Upper Body

For Time: 21, 15, 9 reps of 55# BP and pull-ups Time: 6 something

Poor Running but Keeping the Paleo

Although we've been on vacation I've still stuck to the paleo. I did accidently lick muffin off my finger and didn't realize it until I swallowed. Not too bad for my only bloop! So, for catching up...
THis past week did a few short runs with one day of 800m intervals. Then,

Sunday 9/27 attempted a 12 mile run but someone stole the water (in my camelback sippy!!!)I had planted next to the road so I had to run home to hydrate. Only made it 7 miles, drank a lot of water then rested at home for a bit. Finished the 5 miles a few hours later. Nasty run. Not feeling it. Allergies bothering me and just feeling ugh!

Monday 9/28 Front Squat 55x3, 65x3, 75x3, 85x3, 95x3, 105x1, 110x1, 115(f) knees bowed in too much

Tuesday 9/29 Isabel using 55# for snatch Time: 2:41 Next time I'll try 65#; 4 mile run/walk...still can't run for some reason

GHD Paleo 10

Got to the hotel late tonight and we're trying to wear the sugar-buzz out of the kids. Did yesterday's WOD this morning before we left for our trip:
5 Rounds of:
30 GHD situps
25 GHD back ext
Time: 14:50...Nat kicked my butt on this one! My hamstrings were TIGHT!
Paleo Day 10...I survived another cheat night while my family had a carb-fest at IHOP followed by chocolate chip bars, banana bread & popcorn! 1/3 of the way done! Morning weight: 130.5

Interval Run, Dead lift, Paleo 9

This afternoon I attempted my dreaded 4x1 mile at 7:45 min intervals. Didn't reach my goal, but I feel great about finishing, nonetheless, because I didn't quit after 3 like I was very tempted to do: I just kept thinking, "keep looking up and you won't vomit"
7:33, 7:40,7:51,8:11 When I got home and Riley saw how red my oxygen-deficient face was his comment was, "I think I made it too tough. Maybe next week we'll try at an 8 min pace." Intervals are my most dreaded runs, and this was the toughest interval workout I've ever done. 4 is a lot of rounds. Especially because any distance over 400m doesn't feel like a sprint to me!!! Followed the run with a quick deadlift workout: 3x152, 3x162, 4x172. 3x10 power snatches, 45# & 2x20 lunges.

As far as Paleo goes, I don't remember my morning weight because my chart sheet is in my Bible which is in my bag which is packed in the car because VACATION STARTS TOMORROW! We're so thrilled to be taking a family vacation to Florida. We'll be staying with Riley's younger sister most of the time, but for one glorious night we're meeting Ry's brother, Kyle, who hooked us up for a night in the Nickelodeon Hotel. So cool! If you get a chance, check out all the cool stuff at the hotel's blog (I'm too lazy to figure out a way to link it for you). I know we've got a sliming session waiting for us, but other than that, who knows! Anyway, back to Paelo, I had a good day. I bought two young coconuts, butsted them open myself using a screwdriver, hammer and an axe. I drained the milk, drank a ton, and then steamed some fresh veggies & shrimp in the milk. Delicious! I then scooped out a lot of the coconut flesh and shredded it in the food processer. I thought it tasted like a sweet delicacy, but Natalie, on the other hand, gagged on the texture that she claimed was like cartilidge :) So cheers to a creative lunch that boosted me through an un-necessary nap today!

Tempo Run, Shoulders, Paleo 8

Was supposed to run 3.5 miles at an 8:45 tempo but that didn't happen! Riley's been in Knoxville all week so I had the girls with me this morning. My pace was a lot closer to 9:15 than anything else, but I'm brushing it off as I'm learning to show myself more grace right now. :)
Headed to the gym and worked on shoulders this morning.
Shoulder Press: 3x60, 3x63, 4x66
3x10 pull-ups, 3x handstand holds, 3x15 wall ball shots

am weight: 133 Looking forward to our trip to Florida this coming week. I'll get to enjoy someone else's cooking and the occasional restaurant. Ready for a change in the food scene.

