West Loop Paleo...is now posting on the CrossFit Construct site!

Day 1

2011-09-12T07:45:00.002-05:00

So, we are set to embark on anther paleo challenge. If you would like to write a blog entry go ahead. This is a little more informal so just feel free to write your food log on this site or ask questions or make comments. Let's get healthy and smokin.

Personally...I'm trying to stay pretty "clean" untill Halloween but feel free to kind of do your own thing but use this site as a support system. Let's hold each other accountable and support each other!

Where are the posts?!

2011-04-18T10:59:00.000-05:00

To our readers -

You may have completely abandoned this site (no offense taken) due to lack of content or are simply wondering, ‘where the #$%& are your posts?!’ The blog authors of the West Loop Paleo site have been asked to begin contributing to the CrossFit Construct site. Thus, the West Loop Paleo – turned West Loop Paleo-ish – and now West Loop Faileo site will be turning off the lights – shutting down – going away – saying sayonara, adios, salut!

We have thoroughly enjoyed writing and discussing paleo recipes, bowel movements, fungus, stretching, suck lists, injuries, calluses, protein shakes, cheating, FAT, meat, drinking and CrossFit. If you want to read more from these talented bloggers, visit CrossFit Construct. If you never again want to read about this stuff – well, you should probably stay away from the site. Although, where else can you read about poo on Monday, interval training on Tuesday, a recap of the CF Games on Wednesday, lifting a sh*t ton of weight above your head on Thursday and that b*tch FRAN on Friday?!

Best of Luck! Follow us on CrossFit Construct!

Crossfit Open

2011-03-24T06:09:00.003-05:00

We all know of the clusterf*&k that was the beginning of the online crossfit open (if you missed it, check out Drywall's blog for a nice summation of what went down). This mind blowing experience then led to the geniuses over at HQ extending the deadline for WOD #1, which lets be honest, has no physical benefit whatsoever besides making you want to vomit. Great.

But, while i mock the brain trust that programs this foolishness, I have not been as excited or experienced a more competitive, encouraging atmosphere than last saturday at the Crossfit Chicago box. dShea, dbone, tyler, and myself gave it go at 2pm with others from LP and some non-affiliates. let me provide you with a quick summation of events:

2pm, heat 1 (check out ramsey's videos):

dshea

dan got placed in heat 1 while tyler, dbone, and myself got placed in heat 2. dan decided having four espressos prior to "go time" was a grandiose idea. we all sat around like nervous little school girls debating how we were going to tackle this beast. all i kept saying was it is only 10 minutes, we do this everyday. derek, on the other hand, not nervous at all stated he was going to crush 1 of these 6 WODs...as you shall see below, i dont think it was WOD #1. back to dshea, he began strong with fast as hell DUs (first time with speed rope) and then some quality snatches. around round 3, though, he began to get tired and there was dbone encouraging/yelling at him to breathe and pick up the bar with short breaks (this will be ironic in the next paragraph). round 4 began and there was dshea telling his judge to find him a bucket because he wanted to vomit. staying classy CFconstruct. from there, its history. all-in-all, dshea was the guinea pig for our group and he smoked it...maybe next time, just layoff the espresso to avoid the vomit. kid's DUs were quick as hell.

heat 2

twubs, ty, dbone...all next to each other in respective lanes.

after a bit of stretching, making sure i could lift the damn weight and getting the typical shit-eating grin from Rudy which i believe means, "i know you are screwed, you know you are screwed...this should be quite entertaining", the LP box got a lovely surprise...dbone decided he did not like his current attire and was going to go shirtless. and i quote, " it is going to get jiggly up in here"...followed by bryce chanting, "chubby derek, chubby derek"...chubby is a relative term in crossfit, i.e. if you have >4% body fat. tyler during the grand majority was quite stoic. but i digress, with jonny running a tight ship, the gun sounded and we were off. (from here on out, i can only speak for myself). DUs were strong, and I snatched the first round. DUs strong again, but snatches got heavy in a hurry. proceeded to clean and jerks...money. saw Billy S do this and decided that man is fast as hell, it cannot be that bad. at about this point, everytime i got to DUs, I would catch dbone out the corner of my eye...resting. i was like WTF!, he is crushing this, he even has time to have an ongoing convo with Rudy...continuing on to round three...knocked it out. not that bad...then...the wheels fell off...once the 10 minutes were up and i was doing the "bacon sizzle" on the ground, i proceeded to hear derek laughing again!? he though it was an 8 min amrap, then i found out that derek drank the kool-aid on rudy's theory, "work fast, long rest"...he took this to the fullest.

to get mushy for second, after each heat, everyone came around to those competing to give them a pound/high-five and tell them nice work. like i stated before, awesome atmosphere. anyways...i stayed for the final 3 heats to watch some doods crush it, i.e. nate, kurt, bryce, erin, the usual suspects. ridiculous.

so, while this post has been biblical in length, i just wanted to make the point that...why arent more people doing this (ladies...)!? especially, those who have crossfitted for at least 6 months and the fact that now derek has signed up Construct as an affiliate so we can do the workouts in our box. I know im not making the games, and i know there will be certain workouts where the Rx is too heavy and ill struggle to get one rep. who cares, the competitive atmosphere is amazing. im not using it to get better at certain exercises, because it wont make you better, it is the work you put in prior that shall make you better at the movement.

(i guess this makes up for everyones' writer's block for the about the next 3 weeks)

Transition Time!

2011-03-21T10:21:00.002-05:00

Sorry this is a short post but just wanted to let you readers of this blog know that we're working on merging our site with CrossFit Construct's site and want to extend an invitation to all of you who are/would be interested in participating by submitting an article or something about yourself to the new blog! Please let us know if you're interested! We would LOVE to hear about your experiences, thoughts or questions!

It's a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

2011-03-19T09:01:00.002-05:00

Well, Spring seems to be peaking it's little head out of the dark hole that has been winter. We've had our first romp to the faint red 400 m line, and we've felt the harsh burn clear from our lungs. Derek went over a little bit of pose running, and again I can't wait to figure this out...so go with me.

If there was one thing that I took from my Level 1 Cert, the one thing that was drilled into my head, It was "long lines are strong lines". The same applies when running. Keeping your body aligned and breaking at the ankle rather than the waist will let gravity do the work do the work. As you can see in the image the heel comes under the body creating a line from head to shoulders to hips to ankle.

I think John A gave me some great advice this week. We are going to be doing a LOT of 400m runs. If using the pose you might be sore for awhile. John suggested running the first 200m really taking note of your form and then on the way back go back to your normal stride. As you get more and more used to this increase the distance.

There is a fast track program starting in April that I plan on taking, and would love to have some company. I know John A, Camey, and Tom have all taken the endurance classes and I'm sure they would all be open to any questions that anyone might have.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Warmin' Up

2011-03-17T11:52:00.000-05:00

I’m not talking about the weather. I’m not even talking about stretching. I am literally talking about ‘Warming Up’, pre-skill work, pre-WOD. What gets your juices going? How do you know your body is ready for the skill work or the WOD? Do you ever feel you need more of a warm up? Less? What makes up the most effective warm up for you?

And…A recipe! Paleo Slaw - Purple Cabbage, Mango, Red Onion, Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Salt & Pepper to taste!

I Have a Need For Speed

2011-03-16T12:51:00.003-05:00

*Fam emergency:( Sorry for my tardiness*

So I have been a jogger for years. I started faithfully leisurely jogging while in college. I had put on the freshmen forty and needed to drop some poundage in my junior year. I gave up the 2 liters of soda per day, and started jogging and "voila!", 30lbs melted off like magic:)

I wish it were still that easy to drop off a little booty meat, but I know my body is now used to the leisurely jog and no longer shocked by it. A few of you suggested intense interval training to switch things up, and I have been trying to do that on warmer days tabata style. 20 seconds fast run, 10 seconds leisurely jog. The only problem is that my "fast run" is not very fast! I mean it is definitely faster than my jog, but it doesn't feel crazy intense.

I know some of us have began posting about running technique, and maybe you have some advice for me as far as sprinting goes. However, I would also like to know if it is possible to significantly increase your speed through some type of training. Is there something that I can work on in particular that will give me more speed? I did some searching on Google and saw "speed training" and "interval training" as ways to increase speed, but they seem the same to me. Can anyone provide advice and enlightenment.

Ouch!

2011-03-15T12:14:00.004-05:00

A few times during a WOD, I have either been tired or just not paying attention to form and have hurt myself. During my first few months, I was doing a longer WOD that included thrusters, running and kb's. I started to get really fatigued but didn't want to break up my last set of thrusters. Then BOOM, I hit myself in the head with the barbell really hard. Ouch! I think I was really surprised and made a funny face and kept going. Of course a few people had to see it. I think John A was one of them. I had a nice red goose egg on my head for a few days.

Then about two weeks ago, while doing push presses, I hit myself in the nose. What?!?!? That REALLY hurt. The barbell scraped skin off my nose and I hit it so hard I got a bloody nose and my eyes were watering. I somehow managed to finish but my nose hurt for two weeks after that.

Now I want to hear your stories so I don't feel so bad about myself. I am just a really good exerciser that can by klutzy at times. :)

Let the GAMES begin!

2011-03-14T10:02:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow CrossFit will release the first round of WODs to qualify for the games. I'm really eager and excited to see what they will be and curious to see how this new set-up will work. Does anyone have any favorite athletes (Mikko Salo and Camille LeBlanc) or predictions for the winners this year?? Make sure you check out the CrossFit Games website to stay updated! Here is a video of the badass, grueling craziness to come...

Happy Fake Paddy's Day!

2011-03-12T12:02:00.004-06:00

So, this will actually be one in a series of blog posts for me. I have started to read "Pose Method of Running" by Nicholas Romanov, who actually came up with the pose method that is highly encouraged in crossfit. My goal for this summer is to become a more efficient, faster, and injury free runner. I will NOT be getting a stress fracture this year damnit.

I signed up for the Endurance cert for May and I wanted to get a head start. I would like to share some of the things I am reading and learning so that everyone can benefit from them if possible. And I know Drywall REALLY likes to run so I figured he would LOVE my next few posts.

Mainly what I am taking from this so far is that running is really the only sport that we are just expected to do naturally. Every other sport we are taught incrementally. There is proper form used. Where running seems have no standard widely accepted. There is a disconnect there that must be causing the inefficiency and injury. Baseball players would be laughed at if they threw like a girl, basketball players would not be taken seriously if they lobbed shots up from between their legs. So why does there not seem to be such discrepancy in running form? Think of our lifting...some of us did the snatch today...how did we warm up? The Burgener warm up is taking us through a series of poses so that when put all together we complete the move efficiently and without (hopefully) causing pain or injury. The Pose method of running is doing the same thing. It is taking a pose and ingraining it into your body so that when we run we are keeping our body in alignment, taking pressure off our back and joints, and using gravity to propel ourselves forward. Basically, it's the difference between doing a correct power snatch vs a muscle snatch. The muscle snatch will work for awhile but it's not something you can do for an extended amount of time and not hurt yourself.

Look forward to drills and more information every Saturday!

Have a great weekend and don't forget about the LP pub crawl! Be safe!

Stay tuned

2011-03-12T09:21:00.001-06:00

Still working on my post for today but MUST go do today's WOD

~Kels

Blog Name

2011-03-11T10:20:00.003-06:00

So are we going to get this name changed... ideas?

"The CF Construct bored at work blog"

First thing that came to mind. However, I am currently not bored, I'm actually working my ass off today and am out of town for the evening so I had to make this one short.

