Women’s Lifting Class with Juli Bauer at CrossFit Jai!

Julie Bauer, being a badass

Sorry for the double post today but there is a fun thing that I just found out and wanted to share! CrossFit Jai is going to be hosting a series of 2-hour Women’s lifting clinics taught by Juli Bauer (a former CrossFit Jai coach, author of PaleOMG, CrossFit competitor, and general badass). The first one is scheduled for Saturday June 30th from 12-2PM at CrossFit Jai in LoHi! Sorry fellas, this is Women ONLY! The cost is $50 and is open to anyone who has a basic knowledge and some experience with a snatch and a clean & jerk. Meaning, you don’t have to be a bodybuilder but you should have a basic knowledge and some experience with variations of the movements and not be asking, “Wait, what’s a snatch?”

Click Here to Register!

The class is limited to 12 students so get in there! Select “Juli Bauer’s Lifting Seminar” on the calendar and it will take you to registration and payment options.

(PS, if you can’t make this one there will be more in the future that will cover different lifts, I will post them here once they become available!)

Day 80: More(!) CrossFit Fitspo

Ok, before I even get started I need to tell you that all of these images are from THRUSTR, an amazing tumblr site that I found last night. The site is packed with CrossFit badass-ness… this is only a tiny sample. So, essentially, this entire post is a (totally unsolicited, real and genuine) recommendation that you go waste a few hours of your day perusing the rest of the photos. I know that after looking at some of these women I was left thinking, “I can’t wait to be able to do a muscle-up!” “How amazing are those LATS?” and, most importantly, “Where can I get spandex like that!?” Enjoy 🙂

I don’t even want to know how many reps they’ve been doing to get a pain face with that light of a bar with lats that size…

Day 79: Two for Two!

First of all, thank you all so much for the sweet comments and messages about my latest photos! It has obviously been a LOT of hard work but I really feel like I can finally see some real changes in my body and that is a great feeling. I try to not put too much value in the size or shape of my body as long as I am being healthy and active, but it still feels good to tighten up the belly just a bit 🙂

In other news: I have gone to CrossFit every day this week so far! Aka… Monday and Tuesday. Two whole days of back-to-back CrossFit. Granted I am not going today because of a work obligation (which is the only reason I went last night in the first place), but nonetheless I think this was my first time doing 2 back-to-back WODs! Sorry body, no recovery time for you!

Monday’s WOD started with a mini-workshop on Clean Pulls (just the shrug portion of a clean where you just pop back and lift your shoulders up) and Power Cleans from the Power Position, aka cleans that start just above your knees instead of taking it all the way to the ground. I did fine with the Clean Pulls but struggled big time with the Power Clean/Power Position concept–basically I just started to way overthink everything, which is never a good idea. I would pull the bar up, but when it came time to drop under the bar and transfer it onto my chest “shelf,” I kept dropping it because my mind went “Drop – Wait! No! – Ah! Wait, that was right!” Even though my Power Clean max is 90 lbs, I was struggling with 65 lbs and ended up finishing the set with just the 35 lbs bar.

The WOD itself was 5 rounds of AMRAP 30 seconds of toes-to-bar and 30 seconds of double-unders with 30 seconds of rest between rounds. And I am proud to report that I linked 20 DU’s for the first time! My previous max of linked DU’s was somewhere in the 2-3 neighborhood. And then I got to 20 and thought “WOOHOO! I DID 20!” and then of course my excitement got the best of me and I tripped on the 21st.

Yesterday’s WOD was 3 rounds of Burpees>Power Snatch>Box Jump>Thrusters>Pull-Ups, doing 1 minute of each of those in a row without resting and then taking a 1 minute break in-between rounds. It was exhausting. And it was the first time I’d done the Power Snatch and I was all over the place. Needless to say, between those, the thrusters, and the Power Shrugs and Power Cleans from Monday, today my shoulders are TOAST. Even just lifting my water bottle at work is a little painful. Hard to not feel like a wuss when picking up a water bottle makes you whimper…

Day 76: Before & After Round 4

Only 2 weeks left before my 90 days is up! Time to post another round of Before & After (well, more like Before & During) Progess Photos! I didn’t measure this time and since my last weigh-in I’ve actually gained about a pound, back up to 127.5ish. The more I do this (and I think this is a common theme with people who workout to get fit instead of working out only to lose weight), the more I recognize how little my weight dictates the size or shape of my body.

I am feeling preeeetty good about these photos, people. For lots of reasons, not the least of which being that I am wearing my new highlighter-yellow shorts from prAna that I got at the Cherry Creek prAna store Grand Opening party where I met Steph Davis, pretty much one of the most amazing female climbers of all time. Plus she lives in Moab, which is amazing. I was there with TJ and his girlfriend Lindsay (side note: one of my favorite unintended side effects of CrossFit is getting to hang out with those 2 people) and we decided that instead of standing in line for what would have literally been over an hour, we would sit back by where Steph had been signing posters and wait for her to come over so we could chat with her. In the meantime, we decided to sign a poster of her… for her… from us. Seemed like the obvious thing to do.

Day 74: More Fitspo!

