Crossfitter For Life: Random Bloggage

Lately I feel as though I'm stuck in a rut: Financially, athletically-physically, mentally and emotionally.

Starting with the physical aspect, last Friday we got to experience a modified version of WOD #12.3 of the open to qualify to regionals in crossfit.

The original WOD looks like:

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 18 minutes of:

15 Box jumps 24" box

12 reps 115 pound Push press

9 Toes-to-bar

The fittest woman in the world of 2011, Annie Thorisdottir completed 13 rounds + 8 Push presses (75lbs for woman & 20in box for box jumps)

The WOD our crossfit gym did was:

20 min AMRAP of:

15 box jumps (20in-for me)

12 push press (95/65lbs)

9 T2B

6 Pull ups

There were 2 minutes added but also 6 pull ups added. I managed to make 7 rounds + 15 box jumps, plus PP's were done at 65lbs-10lbs less than Annie and the original recommended weight.

I gave it my all but still was not very satisfied with the end result, especially since this work out incorporates some of my strengths. Toe to bars and pull ups are a peice of cake for me. The push press was definitely the hardest, anytime I add weight to anything I do, it ultimately becomes my weakness. I am all about using my own body weight. The box jumps are medium for me. Not my favorite exercise but I am decent at them. I know I've only been doing crossfit for about 6 months now but I guess I had just hoped my rounds would've been closer to Annie's...

I shouldn't be displeased. 65lbs for Push presses used to be nearly impossible for me. Now I can do them fairly easily. Likewise, I am still beating nearly everyone else in the gym. There are only a few guys who go up against me and even then, a couple of them are not doing crossfit performed as prescribed. Even so, I know I've got a long way to go to achieve my lifelong goals. Good thing I'm still young.

It seems as though I've stopped improving though... It's been rather frusterating. Likewise, the sprained thumb I managed to attain about a month ago hasn't healed. It got a bit better for a period of time but never fully stopped healing, and lately I think it's getting worse. This only adds more to the physical frusterations.

Then there's the usual eating struggle. I usually manage to eat one to two good meals a day. However, this weekend I traveled out of town and was stuck eating cheap food that was not exactly what I'd call healthy. Any form of grain I have labeled as bad. Even foods such as carrots and bananas are on the list of foods I try to avoid at a great extent. This weekend was spent mostly eating starbucks food, coffee and subway sandwiches. FML... I ate a delicious salmon dinner with veggies on the side last night.

And then rather irritatingly enjoyed some apple crisp and icecream that put my body in a fritz. It doesn't feel good to eat food like that anymore and my body hates me every time I do...

As far as financially, I think most of America is struggling. I am fortuanate to still live with my parents most of the time, when I'm not staying in their house, I am bouncing around from one person's house to another. Likewise this hinders my eating as well. I eat what I am provided or else go out somewhere for a $3-$10 meal.

I am only working very few hours as a fitness instructor. And I really can't be working a ton more because my body can only handle so much as an instructor. I was hoping to get hired at a gymnastics facility nearby as a fitness instructor but so far that process has been slow and I've not heard much news from that direction. However, the reason I had been out of town over the weekend was to coach a group of gymnasts in a city close by. It had been the first time I'd entered a gym to coach in almost 5 months. I was a little nervous at first and unsure if I wanted to go through with it, but decided the need for money was worth it. I had no idea how much I had missed it until I was working along side the girls and helping teach skills and improve old ones. They were eager to listen and learn which made my job that much easier. I also attempted some toe-hands on the strap bar and found that I could surprisingly, easily perform the skill now, even though I've not trained as a gymnast for over a year now. The idea to go back still lingers. I think I'm going to begin training in the summer. Not to compete as a gymnast, but to see how much I can still do, to improve strength, flexibility and my crossfit performance in general. Apparently, crossfit itself is not enough. Even Annie Thorisdottir portrays that in an interview that shows that she still trains in a gymnastics facility when she's not at the crossfit gym.

http://youtu.be/wtk2dSphI_Y?hd=1