Aug 14 - 20

8/14: 6.5mi run with stroller. Yes I miscalculated the distance. Doing this the day after Palomar was inadvisable, but this is how I roll. Inadvisably!

8/15: Legs are done (stick a fork in them, etc.) so this had to be an upper body (i.e. Monkey) day. Warm-up on monkey bars (just 2 lengths) and then 100 pull ups, 100 push ups, 50 KTEs, and 10 L-pull-ups. I did the main set in this weird paired pyramid, which made it more palatable:

Round 1: 10 pull ups, 20 push ups
Round 2: 10 pull ups, 20 push ups
Round 3: 15 pull ups, 15 push ups
Round 4: 15 pull ups, 15 push ups
Round 5: 20 pull ups, 10 push ups
Round 6: 20 pull ups, 10 push ups
Round 7: 10 pull ups, 10 push ups

The one-arm pull ups are basically one hand on horiz bar and other hand on the vertical bar to assist. It's still hard but..well, doable!

8/16: 3.1mi run with stroller, 2 good hills.
8/17-8/18: Nothing..lazy and busy with chores. Every time I want to take Nat out for a jog, it starts to rain. God must be telling me to sit here and eat cookies.

8/20: Xfit and stairs with Nikki! Wahoo! I haven't touched bars with any seriousness since I went into my 3rd trimester. We worked on snatches and cleans for at least an hour.
This is what a snatch end position is supposed to look like ----->

And this is what I actually looked like:










Then we did a workout like this: (for time, no rest)
Round 1: 21 Deadlifts, 21 Box jumps
Round 2: 15 of each
Round 3: 9 of each

I was only using #135 with the DL but it was still hard and I still tore my stupid hands. Nikki was swinging around a kettlebell for her DLs like a lumberjack on crack and finished in record time. In retrospect maybe that would have been easier on the blisters... Chalk, where were you! Cleared 24 inches on the box, but have to work on jumping off...would've been faster.




THEN we went to Exorcist stairs for 5 laps on that beast. The 75 stairs and its three landings are the equivalent of a five story building (but we tried to not focus on that).

Then we went to buy furniture. Nikki - I should count that stroll up 2 flights with the couch as Step #3 of Saturday Madness, no? :] (that is a nerd smile)

Aug 7- 13

8/7: 1hr run with Sveta (my inimitable sibling) where we got hopelessly lost in the enchanted suburbia that is Ashburn. Best part was running through back packing lot of church trying to find out way back. Yes on Sunday. Yes, weaving through dozens of nice-looking people. We were not dressed for church. I hope they did not judge us.8/8-9: Rest
8/10: 2.8mi run with Dave. He is draaaaaggging butt that dog! Too slow!
8/11: Trapeze class, 3hrs. I almost didn't put this here but it made me sore so it counts! We also did silk ropes (at which I was not bad but also not as great as I thought) and trampoline (at which I was godawful).

8/12: 2 mi walk w/ Dave. Yes walk - it was HOT he would've died if I made him run. :/

8/13: SealFit Palomar with Megan. Um...she's a firefighter. This was... It WAS, ok? 2.5hrs long and I skipped the 3mi run at the end! Here's the workout from their website:

Baseline: ROM Drills. Run 800M, then 21 – 15 – 9 wall balls (14#), push-ups

Work Capacity: for time:

• 5 x Man-Makers (50#), 15 x Curtis P (75#), Run 400M
• 10 x Man Makers (40#), 10 x Curtis P, Run 800M
• 15 x Man Makers (40#), 5 x Curtis P, Run 1 mile

Strength: 10 – 8 – 6 – 4 – 3 – 3 – 3 Front Squat (My max was just 105#... I think I could've done more but was definitely scared by the next section...)

Stamina: Chipper: 15 x FS @ 90% of 3RM, 75 x jumping back squats (65/45#), 6 x sprint starts.

Durability: (3 mile run @ moderate pace)-CUT. 100 x sit-ups, plank hold 2 x 3 minutes. Active Stretch or Yoga

• What is a Man Maker? --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gczI5sINn9U
• WTF is a Curtis P (Curtis Press)? --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uLff8fhPIQg
  

They should be called Jello-Makers...cos that's how my legs felt the next day.

