My First CrossFit Experience

Posted on June 14, 2013 by

Here lately I am all about trying new things.  I am constantly asking myself how I can step outside the box and push myself towards my goals in new ways.  Well, apparently in order to step outside the box, I need to step inside a box.  Apparently “box” is the colloquial CrossFit term for gym.  Earlier this week I looked online at different CrossFit facilities in my area.  CrossFit KTown is one relatively close to campus that has many different classes throughout the day.  After calling and finding out that the first class is always free, I signed up.

Before going into this, I was extremely nervous.  After reading so many fitness bloggers who do CrossFit it just seemed like something I would never even try.  I can’t do a pull up, I can barely do a girly modified pushup, I don’t have toned muscle, etc.  Those were the excuses I kept telling myself.  But it wasn’t like I was paying to be there and if I truly hated it then I could always leave.  After initially walking in I was greeted by a super friendly guy named Caleb who was the coach.  I told him how it was my first time and I was simply there to try something new.  He had me fill out a waiver and as I was doing that a few people came into the box for their workout.  They looked nice and no one looked intimidating so I knew I was in for a good morning.

The workout of the day (WOD) was posted on the whiteboard and it might as well have been written in Chinese.  I probably could have understood it better that way.  Caleb walked me through the warm up.  I used a PVC pipe to do a few stretches and moves.  One thing on the list was “dislocates” which is essentially being in a super low squat position while bringing the pipe over behind you then down in front of you.  He had me reposition my feet and I literally fell over.  I was too proud to let go of the pipe as I was falling so I looked like a baby learning to walk and falling flat on my booty.  What a way to start the day.  The warm up wasn’t bad at all but those bear crawls sure did get my arms to burning.

WOD

WOD

The WOD had us doing a 40 minute session of working our way up to a 1 rep maximum on the overhead squat.  I was not entirely sure of how to do this at first so we started with a PVC pipe again and worked our way up from there.  There were only four others in the glass with me (2 guys and 2 girls) and we all started out at a comfortable weight and did two-three reps each then got to where we would only do one rep per weight increase.  Being the weakling that I am, I started with a 25 bound barbell and worked up from there.  I eventually got to have 15 pound plates on each side which would make me at a 55 pound overhead squat.  Caleb made the comment that I got better form and better reps with each weight increase which is apparently not something that happens often which really surprised me.  He had me stop at 55 pounds since it was my first time.

overhead squat

overhead squat

After the strength portion of the workout ended, we moved on to Metcon.  I still do not know what Metcon even stands for but our goal for today was to do a round and then repeat it as many times as possible. I think the appropriate CrossFit slang is AMRAP or As Many Rounds As Possible. Our round today had three high intensity exercises: a 200m run, a pull up, and a 1 rep deadlift.  Since I am new and not strong at all, they had me do Ring Rows which is an alternate to the pushup.  That basically is standing under the rings with your body parallel to the floor and pulling yourself up (kinda like the TRX systems a lot of people have).  My weight for deadlift was 65 pounds which felt light.  We had 15 minutes to complete AMRAP and I ended up completing six whole rounds and had just finished my 200m run when the 15 minute bell rang.  Not too shabby for a beginner but I’m sure some people can do crazy amounts of rounds or do the real pull up and a heavier deadlift.

To cool down we all hit the rowing machine.  After my stint at collegiate rowing I would never consider an erg to be a cool down but it worked.  I was sweating bullets by the end of the hour.  I met a fantastic lady (can’t for the life of me remember her name) who used to be a high school English teacher which is what I’m going to graduate school for.  She was so very kind and encouraging.  Her first ten weeks of CrossFit allowed her to go from a size 18 to a size 6 which was obviously jaw dropping.  After she lost that weight she got pregnant and just recently got back into CrossFit to work off the post baby weight.  I am so thankful she was there and gave me such encouraging words.

inside the big intimidating box.

inside the big intimidating box.

Something about CrossFit that surprised me was that no one is paying attention to you.  The coach is constantly giving you advice and correcting your form and giving you motivation but everyone else could care less.  They aren’t looking at how much weight you are lifting or if you are struggling to do a pull up.  This was fantastic since I have a slight fear of working out in front of others.  On the Metcon segment everyone was cheering for one another and really being uplifting to help each other complete the workout.  Camaraderie like that is hard to find.

