March 24 WOD: 4 x 7

We warmed up with some handstand holds and Coach Jordan had us practice shifting our weight from hand to hand, as if doing a handstand walk. He also had us practice strict mini-handstand push ups where we were to try to touch the top of our head on a stack of plates. I think I'm getting there.

Metcon

14 minutes AMRAP

7 HSPU
7 burpees
7 ring dips
7 pull ups

I did pike push ups and parallette dips.


My score: 5 + 4 pike push ups

January 7 WOD: Running clock

What's better than doing an AMRAP? Doing three! Yay! Well, not really yay.

6 minutes AMRAP

5 dead lifts (225/135#)
10 lateral burpees over bar
50 double unders
Rest and transition 4 minutes

6 minutes AMRAP

4 hang power cleans (135/95#)
8 hand stand push ups
Rest and transition 4 minutes

6 minutes AMRAP (sets ascending by twos)
Power snatch (115/75#)
Bar muscle ups

I did the first workout as Rx'd but my DUs sucked. For the second one I did pike push ups instead of HSPU, and for the third one I tried to do strict pull ups with the blue band.


My score: 1 + 12 DUs (135#); 6 + 4 pike push ups (75#); 6 + 4 power snatch (55#)

Nov 5 WOD: Deja puke

The feeling I got after finishing today's WOD was eerily reminiscent of how I felt after that infamous workout we did last February. You know it's going to be bad when there's no strength or skill work before the metcon and there's a 30 minute time cap.

5 RFT (30 minute cap)

6 handstand push ups
12 thrusters (135/95#)
18 burpees over barbell
24 pull ups

I scaled everything but the burpees. I did pike push ups on the box for the HSPU and ring rows instead of pull ups. It was such a mental game to keep going (a game I lost again and again), especially when transitioning from the thrusters to the burpees. I divided the reps into sets of 6 at the outset to pace myself.


My score: 3 + 18 ring rows (55#)

Oct 31 WOD: Not-so-scary Halloween workout

Only four people showed up for the 11 am class and I'm guessing it's because most of the box peeps were hungover from the Halloween party the night before.

A. SWOD

5 x 4 to 6 reps snatch grip dead lift

* Use 80-95% of 1RM snatch; rest 3 minutes in between sets

B. Metcon

5 x 2 minutes AMRAP

5 hand stand push ups
5 toes to bar
5 ring dips
Rest 1 minute between sets

I scaled everything for the metcon. I did strict press (45#) instead of HSPU, knees to tricep instead of TTB, and seated ring dips instead of the real thing.


My score: 65# (snatch grip DL); 6 + 3 strict press

Jul 26 WOD: Partner WOD

Well, I never thought I'd find older men attractive but I changed my mind when I saw all those fit masters athletes in the CrossFit Games. I watched a footage of a woman in her late 50s doing a clean and jerk with 135 lbs. Just. Wow. I hope I'll still be setting PRs when I'm in my 50s!

A. SWOD

Split jerk 5 x 2 (70%)

B. Metcon

PWOD

50 hand stand push ups
60 kettlebell swings (32/24)
70 toes to bar
80 wall balls (20/14)

We had to clean the bar off the ground for the split jerks so I didn't go too heavy.

I partnered with Helen and for the first time since I did Open workout 13.3, I used a 7 kg ball. It turns out that using a rubber ball instead of the big, soft ones makes a difference. Rhona and I had already practiced doing wall balls using those 7 kg balls so today's WOD didn't seem too daunting. I just had a hard time with the knees to elbow (since I was scaling).

My score: 75 (split jerk); 14:04 (16 kg/14 kg)

Jul 19 WOD: Diane

It's been a long time since my calves have felt sore, and I guess it was the tuck jumps yesterday that's the culprit -- I very rarely do tuck jumps.

A. SWOD

Front squat 20RM (70% of 1RM)

B. Metcon: Diane

21-15-9

Dead lifts (235/155)
Handstand push ups

When I saw the SWOD, I remembered coming in early one morning and watching Charles crank out his 20RM thrusters. I'm just glad that we did front squats, not thrusters. Tere and I shared a bar and we started with 80 lbs. We thought we were done after we finished one set of 20 reps, then Coach Jordan said  we should add weight if we were able to complete the 20 reps because we should continue to work to failure. I thought he was kidding because, believe you me, 20 reps is a lot.

