A busy girl's shake

I am completely committed to a whole foods diet - no doubt about that. Fresh produce, animal protein and healthy fats are the basis of my diet but lately I'm discovering that even I can't keep this up ALL the time. Eating this way takes time and although it is totally worth it, sometimes I just can't do it. My usual routine is to prepare a whole ton of food on Sunday or Monday nite for the next few days. This is a great system that saves time (and $$) during the week. Also, preparing your meals ahead of time will guarantee that you stick to your diet. When I simply don't have time to prepare food in advance, I resort to a protein shake. It's easy in a pinch and tastes damn good too. The downside is that it doesn't satisfy your hunger like real food and I am usually starving 2 hours after drinking. That being said, I wouldn't recommend this for everyone.

Busy Girl's Shake:

Paleomeal whey powder (excellent source- from grass-fed cows)

1/2 cup Coconut Milk, canned

juice from 1 Lemon

1 scoop Green powder (Jarrow brand)

2 tbs Brewer's yeast (excellent source of b vitamins, minerals and amino acids)

organic Cherries, frozen

2 tbs ground Flaxseed (good source of fiber and Omega 3 fatty acids)

1/2 cup Goat's milk Kefir (good probiotic)

Cinnamon

*Throw this all in a blender until smooth.

I don't bother counting blocks on this one, but if I had to guess:

4-5 Protein blocks, 7-10 Fat blocks, about 2 Carb blocks

Bull's Eye

I finally hit my target weight on bench press: my bodywieght. After months and months with no hope of ever getting over the 100 pound hump, I just about cried yesterday when I got 113 x2. Last week I got 100 x5x3 fairly easily so I thought I would try my bodyweight. What the heck, why not, right? For some reason, I had imagined that the weight would feel like a gajillion pounds as soon as I got it off the rack but it was surprisingly "light". It felt so good, I went for another and got it!

I'm absolutely thrilled to have a bodywieght bench press and it's no coincidence that I got it during my strength training cycle. My hard work is finally paying off. So, even though I may have a pathetic Helen time, at least I can bench press #113! Whoo-hoo!

Yesterday's Workout:

"Lynne"

Max Reps Bodywieght Bench Press

Max Reps Pull-ups

5 Rounds

2/10, 1/10, 0/10, 0/10, 1/10

Total Score: 54

The third and fourth rounds were brutal. My bar path was a little off and I couldn't manage to correct it while pushing the weight off my chest. I'm okay with that. I'll definitely try again next week.

Food Today:

6AM

Shake (whey, brewer's yeast, flaxseed, hempseed mik, coconut milk, frozen berries)

10AM

1oz Turkey

2 slices of Jicama, raw

Herbal tea

12PM

2.5oz Turkey

2 cups Green Beans, cooked

3 Almonds

Sleep: 7.10 hours

On a side note: I have to say that I’m super excited to be writing a blog post today. Finally! Work and school have been keeping me busy these days, leaving me very little time for anything else. I find that the free time I do get here and there is spent at the gym playing catch up on my workouts. I’m not used to spreading myself thin and I must say I really suck at it. I’d like to say I can work 2 jobs, do homework, adequately feed myself, train hard, and get 10 hours of sleep every nite but I’d be lying. Needless to say, I'm working on organizing my life and “getting my mind right” as Angela says.

Rippetoe is right. You can’t have your cake and eat it too. I love CF but I've recently reached a point in my training where I think I could really benefit from a break. Up until now, I’ve supplemented CF with powerlifts every 3rd day or so, but my linear progression on the lifts soon came to screeching halt on this program. Obviously, my desire to be both good at metcons and strong was getting me nowhere. I still have trouble doing a good deal of the CF wods with the prescribed women’s weight so, I decided that if I’m ever going to do “Linda” rx’d I had to commit to heavy lifting and quit messing around!

This week I’m entering my 5th week of strength training. I’ve been doing a combination of power lifts (e.g. backsquat, press, bench press), Olympic lifts, and some accessory exercise (weighted dips/pull-up). I’m following the SS novice program pretty loosely and have been strict about taking a rest day every other day. According to Ripp, you don’t get stronger from lifting heavy weights; you get stronger recovering from lifting heavy weights.

Workout Log 11.17.08

Yesterday I learned just how unconditioned I am. My Helen time was 1:26 slower than my last time. I felt totally winded during the runs and I’m pretty sure I was gasping for air as I reached the gym on the final run. As I mentioned above, this is to be expected after a month of only lifting. On the bright side, I did all of the KB swings unbroken for the first time ever.

Backsquat 5x5 @ #118- Mike advised me to widen my stance a bit, which helped in correcting my depth and torso angle.

Bench Press 5x5 @ #98 (wow, I’m almost benching as much as I squat, interesting…)

Here is a great video on Female Olymic Lifters from the Strength Mill forum:
http://strengthmill.net/forum/showthread.php?t=88&highlight=female

Sleep

Sunday- 8hrs

Monday- 9hrs

Catching some Zs

As I mentioned in the last post, sleep has taken a high priority in my life. I just picked up TS Wiley's book LIGHTS OUT, Sleep, Sugar, and Survival, a well-researched look into the long-term health effects that sleep deprivation has on today's society. Wiley does an excellent job of arguing how lack of sleep can be at the root of many modern diseases. In the short time that I've been reading it, I have learned to appreciate the important role sleep has in my health. While we all know that we feel better after a good nights sleep, most of us short ourselves on our daily rest. Now that I’m back at school I really have to learn to manage my time so that I don’t have to sacrifice sleep.

And what a more appropriate time to begin my hibernation than fall? Unless you’ve been living entirely indoors for the past 30 days, you may be fully aware that summer is officially over. This means the hours of sunlight are becoming less and less. Naturally, the body makes its own adjustments to conform to its surrounding environment that is rarely constant. This typically translates into early bedtimes and sleeping in late -the body's attempt to conserve energy for the ensuing winter months. I think it's important to not resist this natural inclination to want to sleep more; it's the body's way of communicating that it NEEDS MORE SLEEP! I've definitely been guilty of guzzling down loads of coffee to ward off the yawns but that simply just won’t do any more, especially since I've sworn off coffee. The point is that adequate sleep is an important component to a healthy lifestyle and I plan on getting in on some!

Sleep Log
Monday 9.25
Tuesday 9
Wednesday 7.25

Yesterday’s Workout
Backsquat 5x5 #118
Benchpress 5x5 #96

Finisher: FGB 224 total score

(this was 5 reps short of my PR, but not bad considering I really haven’t been doing any metcons).

May you have a restful night of sleep!

Friday...Ahh..

I couldn't be happier for the weekend! This week felt exceptionally looong. The combination of school+fieldwork+an election was enough to throw off my sleep and training this week. In anticipation of my hectic schedule, I got in a pretty decent workout on Sunday though. Thank God for that.

Sunday

Backsquat 5x3 #114 (back'd off 10%)

Bench Press 5x3 #94

Pull-up Ladder= 10 rounds+5pull-ups C2B

2 Rounds of:

10 Box Jumps 26" box

10 Kb Swings 44#

4:41

Sprint 8 @Piedmont Track

Monday off.

Tuesday would have been my next training day if I hadn't of been glued to the Television.

Wednesday

Squat Cleans 3x5 #88

Wieghted Dips 5x2 #11 (would have done another set but I was rushed)

WOD: How many rounds in 20 mins of?

10 Thrusters #45

1o Pull-ups C2B

=10 rounds

Thursday off.

Friday

My quads were fried after the thruster workout on Wednesday so I did backsquats instead of front. Unfortunately, it still killed my legs.