A Not-So-Boring Paleo Meal

2011-03-10T11:35:00.001-06:00

That’s right! I made yet another delicious Paleo meal with the help of Every Day Paleo! The Salmon Cakes with Homemade Ginger Mayo were AMAZING! I accompanied the salmon cakes with Roasted Butternut Squash.

I realize my post today is short and sweet (boring), so I thought to spice things up we could do a finish the sentence game:

1. If cavemen read this Paleo-ish Blog they would think, __________.

2. I am craving ___________.

3. If I could wear __________ every day, I would.

What Gives?

2011-03-09T09:48:00.005-06:00

Disclaimer: I am not trying to single out anyone, so don't get your panties in a bunch.

Anyway, what is up with the injury pictures? I have noticed that Crossfitters love to take pictures of when they hurt themselves and post it for the world to gawk at. Whether it be bruises, calluses, torn calluses, infected torn calluses, scrapped up shins, etc.....we love to show that shit off.

I have not posted an injury picture YET lol, but I am thinking about posting the yucky pics of my leg after death by power cleans. lol. Why? Shit I don't know. Does it make one feel more bad arse? Does it just add to the air of you must be nuts if you do Crossfit?

I have seen some pictures of some of your injuries...no names. lol. Why do we want the world to see how Crossfit can eff you up? lol. Is it the attention whore mentality? It reminds me of my tomboy days when I would get a new scar and show that shit off. Any thoughts? :0)Oh, and just in case you did not notice....I like to type the word *shit*. I don't like cursing in real life and I think I sound stupid when I do, so just let me live this out in the cyber world if you don't mind:)

Also...today is the beginning of Lent (I know this is bogus coming after my declaration that I like to curse while typing...lol). For those of you who observe, is anyone giving up anything interesting? I am giving the deuces to juice...including OJ (GASP!)and coffee. So if I turn into super biatch for the next month and a half you know why:) I HEART OJ! This is going to be awful:( I'm already shaking because I did not have my morning shot:( On top of that I had to let my sunflower seeds go because I found a worm in my bag. This is going to be a terrible month:(

**The first pic is of course just for chortles:)**

Restup?

2011-03-08T09:29:00.000-06:00

For the last two weeks I have been trying to make the new Tuesday 9am class, but I have run into the same problem both times. I workout out Mondays in the evening and when I wake up on Tuesday morning my body just doesn’t feel rested enough to go back to the box. I can more aptly describe the feeling in my muscles as heavy, lazy and lethargic, no real soreness (yet). It seems to make sense to me that foam rolling after a workout will probably help, but is there anything else I can be doing/eating to get my muscles ready to work again? …or should I just go anyways knowing that my muscles will eventually adapt to the modified rest period?

CrossFit Sexy Ladies!

2011-03-07T09:39:00.002-06:00

As the start of CrossFit games/qualifying rounds quickly approaches, I think its appropriate to showcase the amazing women that participated in last year's competition. Ladies- get ready to be inspired. Men- control yourselves....

Anyone planning on going to the games???

faux irish?

2011-03-06T08:35:00.003-06:00

so i know it is a bit early, but everyone knows next saturday is when chicago celebrates st patty's day, i.e. parade (RIP southside parade), green river, green beer, green eggs and irish coffees, etc.

as i am getting older, it is no longer like christmas morning for me where im so excited that i start with kegs/car bombs and eggs at 8am. while i still love a good day drink, i am a bit more tame and dont start until around noon-ish.

considering construct will be holding its normal classes, and there is a lot of extra beer lying around the box...put two and two together...DRINKING WOD!

other than that though, anyone have any plans for that day, i.e. bars or drunken fiascos they are attending? be fun to meet up after classes if at all possible.

Om nom nom nom

2011-03-05T08:42:00.002-06:00

My original idea for today was an entire blog post about Drywalls' favorite activity...running. But it has to wait until next week for this breaking news. I found an amazing desert...and Camey this maybe right up your alley. Thursday was my last day at my job of three years. The admins threw me a party with treats galore. Let me tell you faileo doesn't even come close to describing what I ate. But there was one treat that intrigued me. Grapes dipped in white chocolate and peanuts. Kelsey, "whoa", you say white chocolate and peanuts are NOT paleo. Well, yes, but it got my litte mind running. Switching the white chocolate to dark chocolate and peanuts to almonds (or I used pecans)...holy acorns they are AMAZING! Below is the easy recipe. Once they cool they are easy to store and totally a delicious treat that seems way worse than it is.

Wash and dry the grapes before hand and cut off the stem leaving a little piece to hold on with. Note: THE GRAPES MUST BE DRY FOR THE CHOCOLATE TO STICK! In a double boiler (or metal bowl floating on a small pot of boiling water) melt one bar of dark chocolate (70%+ cacao). Chop nut of choice (or I was lazy and bought the ones already chopped...it takes more than you think ...4 of the little bags for one big bag of grapes). Take the grape, dip it in the melted chocolate, dip it in the nuts and set to cool on parchment paper. Once they are cool and the chocolate has re-hardened (or while dipping) eat those little acorns up.

Hope you like them!

Also, I think the granola recipe is on the recipe section. If not I will add it today! It might rival this as my favorite treat!

What do you do when cravings hit?

2011-03-04T13:05:00.004-06:00

I have a huge sweet-tooth! I am all about anything chocolate. I can usually resist the temptation by eating really bitter dark chocolate. But recently, I just cave. I don't have the will power. For instance, after lunch I decided I wanted a chocolate concrete shake w/ chocolate chips and cookie dough. I wasn't even hungry at that point so why did I feel like I had to have it? I think maybe I am have a chocolate habit. I just eat it every day without really thinking about it. Does anyone else have a similar problem with foods they can't seem to resist? How do you overcome the temptation in the moment to pig out on that food?

John A asked me to post today since he is West Palm Beach getting his level 1 CF Cert this weekend.

Have fun John! I am sure we will be taking your classes soon!

Chicken and Veggies, Chicken and Veggies, Blah and Boring, Chicken and Veggies

2011-03-03T08:57:00.000-06:00

My eating habits have turned back to following Paleo more closely. Although, I cannot lie and say that I did not enjoy the AB&J sandwiches, milkshakes and Girl Scout cookies I was devouring last week. Mmmmm.

As my life has slowed down for the moment, I realized that I was so sick & tired of grilled chicken with a side of broccoli. But, after a long day at work, a CF workout and getting home rather late, the idea of concocting a multi-ingredient meal gave me a headache. Why can’t chicken and veggies be more fun?! And by fun I mean FLAVORFUL. With more time on my hands, Tuesday evening I decided to try out 2 new recipes I found on Every Day Paleo: Pecan Crusted Chicken and Stuffed Eggplant (I added Asparagus to the Stuffed Eggplant)

I found both the chicken and the veggies to be delish! Even more telling that they were tasty was the thumbs up I got from the hubby! I also want to mention this: I totally could have prepared this after a long day at work and a CF workout. On paper it looked intimidating but in reality the preparation was easy-peasy-lemon-squeezy. No more recipe intimidation for this girl!

Challenge: Drywall – I bet this is a Paleo meal that even you may like…I dare you!

WTH is it? Sneaky little f-er.

2011-03-02T09:20:00.006-06:00

Last night I was awakened as I have been several times over the last few months by the most agonizing pain in my left calf. This little shit is stealthy as hell and only strikes when I am SLEEPING...bogus right? I have described this pain to a few people at the box and received mixed ideas on what it is and how to stop it.

To explain it a little more, I think I set off the process when I stretch my legs in my sleep. I am not sure if I somehow flex my calf while stretching, but basically once my calf is in the flexed position it will not un-flex for about a minute. It gets hard as a rock and will not relax for the entire minute which seems long as hell because it hurts so bad. The only thing that seems to remotely help is if I squeeze it with all my might, which is sometimes hard because I am literally awakened from a deep slumber with this pain.

It's a good thing I do not have a boo here, because I get super dramatic...I scream like a girl for my Mommy....roll off my bed onto the floor and roll around some more. Lol, but I'm serious. This must be what child birth feels like. j/k

I have been told to put heat on it....maybe you need more electrolytes (Gatorade, yuck)....eat some bananas...etc. I have literally been sleeping with my legs on a heating pad every night (and burning up!) and the stealthy little f-er still attacks.

Has anyone else experienced anything like this or know what it might be? Any ideas on how to make it better? I would go to the doctor, but I kind of feel stupid because it is not like it will be doing this in the doctor's office so that she can see what I am talking about. Any advice would be very much appreciated.

***Welcome back Thom! We missed you!***

***Also, the photos have shit crap to do with the post....they are just pics that I chortle at:)***

Please Hurry Spring!

2011-03-01T11:23:00.003-06:00

I can't wait for spring and summer! Even though it is still way too freakin cold, the sunshine over last few days is really brightening up my mood. February and March are usually the hardest months for me. I am tired of being cooped up and want to be outdoors. And I have the typical Chicago pasty white complexion that begs for just a little sun. So I have signed up for the Shamrock Shuffle and Warrior Dash so I have something to be excited about. I am also thinking about the Tough Mudder and Metro Dash. Anyone interested?

What helps you guys get through the last lingering and oh-so-painful months of winter? What races and events do you have coming up?

I've hit a wall...

2011-02-28T12:25:00.002-06:00

How do I get over it???
I've noticed that over the past few weeks, my strength and wod performances have not been as good or improving as much as I was in the past. I've also been feeling a little less excited about the wods and feel that I'm losing my "spark". I think my lack of excitement is probably due to my recent poor performances and lack of consistency in my wods. I realize that my car accident may have contributed to my problems in crossfit, as well as my inconsistent diet but despite these recent setbacks, I still feel like my ability to improve as much as I did was slowly coming to an end anyway. I want to get out of this "rut" and want to know- have you ever hit this same "wall"? If so, how did you overcome this setback? How do you gain the motivation back and improve??? I know I still have more potential in my strength and endurance abilities....I just need to find a way to get back into it!

Um... yum?

2011-02-25T08:45:00.003-06:00

Ever just have one of those "why in the hell didn't I think of that earlier" moments? I did this week and I'm way too excited about it. Let me elaborate.

Once I decided to boot the roommates and move in alone, I had to get rid of my grill and smoker due to lack of outdoor space. This made me sad, very sad. I didn't care what time of the year it was or how nasty it was outside, the grill was always on.

Shift a year to my new place and all I am left with is a Foreman and a stove. I like to cook, but I tend to keep stuff pretty simple. The Foreman was supposed to be my new friend, but I really hated how it cooked things and it just sat unused forever... until I discovered foil cooking on it.

I'm probably going to get tons of crap for using tin foil in the first place, but let me tell you, it is epic. Take a couple chicken breasts, spray foil with non-stick spray, toss in the breasts and throw some various peppers/vegetables on top, coat with seasoning, wrap that shit up and put it on the Foreman. 20 minutes later: instant awesome.

If you got a Foreman laying around and you lack a grill, have limited cooking time and don't enjoy cleaning... try it and report back. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Rest Day

2011-02-24T10:19:00.003-06:00

It's Rae's day to post and she asked me if I could put something up for the day. I just wanted to let everyone know that she is doing well. Super tired so she is resting up.

This struck me with the question..."what do you do on your rest day?"

I think I will start adding an "active" rest day on Thursday's (it's drinking club with a running problem day). Today might not be the best day to start due to the fact that my body is smoked from this weeks WODS. Do you relax and recover or do you stay active? How did you discover what works for you? Do you change your diet on days you don't hit the box?

Have a great Thursday everyone!

