Trees

Trees

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Front squat update....

Friday...open gym night and monthly BBQ....

and the last one rep for this 2 week period.

Warm up.....and grab a rack.  Lucky for me I was lifting next to Gary and across from Travis and Will.  If I ever need to feel like I don't really lift much....all I need to do is lift near these guys...but because they are who they are....I don't. 

I'm just lifting....I load kinda slowly because I was tired from the last 2 weeks. 

95.....135.....185. 

185 feels super duper heavy....Will had just put on 225 and he had said the same thing...it all felt heavy...

Took a breather to watch Gary get a 20 pound PR on the squat..I think it was at 325? 335?  Dunno, but that is a front squat!

I decide I am feeling lame so I load 30...215...felt better than the 185.

Load another 30...this would be 20 shy of my one rep...I look at Will and say...ehhh...I won't get this, but I do...

So 265 is my one rep...I may or may not have that in me, so I grab 10's....and look at the bar....I sorta know at this point this is probably my last lift for tonight. I grab the 2.5  270...

According to Will, I descended super slow...I told him I had racked it hard against my chest forcing my silly arms into the right position, it made me slow down....I pulled a little forward on the way up and it was just on the final moment that I slowed down and ground that bastard up. Best news on this lift? I didn't wet my damn pants.

Both Travis and will encouraged me to pull the 2.5 off and put 5's on...so I did..I knew there was no way I could get 275....went down never to see the top again....but 270 is awesome!

Then I started to empty the bar....I was looking at the math in my book...I kept adding it up...something looked weird.  Then I pulled the 10's off and realized they were 15's....so I actually got 280...hmmmm.

Will and I decided that we should always have other people load bars and lie to us about how much is on there just to keep our stupid heads out of the equation...or maybe this is another opportunity to get the fuck over myself and just lift what feels right any given day...and frankly this applies to all sorts of things in my life right now...

Goes back to that blog about being "nice" too.  I get so caught up in the "what if's"  the crisis thinking that I don't just lift the weight so to speak...I don't just say what needs to be said.

Doesn't mean I need to be an asshole...I know there are ways to say things that are better in some situations than others.  I know that I have muzzled myself...no one's choice but mine...trying to make better choices as I build a new relationship.  Lucky for me he is obnoxiously patient with me...

Missed the work out yesterday and missed noon today...stinking weather travel delays meant I spent my whole morning rearranging travel for my boss...which I was happy to do and thank god I got it done...but now I have to drag my ass out tonight. 

when it's cold...and dark...and I don't wanna....waaa waaa waaa

Here is a sad cat.

If I don't write again before the feasting begins...I just want to say how thankful I am that I can have a feast~that my kids will be with me for a little while on thanksgiving~for my life~my family~my friends~my health~love~for too many things to get down on paper...

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Doormats and dead lifts.



Nice

1. pleasing; agreeable; delightful:


2. amiably pleasant; kind:


3. characterized by, showing, or requiring great accuracy, precision, skill, tact, care, or delicacy:


4. showing or indicating very small differences; minutely accurate, as instruments:


5. minute, fine, or subtle
 
6. having or showing delicate, accurate perception:


7.refined in manners, language, etc.:


 
 Doormat


noun
1. a mat, usually placed before a door or other entrance, for people arriving to wipe their shoes on before entering.
2. a person who is the habitual object of abuse or humiliation by another.

 How is it that these two words have become linked...or is it just me?  In some recent work with a therapist, I was trying to explain how I was trying to be "nice" that I wanted to be "nice" so that everything would be "nice."  
Their response? "How is speaking up for yourself not "nice." How is simply giving someone the facts not "nice." How is setting boundaries not "nice."   
Good question.  
Some things just fucking suck and no amount of whatever I think might be "nice" is gonna change that.. Challenging shit makes us stronger if we simply face it and deal with it. ...I was confusing doormat with nice....wipe your feet outside so the floor inside stays...nice.
 I really really like some of the above definitions of the word nice....Just like the word "fine," I think we have lost the beauty of this word....or maybe it is just me.
Speaking of nice...I have had some nice PR's the last week and a half.  
I have fallen behind on blogging...some sort of "I got nothing to say" thing...which is true...But I like having this record of lifts and workouts and pictures of kitties...
I feel more accountable some how....speaking of which...this eating thing is working for me.  I "cheat" here and there on a weekend, but not during the week....and that goal I had of getting into the first kilt I ever bought...(by the new year) seems almost attainable now.  Even though I won't ever wear it in competition again...too dang short.

