Dec 28 WOD: Ascending ladder

For the first part of the workout, we had 8 minutes to do an ascending ladder of the following:

- Power clean (Rx: 105 lbs across)
- Front squat
- Jerk

I used 65 lbs and I discovered soon enough that it gets more and more difficult to do unbroken sets as the number of reps increase (no duh). I didn't want to put down the bar after the front squats, but just thinking about jerking them made me tired. And so my mind won again.

My score: 5 + 6 front squats.

After that, we did goat work again for the metcon. We were again given 20 minutes, and I chose to do 60 ring dips (band assisted) and 10 x 10 sec L-sits.

Dec 27 WOD: Snatch couplet

I got these funky socks as a Christmas present from one of my sisters and decided to wear them today for good luck.

Today, we did 15-12-9-6-3 of:

- Power snatch (Rx: 75)
- Bar-facing burpees

I started out with 45 lbs, then on my second set Miggy gave me two 5s to add to my bar. It was of course still doable, but it made the barfees that much more difficult. I finished with 14:24 and I was totally spent after that.

For the metcon, we did 4 x 400m run every 3 minutes. My legs felt so heavy! Today's workout really made me regret my breakfast of a few slices of very un-paleo rum cake. I also questioned why I bothered to come and do today's WOD... which is something I almost always do anyway.

Dec 21 WOD: Squeaky clean

Great workout today! Of course, that wasn't what was going through my mind while I was actually doing it. The first part of the workout was 6 minutes AMRAP:

- 3 power cleans (Rx: 105 - same weight across)
- 3 hang squat cleans
- 3 squat cleans

I used a 65 lbs bar - almost didn't want to but I wanted to make my last workout before Christmas count. I also tried to apply something that I read (which I also learned from Coach Pau) about resting for a certain number of breaths then going at it again. I was able to do 5 rounds + 3 hang squat cleans.

For the metcon, I did:

- 60 paralette dips
- 10 x 12 second L-sits

As I was on my way out, I saw these girls double WOD-ing with Coach Matt. It's advance payment for all the food they'll be eating during the next few days! Heck, we'll all be doing AMRAP eating this season!

Ann, Matt, and Rach

A special Noche Buena WOD was announced yesterday. Those who wanna work out on the 24th are going to do a team WOD with the coaches and they'll be doing the Lumberjack 20. Sounds painful.

Dec 19 WOD: Team WOD

Team workouts are always fun because you get to work with other people, and there's always the added challenge of competing with the other teams. I got teamed up with Gerard and Rach, and we had to do 20 minutes AMRAP of:

- 7 kettlebell swings
- 3 laps shuttle runs
- 7 burpees
- 1 lap shuttle run

We used a 16 kg kettlebell, and in the end we did 23 + 2 laps shuttle runs. It was awesome. After that, we had the seafood buffet lunch that Amie had ordered from Dampa. It was supposed to be our Christmas lunch party, as we'd all agreed that the noon crew should have its own "party".

Good food, good people. Like the song goes, it's always a good time.

And, oh, I just want to share this:

From yesterday's paper (18 Dec 2012)

It's our very own Tere in the paper! It's amazing what paleo and CrossFit have done for her. A few months back, she was telling me she's lost so much weight that one of her patients (she's a dermatologist) even had the gall to assume that she'd had liposuction. We had such a good laugh when she told us about it. She's had to work her butt off to look the way she looks today, and it's an insult for someone to imply that she didn't put work into it at all.

I've been doing CF for a year now and it never fails to amaze me when I see people around me getting stronger, healthier, and better-looking (a fortunate side-effect).

Dec 18 WOD: Jerk

First, we did skills work and we worked on the behind the neck jerk. We were given 20 minutes to do 5 sets of 1 rep each. Which meant we had to go heavy. Tin and I shared a bar, and we worked our way up from 45 lbs to 65 lbs (me) and 90 (Tin). I made a couple of attempts at 75 lbs but I kept thinking about how heavy it was and I kept seeing images of the bar hitting my head, so I wasn't even able to jerk it up. The body was willing but the mind was weak. I much prefer jerking from the front. Boo hoo me.