Overall I was extremely pleased with the class.  At this time it is a little pricey for my fresh college graduate budget and there isn’t a CrossFit close enough to where I actually live to make that money worthwhile.  But I am extremely glad I stepped outside the box and into a real box to try something new.  Totally not like me but a totally surreal experience.  I’m proud of the work I put in today and it makes me excited to keep lifting and working hard even if it is not at a box.

I would encourage anyone to check out their local CrossFit box because most of them do offer the first class free and a lot of the ones around Knoxville have one class on Saturdays that is free to anyone, regardless of membership.  It was a fantastic experience that I would not mind repeating.

Have you taken a CrossFit class before?  Tell me your stories.

 

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Brooks, Bedazzled, Bras, and Batting

Posted on June 12, 2013 by

Wow, that sure is a lot of B words!  If you read yesterday’s post about me throwing away my last pair of used running shoes while misplacing my new pair then you should know that this girl needs some running shoes.  While I do love my beloved Asics, my favorite model has been discontinued.  Add that to the fact that the last time I was fitted was about three years ago then it probably means it was time for a new fitting anyway.  So, I went to the local Fleet Feet and got refitted for shoes and to my surprise they put me in a pair of Brooks.  Lots of people I know run in Brooks but I was so set in my way with Asics that I had never even put them on my radar. Hallelujah they are God’s gift to my feet.  Took them for a test spin at the track this morning and was able to comfortably run 2 400s.  Actually, the first 400 was at 2:08, making it faster than my fastest 400 last week.  I finished my second 400 in 2:01, barely shy of having a 1 in front of it.  Maybe it is the shoes, just saying.  But they fit like a glove and are so cushiony and soft and supportive.  I cannot wait to break them in.

new kicks.

new kicks.

Has anyone ever lifted weights at the gym and noticed that sometimes the dumbbell and barbell hurt your hands?  I must be a wimp because my hands always end up hurting.  So, to combat that, I found a pair of weight lifting gloves someone gifted to me some time ago.  They are totally bling blingy and draw attention but they help my hands to not hurt and still remain an accessory.  What do you think?  No eye rolling allowed.   bedazz

Today was a huge milestone for me at the gym.  The thing is, it didn’t happen inside the gym, it happened inside the locker room.  I’ve always been one of those girls who changes in the bathroom stall and wouldn’t dare change out in the open.  Well, this morning I changed openly in the locker room without taking refuge in a small stall. There were maybe like 3 other girls in there so it probably wasn’t as big of a deal as it would have been had there been a dozen girls, but it was a big step.  I may not be 100 percent confident with what I see in the mirror, but I’m no longer ashamed.  In fact, today while lifting weights in my “private room”, I took off my tank top because it got too heavy and worked out with my sports bra, compression shorts, and Norts.  My goal for the end of summer is to actually run outside looking like this and not give a care what anybody has to say about it or how people look at me.   I have on high compression shorts in this photo.  My stomach is nowhere near that flat.  noshirt

And finally, batting.  This past weekend my handsome boyfriend and I went on a cheap date to the dollar movie.  We saw Oz which I totally loved.  Across the street there is a big fun center that has batting cages so we headed over to hit some balls.  I played ball when I was younger and it was good to see that I haven’t lost my touch.  Also, maybe it is a fat airplane arm, but my arm looks muscular.  Maybe not.  I think it does.   batting

What running shoes do you run in?  Do you wear weight lifting gloves?  Ever ran in just shorts and a sports bra?  What is your idea of a fun and cheap date?

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No shoes and negative splits

Posted on June 10, 2013 by

I would definitely consider myself Type-A.  While I may not be completely over the top about it, I still like to have my ducks in a row on most occasions.  However, lately I’ve been horrible about misplacing things.  My most important misplacement as of late has been my running shoes.  While on vacation, I threw away the Asics I have worn for the past year or so due to them having holes in them, the soles wore out, and them being unbearably smelly.  But I had some brand new Asics (the last of my favorite discontinued model) waiting for me when I returned but cannot for the life of me remember where I put them.  After going through every box I brought home from college, they still haven’t shown up.

For National Running Day I really really had the urge to hit the track.  I figured I could do some 400s and walk a little bit and call it a day but I didn’t have any darn shoes.  What is a girl to do?  While I know it isn’t recommended to run in shoes that aren’t “fitted for you”, I was desperate and ended up wearing my casual day to day Nikes.  Turns out running in regular shoes brought me a ton of luck out on the oval.  I did a warm up lap of walking then did 4X400 repeats with a lap of walking in between each one.  While the repeats were not fast by most standards, I was extremely pleased to run each lap faster than the previous.   track

             Check out the splits:

Lap 1: 2:28
Lap 2: 2:21
Lap 3: 2:16
Lap 4: 2:09

Like I said, not extremely fast but I was very pleased with my effort on a hot morning with no running shoes.  It was a fantastic way to celebrate National Running Day and just the reminder I needed that I am in fact a runner.  This week I will return to the track and see if I can keep up with these splits.

sweaty mess.

sweaty mess.