It’s been a while since I did a gratuitous fitspo post. First up is a video that I’m sure most of you have seen if you have been doing CrossFit for any length of time, but I just found it recently and am a little obsessed with it right now. So.

Pretty sweet, right? Anyway, onto some inspirational looking people! I tried to include some dudes this time, too. I mean, can you really have too many pictures of shirtless muscley guys in one place? I mean what?

Are you serious.

And, last but not least, THIS exists… so…

Day 73: Confession

Some people who are way better than me at wall balls.

Today something happened for the first time at CrossFit that I don’t even want to admit, let alone write about. But I am going to anyway.

This morning’s WOD was 12-minute AMRAP of 4 wall balls, 6 bar jumps, and 8 sit-ups. And let me tell you that I am really, really bad at wall balls. I am lucky if I can get it up to the 8-foot mark on the wall, which all things considered is really only 2 feet of vertical gain once it leaves my hands. They knock me over all the time, and sometimes I catch them with an open mouth because I’m breathing so hard and end up licking what I’m sure is probably one of the most disgusting pieces of equipment in the gym. We are not friends.

Despite my personal issues with wall balls, I started the WOD feeling strong. After the first half I had finished 7 sets and I felt like I could even make it to 15 by the end. I was pushing, barely resting, at some points hardly breathing. When the timer ended I was on my 3rd wall ball of my last round. Honestly now I can’t even remember if I finished with 13 or 14 full sets – I think it was 14. But I do know that at the end, I came up short of that 4th shot to finish out one last set of wall balls.

But I wanted it SO BAD. I pushed so hard through those last few sets, dripping sweat, flying through sit-ups so fast that I practically felt like I was headbanging. And I just really, really hate wall balls. Have I mentioned that? I was brooding about not making that last rep. I think I even scowled at my medicine ball. I DESERVED that 4th rep. And when TJ asked what my final count was, I told him 14 plus 4.

Yep, guys, I lied about my rep count today (to clarify, even though for the purposes of this post I can’t remember how many full sets I did, I know I reported that correctly at least). TJ even asked me a 2nd time, and I was suddenly convinced he had been watching me and knew I didn’t get all 4 reps. Whether or not that was true, I lied again. “14 plus 4,” I said.

I have never lied about my rep count before and I was immediately infuriated with myself. Had I really just lied, let alone to TJ, who is not only someone who I respect immensely, but who potentially even knew I was lying?

We stuck around for a few extra minutes before heading home. I stared at that little “4” on the board across the room. It glared at me. TJ gave me potentially-imagined knowing looks. On my way out the door I quietly walked over and replaced the liar 4 with a 3, but the relief I was hoping for didn’t come – the damage had been done.

Is 1 rep really such a big deal? It’s not like I fabricated an entire extra set, or skipped reps during the WOD, or, you know, tripped someone while they were doing bar jumps. Does it really matter that the little number next to my name on the big white board is just a tiny bit higher than it was supposed to be? In all seriousness, the answer, to me, is yes. CrossFit is about not just becoming physically stronger, but about confronting the person that you really are, and then making that person better. How can dishonesty, no matter how small or ridiculous, be a part of that?

So right now I kind of just feel like I suck. Any good feelings I had from having 12 strong minutes of a really well structured WOD are being smothered by that feeling of suck. And to TJ, I’m sorry that I lied – and trust me, if this is what that feels like, it won’t happen again.

Day 72: Muscle Ups & The Ascent Blog

First of all, let’s talk about last night’s WOD. 20 minute AMRAP (which stands for As Many Reps As Possible… 20 minutes is a long AMRAP, folks) of 2 muscle ups, 4 handstand push-ups, and 8 kettlebell swings. I can’t even come close to doing a muscle up (which is where you use rings that are suspended pretty high off the ground and push yourself up to where your arms are straight and you are supporting yourself in the rings – the picture above [which I’m about 95% sure I’ve posted before] is of a very badass CrossFit athlete about halfway into a muscle up) so I did 6 ring dips and 6 pull-ups instead. I was hoping for 10 sets but ended up with 13! At this point in my CrossFit adventure I have learned that if I do way better than I thought I would, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I actually am amazing but that I didn’t scale it correctly. Meaning, I probably should have used a 35 lbs kettlebell instead of 30 lbs, and I should have used 2.5 bands for pull-ups instead of 3. But I’ll take it! Also, after a day of climbing followed by all those handstand push-ups and ring dips, I’m pretty sure my shoulders are about ready to disown me.

In other news: Last week I talked about how after the 90 days of my 90 Days of Crossfit are up, I am going to switch this blog around just a tiny bit (don’t panic!). And I’ve come up with a new blog name! So starting in about 3 weeks, this blog will be rechristened The Ascent Blog and changed over to http://www.theascentblog.com. Right now that URL doesn’t point to much, and you will still be able to put in 90daysofcrossfit.wordpress.com and it will take you to the new address in case you forget. But I just wanted you all to know!

Me in the Ouray Ice Park last spring. Potentially the most awesome photo I have of myself… not afraid to admit it!

