We began our 8-week experiment with the Zone diet today. Our goal is to integrate zone eating into as many meals as possible, with the understanding that life happens and the point is to move to towards a healthy lifestyle, not a picture perfect one. Over the last two weeks, we have been sampling some zone-friendly snacks and dinners to get a sense of what this lifestyle has to offer. The meals are enjoyable and I can feel a strong sense of healthy energy and clarity in the last week.
We started by designing a seven day meal plan with the help of a website that offers recipes and calculations to “zone” the meals. Prior to this, we followed a popular cookbook that laid out a six-week meal plan using a basic list of items. The final chapter in the book contains neatly printed shopping lists organized by supermarket aisles. The convenience was the key to making meal planning work and I was hoping that this new online meal planner was going to be similar.
The website was quite helpful and after exploring the options, we opted to have the meal plan calculated for us automatically. The results that came back were a little dizzying. Each meal was different and many of the lunches needed cooking. That isn’t feasible with a small baby and simplicity is what we are looking for. I made a few adjustments to simplify the recipes and programmed the breakfast to be the same for most of the week. Voila! The software generated the shopping list. Two pages of it. Hmm… Cheryl looked at the list. Looked at me. Looked at the list.
“Two pages?”
“Yeah, lots of little things. We don’t have capers.”
“I see.” Continued looking at the list.
“Or English walnuts,” I offered helpfully.
“Really? No English walnuts. Huh.”
This was getting complicated. Many ingredients were small amounts, like 2 teaspoons of capers or 2/5 cup of barley. Later, as we scoured the aisles of the supermarket trying to locate some of the items we were not familiar with, we puzzled about how much to buy.
Cheryl was gripping the shopping lists and paging between them. Scowling.
“These ingredients are in ounces, not metric.”
“Oh, I should have set these to be metric and not in ounces.”
“What? You could have printed these in metric?” Laughing. She looked like she wanted to throw a green pepper at me. All 16 ounces of it.
All the quantities were in ounces and package labels in Canada are metric. This turned our ½-hour shopping trip into an hour. By that time, we were both a bit frazzled. When we checked out, our bill was $50 more than usual. Ouch. After some discussion (well okay, bantering) we decided that we should check out the bookstore to see if we could find a Zone meal-planning book that was similar to the one that had worked so well for us before. They had three Zone recipe books, each one offering delicious meals but none of them was as planned and organized as the one we liked. What should we do?
We turned to our trusty friend - The Internet. Running a search for Zone meal planning books, we found a good one that also had positive customer reviews. The style was similar to our previous book and it featured shopping lists in the appendix. Things were starting to look up. A quick browse on Chapters and Amazon showed that the book was out of print but several used copies were available. The price was $29 and a bit steep for an out-of-print used book that we had not even read. That dog won’t hunt, Monsignor.
“What about Abe Books?” she said. The lady is brilliant.
Abe Books is a wonderful resource that specializes in putting used booksellers (you) together with someone who wants to buy a used book (me). They take a small cut of the action and everybody is happy.
So we looked on Abe Books and presto, there was a copy available for the tidy sum of $4. Okay, this was more like it. Adding in the shipping cost, the total came to just under seven dollars. It will be here in about a week.
So our adventure continues. We will eat the food we bought according to the plan this week. Next week, we will take what we learned and refine our approach – looking to make it simpler and more inexpensive. I’ll write updates about how it’s going and share the effect it’s having on our lives and health.