Sticking to the Standards

2011-02-23T10:41:00.002-06:00

Do you guys/gals feel that you always adhere to the standards of the WODs that we do? I ask this because one way that I feel I am cutting myself short, outside of not challenging myself to lift more weight, is by at times falling below the standard with some moves and counting that rep anyway. It will suck, but I really am going to try to make a conscious effort to stop counting bogus reps. lol. You don't have to admit to it, but I have seen some of us outside of myself do an ugly ass OHS or pull-up that was not quite right and still count that shit. lol. If we really want to improve we have to try to completely and CORRECTLY finish the move. This is definitely easier said than done....we will see if I am still talking this shit in the last rep of an awful WOD, but I at least need to try.

I know where I need to improve, how about you? I need to improve my depth in any movements involving squats, make sure to lock out my arms in any overhead lifts, and try to get my chest to touch the ground in push-ups (I am busty, so I don't know why that is an issue...lol). If I am doing a move incorrectly, it probably means that I am trying to do too much. For instance, I probably should not be doing manly man push-ups in a WOD if I can't continue with them throughout the entire WOD. Derek suggested that I stick with girly girl push-ups during the WOD if I could not stay off my knees the entire time. He explained that it would be analagous to me starting off a WOD with way more weight on the bar than I knew I could actually handle throughout the entire WOD. Makes sense to me. What do you all think?

If a monkey can do a pushup....

2011-02-22T10:57:00.002-06:00

I recently found out that I have been doing push-ups incorrectly. Once I stopped doing push ups on my knees, I thought I had it down. I mean really, there isn't much to a regular push up. Wrong. Apparently, my arms were out way too far which makes it much easier. Maybe a habit I picked up long before CrossFit when I was told to do "girl" push-ups any time I had to do push-ups while growing up.

Proper form is to keep the arms under the shoulders and the elbows closer to the body as you do the push-up. This will work the triceps much more than keeping the arms out further. This form is actually much harder for me and I can only do about 10 consecutive versus the 20 or so that I could do with my arms out wider.

Good luck with your surgery Rae! You better make it to the box to hangout.

Happy Birthday D-Rock

2011-02-19T09:46:00.003-06:00

Before I left for Columbus John G and I had a conversation about my lifting. I really want to push myself but often don't feel like I really do that. He worked with me that day on Jerks and he made me realize something...

As women we tend to all try to lift together. We don't want to make anyone feel bad or less or something so we all lift the same weight on every rep. Ladies I don't know if you have ever looked around but the guys don't operate that way. We all have different bodies, different strengths, and different weaknesses...which means we should all be lifting at different weights. This will not offend or hurt anyone but only push ourselves and possibly motivate each other. So this is my challenge to all of us to start putting into practice.

Ladies do you feel you do this? Which lifts do you feel like you really need to push a bit harder?

Men, have I misspoken here? Have you found lifting with a partner but at different levels has had any effect on you or your lifting?

Also, big P-A-R-T-Y tonight! Hope to see everyone there. There will be pre-gamming at 7 at Cleo's if anyone is interested! Should be a fun crew as always...we can grab some food and then head over together!

Whoa

2011-02-18T08:38:00.002-06:00

Way to freak me out, Tom! I thought the box was on fire this morning. Pretty close though!

http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-big-fire-at-west-side-fire-feb18,0,5266123.story

I got nothing today, obviously. :)

What the heck is that...

2011-02-17T11:14:00.000-06:00

This is totally and completely random, but are there things that you just tend to wonder about? Like, why does that happen? What is that, but really what is that?! I looked up a few of my curiosities and here is what I found:

Stringy Things on a Banana

Phloem or Phloem Bundles –carries and distributes nutrients to all parts of the Banana They gross me out for some reason! If you peel the banana from the ‘bottom’, it does not happen as much.

Expiration Date

Expiration Dates are actually voluntary. The only items required by federal law to be labeled for expiration are infant formula and some baby food. Some states also mandate pulling dairy from store shelves on the expiration date. In actuality, Expiration Date refers to the LAST date a food should be consumed.

Sell By Date

The Sell By Date is a guide for the retailer, telling the store how long to display the product. The Sell By Date is the LAST day the item is at its highest level of quality.

Asparagus Pee

Why does eating asparagus make your pee smell?! The metabolism of asparagus produces a byproduct called Methanethiol, a colorless gas with a smell. When we eat asparagus, our digestive track breaks down mercaptan, a natural substance found in plant tissues and, in the blood and brain of humans and other animals.

B.O.

A smell our bodies give off when bacteria that live on the skin break down protein into acids. Sweat itself is described as almost odorless. It is the rapid multiplication of bacteria in sweat that causes the unpleasant (to say the least) smell.

Pushing Past Plateaus...

2011-02-16T10:19:00.005-06:00

Each of us began Crossfit for various reasons, but I am sure that one thing we all have in common is the desire to constantly improve. I don't know about you all, but as of late there are some areas where I have seemed to plateau, a couple where I have actually went down in weight by 5lbs, and some where I have markedly improved. I try not to beat myself up in the areas where I went down a bit, because I believe a lot of that stemmed from me scaling back when my shoulder was injured. While the good ole shoulder is not 100%, it is much better and I do not want it to be an excuse anymore. I really hate excuses.

Last night Drywall (I love how you no longer have a government name. lol), Jenn, and myself had a warm and fuzzy conversation with D-Rock AKA Derek about how to push past plateaus. What Derek made me realize is that I am probably not training hard enough outside of the box. Since I am unable to come to the box more than 2-3x a week because of work, most times I just squeeze in a 30 minute run before I hit the sack. While this keeps me in good cardio shape, it obviously is not helping my Crossfit performance much. I am also not pushing myself as hard as I should....I know I underestimate my strength and I will not get better if I don't try heavier loads during the WODs...even if I will be slow as hell or God forbid fail.

What would you all recommend to supplement my WODs when I am not at the box. Would you completely phase out the running and....I hate to say this because CF has turned me into a snob....use the weight machines in my condo's gym? I seriously have not touched a gym machine since July. lol. Here is what my building gym has: shoulder/bench press machine, lateral pull down machine to work the back, weird stationary ski machine where you butt never moves and you just pull the cord, leg machine to work front and back of thighs, dumb bells of all sizes, weird pull up machine that is made of two handle bars, elliptical, stationary bike, and treadmill. I also just bought a jump rope. I could really use some guidance on what would be a good basic workout when I can't make it to the box to build up my strength.

Help me out here people. I am trying to be on sexy BEAST mode:)The more ideas the better!

Hello Bum in My Face

2011-02-15T10:54:00.002-06:00

This morning, as I was walking up the stairs to exit the El, a fairly heavy-set guy in front of me dropped his glove. So he straight-legged bent over to pick it up. Whoa buddy! WTH? I don't think I have ever put so much effort into stopping my ascent up stairs. If I had not, my face would have literally met his bum(or butt meat as Yatta would call it). It was a really close call as is. So after the irritation passed, I realized that he didn't squat to pick up his glove. I am not sure he could even do a squat if he tried. Which made me really look around as I was on my way into work. There are so many out of shape people! Since when did it become the norm for people to be so out of shape? I don’t even really notice it most of the time now until it is right in my face. Haha! What do you guys think about this? Do you think in general that most people are in decent shape?

Happy Valentine's Day!!

2011-02-14T16:36:00.002-06:00

I'm so sorry this is a late post! My finals started Saturday and I've been studying nonstop since then. Since I didn't really have a weekend, my days are all messed up and I didn't even realize it was Monday! (thanks Rae for reminding me!)

How is everyone spending their Valentine's Day? Are you breaking down and eating some chocolate? I already did... but its finals week...I have more of an excuse to do so... ;)

Travel WODs...hit me with your best shot.

2011-02-13T06:31:00.002-06:00

ok i need some travel WOD ideas. here are some stipulations, though:

1. i have a jump rope
2. about 5 days ill be in resorts/hotels that most likely have gyms
2a. the gyms will at least have dumbbells, treadmills, and a pullup bar
2b. sometimes, at the resorts, there is actually a bench and a squat rack, maybe even a C2!
3. running is allowed, but if placed in a WOD, dont include stuff i would need in a gym as well

now, i know there are a million sites out there with travel wods already, i just wanted your ideas. long, medium, and short time domains are all welcome.

Drinking milkshakes on a road trip...It wasn't me...

2011-02-11T20:08:00.003-06:00

So I'm posting a little early ...mainly so I don't forget to do this tomorrow morning. This weekend I am in Columbus getting my crossfit level 1 cert. I just made possibly the most boring drive of my entire life (which is really saying something people. I'm from Kansas and if you have never experience western KS...well you are missing absolutely nothing). I decided that I knew I would be eating pretty good all weekend so I was going to have some Sushi as a cheat at lunch before heading out of Chi.

I packed a TON of food for the trip. We are talking snacks AND actual meals...chili, pork tenderloin, bacon wrapped chicken, eggs, bacon...and instead of eating the food I so excitedly prepared I had ho-hos and a chocolate chip cookie dough shake from Stake and Shake on the 6 hr drive. Why did I do this?! I mean really?! I brought everything I could possibly need...and on top of things it made me physically feel AWFUL. Every time I cheat I get violently ill after (and let me tell you this is not fun in a car on a road trip). Was it worth it...no. So, why?

Why do you cheat and is it worth it? I think I need accountability again people. I think I need an intervention.

PS...I've decided I want a GHD machine in my apt.

Ergo what?

2011-02-11T08:28:00.004-06:00

Anyone have any pointers on good office/desk ergonomics?

Does your trendy new boss give you "sweet" chairs or big ass balls to sit on?

Since I work from home, I can't really say that is how I roll, but I'm starting to realize my neck pain is likely associated with bad ergonomics and its getting really annoying.

I am not about to start doing some weird upside down yoga poses at my desk (even though no one could see me, I guess), but I'm all for ideas. What you got for me?

The guy in the pic is pretty much me towards the end of the day.

Be Aggressive - you gotta own it

2011-02-10T10:34:00.000-06:00

Whether it’s the Power Snatch, Hang Squat Snatch, Power Clean, Hang Clean or Hang Clean and Jerk, you must be aggressive. I’ve heard our CF Coaches say this over and over again and last night after several failed attempts and quasi-hang power snatches – I got it. Let me be clear, I did not actually get a perfect-form Hang Power Snatch (not even close) but ‘you must be aggressive’, I get it! Can I do it? Not yet. Will I do it? Eventually.

CrossFit workouts and Olympic lifts often require me to seek certain attributes that do not come naturally to me. Being aggressive is one of them. I recall when I first started CrossFit and the Coaches told me I could drop the bar to the ground if needed. This made me so uncomfortable – the loud noise, the feeling of losing control and calling attention to myself. In my early days I was caught several times performing what can only be described as gingerly guiding the bar to the floor. I could not imagine myself dropping the bar…fast forward…my first PR on a Power Clean and I dropped that bar, and I believe I dropped an f-bomb as well. I received a small round of applause; it was quite a moment for me. Ha! Ha!

What’s my point? Wait – what is my point…Oh yea, I guess being aggressive will eventually happen for me as well. I need to own the bar and ‘Junk Yard Dog that thing’. It’s a challenge to train your body to do things that are not in your nature, do not come naturally or are completely opposite of what your body is used to. How do you tackle workouts and lifts that feel so incredibly awkward? How long does it take? When do you focus on form versus heavy weights and vice versa? Does grunting and making noises help? I need help finding my inner aggressive approach so I can rid of this frustration!!

Myth or Reality: Does Muscle Weigh More Than Fat? Like For Real For Real?

2011-02-09T09:18:00.009-06:00

Anytime my weight balloons by like 5lbs while I am in the midst of working out yet maybe still eating like a baby piglet, I always get told "Don't worry....muscle weighs more than fat...you have been working out hard and have put on more muscle, so your weight is going up." Well, I say bullshit. If I am eating like a baby piglet, it is probably fat even though I am working out like a baby beast. (I like putting "baby" in front of ugly words because it just makes it cuter.)