After that, cash out was pretty much the same as last Tuesday's. It was OTM x 16 minutes:

Odd minutes: Max reps pistol squats
Even minutes: 8 chest to bar pull ups

My score: 65 lbs (jerk); 100 pistol squats

Dec 17 WOD: Partner WOD + Wendler

Strength: Shoulder press

40% x 5 = 5 x 25
50% x 5 = 5 x 30
60% x 5+ = 12 x 40

Annndddd... deload week is finally done!


Partner WOD

I got paired with Amie today. We had to do the following on the minute x 20 minutes:

- 3 power snatches
- 6 front squats

Amie and I agreed that we'd use 45 lbs for the snatch and 55 lbs for the front squats. I found the weights a wee bit too light, so I just focused on technique. For the snatch, a post that I read on Facebook said that a good cue is "bar on the belly", and I tried to do just that. As for the front squats, I did my best to maintain the hook grip even while the bar is racked on my shoulders, and I kept reminding myself to keep my elbows up.

I'm sad that the box will be closed on the 26th and the 2nd. Maybe it's time to rediscover running.

Dec 14 WOD: 1RM Clean

It was a 1RM kind of day, and we worked on the clean today. We had 20 minutes to find our 1RM clean. I warmed up with the bar and worked my way up from 55 lbs to 105 lbs. I'll take that 5 lb PR, thank you very much!

The last time I got my 1RM power clean, it took me 3 tries before I was able to clean 105 - it was actually a squat clean - and today I only had to do it once! CrossFit works, yo.

For the cash out, we had a choice between:

A. Any 2 of the following:

- 5 rounds for time: 15 unbroken push press

- For time: 60 ring dips

- For time: 10 rounds of 10-second L-sit holds

- For time: 10 rounds of 6 unbroken toes to bar

B. On the minute 5 x 10 reps overhead squats (70-80% of 1RM)

I went for the OHS using a 45 lb bar. 50 reps is no joke!

Dec 12 WOD: Couplet + Wendler

WOD

We did body weight exercises today, as we do every Wednesday. I was again tempted to cherry pick when I saw the WOD (it's the first thing I check in the morning, if you must know), but I had no choice. I don't like wall balls and burpees, which is even more reason for me to go.

There's a 20 minute time cap, and it alarmed me to see some DNFs on the board. We had to do 30-25-20-15-10-5 of:

- Wall balls (Rx: 14 lbs)
- Burpees

I used 10 lbs for the wall balls again, and even at that weight it was hard. It didn't help that my arms and legs (and my butt!) are still sore from yesterday's WOD. But slowly, the numbers went down and I finished, just barely, in 18:42. It was intense. Soleil even said that she threw up in her mouth! Like literally. OMG.


Strength: Back squats

It was still early when we finished, so I decided I better do the Wendler and get deload week over with.

40% x 5 = 5 x 50
50% x 3 = 3 x 65
60% x 1+ = 7 x 75

My legs were so shaky! Don't know if I should blame yesterday's WOD or today's WOD.

Dec 11 WOD: Choose your weakness

On the menu today: clean and jerks as an appetizer and pistol squats and pull ups for the main course.

Before the 15 minutes of skills work started, we were supposed to warm up to our working weight, which is 85-95% of our 1RM clean and jerk. Then when the 15 minutes started counting down, we had to do 5 sets of 1 rep each of this weight -- no adding and no subtracting of weights.

I used 75 lbs, basing my calculation on a 1RM of 85 lbs, but upon checking my log, I find out that my 1RM is in fact 80 lbs. Oops. That's still 95% of my 1RM, though.

After that, there was an on the minute (OTM) 16 minute metcon, where again we had the choice:

Odd minutes: 6 squat cleans or max reps pistol squats
Even minutes: 8 pull ups or 4 muscle ups

I went with the pistols and the pull ups, because those were what I needed to work on. I'd been practicing pistol squats at home and at the office (when I'm sure nobody is looking), so I also wanted to try doing it in a WOD. Success! My pistols are not perfect, but I will get there. I just need to gain a bit more flexibility.

Someday, I'll be able to do it perfectly like Christmas Abbott:

(source)

But for now, I like that I'm able to say, "My butt hurts from doing 107 pistols!" :)

My score: 75 lbs for the C&J; 107 reps for the pistol squats.

Dec 10 WOD: Choose your own adventure

I'm back from lovely Palawan where I went faileo all the way. And now I've got this dumb headache from gorging on sweets (my weakness!).

