8/30/10 WOD -- PR

Trained with the 11 a.m. Elysium class while Marlie and some visiting family watched.  We also had one family member do the wod with the class and he really enjoyed it.  He said he will check out his local CF in Seattle when he gets home. 

Warm-up: CF warm-up x 1 (10 sit ups, 10 pull ups, 10 dips or push ups, 10 air squats, 10 supermans) 

Strength: Back squat 3 x 3.  Since I'm aiming for a new PR when doing this, I make sure to warm up with a few lower-weight reps and then start my work-sets of 3 x 3.  My old PR was 165 lbs.  Today I got 165 lbs x3, 175 x 1, 175 x 3 -- PR!  

Back squat video

Met-con: 

-10 front squats, 135/95lb from the ground

-10 L-pull ups (sub regular pull ups if you cannot do L-sit which I did)

Four rounds for time.  I finished in 7:26

8/28/10 - Sunday park WOD

Trained with the 12 p.m. Sunday Elysium class.  This week we held it at Trolley Barn Park to mix it up a bit and it ended up being a lot of fun.  I went to stand by for moral support and greet the new CrossFitters but somehow got talked into doing the wod after the class ended with Paul and Leon.  The three of us had some great times to follow and one of our more advanced members bet us all a drink that we couldn't beat his time.  We had some family in town who got in on the wod too.

Warm-up: hmmmm, standing around

Met-con:
-300 m run
-20 push ups
-25 sit ups
-30 air squats
three rounds for time.  ***I finished in 9:22 and now Anthony owes us all a drink :-)

8/27/10 WOD - "Grace" PR

Trained with the 11 a.m. Elysium class today while Marlie ate grapes and cheered us on from her excersaucer.

Warm-up: Stretching and CF warm-up x 1 (took some Ibuprofen and fish oil today too)

Strength: Power cleans: 2x 1, 1, 1. This is set up to do two total rounds (after two warm up rounds with lighter weight) of 1 rep, rest for five seconds, 1 rep, rest for five seconds, 1 rep. This way you are completely disengaging your muscles between each rep and not benefiting from the bounce at the bottom.

***Got 133 x3, 143 x3--20 lb PR

Met-con: "Grace"

-30 clean and jerks 135 lbs/ 95 lbs for time

***Finished in 3:39--PR! I got 3:53 a few months ago

8/26/10 WOD - "Jackie"

Trained with a friend today while her family watched Marlie as she napped.  I was so thankful to have the help today--even one hour of free babysitting is greatly appreciated!

Warm-up: CF warm-up x1 and some stretching

Met-con: "Jackie"
-1000 m row
-50 thrusters 45 lbs/ 33 lbs
-30 pull ups
for time (no rounds, just finish each then move to the next)

***Finished in 10:09.  It felt like I was going in slow motion today and my time just confirms this.  I finished the row in 4:17 but the thrusters were a joke.  I was able to do 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 but they were at a snails pace.  My legs and knees are still feeling stiff.  Oh well, keep on trucking....

8/25/10 - "Karen"

Trained with the 11 a.m. Elysium class while Marlie watched. She will be in school during the 11 a.m. class beginning in two weeks so no more coaching from her during our workouts :-(

Warm-up: CF warm-up x1 and handstand push up skill work

Strength: Front squat 3x3. I got 105 lbs x3, 125 lbs x3, 125 lbs x3. I stuck with 125 on the third as I'm trying to ease back into it. My knees feel better now post workout so I'm not so discouraged anymore.

Met-con: "Karen"

150 wall balls (20 lbs/ 15 lbs) at a 10 ft target for time.

***I finished in 12:01. I hate to get anything at :01 but I'll take it this time.

Rest and recovery

I've been taking a few days off to recover.  My quads are in a sad state so I've been foam rolling and stretching which is really helping. I wish I had been more vigilant about the rolling this whole time.  Lesson learned!

I was able to go to a college reunion party this weekend during my CF break and had a blast.  Here we enjoying some fun in the sun in Hermosa Beach at the beach house we rented.  We had a short trip but it was a blast--great BBQ, catching up with old friends, tons of games and of course karaoke with "Holiday."

8/19/10 WOD

Trained alone at home on the spin bike while Marlie napped.  Not my first choice but since Ben was working late, no class for me today.  It was a good workout nonetheless.

Spin bike: 45 mins at level 16.  Finished with 14.6 miles.

My knees are busted...I hope this helps.

8/18/10 WOD--PR

Trained with the 11 a.m. Elysium class while Marlie cheered on from her exersauser.   She has been really great about this these past few months--I'm really lucky!

Warm-up: 400 m run, CF warm-up x 1

Strength: narrow grip bench press.  I was hoping we'd have bench soon--want to work on tricep and peck strength to increase my dips, handstand push ups and eventually, hopefully get a muscle up.  Got 93 lbs x3, 98 lbs x3, 113 lbs x2.

Met-con:
-max effort row 500 m for time
-rest
-max effort run 400 m for time

***Finished in 1:35 for the run and 1:46 on the row--PR!!  I cannot believe Ben beat me on the run...I have some SERIOUS work to do now :-)

8/16/10 WOD

Trained with the 11 a.m. Elysium class.  I was still so sore from the weekend's competition, I really struggled through most of the workout.

Warm-up CF warm-up x 2

Strength: press 3 x 3.  I got 85 lbs x 3, 90 lbs x 1, 90 lbs x 2.  I'm okay with this since my PR is 90 lbs and I didn't expect to get a PR today.

