Romantic Memorial Day Murph

Hubby and I purchased shirts for MDM 2013 (Memorial Day Murph) - a yearly fundraiser named after Navy LT Michael Murphy who was killed in Afghanistan on June 28th 2005. The idea is to honor all fallen military members with a challenging workout. We were passionate about the fundraiser. We paid extra to have the shirts delivered on time. All day Saturday and Sunday of Memorial Day weekend we talked about how hard Murph was going to be on Monday. We didn't feel well, took vitamin C packs, slept extra and made sure we were ready for the workout on Memorial Day. Since it would be my second CrossFit class, I was especially nervous. Monday morning we dropped Little Beast to my parents, wore our Murph shirts and went to CrossFit. We get there and there is a small group of people doing a class. We yell "Yeahhh MURPHH!" when we walk in. You can imagine our faces when the instructor told us we were late. Yep, two days late! Memorial Day Murph was on Saturday. Duh. We felt dumb. We laughed at ourselves. I actually used my son as an excuse - can you tell we're parents of a toddler? Meanwhile the instructor has 3 kids of his own! We laughed ourselves all the way to the car and then to the park to do what we signed up for. We did Murph together. For those unfamiliar, this is what we did -

Half Mile Run

50 Pull Ups 

100 Push Ups

150 Air Squats

Half Mile Run

And that's a modified Murph. We split up the pull ups, push ups and air squats in sets of 5. It was tough. But we finished. We both sat down and felt like we were going to throw up. In our weird world, it was romantic and I am half glad we missed the class so that I got to do it with Hubby. I would have liked to actually participate in the class though. Oh well, next year we know Memorial Day Murph may not be on Memorial Day!

We did it!

Since it was a long weekend, my eating wasn't on track at all. I'm slowly and surely getting back on track. I have an appointment with Trainer tonight so I'm looking forward to that. Though I haven't been running as much as I would like, I have worked out 17 days this month so far. That's a record for me! 

I have also recruited new members to my local running group. I've mentioned in an earlier post that I am a local chapter leader for the national running group Moms RUN This Town and I am very excited to say that we now have 8 members in our group! If you are interested in joining a group near you, please go to the site and look for a local chapter. 

My First CrossFit Class

After dabbling in various crossfit-esque workouts with Trainer, I decided to actually go to an official CrossFit class at a box yesterday. I can now say that what I was doing before was not CrossFit. We did some techniques here and there but my workouts with Trainer are nowhere near as intense as what I did yesterday.

I walked into the Box and was immediately intimidated. I started making assumptions. Apparently I didn't read my own post from yesterday! I got over it when everyone started smiling and introducing themselves. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised from the vibe. Everyone cheers you on and helps you. It's just a really supportive atmosphere.

Yesterday's Workout of the Day (WOD) was Deadlifts 5 sets of 5, and then 5 rounds of 15 medicine ball cleans (either 20 or 14 pounds) followed by 15 hanging knees to chest. I thought I wouldn't have too much trouble with the WOD because I have done cleans with Trainer. What I learned yesterday is that I was not doing cleans before. My technique was way off and I had trouble getting the right technique the entire class. That said, it made me even more motivated to get it right! CrossFit Owner/Coach (CO from this point forward) spent a lot of time coaching me through the proper clean technique and I can honestly say I still don't have it down. I came home, took a shower and practiced in the tub - haha! I will get it eventually.

Woohoo!

I'm sore today and have an appointment with Trainer tonight. I won't be back at the CrossFit Box until Memorial Day and then I'll stop in occasionally until I complete the sessions with Trainer. I'm working hard at my new lifestyle (I have started using the phrase - It's a lifestyle bitttchhh! - with Hubby and really seem to enjoy saying it!) Though I look at my body everyday, I'm not focused on getting immediate results. I know it will take time, hard work and dedication and I am fully prepared to give it my all. After all, you don't ever appreciate anything that comes easy!

Bitttch! ;)

My Thoughts on Assumptions

Yesterday I had an appointment with Trainer. This was my workout - 

3 sets of - 15 jump squats, 15 squat medicine ball throws, 15 medicine ball clean, press and slam, 15 medicine ball cleans, 15 knees to chest, and 15 hand release push ups. 

Surprisingly, I flew threw it. Trainer was proud of me! I look like an idiot when I jump squat but for some reason, I don't really care. I gave yesterday's workout my all and I was pouring sweat when I finished. On my way out of the gym, I ran into a childhood friend of mine. She was walking on the treadmill. We briefly talked about weight loss, working out and our fitness goals. She mentioned both her and her husband have a dietitian and all the protein she was eating. I told her I think you need to exercise a lot when you eat that much protein. To that she replied that she walks for 45 minutes on the treadmill and then does some machine work. I wanted to tell her that's not enough. She's younger than me and absolutely beautiful and with the proper training, could accomplish her goals of weight loss and toning. When she told me she couldn't even do a squat, I said I couldn't either and suggested my Trainer. Her response was that I have always loved working out. Completely false. She then said yea but you're skinny. False again. I made sure to tell her I have been working my ass off to get stronger and that I couldn't care less about being skinny.