I honestly do not know a lot about this topic so I went to the most scholarly source I know of this morning: Google. All in all, most of the information I came up with said that muscle weighing more than fat is a myth. A pound is a pound...regardless of what material it is made up of. The difference comes in with the volume/space a pound of muscle versus a pound of fat takes up. Muscle is leaner and takes up less space while fat definitely takes up more space. Fat is lumpier than muscle...so when you lose the fat and gain muscle the scale may not change, but the smoothness of your once lumpy and fat skin will change.

I guess the only way to truly know if the scale going up sometimes is due to me getting a fat donk or me getting leaner is to try out a couple of things. One, I could take measurements of myself with tape measure...which I do do (he he...I said "do do"). Two, I could get the caliper fat test thingy done. I have done that in the past and I HATE it. You will feel fat regardless of if you are or not when those calipers find fat in places that you did not even know existed:(

All in all, the point of today's post is this: Do not use the statement that "muscle weighs more than fat" as an excuse when you really are becoming a porker...oops...'baby porker'. The only fool proof way to know if you really are gaining muscle or heaven forbid....a double chin...is to pay attention to your body composition. Have Rudy or someone else who is qualified whip out those fat calipers! Don't try it yourself....trust me...just an awkward situation all around when you are trying to clamp a piece of your own booty meat:)What are your thoughts on this subject?

Challenging WOD's

2011-02-08T13:24:00.004-06:00

Occasionally, we have a WOD that is especially challenging for almost everyone. On those occasions, I usually see people lying on the floor, in their own pool of sweat trying to catch their breath. After reading up on Mikko Salo, who I totally have a crush on by the way, I always think about what he said when asked why he doesn't lie down after a workout.

Mikko Salo - "“I once read an article about it: when animals surrender they go lying on their back,” Salo explains. “From then on I decided I would never go lying on my back. It’s a sign of weakness and surrendering. I’m never lying on my back.”

What do you think about this? Is it a sign of surrender or just a way to catch your breath?

For those who don't know Mikko, he placed first in the 2009 CrossFit games and 5th in the 2010 CrossFit games. For your viewing enjoyment, here is a short documentary trailer if you are curious about Mikko.

To follow up on the T-Dub's post....

2011-02-07T12:04:00.002-06:00

A) Did you watch the superbowl/commercials/not-so-great pre-game and halftime performances?

B) If so, what did you think?

C) Did you EAT and DRINK?

D) If so, what did you eat and drink? (did you stick with paleo? or did you faileo??)

I watched the superbowl. Good game but would've been a lot more exciting if I cared about any of the teams. Missed the National Anthem but heard clips of it and laughed. I don't even know/understand what happened during half time. I didn't find the commercials too amusing this year...
I did eat, but no drinking for me...(lots of studying/craming to do!)
And I was really good at the beginning eating only chicken and vegetables....but then had a few slices of pita bread with hummus and two cookies...woops.
Did anyone try making everydaypaleo.com's superbowl recipes? I want to try the meatballs. They look delicious.

it's an american holiday...no?

2011-02-06T08:01:00.002-06:00

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY! (in the words of tyler...another excused to get "hammed-up"...)

eating and drinking is the only thing i truly care about on most days like today, because my bears failed me. but because im rather strict to this whole paleo thing...i eat paleo, i dont drink it...i like to experiment with new recipes that fall under this heading.

everydaypaleo.com posted some superb sounding recipes yesterday and her past superbowl posts have been just as good (the bean-less chili is excellent but more like a meat stew). check em out.

or the hell with it, and just eat a ton of drywall's fudge and slam some PBRs...it is a holiday after all.

3-2-1 Go!

2011-02-05T08:31:00.002-06:00

I have been in a weight loss mind set for the past 1.5 years now. I go hard core and then plateau and maintain for a while and then start chipping back at it again. This has required two-a-days, feeling like a crazy person when it comes to food, and often feeling like I'm a fun hater. I was talking with John the other day and he was saying that now that I do crossfit maybe my goals need to change. The number on the scale may never be where I want it just because I am getting lean and strong with crossfit. How do you set your goals for your physical self? Is it all in the weight you lift? how you feel? Your pants size?

Also, with training season for races is around the corner, I'm now contemplating how i'm going to balance running, crossfit, and a social life. Not looking forward to two-a-days again but I can't give up either of two things I'm passionate about. Does anyone else supplement their crossfit WODs with another form of physical activity?

Hope to see you at the box this weekend!

woof

2011-02-04T08:27:00.005-06:00

I've been thinking about getting a dog lately. Give me ideas, I want a dog.

Post links, pics, info, whatever.

Disclaimer: I hate poodles and any other dog that enjoys having its hair permed.

Also, this is totally crossfit related. This dog is so going to be running with me... so I suppose it should be able to run?

It is also Paleo related. I will probably feed the dog various types of meats.

Training

2011-02-03T10:19:00.001-06:00

What: 8K, 10K, triathlon, marathon, CF sectionals, Warrior Dash

How: Diet, Exercise, Sleep, Vitamin Supplements

I consider myself a neophyte when it comes to training. I don’t know what the correct formula is for optimal performance. I have no idea how far in advance to begin my training or create a schedule. I should also admit that I am not sure that I know all of the variables that go into constructing this formula.

Do you have any competitions or races in your future?

When is it?

When will you start training?

Will you change your diet?

Do you stop alcohol consumption?

What is your plan man?!

Let's Talk About POO Baby....lol.

2011-02-02T11:30:00.003-06:00

If you still believe that women do not poo or get gassy this is so not the post for you...get your ass out while you can:)Because trust me...we get down...or we would like to. :0)

Monday at the box I was talking to a couple of other Crossfitters about going through a pooping drought. This particular pooporexic had not poo'd in 5 days and thought the Paleo diet may have had something to do with it. I felt her pain as I had been through a 5 day drought numerous times in my life. It hurts, you feel awful and bloated.

I have had so many stomach issues that I have had to see specialists and get all kinds of tests run including having a CT-Scan taken. I drew the line at the colonoscopy and some other thing where they send a camera down your throat because I punked out (actually my over-dramatic mother acted a hot-mess fool in the doctor's office and said no...even though I am grown as hell. lol).

So the ultimate diagnosis I was given was IBS-C, basically irritable bowl with constipation. I was also told that I had acid reflux. I think the doc just got tired of dealing with me and threw out a diagnosis, but hey, I will work with it. Things I have tried to "get things moving" include drinking aloe vera juice, taking aloe vera pills, taking lactulose solution (basically like pure sugar syrup and nasty), putting nopalina flax seed in my oatmeal and smoothies, drinking epsom salt mixed with water (grossest thing EVER...I gag the entire time, but it works), trying different probiotics (trying out expensive ass Align now since it is supposedly so magical), drinking mineral oil (really gross), and of course a yummy daily glass of Metamucil. lol.

The most extreme thing I do is get colon hydrotherapy which is wonderful. You would not believe all the stuff that comes out of you (there is a clear pipe so you can see. lol)...I swear I saw a child fly by. Not everyone agrees with colon hydro-therapy, but I have found that when I go consistently it works pretty well for me. Only downside is that this treatment can get expensive if you need to go a lot. So now I just go every couple of months.

Does anyone else have IBS or any other types of digestive issues? What are your secrets? Do you think Paleo helped it or made it worse? I thought Paleo helped my issues at first, but I did still have a couple of those 5 day bouts. Once I started introducing a little grains into my diet things got better. That's just one of a few reasons why I know I cannot do strict Paleo....in addition to fiber which is super important I need grains as well.

DON'T BE SHY PEOPLE! TELL ME YOUR BOOTY SECRETS so that we call all poo like rockstars:)

p.s. I know you all are proud of me for my tame picture...you know there were so many gross possibilities with this topic, but I kept it classy. lol.

Good Luck Mike!

2011-02-01T11:41:00.003-06:00

Just a little shout out to wish Mike luck. He is having surgery today to fix his injured calf. He hurt it during a WOD a couple of weeks ago. Believe it or not, it wasn't when doing this crazy cartwheel.

Hope to see you back at the box soon Mike!

More FUNGUS!

2011-01-31T14:26:00.002-06:00

BUUUUT good fungus! Here's a recipe that is posted in our "Recipes" page but I wanted to post it again because it is amazing. I have the picture posted on my facebook page, but here's the delicious recipe that goes with it.Enjoy!

Chicken Paleo “Sandwich”

2 giant portobello mushrooms, stems and gills (underside of the cap) removed

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded

1/4 cup grilled onions

3 slices bacon

1 cup fresh arugula

2 tbsp Paleo Mayo**

2 tbsp olive oil

In a large skillet heat the olive oil and add the mushrooms, starting with the caps up. Cook on each side for about 5 minutes, until the mushroom softens and starts to turn golden on top. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and slather each side with the paleo mayo, pile on the chicken, onions, bacon and arugula, put the two mushrooms together like a sandwich and dig in.

** Paleo Mayo:
about 1 cup of Olive Oil Mayo- 1egg, 1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, pinch of sea salt, few shakes of cayenne pepper, 1 tsp yellow mustard, 1 cup olive oil

I'll be back at it in the box tonight! I'm so excited to start WODing again!!!

Grand Re-Opening!

2011-01-29T09:03:00.002-06:00

Check out our new site!

http://crossfitconstruct.blogspot.com/

I hope to see everyone for the group work out at 11! I've been out for almost a week. I don't know what happened but my body basically fell apart last week. It's like I was sick without being sick. I don't know how to explain it...maybe I was overtraining? maybe I need to adjust my diet? Maybe my body was self-inducing a break...BUT I'm ready to be back. I can't wait to be in the gym today and hopefully see all of your bright shiny (sweaty) faces :).

Incremental Improvements

2011-01-28T07:28:00.003-06:00

Last week I posted about things we suck at and it made me think: it's time to reverse that. These months are depressing enough, so I feel like we need a little love in the house.

I don't know about you, but if you've been crossfitting and/or hitting the weights regularly enough you've experienced a plateau. It sucks. It's like a stalled car in the middle of the desert, it's fruitless.

However, one thing that has kept me afloat is the small incremental improvements I've been making. Yeah a 5lb pr on a press doesn't seem like much, but its an improvement. Same goes for the 10 second drop on my 2k row and the fact that I can finally string 30+ double unders together like it's nobody's business. Those are improvements, even if they are small.

Forget about the suck-list, what have you improved on in the last month or so? Dig deep, you may not even realize the gains you've made!

Stttttretch

2011-01-27T11:33:00.000-06:00

Is it just me or has anyone else watched a dog stretch and thought, “that looks like it feels so good!” Ha! I am pretty sure that my Yorkie-Poo, Maddux gets more calisthenics work and stretching done in one day than I do in one week. Watching Maddux perform his downward and upward facing dog positions, I have decided to incorporate more movements that will help increase flexibility, improve stability and hopefully contribute to further developing my overall performance.

How do I plan on incorporating this?! Pilates movements.

I have been practicing Pilates on and off for several years and have recently discovered the benefits of combining fundamental movements with my CrossFit training. I don’t want to completely bore you so I will refrain from extreme detail, but if you are interested in learning more please ask me to show you a few movements before or after class sometime.

Leg Circles: Strengthen and Stretch the muscles of the upper thigh and hip joint

Single Leg Stretch: Strengthen the core and thighs while increasing back and leg flexibility

Rolling like a Ball: Improve stability while focusing on core strength

Spine Stretch: Increase flexibility in forward bending movements

Neck Pulls: Challenge shoulder stabilization

These are but a handful of the movements I have been doing on my own and have found that they are definitely contributing to increased flexibility and stability.