The metcon wasn't so bad. I got pressured into using 135 lbs for the DL like Helen and Tere and I did pike push ups instead of HSPUs.

After the WOD, Rhona and I practiced doing wall balls with the 7 kg ball then the knees to elbows in preparation for the throwdown. Eep!!!

My score: 85 (front squat 20RM); 7:43 (135/pike)

Jun 18 WOD: Of snatch grip dead lifts and hang power cleans

After the disappointing result of yesterday's WOD, I didn't feel like working out today. But my rest days are planned for Wednesdays, and my OC self just couldn't allow for a messed-up schedule so I still went.

A. Skill

Snatch grip dead lift 8 x 3 (using the hook grip)

B. Metcon

13 minute time cap

13, 12, 11, 10... 1 hang power clean (115/75)

1, 2, 3, 4... 13 handstand push ups

I taped my thumbs for the hook grip (see simple demo video below).

Tere (she's back!) and I shared a bar for the dead lift, and we used 110 lbs. For the metcon, she managed to convince me to use the prescribed weight and I'm glad I let myself be convinced. It turns out 75 lbs isn't so heavy after you've done heavier dead lifts. Also, I did handstand holds instead of HSPU (1 rep HSPU = 3 second hold). I felt my arms getting wobbly during my last handstand hold, which was 18 seconds long. But I had to keep holding because I didn't want to waste effort on getting my feet back up.

My score: 110 (snatch grip dead lift); 91 reps (up to the set of 7 HPC)

Jun 7 WOD: Upside-down fun

We did another SWOD before the metcon, and today it was the strict press.

A. SWOD: Shoulder press

4 x 12 (40 - 50% of 1RM)

B. Metcon

12 minutes AMRAP

3 thrusters (135/95)
6 handstand push ups
9 toes to bar

Helen and I shared a bar for the SWOD, and for the first 3 sets we used 35 lbs; for the last set we used 40 lbs. There must be something special about those 12 reps. By the time you get to the 10th rep, the last 2 reps is all about getting through the mental difficulty of knowing you're not yet done. For the metcon I used 55 lbs for the thrusters (it felt heavier than that, especially after SWOD), did 10-second handstand holds instead of HSPUs, and did knee tucks on the rings.

My score: 40 (shoulder press); 6 + 10-sec hold

Apr 29 WOD: Nate

I'm experiencing another holiday hangover. I went to the beach again with some others at the box. We went to Smacky's place again and although there were a lot of people at the beach and by the pool, it was still good fun.

The view from our balcony

With Anton, Amie, Albright, Rhona, Gigay, Benjie, Maigirl,
Smacky, and Ken (I grabbed this photo from Rhona)

And now, back to regular programming.

It was benchmark day at the box and I had no idea because the WOD wasn't posted at the site. We did Nate again, which is:

20 minutes AMRAP

2 muscle ups

4 handstand push ups

8 kettlebell swings (32/24 kg)

I did sitting muscle ups, pike push ups with feet on the box, and used a 16 kg kettlebell.

My score: 11 rounds + 1 sitting muscle up

The last time we did Nate I scored 12 rounds, but that was an even more scaled version so I'm quite happy with today's workout.

Oh, and happy news: Coach Matt announced that "due to popular demand," there will now be a 10 am class every Tuesday and Thursday starting in May, and we couldn't be happier!

Apr 8 WOD: Diane

We did benchmark girl Diane today:

21-15-9
Dead lifts (225/155)
Handstand push ups

I used 115 lbs and did pike push ups on an 18" box.

My time: 9:24

Isabelle and Rachelle came to the 12:30 pm class -- the first time they'd both attended since Open season had begun. I'm sooo proud of them! They've both really improved a lot, and you can't help but respect the discipline they have -- that all athletes have, in fact. Now that the Open is over, they could probably have a little break before they start training for Regionals, which is from May 31 to June 2 in Korea (Korea! I know, right?). If I'm not mistaken, 3 CFMNL teams are qualified to move on to the Asia Regional. Sooo eggzoiting!