Don't Make Assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life. ~ Miguel Angel Ruiz

It's funny how we all make assumptions about other people. You see a fat person on the street and you automatically think they are lazy and eat crap. Hubby has recently started at a CrossFit box and told me about a bigger girl in his last class. Apparently, she gives it her all, tries her best and even told him she eats healthy too and isn't sure why she isn't losing weight. Yet if someone saw her outside of CrossFit, they probably wouldn't know how hard she tries. Assumptions suck. We really need to stop assuming people are a certain way and instead focus on improving ourselves. 

Me 2007
Fit? No
Skinny? No
 Loves Exercise? Hell No
Smiling? Yes

 

Me 2013
Fit? Getting There
Skinny? Who cares?
 Loves Exercise? Hell YES!
Smiling? Always

My Second 5K and Our First One Together

Sunday I ran my second 5K - the Hair of the Dog 5K at Silver Decoy Winery. I was so nervous that I couldn't sleep the night before. I kept tossing and turning and stressing about the rain. I don't like running in the rain and especially wasn't happy about the possibility of running in pouring rain. I know, Wah Wah. Thankfully, I was accountable. For one, Hubby and I were running this one together and there was no way I was telling him I'm not going to do it. Two, I know how bad I would I feel if I stayed home and it stopped raining! So I got up Sunday morning, had my coffee and started getting excited! Since the weather wasn't that great, we ended up dropping Little Beast to his grandparents instead of bringing him along. Our original plan was to meet up with some friends and enjoy the festival and some wine after the run but it rained on our parade so we decided to leave after the 5K.

We arrived, parked, registered, peed, stretched, peed again, stretched some more, peed yet again (you can never pee enough before a race!) and found our way to the starting line. The course was pretty flat and since it was a race to benefit dog rescue, there were tons of people running with their dogs. Hearing the jingling of collars and leashes behind you is definitely different. There were also tons of kids galloping away and then stopping abruptly. It was a great atmosphere. At the 1 mile mark, the clock said 8:20, my running app told me a 8:06. I was happy with my pace and kept on running. I hit 2 miles at 17:06, and 16 something on my phone. Somewhere after 2 miles, I started cramping on my left side. It was bad and I wanted to stop but I told myself I couldn't. I did run a lot slower and when the pain eased, I found my pace again. I finished at 27:21, a new PR! At the finish line, I saw Hubby and told him I was going to throw up. I sprinted at the end when I saw 27 to ensure I made it under 28 minutes, my goal, and I did. Hubby also PR'd, at 24:50!

Happy with our PR's

So my second 5K and my first 5K with Hubby was a success! I am excited to run many more races with him and hope to one day beat him! He's pretty fast so I'm not sure if I will ever be faster than him but I'm going to try my best! We signed up for our next race together - The Rugged Maniac -  and will most likely run this one together. I never thought I would sign up for a 5K with obstacles but I'm excited. That will be my 3rd 5K this year!

I'm also happy to say that I went shopping with Bestie last week and everything fit so much better. I have noticed a drastic decrease in my muffin top. Dresses fit better and pants were more flattering - Thank you Trainer for making me do so many squats! It's been a month since I started working with Trainer and people are now starting to notice a difference in my body. I can't wait to see what another month of working with her will do!

Going back to Running, Running, Running

Though my fitness goals have evolved and I'm focusing on strength training as well as running, I have by no means forgotten my first love - running (no offense Michael, you know what I mean!). I love running. In fact, I miss my long distance runs. Scheduling time with my trainer has affected my running because I feel guilty taking too much time away from Little Beast. That said, lately I have been focusing on speed and improving my 5K time. My second 5K is this weekend at Silver Decoy Winery. I'm hoping to run it in 27 minutes. My First 5K was in March and I ran it in 30:44. Taking 3 minutes off my time will be tough but I think I'll be able to do it. To be honest, strength training has helped me become faster. My legs and butt (woohoo!) already feel stronger and I'm excited to see what Sunday brings.

Yesterday I took Little Beast out on a run in the jogging stroller and even though I only ran 2.6 miles, I ran it at the same pace as my first 5K, at roughly 10 min/mile. My first 5K was actually a little over 10 min/mile so the fact that I could push the jogging stroller and run at a faster pace makes me thankful I started strength training.

Tonight I have another strength training session with Trainer. I'm looking forward to it. She really kicks my ass. The last workout, two days ago, I squatted 75 pounds, worked on my kettlebell swing, did some ab work, lunges and burpees followed by kettlebell swings. It was absolutely insane. I don't really like burpees but the fact that I'm getting better at them makes me like them. Strange huh? The fact that they are so hard makes people avoid them but they work pretty much your entire body!

Ever since I have switched the focus from getting skinny to being strong, I feel a weight lifted off me (no pun intended!) I do find myself looking at my body more to see changes and while people may not notice them yet, I certainly do. I'm excited to publish before and after pictures in the next couple months for you all to see. Hopefully I have made significant changes by then.

Of course, running and strength training are only part of it. I have been working on eating better and it's been a huge challenge. I now drink a daily green juice which includes spinach, kale, parsley, celery, broccoli,  green apple, and a little lemon. It's actually pretty good!

