Mile Run: 7:35 (last time running a mile, we did 3 with 2 min rest between trials. 8:55 / 9:22 / 8:51)

I hear almost daily about people’s back pain, hip tightness…”I’ve got a pain in my ….(insert body part here)…”

This website addresses these issues and really, everyone should be doing these exercises. They are simple stretches, but oh so effective. I am a living witness to the fact that today’s post has saved my back. When I injured my back a little over a year ago, I found this stretch and I do it fairly regularly to keep that injury from returning.

Being strong is one thing, but you’ll go further in whatever training you do if your joints are mobile and your muscles are pliable. Just getting out of bed without a sore back should be enough to motivate some of you. Believe me, my bed is OLD.  It should give me pain. It doesn’t. I think people use poor beds as an excuse. Yeah, I  want a new bed, too. But is that really the issue? Maybe not.

Ok, go check it out.

Mobility WOD

My priorities for tomorrow:
1. Have fun
2. Smile while working out
3. PR at least once

My hope:
1. Top 10 finish (there are only 27 women, so this may be a task. I don’t know.)

WOD #1
“The Laundromat”

For time:
35 Box Jumps (Males – 24″, Females – 20″)
Pull-ups (Males – 25 CTB Pull-ups, Females – 25 Pull-ups)
20 Ground-to-Overheads (Males – 95lbs, Females – 65lbs)
15 Forward Rolls
20 Ground-to-Overheads (Males – 95lbs, Females – 65lbs)
Pull-ups (Males – 25 CTB Pull-ups, Females – 25 Pull-ups)
35 Box Jumps (Males – 24″, Females – 20″)

WOD #2
“The Triple Crown”

PART A:
Athlete has 8 minutes to establish a 7-Rep Max Front Squat

* If the athlete gets the weight locked out overhead after their 7th Rep (no thrusters), 20lbs/15lbs will be added to that score for men/women respectively.

**If the bar drops to the ground at any point, the athlete must find a way by him or herself (either by stripping off the weight or by cleaning the bar) to get it back onto the racks if they wish to go for another attempt.

Rest 2 Minutes (walk to start of Part B)

PART B:
In 5 Minutes:
Run 600m, then
AMRAP Burpees

*Athlete will be scored by how many burpees they complete within the time frame.

**Burpees will be done with a lateral jump over a parallette.

Rest 4 minutes (get set up for Part C)

PART C:
In 90 Seconds:
(RAMMAP) Row As Many Meters As Possible

* Athletes may use whatever damper setting/footpad setting as desired.

Maintainance of your hands is crucial to avoid said rippage. It’s painful and sometimes takes weeks to heal. You REALLY don’t want to rip.

Many people use these:

They are good for roughing up the callus and taking them down some, but you’ll want to file them smooth after this.

A good healing remedy IF they rip is this:

I want to avoid ripping. I’m a bit of a wuss and if I rip during a workout, I really don’t want to finish. Would you? (warning: yucky picture to follow)

Then, there is the way they feel. I don’t mind the feel. My daughter (who is a crossfit athlete and has some calluses of her own going) HATES the way they feel on her skin. So…get to the POINT, Lady!

OK. I bought a pumice sponge for cleaning. I get them at Bed Bath and Beyond for $1.49.

It’s great for cleaning difficult stains out of sinks, bathtubs, toilets…etc. Especially older ones. So yesterday as I scrubbed the tub, I remembered that they use these for pedicures to soften your feet. Duh.

So I grabbed one, and some of this:

A salt scrub I have left from my Arbonne selling days. I let it sit on the calluses for about a minute and then scrubbed away with the sponge. (If you decide to try this take care on your softer skin. It may be too abrasive.)

Uh. May. Zing.

The calluses on my one hand are almost smooth and the other ones care considerably worn down. I love it.

And my girl was quite impressed, too! Sweet! Now- go get ya some!

I’ve talked to a lot of people about fitness and nutrition and something NEVER changes from conversation to conversation, most people want the quick (cheap) fix. They want the $5 walk in the park or the $25 a month LA Fitness membership. Ok, fine. But are you DOING it? I only know of about 2 people who do fitness on the cheap (meaning at home, in the garage or in the park) and actually have a program they are committed to. But even then, there are classes or books, which are not cheap at all. It’s NEVER free.

