Workout for Saturday, May 30

50-40-30-20-10

Double Unders
Sit ups

You can sub 3x single jumps or jumping jacks for the double unders. Remember, this workout is to do 50 double unders, 50 sit ups, 40 double unders, 40 sit ups and so on. We did this workout on March 9, but just 30-20-10.

And/or:

Run or walk 5k (3.1 miles)

Workout for Friday, May 29

MAX OUT!

You have 1 minute for each exercise. Do as many as you possibly can within that minute. Rest adequately before you go to the next exercise. Record how many you could do of each one.

Push Ups
Sit Ups
Squats

We did this last on April 24

Workout for Wednesday, May 27

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1

Dumbbell Thrusters
Squats
Wall Ball shots

For time

Compare to March 23

Workout for Tuesday, May 26

100 jumping jacks (clapping above your head)
75 squats
50 sit ups
25 push ups

For time

Workout for Monday, May 25

Take some time today to remember those who serve and have served our country. We truly owe them our gratitude for our security.

Get outside today...

Run
Swim
Ride a bike
Take a walk or hike with your spouse and/or kids (or your parents!)
Play croquet, bocce, horseshoes, shuffleboard
Play volleyball, basketball, badminton, golf, tennis
Water ski, go sailing

The list goes on and on, but you get the idea--get out there and have FUN!

Workout for Saturday, May 23

Posting early because I'm not sure of my schedule for the next couple of days!

Planks--Front and each side, hold for up to 2 minutes each

Rest a few minutes, THEN...

Do 50 reps of the thing you like the LEAST followed by 50 reps of the thing you like the MOST. Choices are:

Sit ups
Push ups
Squats
Walking lunges
Good mornings
Burpees
Box jumps
Jump ropes or jumping jacks (multiply by 3 though--150)
400 meter run (Not 50 reps, of course! Just once)
Broomstick or PVC pipe overhead squats
Tuck jumps
Mountain climbers (50 each leg)

Be honest!

Workout for Friday, May 22

3 rounds for time:

25 push ups
25 sit ups
50 jump ropes (or jumping jacks)

Workout for Wednesday, May 22

Continue to have problems with my internet. I'll post my food when I am able to spend more time. Tonight was NOT GOOD!!! I had about 1/3 cup ice cream and chocolate syrup and 1 1/2 glasses of wine for dinner. Breakfast and lunch were fine. I went to the doctor about my shoulder today--that sent me in to the downward spiral of ice cream and wine. I'm getting a second opinion, so I will remain hopeful.

For the workout--

3 rounds for time:

20 box jumps
20 wall balls
Run 400m

I know, we are running a lot this week. Remember the challenge of 10 miles? I'm just doing my part to help you out!

Workout for Tuesday, May 19

Sorry for the late posting. It will be like this for a week or so until I get my new computer. I'm really struggling to get an internet connection. If I don't have something posted to do, just do something from the past.

Tabata sit ups*

Rest for a few minutes, then:

300 squats--For Time

*Remember Tabata? 20 seconds "work" followed by 10 seconds rest for a total of 8 intervals. This will be 4 minutes total.

Workout for Monday, May 18

3 rounds for time:

Run 400m
21 dumbbell swings
12 push ups

Food for today:

(keep in mind that I am merely semi-educated guessing, but this is a big improvement over the last few weeks!)

Breakfast--protein shake made with 1/2 cup milk, some water, 1 cup fruit, 2/3 scoop protein powder and fish oil. Guesstimating at 3 1/2 blocks protein, 3 blocks carbs, lots of fat from the fish oil (but I'm not really counting it much since it is considered a supplement.)

Lunch--1 oz. cheese, 2 oz. shaved turkey, 6 cashews--P-3 blocks, F-2 blocks

Dinner--4 oz. steak, 1 cup mixed veggies (asparagus, squash, etc.), 1/2 cup fruit--P-4 blocks, C-2 blocks

Total--P--10.5, C--6 blocks, F--2 blocks plus fish oil

Workouts for the day--63# clean and jerk, 77 reps--11:45, workout from above--11:04

Do Overs

Isn't it great how each day brings an opportunity to start over? Morning brings such optimism and promise. I realize that restarting some things are much harder than others, but the little everyday steps we can make toward improving our lives, or the lives of those around us, can be as simple as a decision when you wake up in the morning.