YUM!

I also recently bought almond butter to put on rice cakes as a snack. I started with peanut butter and made the slow transition to almond butter. It's not peanut butter but it's okay, just takes some getting used to. If you're wondering where I get these ideas, I am following the advice of my coworker's nutritionist. With spending money on the gym as well as crossfit box (eventually!), I have no money to spend on a nutritionist. So I get tips here and there and am figuring it out as I go. If you have any healthy recipes or want to share your daily meals, go ahead and comment! I'm always looking for something that's healthy and tastes good!

Modified

You may have noticed fewer posts dedicated solely to running. It's because I have modified my fitness goals. As mentioned in previous posts, I joined the gym and have a Trainer. Years ago, I never would have done that. I owe my evolving fitness goals to running. Running has given me the confidence that I needed to try other things. When I started running, I didn't like it one bit. The more I did it, the more I enjoyed it and the farther I ran. The farther I ran, the more confidence I got. Yeah I can run 6 miles, what now biatttchh?

So back to fitness goals. When I decided I wanted to be a runner, I thought hey I'll lose a little weight. To be honest, I haven't lost any weight running. My body also hasn't drastically changed since I started running. I'm okay with that, I didn't really expect a big change to begin with. I'm happy to be part of the running community, happy to have built my endurance and impressed with the confidence I gained running. But I want more. I want to be strong. I've always been skinny fat. Not very skinny but certainly not fat. I guess you could describe me as mushy. My mushiness increased after having Little Beast and I'm sick of it. I don't much care about weight. I'd be perfectly okay with staying the same weight but I want strong arms, legs and a strong core. It's because of these new fitness goals, that I started having my Trainer do Crossfit workouts with me. I'm not at a CrossFit Box yet but I'm working on getting there. I admire the crazy workouts crossfitters do and how much strength they have. I love the feeling of pride you have after an unbelievably exhausting workout.

That said, you can't just jump into CrossFit. Well I can't at least. The WOD (Workout of the Day for you not crossfitters) the other day was the following: Run 1 mile, 100 pushups, 200 situps, 300 squats, Run 1 mile. Seriously? That is insane! Obviously no one can jump right into that so workouts are modified according to your ability. My Trainer does CrossFit and is aware of my desire to try it so we do modified CrossFit workouts 3 times a week. Along with that, I plan on running 2 days a week so my running schedule is modified as well. My next 5K is on May 19 so I have been working on my 5K time and putting long runs on the backburner for now. After the 5K is complete, I will go back to long runs on Sundays. I'm actually looking forward to it. Nothing beats the feeling after a long run!

This was my workout yesterday -

Jump rope - 60 seconds
Medicine ball clean (crossfit lift) - 10
Hand release push ups - 10
One hand 15 pound cleans - 10 each side
Mountain climbers - 60 seconds
Box jumps - 15

Total sets - 3

It was insane. I was pouring sweat. And I was really proud of myself for completing it! Hubby showed me how to do a box jump recently and it was really tough for me. You'd never think it was that hard. Well yesterday I did so much better! That was until Hubby and Little Beast came to the gym and I saw them. I nearly fell off the box! Ha! Leave it to me to be clumsy when people are looking at me.

After yesterday's workout, Hubby took my before pic. I am not publishing yet but I will take another one after my 24 gym sessions are up - roughly the end of June. Then I will take one after 2 months at a CrossFit Box. Whether I see a difference or not, I know I am getting stronger and that matters more!

Because working out is only part of the puzzle, I have started eating better as well. I have to say it is a slow process. It's tough when you have a long commute, get hungry the second you get home and have tons of snacks in the house for your toddler. But I'm eating more frequently and eating healthier and once I figure all that out, I'll post my daily meals for you all. Right now, I'm not where I want to be yet - working out is one thing, eating healthy is much harder! I love pizza. And I love cupcakes. I am substituting for eggs, chicken  and rice cakes with almond butter. Don't get me wrong, I'm not off pizza completely and I'll never be but I am working on having only 1 cheat day instead of 7!

Until my next crazy workout,
Renita

For My Husband

I've always been skeptical of soul mates. When I was in my early 20's, I was convinced soul mates didn't exist and that you'd learn to love the person you met. All that crap went out the window when I married my soul mate 3 years ago today.

Truth be told, I realized he was my soul mate after I married him. Soul mates make you the best version of yourself, they enhance you. I'm trying very hard not to pull a Jerry McGuire and say he completes me but my husband really does. He is my rock, he's my best friend and he's the reason I push myself to do the things I never thought I could. He's supportive, loving, an overall amazing husband and a fantastic father. I couldn't have asked for anything else and am blessed to have him.

Not only does he push me to do things I never thought possible, he makes me better. Last night I ran my fastest 5K yet - 27:54! I owe that to Michael because he ran 3 miles the other day in 26:44. He knows how competitive I am and made sure to mention that and low and behold, I tried my hardest to beat him (nothing like a little friendly competition) and I came pretty close! :)

So Happy Anniversary babe! I don't know what I would do without you.