Speaking of respect, I saw this on Lisbeth Darsh's twitter timeline:

That is Julie Foucher, who placed 2nd in the 2012 CrossFit Games. She demonstrated the workout standards for each 2013 Open workout and on top of that, she filmed demo video submissions (which meant she had to do all 5 workouts on video). Can you believe she did all 5 workouts in 48 hours?! She's not competing in this year's Games because she's chosen to focus on studying medicine, but I hope she'll come back next year because she has a real chance of dethroning Annie T.!

Mar 11 WOD: Couplet + Wendler

Strength: Dead lift

And today marks my fifth cycle.

65% x 5 = 5 x 115
75% x 5 = 5 x 130
85% x 5 = 7 x 150

Assistance 1: Kettlebell swings (16 kg)

5 x 10

Assistance 2: Good mornings

1 x 10 x 45
1 x 10 x 55
1 x 10 x 65
2 x 10 x 75


WOD

10 minutes AMRAP:

- 6 dead lifts (225/155)
- 6 handstand push ups

We practiced doing handstand kick ups before the workout. I'm still too scared to kick up until my heels touch the wall. To think my sisters and I used to do it for fun all the time when we were still kids! There's something about getting old that makes you more afraid to try new things.

I set up a 120 lb bar (even though Coach Jordan was needling me to go Rx) and used a box for the pike push ups.

My score: 10 + 6 dead lifts

Nov 22 WOD: For a good time, call 21-15-9

I arrived too late to do the Wendler, but s'okay because we had a SWOD anyway. We were given 10 minutes to work up to 95% of our 1RM front squat, then we had to do 5 sets of 1 rep on the minute. I shared a bar with Helen and we worked our way up to 100 lbs.

For the metcon, we had to do 21-15-9 of:

- Hand stand push ups
- Wall balls (Rx: 14 lbs)
- Toes to bar

Every time I see that we have to do 21-15-9 of anything, I know it's gonna be hard. I mean harder than usual. I used a box for the HSPUs and 10 lbs for the wall balls -- I just can't let go of those 10 lb balls and go for the 14 lb ones. My time: 9:24.

In other news, one of my friends expressed interest in doing a trial workout, but after a few days when I asked her if she was able to book one, she said she didn't feel ready for CF yet. I tried to tell her that there's really no way to "get ready" for CF. No matter what your fitness level is, all workouts end the same way: everyone out of breath, drenched in sweat, and on the floor.

So I'm thinking maybe it's not so much being physically prepared for CF as it is being mentally prepared for it. Know that it will be hard. Know that it will hurt. Know that you'll be shouted at. Know that you'll sweat buckets. And when you've accepted all that, you just need to take a deep breath and jump in. 'Cause the water's fine. :)

Nov 13 WOD: Clean and jerk

As last week, we worked on the clean and jerk for the first part of the WOD today. We were given 15 minutes to work up to our 70-80% 1RM, then we had to do 3 sets of 1 rep each using the same weight.

My 1RM for the C&J is 80 lbs, so I used 65 lbs today. Coach Pau said that when we use only 70-80% of our 1RM, it's important to focus on getting the technique down since the weight isn't too much.

For the metcon, we did:

2 rounds
- 6 power cleans (Rx: 105 lbs)
- 6 hand stand push ups

2 rounds
- 6 power cleans
- 12 ring dips

2 rounds
- 6 power cleans
- 24 hand release push ups

I used 55 lbs for the power cleans, did pike push ups on a box for the HSPUs, and used paralettes for the dips. My time: 8:13.

Oct 12 WOD: 3-in-1 + Wendler

Strength: Dead lifts

Today is the start of deload week.

Warm up: 3 x 55

40% x 5 = 5 x 65
50% x 5 = 5 x 80
60% x 5+ = 15 x 100

After that, I practiced doing double unders since the WOD involved doing 20 unbroken DUs. Yeah. Just when I thought I could move on from obsessing over DUs, it comes back to haunt me.

