5K - oh, you are serious?

The weekend started off with a bang! I got home from work mentally exhausted, but was met with a Tequilla shot (thanks Sam!) and a package from Afrobrutality! Syn sent 2 pounds of coffee (black cocaine yumminess), a new tank, and a banner for the home gym (Apt.3B).

Spicy!

Stepping up the garage gym!

Friday night was 15.4 and my mom and bro came to cheer me on. I did the scaled version (123 reps) of push press and cleans (65#/75#). The weight was not heavy for me, which meant I needed to move fast and keep moving. I was pretty proud of my effort and super happy to sport my new Afrobrutality tank.

15.4 fun at Crossfit Annandale

Saturday was an early morning of get up, get dressed, and go! The boys school was doing a Fun Run and they NEEDED to sign up. Last year we didn't do it - it was the same day as my son M's birthday party - and apparently it was social suicide not being there. Sorry dudes. This year I signed us up....somehow Sam managed to get out of it.

Numbers on and ready!

We had to do 4 laps around the school and through the neighborhood. Lots and lots of hills. Turns out that they were serious too - this was a real deal 5K. We jogged most of the first lap, then took the approach of jog the flat and walk the hills. The boys did great, but 3 miles was a lot for them. Today they are both walking around like old men....I might be a LITTLE sore too!

Finish line fun!

Saturday was a beautiful day and Perry loved sunbathing. Doors and windows were open, laundry and spring cleaning were in full force.

Spring!

Ribs for dinner!

Week 2 of meal planning went well. Eggs, pork, asparagus, sausage, fish, sweet potatoes, swiss cheese, Ostrim sticks (yum!). Sunday is prep day for the week so today I will make a list, hit up the grocery store, prep my food and watch Walking Dead (duh). 

Smoked Salmon for Sunday Breakfast

WORKOUTS:

Monday: 

Conditioning 
With a running clock, every minute perform 1 lift and add 10 lb.  Start with an empty barbell and snatch for as long as possible. Once you cannot snatch the weight, clean for as long as possible. Once you cannot clean the weight, deadlift for as long as possible. 

Power Snatch 103#

Power Clean 143#

Deadlift 273#

I loved this workout, but I felt it for a few days afterwards. I got to lift with my partner in crime too!

I love getting to lift with my girls

Tuesday:

Worked out at the home gym today to spend some extra time with the family. 

Strict Press: Sets

Strict Press, 5 reps | 45 lbs Strict Press, 5 reps | 45 lbs Strict Press, 4 reps | 55 lbs

Push Press: Sets Push Press, 5 reps | 45 lbs Push Press, 5 reps | 55 lbs Push Press, 5 reps | 65 lbs Push Press, 2 reps | 75 lbs Push Press, 2 reps | 85 lbs Push Press, 2 reps | 95 lbs Push Press, 1 rep | 105 lbs Push Press, 1 rep | 115 lbs Push Press, 1 rep | 125 lbs

Wednesday:

Sets Front Squat, 5 reps | 45 lbs Front Squat, 5 reps | 95 lbs Front Squat, 3 reps | 115 lbs Front Squat, 2 reps | 135 lbs Front Squat, 1 rep | 155 lbs

Fran - what a B. This was a going away WOD for friends, they picked it, I just tried to live through it

21-15-9 reps of: Thruster, 65 lbs Pull-ups

7:15 a PR by 2:03!!!!! Still need to get my pull-ups stronger, was only stringing 2-3 together consistently. PROGRESS!

Thursday: Rest

Friday:

15.4

8:00 AMRAP: 10 Push Press, 65 lbs 10 Cleans, 75 lbs

I tried to rest as little as possible. Completed 6 rounds plus 3 push presses for 123 reps. 

Saturday:

The dreaded 5K. No timer.....perhaps on purpose? :)

Sunday:

Rowing

Mobility

Workout general soreness and get ready to hit the weights Monday!

Zero Crying

"Zero Crying" - this came along with my programming this week from Coach B. Now, this might seem harsh - but it's sometimes what I need - and he knows that.

Do I wine whine?

Nope. I really don't. I do crossfit, workouts, wods, extra programming because I WANT to. Not because someone is telling me to - I do it for ME. 

Do I cry because I'm sensitive and Coach B or CFA coaches are mean or too critical?

No crying in Crossfit

Nope. I take criticism really well (except from my husband....working on that). I want people to tell me what I'm doing wrong, how to fix it, how to do it better. I want to be the best I can be - can't do that without help and coaching. 