 WHAT WAS I THINKING???

As of last week...I can get it on again.  I would not say it "fit fits" yet....but it is much closer.  Just for comparison I put my kilt on that I used this year for competition and well...there is much more Velcro at the waist than I need...
anyway....

Been doing Crossfit like a crossfitter for a couple weeks. Last week and this week we have been testing one rep max...in fucking everything.  I am so sore that I am taking today off and last week I only worked out 3 days...

Here they are so far...these are the numbers we will use for the next 9 week program BJ has everyone on....all that is missing is the freaking front squat which is tomorrow and well and comments and extras I left off cause I haven't written in so long.
Snatch  (FU)  110  (actual PR....but my form has fallen apart) 

Clean & Jerk   150  (actual pr....but again STRUGGLING with form...)

Bench   (FU) 145  (Not a great lift, but a 2014 PR...was 125 in March..I know it sucks, whatever. There is way more in there if I clean up form.)

Strict Press  120  (actual pr!...whatever...I was happy)

Mile ROW  7:07

Back Squat  335  (5 short of my PR, but it was a pretty good lift, a little forward on the way up.  Will and I decided it wasn't smart for me to push it.)

Push Press  165 (another actual PR....Faith said my right knee wasn't clean....so this one is iffy)

Dead   365   (2014 PR 10 more than in March...15 shy of my actual pr)

(There were 400 & 800 meter run in there too...they were just sad...2:45 & 6:52!  HA!)

Not too shabby considering I was not in a lifting program...and this is fresh off the end of the season.  


The yoga has fallen apart...but I will try to get on it again.

Other news?  I am signed up for a strongman type competition in Jan....

Oh come on Jean Luc!  It is a low key competition and everyone should try new things!

I'll follow up with the Front squat when I have it...I hope it's a nice lift.

(see what I did there?)


 

Monday, November 10, 2014

Well, There ya go.....

I was feeling pretty confident after Tucson...had a decent game, and amazing time...and well...sheaf.

Been settling into the idea of "Mona ..the athlete."

So... you wanna know the quickest way to make someone feel like they really have no business winning the games they trained for all year?

Crossfit.

Monday I flew back from phoenix so I did not hit the gym....  here was the rest of the week.


Tuesday:

1 Clean & Jerk every :45 x 10 @ 80%  95lbs  ( I was tired)
then
3 rounds for time
Agility ladder down and back
Handstand Walk down  (um no...30 handstand hold on the wall...could only do this 2 times)
5 Push Press @ 115/75
5 Front Squats @ 115/75

5:42  Not too bad...sorta...that's what I told myself.

Wed:

4 min max double unders  (um...no...singles)
1 min rest
3 min chest to bar pullups  (ha...no..pull ups with a band)
1 min rest
2 min back squats @ 165/115
then
1 min Shoulder to overhead @ 135/95  (these seemed STUPID heavy by this time)

357 reps.

Thursday:

Push Press 5×3   (got to 85% of my one rep  130...smoked)
then
5 rounds for time
7 Back Squats @ 50% of max  (170 these were ridiculously heavy~wanted to quit after the first round)
14 Pushups
21 Sit-ups

I thought I might die after this one.  It was so much harder than I thought...and It took me 15:08 to do it.  Most people did it in 9 or so.  Poor Will....

Friday:

Max muscle ups in 2 minutes  ( Yeah..whatever...15 pull ups.  Well, not even pull ups.  With a band)
then for time:
3 rounds of:
6 Pullups  (really??)
6 Tall box jumps  (22")
followed immediately by
3 rounds of:
12 lateral hops over bar (fuck me)
3 deadlifts @ 275/175


By Thursday...I just hurt....and was filled with athletic shame.

Oh well...you know...I am choosing this...and I am lucky...really lucky for my coaches....for the other folks at the gym.

I bitch and moan....but I know it's good for me to push myself this way and the hot truth is...I am pushing myself. Neither BJ or Will are forcing me to do this.  They may be there to encourage me but I am there doing the work (slowly and fatly).

And for god sake...I lost another friend last week.  He had named his cancer Baxter...and well, Baxter won the battle, but Rocky gave everyone a huge gift.  He wrote about it.  ALL of it seems....the battle with Baxter.  And while he was battling...he would also read this little blog and send me notes of encouragement as I battled pieces of darkness and for that I am very humbled and grateful.

So, as I start another week of not being able to move well, or fast, or gracefully...I will...move.  And I will hold you in my thoughts dear Rocky....and be grateful for all that I have in this finite time.

Peace.