Moxie for Life

My workout today was hard. Really hard. I can’t say it was the hardest on ever, but it stretched me. It was 5 rounds. I pretty much hate 5 round workouts as a rule.
Round 1: My head is in the game. I blast through the first set, on to set 2. It’s heavy, but doable. Set three sucks. I have to drop my weight, which is 83#, and get it back overhead. I realize, once again,(hello? push jerk not push press!) I’m doing the movement wrong and try to correct.
Round 2: Pushing through this one with a few added breaks, but feeling good and strong. A little teak in my lower back tells me to tighten up on the overhead. I do.
Round 3: I’m looking around, checking out where everyone else is. Hard to tell. Hoping I’m keeping up, but I can’t let it get to me. I start to get a better rhythm and work hard not to drop the weight as much and get mad when I do. This just means more work for me. Some one asks what round I’m on and I think that makes me get too comfortable, thinking I can relax a bit. Bad idea.
Round 4: I start to slow down. Broken sets mean extra work. I’m getting mad. I hear someone call time, then another. Crap. I’ve really fallen behind. I won’t stop though. It’s heavy, but I will persist. The end is near.
Round 5: Several people are done. Encouraging me. “Pick it up.” I always have mixed emotions at this time. One part says, “yes, cheer me on” the other says “shut up and disappear”. I’m breaking up sets in my head.Soon 7-5, 3-3-3, 2-2-2…becomes “whatever it takes”. I manage to make it to the last set, go 2-4 and I’m done.
Finish: Fall on the floor, regain my bearings and breathe deeply.
Was it hard? Um. Yeah. Totally. Did I make it? Of course. Would I do it again? For sure and I probably will!
Why?
I’m looking for change. I want to do better. I want to push myself beyond the last time. My time may have been the slowest on the board, but I felt good doing that weight and living to tell about it.

It’s not only about weights and exercise. My theory is that if I can push through these workouts which stretch me in every way possible, including my mental state, I can push through other hard stuff. It’s not just about the weight for me. When life throws unexpected things at me, I can dig into my memory of what I have faced and survived and say, “Yeah, it’s gonna be hard, but I’m going to take it on. Little by little, piece by piece…I will finish.” I can relax, think it through and persist.

Whether it be fitness, diet, pursuing your dream or going through a difficult situation, what are you looking for?

My conscience got the better of me, mostly. While I still purchased weightlifting shoes (did I just say that?), I went for the pretty blue ones that were $50 cheaper. At least they are still a little different and fun. I was really on the fence on whether they were actually necessary. I watched a really cool video that showed the difference in landing on running shoes vs. lifting shoes. Really interesting the support difference. So, I better be a lifting queen after these come.

Here are the two videos I mentioned. Check out the movement in the feet and ankles. Really a big difference.

Running Shoes

Weightlifting Shoes

CFV is posting videos of the Affiliate team members and mine went up a few days ago. Faith has done a great job and I can’t wait to see the rest. Thanks Faith and the CFV community!

I suck at it. Especially when it comes to food. I eat secret nibbles like someone will see and rat me out as a fake. I’m done. I’m posting my daily food to the side…everything. I promise to put each and every thing I eat and drink on this page! Feel free to call me out on anything that looks fishy…you know when you spy
Snack: 1 Crumb Donette…ask me if I really only had 1 and then tell me to knock it off! Not that I would eat those…really.

I gotta get tougher on this, especially on the sugar. I’m not an addict but certain days I love a big DQ sundae! If any of you crossfitters get the CF Kids magazine there is a great article about sugar in there. If you’re interested, let me know in comments or email and I can get it for you.

EDIT: I just read this thought it was great. “Focus on what you’re gaining (better health, better body, better focus…) rather than what you’re missing out on.” Duh. I always think about how great what everyone else is eating looks instead of how great I look or feel or how fast I can run. I just had a light bulb moment.

Ok, now go eat something good for you!

I start this post with a big sigh of relief that I’m done. I survived and I don’t feel completely dead. That is one thing that I love the most about CF. I can do the most gut wrenching, mind bending workout(s) and recover without much problem. Yes, I’m sore but I can function. When I did my Level 1 Cert and had only been Crossfitting for 1 month on my own, I was seriously jacked up after the workouts. Now, I can pull myself together much faster.

Anyway, the day was a bit nuts in that I worked out in the last heat and there were only two of us. YAY Faith! It was in my top three of hardest workouts. To remind you…
“Know Pain, Know Gain”
5 rounds for time of:
15 Wall Balls (M: 20lbs, W: 10lbs)
15 Sumo-deadlift High-pulls (M: 75lbs, W: 55lbs)
15 Burpees

About round three I hit a wall. I had several missed wall ball attempts and got frustrated. My mind began to fail me and I started to shut down. My reps came in 3’s and 5’s. It sucked the life out of me. My finish time was 23:48. The slowest of the day. I’m disappointed, but stronger and smarter. I know there are some things I need to work on. (Diet?)

I don’t know if I have a place on the actual team but either way I do know that the CFV team as a whole is an amazing place to be. The camaraderie is like none other. I’m content to know I’m on THAT team!

Thanks to Maurice, Ben and Huff for coaching me. Thanks to Jaala, Kathleen, Brittney and Katie for the encouragement.