So why the "zero crying" from Coach B? Because I get frustrated. I have really big goals for myself. I have stupid high standards for myself. Sometimes, when I don't hit those goals or reach those standards I get frustrated. What does that look like?

Sometimes it's an ugly cry

Sometimes it's just tears

Sometimes there are no tears. I'm just annoyed.

What happens when there are tears or frustrations? Sam is there to put me back together, talk me through it, show me I'm being silly. He is great at showing me where my thinking went wrong, if I skipped a step in my goals (can't expect to clean 145# in a WOD if that's my 1 RM), or I'm just being stupid. Coach B is there to remind me he would never program something I can't do. I need to take a deep breath. I need to take a break. I need to go into the workout with a positive mindset and realistic goals. 

Now, I don't cry every time I workout. So why the disclaimer this week? This is gut check week. Programming this week is intense. We are getting close to Superfit DC. Crying and being frustrated will not help me complete my goal. Taking it one day at a time. Taking it one workout at a time. Taking a deep breath. 

 

And remembering Coach B's favorite thing to tell me: It's only a workout.

 

Have a great week. Work towards your goals. Keep a smile on your face!

Mental Toughness - Push Past the Suck

I work a lot on strength, cardio, mobility........something that I lack and need to work on daily is mental toughness. Doing research on this I found that I actually do some mental toughness activities (and didn't even KNOW it!) - but I do just as many things that tear that down. So here I am, researching mental toughness so I can be the most Bad Ass Ann I can be!

I read a few articles, but the one that spoke to me the most was "6 Elements of Mental Toughness". Obvi I'm going to relate it to me, but hopefully you can find helpful info in this too.

1. Flexibility: Now, we aren't talking about breaking out your awesome splits - believe me, they are awesome. Absorb the unexpected, don't get defensive, see the humor in it all, when the unexpected happens be able to find another solution. I suck at this. I am getting WAY better, but this is hard for me. My husband is a pro at being flexible. We took a test and he was labeled a "beach ball" for his ability to bounce around, be cool, and take it all in stride. Me? Clip board. A mother flippin clipboard. Pretty much if it's not written down, planned, or talked about (over analyzed) then I can't adapt. I'm not in the fetal position on the floor, but I'm close. Crossfit has helped this because there are so many unknowns. I don't know the workout until that day, competitions are not released until a few days before, you never know who is going to show up to a class and push you......Flexibility.

2. Responsiveness: The ability to remain engaged, alive, connected to the activity. This I do. I think I do this pretty well - of course I have shut down a time or two. I don't have many temper tantrums, but they happen - usually behind closed doors where there are not witnesses :)  I think I have always been pretty good at this because I'm doing something I love (Crossfit, Lacrosse, Field Hockey, Running, Triathlons) - I care too much to totally check out. And my mom taught me to NEVER quit.

3. Strength: Not He-Man strength, but that ability to dig deep. Push past the pain. Push past the suck. For this I have a few tricks - I have a ways to go with this one. People always say the mind quits before the body.....and it's so true. I am not going to give away all my secrets here - there are two people that know my buzz words for when I need to push past the suck. They also know what I respond to. I need to be "coached". I have spent my whole life on a field or on a team WITH a coach. If my brain hears someone tell me to do "one more", "go faster", "keep pushing" then it's on. I can do that. I can do one more, five more, whatever I need. I am now working on being able to push myself that way - telling myself to do one more.

4. Courage/Ethics: No brainer for me. Do the right thing, don't take short cuts, don't short yourself reps.....This one I just don't understand. I know it happens, I know at times it's a pure accident. The only person you short is yourself - skipping a few reps to beat the person next to you or your old time......it's dumb. It's immature. It's not courage. I get pretty heated about this one. You showed up. Do the work.

5. Resiliency: Being able to bounce back from disappointment, mistakes, or missed opportunities. This one I've got on lock down. I do not quit. Period. One fail, mistake, etc is not going to keep me from my goals and dreams. If you find that one slip up has you in a tail spin, maybe you need to look at what you are doing. Do you REALLY want it? Is it something that you are doing because you want to and you really want to achieve that goal? Nothing is going to stand in the way of my goals.

6. Sportsmanship: I own this one. Years of practice on different teams my whole life. I LOVE to cheer people on, even opponents. It helps me stay focused, I like to make others feel good, and it keeps the positive vibes flowing. I've been asked a million times if I was a cheerleader - NOPE. I can quote most of Bring It On though.

So I'm working on breaking through walls, my flexibility, and my strength and ability to dig deep. Positive self-talk is key too. Hope you get the chance to cheer someone on and DO ONE MORE REP!