WOD

We got to do 3 workouts today! There's a running clock, and for the first 10 mins we had to do 3 rounds of:

- 10 snatches (Rx: 65 lbs)
- 10 hand stand push ups

On the 10th minute, we had to do 3 rounds of:

- 10 thrusters (Rx: 65 lbs)
- 10 chest-to-bar pull ups

On the 20th minute, we had to do 3 rounds of:

- 20 unbroken double unders
- 10 toes to bar

I used 50 lbs for both the snatch and the thrusters, did pike push ups instead of HSPUs, and used the blue band for the pull ups. I finished the first workout in 6:38; I finished the 2nd in 7:37; and I DNFed the last one. Boo hoo. But it was still a great WOD because I got to work on my DUs for 10 minutes. I couldn't get past 12 unbroken DUs and it was so frustrating. Arrgghhh!

After the workout, I told myself I deserved a drink -- a recovery drink, that is -- so I finally tried out SFH's chocolate flavored recovery protein powder.

Oct 5 WOD: 5 rounds + Wendler

Strength: Dead lifts

So I was finally able to work on strength today. I was lucky that traffic wasn't so bad even though it's a Friday.

Warm up: 3 x 65; 3 x 80; 3 x 100

75% x 5 = 5 x 120
85% x 3 = 3 x 140
95% x 1+ = 3 x 155

To think that a few months ago, my dead lift 1RM was 155. I should seriously stop being surprised whenever I see proof that CrossFit works.


WOD

My heart sank when I saw the WOD. After last Wednesday's burpee-KBS combo, I'd hoped that I wouldn't see them again for some time, but it wasn't to be. Today, we had to do 5 rounds of:

- 5 hand stand push ups
- 10 burpee box jumps (Rx: 18")
- 15 kettlebell swings (Rx: 16 kg)
- 20 medicine ball sit ups (Rx: 14 lbs)

I did pike push ups on a box, used an 18" box for the box jumps, used the prescribed 16 kg kettlebell for the KBS, and a 10 lb ball for the sit ups. It was 20+ minutes of pure agony. During last few reps, Tere kept telling me, "Keep going. Don't stop." Then afterward, while basking in the glow of post-WOD glory, she shared that when she works out, she never stops even though she's freakin' tired. She said she'd slow down, but she doesn't stop. And I think that's one thing I absolutely need to train myself to do.

My time: 21:47.

Aug 15 WOD: Mary + Wendler Day 7

We don't have work today so I was able to attend the 12:30 pm class. I still went early, though, to work on strength.

I'm on my third week of doing Wendler, and Tere and I did dead lifts today.

Warm up: 3 x 65; 3 x 85; 3 x 105

75% x 5 = 5 x 115
85% x 3 = 3 x 130
95% x 1+ = 4 x 145

Assistance: None. We were doing a benchmark WOD so I wanted to save my energy.

My sets (left) and Tere's

In between the strength workout and the WOD, while working on double unders... I was able to do 22 unbroken. Unbroken. And in case you didn't read: Unbroken! Achievement unlocked. In yo face, double unders! You know when you are finally able to do something you thought would be a long time coming? Amazement. That's what I felt. Now I just need to keep at it and be consistent.

We did the benchmark workout Mary today. It's 20 mins AMRAP of

- 5 Handstand push ups

- 10 Pistol squats

- 15 Pull ups

I did pike push ups with my legs on a 12" box. It was my first time to try pistol squats, and I discovered that they are as hard as they look. I held on to the windowsill for support while doing them. As for the pull ups, I used the blue band.

My score: 7 + 6 pistol squats.

Post-WOD, Amy, Isabelle and I did some ab exercises using the app that Amy had on her phone. It was only 10 mins long, but still -- ouch!

Aug 10 WOD: TGIF + Wendler Day 5

Three days of no workouts feel like forever. I know I could've done burpees or squats or sit ups at home, but when you're not at the box it's just not the same. I know... excuses!

I was supposed to do this strength workout last Wednesday, but the box was closed so I did it today.