Very interested to know what everyone else is doing for flexibility and stability…

Am I Keeping My Muscles On Their Toes?

2011-01-26T12:07:00.006-06:00

I apologize for the late ass post, but I'm in Cali and it is still early here. I'm so ready to get back to Chicago...if I hear one more thing about the Clean Water Act I may go off up in here! Lol. Any how, I started guzzling the Optimum Nutrition protein shakes suggested by our dear John A. a couple of months ago. I have finished my first container and I just ordered another. I am far from knowledgeable about protein other than knowing it rebuilds the broken down muscle tissue.

Basically my question for you guys is do I need to switch it up now that I have been on the ON brand for a couple of months? Does your body get used to it and therefore it loses some effect similar to doing the same exercise for too long? Any suggestions for another low cal protein powder that has worked well for you....oh and tasted magically delicious too? Also, any suggestions for a quality multi-vitamin or any supplements since I currently take none? Sorry for the lack of a cool pic but I'm posting this shit really incognito from my phone while dude speaks. Lol. Happy Hump Day! Can't wait to see you guys Friday! Stink and drink anyone?

Fitness Trailblazer Jack LaLanne

2011-01-25T12:17:00.004-06:00

"The only way you can hurt the body is not use it. Inactivity is the killer and, remember, it's never too late." - Lalanne

I knew about Jack LaLanne but never realized how much of a fitness trailblazer he really was. Since his death, I have learned much more about him. He not only transformed his own life as a teen, but he accomplished a lot in his life time and inspired so many people.

A few of his accomplishments:
• In 1957, age 43, he performed more than 1,000 push-ups in 23 minutes on the "You Asked For It" television show.
• At 60, he swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf in San Fran — handcuffed, shackled and towing a boat.
• Ten years later, he performed a similar feat in Long Beach harbor.
• His workout show was a television staple from the 1950s to the '70s.
• He also founded a chain of fitness studios that bore his name and in recent years touted the value of raw fruit and vegetables as he helped market a machine called Jack LaLanne's Power Juicer.

One of his accomplishments that we can especially appreciate as CrossFitters: LaLanne opened a health studio in 1936 that included weight-training for women and athletes. At the time, it was believed that weight training made an athlete slow and "muscle bound" and made a woman look masculine.

"You have to understand that it was absolutely forbidden in those days for athletes to use weights," he once said. "It just wasn't done. We had athletes who used to sneak into the studio to work out. It was the same with women. Back then, women weren't supposed to use weights. I guess I was a pioneer," LaLanne said.

He didn't just preach it but lived by it as well. His own routine included two hours of weightlifting and one hour of swimming every day. "It's a lifestyle, it's something you do the rest of your life," LaLanne said. "How long are you going to keep breathing? How long do you keep eating? You just do it."

Thanks Jack for inspiring so many people!

Out of commission

2011-01-24T07:52:00.002-06:00

So I haven't been around at the box last week and I most likely won't be around this week either. Last Tuesday night I was driving down I-90/94, went over a patch of black ice, lost control of my car and ended up crashing head on into a huge pole. My car is totaled and in pieces but thankfully I'm okay. I'm actually quite surprised because with the severity of the wreck, I only walked away with cuts and bad bruises. (My mom thinks its because of CrossFit that I was strong enough to survive such a huge impact with little injuries) Although I'm so blessed to walk away with these minor injuries, the impact of the airbag bruised my chest so much that I can't even do a push up, row on the rowing machine, or run for more than 20 minutes without feeling intense pain from my chest. I rested for the rest of the week last week, but I'm going to continue resting this week in hopes of a full recovery. My mother also said that it can take up to 6 weeks to recover from a chest injury like that. But I'm hoping to be back in the box next week.
I've never had such an injury that has kept me from working out for so long. It's driving me crazy. I think I'm going through CrossFit withdrawal! But at the same time, I'm glad to be alive and healthy so I guess I can't complain. Have any of you been out of the gym for a long time? What did you do to cope with your CrossFit/exercise cravings??
I hope to see you guys sometime next week!

BEAR DOWN!

2011-01-23T08:52:00.003-06:00

enjoy your sunday funday all. let it be a massive faileo if need be. GO bears! boo pack!...and drywall, id rather play the jets in the super bowl, but your delinquet QB seems to step up in big games.

seacrest out.

Whatfit?

2011-01-22T08:40:00.007-06:00

This last couple of weeks the programming has really been pushing me. Most parts of my body have been in screaming pain at least once and when I've approached some WODs I actually thought "Can I really make it through this?" This has brought me to thinking about my first week at Crossfit WL and how I started this crazy journey.

Most of you know about the Drinking Club with a Running Problem (The Hash House Harriers) that I am a part of. I was in STL for a big event called the green dress run (everyone...I mean EVERYONE wears a green dress and we run all over the city only stopping for beer or shots) and I met this guy named Michael. Dude was ripped. I mean just solidly fit. Someone told me that he had lost a ton of weight by eating paleo and starting this thing called crossfit. I tucked that nugget away.

Michael and my friend Jaimie had started dating and all of the sudden Jaimie was addicted to crossfit. She would rave about how it made her feel, how it has changed her body, the improvements she saw, and the self confidence that seemed to be a result. When the swoop came out I thought "well...I guess this is some kind of sign...so sign me up." I just HAD to give it a shot. Above are pictures with both Jaimie and Michael (who have both WOD'd with me at CFWL).

I remember showing up for my intro with Jonny Vu and two other girls...I was the only one who ever came back. I did the WOD and acutally loved every minute. THIS was the intensity that I was looking for and the feeling I got afterwards that I actually did it...well...it was amazing. Yes, I was sore the next day but I didn't want Jonny or the other two girls or Crossfit to think they got the best of me. I showed up at 6PM and next day and have drank the kool aid ever since.

How did you get into crossfit? If it was through You Swoop what made you buy it and what made you come back day two?

Suck List?

2011-01-21T07:24:00.004-06:00

Haven't seen or heard anyone talk about suck lists lately... whats on yours?

Mine:

Anything wide grip overhead (snatch, overhead squat)
Breathing technique

Much shorter than the last one I had, which is a good thing I guess. I've been working on improving both, through mobility stuff and swimming. I'll admit though, I haven't been in the pool in a while and it shows.

Here's another video, since we seem to be on a roll lately. That's 165#s by the way. 8 year olds, dude.

You eat like a woman

2011-01-20T11:07:00.000-06:00

Apparently, I eat like a woman according to this silly 11 question quiz. This quiz is ridiculous. It has 11 questions with obviously biased answer choices. I was also surprised that my results did not read, “You Eat Like a CAVE Woman”. Ha!

The most hysterical part of this quiz and my result is that I disagree entirely! In fact, over the Holidays as we attended many celebratory dinners with other couples and friends, when the servers arrived with our orders and said, “Who had the Skirt Steak with broccoli and a side of well done bacon?” it was me, my husband and usually 3 to 4 other males that raised our hands. As opposed to the swirl of beautifully manicured feminine hands that went up in response to, “Who had the Cobb Salad, no blue cheese, no bacon, dressing on the side with a lemon wedge?”

“I am woman, hear me roar...And, can you pass the smoked turkey leg!?”

Diary of a Skinny Girl...then Fat Girl...then Skinny again Girl...then....

2011-01-19T09:15:00.007-06:00

So reading Drywall's post the other day about Paleo essentially being a fad got me to thinking about my past and the crazy things I have done in the name of getting healthy (or let's just be real...getting skinny. lol). As I thought about the things I have tried, I came to the realization that I was concerned about my body image even during my young tenderoni years when I was skinny as all hell.

Back then I was a little estupido and knew nothing really about nutrition and how different food effect your body. Case in point, in 6th grade I decided that I needed to drop a couple of pounds to look good in my cheer leading uniform, so I decided to go vegetarian because clearly meat was the enemy. So for a month I ate nothing but Ramen noodles, Lucky Charms, and salad smothered in ranch dressing. Needless to say, I put on a couple of extra pounds and did not last long on that 'diet' lol.

After that I didn't worry about my weight until after I stopped playing sports in high school. I was pretty lean during the years that I was active, but as soon as I hit college I gained the freshmen FORTY...not even joking. I came home for Xmas break and mommy was horrified at my double chin. I was pushing 200lbs:( I knew something drastic had to happen, so I became active and gave up my addiction to orange soda. When I say addiction I am not even joking....I would dream about me pouring a two liter of orange soda all over my body and me rolling around in it. It had to go! Once I kicked it and got active I dropped almost 30 lbs quick.

Fast forward to lawschool...I get super skinny because of the stress of the first year and scare the hell out of everyone with my large head and skinny body. lol. I LOVED IT! But somehow those pounds started creeping back on. I was not having that mess again so I literally started fasting....or maybe starving myself. I would disguise it by saying I was doing a "Daniel's Fast"...yeah yeah...religion didn't have anything to do with it. You can guess that this did not work because I would just eat a pizza once the fast was over.

I am ashamed to admit what finally got me under control in law school...I seriously have never told anyone this....not friends or family, but drum roll pleaaassseeee.....Weightwatchers. lol. Yes, I attended the chubby chick meetings where I got gold stars and claps for every pound that I dropped:) And guess what...that shit worked! I got to my goal weight and promptly stopped going. Bogus I know. However, I learned a lot about nutrition and exercise and how they impact your body. Weightwatchers is simple and focuses around what Drywall wrote the other day...calories. Weightwatchers basically uses a Point System to monitor your caloric intake and physical activity. You eat lower calorie foods with high fiber so that you stay full for longer periods of time. You can eat more if you earn more points through physical activity. It is really very common sense and I refused to continue to pay $40/mo for common sense principles. The only thing that I couldn't get without WW was the motivation of the weekly weigh-in and the moral support. I still cancelled though...cheapness won out.

Since that point in my life my weight has been pretty stable. No more fad diets for me...just sensible eating and exercise. Through Crossfit I have made many friends who are also health conscious and motivate me when they do not even realize it. You guys have become my WW support group. lol. I am motivated by you guys to stay active and eat better. I incorporate WW principles and Paleo principles into my eating, and while I may not be perfect with it, I know I am much better than I was back during the Freshmen Forty period of my life:)

Am I the only one that has been on a health/weight roller coaster for some portion of my life? What crazy things have you tried in the past that you now know were ridiculous? Has anyone tried the 'raw diet' or Beyonce cayenne lemonade diet?

Funny Weightlifting Clips

2011-01-18T08:55:00.002-06:00

Notice a few people that try the hang squat snatch. Ha ha ha!

Funny Weightlifting Clips - Funny home videos are a click away

The "Pump"

2011-01-17T09:12:00.002-06:00

Happy Monday!

genius or cynic?

2011-01-16T06:47:00.002-06:00

it is with distinct pleasure that i present to you "Proper Diet" from the "Life and Times of Drywall": (spoiler alert-his points are legit)

Here's my honest, non-sarcastic opinion on proper diet. It is all about calories and your personal metabolism. There's nothing else to it.

The Mark Haub article I posted on my blog is real. The guy lost weight on a junk food diet by strictly monitoring his calories. Plus, his cholesterol levels improved. It ain't a joke.

The truth is, there are a lot of healthy diets, not just paleo. Paleo is the fad du jour that became popular by playing on people's ignorance and providing a theoretical explanation. (I'm not calling anyone here ignorant, but it is pretty clear with the level of obesity in our country that 90%+ people have no idea what they eat on a daily basis and will buy into any plausible sounding bullshit.)

Here's why it works for people:

-It bans any sort of calorically dense food, e.g. grains, cheese, etc. You know how hard it is to eat 4000+ calories in a day eating chicken and vegetables? Impossible. No matter what, you're going to eat a low calorie diet and lose weight. There's nothing shocking about this.