Rest & Paleo 7

Thankful today was a rest day. Enjoyed my girls today...playground & then errands. Just took it easy & I wasn't very hungry today. Am weight: 132. Funny story: I've been having trouble eating eggs lately, but I didn't do a good job having any meat prepared for lunch, and I didn't feel like cooking by the time lunch rolled around. I heated and mashed up 2 hard-boiled eggs and piled them on a bed of lettuce. I swallowed down about 5 bites feeling good, and then all of a sudden I found myself chewing, and chewing, and chewing endlessly. My mouth started watering b/c the texture was bothering me. I ran to the trash can and gagged on that salad. I threw the rest away. So much for trying eggs again. Didn't have anymore vegetables the rest of the day besides a slice of cucumber. So, that's not good, but I don't really care. It's temporary & it's not gonna kill me to miss a day of veggies. Speaking of veggies, though, I do have to say that one of the main perks of this diet is that it has cured me of my "constipation blues." I've been regular since day one. :)

Back Squat & Paleo 6

Back Squat: 5x90, 5x100, 7x110 (last week I failed on 6 & this week I failed on 8 so there's been some improvement)
3x15 KBS 16kg, 3x15 Back Ext, 2x20 Double-Unders

Paleo Day 6 Weight: 132.5 Body Fat: 22ish% (my scale said 23, online measuring test said 21 & Jen's scale said 21)
Took a short nap today while the girls napped this afternoon. I tried to eat eggs for breakfast, but I threw half my breakfast away. I'm just sick of eggs & there's only so many ways to prepare them. When it comes to food, I don't like being a creature of habit. Riley can eat the same foods over and over each day, every day. I like to repeat a couple times a month at most. Needless to say, I need to get a little more creative in the kitchen. I need some creative sauces to spice up plain meats & salads. And I've got to hunt down some new breakfast foods. Any ideas?

Bench, Row & Paleo 5

am: bench press 5x65, 5x70, 5x75 then 3x10 renegade row, 3x7 ring dips w/ 1 band, 3x10 medicine ball push-ups
pm: Interval Row 3x (250, 500, 750 @ max damper...I used 8.5)
Paleo Day 5 am weight: 133.5 Feeling pretty good. Didn't need a nap today although I shut my eyes for 10 min. Have felt a little foggy-minded today. Gotta remember to take my fish oil tonight!
Had a refreshing meal for dinner: smothered chicken breast in olive oil and curry powder. Grilled them. Topped them with a mixture of diced peaches & crushed cashews. Mmm! Sauteed cabbage on the side (Which I managed to burn) & sauteed mushrooms just b/c they sounded good. Watermelon for dessert. Was a nice break from my ground meat or fish with mixed vegetables.

Long Run Pose/ Paleo Day 4

Went for my long run this morning: 10 miles at 10 min pace. Was not feeling it today & didn't feel like going. It wasn't a bad run but I wasn't feeling strong either. I knew I didn't have the energy to tackle hills today so I ran to BP and back a couple times. I was a little nauseous from hunger around mile 8 and then I ate an apple, 1/2 a peach, and strawberries when I got home. I was able to pose the entire run except the downhill on the last half mile.
Day 4 on Paleo AM weight 134. Although I've been hungry all day nothing I'm allowed to eat has sounded good to me. I made myself eat a tuna salad for lunch & tilapia with steamed veggies for dinner. The food was my fuel and I feel good & strong when I eat those foods. My legs don't swell & I don't get sugar headaches but I don't necessarily enjoy eating either. Today was a day that I wanted a piece of bread or a bowl of cereal. I had a feeling I would crave carbs after my long run so I was prepared for these struggles.

Paleo Day 3

Am Weight: 134 so it's steadily dropping. Couldn't bring myself to eat any eggs or meat for breakfast this morning. I settled on nuts, yet again. I'm a little concerned that I'm eating way too many almonds but as long as I'm dropping weight I'm going to assume I'm not getting too many fats??? Anyone know about this? Riley and I worked on the lawn all morning and then we went out for lunch and I ate grilled salmon, grilled mushrooms, and a plain salad. The salmon & mushrooms tasted awesome. I get bored with my own cooking and routine foods that eating different foods that someone else prepared was the boost I needed today. And, yes, I was that annoying customer who informed the waiter that I couldn't have dairy so please make sure none of my food was cooked in butter. He was great and I was able to rest assured that I wasn't cheating.
Also, Nat's continuing to send me great articles, blogs, & recipes that have encouraged this journey. I've been reading a little on what other paleo followers eat and I think I'm going to try to incorporate un-sweetened coconut milk this week. Tonight was Riley's cheat night and it was killing me not to indulge in the ice cream & chocolate, but I resisted and I feel proud of myself. Strawberries, peaches, & mango tea got me through. :) I think a new food like the coconut milk would feel like a treat to look forward to. Physically, though, I feel good. I still feel strong, although I find myself getting irritable quickly. if I eat immediately the crankiness usually subsides within 15 min. Tomorrow's my long run day so I'm eager to observe how my body handles the run, both during & after. It's kind of fun being my own experiment!