For Day 5, I did back squats pre-WOD:

Warm up: 3 x 45; 3 x 55; 3 x 65

70% x 3 = 3 x 75
80% x 3 = 3 x 85
90% x 3+ = 5 x 95

Assistance: 5 x 3 pull ups (blue band)

My sets on the left; Tere's on the right

After that, we did the WOD, which is 12-9-6-3 of:

- Dead lifts (75% of 1RM)
- Hand stand push ups

I should have used 125 lbs for the dead lifts but I wussed out and used 115 lbs instead. What? I'm still dead lifting my body weight -- doesn't that count as challenging? For the HSPU, I did pike push ups on an 18" box.

My time: 5:00.

Post-WOD, I worked on my kips and wide-grip pull ups. I've found that I have an easier time getting my chin over the bar if I adjust my grip and don't close my thumbs around the bar.

Also!!! I got 12 unbroken double unders today!

May 14 WOD: The Seven

I'm on vacation the whole week so instead of going to the 10 am class, I attended the 12:30 one. I missed the camaraderie in my "Moms' Class," but the people I worked out with today were also cool.

Anyway, on to the WOD called The Seven. I know, it sounds ominous, right? Like the Seven Deadly Sins kind of ominous. Apparently, it's a benchmark workout that was created in honor of seven CIA officers and one Jordanian officer who were killed in Afghanistan in 2009.

It is 7 rounds of:

- 7 handstand push ups
- 7 thrusters (Rx: 135/95)
- 7 knees to elbows
- 7 dead lifts (Rx: 245/165)
- 7 burpees
- 7 KBS (Rx: 32/24)
- 7 pull ups

Seven reps for each of the seven exercises, done for seven rounds. Whew! Since I was doing it non-Rx'd, we were given a 25 minute cap. I used a box and did the HSPUs on my knees; used a 45# barbell for the thursters; did knees to chest; used 95# for the dead lifts; used the 12 kg kettlebell for the KBS; and used the green band for the pull ups. At the end of the 25 mins, I'd done 5 rounds + 3 burpees. It was so hard! Somewhere in between the 4th and the 5th round, I started feeling faint but I willed myself to keep going. I survived!

And now, I leave you with this image, taken after the WOD:

CrossFit hands!

Paleo Challenge Days 2 and 3 + February 17 WOD: Chipper

I'm thinking that I better track what I'm eating, so here's what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast: scrambled eggs with tomato and herbs, saging saba, and black coffee
Lunch: chicken tinola with young papaya
Dinner: spiced chicken breast, fresh cucumber and carrot sticks
Snack: walnuts, saging saba (fresh, not boiled this time)

For today, I didn't have time to prepare breakfast again, so I only had a banana pre-WOD.

Now, on to the WOD... it was awesome! Of course, I didn't think so while I was doing it but I felt so great after! We had to do the following for time:

- 60 double unders or 300 singles
- 50 burpees
- 40 wall balls (Rx: 14 lbs)
- 30 push ups
- 20 kettlebell swings (Rx: 16 kg)
- 10 handstand push ups

I used the 10 lb ball and the 12 kg kettlebell. My time: 18:36.

Post-WOD, Lady treated us to the paleo tacos she'd made and brought. It's just like regular tacos, except you use romaine lettuce leaves instead of taco shells. After that, we had coffee again - iced black Americano, and when I arrived at the office I had 2 hard-boiled eggs with a little salt.

Edit:
My afternoon snack consisted of one fresh saging saba and walnuts. For dinner, I had spiced chicken breast with fresh cucumber and carrot sticks, and fruits. My midnight snack was two pieces fresh saging saba.

February 6 WOD: J.T.

Another benchmark hero WOD today, and it was all about the upper body.

We did "J.T.," which is sets of 21-15-9 of:

- Handstand push ups
- Ring dips
- Push ups

I still don't trust my core enough to try the band-assisted handstand push ups. I tried it once and it felt like my back was breaking. So I did the HSPUs while kneeling on a box with my head upside down. For the ring dips, I used the parallettes with my heels on a 12" box. And for the push ups, I did them on my knees again. My time: 10:41.

More people are starting to come in for the 10 am class so I think the schedule is safe... for now.