You can choose to be more positive and cheerful. You can choose to be more forgiving. You can choose to be more generous. You can choose to be a better mother, father, sister, brother, student, teacher, friend, employee, employer, citizen...you name it! You can choose to spend more time outside enjoying God's creation, or spend more time inside holding the hand of a friend in need. Yes, we live busy lives, but we also have lives with lots of time to fill--how you fill it is largely your own personal choice. Are you choosing wisely?

My "do-over" for tomorrow is to get back to better eating habits. I did great during the nearly 7 weeks of Lent, but since then I have been pretty hit and miss on my diet. I haven't gone REALLY crazy, but I have cheated a little bit nearly every day. I am committing right now to log my food intake for the next two weeks on this blog. My goal will be to eat approximately 10 blocks of protein, 40 blocks fat, and 5 blocks of carbs. (This is Zone diet talk--don't worry about understanding it--I will just log my food and give the block accounting with this goal in mind.) We'll see how it goes, and how ugly it gets!

The main reason I want to start logging my food again is that when I eat better, I feel SO much better. The difference is incredible. I've been a little sluggish lately--I need to get back to a good diet and pushing harder on workouts. This is not the time of year to feel crummy.

Have you had any "do-overs" lately?

Workout for Saturday, May 16

Burpee Ladder

Remember ladders? Do one burpee the first minute, two burpees the second minute, 3 the third and so on until you can't finish the required number of burpees within that minute. Your "score" is the round you have completed.

Challenge for the last 2 weeks of May:

Julie requested a new challenge for May--so here you go!

Run, walk or comparable 10 miles each week for these last 2 weeks of the month.

Workout for Friday, May 15

5 rounds for time:

50 jumping jacks
40 squats
30 sit ups
20 walking lunges
10 push ups

I think this was a tough one! We did it last on April 14.

Workout for Wednesday, May 13

Turkish Get Up
5-3-3-1-1-1

We'll work our way to the heaviest we can do for one rep on each arm, resting about 2 minutes between each set.

As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes of:

5 tuck jumps
10 box jumps
15 walking lunges
20 mountain climbers (20 each leg)
25 squats

Workout for Tuesday, May 12

100 sit ups for time

Yesterday was tough--a little break for you today!

Workout for Monday, May 11

Well, I finally attempted to upload some photos on this blog! It was incredibly easy. Anyway, here I am at the Southwest Regional Qualifier. This is during one of 30 clean and jerks at 105 pounds. I also had to row 1500 meters during that workout. I finished within the time limit, which felt like quite an accomplishment. I've also included a photo of one of my many attempts at 50 chest to bar pull ups. Only could finish 14--very disappointing!
50-40-30-20-10

Dumbbell push presses and squats

Use 5, 10, or 15 lb. dumbbells and do 50 push presses, 50 air squats, 40 push presses, 40 air squats, etc. for time. Carefully choose your dumbbell weight. You want this to be a challenge, but this IS 150 total push presses.

Last time we did this was on March 20

We'll also do a Tabata--your choice of the thing you dislike/need to work on MOST of the following:

Sit ups
Push ups
Squats
Box Jumps
Jump Rope/double unders
Burpees
Wall Ball Shots
Walking Lunges

Workout for Saturday, May 9

4 rounds for time:

25 push ups
25 sit ups
25 squats
25 walking lunges
25 good mornings

Do the hardest level of push ups that you can for as long as you can before switching (from toes, knees, countertop or wall.)

Last time we did this was on March 21.

Workout for Friday, May 8

50 Burpees for time

Yep. It's back! Last time was March 24.

Friends

I have really enjoyed reading about Molly and Julie and their working out together. I also know that Julie Bowers has a walking partner. Friends can be such great motivators! I know for me, working out alone would be nearly impossible. Sure, I can run by myself and even do a short workout, but to really stick with it I need to be held accountable. Many years ago, I ran 4-5 days a week, 5 miles a day. I ran with a group of 4-8 people and we met at 5:30 a.m. I can definitely tell you that to get up that early and to get dressed to run in who knows what kind of weather takes either incredible discipline or knowing that a group of people will be waiting on you to show up. I'm not that disciplined. It was knowing that others were waiting for me that got me going every time.