How did you celebrate National Running Day?  Have you ever misplaced your running shoes?

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As of late…

Posted on June 7, 2013 by

Although I walked in my college graduation just a few weeks ago, I still have three summer courses to knock out before I can “officially” have a diploma.  Summer school is very compacted and requires the hour drive to Knoxville every day.  My boyfriend TJ recently got a new job at my university so we carpool everyday.  He has to get there earlier than I need to be in class, so I spend most mornings from 7:15-9ish in the student recreation center (TREC).  I may have mentioned before, but TREC is gigantic.  It is three floors and takes up a huge chunk of campus in an effort to keep 27,000+ students happy and fit.

I have never ever been one of those morning workout girls.  I like to get my walks/runs/weight sessions in after 3pm.  Well, consider me a convert.  I love getting to the gym early and getting in a perfect sweat that lasts me all day.  TREC has about 12 fitness studios and if they are not being utilized for a scheduled class then students can “rent” them for as long as they need for personal workouts.  These are huge rooms and have great equipment like dumbbells, punching bags, steps, Bosu balls, and a lot more.  Since I sort of like to work out in private, I usually rent a room and spend my morning workout session in there.

big room for this big girl.

big room for this girl.

When it comes to the gym, I never know what to do so I normally just do a bunch of random things that probably don’t go together yet I always leave feeling like I work hard.  Monday I spent quite some time on the punching bag doing some moves that I learned in kickboxing class.  Punching a real bag is way better than the air punch.  Boxing is an intense cardio session.   I also spend time doing 100 jumping jacks and 100 crunches each time I’m in there.  A lot of people will say that crunches are stupid and don’t work, but they are a surefire way for me to feel a burn when I’m doing “ab work” so I always make sure to include them.

knockout

knockout

Since the room is so large I will often do weighted lunges the length of the room then jog back.  The dumbbells are great also because I can always put them down if the weight is too high.  With weights I do various reps of bicep curls, hammer curls, shoulder press, upright rows, tricep kickbacks, and shoulder shrugs.   I also set the timer and will do mountain climbers for one minute then do “box jumps” on the step.  Again, maybe not the world’s best exercises but it works for me.  Next week I plan on writing down every rep I do so I can share with y’all.

On Tuesday and Thursday morning there is a morning spin class that falls during my gym time.  Those mornings I will go to one of the fitness studios and get a warm up in then head over to spin.  I’ve had some horrible experiences the last three times with spin class thanks to very strange instructors, but I’ll save that for another post.  Regardless, spin is an amazing workout!  I bought my Momma a Polar heart rate watch for her birthday two weeks ago and this morning I used it during Spin just to keep track of my heart rate and sort of gauge how many calories I burn during a typical class.  Today I hit 407, which isn’t too shabby for a 45 minute class.    polar

Although I am not a big fan of summer classes or getting up at 5am everyday, I am thankful that I have that opportunity to get in roughly 2 hours of morning exercise that I would not have if I did not carpool with my boyfriend.  Being on campus early forces me to sweat it out and start the day off right.   Morning exercise has also been a tremendous help in fighting food cravings.

So that is a peek as to what my workouts have been like lately.  One of the greatest things about it is that while yes I am actively losing weight and trying to be smaller, I am working out because I genuinely love it and I love the way it makes me feel.  I can’t even tell you how nice it is to workout and not worry if you are going hard enough because you are worried about losing weight.  I’m working out to feel good which I know will eventually lead to looking good.

Are you a morning workout person? How do you take advantage of gym time?

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Hydration

Posted on May 30, 2013 by

If you were to see me at the grocery store, a sporting event, or even church on a Sunday morning, then you would most definitely see me with a bottle in my hand.  No, not THAT kind of bottle.  A water bottle.  Water is the make up of our human bodies, water is critical to survival and water aids in weight loss.  Hydration is something most people should think about, regardless of their fitness level.  With summer fast approaching, most of us will be losing more water than usual thanks to the process of sweating.  Not only should we be hydrating in the effort to feed our body, but we need to replenish it, also.

does your front seat look like this?

does your front seat look like this?

