What are your dreams made of?

Above you'll see my dreamboard for 2010. What's a dreamboard? It's a visual representation of your goals, and while I rolled my eyes when I found I had to do one, I'm glad I have it. I use it as my background on my computer and it's hanging in my room forcing me to see the contract I made with myself at least 2 times a day MINIMUM! It's soooooo much easier to do your daily tasks, even when they seem insignificant, when you are reminded of the long term pay off.

I would recommend getting your goals/dreams, be it a list or a dreamboard, done before 2010. If there's no accountability it's easy to put it off til tomorrow, and before you know it, it's 2011 and you haven't accomplished anything you wanted to.

Yesterday's wod
5 front squats (75lb)
10 kb swings (45lb overhead)
15 jumping ring dips
rounds for 20 min

16 rounds with 3 secs to spare.

I've drawn the line in the sand

With sectionals only 60 some days away, I've drawn the line in the sand. It's time to get serious about my training, my diet and my dedication. I want to have an at least decent showing in Columbus considering its at the Arnold Classic. (AWESOME)

January 1 starts the perfect paleo zone and a strict 3-on-1 off schedule with 2 a days worked in. I'll be tracking my progress here to share the experience. "before" photos will be going up on Friday as well as some of my starting pr's. I want to see what 2 months of perfect dedication can do. I look forward to sharing this journey with you.

Yesterday's wod was a doozie, but good.
Row 1000m
21-15-12-9
burpees
ohs (25lb)
wallball (14lb to 10' target)
14:58

Ah-chew....OUCH!!!!

Have you ever had a day where you sneeze and it's more painful than being poked in the eye? Today is that day for me. I took on a situp intensive wod yesterday and boy am I paying for it today.

WOD:
80-60-40-20 (situps)
10-20-30-40 (sdhp 45lb)
10:20

Row...row...row....your boat my ass.....

According to Wikipedia: Rowing is one of the few non-weight bearing sports that exercises all the major muscle groups, including quads, biceps, triceps, lats, glutes and abdominal muscles. Rowing improves cardiovascular endurance and muscular strength. High-performance rowers tend to be tall and muscular: although extra weight does increase the drag on the boat, the larger athlete's increased power tends to be more significant. The increased power is achieved through increased length of leverage on the oar through longer limbs of the athlete.

Let's place special emphasis on the "HIGH PERFORMANCE ROWERS TEND TO BE TALL" aka not designed for athletes that are 5'3"!!!

Yesterday I tackled the 2000m row for time, my absolute most hated thing in the world. Rowing, yet alone for 2000meters. The thing about rowing is that no matter how hard you try, it never gets any easier. You may go farther or get there faster, but you're never any less exhausted or in any less pain. I always go into this wod with a bad mental attitude which kills my times. I end of rowing what feels like a sinking ship.

I do good for the first 500, maybe even first 1000 after that I want to cry, quite, give up, slam through it, finish strong, all at the same time. Needless to say I still have not mastered the long distance rows. I feel another 3000 pyramid in my future. A 3000 pyramid is a rowing pyramid that you do post wod. day 1=100m, day 2= 200m and so on til you get to 3000m and then you work your way back down. IT SUCKS! But that's what CrossFit is all about, working your weaknesses.

Wod
2000m row
9:22

Add more weight and do it again

That was Bill’s favorite phrase last night as we took on a back squat wod

The wod:
12-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-20 of back squat
(use 50-60% of your 1rpm & rest 2min between rounds)


My 1 rpm on back squat is 195 so I loaded the bar up with 105 and headed into the wod, making my way down to 6 when I hear Bill’s beautiful voice, “That’s not heavy enough, add more weight and go back up to 8.” So I throw on another 10lbs making the bar 115lbs and head back up to 8 and start working my way back down.

I reach the nastiness that is 20 and I get through them without putting the bar down.
Bill’s beautiful voice chimes in yet again, “Add more weight and do it again.” So I throw on another 20lbs making 135lbs and I start the 20 reps at 10 I started seeing stars so I put the bar down, quick 10 sec rest, 5 more reps, 10 sec rest and into the last 5. Man did those last 5 SUCK. Bill, with his sadistic grin chimed in yet again, “Now that was heavy enough”

With all my redo’s I moved 14,605lbs of weight on my back last night. No wonder my hips are on FIRE today.

All I need to know I learned from CrossFit

I don't make that statement lightly. Let's look back three years. I was 80lbs heavier, just starting a job and trying to figure out "what am I going to when I grow up?". Throughout my first year of crossfit I lost those 80lbs,could do a pullup and there were no more 'girl' pushups for me. I felt great about myself and my confidence showed. I was given more responsibility at work, and was accomplishing tasks in an efficient manor. I was more willing to take risks, and it was paying off. I had learned that fear is ok, and only way to conquer your fears was to take them head on, much like training your weaknesses.

My second year of CrossFit I took the initiative and got certified, I wanted to learn more and be able to share my passion with others. There we did a group wod, Fran. It was my first time meeting Fran, I pulled a 5:47 and fastest time of the females that day. That's when I got bit by the competition bug. Shortly after my cert I began training for the 2009 games. I was more dedicated to CF than ever before. Perfect diet, no booze, 3 on 1 off, training my weaknesses. A strange thing happened. My focus in the gym focused me outside the gym. I was more mentally focused on accomplishing tasks and accomplishing them well. I took pride in everything I did, not that I didn't care before, but it was a new found sense of ownership. I had the ability to and determination to make my career goals come true. Much like in CF, in work, if you don't sacrifice, focus and bust your ass, you'll never see results. Somehow I had always had a disconnect. I wasn't just employee x at company z, I was Kate 'klller' Rawlings and my work was going to reflect that.