Backsquat 5x5 #116

Shoulder Press 5x3 #68 (failed) = 4/3/4

Weighted Dips 5x3 #13 (failed) = 4/4/4

WOD: Helen-ish 3 Rounds of:

50 Double Unders

21 Kb Swings #44

12 Pull-ups C2B

Meals have been pretty good this week. I didn't have much time to plan but managed to get by on leftovers from the weekend. I've been maintaining 10-11 blocks of protein with lots of extra fat. Most carbs have been low GI and I've been pretty careful about not overdoing it, oh except for the vino on Tuesday and Thursday...and the homemade carrot cake on Wednesday. Okay, maybe I'm idealizing a bit. Nevertheless, I am really looking forward to the weekend and spending some quality time at home!

Sleep was a bit scarce this week. Late nights at school followed by early mornings at CrossFit put me in a sleep deficit. I averaged about 7.25 hours a nite. This is totally unacceptable, especially if I want to see any gains from my hard training. But, this was a rough week and sometimes it just works out that way. I'm hopeful that next week I'll be able to clock in a solid 9-10 hours/nite.

Kicking the Habit

As I sit down to sip my hot, organic lemon-ginger tulsi tea (take that Starbucks), I am reminded that today marks my 30th day without coffee and chewing gum. When I first decided to give my two vices the boot I had some serious doubt that I could survive without either one-especially gum. After the initial withdrawal symptoms from the coffee, the transition wasn’t so bad. Don’t get me wrong, there are still times when I am captured by the smell of a fresh pot of coffee and find myself staring longingly into the pot. And I do miss my kiwi-mandarin Trident gum, especially when I’m craving something sweet after lunch. Now that I’ve successfully completed 1 month free of coffee and gum, I feel like I can do anything!

When I started the Holistic Nutrition Education program at Bauman College, I quickly became aware of the potentially harmful effects of all sorts of junk that we put in our bodies. In my case, it was the sorbitol and other synthetic chemicals in chewing gum coupled with the absorbent amounts of caffeine, in the form of coffee, that were the main culprits.

The Good News: For the first time in a LONG time, I did not have menstrual cramps this month. This makes it all worth it! I remember the pain last month all too well and am thrilled to not have to re-live it. And, lucky for my friends and family, not chewing gum all the time has resulted in no more burps! OK, maybe a few tiny ones here and there.

Today's Meals:

Breakfast 8:45AM

3 Eggs scrambled w/ Kale and Tomato

1 piece of Bacon

5 Macadamia Nuts

3.5 protein/1 carb/ 8 fat (?)

Lunch 11:45PM

3oz Turkey breast

Fresh Tomato w/ Hummus

1 Peach

Peanut Butter

3 protein/1.5 carb/7 fat

Gettin' on track

On Friday nite I had myself a cheat meal. I had just completed the first week of my strength cycle and was feeling the need to splurge. Besides, I really couldn't resist my sister's homemade chocolate chip cookies. They were tasty, but I regreted it the next morning when I woke up with a huge tummy ache. It's been awhile since I've had a reaction that bad- my body's way of telling me that it doesn't want sugar and flour, regardless of how good it tastes. Needless to say, I spent the first part of my morning in agony. A few trips to the toilet and I was feeling well enough to hit the track for some sprints...

For the next few weeks, I will be focusing on strength as I mentioned in the previous post. Here's what it will look like:

Monday & Friday
5x5 Backsquat or Front Squat (alternating)
5x5 Press or Bench (alternating)
5x5 Weighted Pull-up or Weighted Ring Dips (alternating)
Finisher: 5-10min of a heavy metcon like Fat Cindy, or 1 round of FGB @ men's weight.

Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday off

Wednesday
5x3 Squat Cleans or Squat Snatch (alternating)
OR, Deadlifts
Finisher: 10min metcon at normal weight focusing on intensity.

Saturday
8 Sprints: 30 seconds on followed by 90 seconds of rest.

Last week went pretty well. However, I must admit that refraining from the long(er) CF wods is a lot harder than I thought it would be. But, I know that in order to get adequate recovery between lifting days I have to do this.

Diet: No major changes here, except that I am eating unlimited fat blocks and keeping carbs low except for post workout meals. Paleo foods 10 blocks with lots of extra fat for now, but I may bump up myself up to 11 blocks if I can't make my weight increases.

Back to Basics

About a year ago I attended the Mark Rippetoes's Basic Barbell Certification seminar. Ripp along with Lon Kilgore, lead a 2 day seminar where they taught the power lifts (backsquat, deadlift, bench press, shoulder press, power clean) and discussed the value of incorporating these lifts into one's exercise program to further improve overall strength. Rippetoe made it very clear that the squat in particular is especially critical in developing strength, stating that, "few things are graven in stone, except that you have to squat or you're a pussy."

Moving along, I have decided to really focus on my lifts again. After a period of linear progression, I've finally come to a standstill on my lifts. Rather than whine about it, and deliberately go out of my way to avoid backsquats, I am going after it with everything I got! There is simply too much to lose to just give up that easily. I discovered this excerpt on women and training on the strengthmill blog:

"It has been my experience that women progress exactly as men do, but at a slower rate. Adaptation is a trans-sex phenomenon, and we all progress in a linear fashion, testosterone or not. But in realizing the different rate of adaptation said hormones allow, you also realize that the small plates cannot wait even one more workout. These little jewels allow your progress to behave the same as a man's in terms of its linearity, instead of being stuck for 2-3 workouts as a matter of course. You can use 2" flat washers glued together to make up the plates you need inexpensively, so do this tomorrow." Here is another article he wrote on this topic.

Monday

Backsquat 5X5 @ 124 pounds 5-5-3 - I am going to attempt this same weight today.

Shoulder Press 5X5 @ 69 pounds 4-3-4

Today's Food

7:30AM

3 eggs scrambled w/ carrot, yellow squash and spinach

6 Almonds

1/2 Tbs Peanut Butter

= 3P/1.5C/4F

11:30AM

Salmon, canned

Raw sea Sauerkraut

Cabbage Salad w/ walnut oil & vinegar

1/4 cup Grapes

9 Almonds

= 3P/2C/6F

3 Days On!

I just finished the final day of my 3 day workout cycle and boy am I pooped!

Thursday
4 Rounds of:
10 Power Snatches #48
15 Pull-ups
20 Thrusters #48
25:52

Friday
AM workout
"Cindy"
6 rounds+9 push-ups
w/ 20lb weight vest

PM workout
Deadlifts
worked up to a set of 5 at 160

Saturday
Angela's Snatch Clinic
Lots of good healthy practice.

"Filthy 50"
35:39

I felt really good to get back into the gym after being sick for bit. I think it actually may have helped my recovery. Well, I am off to have a humongous cheat meal! I'll be taking a rest day tomorrow as I will be in Milpitas for the BGDC show down. Lets wish our fellow CFOers well!

Lunchtime at the office...

My lunch provoked much curiosity around the office today. It doesn't look very appealing because of the color and consistency but it sure is tasty! I got the recipe from one of my instructors at Bauman College but she may have taken it from another source. She calls it Beet & Carrot Slaw and she made it on our first day of class. I don't normally eat raw vegetables, not because I don't like them but simply because I haven't discovered many ways to prepare them. It's a lame excuse and in the future will make more of an effort to find more recipes. After all, I do believe we should enjoy foods in their most natural form. I happened to have A TON of carrots and beets from my dad's garden so I made a bunch of it last nite. And I mean a bunch!

2-3 Beets, peeled

2-3 Carrots, sliced

1-2 Apples, cored & sliced

Pecans

Lemon Juice

Unsweetened grated Coconut

Sea Salt

Olive oil

Its very simple to make, but it can be a bit time consuming (pls don't let that stop you). In a food processor, coarsely chop the first 4 ingredients in the order in which they are listed. Place them into a large bowl as you chop. Add in the lemon juice, coconut, sea salt and oil and mix well. As a nice final touch you can grate some lemon peel on top. Its best served cold.

Not just the Monday blues

Ugh, I hate to admit it, but I have definately caught the nasty bug that's going around. My week of clean eating and lots of sleep couldn't ward off this one. I felt it coming on all last week and this Saturday I woke up to a stuffy nose, sore throat and lots of sneezing (I sound like a Nyquil commericial). It took it easy this weekend, just planted myself on the couch and cuddled to a book all day on Saturday. Then at 4:45pm I thought it would be a good idea to get my body moving a bit...

