Highschool Flashback!

Did a couple of things this week that I haven't done since highschool!!! Why do I sound like an old fart when I hear myself say this? I mean isn't it a reasonable expectation that we should all keep our flexibility, balance and endurance levels from our youth? Sometimes life gets in the way....

Monday's workout started out with handstands! Doing them against the wall kind of freaked me out - worried I was going to bash my head on the wall as I kicked up but got the technique down thanks to Jason! Graduated from the wall in to free standing handstands with some spotting! Whhoooo hooo!

Handstands
Backsquat 3-3-3-3-3 (38.5/40/41/42/43.5 kg)

WOD
5 rounds for time:
pull ups - 5 reps (blue band)
ring dips - 5 reps (red band)
20kg Thrusters - 5 reps

time: 8:30min


Tuesday's work out was another blast from the past - rope climb!!! Do any Canadians out there in their 30's remember the Canadian Fitness Test? I used to HATE this test - pushpus, situps, shuttle run, endurance run and long jump. They also used to make us do (or at least try) a rope climb!

Deadlift 3-3-3-3-3 (65/67.5/68.5/70/71kg)

WOD
5 round for time of:
10kg medicine ball run - 200m
5kg ball slams - 10 reps
3x hand of hand rope climb

time: 13:43min


And finally the forearm killer on Friday! Deadlifts, deadlifts and more deadlifts! It's funny how sometimes the limiting factor of my workouts ends up being something completely different than what I expected. For example I thought my legs were going to be the weakest part and my forearms gave up in about round 7!

Squats 3-3-3-3-3 (32.5/35/37.5/40/43.5kg)
1 x 15 backsquats - 35kg

WOD
10 rounds for time of:
30kg Deadlift - 15 reps
Pushups (knees) - 10 reps
time: 13:10min

Barbara leftovers

Yum!

Back Squats 3-3-3-3-3
38.5/40/41/42.5/43.5 kg

Almost one handstand on my own and a very sorry 1/2 handstand pushup (no rubber bands)

WOD
Pull ups -blue band 5reps
Ring Dips - red band 5 reps
Thrusters 25kg - 5 reps

5 rounds in 8:30mins

Barbara's a Bee-atch

Did Barbara today with some AWESOME crossfit ladies - hugs out to the gals - thanks so much for sharing the pain!



WOD:
3 rounds for time of:
20 Pullups (Blue then purple band in round 2 and 3)
30 Pushups (knees)
40 Sit ups
50 Squats
Time: 20:05min

I'm not kidding when I say this work out was H-A-R-D! We were all sweating and really pushing to get through it. We all made it thankfully and after I had been sitting on the ground for awhile stretching, I tried to stand up and got the head spins. Stef sacrificed his gorgeous nectarine to my low blood sugar cause - thanks Stef!

On top of being very dizzy, my arms did some weird things....from my elbow down to my finger tips felt like I had ants crawling under my skin, electrifying everything and I could barely close my hand. It's as if nerves and muscles were over stimulated and 'firing' like crazy!

I got the giggles as it was the strangest feeling and at the same time, it reminded me of a good friend of mine, Brendan, who has cerebral palsy. Often while at school with him, my friend Nat and I would constantly invite him to come rock climbing with us - not to be mean but because Brendan was normal to us - we loved (love) him so much, we constantly forgot about his physical disability. For the first time in my life, I know what he must feel like - not having control over his arm and having to learn how to cope with how it feels to be "firing" muscles all the time.

My hat's off to you Brendan....I now think you are even more wonderful than before and it is a good reminder to myself (and all of us able bodied people) to never take mobility for granted! Crossfit hurts, it's painful sometimes, sometimes you feel like you're going to puke or you cannot make it through but you always do. I'd like to dedicate my workout today to Brendan - you are my hero for so many reasons - mostly because you are the fastest reading, typing, tipsy bike riding, banjo playing (well pretend banjo), kayaking, Arabic speaking friend I know! I love you!

Gimme a B!.....

Crossfit with Cockatoos!

I just got back from a two week 'break' - traveling out east from Sydney to Melbourne with a group of my Master's degree colleagues on a Sustainability Learning Journey. It was incredibly awesome; exhausting, fun, sad, intense and exciting. Have a look here if you want to read more....

I had made a goal to do a workout 3x a week and it went out the window! We are all traveling on a bus and moved a lot during the trip. I did manage to get one workout in and it was beautiful.

We stayed in Pittwater at the YHA on the mountain and I ran, did push ups, sit ups and squats with Sulphur Crested Cockatoos and Lorikeets! There was a very large lizard that came out onto the grass where I had been working out but thankfully it was after I was done!

The air was sweet, filled with birds chirping and you could tell it was going to be a hot day. Good on me for getting up early....the only thing I didn't notice was the grass had been freshly cut and I forgot I'm allergic to freshly cut grass! Can you say WELTS!? Well, not the best for meeting distinguished scientists and politicians but a Crossfit war wound none the less...at least they didn't itch!

Pittwater Workout:
500m run
5 rounds for time of:
20 push ups
20 sit ups
20 burpees
500 m run
Time: 13:21mins