Bon appétit!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Viking WOD
Friday afternoon, Jeff invited me to do a WOD at Sterling's house. Thinking about hitting the rounds in the sunshine with these two fire-breathers, I said yeah - I'll be there! Sterling had chalked up our mission on the alley pavement and the weights and rower awaited in the sun. We hit it hard for ten rounds, exploding the weights through the moves. I felt energized with deep reserves of stamina. I had eaten very well that day and it made the difference. The workout in the back alley had a guerrilla vibe to it, like we just showed up with weights and chalk and went at it like maniacs. That just added to the fun of the whole thing. Consider this a brief pictorial essay.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Met Con
Metabolic Conditioning. MetCon. Rhymes with Defcon. As in defense readiness condition 1, indicating maximum readiness for war. When I saw the WOD, I knew it was going to be serious war. Hat down, over the eyes, serious war. Rounds of rowing, with pullups and burpees sandwiched in between like layers in a pain cake. The first round is a breeze and I'm rowing hard, getting my heart rate up and enjoying the effort. I like rowing. Burpees and pullups are next and I'm feeling good. I touch my chest to the floor for the burpees as Coach Clark taught, then spring up for the jump. My pullups are improving and while I'm still jumping from the box, I'm using less jumping and more pulling. Then more rowing. Wheeze. Then pushups and deck squats. The squats are weird. Getting back up to my feet from the squat is difficult and I'm off balance. I'm learning to use the momentum of the dumbbell to bring me up but it's going to take more practice to do it smoothly. Yet more rowing and I'm breathless now. Tim is rowing next to me and he's asking me if I like Crossfit. I say yes and keep rowing. I literally can't speak because I need the oxygen now. Finishing, I stagger to the rings for dips. I can't stay airborne while doing them but I can hoist myself up using arm strength and then lower myself under control. I feel really good about that.
My reward is a brief rest and some water before doing a 500 meter row. I'm rowing a lot slower now and my chest is heaving. My throat is dry like I could belch dust. I feel like I'm putting out maximum effort now to keep moving. If this was an alpine mountain, I'd be nearing it's peak, crawling on my hands and knees, forcing myself upward through sheer determination. Then a blur of dumbbell swings and knees to elbows before the final 500 meter row. I hate rowing. At last, at the top of the mountain, I finish with 25 pushups and 50 single skips. Gasping and sweating, I look around.
The view is beautiful.
Row 20sec on 10off 4x
2 min 3 burpees + 3 pullups
Row 20sec on 10off 4x
2 min 5 pushups + 5 deck squats 35lbs
Row 20sec on 10off 4x
2 min 3 ring dips + 3 pullups
Rest 2 min
Row 500m
40 single arm DB swings 45lb(20per side)
25 K2E
Row 500m
25 pushups
25 Du's (50 single skips)
My reward is a brief rest and some water before doing a 500 meter row. I'm rowing a lot slower now and my chest is heaving. My throat is dry like I could belch dust. I feel like I'm putting out maximum effort now to keep moving. If this was an alpine mountain, I'd be nearing it's peak, crawling on my hands and knees, forcing myself upward through sheer determination. Then a blur of dumbbell swings and knees to elbows before the final 500 meter row. I hate rowing. At last, at the top of the mountain, I finish with 25 pushups and 50 single skips. Gasping and sweating, I look around.
The view is beautiful.
Row 20sec on 10off 4x
2 min 3 burpees + 3 pullups
Row 20sec on 10off 4x
2 min 5 pushups + 5 deck squats 35lbs
Row 20sec on 10off 4x
2 min 3 ring dips + 3 pullups
Rest 2 min
Row 500m
40 single arm DB swings 45lb(20per side)
25 K2E
Row 500m
25 pushups
25 Du's (50 single skips)
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Climbing the Mountain
The sweetest feeling in the world has got to be when you are finishing the last round of a WOD. Soon, precious oxygen will be yours to breathe deeply (all you want!) and the cool mat awaits. I always feel a surge of power when it's the last round and I push a bit harder and jump a bit higher. "Finish strong", I'm thinking. It's difficult because there isn't much left in the tank so it must be pure determination. Or stubbornness. It feels damn good to be on the other side of the WOD.
"Thanks for the ass kicking! I'll just lay here and reminisce about our time together."
The Zone is being good to me. I've been introducing zone-friendly meals into my daily plan. In the last week, I've had Zone breakfasts, snacks. and lunches of low glycemic food. I haven't checked my body fat percentage yet so I can't say how it's affected my fat weight, but holy cow my energy and clarity is rising. I just feel more ... here. Present and accounted. And the food is extremely satisfying. A new word: satiety. Pronunciation: \sə-ˈtī-ə-tē. The state of being satiated. The challenge I have is eating all the food! I'm used to a cup of coffee in the morning, 18% cream with sugar, and a bowl of Kashi. Now it's black decaf with a breakfast burrito literally bursting with fresh tomatoes, avocado, lean Canadian bacon and egg whites. To date I have not actually finished the whole thing. This morning I came very close. (Holding fingers very close together) I love it. I've read 'Enter the Zone' and a visit to my local library yielded about a dozen more books about the Zone, Fish Oil, recipe blocks and more. I'm going to read them all. I'm going to get good at this stuff. Starting this Monday, we're embarking on a seven week Zone eating plan to get a good taste (ha!) of what this is about. I'll be blogging regularly about what it's like and how it's affecting me.