I picked the new name because I think the word “ascent” really sums up my goals for CrossFit and my goals as an outdoor athlete. I am reluctant to give up this URL because it is so self-explanatory, but I am hoping to grow this blog to be a little more than just WOD recaps and talking about how sore I am, and I hope you will all continue to come check it out.

Also, as far as I know, if you are subscribed to this blog you will automatically become subscribed to the new blog when I make the switch (which, again, won’t happen for another 3ish weeks).

What do you think? Am I committing blog suicide here? I hope not…

Day 71: Goals for the Week

Tape gloves for the win!

I had a great and busy weekend. On Saturday I went to the 1st birthday of the daughter of my high school Bible study leader. She (the daughter) is the cutest tiny ginger child I’ve ever seen. And redheads have to stick together, you know. Then I went to the engagement party of one of my best friends and drank wine and ate heart-shaped falafel. What’s not to love.

Yesterday the BF and I, along with a few other friends, checked out a new climbing area  a few hours southwest of Denver called Turkey Rocks. It was described as having one of the best concentrations of crack climbs in Colorado, but we are spoiled from living in Moab and were a little disappointed when we got there and weren’t greeted by sandstone splitters. Nonetheless the day was a lot of fun and I felt really strong on the rock, which was great.

The Boyfriend’s mom is coming to visit this week/weekend, so things are going to be a little busy for the next few days. Even though we’ve been together for almost 2 years, this will be only the 2nd time I’ve spent time with his mom! So I’ve decided to put together a few goals to keep me on track while we undoubtedly eat out several times this week and maybe even have to skip a WOD in the interest of entertaining guests.

Goals for the Week!

1. Get in at least 2 official WODs and at least 2 other physical activities

2. Drink no more than 3 alcoholic drinks between now and next Monday

3. Eat Claire-Paleo (the name I’ve decided to give my updated Paleo-style diet, with a little less meat and a lot more brown rice than actual Paleo) for all meals except 2.

4. Pack a lunch every day (except for today, because I already didn’t…)

It’s pretty easy to get off track and tell yourself that indulging is OK when you are out to dinner or feeling busy. I think this really could just be summed up by saying, “Don’t let yourself do anything you wouldn’t normally do!”

Day 68: Choose Your Own Adventure

Editor’s Note: Apparently when I get hopped up on caffeine I only write in short, choppy sentences. So there’s that.

I have a confession to make. I have had a lot of coffee today. Well, one cup. But that’s a lot when you haven’t had coffee in over a month. And I am WIRED. Like, borderline nausea-inducing, about to start screaming just to release some pressure, hand-shaking amounts of excess energy. It’s bad, guys.

Anyway. I have been thinking a lot about this blog in general. I am loving writing all the time and am also loving all the funny blog relationships that I have been building. Blog communities are a funny thing, but I am really starting to appreciate it! I also like going to my gym and have people tell me that they read my blog. It’s kind of funny and a little embarrassing to know that people I actually know in real life can hear the inner workings of my brain, but mostly it’s just great. That being said, you may have noticed that I am only 3 weeks away from reaching my 90 Days of CrossFit goal! Which means that this blog is going to change just a little bit. So I want to ask you guys some questions about why you read my random thoughts and what you want to see more of! I have no idea if this is going to work, but I’m optimistic.

Because let’s face it, you guys are some smart cookies. Gluten-free cookies.

Ok, so:

1. What do you like about this blog? What brought you here the first time?

2. What do you want to see more of?

3. What are you sick of?

4. If you could re-name this blog, what would you call it?

Thank you, thank you, thank you in advance for taking the time to visit my blog, read my crazy thoughts, and leave some comment love. Now I am going to go sprint down the hall and shake my face a bunch to try to get rid of this insane coffee buzz. No more caffeine for me for a while. Good grief.

Bonus question (for those of you who like this kind of thing – which is hopefully a lot of you): If you could have one super power, what would it be? (I would want to ability to speak every language, including being able to talk to animals!)

Day 66: Killin It

Ok, I’m just gonna throw this out there. I killed it last night with my Jackie re-test. My goal was to take 10 seconds off my original time of 14:00, but I finished in 11:31 – a 2:29 difference, and I went from 3 bands to 2.5 bands for the pull-ups! That is a pretty huge difference to see in only one month. Maybe I counted my chickens a little early with this whole Paleo challenge thing!

We also re-measured and the measuring tape thinks I lost a full inch off each thigh. I really do not think this is a reality because my skinny jeans are still just as skinny as ever and I feel like losing an entire inch from each leg would make a dramatic difference in the way my clothes fit. But apart from that I did lose at least 1/2 inch from both my hips and waist, which is always good news. This winter I bought a really cute belt at a thrift store, of course without trying it on, and it was too small, but now not only can I wear it, I am on the 2nd belt hole! Like I said at the beginning of the challenge, I think that Month 2 of CrossFit was a great time to do a challenge like this as far as body composition is concerned, because I feel like my first month was spent mostly with my body in shock. However I have heard that it takes your body an average of about 4 months after starting a drastically new training routine before your muscles can figure out what’s going on and you performance is optimized during the workout. After seeing my improvements just in the past month, I am really excited to see what will keep happening!