I noticed a new fitness business in my city and it looks pretty simple. They meet in the park and you bring your mat. No fancy equipment or buildings, but they are still charging $150 a month. Why? Fitness is not just about offering a space or a dumbbell.

Fitness is offering a community and results because it offers something people WANT to keep doing. If your program is offering you results, by all means keep doing it. If your program consists of a mile run every 3 weeks. I can guarantee the only results you are getting is 3 days of soreness after that run.

What about medications? Americans spent $12.7 billion on diabetes medications in 2007 and that was doubled from 2001. Mid range blood pressure pills cost about $40 per month, then figure in the cost of heart disease brought on by high blood pressure or other illnesses related to it. If we are merely attaching a price tag to our health, we need to be thinking a lot harder about what we are sacrificing. Eventually it’s not just monetary. Sure, there are doctor bills, caregivers, insurance costs but what happens if you end up hospitalized, debilitated or even dead? Family and friends left to give round the clock care or mourn us. That’s a cost I’m not willing to pay.

I know that my only guarantee in life is for today. I have no idea what tomorrow brings or if I’ll even be there to see if. I do know that today, I’m going to do whatever I can to make tomorrow the best day yet.

I’m gonna pay now in order to live later. How about you?

For me the Crossfit Games is something that is now on my calendar, so to speak. There really is no decision whether or not I’ll go. Last year was amazing, but this year was beyond belief.

Many people complained about the locale seeing as how it wasn’t “dirty” enough. Really? Those people clearly have issues. I was perfectly happy to use flushing toilets and not have to soak the dust and dirt out of my skin and clothes at the end. The location was the Home Depot Center in Carson, Ca. If you have never been there, this is a pretty awesome sports complex. We used the track stadium and the tennis court which was transformed repeatedly through the weekend depending on the wod.

I’m truly amazed, daily, when I’m in my own little corner of the Crossfit community at people’s push to be better athletes, and just better humans. But these athlete’s have a will that was seemingly unshaken. They took on 9 workouts that were no joke. Pushed, pulled, squatted, climbed and ran their way to the end. Not one of them ever appeared ready to throw in the towel.

My two favorites both placed 2nd.

Iceland Annie is on the right in the black. Such a strong beautiful woman.

Rich Froning during the Overhead squat WOD

These two, although they didn’t place first, fought hard. Annie was especially inspiring since last year we watched her struggle to get a muscle up and this year she blasted through each and ever task set before her. Inspiring. Rich was just a no name, but I knew after seeing him interviewed that there was something about him that might just push him to the top. Too bad he couldn’t get that dang rope climb.

Here are the Female Winners…Kristan, Annie and Valerie. Congratulations!

And the Male winners…Graham, Rich and Chris. Way to go!

On top of all of the epic performances on the field, were the great people I got to hang out with and experience it all.

Britty was my driving partner and roomie. The best ever!

The gang…thanks for making it such a fun and memorable weekend!

And finally, something a little extra. You’re welcome.

4 Rounds for time:
200m run
6 Suitcase lunges
6 Burpees
6 Suitcase lunges
6 Burpees
Rest 90 sec.

Time: 13:10

From Blogger Pictures

I’ve been practicing looking up. I’m looking up on a daily basis. Not the research, wikipedia kind, although I do love looking stuff up. I remember poring over the World Book Encyclopedia’s regularly to learn stuff. It totally was NOT to find things my parents wouldn’t tell me about.

Anyway, I’m looking up.

When I’m bummed.

When I’m doing push ups.

When I run.

When I need inspiration.

There are so many times when I feel deflated and want to take a posture of defeat. I’ve begun to realize that by taking that posture, I’m accepting less than what I can achieve or what’s promised to me. Do you do this? I’ve been practicing that, when I get to a point of something difficult or disappointing, I look up. Maybe not physically always, but pushing my heart and mind to stay in the positive and look forward to what may come. Hope for the future.

Many people fear change. Not me. I hope for it. In my mind, when things stay the same for too long, they become stagnant. No growth. I’ve learned that discomfort makes me stronger. I actually am a little freaked out by people who don’t move or explore.

I’m not sure where I’m headed with this, I just know that people who look up and want more, are the people I want to know. Are you one of them?

http://media.crossfit.com/cf-video/Games2010_AF_GamesHighlight.wmv