen" I decided to have some eggs for lunch.

First, in coconut oil, I stir-fried onions, asparagus, ground turkey meat (pre-cooked), and mushrooms. (TIP ON MUSHROOMS: This may be old news to most of you, but in case some who are reading this who didn't know this, I have learned that if you buy mushrooms WHOLE - not sliced - you actually get more mushroom for less cost. You just have the added step of slicing them yourself. They also stay fresher, longer.)

Once all those were done, I threw in some raisins (if you put them in too soon, they burn).


Then, lately I've been getting lazy, so I just cracked three eggs right on top of it all, let them cook, mixed it up, and added some sliced avocado on the side!

I have also found a great substitute for salt on my eggs: believe it or not, CINNAMON!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

CFBN Official

So it's official. Just started my paying membership at Crossfit Bloomington-Normal. Definitely stoked on that. It's definitely my favorite first-of-the-month bill. Why? Because I see a direct return. If it were a choice between having hot water and doing Crossfit every month...I'd seriously consider Crossfit. Crossfitters are resourceful and effecient, quite the opposite of a 30-minute hot shower every morning (Just to clarify, mine are never more than ten). I'd figure a way to deal without hot water, but I don't think I could ever deal without Crossfit again.

Today's WOD:
AMRAP in 10 min.
10-Kettlebell swings
10-Pull-Ups

I did 12kg kettlebell and the green band on the pull-ups. I actually managed to keep the kip for all the pull-ups (but I definitely need to learn how to do static pulls). I powered through 6.5 reps (PLUS 2 ROWS...Josh...pshh).

I think the best part of of my Crossfit experience today was running into Chad at Meijer. I've been doing pretty good with Paleo but I can't tell you how many things I looked at and basically had to run away from in the grocery store. These are things I used to think were the healthier choices...like granola, peanut butter, low-fat dairy, etc., but are in fact NOT GOOD. I'm glad I stayed strong, because I ran into Chad (trainer)...and of course still managed to guilt trip me into choosing BEST over GOOD. I put down the generic eggs and spent the extra buck on omega-3 eggs. But it was awesome being in the grocery store with another Crossfitter/Paleo-er (I think I just made up a word) - it definitely emphasizes the fact that Crossfit is more than a philosophy, and not simply a lifestyle, but a community that supports, encourages, and pushes each other to do our best. (P.S., Chad, those super ripe avos are really bad...i'm still going to try to turn them into guac with a lot of lime or something).

Ok, so I feel like, in celebration of the official start of CFBN (with members now officially signing up) I should be at least mentioning all three trainers in this blog. So lastly, a shout-out to J.J. Although all three of you guys were in one way or another part of my introduction to Crossfit this last spring semester, Chad of course being my official trainer, J.J. also does a great job motivating me. He knows his stuff, is super excited about Crossfit, and isn't afraid to bust your balls. I remember a workout last week...I was exhausted and my form was slipping on the thrusters. J.J. had no problem yelling at me to straighten it out. Of course at the time I was a little pissed because I was in the middle of a not-so-fun workout and I was tired, but he was right. FORM IS KEY. By taking my time to fix my form instead of trying for the fastest reps, I'm laying the foundation to be able to go longer, faster, and heavier in the long run. Good form = good results. So thanks for not letting me be mediocre :).

So in case you didn't notice...I've linked to all the trainers' profiles in this blog. Check them out, check out CFBN, come out and try 2 weeks free. Warning - you will get hooked.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Paleo Breakfast

So, ever since Chad shared some Paleo breakfast recipes with me, I've gotten pretty excited about being creative with eggs. (Not to mention the AMAZING banana pancakes that are making me go through a small jar of almond butter in a week).

So this is what I had for breakfast today:
3 Egg Omelette:
Cinnamon, Raisins, Green Peppers, Mushrooms, Pine nuts.

SO GOOD.

(And yes, in every post, I am going to somehow link you all back to the CFBN website). ;)

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Just some thoughts on progress

FIRST:
Crossfit Bloomington-Normal officially opened this week!
If you're in the Bloomington-Normal, IL area, you have to check it out! These are the guys that got me excited about Crossfit in the first place, and I'm so excited to continue my Crossfitting adventure at this gym.

I just wanted to make a couple comments on my progress, i.e. the way I look, feel, and perform.

Exhibit A: I have never done a pull-up before in my life. Ever since P.E. testing in elementary school, I prayed that I would be able to do one. Still no luck. I remember my first workout with Chad, one of the trainers @ CFBN, and I needed to use the green rubber band AND have him push me up to the bar. When I got to Crossfit Inferno in San Luis Obispo, CA, they had a total of 30 pullups in their daily warm-ups. The first week, I was using both the blue and green rubber bands. By the third week, I was on just the green. On Friday, at CFBN, I tried to do a pull-up with just the blue and for some reason it still felt like it wasn't possible. But for some reason, I decided to give it another go, because the green was starting to feel just a little too easy (when I was doing no more than 5 pull-ups). So YESTERDAY, I did a few pull-ups with just the blue band! I'm so stoked!