-Many people have mild lactose and gluten issues that go undiagnosed. These disappear when your switch to a diet that eliminates dairy and wheat.

-It attaches a stigma ("cheat meals") to when people break it. People love feeling guilty about stupid shit.

Sure, there's probably truth to someone's lactose intolerance (or other digestive issues) stemming from an evolutionary cause. But some people digest dairy and wheat just fine. I'm one of them. Don't let some book or cultish following trick you into thinking you have problems when you don't.

I've never eaten paleo, but I've been eating a healthy, lean, protein rich diet consistently for 7-8 years now. I have a high metabolism and if I don't take in enough calories, I get weak and irritable (ok, maybe I'm irritable all the time). And because I have no digestion issues, if I need to take in another 200 calories on any given day, I'd just rather have 2 slices of bread than 4 apples. But that's just my personal preference.

My advice:

-Try cutting things out of your diet to pinpoint what it is that causes you problems. If you feel crappy after eating cheese but great after eating bread, then stop stressing about how you "cheated" because you ate bread.

-If you want to lose weight, take some time to figure out how many calories are in the foods you have. Then you can make your own smart decisions on a daily basis, such as eating the burger but passing on the fries, or getting the burrito with peppers/onions instead of beans and no sour cream and cheese.

It hurts so good?

2011-01-15T14:26:00.002-06:00

I don't know about any of you but these last two weeks I have been sore like I was the first week. Every inch of my has just felt tired and sore. Tomorrow I am finally biting the bullett...I'm going in to get a sports massage. I have no idea what this will entail but I figured...hey...I don't play any sports...but crossfit I think counts...so why not. I've never had this "flavor" before so I'll be interested to see if this is beneficial or if next time I might do a deep tissue situation.

Are you feeling the same way this week?

What do you do to help combat the pain and exhaustion your body may feel?

Aww yeah

2011-01-14T08:16:00.004-06:00

I'm just going to post this pic, you rate it. Thats me in the back there - old school globo gym style, prepping for my gladiator debut. I even had hair!

Wiki - What?

2011-01-13T12:29:00.001-06:00

I have to be honest. I had "Bloggers Block" today. How do you compete with posts about Calluses, Fungus and Paleo Pancakes?! You simply cannot.

With all the hype in the news about Wikipedia, I was curious what its definition of CrossFit would be. So, here are a few phrases, taken out of context, for your reading pleasure:

"CrossFit is a strength and conditioning brand"

"CrossFit athletes run, row, jump rope, climb rope and carry odd objects"

"They frequently move large loads quickly over long distances, and use powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting techniques"

"CrossFit has been variously portrayed as a fitness company, a grassroots health movement, a nascent sport, a fad, a publishing business and sometimes, disparagingly, a cult"

I was amused by some of these.

The Paleo-ISH lifestyle....

2011-01-12T09:43:00.005-06:00

It seems like I am not alone when it comes to struggling to live the Paleo-ish lifestyle. I remember when this blog started up I was super motivated to stick to Paleo and only had 2 cheat days in over a month of eating well. I felt awful on those two cheat days and could not wait for a fresh day to jump back on my Paleo wagon. Now fast forward a few weeks and EVERYDAY is a m-effing cheat day for me.

While I am a bit disappointed that I do not have that same fervor to eat Paleo, I can honestly say that I do make many healthy choices throughout the day. While I may have some bread now, I may have one slice instead of four. lol. I am definitely all about whole wheat and not white processed bread. I have even noticed that while cheese is cool, I do not need it on everything like I did before I did the Paleo challenge. American cheese is even kind of gross to me now because it just seems really processed...like it is fake cheese. lol.

So while I am far from perfectly living a Paleo lifestyle, I think it is still a step in the right direction that my overall eating habits have improved. I find myself making healthier choices everyday (minus the mammoth cupcake that I inhaled yesterday). While I did put back on 4 pounds once I left strict Paleo my weight has not went up at all since that point. I'm cool with that though. I just know that if I ever do want to loose more weight I will have to tweak my eating habits in some way.

So now I need some updates. How is everyone doing? Who is still all in with Paleo? What motivates you to stick with it? Also, if anyone wants to do a Paleo Challenge again soon I would participate. I am competitive, so there is nothing like a little challenge with a finish line to strive towards to motivate me:)

Happy Hump Day Everyone!!! Get your hump on!

Almond Banana Pancakes

2011-01-11T10:09:00.006-06:00

One word: YUMMMMM! I rarely cook or go outside my comfort zone when it come to paleo recipes, but when one of my friends told me about this, I couldn't help but try it out. These pancakes are so easy to make and actually taste good. Well, that is if you like almond butter and bananas.

I added dark chocolate chips to mine because its like having dessert for breakfast. :)

Here is the recipe:

2 ripe bananas (I used only one the second time I made this)
1 egg
1 heaping tablespoon of almond butter

Instructions:

Mash the bananas, add the egg and mix well.
Stir in the almond butter, adding more than a tablespoon if you want a more pancake-like texture.
Warm butter in a pan and pour batter into small cakes.
Brown on each side and serve warm.

FUNGUS!!!

2011-01-10T07:45:00.002-06:00

Yeah I know, this is kind of disgusting but I want to write about it anyway. So this past summer, after my wonderful trip from Hawaii, I started noticing small white patches on my skin, more specifically my back and thought maybe I was just peeling from a lovely sunburn. But months passed and the spots persisted. They never hurt or itched or anything. They just looked unpleasant. A few months ago I went to my dermatologist and asked about these white spots and he proceeded to tell me I had a fungal infection – GROSS!

This fungal infection is called tinea versicolor or pitryiasis versicolor. (Refer to picture, but it's obviously not me and my fungus isn't that bad) It is when naturally occurring yeast found normally on the skin becomes infected. After freaking out for a little bit, my doctor assured me that its actually a common fungal infection of the skin that is usually seen after returning from a place with hot and humid weather (check) and very common in people that sweat and work out a lot (double check). This hypopigmentation of the skin is usually most noticeable during the summer time when the skin is tan and are usually located in the upper back, chest and arms. There are no real major concerns or problems with it besides it looking cosmetically unappealing. The spots can be treated with antifungal creams. Go take a look in the mirror....have you noticed any spots lately??

So what’s the bottom line???? Well besides grossing you out and telling you about my awesome skin, the best way to prevent the fungal infection: WASH YOUR BODY ASAP AFTER YOU FINISH WORKING OUT and/or SWEATING!

Hope you have a good week ya’ll!

Travel-capable paleo snacks.

2011-01-09T16:20:00.002-06:00

i need suggestions for paleo foods/snacks that can be transported on an airplane for 17hrs, make it through customs, and not be stolen by the lovely filipino workers in manila as they "check" my bags.

also, do you think it better to carry them on the plane or pack em in a suitcase?

thus far, i bought the steve's original paleo kit pictured ...anyone ever try this stuff?...kinda pricey but the convenience is well worth it...hopefully.

Bill Nye the Science Guy

2011-01-08T07:48:00.002-06:00

This week has been full of experimentation in the kitchen. I have tried out and altered a few recipes (above are two...and my breakfast this morning). Before the last couple of years I was terrified to try new things and now it's like a world of change. Throwing things in recipes and modifying Non-paleo to Paleo. I've actually found that I enjoy this! Now obviously not everything has worked out. ..and I'm SUPER picky about texture (uh hum...cheesecake pudding...or even most of the paleo "breads"), but all in all I have found some REALLY great treats (the "granola" has been my fav so far! I will be posting some recipes this morning in the "recipe" section today. Enjoy...nom nom nom.

Is there anything that you have found in the kitchen that has been surprising? Wonderful? Awful? Is it worth it to you to find foods that might scratch the itch or would you rather cheat? For me bread...is worth the every once in awhile cheat...paleo "bread" is just too soggy.

Concoctions!

2011-01-07T07:38:00.003-06:00

Do you have any food mixtures that are quick, easy, and actually taste awesome?

I need more, give them to me!

I don't know about you, but I'm getting a lot more work lately and prepping food is starting to get harder.

Yesterday I took about 2lbs of chicken breast, popped it in the slow cooker, then took two jars of natural salsa verde and poured it in. Let it sit for a few hours on high, pulled the chicken, put it back in and then promptly destroyed it all an hour or so later.

Later I took a second attempt at "protein pudding" and finally succeeded. Basically just mixed together a bunch of protein powder, a packet of sugar-free Cheesecake jell-o, and cold almond milk. Stuck it in a blender and let it chill out in the fridge for a few hours. Recovery pudding is the best pudding.

Sorry, but the caveman in me is going to have to take a backseat - I am in love with cheesecake.

Pre & Post Workout Snacks

2011-01-06T10:40:00.000-06:00

I have heard so many different theories about PRE- and POST- Workout snacking. Some claim that working out on an empty stomach burns more fat – you burn through your glycogen stores in about an hour and then your body turns to fat stores for energy. Problem? Your body will eventually start to burn muscle tissue as well.

Lately, I have been reading a lot about catabolic and anabolic processes, glycogen formation and protein synthesis. Wow – my brain hurts from writing that! Here is how I understand the science:

PRE-Workout: nutritional strategy is based on providing alternative energy substrates to preserve energy stores, Carbs & Proteins

Carbs (simple sugars) consumption before training can reduce the amount of glycogen used and prolong performance

Protein enhances the delivery of amino acids to the muscle tissue, taking advantage of increased blood flow to working muscles

POST-Workout: recovery is based on a quick change to an anabolic stage from a catabolic environment. Introducing carbs, protein and fats into your body allows damaged tissue to begin the repair process and restock fuel reserves.

Carbs are important for glycogen recovery

Protein is essential to post workout anabolism, providing amino acids which help rebuild damaged tissue and, enzymes and carrier proteins essential for adaptation to exercise

Fats and essential fatty acids in adequate quantities have the ability to alter physiology

Fluids are extremely important for muscle growth (dehydration inhibits muscle growth)

I realize this is OBVIOUS information for most of you, but I have only recently become interested in learning the science behind it all … and to be honest, only recently have I applied the patience necessary to read and actually understand it.

Having said this, what are your PRE- and POST- Workout snacks, meals, supplements??

Real Men Love Calluses....or Maybe Not? lol

2011-01-05T09:10:00.004-06:00

So a few weeks ago I decided to take the protective gloves off, exposing my gloriously smooth hands to the bar. I cannot honestly say whether it has helped with pull ups, and at times I feel that I had a much better grip with the gloves on. There is also one other thing that I had....gloriously smooth hands:) Well, those days are long gone. I am walking around here with straight up man PAWS. I mean these paws are un-manicured and uncouth! I stopped my manis (I was a fanatic!) shortly after beginning CF once I realized my nails would be jacked up anyway after an evening at the box.

I have always informed the calloused ladies of WLCF that "the men love calloused hands"...I would say this while the gloves were still on:) Well here is a secret ladies...I may or may not have known what the hell I was talking about. Pre-glove removal my sometimes-boo told me that having some light callusing on the hands simply means a lady is a hard-worker and not afraid to get a little dirty....it can be sexy. I think he should have put emphasis on "light" callusing. lol. When I saw him over the holiday and gently stroked my mediumly-callused hand down the back of his neck you all should have seen the WTF-face he gave me. He looked at my hands and besides calluses there was skin peeling off. lol. He retracted his pro-callus comments quick!