This is a complete turnaround for me. Months ago, I literally said that diet doesn't matter and it's all about exercise. Nosir, eat what you want and it's the effort you put out that makes the difference. I just wasn't making the connection between diet and exercise. That's probably because I haven't had great success with "diets". Meal planning I can get behind. But eating according to a special plan? Forget it. Well, that's an interesting perspective and I've made a few key distinctions since then. Diet does matter. When I read about and really understood the concept that food could be used like a theraputic drug to produce the hormonal state that would support my goals, a light bulb turned on. And, it doesn't have to be the Zone diet. Use whatever makes sense. I LOVE variety in my meals. I don' t like the same thing twice and I don't like just two things on my plate. Give me colour! Give me flavour! Give me lots!
The point of all this isn't just to lose fat weight. While that is a major goal, the real vision is an energetic, strong and fit me. What that means to me personally is a feeling of abundant energy, a readiness for the unknown, deep restful sleep and a sense of pride. To get those feelings I've chosen Crossfit as my lifestyle. When I first started I didn't get it. Not really. I wasn't in to a lifestyle. I just wanted to feel better. A couple of months and tens of thousands of pounds later, I'm getting it. Pound by pound and meal by meal I'm moving closer to where and who I want to be.
Workout of the Day
7 Rounds
20 - pullups (jumping. I'm getting better. You should see Mike do them)
10 - box jumps
10 - DB split snatches @ 20% bw (35lb)
10 - Ab wheels
"Thanks for the ass kicking! I'll just lay here and reminisce about our time together."
The Zone is being good to me. I've been introducing zone-friendly meals into my daily plan. In the last week, I've had Zone breakfasts, snacks. and lunches of low glycemic food. I haven't checked my body fat percentage yet so I can't say how it's affected my fat weight, but holy cow my energy and clarity is rising. I just feel more ... here. Present and accounted. And the food is extremely satisfying. A new word: satiety. Pronunciation: \sə-ˈtī-ə-tē. The state of being satiated. The challenge I have is eating all the food! I'm used to a cup of coffee in the morning, 18% cream with sugar, and a bowl of Kashi. Now it's black decaf with a breakfast burrito literally bursting with fresh tomatoes, avocado, lean Canadian bacon and egg whites. To date I have not actually finished the whole thing. This morning I came very close. (Holding fingers very close together) I love it. I've read 'Enter the Zone' and a visit to my local library yielded about a dozen more books about the Zone, Fish Oil, recipe blocks and more. I'm going to read them all. I'm going to get good at this stuff. Starting this Monday, we're embarking on a seven week Zone eating plan to get a good taste (ha!) of what this is about. I'll be blogging regularly about what it's like and how it's affecting me.
This is a complete turnaround for me. Months ago, I literally said that diet doesn't matter and it's all about exercise. Nosir, eat what you want and it's the effort you put out that makes the difference. I just wasn't making the connection between diet and exercise. That's probably because I haven't had great success with "diets". Meal planning I can get behind. But eating according to a special plan? Forget it. Well, that's an interesting perspective and I've made a few key distinctions since then. Diet does matter. When I read about and really understood the concept that food could be used like a theraputic drug to produce the hormonal state that would support my goals, a light bulb turned on. And, it doesn't have to be the Zone diet. Use whatever makes sense. I LOVE variety in my meals. I don' t like the same thing twice and I don't like just two things on my plate. Give me colour! Give me flavour! Give me lots!
The point of all this isn't just to lose fat weight. While that is a major goal, the real vision is an energetic, strong and fit me. What that means to me personally is a feeling of abundant energy, a readiness for the unknown, deep restful sleep and a sense of pride. To get those feelings I've chosen Crossfit as my lifestyle. When I first started I didn't get it. Not really. I wasn't in to a lifestyle. I just wanted to feel better. A couple of months and tens of thousands of pounds later, I'm getting it. Pound by pound and meal by meal I'm moving closer to where and who I want to be.