800m Run

21 Shoulder Press #65

800m Run

21 Push-press #65

800 Run

21 Push Jerks #65

Time 20:59

The run was awful as a result of the congestion but my shoulder press felt pretty strong. Surprisingly I finished 2 minutes faster than the previous time I did this.

Sunday I took the day off from CF and spent the day in Ukiah with my family. We celebrated my nephew's 9th birthday! He's in pictured above blowing out his candles, unfortunetly you can't see his face because he's currently growing his hair out. Its THE new look, in case you didn't know. I was feeling good after resisting the Pete's coffee and so I treated myself to a piece of birthday cake. It was yummy...I even chased it with some protein to curb the effect of the sugar. It was so nice to spend some time with my family, I wish we could have stayed longer. We spent the rest of the day rummaging in my dad's garden, gathering up the last bit of Summer's gifts. I'll be posting some recipes soon...

Attn: Nutrition Heads

Nutrition Data is a useful site for those of you who'd like to, as their slogan says, know what you eat! You simply type in the name of the food and within seconds it spits out all of the nutritional information for that particular food. Oddly, I discovered this website last nite while looking for the nutritional profile of Spaghetti Squash. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of the vegetables featured in any of my Zone books, but I'm not surprised.

Today's Meals:

8:00AM (19 min)

3 Eggs

1 cup Cauliflower, steamed

1 cup Strawberries

1 Nectarine

1 Tbs. Peanut Butter

Green Tea

= 3P/2.25C/5F

12:15PM (9 min)

3 oz Turkey, sliced deli-meat

1 Tangerine

1 cup Spaghetti Squash, baked (salt, pepper & olive oil)

1/2 cup Strawberries

1/2 Tbs. Kalamata Olive Spread

= 3P/2.5C/4F

Status Update: Today marks the end of my 1st week without caffeine, sugar, gluten or dairy:)

Beyond Food Blocks

My first homework assignment for school was to keep a Food Journal for 7 days recording not only foods & beverages, but energy level, mood, location, duration and with whom you were dinning. As someone who regularly keeps a food journal, I wasn't sure what, if anything, I could gain from this assignment. Yet, in just a few days of journaling, I learned things about myself that were completely under my radar.

Upon examining the content of my diet, a few things really stood out to me. First, I noted a distinct relationship between the location of my meals and my energy level and attitude during and after that meal. For example, a good portion of my meals were consumed in my car while I was rushing to get somewhere. These meals left me unsatisfied and a bit stressed out as I attempted to drive while eating. Conversely, the meals that I made at home and enjoyed in the company of my loved ones were much more pleasurable. These meals had a positive and immediate effect on my energy level and mood.

As the week progressed, I noticed that I consume a lot more coffee than I thought I did.
This prompted me to try to reduce my consumption of coffee. I've always been a bit of a coffee aficionado, and didn't see my love of coffee as an addiction to caffeine until I removed it from my diet. In the beginning, I simply cut my daily intake from four cups to one. Then when I felt ready, I replaced my cup of joe with black tea and finally switched to green. It was particularly challenging at work because it gets brewed throughout the day and the aroma fills the office inviting us all to take it in. I found that drinking tea helped a lot, and now my cravings are almost entirely gone. My addiction to coffee really became obvious when the coffee was replaced with the intense headaches that are commonly linked with caffeine withdrawals. The headaches persisted for two days, but were worth kicking the habit.

The past 7 days were really insightful mostly because of the detailed structure of the Bauman Food Journal. It encompasses far more than just meal content providing a holistic view of the daily care for ones body. For me, it was recording the location and people with whom I was eating that helped me see how these seemingly minor details can have a significant impact on my overall well being.

Weekend Recap

I have totally been neglecting my blog and apologize for my recent inactivity. Over the last few days, I’ve written about 27 incomplete posts so here’s a quick recap of my weekend training and recovery meals.

Saturday: Fight Gone Bad Fundraiser at CFO

Total score= 229 (pr)

I wasn't feeling so hot before the workout so I decided that I would just "get through the workout". Interestingly, my no-pressure attitude allowed me to stay relaxed and clear headed during this whirlwind wod. Immediately following this workout, I sat down to study and could hardly keep my eyes open. I figured that a workout would do just the trick to wake me up!

4 Rounds for time:

Run 400M

50 Squats

=13:18 (a minute slower than my last time)

Post Workout meal (35min):

BBQ Ribs (E&J's)

1 Sweet Potato

Cabbage Salad

Corn bread

= 3P/6C/2F (fatty protein source, no added fat)

Sunday

Push Jerks 5-5-5-5-5

65-75-85-95(2 press out)-90

Post Workout Meal (45min):

Egg Frittata w/ artichokes and tomatoes

Sausage

Fruit Salad

Coffee w/ cream

= 3P/2C/6F

Because heavy lifting is not particularly glycogen depleting, there is no need to carb up for this post workout meal.

Nicole: C2B

(my hermana from another motha)

This morning's workout at CFO at 6am:

"Nicole"

Complete as many rounds in 20 minutes as you can of:

Run 400 meters

Max rep Pull-ups

Here's how it went down:

11/10/8/7/8/9/9 = 62

Last time I did this was March 16th and I got a total score of 60.

Granted I did get 13 pull-ups in the first round, but none of them were chest to bar.

Hooray, my chest to bar pull-ups a finally coming around!

Today's Meals:

7:45 AM (**post workout meal)

3 Eggs scrambled w/ mushrooms, thyme and marinara sauce.

1 small Sweet Potato

=3 Protein/4 Carb/0 Fat

10:00 AM

Coffee w/ Half & Half

12:10 PM

4.5oz Salmon, canned

2 Tbs Guacamole

1 cup sauteed Kale, Onions, Brussels sprouts

7 Macadamia Nuts

=3 Protein/1 Carb/8 Fat

Belching, gum-chewing and other sexy habits.

While playing a silly game called "The Book of Questions" my sisters kindly pointed out that I burp too loud and too often. How dare they, right? I mean everybody burps, even babies, it is a natural bodily function. Okay, maybe it's not the most pleasant sound, but what can a girl do? According to our friends at wiki, all I need to do is slow my roll! Sounds simple enough, but its rather challenging for someone who really enjoys to eat!

Belching is typically caused by eating or drinking too fast, and thereby swallowing (aerophagia) and subsequently expelling air, in which the expelled gas is a mixture of nitrogen and oxygen.

To make matters worse, I am a habitual gum chewer, putting away about 3/4 of a pack of Trident gum a day! The excess air swallowed from chewing gum coupled with my rapid eating habits gives way to a whole lot of belching....look out! It no wonder I look almost 5 months pregnant, my belly is full of air! That's it I am cutting back on my gum consumption pronto!

And if you think I'm bad check this guy out:

The sound of burping is caused by the vibration of the upper esophageal sphincter[4] as the gas passes through it. The current Guinness world record for the loudest burp is 118.1 dB, set by Paul Hunn from London, England in 2000.[5] (This would be noticeably louder than a chainsaw at a distance of 1 meter.)

Today:

7:45 A.M. (21 minutes)

1oz Lite Cheese

Salmon

1/2 Avocado

1.5 cup cooked Eggplant

.5 Tbs. Peanut Butter

= 3 protein/1 carbs/4 fat

10:00 A.M.

1 cup Coffee w/ Cream

11:15 A.M.

