I AM CROSSFIT - Paleo Potluck

Last night Coach Burke hosted a Paleo Potluck for our I AM CROSSFIT team. It was a much needed evening of renewed motivation and recipe swapping. It also gave us a minute to reflect on the goals that we're meeting and talk a bit about CrossFit Culture. It's always nice to get the opportunity to see people outside of the 3.2.1 GO class setting and the food was a fabulous bonus!

I brought a salmon/mushroom dish which turned out really good - you'll have to check the recipe on Just Like Mom Never Made next week.

Last minute, I decided to saute some red cabbage and Susan suggested I make it with a touch of cinnamon and ginger rather than the bacon I was about to flavor it with.....outcome was THE BEST EVER! You gotta try it!

I AM CROSSFIT - progress update!

Andrew, Veronica, Sybil, me, Suzette, La'Toya, Burke at Austin High this weekend.
Missing: Trent and Christina - George who was running the 3m 1/2 Marathon, Tony who just completed the Tough Mudder, and Raj, Sarah, Stephen who were recovering from a cold/flu. We missed you guys!

This weekend my I AM CROSSFIT team met for our first team WOD. We are ending week 3 and about to kick off week 4. I strategically planned to meet this week!

Here's my unofficial theory:
Weeks 1-3: These weeks fly by! They are 'cake' (not literally, SS!) or at least you are carried through with the excitement of a new challenge!

Weeks 7 & 8: Also, 'cake' because week 7 you're almost done, you can see the light, and you're enjoying the progress you've already made - Week 8, EASY - it's the last week!

Weeks 4, 5, & 6: These weeks are the proving ground. This is the time to use your life lines - phone a friend (do you have a support system in place?)- ask the audience (your team is here to support) - consult an expert (call your coach)! By now you are aware of when and where you get tripped up. You also know what to do to stay on track. Plan - commit - make it happen!
This is also a good time to reassess your goals.
Are they realistic? Are you taking the steps you committed to in order to reach them? Do they need to be adjusted with your coach?


After just 3 weeks here are some of what's happening with my team:
Obstacles still to overcome:

• staying focused on the weekends or at work socials
• breaking - like really removing! - the SWEET tooth
• finding best choices while traveling or in conference rooms/office space
• planning food for the entire week

Successes:

• 3 reports of looser fitting clothes
• 2 people have lost 7-8lbs already
• 2 people have successfully gotten his/her first Double Under - a few are stringing several together!
• 1 person got her first kipping pull up
• 1 person got her first handstand push-up
• 1 person has successfully gone from Vegetarian to Paleo Caveman :)
• EVERYONE has made drastic nutrition changes in order to reach his/her goals

Congratulations to everyone who is pushing through the challenge. Post your successes or obstacles to comments and let us know how you're doing!

A horse named FOCUS!

It's week 3 of the 8 week I AM CROSSFIT challenge. This is when you've been REALLY REALLY good with all your workouts and nutrition but it's starting to drive you mad....is it worth it? my pants are looser already, I'll just slack off! Etc, Etc.

After talking to several of the members on my team - this weekend was the weekend to 'fall off the wagon'. It seems that weekends are especially easy to get sucked into skipping a workout, enjoying too much wine, or eating that 'whatever' you're trying to stay away from!


Our Monday team email looked more like "Confessions of ...." Below is a story of one team member's weekend slip up.

It was a cold dark night in Austin, Texas. I had the bright idea of going to Fogo de Chao last night. It's all meat & more meat right? Wrong! The big bad place then gave me a FREE DESSERT!!! I not only took it but ate it too...don-don-don! I couldn't turn anything down from this place. They'll take your arm and your leg, so what could I do, if I wasn't being charged? This was out of principle not weakness for poor old me. In the end I knew that big bad temptation got me BUT I got on my horse (named FOCUS). I then rode away to CrossFit Central today and had myself a workout this morning. Thus killing that bad (but yet yummy) cake in my system...Hip-hip hurray! THE END.

Can you relate?
I can!

When this happens in the challenge or in life we have two choices:

1. Give up - Beat yourself up - Sabotage the next 5 weeks of the challenge
2. Get back our that horse named FOCUS! Start over with a new day and keep going.

Which option will you choose?

E.P.O.C - Why CrossFit Works!

So, you've notice the E.P.O.C workout sent with the challenge WODs and wonder "what is E.P.O.C and why is it important to me"

What is E.P.O.C?