Workout of the Day
7 Rounds
20 - pullups (jumping. I'm getting better. You should see Mike do them)
10 - box jumps
10 - DB split snatches @ 20% bw (35lb)
10 - Ab wheels
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Gut Check
I have talked about supporting my athletic goals with healthy eating choices. I've been reading a lot about the Zone and thinking about trying an experiment for two weeks following the Zone and measuring my energy levels and body fat. But first, I need to do a gut check. Literally.
Before I can set meaningful goals, I need to know where I stand, so I set about taking a body fat measurement. This proves harder to accomplish than I first thought. I surf through about a dozen sites offering tips on how to measure body composition using one, two or even seven sites. I decide to try them all to see if there is much difference between them. I start with seven body sites, pinching where I can and getting help where I can't reach. Then I do three body sites and finally one - iliac. For the most part, they all come up with the same result. More on that later. After thinking about it for a while, I realized that it doesn't really matter how many sites you measure. What's important is that a base measurement is established and then weekly checks should show a downward trend in body fat levels, along with a corresponding (hopefully) upward trend in lean muscle tissue.
So, now the bitter truth. I estimated my weight at about 184lbs. In fact, I weigh a whopping 192lbs. The callipers measure my body fat at 24%. That means I'm dragging around 47lbs of weight that isn't working for me. Well, mostly isn't working. A certain amount of fat is needed for survival. The AccuMeasure chart puts me in the "Average" category. If I want to be squarely in the "Lean" category, I'll need to reduce my body fat to about 12%, according to the chart. That would amount to removing 30lbs of fat weight.
Okay, I'm back. I had to pause and take a breath there. 30lbs is a lot of weight to release. I don't feel that warm glowing sense of confidence that I'm sure celebrities feel about their fitness goals. How the hell can I accomplish this?
Two ways, actually. First, increase my activity. I added a third Crossfit workout to my week, now that I'm feeling stronger. Two workouts a week gave me some conditioning and taught me a bit about the movements. But I'm going to need to work a hell of a lot harder to start moving the body fat equation in a favourable direction. Second, I will need to be very smart about what and how I eat. There's no way I'm going to meander to a 12% body fat level. "Oh hi. I'm on my way to 12%. Pass me the cookies. Low fat chocolate milk, please."
Enter the Zone. Say it in your best monster truck voice.
Work out of the Day
3 Rounds
10-jumping jacks
7- Burpees
5 - pullups (jumping
3 Rounds
10 -Stiff leg deadlifts off a 10" box 135lb
8 - single arm bench press 50lb
3 Rounds
20 Deadlifts 185lb (hell yeah!)
7 pullups (jumping)
Before I can set meaningful goals, I need to know where I stand, so I set about taking a body fat measurement. This proves harder to accomplish than I first thought. I surf through about a dozen sites offering tips on how to measure body composition using one, two or even seven sites. I decide to try them all to see if there is much difference between them. I start with seven body sites, pinching where I can and getting help where I can't reach. Then I do three body sites and finally one - iliac. For the most part, they all come up with the same result. More on that later. After thinking about it for a while, I realized that it doesn't really matter how many sites you measure. What's important is that a base measurement is established and then weekly checks should show a downward trend in body fat levels, along with a corresponding (hopefully) upward trend in lean muscle tissue.
So, now the bitter truth. I estimated my weight at about 184lbs. In fact, I weigh a whopping 192lbs. The callipers measure my body fat at 24%. That means I'm dragging around 47lbs of weight that isn't working for me. Well, mostly isn't working. A certain amount of fat is needed for survival. The AccuMeasure chart puts me in the "Average" category. If I want to be squarely in the "Lean" category, I'll need to reduce my body fat to about 12%, according to the chart. That would amount to removing 30lbs of fat weight.
Okay, I'm back. I had to pause and take a breath there. 30lbs is a lot of weight to release. I don't feel that warm glowing sense of confidence that I'm sure celebrities feel about their fitness goals. How the hell can I accomplish this?