Lately I have been having lots of callus laden incidents in the workplace as well. As you all probably know I am an attorney. I shake clients hands all day long. Earlier today, one male client actually gave the WTF look to my hand while I was shaking his. I responded by gripping his hand a little harder and a little longer...and thought in my head "yeah biatch, I can beat your ass you soft-handed cooch". lol. I know, I know...I am being inappropriate, but honest:)

Men, what are your opinion on callusy (so not a word, lol) women? Does it get your juices flowing or is it a major turn-off? Ladies, what experiences have you had with your calloused paws? I think I shall go and purchase that ped-egg today and get to sawing down this meat on the hands...I guess I can act like I care about my hands a little bit:)

**For your viewing pleasure I have included a couple of pictures of calluses just hanging out...doing their thing:) The second picture strangely makes me want a ham sammich! BON-APPETIT! lol.**

Happy Hump Day West Loop Family!

Ready to be back...

2011-01-04T11:30:00.002-06:00

I am so ready to be back in my routine of eating healthy and working out! Since I have been on vacation, I have pretty much eaten whatever I wanted and have only run a few times. (I can relate to your post Yatta! I have been a piggy too. :) ) At least my back is healed enough that I can run now. Yay! But I am actually craving the intense CrossFit workouts. So maybe the small break in my regular routine was just what I needed to get motivated again.

Can't wait to see you all on Wendesday!

Do the Shuffle!

2011-01-03T11:22:00.002-06:00

Sorry for the late post guys! I just got back to Chi and sooo happy to be home! As I was making my trip back to Chicago, I got to spend some quality time with my ipod and started wondering....what music do you play on your ipod/mp3 player/walkman?/cd player to pump you up for a workout? Start posting your favorites and I just might make and play a CrossFit playlist for your listening pleasure while you kick ass in your WODs ; )

Here are a few of my favs:

ANY Eminem song - especially Lose Yourself

Limp Bizkit- Take A Look Around

Three Days Grace - Pain

Jay-Z - On to the Next One

Any Beyonce song

will it be like a globogym?

2011-01-02T06:56:00.002-06:00

usually at this time of year, the globogym, i.e. xsport, becomes so insanely crowded i want to slit my wrists and bleed out in a bathtub. yet, after about 3-4wks it returns to normal because most people are too "busy" (as stated before, just another word for lazy...trust me i use it all the time). now, i know our cult is a bit different, but since i have only been drinking the kool-aid since early june, it will be interesting to see how busy tomorrow's 5 and 6p classes are as well as how many new faces start poppin' up.

p.s. kurt and i have one thing in common...favorite faileo hangover meal, PEQUOD's pizza. saw him there yesterday afternoon still struggling. what are some other favorite hangover meal spots...these lists are just as important, trust me.

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T11:13:00.002-06:00

Well, it's the new year and the holidays are FINALLY over. For me this means it's time to get back on the wagon and really start being strict with my diet again. How do you plan to incorporate Paleo into your next year? Will you continue this lifestyle or change your ratio? Or wait and see if the WL will have a Paleo challenge and wait until then to start again?

Get it over with...

2010-12-31T08:57:00.002-06:00

I don't know about any of you, but I just want this year to end. Highs, lows and all of the in between... I am not looking back on any of it! Time to push forward and make good things happen.

I'm not one for resolutions, since most all of them fail, but this year is different. 2011 is looking pretty good right now and I wish the same for the rest of you! Maybe we'll catch you out tonight @ Cleos!

Happy Birthday Kelsey!

2010-12-30T10:03:00.000-06:00

It's December 30th and it's our friend Kelsey's Birthday!

For all: If you could create your own Birthday WOD - what would it be?!

Getting Back in the Groove:)

2010-12-29T11:55:00.002-06:00

So tonight will be my first WOD after being out of the box for about a week and a half. I am totally getting those nervous butterflies in my belly that I have not had since first starting Crossfit back in July. I remember being nervous as hell before every WOD back then...not knowing what to expect and asking myself why I kept coming back to torture myself every week. I would limp home and yet bring my dumb ass back the next day....what kind of sense did that make? lol. Yet here I am 5 months later...still here...not limping home quite as much though:)

So the dastardly butterflies are still there....fighting each other in my tummy....., but not because I am scared of the potential crazy shit the coaches will have me doing...the butterflies are here now because I just do not know how I will perform after being out almost two weeks and carrying on like a baby piglet while I was at home.

I am so ready to get back on the ball with living a healthy lifestyle. I feel and look better when I eat better, sleep, and consistently workout. I am usually not a big New Year's resolution type of person because I think you should be able to set goals any time of the year, but I think this upcoming New Year does present a great opportunity to set goals regarding Crossfit and see how I carry them throughout the year. I don't know about you, but I know that I am going to be a lifetime Crossfitter:) Yes, I will be Crossfiting in my walker when I am 95...I am sure by then I will be stringing kipping pullups:) Seriously though, I truly want to keep Crossfit a part of my life and improve this year at the box. I am going to stop underestimating myself and push myself past the limits I often put on myself (without further injuring myself of course). What are your goals for the upcoming year as a Crossfitter? Where have you seen the most improvement since you began?

I miss you all and can't wait to see whoever is around this evening...I will be the fatty crying on the row machine:)

P.S. If you haven't figured it out yet by my blog post pics...I LOVE CATS! lol.

Calories don't count on vacation...

2010-12-28T13:34:00.002-06:00

Or do they? Ok ok, I know they count. Ha! Since I have been in San Fransico, I have stopped worrying about what I am eating. I am truely just enjoying my time here. But I have noticed that even though I am not constantly worrying about what I am eating, I still tend to make a lot of heathly choices. Yay for having a good habit! But when I want to induldge, I am going to do it and not feel guilty. I will just balance it out with better food choices and a good workout.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!

What did everyone get for Christmas??

2010-12-27T10:31:00.002-06:00

I can't believe the holiday is over! It ended up being a white Christmas for us in the south. It snowed 6-8 inches here in Charlotte! Now it's time to gear up for the New Year!

Anyone get any cool presents? Were any of the presents off of Drywall's blog Christmas wish list?? Let us know! Miss you guys!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-25T08:04:00.003-06:00

This was the state of my kitchen yesterday...and this morning honestly. Finishing the non-Paleo peanut butter chocolate chunk cookies this morning. Luckily I ate enough of the dough yesterday that even looking at the cookies today makes me nauseous.

I'm including the recipe for the paleo cookies I made (everydaypaleo.com) They are not bad...and very good with some coffee! Merry Christmas everyone. I feel so blessed to have met each one of you!

NUTTY COOKIES

2 bananas smashed

1/3 cup coconut flour

3/4 cup almond butter

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup raw walnuts

1 apple finely chopped

1/3 cup coconut milk

1 tbsp cinnamon (or more if your 2 year old is measuring…)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork to smash the bananas to baby food consistency. Add the coconut flour, almond butter, and baking soda and mix well. Using a hand held chopper or food processor, chop the walnuts and apples to a very fine dice. Add the walnuts, apples, coconut milk, and cinnamon to the bowl and mix in remaining ingredients. Cover two cookie sheets with parchment paper and spoon heaping tablespoons of the cookie mix onto the parchment paper, placing an inch or two apart. Back for 25 minutes. Makes approximately 20-22 cookies.

Good Ol' Holidays

2010-12-24T07:16:00.004-06:00

Just curious as to what everyones plans are for the rest of the year? I'll be around all next week and in the box... wish I had some time off, but that just isn't happening.

If you're around for NYE, got plans? I don't intend on getting too crazy, but I'm definitely going out!

The bar we went to see the Monday night Bears game at has a pretty decent package: 50$s gets you open bar, food, extras from 9-2. The place is pretty big and it could be fun.

Any other ideas? If anyone else doesn't have plans and wants to get together, I'm down for almost anything as long as its fun :D

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!

Crossfit Northpole

I Feel Like...

2010-12-23T09:45:00.001-06:00

...trying something new to kill some time. Complete the sentences:

My favorite place to be is...
I am annoyed by...
I can always be counted on to...
People would say that I am...
They think this because...
I am afraid of...
I believe...
Right now I am thinking about...
When I wake up in the morning...
By this time next year...

Not so Witty Wednesday

2010-12-22T10:24:00.003-06:00

Hey CF family. I usually have something witty or funny to say on my blog post day (or at least I think I do. lol.). However, as many of you know my grandmother passed away early on Monday morning. I made it home just in time to tell her goodbye and she passed a half hour after I left her. I am really struggling to deal with this right now. My grandmother was pretty close to a mother to me. She pretty much raised me because my mom was a young mom. I am just trying to hold it all together for my mom's sake and I honestly failed miserably the first couple of days. I made a mistake by going back once my granny passed to wait on the funeral home to pick her up. Now I just can't get the image of her in a bag out of my head. I wish I had stayed that extra 30 minutes and maybe she would not have passed or atleast she would not have been alone when she did.

I am not trying to make you guys uncomfortable with this, but for some odd reason I feel like I can talk to you guys about it and be honest about how I am feeling. I can't talk to my family about how I feel just yet, because everyone is upset and I do not want to make it worse. Shit, maybe I need to invest in a diary.

As far as Paleo goes, let my butt just be real and say I am not thinking about it until the New Year. I have realized while I am home dealing with this that I am an emotional eater. I never really pegged myself as one, but I have been consistently eating like a baby cow since I got here. I demolished an entire package of iced oatmeal cookies last night with milk and I did not bat an eye. We wont even discuss all of the other stuff I have been eating just because it makes me feel better. The one good thing I have done is continue to be physical in some way. Yesterday I went to the park and ran for a good while. Then I used the park benches to do box jumps. I was getting all kinds of weird looks from the other park-goers. My run was interesting because the ducks had generously set up an obstacle course of poop which I had to deftly run/jump through:) Other than running and jumping I did lots of air squats and lots of lunges. Even with the physical activity, based upon my crappy diet I am sure I will return to the box next Wednesday incapable of doing anything that I could before. lol.

Thanks for being a sounding board for me everyone. I appreciate each and everyone of you. It will be nice to get back. Have a Happy Wednesday.

Nice to meet you Fran

2010-12-21T11:34:00.003-06:00

After meeting Fran for the first time on Sunday, I decided to look up videos of other people taking her on. I found a video of Camille Leblanc-Bazinet, who finished top 10 in the 2010 Crossfit Games. She did Fran in 2:29. Very impressive! Check it out on YouTube. I included her tips below. I especially like the part about not breathing. I am pretty sure I was bent over sucking in air several times through Fran. Ha!

Camille's 3 Tips to a Faster Fran

by CrossFit on Thursday, November 18, 2010 at 1:36pm

Don't wait to have your breath back because it won't happen or maybe it will happen but 20 minutes later. It's a waste of time and if you can't breathe anymore, well we all know a human can stop breathing for 2 minutes without dying . . . so we are okay.
Do butterfly. They are a lot faster than kipping pull-up and when they are done right you can almost take your breath back on those.
Never tell yourself that it's hard. Your body is able to give you way more than what your head think. Human is a complicated machine and we don't know our potential . . . so go on until your body breaks down. And if that time you don't have a nice Fran time, remember that you improve and the next time you are going to be better. And you can't be better than yourself so don't compare with someone else, just try to beat you everytime and you are going to win everytime.

-- By Camille Leblanc-Bazinet

Teamwork makes the Dreamwork

2010-12-20T10:56:00.002-06:00

When I first started CrossFit, the main reason why I joined is to get stronger and leaner. But now my views on CrossFit are completely different. Yes of course I still go to reach my potentials in strength and fitness but now one of the main reasons why I still go AND look forward to WODing everyday is because of the community--especially the CrossFit West Loop family. Its so nice to go to a place where everyone has the same goals and mindset. And everyone that is part of the gym is so encouraging and helpful no matter what skill level you are at. I never feel intimidated or afraid to go for heavier weights or try new skills when I have so many crossfitters behind my back and supporting me. You guys are the real reason why I keep coming back.