Exhibit B: It may be the tan that helps a little, but both my mom and one of my friends at school have commented that I'm looking "skinny." I can't say I've noticed a drastic change in my looks, but I do have to keep my belt on the tightest catch, and I have lost 15 pounds since January.

Exhibit C: There are four floors in Fell Hall, the Comm Building at ISU. I normally take the stairs for extra exercise, and used to be breathless by the time I reached the top. A couple days ago, I was taking the stairs as usual, and I almost didn't believe it when I was facing the 4th floor landing. My breathing had hardly even increased.

Conclusion: Crossfit works. Try it. Keep with it, and it will change your life.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Lose/Lose or Win/Win? You decide.

Today's WOD:

"3 Times a Ladder"

3 rnds. for time:

20 reps KB Swing (53#, 36#) - I did 26#
30 reps Push ups - I did it on knees
40 reps Sit ups
50 reps Double Unders - I did 150 regular


Time: 21:38 (eh)

I don't know what it was about this workout...probably the sit ups...but when i was done, i was dying.

I almost puked, but I was too tired to stand up and get to a trash can so I mustered whatever I had left to hold it in. That's crossfit for ya...and somehow i can't help but LOVE this stuff.

In other news:
Yesterday, I did 105 clean, and 95 clean and jerk (105 got up halfway on the jerk then my arms gave out). It doesn't sound like much...compared to others...but I definitely pushed myself past what I thought I could do...and now I have a weight to beat.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

One of the Benefits of Crossfit...

Mom:
"Katy, you're starting to look curvy again! That dress looks nice on you."

Me:
"Hey thanks..uh. .Thanks for keeping it to yourself that I was a pudgy mess last winter break."

*Mom doesn't deny that fact.*

Crossfit weightloss:
15 lbs and counting...
Getting serious about Paleo-Zone starting with breakfast tomorrow.

Friday, July 24, 2009

CFWOD#1

I was first introduced to Crossfit in February of this year (2009). It had been over a year since I had quit water polo. I don't normally get sick, and I was recovering from a sinus infection that knocked me off my feet harder than a bout with mono in 2006, while I was at my fittest in the middle of my Division I college water polo career. I knew I had to get back in the gym.

So I splurged on a trainer at a local gym. He did Crossfit. I liked it. I lost fifteen pounds between February and May. He introduced me to all the movements, some pretty gnarly workouts, and the joy of the paleo zone (but lets be honest, I've been failing at that as of late).I did Crossfit with him, frequently, though not on a daily basis, until the summer when my paycheck was cut in half.

Lucky me, though, I had a couple friends in my hometown who joined an actual Crossfit gym in SLO (Crossfit Inferno). I've only been there a week and my Crossfit fire (pun intended...or not) is totally re-ignited. I think a big part of it is being in a gym entirely devoted to crossfit, doing the same workout alongside 8 other people, all super intense, all cheering each other on, all totally stoked on Crossfit. I am so excited to get started at my first trainer's new Bloomington-Normal Crossfit gym.

My feelings on Crossfit:
Minutes before each workout, I just get that heavy knot in my stomach, and think "I'm gonna die." Minutes after each workout, I'm not too good at moving. An hour after a workout, I still can't make it down stairs without my legs feeling like they are going to collapse. By the time I'm ready to pass out in bed, I'm on the crossfit website watching videos and itching to know what the next day's WOD will be, because I can't wait to see what I can push myself to do.

But Crossfit isn't about the workouts themselves. It's not about how much weight you can lift, or how fast you can go, though it might seem so. The most important thing I've learned from Crossfit is being able to say, "just one more."

To quote from the Crossfit Inferno website:
"...you are constantly working on "the Mind F#&%K". What we mean by this is, when you are pushing hard and you get to that point where you feel like quitting, you start to think about how much you have left... it is your brain that is telling you to stop. You body wants to do what the brain is telling it. It is at this point where you need to learn how to push all those thoughts back and continue to advance forward."

It's about pushing just one more past what you think you can do, five pounds heavier than you did before, 15 seconds faster than the last time you did the same workout, just one squat more in the 20-second round to keep your "score" at 10.

So this is my official announcement: I'm hooked. Thank you, Crossfit, I hate you. (It's the kind of hate that's love, all love...it's like I can hear Crossfit saying, "This hurts me more than it hurts you...it's for your own good.")

Today's WOD was "Freddy's Revenge." (5 reps for time of - 5 overhead, 10 burpees) I was the only one without weight on my bar. And still some people did it faster than me. It was weird, not to be one of the strong ones (remember, I had a good 6 years of being the star/"stud" water polo goalie). It was a little discouraging...at first. But you have to start somewhere. I finished, and one of the Inferno members, Claudia, showed me her workout log from almost a year ago. She had been right where I was, she knew what I was going through, and she took the time to show me.

That was the moment I was convinced that Crossfit - the program, the workouts, the attitude, the people - was exactly what I need, and worth every penny and drop of blood, sweat and tears.

So I've decided to keep this blog, chronicling my love-hate relationship with Crossfit, a sport in itself, in hopes that someone out there that thinks their "glory days" are over, will think again, and believe they can be at their fittest - whether they're 23, 37, or 73. I'm not there yet, but the more I go, the closer I'll be. Just one more.