July 31 - Aug 6

OMG Lazy Week! I must have hit a wall with that last Saturday beast. Heel started hurting, motivation on vacation, etc.

• 7/31, 8/1: Rest (see July 30 entry goddamit)
• 8/2: 3.1mi run, 2 good hills
• 8/3: More Rest!
• 8/4: 2.5mi at strong pace, followed by 25 burpee pull ups and 25 24" box jumps.
• 8/5: My notes say "2 min. plank." That is ALL. Surely...I didn't... Or did I?!?... Well I can't remember what the F else I did so that's what I am putting. WOD = 2 min plank. I am coming for you, Tough Mudderrrr!!!
  
• 8/6: Rest and shop (at mom's, baby in good hands, wahoo!)
  

July 24-30

Ok new plan. I am entering a week at a time otherwise I will go crazy. I keep forgetting to write stuff down or I write it down on scratch paper and then Dave eats it (for real). So here goes:

• 7/24-27: I don't remember! (See above) :[
• 7/28: 6 rounds of 10 reps each of: pull ups; dips; KTEs; box jumps (definitely over 20"...maybe 24"? Have to check height)
• 7/29: 50 mountain climbers and 100 KB swings (#25) and then workout got cut short....guests coming.
• 7/30: SATURDAY W MANNI. a) Run 1 mile to trail, 9 nassssty hill repeats (0.2mi each), run 1 mile back.
  

• Then b)
  
  EMOM x 30 minutes

  
  

  5 Burpees

  10 KettleBell Swings (24kg/16kg)
  5 V-Ups

The KB swings just... killed us. We apparently sucked so much the coach told us to forget about doing it "every minute on the minute" after about 15min and just to do as many rounds as possible in the 30min time slot. I think I squeezed 17 or so in there but I had to babysit the dog at the same time (so that's my excuse). This is the "post" picture. Yeah that's me in the back, holding my head in my hands...

July 22-23 - Rest

a) too hot
b) TKD kicked my tooshie. Supersore.

July 21 - TKD

Went to TKD class for 2hrs. Survived, barely. That hip from yesterday stopped complying about 5mins before class ended and of coooourse I tore up my foot a bit, no calluses. Want to go again and suck a little less. Kicking = XD.

July 20 - KB work

10 burpees
100 KB Swings
10 burpees
100 push ups
10 burpees
2min plank
10 burpees
10 TGUs each side*
10 burpees

KB = 25

*Only did 7 TGUs on the L. Hip went out as I was moving. JOINTS TOO LOOSE DAMMIT!!!

July 19-20

Calves won't function. Limited to walking dog... Dog won't function either.

July 18 - Crystal City Stairs

Did the stair runs with Megan at the Crystal City Doubletree. The stairs go on for 15 flights and we went on for about 30min, a little over.

1. Regular run
2. Walk, with weight vest
3. Regular run
4. Alternating a) jump both feet b) jump R c) jump L
5. Alternating a) regular "ski" run b) squat jump 2 steps at a time

Next time have to work in 2 weight vest laps instead of one.
Calves had a near death experience...

June 13-17: Running

I think I worked a day and skipped a day, etc.

Short run - 3.1 mi
Long run - 4.6 mi

June 12 - Chelsea+

My original plan was to run a mile before and after the workout but I only managed the 'before.' Somehow my L knee clonked out and it wasn't even a bad circuit... Gettin' old.

-1mi
-Chelsea:
EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute) x 30
5 pull ups - 10 push ups - 15 squats
-100 knee huggers on bench (abs)

Excited to do pull ups again, although the palms began to emit a worrisome burning smell, I mean feeling, around round 20. I finished the 30 but had to take a round off in the middle. I think the goal is just to finish. Glad I didn't take Frank's advice and do squat jumps instead of squats. We're not all robots, Frank!! :[


Also, since I was doing this outside a little after rush hour, we got a loooot of hecklers. Comments raged from mere honks and "Yay! Crossfit!!" to my personal favorite by what looked to be a highschool senior, "YYYYEEEEEEYYAAAAA!! DOOOOOO THEM SQUATSSSSS!!" [sh*t eating grin]. Young man, I am a mother.