Two ways, actually. First, increase my activity. I added a third Crossfit workout to my week, now that I'm feeling stronger. Two workouts a week gave me some conditioning and taught me a bit about the movements. But I'm going to need to work a hell of a lot harder to start moving the body fat equation in a favourable direction. Second, I will need to be very smart about what and how I eat. There's no way I'm going to meander to a 12% body fat level. "Oh hi. I'm on my way to 12%. Pass me the cookies. Low fat chocolate milk, please."
Enter the Zone. Say it in your best monster truck voice.
Work out of the Day
3 Rounds
10-jumping jacks
7- Burpees
5 - pullups (jumping
3 Rounds
10 -Stiff leg deadlifts off a 10" box 135lb
8 - single arm bench press 50lb
3 Rounds
20 Deadlifts 185lb (hell yeah!)
7 pullups (jumping)
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Where's Waldo?
I've missed my Crossfit sessions twice this week. I've been pushing through contract negotiations late evenings, bringing it in for landing. This sucks, but is necessary. Life happens.
In the meantime, I've been experimenting with zone-friendly meals. I've made a Crossfit breakfast of tortilla (small), beans, egg, avocado, salsa, tomatoes and back bacon. It's been difficult to eat this much considering my usual breakfast has been a bowl of Kashi cereal and coffee. For snacks, I've been eating tuna, mixed with chopped tomatoes and peanuts. Surprising to me, I really enjoy these meals. My energy has been terrific in the last two days and I feel alert. This has served me well to get me through the long days. Which makes me realize another benefit of Crossfit. Each time I felt stonewalled and frustrated with contract delays and hard-to-reach executives, I just dug deep and kept on pushing. I thought of Crossfit and how I keep on working through the wall. Doing that is having some unexpected benefits to my career.
I'm crossing my fingers that I can finish the job tomorrow and get to the gym. I'm craving that feeling again.
In the meantime, I've been experimenting with zone-friendly meals. I've made a Crossfit breakfast of tortilla (small), beans, egg, avocado, salsa, tomatoes and back bacon. It's been difficult to eat this much considering my usual breakfast has been a bowl of Kashi cereal and coffee. For snacks, I've been eating tuna, mixed with chopped tomatoes and peanuts. Surprising to me, I really enjoy these meals. My energy has been terrific in the last two days and I feel alert. This has served me well to get me through the long days. Which makes me realize another benefit of Crossfit. Each time I felt stonewalled and frustrated with contract delays and hard-to-reach executives, I just dug deep and kept on pushing. I thought of Crossfit and how I keep on working through the wall. Doing that is having some unexpected benefits to my career.
I'm crossing my fingers that I can finish the job tomorrow and get to the gym. I'm craving that feeling again.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
This Shit Has Got To Matter
Sterling sent me a video of Nicole Carroll lecturing about nutrition and that is what she said about the kind of commitment you need to live in the Fit zone. You have to want it badly to stay with it. It has to matter to you. I think that's also true of Crossfit. You walk up to the board and look at the WOD printed there. Holy Shit, you say. What the hell are HSPU?, you say. Then you get into it and it starts feeling good. The body is working hard and you are pushing past the edge of your comfort zone, breathless and painful. Bang! You muscle the weight up. Bang! You do it again. Dust some chalk onto your hands and knock out your pullups.
When I get to this point, it’s difficult to hear with the blood pounding in my eardrums. I walk past Sterling and we grin and high five. He’s doing handstand pushups. This shit matters to him. I grab the rings and lean back into ring rows. Coach Clark is working beside me and he’s snapping his body up to the rings and pounding them out. I dig deep and pull myself up to the rings with power. He brought his game and I owe it to him to bring mine too. This shit matters to him.
When it gets to this level, there is no difference between us. I hear grunts of exertion and defiance in their shouts. Men and women. It’s primal. Each person is challenging their limitations and giving it everything they have. I think I understand why we call each other fire breathers.
I’ve added a third workout to my week. For two months, I’ve been coming twice a week, allowing myself to grow stronger and recover between sessions. Sometimes that’s not even enough. One hundred and fifty air squats took me seven days to recover. I actually fell out of a chair when I tried to stand up. Flat on my ass. Now that I’m recovering faster between WODs, it's time to up my game. I’m getting close to doing a full Kipping pullup. I mean to do it in the month of June. This shit matters to me.