We worked on the front squat (racked) for the first part of the workout. We had 15 minutes to get our 3RM, then 5 minutes to get our 10RM. Helen and I shared a bar, and I was able to work my way up to 105 lbs. After that, I used 75 lbs for the 10RM.

For the metcon, it was on the minute for 16 minutes of:

Odd: Choice between 5 hand stand push ups or 6 push press
Even: 200m run or 100m sprint or 200m row

In his FB post, Coach Pau strongly suggested that we choose the exercises we need to work on -- in other words, what we don't want to do. For the odd minutes, I did the push press (45 lbs), and for the even minutes, I chose the sprint. And sprint I did!

Dec 5 WOD: Goats + Wendler

Strength: Dead lifts

Today's the start of deload week. Coach Jordan said I could try getting my 1RM for the lifts when I'm done deloading. I know for sure that my shoulder press has improved, but I'm not sure about my dead lifts and back squats.

Warm up: 5 x 50

40% x 5 = 5 x 70
50% x 5 = 5 x 85
60% x 5+ = 10 x 105


WOD

It was all body weight exercises today. I'm so glad they didn't make us do wall balls or burpees, though. The workout was 12 minutes long, and it was EMOM of:

- 20 double unders
- Max reps push ups

My 2 goats! I did the workout as prescribed, and at the beginning I had trouble getting even one DU. There were around 3 or 4 rounds that I wasn't able to finish, which meant I wasn't able to do push ups, but around half-time I started to get it. My score at the end of the 12 minutes: 68 push ups. So happy I stuck with doing full push ups and I could put a little "Rx" beside my name on the board.

Dec 4 WOD: Clean and jerk

We had 15 minutes to work up to our 3RM touch and go clean and jerk. When the coach says "touch and go", it means once you pick up the bar, you can't re-grip from the floor and you have to keep going until you're done with the set. I was able to work up to 85 lbs.

For the metcon, we had 12 minutes to do:

- 30 burpees

- 50 thrusters (Rx: 45)

- 500m row

Coach Pau was there beside me pushing me and constantly feeding me with instructions. It helped tons, and I know I would've gone easier on myself if he hadn't been there. That's one of the things I love about the CrossFit community (a.k.a. "cult" to others).

Anyway, I used only 40 lbs for the thrusters, because 50 thrusters are no joke (plus, I wussed out again). I finished in 9:44. Define wasak. I thought my legs were going to give in as I was trying to stand from the rower. And I lay on the floor for a good 5 minutes just trying to breathe.

Dec 3 WOD: Hello, Helen!

Benchmark girl Helen as cash out? Why not, coaches, why not, indeed?

For the first part of the workout, we worked on our full snatch, meaning we were to catch the bar in the squat position. We were given 15 minutes to work up to 3 x 1 of 45 lbs for beginners and 65 lbs for intermediate peeps. I tried going for 55 lbs but I couldn't stick it, so I stuck with 45 lbs.

For the metcon, we did Helen, which is 3 rounds of the following (with an 18 minute cap):

- 400m run

- 21 kettlebell swings (Rx: 16 kg)

- 12 pull ups

I'd thought about skipping this one but then I remembered Lisbeth Darsh's blog post on cherry picking, and I reminded myself that it's been 3 days since my last workout so I dragged my butt to the box and resigned myself to running in the noon heat.

So, confession: I know that it's supposed to be a 400m run, but I didn't run the whole time. I wonder when I'll ever actually run a running WOD. Maybe when I finally learn to fight back against all the negative thoughts invading my head every time I'm close to the edge of my comfort zone?

Anyway, as to my time: 16:32.

Nov 29 WOD: Snatch pulls + Wendler

Strength: Shoulder press

Last day of Cycle 3 today.

Warm up: 5 x 35

75% x 5 = 5 x 45
85% x 3 = 3 x 50
95% x 1+ = 4 x 60

WOD

After a 400m warm up jog, we all worked on our double unders because the second part of the workout included double unders.

For the first part of the workout, we were given 15 minutes to work up to 3 x 3 heavy snatch pulls. I was able to work up to 75 lbs.

For the metcon, we had to do the following EMOM for 12 minutes:

- 3 power snatch (Rx: 45 lbs)
- 15 double unders

Since the focus of the workout was technique, I used only 35 lbs for the power snatch. There was an option to scale and do 60 singles instead of 15 DUs but I managed to convince myself to not chicken out. My DU skillz eluded me when I needed them the most. Bah. I was able to complete 7 out of 12 rounds! And yes, I'm happy about that.