1 piece of Gum

12:10 P.M. (16 minutes)

Salmon

1/2 Avocado

.5 cup cooked Eggplant

1 Peach

.5 Tbs Peanut Butter

=3 protein/1.5 carb/4 fat

The Contents of My Belly

Monday
9:00 AM
2.5oz Roast Beef
1 small Apple
Coffee w/ heavy whipping cream
= 2.5 Protein blocks/ 1 Carb block/ 5 Fat blocks

1:00 PM
2oz Low-fat Cheese
1oz Salmon
1 1/3cup cooked Zucchini
1 Plum
1 Tablespoon Avocado
¼ cup light Coconut Milk
= 2.5 Protein blocks/ 2 Carb block/ 6 Fat blocks

5:15 PM
3 Turkey meatballs w/ Marinara sauce
1 Plum
1 Tbls Almond butter
= 3 Protein blocks/ 1 Carb block/ 5 Fat blocks

8:30 PM (PWO meal)
2oz Buffalo stew meat
1 cup Homemade Coleslaw
.5 cup Strawberries
= 2 Protein blocks/ 1.5 Carb block/ 0 Fat blocks

Total Daily Blocks 10 Protein/ 5.5 Carb/ 16 Fat

Tuesday (Non-Workout Day)
8:00 AM
1 Hard-boiled egg
Plain, non-fat Greek Yogurt
1 Plum
Coffee w/ heavy whipping cream
¼ cup Coconut Milk
= 3 Protein blocks/ 2 Carb block/ 6 Fat blocks

12:00 PM
2 Turkey meatballs w/ 1oz Cheese
Homemade coleslaw
.25 cup Grapes
Coconut Milk
= 3 Protein blocks/ 2 Carb block/ 4 Fat blocks

4:30 PM
1.5oz Roast Beef w/ Hummus
1 small Apple
= 1.5 Protein blocks/ 1 Carb block/ 2 Fat blocks

7:45 PM
4.5oz Ground beef w/ Marinara and Parmesan Cheese
2 cups cooked cabbage w/ onions
.5 cup Strawberries
= 3 Protein blocks/ 2 Carb block/ 4 Fat blocks

Total Daily Blocks 10.5 Protein/ 7 Carb/ 16 Fat

Wednesday
8:00 AM
4.5oz Ground beef w/ Marinara
1 cup cooked Zucchini
Coffee w/ heavy whipping cream
= 3 Protein blocks/ 1 Carb block/ 8 Fat blocks

12:00PM
1 Hard-boiled egg
2oz Roast Beef
Homemade Coleslaw
1 tbs Hummus
= 3 Protein blocks/ 1 Carb block/ 3 Fat blocks

4:30 PM
2 oz Lite Cheese
2 cups Celery
1 tbs Peanut Butter
= 2 Protein blocks/ 1 Carb block/ 5 Fat blocks

7:30 PM (PWO meal)
1oz Lite Cheese
1oz Chicken
1.5 cups cooked Cauliflower w/ peas
1/3 Sweet Potato, baked
1 cup Strawberries
= 2 Protein blocks/ 3 Carb block/ 0 Fat blocks

Total Daily Blocks 10 Protein/ 6 Carb/ 16 Fat

For about 3 months now, I have been experimenting with my Zone prescription. I thought I would share how exactly I've modify my 10 blocks to tailor my own specific needs.

As you can see, I use "Zone technology", as Robb Wolf calls it, in the basic composition of my meals and only shift blocks depending on my daily needs. By shift my blocks, especially the majority of the carb blocks to the post workout meal, I am able to stabilize my blood sugar levels and feel much better. This works for me because it is specific to me and I've done a lot of work (Mike can attest to this) to tweak it just right.

Pity Party for One.

This was me during my workout this morning.

"Chief"

How many round in 3 minutes:

3 Power cleans (85#)
6 Pushups
9 Squats

Followed by 1 minute rest

Repeat for 5 Rounds

> 3/3/1/2/2

Doesn't look so bad right? Well it was! Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, or the fact that it was 6am, or the cheat meal I had last nite, or this cold I am fighting off, or fatigue from doing Michael. In any case, I can't make excuses for my performance today. I just wasn't feeling it. I stopped with 30 seconds to go in almost all of the rounds. Then with Dawn's encouragement I tried to go for 4 rounds in Round 2 but was just shy of completing my squats and then could only get one round in on Round 3. For Rounds 4 and 5 I just took it easy and tried to not lose my form on the cleans. When I missed my cleans I said a few in appropriate words and then sat on the floor and pouted. Pathetic.

I will try this workout again another day.

New Standards: Fran

September 1st marked the beginning or return rather, of an old pull-up standard at CrossFit Oakland. Although chest to bar pull-ups first became the pull-up standard in 2003, they were reintroduced at the CrossFit Games this summer, quickly becoming the source of stress for many CFitters-including myself. Mike Minium, owner and head trainer of CFO, describes the C2B standard, "it's a tough one, to be sure. But the rewards far outweigh any reduced times or scores that may occur on workouts in the short term. This standard requires a higher degree of power output (primarily in the form of explosive hip extension), along with more coordination and accuracy, than the garden-variety kipping pull-up where chin simply has to go over bar."

Here's an excerpt from the CrossFit Journal article published in April 2003:

Technically correct pull-ups:

• Go from full hang to chest pressing tightly to the bar

• Lead with the chest up and shoulders way back

• Are visually directed, that is, a sight line is chosen that is shortened as the body rises to the bar

• Synchronize respiration to the pull-up: inhale down, exhale up

• Are motivated by trying to drive the elbows down to the ground, not by trying to flex the arm!

Pulling the chest to the bar is very hard but encourages fully “opening the chest” and pulling the shoulders back or “closing the back.” In the early stages of developing a pull-up it is acceptable to bring the Adam’s apple to the bar instead of the chest, but leading with the shoulders forward rather than back is a fault that needs to be fixed long before you are going to get to 30 pull-ups.

Read the full article here, courtesy of CrossFit.com.

I've learned that, as with all things in CrossFit, with regular practice this too is attainable.
Yesterday's WOD was "Fran" I finished in 8:42.

(Fran time +10min. before C2B)

The last time I did this was at the 2008 CrossFit Games. I struggled with the new pull-up standard, doing one pull up at a time and was only on the 3rd round of thruster at the 12 minute cut off! Since then I have slowly adapted to the C2B pull-up and can now string together 3-5. Although learning this has taken a fair bit of practice and patience, the result have definately been worth it. I feel much stronger in am able to do pull-ups with more control and precision.

Killer Triple C with peas

Here a new and flavorful twist on Cauliflower:

Ingredients:
*As always, organic is the way to go.

• Cauliflower (1 lg head)
• Curry Powder
  
• Coconut Milk (light version preferable)
• Onion Peas, frozen
• Ginger (optional)

Cut off the leafy part of the cauliflower and then simply tear off the florets. Boil some water in a saucepan to blanch the cauliflower in for a few minutes. Blanching it before you saute will really cut down on the cooking time but isn't necessary. Meanwhile, slice the onion thinly and saute in a frying pan with a little bit of olive oil on medium-low heat. If you're adding ginger, mince and add with onions. Allow the onions to caramelize or become translucent (3-5min), then add curry powder and 1/2 cup coconut milk and continue to stir. Now is a good time to drain the water and throw the cauliflower into the pan with the rest of the mix. Finally, add 1/2 bag of frozen peas. Toss in some salt and pepper and continue to saute until the cauliflower is tender--about 10 minutes. Enjoy!

**Zone Info
4 cups Cauliflower = 1 Carb Block
.5 cups Peas = 1 Carb Block
.5 cups Onion = 1 Carb Block

Aye que Linda!

Over the weekend I did Linda aka "the 3 bars of death" and my all time favorite girl named workout. She really rocks my world! And although I am still not able to do all of the lifts at the prescribed wieght, I am working my way there- one pound at a time.

"Linda"

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of the triplet:

Deadlift: 1 1/2 body weight {172.5 lbs.}
Bench press: body weight {115 lbs.}
Clean: 3/4 body weight {86 lbs.} Rx'd

These are the weights I used:

Deadlift: 161 lbs.

Bench press: 95 lbs.