5 Rounds
5 - power cleans 135lb
5 - pullups
10 - HSPU
rest 60 sec between rds
5 Rounds
10 - box jumps
10 - pushups
10 - ring rows 2 rds, then one arm row with 60lb
10 - single arm push press (5 per side) 35lb
When I get to this point, it’s difficult to hear with the blood pounding in my eardrums. I walk past Sterling and we grin and high five. He’s doing handstand pushups. This shit matters to him. I grab the rings and lean back into ring rows. Coach Clark is working beside me and he’s snapping his body up to the rings and pounding them out. I dig deep and pull myself up to the rings with power. He brought his game and I owe it to him to bring mine too. This shit matters to him.
When it gets to this level, there is no difference between us. I hear grunts of exertion and defiance in their shouts. Men and women. It’s primal. Each person is challenging their limitations and giving it everything they have. I think I understand why we call each other fire breathers.
I’ve added a third workout to my week. For two months, I’ve been coming twice a week, allowing myself to grow stronger and recover between sessions. Sometimes that’s not even enough. One hundred and fifty air squats took me seven days to recover. I actually fell out of a chair when I tried to stand up. Flat on my ass. Now that I’m recovering faster between WODs, it's time to up my game. I’m getting close to doing a full Kipping pullup. I mean to do it in the month of June. This shit matters to me.
5 Rounds
5 - power cleans 135lb
5 - pullups
10 - HSPU
rest 60 sec between rds
5 Rounds
10 - box jumps
10 - pushups
10 - ring rows 2 rds, then one arm row with 60lb
10 - single arm push press (5 per side) 35lb
Friday, June 13, 2008
Out With the Old
Lately I’ve become aware of a different body hiding underneath the one that I walk around with. This other body feels tightly put together, newborn, strong and humming with energy. I can feel it when I walk down the hall, living just below the surface, emerging to take control from the old body. When I look in the mirror, I don’t usually see the new body. The old one is still here, but looking a bit different these days. I catch a glimpse of muscular definition in the arms, there, and there. No sign of abs. But, if I squint my eyes just a little, I see the powerful outlines of what’s just underneath. When I’m skipping rope, my new body quickly jumps in place, while the old body jiggles and bounces around out of step, like someone who doesn’t know how to dance. I feel sorry for it.
But it has to go. New research has shown that visceral fat in the abdomen is directly associated with a higher risk of mortality in men. People with excess abdominal fat (mostly men) have a higher risk of diabetes and heart disease. Not to mention the stress on your vanity and clothing budget. Bye-bye little buddy. You’ve wrecked enough pants.
I’m well into the Crossfit lifestyle now – about seven weeks. This is about the time I expect to start seeing the beginnings of body changes and a general awareness of improving health. To support this, and the new body, I’ve been changing my eating habits. I have eaten well in the past and now it’s time to start eating clean. More balance in my meals and fewer indulgences. It’s gradual for me and I occasionally need the cheat meal. I used to like Big Macs. Then I watched ‘Supersize Me’. I now associate the taste of them with the bloated, breathless and curiously warm feeling of an insulin spike. Pass. I find myself at the Salad Corral a lot, choosing fruits and vegetables for lunch. I need to learn how to balance these meals. I eat a hard-boiled egg so I get some protein.
I’m surrounded by excellence. I was running last night for rounds of 200 meters. Doing well. This time I didn’t have to walk to catch my breath. I hear feet pounding up behind me – real fast steps. Mia runs past me like a gazelle. No, not like a gazelle. She’s more like a cheetah. Fleet-footed steps and I watch her take off into the distance. It’s inspiring. Jill is running beside me, challenging me to bring my game. I keep running. It’s so great to do this with people who are committed to being excellent.
But it has to go. New research has shown that visceral fat in the abdomen is directly associated with a higher risk of mortality in men. People with excess abdominal fat (mostly men) have a higher risk of diabetes and heart disease. Not to mention the stress on your vanity and clothing budget. Bye-bye little buddy. You’ve wrecked enough pants.