June 11 - Long run w/ Dave

4.8mi run with Dave, just looping around Kinsgtowne twice. almost got run over by a man in a van. Yes it was 9pm and raining but I was wearing bright white shorts, a Kool Aid shirt and dragging a dalmatian. I said bad things to him after I realized I was going to live after all... :P


Just 2 hills, but about 0.5mi each. The rain was fun(ner than I expected).

June 10 - Rest

I wish laundry counted as training...

June 9 - Track w/ Manni and Xfit WOD

Track workout at 9am (with Ms. Wadhwani wahoooo!):
[400 on, 60 sec off] x 3
[800 on, 120 sec off] x 2
[400 on, 60 sec off] x 3
400 cool down lap


WOD:
60 double unders
30 thrusters (#65)
60 double unders
30 overhead squats (#65)
60 double unders
30 box jumps (18")
60 double unders
(note on the thrusters and OHS - need to squat lower and just generally be more ninja)

Cool down = 10 MB cleans to wall ball; 10 pull ups; 10 KTEs.

Actual Cool Down = Robek's Cranberry Quest with whey plus 2 hrs poolside. (Wadhwaniiii!!!!)

June 8 - Hills with stroller and some jumping

Went on a semi new route in the neighborhood, hunting for hills. 10am run wasn't too hot for Nat and made me want to pass out slightly less.

Kingstowne to Hayfield and back, w/ Summer Ridge loop and lower two blocks repeated x3.
4.8mi

Plus - 50 squats half way through run and 50 squats + 50 bench jumps at the end. I can't figure out how tall the bench is. Maybe 24"? Tall enough that I don't feel confident bouncing up and down on it, just jump on and step off. hmm...

My bench was higher than this, at least:

June 6 - Look ma, no hands!

Today was a challenge to a) work out way past my frikkin bed time and b) find something to do where my palms wouldn't touch the ground, weights, or themselves. So this was an attempt:

Warm up w/ 30 lunges, then...
5x:
20 reverse burpees (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl3kHRR5pSs)
*except I tuck my knees like a ninja.
20 squats
1 min plank hold

It was probably easier than I should have planned but I was doing it at 11pm so that's all my brain could handle. Next time should make a plan to do more burpees (reverse or regular) in a row...

P.S.: I hate this guy --> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve4J8QVSZk8&NR=1

July 5 - Accidental Death by Monkey Bars

So...today was supposed to be my cross training day but it kind of went all weird. Frank wanted to run, but we couldn't decide the distance. In the end I ended up doing the 2.8mi with 2 extra 0.25mi hill repeats all w/ stroller and a plan to do a little plyo in the end.

We finished the 3.8mi in good time, save a Jersey Shore conversation with a guy w/ a Pekingese who complimented our hill runs (yay) and told me he was in an open marriage (anti-yay).

Then Nat and I went over to the monkey bars and started a [2 mbar lengths + 10 burpees] circuit. On the 3rd round, I looked at my hands, grabbed the stroller and urgently hobbled home for cold water and Neosporin. Baby hands For The Fail...

July 4

5.2 mi with 6 hills (50 min). A lot easier without stroller or the dog (whom I had to drag up a hill last time) but still had to stop at the top of hills 4 and 6. Je fait suckage.
100 calf raises, around 60 ab thingies* and 20 level-change planks.**

*Ab thingies is when I do any ab rep 20 times or until I'm bored and switch. I cannot commit to any one ab exercise for 100 reps... Except maybe med balls and I don't have a med ball.
** You start with plank w/ straight arms, go down to elbows, then up to straight arms again. That's one rep. Do 10 then change direction (i.e., bring different side elbow down first) on the next 10. These are fun but my triceps wanted to vomit the whole time. Next time I want to try bracket it with 1min regular plank holds before and after. Need some more "alternative plank" ideas...