Cleans: Rx'd

Time: 54:45

3/26/08 was the last time I did this workout finishing in just over 70 minutes. Since then, I've knock off 16minutes from my previous time, but more importantly, I’ve increased my lifts by 31 pounds while still going faster.

Here were my weights 6 months ago:
Deadlift 143
Bench press 85
Clean 83 (rx'd)

I attribute this new PR to 6 months of pretty consistant Rippetoe style training, regularly following CF wods and the big one--my diet. In particular, I have been playing with the timing & macronutrient content of my meals, paying especially close attention to the PWO meal. Finally, I want to emphasize the importance of both of these components--you truly can't have one without the other.

Almost Paleo Meatloaf

On Tonite's Dinner Menu:

Homemade Meatloaf

2 Pounds lean grass-fed ground beef
1 Lg. Carrot, minced
1 Lg. Onion, minced
3 Celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese*
2 Eggs
2 Garlic cloves, minced
Fresh Parsley or season as desired
Salt & Pepper

*To make this dish 100% Paleo leave out the cheese, but I can't guarantee that it will stay together as nicely (or taste as good).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Then, mix up all the ingredients in a large bowl. Next, dump your colorful hunk of meat into a casserole dish and pop it in the oven for about an hour. Once it's cooled off you're safe to enjoy! Because this dish contains a very small amount of carbs, top it off with some marinara sauce to zone-it-up.

Don't Forget: 1 block Protein = 1.5oz ground beef

P.S. Safeway sells grass-fed beef! Its only $5.49/lb with your Safeway clubcard.
Get some! This is the only good reason to shop there, but it's a damn good one.

Tabata fun!

Tabata intervals, named after Izumi Tabata, Ph.D., were first developed as a training tool for the Japenese speed-skating team. Tabata, a former researcher at Japan's National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Kanoya and his research team implemented the workout to study its effectiveness on athletic performance. The workout is 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest for 8 rounds.

The study found that guys who used the routine five days a week for six weeks improved their maximum aerobic capacity (a measure of your body's ability to consume oxygen--the more oxygen you can take in, the longer and harder you'll be able to run) by 14%. What's more, it also improved anaerobic capacity (which measures your speed endurance, or the duration you're able to sprint at full effort) by 28%. So the Tabata Protocol is the rare workout that benefits both endurance athletes and sprinters.

Doesnt' sound so bad? Trust me, it will be the longest 20 seconds of your life. Tabata workouts are perfect on-the-road workouts as they require little to no equipment and they are short and sweet allowing you to get back to your vacation in just 4 minutes! This weekend, while vacationing in lovely Santa Cruz, my boo and I got our Tabata workout on!

Sunday's wod:
125 Meters Hill Sprint x 2
Tabata Jumping Squats
125 Meters Hill Sprint x 2
Tabata Push-ups
125 Meters Hill Sprint x 2
Tabata Box Jumps (onto rock)
125 Meters Hill Sprint x 2
Tabata Deadhang Pull-ups

F.U.E.L.

Recently, Mike and I held a nutrition seminar at CrossFit Oakland. It went really well and we covered a LOT of material on food choices, Paleo diet and the Zone. I think we could have easily gone on and on about the topic, but it can be a bit overwhelming for beginners. I've found that it is more effective to keep it simple, especially for those who are eating consciously for the first time. The key is to get new clients to adopt some healthy eating habits from the get go.

As a trainer and someone who's been there, it is incredibly frustrating to come into the gym and bust your ass on the WOD yet never see the results of your hard work. In order to fully experience the benefits of CrossFit training, you've got to provide your body with the fuel it needs. From a medical perspective, changing someones diet is probably the best thing I can do for them. If a client is Xfitting regularly, then they've already done half the work. The next step, and most important change comes with a commitment to a healthy diet. Michael Pollan said it best in the first line of his book In Defense of Food, “Eat food. Mostly plants. Not too much.”

Here is a list of some basic food recommendations. Personally, I feel that it's more important to get the junk out of your diet and focus on food choices before getting into the more technical stuff like counting blocks.

1. Eat REAL food.

-Meaning, only food that you can find & eat in its original and natural form.

-Fruits, vegetables, meat, nuts, seeds and dairy(cheese, milk, plain yogurt)

-If it has a label on it, chances are its not real food.

2. Eat protein with every meal.

-Something that once had a face.

-Grass feed animals are preferable.

-Dairy is okay.

-Beans, seaweed, nuts and quinoa are not protein.

-Again, Face=Protein

3. Eliminate (or Limit) Gluten from your Diet

-Wheat, flour, barley, oats, spelt, rye, millet, quinoa (am I forgetting any?)

-Beware: a lot of foods have gluten added to them, remember to read labels, especially meats.

-Gluten is a protein that has been linked to a lot of disease including, but not limited to; auto-immune disease, Celliac disease and inflammation.

4. Take Fish Oil

-Improves brain function

-Prevents heart disease

-Reduces inflammation and joint pain

-Facilitates fat loss and recovery

Loco por Coco!

Today I will share the latest thing to hit my taste buds: coconut milk. Not only is this creamy substance sweet and delicious, it is also a great source of fat! Not to mention it has a very low Glycemic load, giving it 2 thumbs up from Dr. Sears.

It is anti-carcinogenic, anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral. The main saturated fat that it contains, lauric acid, is also found in mother's milk and has been shown to promote brain development and bone health. –wisegeek.com

Its very versatile adding just a hint of sweetness to any dish, among the most common are soup and curry. And for those of us with a sweet tooth this is the perfect fix for those post meal cravings.

My favorite dessert concoction:
1 cup Blueberries (or fruit of choice)
1/3 cup chilled Coconut Milk
Cinnamon
Almonds (optional)
***Note: TJ's sells a “light” canned coconut milk that contains less fat and 0 carbs for less than a buck! Get some!

Yesterday's Meals:

8:00 AM
2 oz Light cheddar cheese
1 oz roast beef
Fresh mixed greens w/ apple, carrots, and avocado
Coffee w/ heavy whipping cream

1:00 PM
4.5oz Salmon
Fresh mixed greens w/ apple, carrots, and avocado
2 tbs raw Sauerkraut

6:00 PM
½ Cliff’s Builder bar

8:00 PM
(Post workout meal)
2.5oz Chicken w/ spinach
½ baked sweet potato
2 plums
¼ cup grapes

Yesterday's Workout

10 GHD Sit-ups

10 Back Extensions

65 pound Thrusters, 30 reps

50 Pull-ups
30 GHD Sit-ups

30 Back Extensions

65 pound Thrusters, 20 reps

35 Pull-ups

50 GHD Sit-ups

50 Back Extensions

65 pound Thrusters, 10 reps

20 Pull-ups

=33:56 (chest to bar pull-ups)

New Deadlift PR!

Yesterday's wod was pretty brief (thank God) so I finished my workout with some wieghted pull-ups and deadlifts.

At CrossFit Oakland

"Karen"

150 wallballs for time w/ 14 pound ball

=11:54

First of all, I really don't care for wall balls. I'm a small person and getting the ball up to the 10' target isn't easy. Unfortunately, this is exactly why I didn't get the Rx'd credit for this wod.

Weighted Pull-ups 5x3

5-5-4

w/ 5 pound weight

Deadlift 5-3-3-2-2 reps

134-153-165-180-180

I haven't tested my 1RM in a long time, but 180 is more than I have ever lifted, putting my 1RM well beyond my goal of 1 1/2x BW. Hooray! Tom C. was watching the last set of 2 and said that my back was a little soft and that I "hitched" on my last rep. This is pretty typical when lifting near your max, but I'll be careful to watch for this next time I attempt heavy deads.

Thanx for the pointers Tomas!