I’m well into the Crossfit lifestyle now – about seven weeks. This is about the time I expect to start seeing the beginnings of body changes and a general awareness of improving health. To support this, and the new body, I’ve been changing my eating habits. I have eaten well in the past and now it’s time to start eating clean. More balance in my meals and fewer indulgences. It’s gradual for me and I occasionally need the cheat meal. I used to like Big Macs. Then I watched ‘Supersize Me’. I now associate the taste of them with the bloated, breathless and curiously warm feeling of an insulin spike. Pass. I find myself at the Salad Corral a lot, choosing fruits and vegetables for lunch. I need to learn how to balance these meals. I eat a hard-boiled egg so I get some protein.
I’m surrounded by excellence. I was running last night for rounds of 200 meters. Doing well. This time I didn’t have to walk to catch my breath. I hear feet pounding up behind me – real fast steps. Mia runs past me like a gazelle. No, not like a gazelle. She’s more like a cheetah. Fleet-footed steps and I watch her take off into the distance. It’s inspiring. Jill is running beside me, challenging me to bring my game. I keep running. It’s so great to do this with people who are committed to being excellent.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
My Life as Failure
I slowly lowered myself to the floor for the 8th ring pushup of my set. At this point I was so exhausted from the strength training earlier that I was managing only knee pushups at this point. I've heard them called "girly" pushups before but they didn't feel that girly. No ma'am. All my determination was needed to keep my body moving. Two more pushups squeezed out and I had earned the right to rest for a few seconds before climbing the rope.
I lay there thinking about failure. In the styles of training I've been involved in, there comes a point in the workout where you reach failure. This is when you break strict form and use a cheat movement. You can squeeze out a few more partial reps or switch to a lighter weight. Crossfit is different. You finish the rounds with the weight you start with. It's a matter of commitment. And failure comes early in the WOD. I generally experience "The Wall" about half way through. It signals it's arrival with laboured breathing and it takes longer and longer to catch my breath. The weights seem heavier and now my body tells me to stop. I shudder when I realize I have more rounds to go. It seems like a lot more. But, the only way past the wall is through it. I've learned that in the last six weeks. You can't negotiate with the wall. It feels no pity. You can't rest enough to hope the wall goes away. It sticks around for a long time. You can't trick the wall. You have to put your head down, dig deep, and smash through it. You experience failure and you decide to keep on going anyway. You stretch. And in this way, I've learned that I'm capable of far more than I ever thought possible.
Here's what I did:
5 Rounds
5-Power cleans 135 lbs
5-DB Bench press 50lbx2db
5-Pullups
rest 60sec and repeat
5 Rounds for time:
10-db split snatches @40 lbs (5 per side)
10-Ring push ups
2-rope climbs
Using my trusty calculator and compensating for "girly" pushups and modified rope climbs, I calculate that I moved an astonishing 14,850 lbs!
Failure indeed.
I lay there thinking about failure. In the styles of training I've been involved in, there comes a point in the workout where you reach failure. This is when you break strict form and use a cheat movement. You can squeeze out a few more partial reps or switch to a lighter weight. Crossfit is different. You finish the rounds with the weight you start with. It's a matter of commitment. And failure comes early in the WOD. I generally experience "The Wall" about half way through. It signals it's arrival with laboured breathing and it takes longer and longer to catch my breath. The weights seem heavier and now my body tells me to stop. I shudder when I realize I have more rounds to go. It seems like a lot more. But, the only way past the wall is through it. I've learned that in the last six weeks. You can't negotiate with the wall. It feels no pity. You can't rest enough to hope the wall goes away. It sticks around for a long time. You can't trick the wall. You have to put your head down, dig deep, and smash through it. You experience failure and you decide to keep on going anyway. You stretch. And in this way, I've learned that I'm capable of far more than I ever thought possible.
Here's what I did:
5 Rounds
5-Power cleans 135 lbs
5-DB Bench press 50lbx2db
5-Pullups
rest 60sec and repeat
5 Rounds for time:
10-db split snatches @40 lbs (5 per side)
10-Ring push ups
2-rope climbs
Using my trusty calculator and compensating for "girly" pushups and modified rope climbs, I calculate that I moved an astonishing 14,850 lbs!