And this past weekend just proves my point even more. It amazes me how much everyone is willing to help out as a TEAM and make something incredible happen. Like I've said time and time again, you make me proud and I am most definitely proud to be part of this West Loop family! : )

MNF?

2010-12-19T13:04:00.002-06:00

bear v. vikings tomorrow nite. 730p.

i spoke to mike h., tyler, and john A last week about going out for the game to grab some drinks and possibly faileo? anyone interested?

we would probably head out after the workout tomorrow nite.

i know, i know...there was a stink and drink friday nite that i missed, but im not trying to steal its thunder; just love my bears and hate those vikings.

The Twitter

2010-12-18T08:47:00.002-06:00

So we all know that yes, I do "The twitter" on the interwebs. And yes...I am dorky enough to have two (yes, more than one) accounts. One is Private that I only share with friends and it's a little more personal. The other though it specifically based for Paleo/crossfit/running.

This has actually been super beneficial in learning more and meeting people who are in...dun dun dun "the cult". One twitter friend actually came to our box (normally a Bloomington/Normal IL crossfitter) which I think is SUPER cool. I have found some pretty neat-o resources also and wanted to share them with you. Two of my favorite follows have Blogs (one is a pretty big DUH) and I thought you might like to take a gander....

http://www.balancedbites.com/

and

http://robbwolf.com/ (look for the latest blog post mid screen)

also, KLoo turned me on to everydaypaleo.com

Happy reading friends!

Nerd Alert

2010-12-17T07:32:00.004-06:00

I'm assuming most of you are computer jockeys like me and are near one all day...? Maybe not Tom though, he's busy being all sciency and stuff. Just curious, be it Paleo, Crossfit, or whatever, what are some of the sites you visit daily on the net?

I seem to spend a lot of time reading forums if stuff slows down, which I'm hoping happens soon!

My favorite site? Somethingawful.com

Don't worry, it's totally work safe! It actually has one of the largest internet forums in the world. I believe it's even within the top ten members-wise. They have an entire sub-forum dedicated to health/wellbeing with an added touch of humor and I love it. Can't believe I've been a member since 2003 either. Check it out sometime: Watch and Woot Forum

I guess I'm bored of everything else, so give me something new to check out!

... and yes, I am on Facebook and Gchat all day too. :|

Goals, Rewards & ...Do-Overs

2010-12-16T09:27:00.000-06:00

In order to see and feel progress, I have to set goals. That is just how my world works. I set a goal and align a reward. Most recently, I had decided that if I PR'd on each of my lifts during the Crossfit Total - I would buy myself a new pair of shoes specifically for Crossfit. I did it - it felt great...I am still deciding on which brand/style of shoes to purchase. My first Crossfit goal was one kipping pull-up (back in July, I think) and I went to lululemon and rewarded myself with a new top. I guess this is a type of delayed gratification exercise that I put myself through.

What happens when I fall short? Back in July when I got my first kipping, I set a goal of 5 strung together by my birthday. It didn't happen. Did I fail? Do I get a Do-Over? Why did I fail? It felt pretty crappy. I have realized that it's OK. If I achieved every single goal I set, perhaps it means that my goals are not ambitious enough or, maybe I would lose sight of how great it feels to reach a goal and buy a new pair of lulu pants! Ha!

How do you handle failure? Do you call it failure? How do you reset a goal?

Big goal achieved: I ran (jogged) the Turkey Trot. No walking at all

Reward? Well, I purchased my rewards before the 8k but it was the pants, top and hat that I am wearing here. Definitely kept me warm!

Please Don't Test My Gangsta'

2010-12-15T10:58:00.006-06:00

I don't know about you guys, but it seems like when people find out that I do Crossfit they find the need to challenge me physically in some way. It is really odd. For instance, on Sunday I decided to work out with a close friend and her personal trainer. The trainer was immediately evil to me...her greeting was "Oh, you are the one who does Crossfit....well after the workout tell me if the workout is just as grueling as your Crossfit workout". WTH? Not a "hello, my name is Jackass..." or anything. From that point on she took the workout to an extreme and turned it into a competetition between myself and my friend to see who is "stronger". She basically needed to know if her personal training was better than Crossfit. Again I say...WTH? I just wanted to come support my girl while she worked out with your ass, not become your own personal little lab rat. I cannot even front, the workout WAS brutal. My poor friend looked like she was going to die because this trainer turned up the heat so much just to try and prove a point. Ultimately, I won the "competition" by one exercise. Yippidy doo...how do you like those apples Psychohoe Trainer?

Have you guys been challenged in some way physically by anyone or is it just me? This is not the first time this has happened to me. I have a couple of friends who do it all the time...claiming they can out lift me or run longer....blah blah blah. What are your experiences with people who automatically equate your being a Crossfitter with the need to challenge your physical prowess? Next time they try it calmly tell them "B*itch, please do not test my gangsta..." I bet that will shut their ass up. (Excuse my thug friends....I try not to swear, but oh well....thug lawyer here:)

**Oh, sorry for the later than usual post...My ass was being worked hard as heck this morning:(

Not Just a Gym

2010-12-14T13:48:00.002-06:00

I remember when I used to workout at XSport or Lifetime. Even though I enjoyed the workout, I always dreaded going to the gym. The drive, all the weird people, and the staff were annoying most of the time. You know what I am talking about.. like those people that would pick the treadmill or elliptical that was right next to you even though there was a million free ones. Or the ones that would talk on the cell phone while walking 1pmh when there were people waiting on the machine. Ugh! And forget about people encouraging one another let alone saying hi.

Crossfit has completely changed how I feel about working out. Not only do I love the type of workouts we do, but I really like the people. I look forward to seeing everyone when I workout and catching up. I feel like I have found a whole new group of people that not only share one of my passions, but that I really truely like. I have even noticed that we don't only talk about crossfit and paleo anymore. When we were at the party Saturday, I don't really recall many conversations that involved these topics. Although I am sure James will correct me if I am wrong. :)

Sorry about the late post. I completely forgot it was Tuesday. Oopsy!

Baby it's COLD outside!

2010-12-13T05:58:00.005-06:00

With this nasty cold weather sending chills all the way down to our bones, I thought I would share some amazing Paleo soup recipes that I tried last week that is sure to warm you back up! I got these off of www.everydaypaleo.com and the recipes are not only so very deliciously good but they're easy to make too!! I took a picture of the Chicken soup but ate all of the Seafood soup before I remembered to take a picture! So the picture of the seafood soup (1st picture on top) was taken from everdaypaleo.com. The seafood soup was obviously my favorite : )

Enjoy!

Caribbean Seafood Stew

2 lbs of raw seafood (I used 1 lb of wild caught shrimp and 1 lb of mahi mahi pieces, both from Trader Joe’s)

1 yellow onion, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons cumin

1 bunch cilantro

3 tomatoes, chopped

1 can coconut milk

1 tbsp coconut oil

Sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Dice up the stems of the cilantro bunch and set aside. In a large soup pot saute the onions in the coconut oil. When the onions start to turn brown, add the garlic and the cilantro stems and saute for another 2-3 onions. Add the tomatoes, cumin, salt and pepper, mix well and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Add the seafood and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the seafood is done. Serve with the cilantro leaves on top as a garnish.

Chicken Chili Soup

3 cups chicken breast, cooked and chopped (I used leftover grilled chicken breast)

1 onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno or Fresno pepper, seeds removed and finely diced

2 – 4 oz cans of diced green chilis

4 cups chicken broth

2 tbsps olive oil

2 tsps ground cumin

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Black pepper to taste

Fresh cilantro, diced

Avocado, diced

In a large soup pan, sauté the onion, garlic, and jalapeno together in the olive oil until the onions are tender. Add the canned green chilis, cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Stir together and add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil, turn down to medium low, and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve with fresh cilantro and avocado.

Warning: This soup is SPICY! : )

good party.

2010-12-12T09:19:00.001-06:00

hungover.

Just a quiet Saturday

2010-12-11T15:19:00.002-06:00

Sorry the post is late today. I'm feeling a little quite today so I'll just leave you with a question...

What has been your biggest succes and your biggest frustration since starting Crossfit?

Success: Moving down bands on pull ups ...Black...Green...Blue...soon without!!!

Frustration: DOUBLE UNDERS!!!

Pain makes you beautiful...

2010-12-10T09:31:00.002-06:00

I've really been sucking at sleeping recently, which is pretty odd considering I've been doing it for damn near 29 years now.

I know Camey posted about this a while back, but I wanted to touch on it again and get some feedback from you guys.

Do any of you use support or orthopedic pillows of any type? If so, what kind?

I'm almost positive the dry air and cold weather, combined with my crappy sleeping skills caused me to get sick last weekend. I'd like to avoid that in the future.

I watched this Mobility Wod video and tried it out, which seems to help a little:

Owwww, My Neck

Aside from sleep, anything you guys do to avoid getting sick during these winter months?

It's All About Me!....one day older, none the wiser

2010-12-09T10:44:00.000-06:00

I have to admit, I am often easily influenced. Although, since starting Paleo I have tried to change my attitude so focus on what is best for me. If anyone says "oh, just have one slice, one beer", I have found it is best to have a repertoire of responses:

"No Thanks"
"I saw a hair in it"
"I'm Lactose Intolerant"
"I saw the server in the bathroom, she didn't wash her hands. I'll pass"
"Not Hungry"
"One beer? I can't have just one beer. I think I have a problem, so I better not drink"
"I live Paleo, remember?"

Do you have any key phrases?

"It's All About Me!.....one day older, none the wise", brought to you by a lady who turns 29 today! AHHH!

The Injury Chronicles: Volume 20,000

2010-12-08T09:21:00.005-06:00

So yesterday was the first day in about two weeks that I participated in a WOD involving shoulders without modifying it. I felt amazing going in...no shoulder pain to speak of and ready to beat the WOD like it stole something. I remembered the advice given by our dear Drywall and John and in my mind checked my ego at the door. I kept the weight reasonable for the benchpress and did not try to kill myself throwing myself at the floor during the burpees. However, even taking all of those damn precautions and stretching really good after the WOD, my damn shoulder was immediately throbbing....which sucks major buttock:(

The lesson I took from this is that I really did not check my ego like I thought I did. While I may have lowered my weight load, I still pushed my shoulder pretty hard by trying to go as fast as possible during the WOD. Truth be told I should have modified the workout as I had been doing for the last week and a half. I have been told time and again, even if something feels better it may still be healing. Because of my need to rush back into doing the normal WOD I am walking around looking crazy again today with arm stuck to my side. :(

Derek made a good point to me last night that I have not really considered. He reminded me that we sign waivers because due to the nature of Crossfit it is highly probable that we all will be injured at some point. Let's face it, CF is great for your body, but it can also be hard on it at times. This makes it more important than ever for us to be very careful with our form (not always worrying about speed) and to take our time healing from injuries.

The vast majority of us (not everyone) started around the same time and truthfully, even after months of Crossfitting we are still newbies. According to Derek we will be babies in CF for at least 2 years. That is something I needed to hear as well. I'm not saying I thought I was an expert after a few months, but I do realize that I was at times overly confident in what I thought I knew. Last night was a rude awakening when I discovered (thanks to Eric reaming me) that I was rowing completely wrong. Shit, I have been rowing this way since July. LOL. I thought I had it down to a science. Just goes to show that I still have so much to learn and I am willing to bet that you guys do too:)

Happy Hump Day everyone! I hope to make it tonight and gingerly participate in a variation of the WOD. Have a fantastic day!!!

CrossFit or Seizure?

2010-12-07T10:25:00.002-06:00

Good morning! A funny video about crossfit to get you through another day at work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgH_ZoMOht8&feature=related