Nov 27 WOD: Cleans Part 2

So we already did this workout about a month ago, and today the coaches wanted to do a "retest". As before, we were given 24 minutes to do 6 sets of the following complex:

- High hang squat clean
- Hang squat clean
- Squat clean
- Push press

- High hang squat clean
- Hang squat clean
- Squat clean
- Push jerk

- High hang squat clean
- Hang squat clean
- Squat clean
- Split jerk

That's one set. We were told to try to do the movements unbroken, but if we had to, we could reset only in between the overhead movement and the high hang squat clean. We were also told to try to increase the weight for each set.

As you can see, I increased the weight every 2 sets only. And I PRed! Because the last time we did this, I used 55 lbs on my last set and today I did 60. Progress in baby steps.

Nov 26 WOD: Snatch skills

For the first part of the workout, we were given 15 minutes to work up to our 1RM snatch push press and overhead squat. I was paired with Amie, and we worked our way up to 60 lbs. The snatch push press was more difficult for me, but I have a pretty decent OHS now. I just need to remind myself to widen my stance a little bit more.

For the metcon, we had to do the following EMOM (every minute on the minute) for 10 minutes:

- 4 power snatch (Rx: 45 lbs)

- 8 kettlebell swings (Rx: 16 kg)

The prescribed weight was low because the coaches wanted us to make sure that our technique was good. I did everything as prescribed and survived the 10 rounds.

Nov 23 WOD: Elizabeth + Wendler

Strength: Back squats

I'm still on Week 3 of Cycle 3, and I'm looking forward to deload week.

Warm up: 3 x 45; 3 x 65; 3 x 85

75% x 5 = 5 x 95
85% x 3 = 3 x 105
95% x 1+ = 1 x 120

WOD

The first part of the workout was actually 2 x 1 of 80-95% of our 1RM back squat, but I'd asked permission to do my Wendler back squats.

For the metcon, we did the benchmark girl Elizabeth. It's (yet again) 21-15-9 of:

- Squat cleans (Rx: 95 lbs)
- Ring dips

I used 55 lbs for the cleans and did paralette dips instead of ring dips. My time: 8:40.

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 21 WOD: Couplet

We were given a 10 minute time cap to do:

5-10-15-20-25

- Kettlebell swings (no Rx, but as heavy as you can)

- Box jumps (Rx: 24")

I used a 16 kg kettlebell and a 24" box. I. Felt. Like. Death. And I DNFed again. I was 6 box jumps short, and I know that if I hadn't rested as many times as I did, I would've finished. Shoulda woulda. Boo hoo.

Post-WOD, we celebrated Rhona and Amie's birthdays, and bade farewell to Chester. There was pizza, KFC chicken, and custaroons (which are like little bites of heaven). I guess everyone's cheat day fell on the same day. :)

Nov 19 WOD: G.I. Jane + Wendler

Strength: Dead lifts

Today starts Week 3 of Cycle 3.

Warm up: 3 x 65; 3 x 85; 2 x 105

75% x 5 = 1 x 130
85% x 3 = 1 x 145
95% x 1+ = 3 x 165

Uhh. It's only now that I've realized that I did it wrong today and I'm quite annoyed with myself. I thought I was supposed to do only 1 rep each, and not 5/3/1. Hello? Isn't that why it's called the Wendler 5/3/1?! Toink. Well, I got the last set right, at least. Oh, and I'm happy to report that I hook gripped all the way! I think I'm starting to get comfortable with it.

WOD

For the first part of the work out, we were given 15 minutes to get our 1RM snatch balance. I was able to work up to 45 lbs only, but I felt that given more time, I'd have been able to work up to 55 lbs (confidence!).

Rach and I shared a bar

For the metcon, we did the benchmark G.I. Jane, which is 100 burpee pull ups. I, along with some others, did the scaled version, which is jumping pull ups using rings instead of a pull up bar.

I thought I'd DNF yet again, but I surprised myself by finishing with more than 5 minutes to spare. You just gotta keep going, one at a time. Chip away at that number one at a time. Don't think about having to do 80 more - think about doing 10 more, then another 10, then another 10. Before you know it, you only have 10 left to do, and finally your day is done!

My time: 14:25.