How many times have you thought "I'll just miss workout class today, I'm too tired to go" and then you end up going because you know that you will be missed? I don't know about you, but I NEVER regret going. You know it will be hard work, you know that you will be tired and sore after, but you also know how much better you will feel having done it. I have all types of accountability at the gym I go to now. I'm sure if I didn't show up for several days in a row, the trainer would be calling. I usually try to go at the same time that my friend Jennifer goes--she would worry if I didn't show up. I find that even the posting of my time in the comments section is usually enough accountability. Am I alone? Surely not.

There are also workout friends who you are competitive with. This is important for me as well. I need to be pushed. Yesterday, I did a workout and I was stationed right behind my friend Kim. Yes, she is 20 years younger, but I can usually come close to keeping up with her, especially with weight lifting things. Just trying to keep up with her as she was doing the workout was quite a motivator. I ended up about 20 seconds or so slower. Had she not been there, I know I would have had a much slower time. A little healthy competition is a good thing.

What about you? How do friends affect your exercise program?

Workout for Wednesday, May 6

Push up ladder

Do one push up the first minute, two the second, three the third and so on until you cannot do the number of push ups required for that minute. The last number completed is your score.

Remember to try to do the very hardest type of push up possible. If you can even do a couple of push ups from your toes--do that for the entire workout. It will really build up your strength more than doing knee push ups. But, if you can't do toe push ups AT ALL, do them from your knees.

Workout for Tuesday, May 5

For time:

100 jumping jacks
10 sit ups
80 jumping jacks
20 sit ups
60 jumping jacks
30 sit ups
40 jumping jacks
40 sit ups
20 jumping jacks
50 sit ups

Use an Abmat or pillow for lower back support on the sit ups. Have someone hold your feet and get after it!

We last did this workout on March 27.

Workout for Monday, May 3

Complete the following:

100 push ups
100 squats
100 sit ups

For time. You can do these in any order, broken up however you want. The goal is to just keep moving. If you can only do 5 push ups in a row...fine! Do those 5 then do 10 squats, back to 5 push ups, then 10 sit ups, and so on. Just do your best to not stop working.

Qualifier Comments

The trip to Fort Worth for the CrossFit Games Regional Qualifier turned out to be a great experience. We arrived Friday evening knowing nothing about the workouts that would come on Saturday and Sunday. I was so nervous! Thankfully I had Jennifer with me to register...all these very fit young people checking in--I needed all the support I could get just to get my registration packet! (Thanks Jennifer!!!) Next, we went to the gym to find out the workouts. They were:

WOD #1 (20 minute time limit)
3 rounds for time:
10 clean and jerk (105# for women, 155# for men)
500 meter row

WOD #2 (15 minute time limit)
50 chest to bar pullups
50 burpees

Sunday WOD (15 minute time limit)
21-15-9
24# box jump
KB swings (ladies 36#, men 55#)
Sumo deadlift high pull (ladies 65#, men 95#)

I was heat number 7 for the first workout. I was so nervous at the beginning because I really thought that everyone would finish very quickly and I would be the only one not able to. I was wrong. There were several women who could not finish even the first 10 clean and jerks. In fact, of the 36 women competing, 12 did not finish the first workout within the time limit. I finished--barely--at 19:19. I think it was the hardest workout I've ever done, but I was very excited to have completed it.

I went in to the second workout a little worried, but I seriously thought I could do it. I was really wrong! I only was able to do 14 chest to bar pull ups out of the 50. The workout was done outside. It started raining pretty hard during my heat, which made the bar pretty slick. I'm sure that made a difference, but probably not as much as I would like to think. I just couldn't get it done. Very disappointing. But, again, of the 36 women, 16 did not finish this workout! In fact, only 16 women finished both of the workouts from the first day.

The Sunday workout was definitely one I could pretty easily complete. I decided not to do it for a couple of reasons. First, the trainer from our gym went into the Sunday round in 4th place among the men. We were all very excited for him! I really wanted to just focus on cheering for him that day. Second, there was not that much of a point in doing the workout on Sunday for me. I already had a DNF for the 2nd workout, so it would have just been for fun. I'll try that workout at home sometime. Jason (our CrossFit OKC gym owner and trainer) ended up in 5th place among the men, which was good enough to send him to the CrossFit games this summer in California.

Overall, the qualifier was very fun. I learned that I really could push through a tough workout that many very strong and fit women could not. I also learned that I need to stop fretting about my age. I think I was the oldest woman, but there was another over 40. The rest were much younger, but who cares? Anyway, I had a great time and I want to thank you all for your support. It meant so much to me. Now...to start training for next year!