3 Days On & Paleo Days 1 & 2

Wednesday 9/9
am goal: Tempo Run 3 mi at 8:45. Felt great and actually ran closer to an 8:30. Thrilled my calves are getting a lot stronger quickly!
late am: Shoulder Press 5x55, 5x58, 6x62
3x handstand holds...1:10 pr
3x15 push-ups
3x5 pull-ups

Thursday 9/10 Metcon Day Paleo Day 1
I chose Elizabeth and bumped it up 5 lbs to 185. Time was 8:35, so seconds slower than my best, but 5 lbs heavier so I feel good about it
Also, DAY 1 of my Paleo 30 Day Challenge. Natalie sent me some sites on the Paleo and since I'm a person who needs pretty strict boundaries, a 30 day challenge with tough guidelines is inticing to me. Without much thought I've decided to try the Paleo diet for 30 days. I'm hoping for 5 lbs weight loss w/o muscle loss, increase in strength and speed, clearer complexion. Maybe all or none of those things will happen. Who knows but I'm going for it and I'm sure I'll feel better from this change of eating, regardless. I'm not focusing on weighing my food or keeping track of portions. Simply trying to shovel in proteins, fats, fruits & veggies. If I'm hungry or irrtitable I'll eat and if I'm starting to feel full I'll stop.
Day 1: Am weight 136...no dairy, grains, sugar (even Stevia), peanuts, pb, processed foods. Started taking fish oil supplements as well. Lots of zucchini, red peppers, broccoli, carrots, eggs, some chicken, turkey, ham, pepperoni, some peaches, apples, blueberries, and hand fulls of almonds & pecans. Gonna work on consuming more water earlier in the day.

Friday 9/11 Interval Run & DL & Paleo Day 2
Slept like a rock last night and I'm feeling good. No fatigue. No headaches. No sugar-crashes. Love having fruit in the morning in place of toast or oatmeal. The egg usually doesn't sound good to me until AFTER a workout, but I'd still take an egg over a hunk of meat about 75% of the time.
Knocked out my dreaded 5x800 meter sprints shortly after Riley and Trey finished their row/clean challenge. My goal was to get under 3:45 for each sprint and my times were as follows:
3:43, 3:40, 3:40, 3:41, 3:40
Followed with DL 5x145, 5x155, 3 x 165. Only managed 3 on the last set. Feeling fatigued from sprints. Ended with 50 lunges (25 each leg).

CFT

Friday 9/4 3 mile hill run with Riley
Saturday 9/5 1 hour fast hike with Riley's Dad
Sunday 9/6 6 mile slow run with Riley 9.5-10 min pace
Today 9/7 CrossFit Total: Back Squat 130, Shoulder Press 75, Deadlift 205 Total: 410
Ready for a rest day tomorrow. I was pretty discouraged by my back squat today, but I didn't get much sleep last night (drove through the night and got home at 230 this morn) and I missed a rest day in there too. Hopefully that accounted for the lack of gain.

Back Squat & Abs

We're taking off this afternoon to spend the holiday weekend in Michigan. Not sure how much I'll get to workout there, so I needed to get my dreaded back squat in.
am: BS 5x90, 3x105, 5x115. The way this program has been working is I do as many I can on the last set. So, while last week was 11 at 105 lbs, this week I could only get 5 at 115 and in fact I dropped the weight on 6. Legs felt heavy today and I feel sluggish. I think yesterday's long run has caught up to me today. I'm still not satisfied with my nutrition either. I feel frustrated that I haven't stuck with any program long enough to find out what works for me: anabolic, eating clean, body ecology, zone, blood type. I'm starting to feel sorry for myself that there's no good fit for me. Since so many other people have found "the magic program" that works great for them. Pity party, I know. I just need to pick something and stick with it for a couple months. I guess there's not a program that I believe 100% in, but regardless, I know I could be making changes that they ALL have in common- cut out sugar, pitch refined carbs, and pile on the green veggies! While I've done that for the most part, Riley has dubbed me, "picker" because I'll pick at a cookie or chocolate chips here or there and think it doesn't count. I can tell that I've put on muscle from the Zone, but I don't like feeling bigger. My thighs rub together, I feel bloated, and I'm up 5 pounds. I like how the Body Ecology made me feel about myself, but I was losing strength and speed...and it was pretty tough to turn into a lifestyle. Why can't I find the balance of putting on muscle enough to tone but not to bust out of my jeans? Sorry ladies (I'm assuming most of the readers are ladies), just needed to vent :) Off to do 8 min abs b/c that always makes me feel better.

long run pose

9 mile run, pose, at 10 min pace. Woke up early and ran with the sunrise today. It was a terrific run...I felt great, I tackled all the hills (the nasty ones on Tiny Town by Peachers Mill), I didn't have to stop and massage my calves. I tried hard to stay around a 10 min pace for the first half, then I let myself run faster for the second half.

4K Row & Shoulder Press

am: 4k row in 17:53
pm: Shoulder Press 5x60, 3x65, 1x70...felt tough today!