Eh is a Thing of the Past

My last post was rather uninspiring which is funny because I've had a few inspiring moments since then. The first was last week when I discovered on my first attempt that I could do two kipping pull ups in a row. Next up 3-5. The second was Friday morning's workout where I knocked out 18 pull ups (2 rounds in the WOD included 9 pull ups- actually there was a third round but I didn't get to it). Then yesterday we did Angie and I did my first attempt at an RX Angie. Crystal capped the pull ups at 10 minutes, but I stopped at about 9 minutes when I realized my hands were too cut up to go any further. Even though I only did 35 out of the 100 pull ups, it still set a new record and I'm still counting it as RX. My total time was 23:47. The 100 squats and situps are like nothing to me now but I still get a little caught up on my pushups. I don't feel sore from them today so I think that was mental and part exhaustion and leftover pain from the pull ups. Anyhow, I feel pretty inspired that I can RX almost any Crossfit WOD (still some weights are too heavy) but I also know there's A LOT of room to grow especially with my speed and endurance and definitely some of my lifts (hello, flat back deadlifts).

So my most inspiring workout moment of the week is that I decided to do the Spartan 300 Challenge. This is my third year doing it (crazy!). The first year I did it was August of 2008. I had just joined Crossfit and I didn't do the whole challenge, but got to do the end workout anyway. Box jumps were step ups, the weight was just the barbell, the pull ups were jumping, the pushups were on my knees, and my kettlebell was the light silver one. Fastforward to the 2009 Challenge and the pushups were on my toes, the weight was intermediate, the pull ups were still jumping, but the box jumps almost all jumps with maybe a few step ups. Now for 2010, my goal is to do it RX. I'm pretty sure I can RX the weight but I know I can do 25 pull ups without stopping. The pushup and box jumps are going to be hard but more than doable.

The hardest part of the challenge will be self-discipline and nutrition since it begins in Geoff's final months before he leaves for Afghanistan. But he is a very supportive husband and I know he is proud of me. This challenge will make stronger on a personal level and strength is something I am going to need to get through this next deployment.

Eh

This week's workouts have been kinda "eh." My front squat was only 100 and I think I could have done more so I'm kinda mad at myself. Today the workout included deadlifts and sumo deadlift high pulls and I think my form was kinda crap so my back hurt so I wasn't that good. So "eh." Mostly I'm just trying to get back into the Paleo groove but it's hard because I haven't had any weight loss with Paleo so I'm not totally convinced it's working for me.

Found a Recipe

What you need/what I used:
-1/2 butternut squash, peeled, quartered, seeded, and cut into slices or big cubes
-asparagus (how ever much your heart desires) cut into pieces
-1 red bell pepper
-2 tsp. olive oil
-sea salt, pepper, basil, and dried oregano
-2 pork tenderloins
-1 orange, halved

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet toss together squash, asparagus, and bell pepper. Spray with organic olive oil pam (a generous coating) and season with sea salt, pepper, and basil. Roast 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, season pork generously with sea salt and pepper; sprinkle (I like to pronounce it sprankle) with oregano. In a large skillet, heat 2 tsp olive oil over medium heat. Cook pork until golden brown on both sides (about 8-10 minutes). Nestle pork among vegetables on sheet; roast until vegetables are tender and pork is cooked through (about 15-20minuets).

3. DON'T SKIP THIS PART! Remove pan from oven, cut the orange in half and squeeze half the orange over the pork and veggies. Let cool a bit and serve.

4. ENJOY :)

Tom Ka Gai aka Coconut Ginger Chicken Soup.
Time – 20-30 mins
Ingredients
1 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken (cut into strips)
1 “A Taste of Thai” Coconut Ginger Soup Base (I use this brand found at HEB as it is easier than tracking down Thai ingredients like Galangal and Fish Sauce – it’s got a trace amount of Sugar but no gluten or preservatives.)
1 can Coconut Milk (not the Lite kind please)
14.5 Chicken Broth (make sure you don’t get one loaded with preservatives or ingredients you can’t pronounce)
1 Lime
1 Carrot
1/4 Cauliflower
A couple of sprigs of Cilantro
In a pan, combine the Soup Base and Coconut milk over high heat, bringing it to boil. Add chicken, cauliflower, carrots, stir and bring to boil. I toss in the carrots and cauliflower to get my daily dose of vegetables. Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked. Add the Chicken broth, stir and return to boil. Add the lime based on the level of sourness you would like. Remove from heat, garnish with Cilantro and voila – a quick easy and filling meal.

Scared!

I have my makeup I Am Crossfit Benchmark workout in a few hours. I feel kinda nervous, almost want to just not go. I don't want to feel bad if I don't finish the workout in the 12 minutes. I'm afraid of my cleans, last time I couldn't get it done quick enough. I'm trying to reflect on everything I ate today, trying to make myself drink water. I really want to finish. I lost 4 and half inches and 2% body fat. I can kip. I should be happy no matter what. But I tend to focus more on what I do wrong than what I do right. So I'm scared! But I think all real achievements come from risk. Successful people don't play it safe. I'm going to do my best and then work on accepting my best for what it is and trying not to wallow in regret (like how poor my diet was this weekend because of vacation).

I am also a little concerned because yesterday was a crazy workout. 75 situps, 50 pushups, 25 pull ups, 15 jumping squats (2 Rounds). It wouldn't have been so crazy if I hadn't insisted on doing every push up on my toes even if it meant doing one at a time at the end. Now my arms are a bit sore and I'm going into my benchmark workout. But no excuses! I just need to "get 'er done" and then move on.