Met-con: Two rounds for time:
-400 m run
-35 kettle bell swings at 35 lbs

***I finished in 7:48.  Not a great time but I'll take it.

Left Coast Invitational --PRs had by all and I got 2nd place

Yesterday was the Left Coast Invitational held at CrossFit Mission Gorge and CrossFit Elysium took home a lot of PRs and placed in the top for most categories and overall.  The best part was the camaraderie we all shared during and after the event.  It was awesome being cheered on by our teammates.  What a great day--congrats to everyone!

Event #1 Find Max Deadlift in ten minutes

Event #2 15 min "Cindy" 5 Pull ups, 10 Push ups, 15 Air Squats 

Event #3 200 M Run, 5 Thrusters (#115/#80), 10 Burpees- 5 Rnds (20 minute time limit)

-  Brian L. WON the overall men's division AND the 2nd event

- Karla W. WON the overall women's division AND the 2nd event

- Ben Beal won the first event for the men outright

- Tiffany G. won the first event for the women outright

- Stacie Beal took second overall for women

- we also took both men and women's 5th place and the women's 6th place

*** I got a 35 lb PR on my dead lift --up to 275 lbs.  I was pretty happy about this.  I also scored 13 rounds plus up to 10 push ups on the second event and scored 14:05 on the third event.

8/11/10 WOD

Trained with the 11 a.m. Elysium class while Marlie threw water all over her play saucer and screamed--it was bound to happen sooner or later. 

Warm-up: CF warm-up x 1 and stretching

Strength: Hang cleans 3x3.  Got 95 x3, 95 x3 (although Paul said, "you cant count 95 twice"), 105 x3, 115 x 2, 115 x 2--UGH! Enough said about that

Met-con: Finish for time:
30 'game' burpees with lateral jump over low hurdle
50 hang power cleans 95/ 65 lbs
800 m run

**Took me 10:29.  Good one...rest day tomorrow

SO excited to participate in the Left Coast Affiliate Challenge this Saturday

8/10/10 WOD - "Randy"

Trained alone at Elysium while Marlie shouted, "Go" and helped me get through the workout.  I wanted to make up yesterday's wod so I did "Randy" 

Warm-up: Stretching and CF warm-up x1

Strength: Push press 3x3. Got 115 x3, 125 x2 and 125 x3--PR. I was trying to go for 130 today since my old PR was 123 x2. Next time

Met-con: "Randy"

75 muscle snatches at 75/ 55 lbs for time

***Finished in 4:56. This is NOT a PR as my last PR was 4:46-LAME

Now this is more like it!

8/8/10 - "Helen"

Trained with the 12 p.m. Elysium gang today while Marlie watched from her play saucer--she is such a trooper.

Warm-up: 10 sit ups, 10 superman's, 10 push ups, 10 air squats and stretching.

Met-con: "Helen," three rounds for time of:

400 m sprint

21 kettle bell swings at 35 lbs

12 pull ups

I finished in 11:14. That is nearly a six minute PR since my last go in January.

8/7/10 WOD

Trained alone and did Elysium's Thursday WOD

Warm-up: CFwarm-up x1 plus some stretching and foam rolling

Met-con only: AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) 15 minutes:
15 wall balls at 15 lbs
10 power cleans at 65 lbs


***UGH! I completed 8 rounds exactly--felt dizzy afterwards.

8/4/10 WOD - "Diane"

Trained with the 11 a.m. Elysium class today and it was a doozy

Warm-up: foam roll and CF warm-up x1

Strength:  Back squat 3 x 3.  I got 145 x 3, 155 x3, 160 x1.  Bummed I failed the last two squats. No PR today.

Met-con: "Diane"
21-15-9 reps for time of:
155 deadlifts
handstand push ups (I scaled with one red pad and added a 10 lb plate in round 2)

**I finished in 10:54.  Good thing tomorrow is a rest day - WOO HOO!!

Side note: I have been reading over my PRs and noticed a lot of them happened in April of this year. Now I know I'm going to max out eventually and will not continue to get PRs past a certain point but we all continue to try, right?  Looking back, I was on a strict paleo diet the entire month of April....hmmmm?

Scale-ability "Fran"

8/3/10 WOD

Trained alone while Marlie slept

Metcon only:
Spin bike workout - Level 16 for 14 miles for time.  **I finished in 40:33 minutes

I decided to do a task vs. time priority this time which proved to be more motivating for me.  I usually do as many miles as possible in either 40 or 45 mins.  I went further in a shorter amount of time than ever before -- PR!  This seems to be better in general when dealing with long workouts. The faster I can get this over with, the better

8/2/10 WOD - "Elizabeth"

Trained with the 11 a.m. Elysium class today after a few days off. My back needed the rest and I feel MUCH better now. I also did a ton of stretching this weekend which helped too.

Warm-up: CF x 1 and foam rolling

Strength: dead-lift 3 x 3 reps. I got 213 x3, 223 x3, 233 fail. My one rep max is 240 so I was not too happy with this.

Met-con: "Elizabeth"

21-15-9 reps of :

squat cleans, 135/ 95lbs

ring dips (purple band scale)

**I finished in 17:34. Those squats were tough! I failed on two in the bottom of the squat which was demoralizing since I had already cleaned the weight up but couldn't count the rep.