Failure indeed.
Back in the Saddle
I took some time off from work and Crossfit on Friday to travel to Trail and be at my son's High School graduation ceremony. I felt proud for him as he walked across the stage and graduated. It's a great feeling to see your family do well. The next morning, I flew to Victoria and hastily dressed for an afternoon wedding at the Church and State Winery. It was a beautiful warm summer day with the ceremony being performed in the shade under a white tent.
I am looking forward to tonight's WOD. Sterling was blogging about how you start to crave the next workout and even feel slightly miserable when it's been too long in between. Well I can relate to that, Sterling. This lifestyle is becoming addicting! I was thinking today that one of the foundations of a successful life is ENERGY. Without it we accomplish very little. But when we have it in abundance, our lives are transformed into what we dream of.
I am looking forward to tonight's WOD. Sterling was blogging about how you start to crave the next workout and even feel slightly miserable when it's been too long in between. Well I can relate to that, Sterling. This lifestyle is becoming addicting! I was thinking today that one of the foundations of a successful life is ENERGY. Without it we accomplish very little. But when we have it in abundance, our lives are transformed into what we dream of.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Weebles Wobble
And so do rings. The WOD featured Ring Dips - something I've never tried before. Mia showed me how to do it, in perfect form as usual. I clambered up there and slowly and very shakily eased myself down into a dip. My legs were jerking around like a spastic and the rings were threatening to depart in separate directions, but I held it together. I did about five and then took a break to do some ab rolling. I got a little better at it as I did two more sets and it was actually a lot of fun. The ab rolling was a terrific break from the rings and I know my arms, abs and low back are going to be sore tomorrow! In a good way, you know.
Do yourself a favour and watch Old School. Vince Vaughn does Ring Dips while he smokes a cigarrette.
Do yourself a favour and watch Old School. Vince Vaughn does Ring Dips while he smokes a cigarrette.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
What are you training for?
"What are you training for?"
"Tomorrow."
"What happens tomorrow?"
"Exactly!"
"Tomorrow."
"What happens tomorrow?"
"Exactly!"
Monday, June 2, 2008
My First WOD
I started Crossfit by joining the four-week bootcamp at Crossfit Langley. I was looking for something to help me "release" the pounds of daddy weight I gained this winter. I've always maintained my fitness to some degree - doing things like Body For Life challenges and Survivor Bootcamp and being unfit was making me feel uncomfortable and a bit worried. Upon the advice and encouragement of my friend Jeff, I decided to give Crossfit a try.
Nothing in my previous workout experience would prepare me for the committment and intensity I felt as I worked through my very first Crossfit WOD. (Workout of the Day) I was challenged and humbled by the effort needed to complete the workout. Hell, just to keep going took everything I had, and more. The pumping music faded, the grunts and swears of the other bootcampers were distant and my life focused to only the laboured sound of my breathing and the overwhelming desire to STOP and rest. I pushed through all that to unbeliveably finish the rounds and lie there in a pool of my sweat.
As I drove home sometime later (after a lengthy pass out on the mat), I felt something else. It was a wonderful feeling of accomplishment and pride. I read somewhere that when you set a goal and see it through, you are keeping an agreement with yourself. And when you do that with incredible effort and passion it changes the way you experience your life.
I know I'll be back again and again. I fear my workout, I'll be honest. But I also look forward to it.
Nothing in my previous workout experience would prepare me for the committment and intensity I felt as I worked through my very first Crossfit WOD. (Workout of the Day) I was challenged and humbled by the effort needed to complete the workout. Hell, just to keep going took everything I had, and more. The pumping music faded, the grunts and swears of the other bootcampers were distant and my life focused to only the laboured sound of my breathing and the overwhelming desire to STOP and rest. I pushed through all that to unbeliveably finish the rounds and lie there in a pool of my sweat.
As I drove home sometime later (after a lengthy pass out on the mat), I felt something else. It was a wonderful feeling of accomplishment and pride. I read somewhere that when you set a goal and see it through, you are keeping an agreement with yourself. And when you do that with incredible effort and passion it changes the way you experience your life.
I know I'll be back again and again. I fear my workout, I'll be honest. But I also look forward to it.
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