Food Today:

6:30 AM

Lg. Americano

w/.5tbs heavy whipping cream

8:15AM (Post Work-out Meal)

2oz Turkey

1 Plum

4.5 oz Sweet potato

=2P/4C/0F

11:30AM

.75 cup Non-fat Cottage Cheese

w/ cinnamon & coconut milk

Coffee w/.5tbs heavy whipping cream

=3P/1C/8F

Workout this AM:

"Nuke'd by Nicole"

Row 2000M

then 5 rounds of the following 3 exercises:

7 pull-ups (chest 2 bar)

7 OHS (65 pounds)

7 Burpees

finish with 50 Double Unders

=26:12

Much love the Folks

My parents came to visit this weekend and as usual they graciously brought me a medley of fresh vegetables from their garden. This summers harvest yielded onion, garlic, tomato, zucchini, basil, parsley, bell pepper, chili and eggplant. Yesterday I got to chopping and cooking most of these all up in a zesty and delicious Ratatouille! It was truly an organic cooking experiment with no measuring or recipe-reading involved, I simply threw all my veggies into a large pot and voila! The parsley added a nice flavor and it turned out rather nicely for my first attempt.

And because I am a total nerd, I will leave you all with some interesting facts about Parsley:

From WHFoods.org:

Parsley's volatile oils-particularly myristicin-have been shown to inhibit tumor formation in animal studies, and particularly, tumor formation in the lungs. Myristicin has also been shown to activate the enzyme glutathione-S-transferase, which helps attach the molecule glutathione to oxidized molecules that would otherwise do damage in the body. The activity of parsley's volatile oils qualifies it as a "chemoprotective" food, and in particular, a food that can help neutralize particular types of carcinogens (like the benzopyrenes that are part of cigarette smoke and charcoal grill smoke).

The flavonoids in parsley-especially luteolin-have been shown to function as antioxidants that combine with highly reactive oxygen-containing molecules (called oxygen radicals) and help prevent oxygen-based damage to cells. In addition, extracts from parsley have been used in animal studies to help increase the antioxidant capacity of the blood.

In addition to its volatile oils and flavonoids, parsley is an excellent source of two vital nutrients that are also important for the prevention of many diseases: vitamin C and vitamin A (notably through its concentration of the pro-vitamin A carotenoid, beta-carotene).

Yesterday's Meals

8:15 AM
3 Eggs w/ spinach, onions, salsa
Lg. Americano w/ Cream (fat source)

11:00AM
6 Almonds

2:15 PM
3oz Pastrami
Broccoli Slaw w/ hummus and celery
1 Apple

5:30 PM
2oz Chicken
½ cup blueberries
1/3 cup coconut milk

8:30 PM
1.5oz grass-fed Beef
1 cup home-made Ratatouille w/ cheese
6 walnuts

The results are in!

I just received the lab results from my blood lipid test.
The numbers on the left are my points and the numbers on the right represent Kaiser Hospital’s “healthy” or normal ranges.

Triglycerides 55 Less than 199

HDL 97 Greater than 45

LDL 98 Less than 129

Glucose 85 60-99

I was in a fasted state, as one should be when they take this; however I had just returned from my trip and hadn’t slept in more than 24hours. I think this may be the reason why my glucose level is a bit high. Or it may just be a symptom of my carb-sensativity. Nonetheless, it is slightly more elevated than I would like it to be.

On the bright side, my triglycerides are low and HDL are high. Still, I am not so sure about the LDL levels. I was informed that it is more important to know the partical SIZE rather than the quantity. Ideally, the partical size should be large. I will keep this in mind for the next time.

After doing a fair amount of research, I am pretty happy with my test results in general. I am concerned that my glucose levels are on the high end and hope that the next time I test it will be lower.

According to Dr. Barry Sears, a good and easy method of measuring your state of health is to take the triglyceride count and divide it by your HDL (the good cholesterol) count.

Here is mine 0.57 (55/97). Looks like I am doing pretty well.

From page 120 of his Omega Rx Zone book the lower the number, the better.

4: Diseased
3: Poor

2: Good

1: Ideal

Yesterday's WOD from CF national site:

"Griff"
For time:

Run 800 meters

Run 400 meters backwards

Run 800 meters

Run 400 meters backwards

=13:37

I'm Baaaack!

(the construction crew on the last day of work)

As many of you may already know, I just returned from an amazing week in the Dominican Republic. No, it was not vacation. I had the privilege to serve alongside 24 members of Moraga Valley Presbyterian Church who traveled to the island as a volunteer service project for Kids Alive International. Having previously been to El Arca as a senior at St. Mary’s, I felt especially honored to have another opportunity to love and serve the kids.

During our stay, we enjoyed taking part in various construction and maintenance projects at the Anija School Campus, putting our skills and professional expertise to work. The school serves the children who reside at El Arca and many more who can’t afford public school.


Here are some of the things we did: 1) Together we brought approximately 2,400 pounds of donated supplies including children’s clothing, shoes, athletic equipment, books, backpacks and medicine. 2) We constructed the walls for two classrooms using concrete cinderblocks and cement. These classrooms will be used for future science and art classes at the K-8th school.
3) We painted classroom walls and wooden benches for the cafeteria in addition to the new school sign at the entrance of the campus.
4) Cleaned desks and repaired doors and tables.

After work, some of us headed out into the barrios to lead bible study while others, including myself, ventured to El Arca for some futbol!! The kids ran circle around me as I dodged the soccer ball for fear of it landing on my head. When I finally got the ball I tried to redeem myself with a desperate attempt to make a goal, just to have it blocked by a 4 year old! I had a blast and they enjoyed laughing at me.

Although it is gratifying to know that we provided a service with our physical labor and much needed donations, I feel that it I was the one who was blessed to be a part of the lives of these kids and the recipient of their tremendous love. I hope to remain close to the kids and community at El Arca and look forward to future visits.

Thank you all for your love and support and I ask that you continue to pray for these kids and the Kids Alive family.

If you are interested in sponsoring a child or giving to Kids Alive please visit their website.

First post trip WOD:

"Helen"

Three rounds for time:

Run 400 meters

1 pood Kettlebell X 21 swings (or 35 pound dumbbell swing)

12 Pull-ups

=11:54 (Chest to bar pull-ups)

Not Just for Pie

Today I will share my new favorite recipe to commemorate the completion of my first year of Zoning or more preferably, conscious eating. So here it is for your enjoyment:

Pumpkin-Apple Delight

1 cup whole Pumpkin, canned & unsweetened

1/2 a granny smith Apple, cubed

9 Almonds

Cinnamon, to taste

=3 blocks carbs & fat

***I like to serve this dish cold but it is just as good hot. It's the perfect post workout meal consisting of the starchy carbs essential in replenishing glycogen stores. Feed those muscles!

Note: For optimal results supplement this yummy treat with protein.

Yesterday's Food:

6:00 AM
½ cup lowfat Cottage Cheese w/ Walnuts

10:00 AM
2oz Lite Cheese
1 cup Grapes

12:15 PM
1.5oz ground grass fed Beef
½ an Avocado
Marinated artichoke hearts

3:30 PM
3oz ground grass fed Beef
½ an Avocado
Cherry tomatoes w/ marinated artichoke

7:30 PM
1 turkey Sausage w/ marinara

Pumpkin-Apple delight

Semi-Annual Assesment

Eeek! As we make our way into the second half of 2008, I wanna take a moment for some thoughtful reflection.

This year's fitness goals:

To focus more on strength training. Earlier this year, I set some reasonably attainable goals for myself (see below). The plan was to supplement CF with some Rippetoe style lifts every 3rd/4th day however, my work trips and busy schedule have been limiting factors in this effort thus far. This became very apparent at the CrossFit Games when I had to scale down 2 of the 4 workouts, exposing a part of my training regimen that needs extra attention. Next year I hope to complete all of the wods as Rx'd and within the time limit.
Listed below are goals and current standing.