E.P.O.C stands for Excess Post Exercise Oxygen Consumption and refers to the work your body continues to do AFTER your workout. During EPOC your body is restoring/repairing itself to it's pre-exercise state. This means, you're continuing to expend energy and burn fuel (calories) at an elevated rate.

EPOC is higher with short, high intensity workouts (like your CrossFit Central WODs) than with aerobic (running, cycling, long slow distance) workouts.

Why is it important to you?

EPOC is the reason CrossFit makes YOU fitter than you've ever been. You must attack every CrossFit WOD with your highest intensity and you will increase your metabolic efficiency.

It is shown that EPOC can increase your metabolic rate 13% up to 3 hours after exercise and 4% after 16 hours post workout!
That's right one 5-15 minutes workout can increase your metabolism for 16 hours. READ THAT AGAIN! That is exciting!
That is something your 1 hour runs and 3 hour bike rides CANNOT do for you!

This also means that you need to respect the need for your body to repair itself after CrossFit WODs. You're in the challenge, you're working towards your goals, you're making sacrifices, and pushing yourself to new physical limits BUT make sure you rest and recover.

To my team:

How is week 2 going for you?

What did you learn at the Nutrition meeting?

What is the biggest thing you'll have to give up for this challenge? post to comments.

For me: The first week has been good - it actually feels great to get back on the 'real foods only' plan and train with intention instead of doing whatever I could on the road/over holiday. The biggest thing that I am giving up for this challenge are Nibbles :) You know a bit of this, a taste of that, a dash of sugar in my coffee etc.

Week of Weaknesses!

These photos are me doing things I "can't" do....sometimes I need to see them as a reminder :)

Coming out of a month of Holiday workouts (you all know they aren't the same...) and vacation "do what you can" workouts I was psyched to get back to the gym!

The break really made me aware of the difference between working out and training.

I am back to training and I love it. My first week back, I spent focusing on my weaknesses. The only way to breakthrough - to get to the next level - is to work on what you're not good at - work on what scares you - work on what you'd never choose to do!

• Wednesday I met with Coach JDP and we spent 1 hour upside down - more or less.
• Thursday Lindsey and Carey and I did 30 minutes of rope climbs b/c who would do that on her own??
• Saturday we did 2MU, 4HSPU, 10Power Snatch, 1 Butcher - 5 rounds b/c gymnastics scare me and power snatch isn't Carey's best friend.
• Sunday Jen C. and I threw 400m repeats in our track workout b/c we wanted to only do 200's

We literally had a Rolodex of WODs and chose the ones we wanted to do - then threw them out and worked on the 'suck' - That's how you get better!

ATTN I AM CROSSFIT FOLKS:
Many of you are taking on the I AM CROSSFIT challenge and are handed a handful of WODS to choose from each week.
How do you choose which workout to do? Do you have a coach to help you pick?
Here are my suggestions:

• Find the WOD that looks like the 'worst' one - DO IT
• Find the WOD that has a skill that you know you need to practice - DO IT
• Find the WOD that scares you or that makes you say "I'll never do that" - DO IT

So which I AM CROSSFIT WOD will you choose this week?

I AM CROSSFIT goals 2011

White Sands, NM: camera shot makes it look like I can already walk on my hands:)

My "before" I AM CROSSFIT stats:
149lbs - 14.2% body fat
WOD time: 8:10
Compared to last year.
6lbs heavier but 1.5% leaner and 22 seconds slower

My 2011 I AM CROSSFIT challenge goals:

1) I will walk on my hands before March 5th.

• I will do 100 wall runs at least 3x a week
• I will meet with Coach JDP 1x a week
  
• I will attempt handstand walks at least 3x a week (7-10 attempts)
  

2) I will lose the 2% body fat the Holidays 'gave' me! YIKES - who is checking my food log??

• I will resume pre-holiday menu: no tortilla chips, no sweets, 9 almonds at one sitting
• I will get the following every day: 14-16 blocks protein, 8-10 blocks carbs, 40-45 blocks fat
• I will limit alcohol to red wine or vodka 4 servings a month

3) I will finish the I AM CROSSFIT benchmark in under 7:30 with unbroken butterfly pull-ups.

I did the I AM CROSSFIT wod with these goals on Friday and got all 3 rounds done with unbroken butterfly pull-ups!!! Yay- 1/2 the goal done. My time was 8:10.....I will get on the track to work on the run!

I have a great team to support (and supporting me) and together I know these goals will be met!