July 3

Tired, thunder. Did nuthin, but ate light. Bad monkey.

July 2 update

On track:
3x: 1 lap on, 60 sec off
10 jumping lunges, 15 tuck jumps
10x: 30 sec on, 30 sec off
2 laps to finish off
(and I showed up LATE!)

In box, 3x of this:
20 PP #65
20 Snatch #65
20 T push-ups
20 KTEs

Had to take afternoon bath AND nap....

JUNE 27 - JULY 3

Introducing some more speed work and a tiny bit more distance.

• Sun - 4.2 mi, with stroller again, about 3-4 hills. Much better pace this time, but could be the weather.
• Mon - 400m jog, then 5x (10 pull ups, 10 dips, 10 shoulder push ups, 100m grass jog, 100m grass sprint). The grass sprint was more like a hard run, too uneven to stay on the balls of my feet. But not bad, would do again. Then 2x monkey bars and 400m jog home.
  
• Tue - 3.8 mi with 2 hills and dog then planks. Dave slowed me down with his poops. Too dang hot...
• Wed - 1mi jog, 12-10-8-6-4-2 of Burpee pull ups then 22" bench jumps, then 1mi fartlek (shuddup its a real word) run -> 20sec on 30 sec off.
• Thu - 2.8mi, 1 hill, good pace. Dave seems to be getting better, didn't crap out on the hill this time. Seemed excited to run.
  
• Fri - REST
• Sat - Track workout then WOD with Manni. Will update with more details. Scared.

JUNE 20-26

Ok, first normal week, though lifting is still light:

• Sun - 4.2mi with baby stroller and hills (and Frank, thank cheesus)
• Mon - Dirty 30 (1min of Squats, Squat Jumps, Jumping Jacks each, for 10 rounds)
• Tue - Upper body circuit w #25 KB at home: Each arm (50 rows, 50 chest press, 50 swings, 50 figure 8s), 50 triangle push ups. Then 50 abs just for kicks.
• Wed - 2.2 mi with hill + 10x 50m sprints. Neighbors came out to cheer sprints. Not as annoying as expected.
• Thu - 3.5 mi + 100 push ups
• Fri - REST
• Sat - OMG Exorcist stairs with Manni for about 45min then the KB WOD at http://www.crossfitarlington.com: 12-10-8-6-4-2 of: Fig 8s, KB Swing L, KB Swing R, SDHP L, SDHP R, Snatch L, Snatch R, Woodchopper L, Woodchopper R,
  

April to mid-June

Okay these few weeks were kind of random. I basically tried to get back to running and get used to running without a person gestating in the middle of my body. Harder than it sounds. Joints were all loose, lower abs on fire... But finally approaching normal. Only running every other day or so and pull ups / push ups. No lifting. Went to the track once, sprinting felt weird on the first 100, much better on the remainder. There is HOPE!

Some Background is in Order

So - to give you an idea of the depth of my not-readiness, here's silly old me in the past year.
Summer '10 = I just got back from Tanzania, was all RAH RAH and hit the ground running. My KTE form was shitty, but so what! I felt pretty invincible.

(then I found out in July I was ermmmm 'expecting.')

Fall '10 = I was pretttty pregnant and shuttling between DC and Bmore, but goddangit, I wasn't about to let the belly couch-potatify me!



Winter'10 = belly was front and center but I could still run and lift a little... I even had obliques! :) (this is hubby appreciating my obliques...I think)

Spring '11 - baby happened and I turned into THIS. Overnight. :
....PROBLEMATIC.... soooooo... Need to get back in the game for Tough Mudder, stat.

What's This?

I'm signed up (in blood) to do the VA Tough Mudder event in Oct. For those of you unfamiliar with this particular gladiator-training event: http://toughmudder.com/events/virginia/
Basically, it's tough and there will be mud.

The truth: I'm not ready and going to GET ready. This blog is here to track my progress and..well...keep me honest.

(If you're reading this, you're either coming with me (Frank, Nikki, Sarah!) or checking in to giggle at my suffering. If the latter, watch out - I will find you and sign you up. Especially if your last name is WADHWANI...)