Power Lifts
Back Squat: 1 X 171 pounds(1.5xBW)

135x5

Deadlift: 1 X 199 pounds(1.75xBW)

175x3
Bench Press: 1 x 114 pounds(BW)

110x1
Shoulder Press: 1 X 85 pounds(.75xBW)
65x3

Oly Lifts
Power Clean: 1 X 114 pounds(BW)

95x1
Power Snatch: 1 X 85.5 pounds(.75xBW)

1x68

Yesterday's Meals

7:45AM
3oz Pastrami
1 Avocado, sliced
Spinach Salad w/ Tomatoes & Alfalfa sprouts

12:00PM
3oz Pastrami
1 cup sliced Cherry Tomatoes w/ Hummus
6 Almonds

4:30PM
2% Fage yogurt w/ Almond meal and Flaxseed meal
6 Walnuts
Cinnamon

8:00PM
2oz Tuna
½ Apple
1 cup Pumpkin w/ cinnamon

3...2...1...

Only 24 hours until the CrossFit Games!

We me luck, as this weekend I will be one of many crossfitters to compete in the 2nd Annual CrossFit Games! Crossfit Oakland will be in the house!

Team CFO has been training hard and we have 16 athletes competing (including myself): Nabil, Brandon, Patrick, Daniel, Tamara, Candace, Loren, Connor, Lance, Journey, Sierra, Laura, Audra, Tom and Mike.

We will be doing the following WODs over the course of two days:

Workout A: 12 minute time limit
21-15-9
Thrusters
Pull-Ups
Men=95#
Women=65#
Standards: Thruster-Hip crease below knee cap. Thruster- Full lock out/ear must be visible from the side. Pull-Ups-Any part of the chest from the clavicle down physically touches the bar.

Workout B: 12 Minute Time Limit
5 Rounds:
275# DL Men
185# DL Women
10 Burpees
Standards: Deadlift-Legs at full extension at the top, with shoulders behind the plane of the bar/weight must touch the ground for each rep. Burpees-Chest and thighs touch the ground, hands clap overhead while airborne, ears must be visible in front of your arm.

Workout C: 20 minute cut-off
750 m uphill run

Workout D:
Hopper will decide Saturday night for Sunday competition.

Now if I can only get over the nervousness long enough to get some sleep and food....

I Got Tanked! Again.

The tank visited our gym last week. I'm not so happy to report the results......

On January 31st I weighed 112 pounds and my bodyfat percentage was at 12%.

Although I was satisfied with my body composition, I wanted to see if I could gain more muscle, and consequently lean out a bit. At the same time, I the Zone was beginning to consume my life and drive me a little insane. Specifically, it doesn't allow for any flexibility. Just as CrossFit is founded on constantly varied movements, I believe my diet should follow a similar pattern. So, in my effort to "change things up" producing muscle gain and fat loss, I played around with my Zone block prescription. Recently, I've even experimented with the NHE eating plan.

Six months later, I had increased my bodyfat by 1%, taking me up to 13% at 114 pounds.

I guess it could have been worse, but I had a hard time swallowing this one. Clearly, my efforts were fruitless. I don't think it was a mistake to allow myself to stray from the strict 10 Zone block allotment however, the caloric restriction may have been too aggressive signaling my body to (gasp) store fat.

Thankfully, I attended the Nutrition seminar at NorCal Crossfit and got a lot of good insight into my diet and nutrition in general. Robb Wolf is the man, he really knows his shit. Most importantly, I learned that I am carb sensitive and how to modify my diet to control this sensitivity.

My diet modifications:

1) Eat 4 meals/day

2) 3/4 meals; add fat blocks and subtract carb blocks.

3) 4th meal; add carb blocks and eliminate all fat blocks.

4) Time my "carb-up" meal after my workout.

5) Weigh and measure ALL my foods.

What are you training for?

Why are you doing that? What is that called? How much does that thing weigh?

These were some of the questions directed to us while Mike and I got our CrossFit on during our vacation. Not surprising, the kids were most intrigued, as the workouts were on or near the monkey bars at the children's playground. I had a lot of fun doing these workouts, it's nice to get out of the box every once in a while and humiliate yourself in front of a bunch of kids:)

Workout #1

Location: Beach, South Lake Tahoe

3 Rounds of:

50 walking lunges

8 one arm KB swings, each arm, 25# DB

12 Pull-ups

Time 9:47

Finisher: Tabata Push-ups: 4

Workout #2

Location: Todd Grove Park, Ukiah, CA

3 Rounds of:

10 Stonewall Jumps

3 DB Snatches, left arm #25DB

2 DB Snatches, right arm #25DB

8 one arm KB swings, each arm, 25# DB

Time 5:19

Workout #3

Location: Lake Merritt, Oakland

How many rounds in 20 min?

10 Thrusters, 20# Dumbells

10 Pull-ups

10 Rounds+ 2 Pull-ups

Fun in the Sun

Family baseball game in the park (catcher, big bro).

I just returned from a fabulous vacation with my boo! It began in sunny Lake Tahoe with a slight detour in Chico for a highly anticipated nutrition seminar, and finally ended in Ukiah for a short rendezvous with the folks. In between all the driving, we did a lot of napping, playing, tanning, and eating! We even managed to fit in 3 outdoor workouts. But there's really nothing like some serious rest, I highly recommend that anyone committed to healthy living (which everyone reading this blog should be) make an effort to take it easy every once in a while, especially if you're Xfitting! In order to fully reap the benefits of your hard work you must give your body a chance to recover.

And for the rest of you.....
Stay tuned for the On-the-Road Wods
Equipment: 1 Dumbell 25# & Monkey Bars

9Am
3oz Turkey Breast
9 Cashews
1.5 cups Broccoli & Cauliflower, steamed
1:30PM
3oz Turkey Breast
9 Almonds
1.5 cups Broccoli & Cauliflower, steamed
5:30PM
.5cups Low Fat Cottage Cheese
6 Cashews

8:30PM

2oz Birria (goat meat)

Spinach soup

Cashews

No Workout Today.

A happy Father's Day, indeed!

I am happy to announce that my dad's attempt to lose 10 pounds, per his doctor's request, was a success!

High blood pressure and steady weight gain prompted his doctor's recent concern over my dad's health. Although Dr. Cowin didn't provide him with specific instructions on how he should go about loosing the weight, my dad took it upon himself to GET IT DONE! And he did.

Naturally, I quickly stepped in to offer up 257 different ways he could take on this 10 pound beast! He simply nodded his head and did it his own way, quietly. 7 weeks later my dad has successfully lost the weight and is feeling great! He looks amazing and must say I was shocked and thrilled when I saw him on Father's day. He said he didn't modify his diet necessarily, instead he just focused on the quantity of food consumed at every meal, "I decided I didn't have to feel stuffed every time I ate".

Rear View

Kelly Starrett owner of San Fransisco CrossFit, dropped by CFO yesterday for a much appreciated and incredibly insightful lecture on back health. Not only is he a badass Crossfitter, Kelley is also a physical therapist at the Stone Clinic in SF. He really knows his stuff! I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend the lecture and meet Kelly. Here are just a few pieces of valuable information that I walked away with:

1. Don't neglect your posterior chain! Just because we can't see our backside as easily as our front (abs), it's no excuse for a weak back and hamstrings. In the future I plan to do more back extensions and less sit ups!

2. Pay close attention to head and neck position, especially while doing heavy lifting. It is imperative to maintain a neutral position (in alignment with the spine) at all times. Think of the back as a whole system!

3. Stretch! This is key for improving hamstring and quad flexibility yielding stronger, faster workouts. (I am ashamed to admit I'm definitely guilty of this one).

7:30AM
Fish (leftovers)
handful of Walnuts
1 cup Strawberries
1/2 tsp peanut butter

11:30AM
3 oz Pastrami
1/2 Avocado
1 cup Strawberries

2:30pm
Ceaser Salad
1/3 Cantaloupe
1/2 cup Fage Yogurt
1 Slice of raw Blue Cheese
1/2 tsp peanut butter

Dinner (?) probably Wholefood

Workout:
Seven rounds for time of:
10 One legged squats, alternating
12 Ring dips
15 Pull-ups
=58:22

I can't get full-range on my Pistols so I squatted to a target. The dips took FOREVER. Mostly singles.