Most of us learned at an early age (ahem, 2nd grade) that our bodies are made up of lots and lots of water.  We were preached at to make sure we get eight glasses a day every day in order to “be healthy”.  But is eight glasses (64 ounces) a day really enough?  I found this website that allows you to enter personal information then gives you a suggested amount of water to consume per day.  For me, it suggested 122 ounces per day.  I’ve read on some blogs that you should aim for half the amount of your body weight in ounces each day.  As a 232 pound female, that would put me at 116 ounces per day, only 6 ounces off of what the website recommended.  For me personally, this goal is attainable.  I almost always have some sort of reusable water bottle with me at all times.

two of my favorite water bottles.

two of my favorite water bottles.

When I was on vacation, I knew that being in the sun all day was grounds for possible dehydration so I made sure to bring a huge bottle with me and put the freezer ice bags in it so my water would stay cold all day out by the ocean.  I usually drank the entire jug just while laying outside.  I used to carry two separate bottles to class with me each day so I would not have to leave to refill them, although more often than not I had to leave anyway to use the bathroom.

Surrounded by a body of water, but still got fresh water in my hands.

Surrounded by a body of water, but still got fresh water in my hands.

Sometimes when I talk about hydration with people they get really turned off and say that they don’t like the boring taste of water or that diet drinks keep them more satisfied.  Yes, water does tend to get a little boring sometimes but there are so many flavoring options.  If you want to hydrate throughout the day after a tough morning workout you could pop some Nuun tablets in your water.  I’ve seen some classmates put orange and cucumber slices in their water bottles to help give it a little kick.  Grocery stores also have sugar and calorie free on the go packets like Crystal Light that would be easy to store in your purse, gym bag, or backpack for another hydration option.

hydration stop!

hydration stop!

In terms of weight loss, I believe that adequate water intake is extremely important.  Lack of water leads to dehydration which can have adverse effects on weight loss efforts.  If you are dehydrated then you are probably also more fatigued than usual which could prevent a workout or lead to sickness during a workout.  A lot of people also mix up thirst and hunger.  If you are craving something sweet or salty or “bad” then chances are you could just be thirsty and confused.  A good rule of thumb is to drink a glass of water then wait fifteen minutes.  This has worked great for me especially since water is so filling.  I crave less on days that I drink more and vice versa.  Drinking a ton of water after a day of bad eating can also be beneficial since it increases urine output and decreases bloating.  If I was to binge one night and drink my recommended water intake the next day, there is much less swelling in my fingers and bloat in my belly and face thanks to that water flushing the excess salt intake out.

One of my favorite forms of water is through my favorite fruit…watermelon!  I have to always remind myself to eat watermelon sparingly due to the sugar levels, but it is always so filling of full of water.  A lot of your daily water intake is through food, but it is still important to drink up and always have water on hand!  I challenge you to visit that website to gauge how much water you should be drinking a day and even if you don’t feel like drinking that much, try to drink more than you are drinking now!  Stay hydrated!

any race that serves watermelon as a post race snack is a great race.

any race that serves watermelon as a post race snack is a great race.

How do you stay hydrated?  Do you carry around a water bottle?  Is it harder to stay hydrated in the summer months?

 

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Staying Active On a Beach Vacation

Posted on May 29, 2013 by

Last week I was fortunate enough to spend eight glorious days in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina with my best friend and workout partner, Jess.  They were brave enough to let me tag along on their family vacation.  Vacation can be an intimidating thing for people looking to lose weight.  Days of beach vacations are often spent lounging around in the sand  during the day with big meals full of calories at night.  Not ideal for weight loss efforts.

I started vacation a little nervous about backsliding and completely making a pig of myself in terms of eating and not getting exercise in.  But once we got there, I knew that exercise would not be a problem.  Each morning, I woke up around 7:30 and hit the local neighborhoods and beach access ramps for some mileage.  I walked the majority of the time, but on shorter runs, I would alternate running with walking.  Jess joined me on a few mornings, but others we did our own thing since she is a speedster and I can’t keep up.  We also rented beach cruisers and would ride them during the day for short spurts and then ended each and every day with a 5 mile loop around the golf course we were staying at.