While my regionals outcome was not what I wanted, I gained more in those 2 days than I had in a LONG time. I had set out to do something difficult and I saw it through to the end. I realized at that moment that if I wanted something bad enough I would/could make it happen, and the only person that could hold me back was myself. I had made my body harder and tougher than it had ever been, now it was time to make myself mentally tougher. I then made the decision to start my MBA program (of which I just finished my first semester) and it was the best decision I could have made.

All I need to know I learned from Crossfit
-I learned that if you want something you have to be focused, determined and willing to sacrifice for the greater good

-I learned that when you want to quit, you have to step back, get your brain and heart to slow down, and begin again

-I learned that focusing on one task at a time makes the bigger picture less blurry and abstract

-And more importantly I learned just how psychically and mentally tough I was and how much I had underestimated myself

"Grace"
30 C&J for time (95lb)
4:45

1 mile run
7:13

Prepping for "Fran" is like prepping for a baccalaureate party

Saturday I had the brill ant idea to take on "Fran" WHY!?!?!?! many of you are screaming, because I'm sick, that's why. ha! It had been 4 months since our last meeting, and it was that time again. Preparing for Fran is much like preparing for a baccalaureate party. You know the night's going to be filled with shots, chaos, fury and you'll wake up with a killer hangover, but yet you get excited to participate.

I try to get myself into a mental state of "embrace the suck" for what I know is coming at me. 3...2....1...GO! I slam through the first 21 unbroken on to pullups....12...then 9 and I'm back on the bar. 9 unbroken, my legs are screaming, 3 more...drop the bar....last 3 and it's back to pullups. 6...my forearms are cramping...3....5....1...back to the bar. 4....I'm on the verge of crying or puking, I can't decide so I just drop the bar. Pick it back up 3...drop the bar...I'm so close...2...on to the last set of pullups. 4...3..1..1..TIME! 4:45 I fall to the floor, forearms cramping, stomach in my throat. I had survived, not a PR, but I had survived.

No matter how many times I square off with "Fran" she wins. You know what you're getting yourself into and yet you continue. The Fran hangover is nasty and leaves you saying "I'll never do that again" ...until you do.

Fran
21-15-9
Thrusters (65lb)
pullpus
4:45

Cindy...oh....Cindy....

Yesterday at CrossFit Cleveland was "Cindy" day. Oh how I loath Cindy. Any workout that is rounds for 20 minutes mess me up. I'm not so good with the pacing, but I was ready this time. 3 months ago I pushed through 18 rounds, and last night I wanted to break the 20 mark. I was ready.

I counted out my 20 cards and strategically color coded them. Blue cards, 10th card red=half way mark. Cards 19&20 red=the new goal. I chalked my hand and it was go time. My game plan, pullups & squats had to be unbroken and steady to make up for the pushups, where I struggle.

"Cindy"
5 pullups
10 pushups (chest to deck)
15 squats

20 rounds plus 4 pushups. PR!

I hit 20 rounds at 19 minutes flat, and mentally crashed because I had hit my goal. I yelled 20 and paused for a second to celebrate reaching my goal. After that I couldn't restart. If I would have stayed focused I think I could have squeaked out another round. I guess there's always next time.....

You Are Not Forgotten....

Being the daughter of an Army drill Sargent I grew up with a strong sense of pride for those that serve. We are constantly hearing about troops losing their lives in the line of duty, but nothing is more saddening than losing your life to a senseless shooting.

Many in the CrossFit community were affected by the tragic shootings at Fort Hood, but none as directly as one of our affiliates, Lumberjack Crossfit . Four members of that affiliate were killed.

With the help of the CrossFit community, we assisted the men and women at Ft. Hood and Lumberjack CrossFit raise money for the families of the fallen, and the future needs of the approximately 30 wounded.

In less than a week CrossFit Cleveland pulled 15 people together and raised over $400. I'm so proud of everyone and the amazing efforts they put in.

LUMBERJACK
20 deadlifts (185lb)
400m run
20 kbswings (55lb)
400m run
20 ohs (85lb)
400m run
20 burpees
400m run
20 pullups (chest to bar)
400m run
20 box jumps (18")
400m run
20 db squat cleans (25 each)
400m run

Finished 30:00 flat as rx'd....I'll take it.

Im on FIRE....

I have certainly been slacking on my blog posting, but I have been far from slacking on my wods.

Last week I did two wods with 1rpm's, shoulder press and push press and deadlifts.

I took on shoulder press first, maxing out at 100lb, over taking my old pr of 90lbs PR 1 for the week. I then transitioned into the shoulder press, 105 went up easy, 115..nothing. 125, now that felt HEAVY, but it went up. onto 135, bodyweight. 1st attempt didnt get much higher than my shoulders, second attempt made it to about eye height. I took a good break, and focused. DIP DRIVE! 135 push pressed overhead! PR2 of the week. I had every intention of moving that into push jerk, but I had nothing left in the tank, so I took my 2 pr's and walked away.

I came back to the box the next day with deadlifts on the brain. My goal was 260, the elusive 2x bodyweight. I started at 135, 5 reps, 165-5 reps, 185-3 reps, 205-3 reps, then I kept climing by 10lbs each lift at 1 rep. I passed my current PR of 230 pulling a 235....then 245....then 265....I had done it, and it had felt good, so I kept going. 275lbs on the bar, I set, I pull, its slow to move off the ground and it took a good fight, but I got my shoulders back and hips opened. PR #3 for the week! I think it was my new CF Fire socks that gave me a little extra fire! Thanks Jen.

Last week was a rareity, 3 prs in one week. It's great to know that putting in the hardwork is paying off. Now I've just got to keep this pace.