Hormonal binge

Lately, I've been playing around with my zone prescription. Awhile back I started feeling a bit Zoned out and picked up Natural Hormonal Enhancement by Rob Faigin. I've been doing the NHE eating thing on the fly as I've been reading his book. However, I advise that you never start a new diet without reading all the fine print first, particularly if it varies drastically from your current feeding ritual. While I haven't sabotaged my diet entirely, I've managed to gain 3.5 pounds. Oops. My bad.

Yesterday I finished the book and I am excited to start the diet! The right way. For more information on the NHE diet visit Faigin's website: www.hormonalfitness.com

Today's Meals:
7:45AM
Shredded Chicken w/ cheese
Salad w/ tomatoes, guacamole, onions & salsa
Coffee w/ Cream

11:15Am
Tuna Salad
A handful of Walnuts & Cashews
Black Tea

2:30PM
3oz Shredded Chicken
1 Granny Smith Apple
Peanut Butter

No workout Today.

Move over, Batman

A big thanks to fellow crossfitter, Angela Lim for bringing this wod to my attention. She spent the week preceding memorial day at CF Boston and came home with this crazy mash-up workout that they did for memorial day.

WOD: Hero Mash-up
Run 1 mile
21 Handstand push-ups
21 Thrusters, 95 pounds/65 women
21 Overhead Squats, 95 pounds
Run 800 meters
50 Back Extensions
50 Pull-ups
50 KB swings, 2 pood
Run 400 meters
21 40#/25# DB Snatches, left arm
21 40#/25# DB Snatches, right arm
21 L-pullups
Run 1 mile

I had to scale down some of the weights, use a target for my HSPU and I even did kipping L-Pull-ups. However, no amount of scaling down could have made it that much easier, this thing was a killer and its long...I'm just happy its over. My time= 1:08:11

My infrequent blogging is frustrating and a direct result of some hectic in my life.
Lemme quickly do some serious catching up.....

The good: A great week at CFO! I was back on the training floor which always makes me happy:) Getting to bed early and beginning my day with an early morning workout sets the tone for a great day! Last week, I was able to get to hit all of the CF wods and even fit in some time for lifting.

The not so Good: I spent the weekend in Lake Tahoe for a girlfriend's bachelorette party, where I did my fair share of some good, old fashioned drinkin'. As to be expected. What are friends for, right? Needless to say, I completely fell of the diet for about 48 hours. Oh, and in case you were wondering; tequila, wine, champagne and bud lite. I made sure to chase my drinks down with lots and lots of nuts, meat and cheese in an effort to stay somewhat close to the Zone. We didn't go to the Lake once:(

Sunday & Monday I made up the workouts that I missed while I was gone and today I did Hang Power Snatch 1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1-1reps. I failed at 65# after attempting it 7 times.

8:00AM
Avocado slices wrapped in Pastrami
1 cucumber sliced

12:15PM
+/- 2 ounces Sheep's Milk Cheese w/ Salami

2:30PM
Lg. Green Salad w/ radishes, onions, egg and chicken

Home at Last!

After 3 HOT weeks in the desert, I am finally back in Oakland! Hooray! Upon my arrival on Friday afternoon, I headed straight to CFO to get my long awaited Xfit on! There's nothing like 5 rounds of GHD situps and Knees-to-Elbows to kick off my first day back!

The following morning I felt like someone had used my stomach as a punching bag! After the initial pain settled, I managed to get myself out of bed (without the use of my abs) and back over to CFO for s'more fun at the Affiliate Throw down! I had such a great time meeting, couching and competing with people from other Bay Area Crossfit gyms. The hopper-style workout was downright painful but totally worth it: high rep squats followed by more squatting and then a run-what more could I ask for?

On Sunday I rested:)

8:15am

3 Eggs scrambled w/ 1 whole red onion

Crushed cashews

=3 blocks protein/3 blocks fat/ .5 blocks carbs.

12:15pm

2.5oz Tuna, canned

15 Cashews

1 cucumber sliced

=2.5 blocks protein/5 blocks fat/1 block carbs.

I will eat 2-3 more meals today & workout:)

Day 11

For the last two days I have worked out at CrossFit SouthWest located just outside of Phoenix. Ken is the owner/trainer of the gym, aside from running the gym, he is very busy moving into a beautiful new space. Congratulations to Ken on his new box! He has a great group of crossfitters that together create a really nice community. I feel totally welcomed there and am very grateful to be working out with them.

Ken, who doesn't always follow the national WODs, posts each day's workout on his blog.
Check it out here.

6:30am
1 container 2% plain Fage Greek Yogurt

10:00am
1 String cheese
Carrots w/ Peanut Butter

1:45pm
3 String Cheese
Green beans
Cherry tomatoes
Peanut butter

4:15pm
2oz Salami
1.5 cups Brocolli
Dressing

8:00pm
3oz Salmon, canned
.5 cup Salsa
4 tbs Guacamole

Update

Alright here's a quickie update of my week in Arizona:

Work
Work is moving pretty steadily and although it is really neat to be on a site, I must admit that getting back into field work has been pretty rough for me. A typical work day on this site involves shoveling dirt and gravel into 5gal. buckets that are then dumped into mesh screens where the dirt is sifted for artifacts. As you can image, this process is physically demanding and requires some serious stamina-thank god for CF! The worst part is the heat. I am slowly starting to get into it though and feel thankful for that.

WODs
Tuesday 5/6: Row 5K
Wednesday 5/7: Rest day
Thursday 5/8: CF Southwest 40 Snatches for time w/ partner
Friday 5/9: CF Southwest How many front squat in 10min? =86 @ #65
Saturday 5/10: GloboGym Fran = 11min.
Sunday 5/11: GloboGym BenchPress 5x5 @ #90, Deadlift 5x5 @ #175(only got 3/5), Weighted Pullups 5x3 @ #15
**I will share my experience at both of these gyms in further detail in a future post.

Diet
Aside from my weekend carb-loading, my diet has remained fairly green! I was a bit concerned that I wouldn't be able to eat greens while in the field, but it really hasn't been an issue. Here is a list of some of my daily food items:
Hard boiled eggs
Cheese
Tuna (of course)
Salmon, canned
Cherry Tomatoes
Celery
Strawberries
Carrots
Pumpkin Seeds
Avocado
Peanut Butter (of course)
Salami
Bell peppers
Broccoli
Spinach

Today's Wod: GloboGym "Fight Gone Worse"= TBD

1st wod: failure, kinda

Yesterday I attempted to workout in the "weight room" at the place I'm staying at...bad idea.

I was starting my first set of sprints and all of a sudden the belt on the tredmill tore! It simply ripped right down the middle and then made a horrible screeching noise before the whole machine just locked up and died. I then proceeded to quickly and quietly exit the room.

Today I will check out a local gym that may better accommodate my training style. I am not sure which crossfit workout I will do, it will likely be one that involves dumbbells. I'll have to get creative again.

Yesterday's wod 50 Burpees for time : approx. 5 min.

Food consumed today:

***For the record, I do eat dinner! The meals posted on this blog are those eaten prior to publishing the post. Who doesn't eat dinner, geez?

7:45am
1/2 cup low fat Cottage Cheese w/ peanut butter and strawberries

On the Road Again....

And just as I started getting comfy back at CFO, I get shipped off to AZ for a few weeks of some serious manual labor in the blazing sun.  Sweet!

Just got in an hour ago and I'm off to bed....stay tuned for some pretty consistent blogging.  I'll be doing most of workouts outdoors/anyway anyhow.  Fortunately, I am staying in a fairly metropolitan area so I will be using the globo gym when I can.  

Today's Wod: 

Linda

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Deadlift #144

Bench# 90

Clean# 83.5 (3/4 BW)

*DNF (Got through 6's but had to catch my plane)