Some morning miles on the endless shores of Hilton Head Island

Some morning miles on the endless shores of Hilton Head Island

Here’s a rundown of the activity of our week:

Sunday: 6 morning beach miles alone/evening 5 mile bike ride
Monday: 6 morning miles with Jess/bike ride/evening 5 mile bike ride.
Tuesday: 3 mile walk with Jess/evening 5 mile bike ride
Wednesday: 6 mile walk/ evening 5 mile bike ride
Thursday: 3 miles/ evening 5 mile bike ride
Friday:  8 mile morning bike ride/ evening bike ride
Saturday: No workout (other than packing)

bike riding on the golf course

bike riding on the golf course

Not the greatest of workouts and it was all mostly just walking/running plus our daily bike rides, but getting up and getting a fantastic sweat in each morning really made a difference with food cravings during the day.  That kick-start to the day was well worth a morning alarm.

Since we were able to stay in a house, I ended up packing lots of food to eat during the day so eating out would not be a temptation.  Every day, I would wake up and have peanut butter toast and lunch would usually consist of a turkey sandwich with fruit on the side and some baked chips.  Not horrible for a vacation, right?  Of course we did eat out for dinner each night, but I never felt overly stuffed or bloated since we ate lighter throughout the day and did a morning workout.  It is all about finding that balance.

Jess's on left; mine on right.

Jess’s on left; mine on right.

I will say that each night after our bike rides we went to the best frozen yogurt place I’ve ever been to.  Yo Addiction just opened up on the island about a month ago and is so fantastic. The yogurt was delicious and the toppings were on point.  They gave us a vacation card that got us 20-30 percent off our entire purchase each night so that kept us coming back.  Fro-Yo isn’t THE most healthy thing in the world, but it beats going out for fatty ice cream each night.  I loved ending each day with a big ole bowl of fro-yo.

Truly an addiction

Truly an addiction

Staying active on vacation was much easier than I thought it would be.  Getting up never bothered me and I always felt like I was pushing myself harder than I would back home because I knew I wanted to enjoy my restaurant meal each night.  Plus the humidity really really made me sweat hard.  It also helped having a friend there to wake up with and get you out the door.  Vacations can be intimidating, but thanks to a little morning exercise, healthy(ish) meals during the day, and an evening bike ride after dinner, I left feeling skinnier than I did at the beginning of the week.  morning miles

How do you stay active on vacation?

 

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Clearance and Muscles

Posted on May 16, 2013 by

Happy Thursday, everyone!  Hope y’all have been having a great week.  I’ve had a lot of free time this week so I took advantage of some outlet shopping with my Momma and really racked up on some deals.  We have a Nike clearance store in the town over from us so we hit up the sales earlier this week and Momma was nice enough to buy me some new clothes in honor of  my graduation!  Thanks, Momma!

I’m not sure if any of you ladies wear Nike tempo shorts, but they are my go-to running item.  They come in so many different colors and pair great over a pair of compression tights.  I wear them pretty much at all times.  However, I am also blessed with larger “child-bearing” hips and Nike tends to run small so their largest size (XL) often doesn’t fit right on my body.  Plus, I wear my shorts high to sort of cover my mid belly pooch so the shorts often are WAY too short for my liking.  But Nike also offers extended sizes for these shorts but can usually only be found online.  I was so fortunate to find some hiding at the Nike store this week and grabbed two pairs since they were only 14 bucks!!  They will make great additions to my running wardrobe and I can wear them with confidence and not worry about them being too short or tight.  nikeclearance

We also bought a pair of Pegasus shoes for walking or just wearing out to the mall or something.  And I scored a new compression sports bra, which is very necessary when it comes to holding the girls down.

With all the free time I’ve had this week, I have been able to get in a three-mile walk every single day.  On Monday, Yvonne joined Momma and I and we went over five miles then late we went back and did three more by ourselves.  I love walking so much and although it isn’t running, it still works my leg muscles and burns calories.

Yesterday, I was able to get in a fabulously sweaty three-mile walk with Momma and I also hit up the gym.  I don’t have a gym membership, but just use the small fitness center at the local country club.  When I did have a gym membership, I would always take group exercise classes and never really focused on individual weights unless I was with a trainer so sometimes it can be very intimidating.  I just did some bench pressing, some resistance machines, some Bosu ball stuff, and dumb bell training.  No specific plan, just did what felt good and left feeling strong.  Of course I didn’t magically wake up this morning with new muscles, but I feel slightly sore and know that what I did yesterday was effective.  C’mon muscle tone, work with me here.  Hopefully I will hit the gym again tomorrow and try some more new things.    gymtime

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